WARNING: The following episode contains extreme violence and a torture scene that may not be appropriate for younger readers. Reader's Discretion is advised.
AN: So, the episode before the Season Finale. This one was originally really short, only 5,000 words (it's 9,000 now). I did something peculiar with this episode as to how I arranged the plots (for details on that, read the Author's Review Saturday), so this lead to a 4000 word ending action sequence. I definitely suggest you read the Epilogue tomorrow. It contains huge build-ups for the three-part season finale which should be released in two weeks time! Until then, enjoy the episode.
Once again I can not stress enough how much I enjoy the support you guys give on this series! Keep it coming! Because I am running out of time to write this series, X-Men will be moving to a "casual" schedule for Season 2 (and possibly Season 1, not sure). To keep up with the series, check my profile where I keep everything up-to-date. For round-the-clock updates on X-Men: Standing Guard, follow me on Twitter (link on profile)!
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Previously on X-Men:
"Computer, seal room and turn off all tracking devices. Priority code 4-3-Alpha-Gamma, Authorization Director Fury, Nicholas J."
"Authorized. What have you to report?"
"Charles Xavier has banned S.H.I.E.L.D. from the Xavier Institute after learning the truth about X-23."
"You know I have things covered here." The agent responded.
"What of our primary objective?" Fury asked, flipping open a file on his desk with one hand, looking at a picture of X-23.
"She's secure. Xavier had me tell 'er 'bout Wolverine, but I only told 'er what he knew, which, as you know, isn't very much."
"Has it compromised her?"
"No," The agent responded firmly.
"Night Director Fury."
"Good Night Agent Rogue."
"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you: the savior of the human race…"
Trask gestured and the curtain fell.
"The Sentinel!"
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"Very good," the professor said, looking the device over. "Very good, you two. I'm impressed."
Professor Ward placed the device on his desk and folded his hands on some papers. The device looked like a small car engine, with a pulsating blue circle on the top. The two students beamed in pride as the professor marked an A on each of their papers.
"Jubilation Lee and Roberto de Castro, I must say that you two are perfect. Both for each other," Roberto and Jubilation glanced at each other. "And for S.H.I.E.L.D. You continue to impress everyone at the Academy."
"Thank you, sir." Jubilation said. She was probably 5'5", slim and very beautiful. Her brown hair was cut short, very short, and very punkish. Her brown eyes glistened with pride as she spoke. She wore the traditional female clothes of a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent in Training: Black leather pants, loose enough to allow movement, but tight enough to show off her curves and a black leather top she had ordered a size too small for the specific purpose that it would cling to her body tightly. She wore a silver choker around her neck.
"We try our best."
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"On your left!" The male exclaimed, shooting a column of black ink at a Sentinel. He hit the giant robot in the eyes and watched it stumble backwards. Lorna glanced him a thank-you and dispersed the metal monster with her mind, the hologram fading into nothingness.
A girl with pink hair and pink butterfly wings flew overhead the two of them, leading two Sentinels to their own destruction. At the last second, she dodged to the side and Banshee screamed, shattering their metal hulls and dissolving those Sentinels into nothingness as well. Cassidy high-fived Pixie and the two let out a sound of joy. Three more Sentinels marched towards them.
"Always keep yer eye on yer opponent!" Rahne exclaimed, leaping and morphing from wolf form into were-wolf form, digging her teeth into the metal shell. Banshee screamed again and Pixie darted upwards, heading back towards where Lorna and Squid were fighting side-by-side.
Squid, despite his poorly-chosen name, looked very normal with some slight exceptions. There were visible red gills on his neck which he preferred to hide with a hoodie, webbing between his fingers and his toes, and his eyes were a strange black instead of white. He stood with his back pressed against Lorna's. She glanced at him with a smile and he almost lost his head had Pixie not knocked him to the side as a Sentinel swooped in. Lorna leapt onto the Sentinel's arms and climbed up, ripping its head off with her magnetism.
"Bonus points to the green one for imitating the great Wolverine." A gruff voice came over the loudspeakers.
Rogue laughed from inside the control room. "The great Wolverine?" she asked.
"What? I can't help it!" Logan responded.
Rogue laughed and turned back to watching the recruits train. She was silent for a minute before speaking again. "These new recruits certainly are—"
"Rogue and Rahne, please report to the Dark Room immediately." Professor Xavier's voice came over the radio. Wolverine paused the training simulation giving Rahne time to exit and join Rogue in the hallway.
"What do ya think this is about?" Rahne asked, wiping her forehead with a towel.
"Dunno," Rogue replied. "Better go see. I'm supposed t' grab Amara an' X from the gym. You want t' get some water or…"
"No, I'm good." Rahne replied. The Scot was dressed in a tight, sleeveless top and shorts.
Rogue was dressed in a green tee and blue jeans, a yellow jacket tossed over her shoulders. She had let her hair grow out in the three weeks since her trip to New York with Kitty. Xavier was still upset with her for dragging Kitty into her vigilante crusade, and she knew it had been wrong, but she refused to apologize. She was too stubborn to do so.
Amara and X-23 were in the gym, standing at one end and looking at a target on the other end.
"C'mon!" Rogue exclaimed, leaning her head in the doorway.
"Oh! Rogue! You've got to see this!" Amara exclaimed.
"Professor Xavier wants us." Rogue replied.
"Oh but this is so cool!" Amara replied.
"This better not be another Dazzler song." Rogue grumbled.
When Amara, X, and Lorna had gone to recruit the mutant singer (who's public was unaware of her true identity), she had politely declined their offer to attend the Xavier Institute and had given the three girls a complete download of her songs as "compensation". Amara hadn't stopped listening to them yet.
"No! No! It's X!" Amara exclaimed.
Now Rogue was interested. What was up with X-23? She'd been keeping an ever-closer eye on X in the past few weeks. With little to nothing else to do, her priority had shifted from monitoring Sentinels and the X-Men slowly back to her main objective: keeping X-23 safe and under control.
"She totally has this new power that is so, like, awesome!" Amara exclaimed. "Show them!"
