From everyone at the Mutant High: Revolutionary team, we all want to wish you a Happy/Merry Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza, Yule, Winter Solstice and Holidays!
Season Two, Episode Six: Red
Ust-Ordynski FSB Base, Siberia, Russia
In Russian, with English subtitles
"Jesus, it's cold."
"It is barely winter, Dimitri."
The stocky Russian adjusted his gun and glared at his friend, shifting his feet in the crusty snow. "Oh yes, it's all well for you - you've been here for a year. You're used to it. You know there is a reason people were sent here as punishment."
"Stop talking, you'll offend the locals," the taller of the two men warned. "You - wait. Hold! Stop!"
Dimitri raised his gun as well, as the figure came towards them.
"Gentlemen," the unnamed man said jovially. "And how are you on this fine night?"
"You're on restricted government property," Dimitri warned, as his friend moved to call their superiors.
"Oh, but we are all friends here," the figure presented. "We are in a brotherhood of sin together."
"Great - now we have to explain how a drunk wandered onto the base on our watch," Dimitri griped. "Stop! Halt! I said stop, you!"
"Ah, but you have spent little time thinking on your sins," the figure mused. "Be thankful, then, that we have all of the night to remedy that."
The figure moved closer, opening the giant coat that wrapped around his massive body. Dimitri screamed.
Front Hall, Xavier Institute, North Salem, New York
"All I Want For Christmas" By Mariah Carey Plays On Radio
"Look! Look what I did!"
"That's great, sugar!" Rogue praised as one of the younger students pointed to the ornament hanging on the almost fully decorated Christmas tree. "It's perfect."
"Perfect," Remy griped, wrapping his trench coat tighter around himself. "Perfect is Christmas nice an' warm, n'est-pas?"
"No," Rogue argued sweetly. "There's a reason all those songs sing 'bout white Christmases. You just gotta get used to how things are up here, Remy."
"This one will do no such t'ing," Remy sniffled. "An' Christmas songs are horrible, comprends? Everyone knows so, them."
"I woulda thought you'd be in favor of Christmas songs," Rogue said, tapping him on the nose with a gloved hand. "Since one of 'em does talk about red noses and you need all the favorable spin on that count you can get."
"I'll have you know," Remy sniffled, as dignified as possible, "'Dat this one is still as suave and dashin' as ever, me."
"Sure you are," Rogue said indulgently, laughing when Remy playfully yanked on her hair.
"Isn't it just sickening?" Jubilee posed to Sid, shaking her head at the two southern mutants. Sid blinked as he handed Jubilee another string of mutant-adjusted lights to hang up over the doorway. "What is?"
"Laziness," Jubilee proclaimed, swaying from her perch on the ladder. Picking up a dull bulb, she blew on it and tossed it over to the cuddling mutants on the couch, where it whizzed and banged, making Rogue jump and Remy display a supremely rude gesture.
"Get back to work, lovebirds," Jubilee ordered.
"That's not exactly in the holiday spirit, now is it?" Sid chastised.
"Which holiday?" Kitty teased as she and Bobby carrying in a large, brass menorah and propped it up on an alcove. "My holiday says nothing about disciplining slackers. Next time they get lazy send them over to me."
"What are your thoughts on mistletoe?" Bobby questioned. He rubbed his hands together and blew on the tree, creating an array of tiny icicles, much to the younger children's delight.
"Don't even think about it, Frosty," Logan grumbled, rounding the corner. "None of that goes on where I can see it, or we'll all have a damn un-Merry Christmas."
"Thought you were supposed to be in the kitchen helping Ororo?" Kitty reminded.
Logan grimaced. "I was. I was then told that my suggestions for improving the dinner were not appreciated."
"That's because Budweiser simply doesn't work well in eggnog," Ororo explained as she strode out. "But you can still help me set out the pies."
Logan growled, taking another swig of his beer.
"Well, I'm glad to see everyone enjoying themselves," said the Professor mildly as he wheeled around the tree and into view. "Has anyone seen Piotr?"
