I.
While Moira was in the X-Jet, exploring outside seemed like the next logical step and a good idea. However, once stepping foot into the misty unknown, she felt vulnerable. And watched.
Moira pulled her leather jacket closed in an attempt to keep out the thick moisture as they advanced into the fog, away from the safety of the X-Jet. "Forge, are ye pickin' up any readings?"
Forge held a device that resembled a Gameboy but was obviously far more advanced, comprised of alien technology that only he and Hank even partially understood. The device was supposed to project biothermal readings of the area onto the screen then with a push of a button, give the chemical makeup of the object. In the case of a mutant, it could also pinpoint the X-gene, a particular strand of DNA that differentiated mutants from humans.
But right now, it didn't seem to be working.
"Nothing. The electromagnetic interference is messing with its functionality." Forge powered it off and slipped it into his jacket pocket. "I guess we'll do this the old fashioned way and simply split up. We'll try to find anyone that's—"
"Wait a second. Aren't you the genius of the group? How could you suggest something so stupid? Splitting up? Come on. You're asking for one of us to be eaten by the fog monster," Jaime ranted.
Moira brought her hand to her temple, massaging a slight headache that had developed. "Jaime, surely ye dinnae want us to take ye seriously."
Jaime shrugged. "You know what? I'm going with the kid. Children always get away from the monster." Jaime walked past David, signaling him to follow. David looked toward Moira for permission, and only after she rolled her eyes and nodded did David fall in behind Jaime. They disappeared quickly into the fog, leaving Moira and Forge to search.
"You know, I can make a device that will attach permanently to his mouth and keep it shut."
Moira smiled. "Aye. Put my order at the top o' yuir list." Shifting the conversation, Moira said, "So what do ye think happened here?"
"I don't know. But right now, it looks as though everyone's disappeared without a trace."
Moira immediately thought of popular disappearance cases where masses of people simple disappeared without any sign of struggle. They were simply gone. But Moira didn't figure this was one of those cases. Something had happened to these people, Warren included, and Moira felt that it was something terrible. And it would only be a matter of time before they discovered what it was.
She didn't have to wait long.
"D—doctor?" David loudly stammered. It wasn't often that David spoke, which is initially what alarmed Moira.
Without a word between them, Moira and Forge launched toward the sound of his voice and the direction they had initially headed in. The fog was thick, but Moira and Forge reached him quickly and without much trouble.
Moira immediately noticed David's odd demeanor. He was staring off in an easterly direction, his face pale and hands slightly trembling.
"Where is Jaime?" Moira suddenly felt a chill, and she immediately imagined the worst. That something had been in the fog and had attacked Jaime, soundlessly and ruthlessly. But when Moira followed his gaze, she saw that the body David stared at wasn't Jaime's. However, it was still a dead body, ravaged beyond belief.
As Moira focused, her knees threatened to buckle, and she lost her vision for fraction of a second. Shaking her head, Moira took a hesitant step forward, convinced that the horror she now saw was nothing more than some grotesque mirage, created though some high-level scientific means that Hank McCoy would be interested in.
But as the metallic odor of blood, carried on the light breeze, intermingled in the fog, hit Moira's face, she knew that it was all real.
Bodies torn apart. Blood and other unidentifiable internal body part were strewn about, carelessly discarded as if a child had finished playing with its toy. If she didn't know better, Moira wouldn't have been able to tell that anything there had once belonged to a human. It was a slaughterhouse, full of gore and guts, mixed with the mysterious fog with sand sprinkled on top.
"My god," Moira murmured, stricken by the scene. Her mind raced to find an explanation, but nothing she came up with would even come close to explaining the destruction of lives on display.
"They're all dead," Jaime said, reappearing from the fog, starling Moira. "Sorry, I didn't want the kid seeing anymore than he had to. There are bodies are all over the place." It wasn't often that the jokester was silent, but this was enough to quiet him and to induce nightmares for a good few weeks. "One of you smart people need to fill me in. What the hell happened here?"