X glanced carefully at Rogue. "You two will wish to stand behind me."
Rogue nodded and took a step back. X closed her eyes and concentrated. As she did, a third claw emerged from between her second and ring finger. Rogue raised her eyebrows. "A third claw, like Wolverine?" she asked.
"That's what I thought too, but this is so much cooler!" Amara replied.
X turned to the target and aimed her fist at it. She clenched her fist and the claw ejected itself from her skin, launching itself across the room. Instead of hitting the target, though, it hit the wall and shattered a lightbulb.
"You might want to work on the aim." Rogue pointed out. "Pretty cool though!"
"Wicked cool!" Amara replied. "We even gave her a new codename: Wildecat!"
Rogue thought it over. "Not bad."
The doors to the Dark Room slid open and the four walked in. Bobby, Xavier, and Storm were all waiting inside. Amara darted over to Bobby and planted a kiss on his lips, X right beside her, but respecting their space.
"You three make quite the threesome." Rogue noted with a wry smile.
"Rogue!" Xavier exclaimed.
"What? I'm just sayin'!" Rogue replied. "It ain't like they've never heard of it before! Hell, for all we know, they've don—"
"Enough! I did not call you down here for discussions on sexual matters." Xavier exclaimed, holding up a hand.
"Is there any news on Emma?" Rogue asked.
After three weeks of searching, nothing had turned up. Memories of that day were still blurry.
"No," Charles replied. "Two new breakouts."
Storm typed on the computer and pulled up two profiles.
"Quite extensive." Rogue noted.
"Yes, that happens when you work for S.H.I.E.L.D." Charles replied.
Rogue glanced at him.
"Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee and Roberto de Castro are S.H.I.E.L.D. trainees at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. They have both developed mutant powers, powers they have, somehow, managed to keep a secret from their commanders." Xavier explained.
X-23 spoke up.
"Are we going to recruit these mutants to our cause?" she asked.
"Yes, you and Rogue will be heading to S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy to recruit these two to join the Xavier Institute."
"Why them?" Amara asked. "No offense."
"Because this is S.H.I.E.L.D. Rogue and X-23 are the best qualified to handle such a delicate and dangerous situation like this one." Charles replied.
Rahne, who had been staring dreamily at one of the pictures, spoke up. "Profess'r! Do ye mind if I go too?"
Charles glanced at Rogue who shook her head furiously.
"Of course, Rahne!"
Rogue scowled.
"The Sentinels are nearly ready, Vice President Kelly." Secretary of Defense William Stryker spoke.
"I can see." Kelly responded, watching as red armor plates were welded together and pushed down a line of conveyor belts.
"Project Heracles should be complete by April 2, just as planned." Stryker said crisply, walking with the Vice President. "Then we can end this mutant threat once and for all."
Kelly grinned.
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X-Men: Standing Guard
Season 1 Episode Eleven
"Devil's Deal"
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S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy
March 23, 15:09 EST
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X-23 and Rogue walked side-by-side, Rahne behind them, taking in the sights of the Academy. Fury had removed Rogue's face from facial recognition, so they were relatively safe. X-23 kept her face forward, but asked in a low tone. "The girl in your room has not been there for a few weeks. What is going on?"
"We're not talkin' 'bout this." Rogue responded in the same low tone.
"Who is she? Does this have something to do with me?"
"We're not talkin' 'bout this right now." Rogue responded through clenched teeth.
"I almost placed her smell the other day—"
"X!" Rogue exclaimed. "We're not talkin' 'bout this right now! What part of that is so hard for you?"
"Talkin' about what?" Rahne asked.
Rogue groaned and went back to walking. She stopped and looked at one of the dorm doors. She knocked on it. Noises came from the other side of the door and then it opened.
Roberto was on the other side. He was only wearing a pair of pants, his dark hair wet from the shower, his brown eyes joyful. He was well muscled and Rahne stopped, staring.
"Oops!" he exclaimed, grabbing a shirt and slipping it on quickly. "Can I help you, ma'am?"
"Can we come in?" Rogue asked.
"Uh..sure! Jubes! We've got company!"
The room was an odd mixture of cleanliness and messiness. While the floor was vacuumed and swept, the furniture all very nice and slick, magazines and food containers were scattered across the coffee table and on the couch. Roberto reached down and grabbed several, dumping them in the trash can.
"I apologize for the mess." He said.
"It's not a problem."
Jubilee emerged from the bedroom, drying off her hair as well. She, too, had just gotten out of the shower.
"So who are you?" she asked. She had on ripped jeans and a black tank-top with a skull on the stomach. She had her brown hair spiky and messy. "Are you the S.H.I.E.L.D. QuarterMasters? I swear we turned down the television."
"No, we're not with S.H.I.E.L.D." Rogue replied. "We're from the Xavier Institute."
"The what now?"
"It's a school for mutants."
Jubilee and Roberto glanced at each other. "So…what does that have to do with us?"
"We know you're mutants." Rogue said matter-of-factly.
Jubilee took a step backwards and Roberto's hands started smoking.
"Relax! Relax!" Rogue exclaimed, raising her hands to show them she was unarmed. "We just want to talk. I know how hard it can be to live at S.H.I.E.L.D. and have these powers."
"You do?" X asked.
Rogue glared at her.
"I'm just here to offer you a safe-haven: the Xavier Institute. You don't have to come, but I'd appreciate if you'd listen."
The couple glanced at each other before relaxing.
"Alright, explain it to us."
"The Xavier Institute is a school in New York. It's safe from the outside world, completely anonymous, and run by a man named Charles Xavier."
"Well that would make sense." Jubilee replied, fiddling with her hair in the mirror.
"So what exactly is it? Other than a building?" Roberto asked, arms folded over his chest.
"Depends on yo'r age." Rogue replied. "If you're like Rahne or X here, its more of a school." Roberto looked at Rahne and she blushed sharply, fiddling with a strand of her red hair.
"What about people like you and me and Jubes?" he asked.
"It's more of a safe-haven and training grounds."