"I think he's over by the fireplace working on Christmas cards," Jubilee supplied.
"Thank you," Xavier responded, with his usual kind smile, before moving past the sea of Christmas decorations and gifts to the fireplace. Piotr sat on the fireplace edge working steadily on a long letter. The Professor waited in amused silence, before clearing his throat.
"Oh! Professor! I am sorry," Piotr apologized, blushing.
"That's quite alright," Xavier soothed. "And that's quite a long letter."
Piotr looked down, and then up, a smile just lingering at the corners of his mouth. "Yes. For my mother and sister. Hopefully it will get to them by Christmas. It's my way of . . . being there, when I cannot."
"Then I have some very happy news for you." The Professor smiled. "Your sister is on the phone for you."
Rather than joy, Piotr's face displayed something close to terror as he took the phone offered him by Xavier. "Illyana?"
"Hello Piotr," said the girl on the other line. "How are you?"
"Illyana what's wrong?" Piotr demanded, lowering his voice, while the Professor frowned, surprised.
"Nothing is wrong, brother," Illyana said stiffly. "We're fine."
"Whoever is listening, hear me now," Piotr said slowly. "You want to speak to me, speak to me. Don't hide behind my little sister."
Piotr heard movement and his grip on the phone tightened.
"S Roždestvom Khristovym, Piotr," said a male voice, and Piotr's eyes widened in recognition. "I can promise you your sister is well. But she may not be soon, if you do not help us."
TITLE SEQUENCE:
TITLE SONG: "Evolutionary" Composed By Emilie Autumn
Cast:
Wolverine: Hugh Jackman
Storm: Halle Berry
Professor Xavier: Patrick Stewart
Jean Grey: Famke Janssen
Cyclops: James Marsden
Beast: Kelsey Grammar
Rogue: Anna Paquin
Gambit: Taylor Kitsch
Iceman: Shawn Ashmore
Shadowcat: Ellen Page
Colossus: Enver Gjokaj
Jubilee: Julia Ling
Forge: Rudy Youngblood
Guest Starring: Aleksandr Dyachenko
Written By Jose Molina
Directed by David Solomon
Created by Joss Whedon
War Room, Xavier Institute
"So they're threatening your sister?"
The muscles in Piotr's arms tightened at Kitty's question and the Professor laid a hand on his shoulder. "They say they are not," Piotr replied in clipped tones. "They say they only asked her to call so I would answer. They say there is a mutant who is attacking my . . . home. They say he is killing military and civilians and they cannot fight him without mutant help. My help."
"But you don't believe them?" Bobby asked, half-knowing the answer. Piotr met his eyes.
"No," Piotr said stonily. "These men are . . . capable of going to great lengths to get what they want."
"But you think your sister might be in trouble," Rogue followed up. Piotr nodded.
"There's no reason we can't go and check it out," Logan put forth. "One way or another we can get the truth out of him."
"These men are dangerous," Piotr warned. "This is not going to be . . . pleasant. They are FSB, the heirs to the KGB. "
"Whoa, since when are you connected to the Russian secret service?" Bobby asked. Piotr looked away, his knuckles cracking. "I am not."
"So Christmas, with the Russian CIA, in Siberia," Remy remarked. "Sounds like fun, n'est-ce pas ?"
"I will not ask anyone to go," Piotr promised. "Logan and myself can handle this."
"Oh, now this one wasn't sayin' that!" Remy protested and was followed by a flurry of similar replies from the other young X-Men.
"No way!" Kitty practically shouted. "We're coming with you!"
"Definitely," Bobby confirmed.
"This is not a mission for the X-Men," Piotr argued. "This is a family matter."
"Exactly," Kitty said, bright eyed and determined. "Which is why we're going."
Blackbird, 20,000 feet above Western Siberia
Immigrant Song by Karen O, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross Plays Over Following Scene
"So how are we gonna handle these guys?"