From Forge's perspective, he was less concerned about multitude of dead bodies and more worried about what had done this. And more importantly, if it resided in the large, dark pyramid towering much higher than the pyramids he had ever read about. His eyes were drawn back to the mess of bodies and debris, nearly unidentifiable due to being half buried in sand. Presumably, after the damage had been wrought, a severe sand storm whipped through, erasing and burying any evidence they may find.
Though he too was horrified and disgusted at the scene, he already started piecing things together and looking for clues to help him.
"There's someone here," David ominously said. His deep brown eyes stayed locked on something that the rest of them couldn't see.
Moira turned to the boy. "Are ye using your power? Who is it that ye feel?"
"I don't know," David absently took a few steps toward a pile of debris and stopped. "Here." He closed his eyes and with but a thought, the debris rose into the air then hovered there.
"Someone's there!" Jaime said as he ran to the collapsed figure's side. Not really concerned about the heavy weight of the debris floating over his head or whether David could suspend it there long enough, Jaime assessed the downed figure for injuries. Then lifting him up, Jaime cleared the area, before David let the heavy debris slam back to the ground.
He set the boy down gingerly and said, "We've got to get him treatment."
Moira nodded, noting the young man's shallow breathing and various abrasions. "Jaime, can ye carry him to the X-Jet?" After Jaime nodded, she continued, "There's a small medical station in the back. Hook the lad to an I.V. then clean and wrap his wounds."
"Got it," Jaime lifted the limp boy into his arms then disappeared into the fog in the direction of the X-Jet. Forge and Moira fell in behind Jaime, expecting David to follow along, but it was Moira that noticed David lingering behind, still staring off into the dense fog.
Moira instantly regretted bringing him along. She had underestimated the gravity of the situation and inadvertently exposed David to something that could lead to permanent mental scarring. Even she, being of complete and sound mind, would have nightmares about this place.
Closing the distance between them, Moira quietly asked, "David, we're goin' now, lad. Are ye okay?"
David nodded absently. "I'm fine. But there's something else here."
"Something else?" Moira repeated. She rubbed her moist hands together and glanced around, suddenly aware of their vulnerability. Moira could swear that eyes were staring at them, hidden just behind the curtain of fog surrounding them. And it was only a matter of time before they saw those eyes. Then teeth.
Moira shook the images out of her mind. She knew there were no such things as monsters in the storybook sense. But the person or people that did this—they were monsters. And to Moira, those kinds were far worse than any boogieman.
She stood next to him and looked out into the fog where she presumed David was looking. "I dinnae see anythin' out there, lad. Is there someone else trapped?"
David shook his head. "It's him. He wants the strong ones. He wants them all."
"The strong ones? What about the rest?" Moira asked, suddenly feeling like whatever was just beyond the fog was somehow closing in.
David waited a moment before replying. In that moment, the wind rustled through what was left of the camp, making sounds like whispered, dying screams. "The rest? They will die."
She felt her blood run cold at the matter-of-factness in his voice. He wants the strong ones…he wants them all…the rest will die, echoed again in her mind as Moira tried to break down what he was saying. But no matter how she tried, she couldn't rid the statements of their ominous and dangerous weight.
All at once, it seemed to explain what had happened over the past few days. The mutant massacre Charles told her about, where the Morlocks were slaughtered by an unknown force, because they were weak. The attack on the camp, because they were weak. But Warren, somehow this entity had thought him to be strong and had taken him for whatever devious purpose it had in mind.
And they could be next.
"Come on, David," Moira grabbed his hand firmly, and led him back to the X-Jet, every so often glancing over her shoulder to ensure nothing was sneaking up on them. David held her hand tightly, signaling his own fear at the something he felt in the fog. I should have never brought him here, Moira kept repeating in her head.