"What makes it any different from S.H.I.E.L.D. other than it's mutant-exclusive?"
"We won't have you thrown in the Fridge or assigned to special operations." Rogue replied.
"They put you in a refrigerator?" Rahne asked.
"The Fridge is a top-level S.H.I.E.L.D. site designed to hold alien, super-powered, or other dangerous people, specimens, and weapons." Roberto said. "It's existence requires a Level 2 access, and to get in requires Level 6. How would you know about this, Miss…"
"Rogue." She replied with a smile. "And let's just say I know things."
"How do we know you aren't an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"I suppose you don't, not really." Rogue replied. "But—"
Someone knocked on the door. Jubilee walked over and peeked out the eyehole before opening.
"We're clearing out in a minute." She informed the janitor.
He nodded and moved to the bathroom to begin cleaning it out. Rogue watched him pass suspiciously, but waved it off. She turned back to Roberto to say something when something glinted out of the corner of her eye.
"Gun!" she yelled, pulling Roberto to the floor as the janitor opened fire with a sub-machine gun. Rogue ran behind cover and pulled out her own pistol.
"What the hell?!" Jubilee exclaimed, panicking.
"Agent Rogue!" the janitor called. "Trask didn't tell me you'd be here!"
X glared at her. Rogue shrugged.
"I didn't know I was still employed!" Rogue called back.
Rahne looked at her in shock now, huddled by Roberto and Jubilee.
"You're not! But there's a big payoff if I bring you in to the Sentinel Project!" the janitor replied. He pressed a button and the door to the dorm room shut. Rogue smirked and stroked her eyebrow, looking at X. The clone got her meaning and darted off, the janitor firing and hitting her in the arm. Rogue stood up and fired three rounds into his chest, downing him. She walked over and pointed the gun at his head. He had been wearing a vest, but was downed and in pain.
"No!" Rahne exclaimed. "Don't kill 'im!"
"He'll contact his backup if I don't." Rogue replied.
"It's not worth takin' a life!" Rahne exclaimed.
Rogue bit her lip and lowered the gun, kicking the man hard in the face and relieving him of his radio.
"Let's get the hell out of here." She said, walking towards the door.
"Wait!" Roberto called, standing up. "Who are you?"
"Someone you need to trust." Rogue replied. "Let's go before more show up."
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Washington, D.C.
March 23, 15:30 EST
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"Sir, Secretary Trask reports that the Sentinels are being assembled now, the software is uploading and the first 100 should be done by April."
"Good, good." Kelly responded. "Now here's a problem, Ms. Groves: President McCoy will never allow these Sentinels to be used on mutants. I'm not going to wait another two years to get him unelected and to save our kind. If we're going to act against mutants, we must act now."
"What are you suggesting, sir? Remove the President from office? Perhaps impeachment?"
"No, no." Kelly replied. "That'd take too long. No, we need McCoy to approve these Sentinels now."
"Congress can override a Presidential veto, sir."
"Yes, but McCoy has most of the Senate believing in his little peace-between-species idea." Kelly snorted. "Your phone is ringing, Ms. Groves. Go get it, tell them I'm busy, and get back to work!"
"Yes, sir." Mystique responded, moving into the next room.
Kelly sighed and went back to the papers on his desk. He was looking for the mutant registration bill…where was it? Groves had it. Lazy, clumsy secretary…
"Yes, Erik."
Kelly stopped at his door and pressed his ear to it, listening.
"Kelly wants McCoy gone. Now is the perfect time to strike. We kidnap the President, pin it on Kelly, then we have our war and the humans stand no chance!"
Kelly's eyes widened. He went to confront her when a devious plan popped into his head. He could use this to his favor.
He walked in and Mystique looked up startled. She morphed into her blue form and went to leap at Kelly, but he held up his hands.
"Contact your mutant leader. Tell him I'd like a meeting. I may have a proposition for him from which both of us would benefit."
Mystique narrowed her eyes. She tapped her ear.
"Fine. Smithsonian. One hour." She replied harshly. "I'm staying with you until then to make sure you don't do something you'd regret, Mr. Vice President."
Kelly nodded with a sinister smile.
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S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy
March 23, 15:45 EST
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"We are so dead!" Jubilee exclaimed.
"Calm down, Jubes!" Roberto replied, his hand on her back. Rahne glanced at them. Rogue noticed and made a mental note to talk to her about it later.
"So why didn't you tell us you worked for the Sent'nel Project?" Rahne demanded.
"'cause you'd react the same way y'are now." Rogue replied. "Now isn't the best time to discuss it, either."
The five mutants turned a corner and ran into a guard. He glanced up in surprise. Rogue spotted a Sentinel pen on his uniform and hit him hard, right in the nose. He fell to the ground unconscious. Rogue picked up his gun and handed it to Jubilee.
"Have you had firearms training yet?"
"A little." Jubilee replied. "I can fire it, load it, cock it, threaten with it, that's it though."
"Can you hit the target?"
"50/50?"
"Good 'nough, let's go. We'll exit through the Boiler Room, into the hangar, borrow a car, then hike it on foot to the Institute."
"Are you sure you've never been here before?" Roberto asked.
Rogue frowned.
They reached the end of the hallway. The door was locked with a keypad.
"It requires a Level 4 access card. We'll have to—"
Rogue swiped something and the door opened.
"Just…follow you. How'd you do that?"
"Trade secret." Rogue smirked. "After you?"
The three walked into the boiler room and shut the door behind them. They started down the stairs.
"Freeze!"
Rogue grabbed X, pulling her over the rail as the Sentinel Project soldiers opened fire.
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The Triskelion
Washington, D.C.
March 23, 15:49 EST
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Something beeped on Fury's computer. He looked up from his book and clicked the notification. A Level 9 access card had been swiped at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. It belonged to one Marie "Rogue" Raven. Fury became instantly concerned.
"Computer, pull up security camera feeds from S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy." He ordered.
Images popped up. Fury cycled through them until he saw an image of the boiler room and the shootout. At that moment, a second notification popped up on his screen. Secretary of Defense Trask's image appeared.