Rogue looked around at Bobby and Kitty and Remy. They all turned towards Piotr, who sat in the seat besides Logan, pointing out directions.
"With finesse," Logan instructed. "No need to offend 'em. We get in, find out if there really is a mutant killin' civilians, and then either get out, or get him."
Logan frowned at the snorts that followed his little speech. "What, somethin' funny?"
"It's just that . . . you," Rogue explained gently. "Tutorin' us about finesse and tryin' not to offend people."
"Yeah, ha ha," Logan grumbled.
"These people would not be above labeling a mutant who disagrees with the government as a killer to get rid of him," Piotr stated gravely. "We must make certain that they are not simply framing him in an attempt to weed out an activist."
"We can do it," Remy promised. "This one knows a frame job when he sees it, mon ami."
Piotr nodded, seeming preoccupied. "There." Piotr pointed to the screen. "A little to the left and we'll be right above Ust-Ordynski."
"Where's the base?" Logan questioned as he lowered the plane's altitude, grimacing as he did so, his hatred of flying unchanged after weeks of practice with Ororo.
There was a crackling sound and then a transmission boomed through the plane's speakers in Russian.
"What's he sayin, Tin Man?" Logan asked.
"He says to descend and land in their ramp," Piotr translated. "There."
"Oh," Kitty said as the clouds cleared. "There's the base."
Ust-Ordynski FSB Base, Siberia, Russia
"Piotr, Skol'ko let, skol'ko zim! And you bring many friends to us." The man switched to English as he strode across the landing platform towards them, flanked by two men in black carrying guns that made Logan whistle in appreciation. The man was not overly tall, but his bulk was mostly muscle and he carried himself with authority. His mustache covered a genial smile. "More mutants?"
"Is that a problem, Vadim?" Piotr asked with steel in his voice.
"Not at all, my friend," Vadim said, clapping Piotr on the back. "More is better, much better. Let me introduce myself: Vadim Gregorovich Saltykov, head of FSB's Mutant Division."
"You have a mutant division?" Logan said, shaking the man's hand uncertainly.
"Of course," Vadim said, shaking the hands of Kitty, Bobby, Rogue and finally Remy, who was the only one to smile back. "We would never risk losing out on all of our talented agents simply because they are mutants. Unlike other governments, we find it better to utilize what evolution has gifted to us all."
"Very forward," Remy said appreciatively.
"Thank you." Vadim made a small bow in his direction. "So, if you will all follow me inside we can explain to you our situation."
Logan nodded, making a gruff sound of agreement. The X-Men followed Vadim through a small door which led down a long dark hall to a security scan.
"You're being pretty friendly," Bobby whispered to Remy.
"Oui," Remy said with his trademark grin as a burly Russian motioned for him to step through the full body scanner. In a lower voice he explained, "It's always best to be friendly - they either think you' agree wit' them or you' stupid. They let things slide then, mais oui?"
"Can we quiet the chatter and get this over with?" Logan requested, glaring at the officer who motioned him through the scanner. "Like to make this as quick as possible."
Unfortunately for Logan, the X-Men had to pass through three other checks and processing stations before they were admitted into a dark, nondescript room possessed of a table, several chairs, and a large screen taking up the left wall.
"Firstly we would like to thank you all for coming," Vadim began.
"You said it was urgent," Piotr interrupted. "So speak with urgency, Vadim."
Logan raised one heavy brow, and Remy mouthed 'finesse.'
"Of course," Vadim said considerately. "The mutant we are looking for appeared four months ago." The Russian tapped the screen and it blinked into life. "We first found the bodies of several men." He waved his hand to show the pictures, their names and identifying information displayed in a row. "We speculated at first that it was poison, but when we probed closer we could find nothing that would do this."
"What did it do?" Remy prompted.
"Drained them," Vadim said shortly. "All of their bodily fluids: hormones, blood, water, seminal fluids, everything. Their bodies also showed signs of rapidly increased aging, as if the very life was pulled out of them. We could only conclude a mutant."