"Forge, take off now!" Moira forcefully commanded as she stepped into the plane. In a flash, she ensured David was strapped in, the boy on the hospital bed was secure, and Jaime was good. "Now, Forge!"
Forge wasn't used to seeing Moira in such a panicked state. She was the calm, cool one of the group. But something had her spooked, so Forge simply moved as quickly as he could and in no time, they were in the air.
After a few minutes, Forge turned to check on the passengers, focusing in on Moira. "Are you okay?"
"I'm sorry about earlier. But we needed to get away from that place. It was just a feeling I had," she said turning to David. They locked eyes, and for a moment, Moira saw a mental flash of a face, death blue and hideously deformed. And somehow, maybe it David told her telepathically, she knew the entity that David felt was this individual.
"Are we headed back to Muir Island to take care of the kid?" Jaime asked.
"No. We've got to find out what ravaged that camp and what's next. And try to help this poor lad," Moira glanced at the still body lying on the medical cot. Resolving herself, Moira took a breath then said, "We need the X-Men."
"I can stop them, sire," Ozymandias stared after the X-Jet with contempt.
"Let them go, Ozymandias," a deep, booming telepathic voice commanded.
Ozymandias, not telepathic himself, spoke aloud. "I shall obey your will, Lord Apocalypse, but please, tell me why we would let trespassers go unpunished for their transgression against your land?"
"They are but grains of sand of the great desert, inconsequential in the grand scheme of events. Their escape will only bring those that are more powerful to my attention. Those who will serve me in the Age of Apocalypse."
"But Lord, the firebird and spear, I—"
"Spare me ancient prophesies. Such elements do not exist in this world."
"I only want to ensure your awareness of any threat to your reign, Lord Apocalypse."
"I shall bear no mind to such ancient metaphors retold by prophets, unworthy to comprehend the texts they claim to translate. There are none in this time that are powerful enough to stop me."
Ozymandias said nothing. He did his best not to project his true thoughts, so Apocalypse wouldn't know. But he thought Apocalypse to be overconfident and blind to his own mortality, especially if the prophesy was true.
Behold, at first sight of the firebird of the cosmos that wields the mind staff of future ages, death will befall the great Apocalypse.
Apocalypse continued, "They will bring the strong, those worthy to rule at the side of the great Apocalypse. Patience, Ozymandias."
"Yes, Lord Apocalypse," Ozymandias bowed reverently as the telepathic link was cut.
Though he disagreed with Apocalypse, he knew that the trespassers would return. Then he would ensure to separate the chaff from the wheat.
II.
Michael Mjnari was immersed in darkness, and he couldn't exactly remember why. And that's what scared him most. Floating in a dark void, Michael struggled to find a direction to escape his black prison, but to no avail. He was stuck within himself with no way to escape.
But then like a faded dream, images began to appear, jogging his memory. Meeting Josh Foley at the airport. Sean's expedient strides and Jubilee's complaints about it. Remy's now characteristic silence. Sabretooth's ferocious attack. The fight with Toad. Jubilee's save. Remy defeating Blockbuster. Then Vertigo's surprise attack which rendered them unconscious.
As it came back to him, Michael found the darkness shifting into a hazy fog. Only after a few blinks did the fog sharpen into definite shapes and images. The airport. Police. Reporters. And Sean Cassidy.
"Are ye okay, lad?" the Irishman asked, leaning over him.
Michael took a breath and sat up much too fast. Immediately, the entire world seemed to shift and a wave of nausea churned his stomach. Michael shut his eyes again, but it only made things worse, like he was stuck in the world's fastest merry-go-round. Reopening his eyes, Michael groaned and rubbed his temples.
"What's wrong with me?" Michael groggily asked. He let Sean help him to his feet and stayed braced against him. Though he would rather walk on his own, Michael was glad Sean was there to help him through the disorientation that still lingered.
"Looks like yuir still feelin' the effects of Vertigo's attack. Let's get ye t' a medic."