"Director Fury?" he asked. "I'm attempting to detain some dangerous mutants at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. I'd like your assistance."
"I'm well aware of the situation." Fury replied. "But you'll get no help from me." Fury cut off the transmission before Trask could say anything else. He pulled up a line to Maria Hill.
"Hill, are you still touring S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy?" he asked.
"Yes, sir." She replied.
"Good, take a squad down to the Boiler Room in Engineering. Agent Rogue and some of her friends need help. You are authorized to maim, but not kill, members of the Sentinel Project who do not cooperate with you."
Hill nodded.
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S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy
March 23, 15:51 EST
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"Shit!" Rogue exclaimed, ducking behind a canister as Sentinel Project soldiers sprayed the area with bullets. Wolfsbane cradled next to her. X fired a single claw at the dozen soldiers and missed.
"Worth a try." She shrugged, ducking back down next to Jubilee.
"What's yo'r power?" Rogue demanded.
"Uhh…sparkles?" Jubilee replied.
Rogue sighed. "Tell me you got a more useful power!"
Roberto grinned and stood up, hitting his chest. His body transformed into flames, very similar to Amara's, except his was more smoldering fire than flowing magma. He directed a wave of flames at the Sentinel Project soldiers, burning several and scattering the rest. Rogue stood up and fired a burst of bullets, keeping the soldiers pinned as she gestured for the rest of the mutants to run past her. She ran out of bullets and had to duck back down, leaving Jubilee on the other side of the room all by herself. She cringed as bullets whizzed past her.
"Damn it!" Rogue exclaimed, showing a near empty clip to the others.
"What are we going to do?" Roberto exclaimed. "We can't just leave her!"
"We don't leave anyone behind!" Rogue replied.
"I will get her!" X replied.
"You'll get shot!" Rahne exclaimed.
"I most likely will." X replied with a smirk, and then darted across the floor to where Jubilee was. She caught a bullet in the shoulder and cringed, ducking down next to Jubilee.
"You stay behind me at all costs, do you understand?" X asked.
Jubilee nodded frantically.
X stood up, Jubilee standing behind her, and the two darted across the room. X shook and dropped to the ground, blood leaking from her chest.
"X!" Rahne exclaimed. Rogue put a hand in front of her and opened fire as Jubilee darted into safety and into Roberto's arms.
"She'll be fine!" Rogue replied. "Stay down!"
Rogue glanced one last time before ducking back behind cover. There were still six soldiers left and she was almost out of bullets. These men were good and she had to go for head-shots to take them out, while avoiding a hail of bullets and making sure several others were safe. That made aiming very difficult.
Rogue's phone buzzed and she tapped her earpiece.
"This is Hill, coming in at your six."
Rogue glanced up as a door burst open. A team of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents swarmed in. The other mutants panicked, but Rogue held them back.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.!" Hill exclaimed. "Weapons down!"
The soldiers readjusted their aim to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and they opened fire. Rogue ushered the mutants out of the room, running back and dragging an awakening X-23 off of the battlefield as S.H.I.E.L.D. moved to take cover. Hill slid three clips across the floor to Rogue who accepted them with a smile.
"What the hell!" Jubilee exclaimed, breathing heavily and pacing.
Rogue locked the door to the hangar and slid the dead-bolt across. She turned around to the remainder of the mutants. Jubilee was freaking out completely and Roberto was trying to comfort her to no avail. Rahne was kneeling next to X-23 on the floor, trying to check her wounds and being swatted at.
"What the hell is going on!" Jubilee exclaimed again. "This—This is not what I signed up for!"
"Jubes!" Roberto tried calmly, to no avail.
"I signed up to be a-a-a-a-an electrician, a computer hacker, not a damn target for psychopathic mutant haters!"
"Jubilee!" Rogue called in an ordering voice, still no result.
"This is-This is-This is out of hand. I can't do this! I can't do this! I-I-I-I-I-I—"
X growled. "Shut up!" she barked.
Everyone stopped and looked at her as she stood up, still wincing as her wounds healed, and walked over to Jubilee, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, and leading her somewhere more private. With Jubilee gone, Rahne moved towards Roberto, but Rogue grabbed her by the arm and steered her away.
"Nuh-uh!" Rogue whispered.
"What?" Rahne demanded. "I was just goin' t' see if he's okay!"
"I saw the way yo're lookin' at 'im." Rogue replied. "It ain't healthy."
Rahne scowled at her.
"He's seein' someone, Rahne." Rogue whispered to her. "You can't go intrude on their relationship. It's one thing to look, it's another to touch."
"Eww!" Rahne exclaimed. "I wa'n't gonna go have sex with 'im!" she exclaimed.
"You know what I meant." Rogue replied.
Rahne sighed. She did, unfortunately.
X had lead Jubilee to the side and sat her down on a bench. "Are you alright?" X asked calmly, sitting next to her.
"No!" Jubilee replied. "I'm not built for this! I can't do bullets and blood and battle! I'm a computer geek! I program things! This is too much."
"You are going to be alright." X said.
Jubilee glanced at her doubtfully. "I can't heal like you. I create fireworks. Freaking Fireworks. What the hell lame power is that?"
"A very useful one in the need of a distraction or to blind enemies." X replied tactfully.
Jubilee was breathing heavily, clenching her knees with her hands.
"Hey," X said, reaching over and putting her hand on Jubilees. "Everything is going to be alright."
Jubilee scowled. "Can you stop bullets?"
"No,"
"Can you stop me from bleeding out?"
"Depends,"
"Then how can you tell me everything is going to be okay?"
"I am not telling." X replied. "I am promising."
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Washington, D.C.
March 23, 16:09 EST
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Kelly glanced at his cellphone. He was beginning to wonder whether asking for a meeting with Magneto was a good idea or not. He was at a lonely end of the Smithsonian, glancing at a painting of the Nine Circles of Hell.
"Rather appropriate, don't you think?" a strong voice asked.