"So when did it become serious?" Piotr asked. Vadim frowned. "I do not-"
"When did they start attacking you?" Piotr asked significantly. Vadim nodded, his mouth tightening.
"Two weeks ago," Vadim answered. "He began by attacking our men when they were in the town, but lately he has been breaching the base. We have reports of similar attacks. Here is his track record." Vadim indicated, changing the screen to show a map of Russia marked up with the sites of murders. "He seems to need to attack - whether because of psychological or physiological reasons, we cannot tell."
"Why would a mutant evolve who needs to feed off of others to survive?" Kitty asked. "It would be a disadvantage, an unhelpful evolution."
"You say it is impossible?" Vadim probed.
"No, just . . . unlikely," Kitty amended.
"You got guys out looking for him?" Bobby asked.
"Yes," Vadim said with an eye to Piotr. "And because of this I can release you for the night. When this madman is spotted, we will contact you immediately." Vadim handed Logan a small device. Glancing at Piotr, Vadim added, "I am sure you are anxious to see your family."
Home of Anya Rasputin, Ust-Ordynski, Siberia
"Please take the car away," Piotr asked Vadim as the black car pulled down the street, his eyes on the small white house at the end.
"Your mother may come after me with her knives if you freeze walking to her door," Vadim laughed. The vein in Piotr's neck bulged. Vadim waved for his driver to stop.
"Alright, my friend," Vadim said and nodded to the other X-men as they exited the car. "Be ready. This monster may attack at any moment."
Piotr didn't respond, turning away to lead the others towards the house.
"That enough hats for ya, Remy?" Rogue joked as they trudged through the snow ground to the small white house. Remy sneered as best he could from under his giant furred coat.
"Don't she know we're comin'?" Logan asked Piotr as they filed up to the door.
"Yes," Piotr answered. "But I did not wish to . . ."
"Be seen drivin' to her house in their cars, with them," Logan supplied. Piotr met his eyes and Logan nodded. "Okay, Tin Man. Let's meet your-"
The door burst open and all the X-Men took a step back as a fierce, middle aged woman, her hair gently silvering, pointed a giant carving knife at Piotr.
In Russian, with English Subtitles
"You!" she thundered, "You worry your poor old mother like this! Taking forever to come home! You don't call when you land, you, you-"
"Mama!" Piotr shouted. "You are not old and I am not a little boy, please."
"Oh, not in front of your friends then, eh?" Mrs. Rasputin said knowingly, switching to English. "Please, all of you, come inside. Don't stand in the cold."
Exchanging nervous glances, the X-Men moved hesitantly into the warmly glowing main room. They were greeted by a blur that flew past them and latched onto Piotr with a running bear hug and wouldn't let go even when he stumbled into the couch.
"Illyana, please," Piotr protested. "You're . . . choking me."
"You deserve it," Illyana said in Russian. With a final squeeze she let him go and glared at him. "We had dinner all ready for you, and now we need to heat it up. You should apologize to your friends."
Piotr turned to look helplessly to the X-Men. Logan's eyes were focused on the woman with the knife - he looked more than a little scared. Remy shivered inside his robes, and Bobby surreptitiously pushed some of the cold out through the cracks in the windows.
"Mrs. Rasputin," Kitty said, removing her hood to extend her hand. "We're really pleased to meet you. I'm Kitty - Kathryn Pryde."
"And I'm Rogue," Rogue followed up politely. "We're sorry if we're late," Rogue put in politely as well. Mrs. Rasputin beamed.
"Now see, your friends have good manners," Mrs. Rasputin chastised. "My name is Anya. This is Illyana."
"This is Professor Logan," Piotr said, finding his voice again. "And this is Bobby Drake and Remy LeBeau."
"Prekrasniy," Anya beamed. "Please, all of you, sit down. Like any foreigners it is clear that if you do not eat you will fall over and then we'll be responsible for your deaths, please."