Sean led Michael over to a young-looking medic, who took a look at him quickly, bandaged a small abrasion on his arm, and sent them on their way. As they neared Jubilee and Remy, who looked as if they had been awake for a while, Michael's stomach settled and the world came to a virtual standstill once again.
As the feeling passed, it was then that Michael fully noticed the swarm of policemen questioning patrons and ushering people past the debris. There were reporters already on the scene and other officers warding them off. From what Michael could gather, the reporters were making it some kind of mutant terrorist crime against the airport. Way to misconstrue what happened for ratings, Michael sourly thought. But he was in no position to protest, though it took everything he had not to shout at the reporters.
He then wondered about their own well-being. Jubilee made it sound as though everyone hated mutants. If the reports didn't specify who had actually attacked the airport, it would be easy for them to get blamed just because they were mutants. Though it wasn't fair, Michael was coming to find that being a mutant already tipped the scales against them.
Just like it wasn't fair that Josh Foley had been abducted. In broad daylight. For reasons unknown to them and probably Josh too.
As if reading his thoughts, Sean said, "I've already talked to the police. Luckily, I still have some ties with Interpol. That's the only reason we're being left alone and not bein' blamed for the incident. If yuir feelin' better, we should clear out before long."
Michael nodded in reply, understanding the situation. He didn't know how he would fare in a car, especially the way Sean drove, but right now, he wanted to be out of the airport, away from all of the bustle that was quickly escalating.
Michael asked, "Josh…he's gone, isn't he?"
"Aye. It's obvious those ruffians were after the lad. Hopefully, we'll be figurin' out why before too long."
Such a brazen attack seemed ominous and strange. Michael always imagined people getting kidnapped in the late of night when they were by themselves in some seedy part of town. But instead, Josh was taken right under their noses in the middle of a busy airport. These guys were desperate or they were just ballsy. Either way, the situation didn't sit right with Michael in the least. He knew that Sean was right, but at the same time, Michael felt as though they should be tracking down Josh's kidnappers and bringing them to justice.
It was then that Michael decided that he wouldn't rest until he found out exactly what was going on.
Sean let Michael walk on his own as they crossed the airport, nearing Jubilee and Remy. Before they were in earshot, Sean said, "I know what be runnin' through that head of yuirs, lad. Trust me, we're goin' t' find Josh and the criminals that took him."
The resolve in Sean's voice gave Michael the assurance that his words were a pledge, strong enough to topple a mountain.
"I'm going to help, Mr. Cassidy. I want to know why Josh was kidnapped. I want to know why mutants would want to hurt each other and endanger others in the crossfire." Michael turned and looked Sean in the eye. "I want to stop them from doing something like this ever again."
It had been a long time since Sean had seen such an expression of resolve in someone so young. Most teenagers these days were satisfied with a materialist, shallow existence, never challenging anything, never pursuing a dream. But he could tell that Michael was finding his dream to pursue. Much like Kitty. And Bobby. And Rogue.
"Don't worry, lad. This didnae seem like a random targeting. Someone was after Josh and had some way of knowin' he would be here. And they expected us. There's someone pulling the strings from the shadows, and that's who we be goin' after."
Sean seemed okay with the idea of letting Michael help. Now all Michael had to do was convince his godmother, Ororo. He sighed at the thought.
"Like, it's about time you woke up, Mikey," Jubilee joked. "I mean, like, if you're going to roll with us, you're gonna to have to toughen up."
Michael felt his face grow hot with slight embarrassment. "I'm fine. I just—"
Jubilee cut him off with a laugh. "You're like totally easy to get all wound up! Relax. It's no biggie. Trust me, that isn't going to be like the last time we see those goons, huh Sean?"
Sean nodded. "I'll be callin' the mansion when we get to the car. Charles should be able to use Cerebro to track the lad."