Kelly jumped, turning to see the mysterious speaker. He was dressed in a dark trench-coat and hat, looking very 1940s-esque. The old man looked up from underneath his hat at Kelly, revealing the face of Magneto.
Kelly struggled to compose himself. "Good, you're here."
"Of course I'm here. I made sure this was not a trap. Had it been, you would have dearly regretted this move, Vice President."
"I'm not stupid." Kelly responded rather arrogantly.
"That is yet to be seen, Mr. Kelly." Magneto replied, keeping his eyes on the painting. Kelly felt a slight tug in one of his metal fillings, then it stopped.
"Just a warning." Magneto replied. "Allow me the formalities: Erik Lenscherr."
Kelly shook his hand. "Robert Kelly." He replied nervously.
"What did you call me here for, Mr. Kelly?" Magneto asked, looking particularly hard at the area of the painting where torture was being carried out, as if drawing inspiration from it.
"I want you to take out President McCoy." Kelly responded very nervously.
Magneto raised his eyebrows and glanced at Kelly. "Now why on Earth would I do that? It seems to me that President McCoy is the only thing standing between mutants and your Sentinel Army."
Kelly's hand was shaking slightly. "If-If you do this, I'll shut it down."
"Pardon me?" Erik asked, completely taken off of his guard.
"Take out McCoy, get me the Oval Office, and I'll shut down the Sentinel Project."
"For how long?" Magneto demanded. "Until the next mutant attack, then it's back up and running, this time with nothing separating you from us?"
"Permanently." Kelly responded.
"Perhaps you really are stupid, Mr. Vice President." Magneto responded, returning to the painting. "You can't possibly hope I would have believed that." Magneto glanced over the painting one last time before departing.
"They're yours!" Kelly called after him.
"The art?" Magneto asked, turning. "I don't want it. If I did, I'd have it." He wiggled Kelly's filling again.
"The mutants!" Kelly whispered hoarsely. "Every mutant ever taken in by the Sentinel Project will be yours!"
Magneto tilted his head, thinking. He finally replied after a moment. "Very well, we'll give this a try. But, Mr. Vice President…"
Kelly felt one of his rings fly off of his finger and onto Magneto's.
"I can reach you anywhere. Do not double cross me."
Kelly gulped and nodded.
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S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy
March 23, 16:09 EST
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"As soon as we access this door, alarms are going to go off." Roberto explained. "We'll have about two minutes before S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents come through that door."
"Can you hotwire a car that fast?" Rogue asked.
"Sure, I guess, in theory."
"Yes or no's the only answer I want."
"Yes." Roberto replied.
"You can hotwire a car, why do you not do it instead?" X asked.
"I need t' be on defense." Rogue replied, reloading her pistol. "I'm almost outta bullets, too."
"Do you require my assistance?" X asked.
"No, you stay with them. If anything happens, you get them out. Don't worry 'bout me."
X opened her mouth to say something when the doors at the opposite end of the room burst open and Sentinel Project soldiers swarmed in, firing at the mutants.
"Everyone down!" Rogue yelled, shoving X to the floor. Bullets streaked past them and Rogue glanced back at Roberto.
"How we comin' on that door?" she demanded.
"Open!" Roberto replied, the door opening with a ding.
"Good! Get through and start hotwirin' that car!"
Roberto, Jubilee, and Wolfsbane ran through. Rogue tossed X her pistol and darted across the hangar. There was a brand new QuinJet sitting on the hangar floor. Rogue had read a few reports on them, but had never seen one in real life. It was beautiful.
Rogue pried open the cockpit and jumped in, powering it up. X fired blindly with the pistol Rogue had given her, distracting the soldiers from Rogue.
The engines powered on with a beautiful, purring hum and Rogue powered on the machine gun, opening fire on the soldiers. She took out most of them, the rest slipping and stumbling to cover. The gun could fire several hundred rounds per minute and reload without taking more than a second. Rogue was in love. She continued spraying, taping down the trigger before leaping out of the cockpit. She darted over to X and gestured for them to make it to the doorway.
The machine gun stopped, and the door at the other end of the room hissed open. Secretary of Defense Bolivar Trask walked in, eyeing the downed soldiers and then the two females.
"Go!" Rogue exclaimed.
The two girls darted for the door. Rogue heard a single shot and a sharp pain erupted in her right breast. She stumbled and slammed her fist on the door panel, closing it.'
"Rogue!" X exclaimed, turning around, but she was cut off by the closing door.
Rogue turned around and brought up a knife blade, but Trask shot her left shoulder and she dropped it, cringing in pain. She threw a weak punch at him, but he grabbed her hand and twisted it sharply. She cried out. Trask kicked her legs out from under her and she fell to the ground.
"What happened? Where's Rogue?" Jubilee exclaimed.
"She shut herself in the hangar bay with Secretary Trask! My claws can not cut this doorway!"
"Roberto!" Jubilee yelled. "Melt this!"
"Can't!" he replied back. "That's vibranium-reinforced titanium-steel carbonate!"
Trask kicked Rogue in the ribs and she gasped out, feeling one crack. He continued to kick and stomp on her, until she was bloody and gasping for air, very much in pain. He reached down and shoved a gag in her mouth, flipping her over onto her back hard. She screamed in pain. Trask grabbed her hands and held them behind her. She panicked. Would he really rape her right here in the hangar bay at S.H.I.E.L.D.?
Trask wasn't interested in her body, however, at least not at the current moment. He grabbed her shirt and sliced it open with his knife, exposing the wound in her right shoulder-blade. He pulled out a small vial and drizzled it onto the wound. Rogue screamed louder than she had ever screamed before.
"Enjoy that?" he growled through gritted teeth. "It's sulfuric acid. Very diluted so I can keep it in this bottle, but it's still ten times as acidic as your stomach acid."
Trask made a trail of burning pain from Rogue's right shoulder-blade wound, to her left shoulder, her screaming in agony the entire time. Trask finished up the bottle and stood up.
"Normally I'd interrogate you, but I know you're not going to tell me anything…" Trask cocked his pistol. "So I'm just going to shoot you."
Rogue rolled over, still in agonizing pain, to face Trask. She had a determined look in her eyes. Trask laughed, aimed the gun and fired.
"Rogue?" X asked, tearfully from the other side of the door. "Rogue?"
The door hissed open and Rogue stumbled through. Trask was lying on the floor, but no one was around. Rogue looked terrible. The back of her shirt was missing, large red blisters and burn marks covering her back. She appeared to be having trouble breathing, her face was messed up and bloody, as was her right chest and left shoulder. X grabbed her and dragged her to the vehicle.
"What happened?" Rahne exclaimed as Jubilee and X hauled Rogue into the vehicle.
Rogue muttered a few cursewords.
"Just drive!" Jubilee exclaimed.
Roberto slammed his foot down on the gas pedal and they screeched out of the garage.
"Car's gonna have a tracker." Rogue gasped out from the back-seat while X tried to wipe her wounds clean. "Dump it in Mutant Town, let S.H.I.E.L.D. have fun with that one."
Roberto grinned. "It'd be my pleasure."
-
Oval Office, White House
Washington, D.C.
March 23, 18:00 EST
-
"How much longer until we're through here?" McCoy asked. "I'm supposed to be meeting the Russian President for dinner."
"Just a few more documents, Mr. President." One aide said, handing another piece of paper to McCoy.
McCoy sighed. He pulled the piece of paper from the aide and glanced over it, about to sign it before he stopped and looked at two words on the page.
"I'm not signing anything in regard to the Sentinel Project." McCoy said firmly.
"But Mr. President—"
"No."
"National Security!"
"No."
"But—"
"What part of no do you not get, Mr. Lewis?"
Before either party could say anything else, something went "blink" and a large, purple portal opened up in the Oval Office. All of the aides darted for the open doors, panicking. McCoy panicked as well, though to a considerably smaller degree. He stood up behind his desk and stared at the portal firmly.
Secret Service were running towards the room, but the large doors slammed shut and they were trapped outside. The Secret Service inside had formed a protective barrier between the President and the portal. Their guns were yanked from their hands and into the portal.
Four portals opened beneath the secret service men's feet and they fell through, disappearing. Magneto, Blink, and Scarlet Witch walked through calmly.
"Mr. President." Magneto greeted.
"Erik!" McCoy exclaimed.
"It's Magneto now." Erik corrected with a cold smile. "Take him."
Scarlet Witch grabbed McCoy with her hexes and they disappeared through the portal, Magneto opening the doors at the last moment. Secret Service men rushed into the Office and glanced around.
"Code Red! Call Fury and the Vice President! Now!"
-
Worthington Industries
Independent Nation of Genosha
March 23, 18:03 EST
-
A second portal blinked open and McCoy was thrown roughly into a dark room. He stumbled and struggled to stand up. Scarlet Witch came through the portal and kicked him sharply in the ribs, keeping him down. Magneto and Blink walked through the portal, closing it behind them.
"Put him in the device." Magneto ordered.
Wanda pushed the President into a small glass tube, closing the door behind him. She walked back across the room and stood next to her father, glaring at the President while Magneto typed several commands in on a keyboard.
"What are you doing, Magneto?" McCoy demanded. "I'm working to make sure Kelly and his Sentinels don't wipe your kind out! Do you have any idea what you've done? Kelly will take over the Presidency and he'll launch his Sentinels! Is that what you want?"
"Oh, the dear Vice President won't be launching any Sentinels. In fact, he agreed to destroy them should we render you…" Magneto looked at McCoy. "Inert"
McCoy stared at him in horror.
"You can't trust a word the man says, Erik!" McCoy yelled. "He'll launch those Sentinels the second a mutant does something less than ideal for the human race! You know it!"
"He should know better than to mess with me. After all, that metal hip implant of his would hurt dearly if it were ripped from his body by the Master of Magnetism."
Magneto finished typing commands and flipped open a glass case above a red button, his finger hesitating over it.
"What are you doing?" McCoy asked fearfully.
"You'll thank me later, Mr. President." Magneto replied. He pressed the button and a humming slowly started. McCoy looked around as metal claws attached themselves to his glass container, the palms of the claws lighting up brilliantly.
"Erik! Whatever you want! It's yours!"
Magneto watched with a smile as a blinding light filled the room.
-
Triskelion
March 23, 18:09 EST
-
Fury sighed, sitting down in his leather chair and leaning back. He closed his one good eye and relaxed into the cool leather. It had been a long day and Fury was ready to turn in. He'd discuss Rogue's ID Badge slip-up with her tomorrow, for tonight, he was going home to his wife and—
"Director!"
The doors to his office burst open and Fury opened his one good eye, sending an intense glare at Maria Hill.
"You know better than to barge into my office, Hill. What is it?" Fury demanded.
"President McCoy was just abducted!"
Fury was awake now. He stood up quickly.
"What?" he demanded.
"Magneto and some other mutants teleported into the Oval Office and kidnapped the President!"
"Do we know where they are?" Fury demanded.
"One of the mutants got caught on camera: Clarice Ferguson, alias Blink. She has the ability to open portals with her purple staff. An ability we can track."
"Where?" Fury demanded, pulling up communications on his holo-screen.
"Island of Genosha. We're triangulating their position now."
"Get the Heli-Carrier in the air and get there, now!"
"What are you doing, sir?" Hill asked.
"Calling in reinforcements."
-
Xavier Institute Medical Bay
March 23, 18:09 EST
-
Rogue gasped as Jean wrapped the bandage over her ribs.
"Shit! Where the hell'd you learn medicine?" she demanded.
"I told you this was going to hurt." Jean replied.
Rogue gasped again and clenched the bed sheets tightly.
"This is ridiculous. I'll do it m'self!"
"No you won't, either." Jean replied.
Rogue was lying on a bed in the infirmary. Her shirt had been removed so that Jean could get access to her wounds. The male members of the team (excepting Xavier) had been removed from the room. Rogue's wrist had already been put in a cast and her face cleaned up. Jean finished with the bandages around her ribs.