"Unless they've telepathically masked him," Remy suggested as he tapped his temple.
Sean led the way thought the crowd as they spoke. "Hopefully, they haven't thought that far ahead. If they have, then whoever's behind this may be more clever and powerful than we know."
They weaved through the crowd, ignoring the curious glances from witnesses and police alike. Michael could feel their eyes burning into their backs, and he restrained himself from looking back at them. All that would do was cause unnecessary trouble and delay their pursuit of Josh's kidnappers.
And if what Sean said was true, they couldn't afford to waste a second.
III.
Bobby Drake was propped over his Advanced Calculus book, trying to decipher the combination of numbers and symbols scattered on the page. But the harder he tried to concentrate, the more senseless it all became.
Groaning, Bobby shut the book then leaned back and stretched, fighting a loud yawn. An announcement for Logan and Dr. McCoy came over the intercom system from Ms. Munroe, which immediately indicated to Bobby that something was going on. And he waited for the follow-on announcement for him, Rogue, and Kitty, but it never came.
Disappointed, Bobby sighed and giving up on his homework, closed his book. Things were different—classes were harder and the staff was getting more strict as the days passed. He was sure it was because of the Professor's death. And Mr. Summers. And Dr. Grey. And Warren's disappearance.
There were so many things happening, yet Bobby felt as though he were now an outsider looking in. Somehow, the trust that had been placed in him as an X-Man had been lost. And he didn't know how to get it back. He tried to not let his own misgivings show, since Kitty was doing enough for all of them combined. But now, it was wearing on him, and more often, he would envision confronting Ms. Munroe and Logan, demanding why they were being shut out.
But it wouldn't get him anywhere but probably grounded even longer.
He then thought about Julian. They hadn't seen him since the night they found Dr. Grey. Bobby pushed back from the desk, deciding to visit Julian, when Kitty stormed through the door, using her intangibility with no regard to privacy.
"So why didn't we get the something's-going-on-and-we-need-your-help call from Storm?" Kitty, obviously fuming, began to pace, using her power to walk through the corner of the bed as she passed it each time. "I mean, I thought that the thing with Dr. Grey would have set us in good graces. I did help the Professor get close enough to help her. And all of you guys helped with the younger students. That should count for something, right?" Kitty grunted in frustration and flopped on the bed.
"Maybe it's nothing," Bobby replied. He wasn't sure whether he was trying to convince Kitty or himself. Either way, he wasn't doing a good job. And Kitty's expression told him so. "Things have been weird lately. And Warren's disappearance hasn't helped."
"Wait, what? Warren's vanished?" Kitty was truly surprised.
Bobby nodded. "I heard Dr. McCoy talking about it. Warren went down to Egypt to investigate a situation, but they lost contact with the site he had gone to. No one is sure what happened down there. I think Dr. MacTaggert is supposed to be checking it out."
Kitty replied, "The mutant massacre and Warren's disappearance. I don't think they're coincidence. But we don't know enough to piece them together."
"They might not be related at all," Bobby countered.
"I don't know…" Kitty began, but a knock at the door interrupted her next thought.
Rogue entered the room, followed by Sam. "Oh," she said at the sight of Kitty. "Ah didn't realize y'all were in here. Together. Alone," Rogue added special emphasis on the last two parts then cocked an eyebrow at Bobby.
"Wait a minute," Kitty stood, waving her hands in stark denial, "nothing like that is going on. We're just trying to figure out why the staff has been so edgy and put the pieces together between Warren's disappearance and the mutant massacre."
Rogue shook her head. "No need ta explain." Rogue took a seat, purposely distancing herself from Bobby, which he noted. "So, y'all think there's something else ta Warren's disappearance?"
"Maybe," Bobby answered. Really, he wanted to talk to Rogue and dispel whatever she thought was going on between Kitty and him. But there was no way he would do it in front of Kitty and Sam. Instead, he suddenly said, "Dr. McCoy said Julian could have visitors today, so I'm going to check on Julian. Anyone else want to come?"