"Well, it'll hurt to breathe for a while…"
Rogue scowled.
Storm leaned in. "Professor, transmission."
"I'm busy, Storm. Have them take a message."
"It's from Director Fury. He said it's urgent."
Charles scowled and wheeled out.
"I wonder what happened there…" Jean muttered.
"Best if ya don't ask." Rogue replied, glancing at X.
"Why are we even lettin' her stay here?" Rahne finally demanded.
"Because she's our friend." Jean replied.
"She worked for the gov'nment!" Rahne exclaimed.
Everyone turned to look at her.
"She worked for the Sent'nel Project, huntin' down mutants!" Rahne exclaimed. "That's who those guys there were today! Sent'nel Project mem'ers!"
Jean turned and wiped away the blood from the top of Rogue's breast, glancing at the bullet-wound. "How about we let Rogue explain while I clean this up?"
"Yeah, explain it." Rahne demanded.
Rogue sighed and leaned her head back on the pillow. "I was blackmailed int' workin' for the Sentinel Project." She started. This was her official story. Should any of her past life…resurface, it was the Sentinel Project that had done it, not her. Fury pointed out sometimes a cover-up story didn't have to be complex to be believable, sometimes the best story was the simplistic one.
"Shore." Rahne snorted.
"I was." Rogue replied. "But I did my best to protect mutants! Half of the mutants in this school are here 'cause I put them here! I helped protect 'em from the Sentinel Project, an' when the coast was clear, I called Xavier to pick them up!"
Amara's eyes widened as realization dawned on her. She stared at X. "You—In the mall—You were working with Rogue, weren't you?"
X looked at her feet. It was only then that Rogue realized how much her friendship with Amara had really meant.
"So Professor Xavier wasn't completely lyin' when he said that I was workin' for 'im…just in a different capacity."
"Rogue, I'm going to need you to turn over." Jean instructed.
Rogue groaned and rolled over onto her stomach. Jean slipped the green straps of her bra over her shoulders and looked at the wounds.
"My God, Rogue!" she exclaimed. "This looks more like a burn mark than a bullet wound…and this line…"
Jean traced her finger over it and Rogue yelped.
"D'ya mind?"
"Sorry!"
"So were you blackmailed as well, X?" Amara asked, trying to look into her friend's eyes.
X bit her lip and took a deep breath, blinking to keep the tears back. "No."
Amara wasn't expecting this answer, and stood up, just staring at her.
"I did it because I was told to." X replied. "You noted similarities between me and the Wolverine, correct?"
Amara nodded. "Yeah, what has that got to do with anything?"
X took a deep breath. "I'm his clone."
Everyone just stared at her. Even Jean turned and looked at her.
"What?" Amara whispered.
"The Weapon X Program that originally created the Wolverine was a division of HYDRA. HYDRA still wanted their ultimate weapon, so they hired a doctor to clone the Wolverine from a damaged piece of his DNA. They tried twenty-two times and failed each time. On the twenty-third attempt they cloned the X-chromosome twice and created me, a female clone of the Wolverine."
"As far as I can gather, I was raised in a military environment. I was taught perfect grammar in as many languages as I would need for whatever HYDRA wanted me to do. I still do not know how many languages I have learned. I was trained in melee combat, long-range combat, bows, staffs, any and all weapons as well as using my own body to win battles, in both physical and sensual ways."
"Explains why you talk funny." Amara muttered. X stared at her. "Sorry!"
"When S.H.I.E.L.D. raided the Weapon X Project, HYDRA hid me and wiped my memory, so that I would remember nothing. S.H.I.E.L.D. found me. I remember…Captain America, then my mind goes blank again. When I awoke, I was in a medical bay, being introduced to my new partner…Rogue."
"Are you telling me Rogue knew nothing about this? She didn't even pick up on it?" Amara demanded.
"I ain't Sherlock Holmes, Aquilla." Rogue snapped back.
The door to the medical bay opened. Charles rolled in, a grim look on his face.
"Everyone suit up and prepare to join S.H.I.E.L.D. search efforts." He ordered.
"What?" Amara asked. "Did they find Emma?"
"No," Charles said. "I'm afraid Magneto has made a much larger move than his Christmas Rally Massacre."
"He's kidnapped the President of the United States."
There was absolute silence, then Rogue spoke up.
"Well shit."
"All of you suit up. Except you, Jean. Stay here and keep an eye on Rogue and the new recruits as well as Ms. Cassidy."
"I'm fine!" Rogue exclaimed, grunting as she rolled over onto her back. "Shoot me up with some pain-killers and I'll be good to go."
"No, Rogue." Charles ordered. "You stay and rest. We need you more alive than limping around on the battlefield."
Rogue sighed and collapsed back onto the bed.
"Can't we come?" Roberto asked.
"Yes, please! We'd only sit and watch from the control room!" Jubilee exclaimed.
"We wouldn't touch anything! We promise!" Roberto added.
"Yes! We want to help!"
Charles shook his head. "I'm sorry, but this is a very important mission and you two just got here. I can not risk you losing control of your powers or getting hurt. Stay here and keep Jean and Rogue safe."
"Oh come on!" Jubilee exclaimed. "Jean is an Omega-Level mutant and Rogue is definitely some kind of bad-ass! They don't need us!"
"Rogue is out of commission, as much as she protests, and Jean is tending to her, making her vulnerable. You would do no good in the control room."
The two sighed together.
"I promise you will get on board the Heli-Carrier at some point." Charles added with a smile.
"Has anyone on your team ever even been on the Heli-Carrier before?" Roberto asked.
"No one, not even me." Charles replied.
"Well what are you waiting for, let's go!" Kitty exclaimed, darting past the three.
"Someone's eager."
"Totally unfair."
"Completely."
Charles smiled and rolled up the boarding ramp of the Blackbird.
"All systems ready for launch." Scott reported from the pilot seat. "Is everyone in?"
"Too little time to tell." Charles replied. "Go."
Scott flipped several levers, pressed a few buttons, and lifted up on the wheel easily, lifting the Blackbird into the night sky and flying off.
X-23 had kept silent the entire trip. Amara had strapped in next to her, but neither had spoken.
"I can't handle this." Amara finally spoke up.
X glanced at her.
"This silence! Say something! You're driving me insane!"
"What should I say? I am not sure if you are upset with me or not."
"About what?" Amara demanded.
"About my involvement in the Sentinel Project, about my being a clone, about—"
"X." Amara interrupted, putting her hand on the clones. "I could care less about any of that."
X looked at her, surprised. "Really?" she asked.
"Really." Amara replied with a simple smile. "I don't care if you were somebody's science experiment before we met, if you did horrible things or wonderful things, because you are my best friend and I am yours. There's nothing else that matters."
X smiled and reached over, hugging her friend. Amara returned the embrace.
Scott's voice came over the intercom. "And if you look out the left side of the Blackbird, you will see the S.H.I.E.L.D. Heli-Carrier coming up."
Everyone crowded to the windows to look.
"Please notice the captain has turned on the seat-belt sign. Please strap in and prepare for landing."
"Where the hell are we?" Amara asked, craning to get a good look at the Heli-Carrier.
"I do not know." X replied. "I suppose we will learn our location when we dock with the Heli-Carrier."
"Here's the situation:" Fury started, walking across the deck of the Heli-Carrier. "President McCoy was abducted at 18:03 Eastern Standard Time by Magneto, Scarlet Witch, and Blink."
"How'd they get in?"
"Blink opened a portal. They walked in, grabbed McCoy, and walked out. We tracked Blink's portals to Genosha. While you were flying over, we narrowed it down. The portal took them to a Worthington Labs Research Center. As far as we can tell, they're on a sub-level not listed on the specifications. S.H.I.E.L.D. teams will secure the surrounding area while the X-Men, S.T.R.I.K.E., and myself go in for the President. Our first priority is the President's safety, the second is capturing Magneto and his Acolytes."
A thick metal door slid aside and Fury walked onto the bridge of the Heli-Carrier, the mutants catching their breath.
"Director on Deck!"
"At ease! Hill! Status!"
"Approaching Genosha, sir." Hill responded. "We're thirty miles out, five from their early warning systems."
"Good, let's vanish."
"Initiate Ghost Protocol, activate reflector plates, radio silence, and radar shields." Hill snapped off orders.
"Launch jets." Fury ordered.
"Tiger Squadron, all units are go. Remain in stealth mode, land, secure compound, and contact us when that is accomplished."
"Copy A.D. Launching Now."
Half a dozen QuinJets launched from the platform beneath the large viewing window on the bridge. They flew a short distance and disappeared into thin air.
"Let's move out." Fury ordered, walking through and past the X-Men. They followed him to a gunship waiting on the Heli-Carrier runway. They climbed in and strapped in, Fury gesturing to the pilot to start the engines.
"Hill, are we clear to launch?"
"Ground teams are reporting in, all clear." Hill responded. "You are go, sir."
"Launch!"
The gunship took off into the sky and flew across the narrowing gap to Genosha. It was a short and shaky ride before they touched down, Bobby stumbling off and puking along with some other mutants. The rest of the X-Men split into three teams to search the compound, S.T.R.I.K.E. following suit. Fury, Xavier, Amara, X-23, and Iceman ducked into an elevator shaft to the bottom level and came out.
"Readings indicate the portal opened three feet beneath us." Fury whispered. "Blow it, we drop in, shoot to kill, but watch who you're shooting."
"Wait!" X exclaimed. She walked along the wall, ear pressed to it, knocking gently. She moved softly for a second before extending her claws and cutting away a section of the wall. A hidden door leading to a hidden elevator was revealed.
"Xavier and two S.T.R.I.K.E. members in there, go down when I signal. We'll blow the roof and drop in to keep them off of you."
Xavier nodded and rolled over to the elevator, getting in and closing the door behind him, two S.T.R.I.K.E. agents by his side.
"Blow in three…two…one…"
Fury gestured with his hand and the S.T.R.I.K.E. agent blew the charges, a circle almost three yards wide opening in the floor. Without waiting for the smoke to clear, Fury and S.T.R.I.K.E. jumped in, followed by X-23, Amara, and Iceman. Amara's hands lit on fire, her entire body converting to flowing magma. Bobby's body froze over, turning to a crystalline ice structure. X extended her claws. S.T.R.I.K.E. shone their lights around, guns searching the area, spreading out and looking for any sign of the President or Magneto.
There was nothing, the room was empty.
"Lights." Fury ordered.
One of the S.T.R.I.K.E. agents flicked a switch and the lights turned on, one by one, down the length of the room.
"It's empty." Fury said, turning to face Xavier.
"Not entirely, Director." X-23 replied, gesturing at the far wall.
The walls were made of concrete bricks, as was the floor and ceiling. On the far wall however, spray-painted on expertly with dark green paint was a large circle. Inside the circle was a skull with three tentacles coming out of either side of the skull. Five letters were plastered on either side of the emblem.
HYDRA
S.T.R.I.K.E. stared, as did Fury and Xavier.
"I thought HYDRA was dead." Amara said.
"What's HYDRA?" Bobby asked.
"HYDRA was-is a deep-science division of the Nazis. It was founded by the Red Skull. When Captain America killed the Red Skull though, and Hitler fell, we thought HYRDA died as well. Apparently not. This paint is new, as is this laboratory." Fury replied. He mused to himself. "How did they remain hidden…?"
"So HYDRA are Nazis?" Bobby asked.
"In short, yes." Fury replied distantly.
The teams just stared at the symbol. As if in the distance, they could hear the whisper of the shout:
"Hail HYDRA"
-
X-Men: Standing Guard will Return Shortly
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NOTE: If you want to see an X-Men: Standing Guard Season 2 and Bishop become a series, we need to get to fifty reviews! Let's see how quickly we can get there! If we can reach 50 before the first part of the Season Finale, I'll release a sneak peek at Bishop during Episode Fourteen!