Rogue caught Bobby's obvious attempt to switch gears. But maybe she was just being paranoid. After all, Kitty and Peter had some fling going on. So there was no need for her to be jealous. At least, that's what the rational part of her mind said. However, the other part swore that there were some kind of underlying feelings still lingering between the two of them. And it was only a matter of time before they manifested themselves in another kiss. Or something more.
"Ah'll go with ya," Sam offered. "Ah was just wonderin' how he was doin'."
"Maybe his attitude took a turn for the better," Kitty said as she stood and stretched. "Sure, I'll go too."
Of course she wants to go too, Rogue bitterly thought. "Ah'm sure three'll be enough. Ah don't want ta crowd him," Rogue said. But Bobby wiggled his hand into hers, and leaned toward her before she could pull away.
"You're not going to let me go by myself are you?" Bobby said.
"Ah thought ah said ah was goin' too," Sam interjected, slightly confused. A sharp elbow to his ribs from Kitty silenced him for the moment.
"We'll see you guys down there," Kitty said and grabbed Sam's hand. "Come on, Hayseed. No wonder why you don't have a girlfriend," her voice trailed off as she phased both herself and Sam through the door, leaving Rogue and Bobby alone.
"Rogue. What's wrong? Ever since Alcatraz, you've been acting strange."
Rogue bit her lip. She wanted to scream, yet her voice failed her, instead coming out as a choked whisper. "Ah saw y'all that night…the night Professor Xavier…y'all were ice skatin', and ya kissed her, Bobby." The look she gave Bobby wasn't one of anger or even agitation. It was disappointment. And it cut Bobby through to the core. "Ah put it out of mah mind, but now, Ah can't help but ta think that there's somethin' more to it. Ah know Ah didn't say anythin' before. But, Ah have ta know whether ya want to be with me or her."
Yes, I want to be with you, Bobby thought. Bobby opened his mouth to speak, but his voice never supplied the answer in his mind. But maybe it was because a part of him did like Kitty. And now, being put on the spot like this, Bobby had to make a choice. "Rogue, I—" Bobby hesitated.
Rogue covered his lips with one finger, silencing him. "Ah don't want ya ta say anythin'. Not now. Ah'll give ya time ta think. It'll give me time ta think too. Until then, we're teammates and friends." She paused. "But we're not together."
For the first time in a long time, Bobby felt cold, a chill of regret that pierced him through to the bone. And at that moment, Bobby realized that he cared about Rogue a lot more than he had given himself credit for. A ice hard lump sat in his throat, preventing him from saying anything, which was probably for the best.
Rogue leaned into him and kissed her finger, bringing her lips dangerously close to his but never touching. She then took a step back, blinking away her own stinging tears. "Well, we've gotta see Julian, right? Ah'll see ya in a few." Rogue spun on her heel and left Bobby without another glance.
And Bobby watched her go, the strength to stop her completely sapped from his body.
Notes:
Warren Worthington's disappearance happened waaaay back in Chapter 1.
The kiss Rogue is referring to occurred in X-Men: The Last Stand.
BlackIceAngel: Well, thanks for the review despite forgetting half the story…lol. Go back to chapter 1 and catch back up! This story sticks mostly to movie-verse, but for those hardcore comic-verse fans, there are a little bits and pieces of the comic thrown in as well. Let me know what you think of the new chapter.
Steely Phil Gordon: Yeah, I know. I let way too much time pass in between chapters. But I broke through my writer's block, and I'm back to posting a little more regularly. I appreciate the compliments and hope that the story continues to keep you coming back.
Ratdogtwo: I'll try. I expect a review of this chapter too!
Cassandra581: Oh don't worry, the X-Men are going to run into Scott quite soon. And it won't be pretty.
Descena: Thanks for the compliments, I swear I'm blushing right now.