The X-Men hesitated, and Piotr cleared his throat. "Matushka . . . the knife."
Anya glanced from the X-Men to her hand and let out a full bellied laugh. "Oh, I am sorry." Anya rammed the knife into the wooden kitchen table. "There, now. Does everyone feel safe?"
"Can't speak for the others," Remy said finally, "But I feel right at home, me."
Twenty-minutes later Anya was laughing at Kitty's stories of her son while he blushed and ate the mountains of food she heaped on him. Logan was downing vodka like it was water, and Illyana was eagerly probing Remy for more discussions of magic.
"You're from New Orleans, where they do Voodoo?" Illyana asked excitedly.
Remy laughed. "Oui, petite."
"I belong to a Wiccan coven here," Illyana informed him. "But I really want to learn other systems of magic. I-"
"Illyana, don't bother the poor boy with that foolishness," Anya ordered. "Remy, your glasses: can you take them off or would it hurt your eyes?"
"No, ma'am, it wouldn't hurt them none, but-"
"Then please, feel free to remove them," Anya gestured. Remy swallowed, glancing over at Rogue before slowly pulling his dark shades down and laying them besides his plate, exposing his red-black eyes.
"Whoa," Illyana gasped. "Can you . . . can you make other parts of your body change color?"
"Illyana," Anya reprimanded in a hushed voice.
"No, il est bien. It's fine, ma'am," Remy soothed, nodding to Anya, then turning to Illyana. "Non, petite, I can't make other parts of my body change color. I can make other things change a bit, but then things get a little . . . explosive."
"And you?" Anya turned to Rogue. "You are still wearing your gloves - are you cold, or is your skin . . . like his eyes?"
Rogue's cheeks heated and she gave a small shake of her head. "No ma'am, my skin . . . it wouldn't be a good idea for me to have it . . . exposed."
"O Bozhe," Anya whispered. "So . . . you are all mutants?"
Kitty, Bobby, and Logan nodded. "Kitty can move through solid objects," Piotr supplied in the resulting silence. "Logan can heal himself, and Bobby has a way with ice."
Anya sighed deeply, before straightening, her beetle black eyes proud and piercing. "It was hard for Piotr here, at first. I am sure things have been hard for you. Things are not always as forward here as . . . others may have tried to tell you. But in this house things will not be hard. In this house we will try to have a place of peace for all of us."
"We appreciate that," Logan acknowledged. Anya smiled. "Good. Now for dessert."
Upstairs, Home of Anya Rasputin, Ust-Ordynski, Siberia
Rogue finally gave up sleeping and sat up on the tiny trundle bed. She'd requested a separate bed and felt horrible about burdening Mrs. Rasputin while doing so, but she knew she could never feel safe sleeping, unguarded, downstairs with the others. But alone and cold she knew she would get no rest and so she moved downstairs on quiet feet. Unsure of where to go, she saw movement towards the kitchen and treaded over, half-on alert.
"Izvinite!" Anya made a little jump. Rogue pulled back, but the woman had back her engaging smile and she waved Rogue into the kitchen. "Can't sleep, masha? Come and sit. I'll get you something to eat."
"Thank you," Rogue said, a bit embarrassed as she sat. Anya laid out a glass of milk and a dish of pastila. "I just couldn't sleep. But it wasn't the room! The room was lovely, and thank you for finding me a spare one. I felt bad . . ."
"Oh, no," Anya said kindly. "Many a night since Piotr left I have not slept."
"He seems very happy here," Rogue offered. Anya smiled wryly. "You are wondering why, if he was so happy here, he chose to leave us?"
"I didn't mean to be nosy." Rogue blushed. Anya waved it away. "No, no, it is the natural thing. But the truth is that I myself don't know. His own mother. My Piotr is a private boy. Such a private boy . . ."
Rogue opened her mouth to offer some kind of reply, when Logan rounded the corner.
"Logan, what is it?" Rogue asked, knowing something was up from the energy practically bristling off the burly Canadian.
"That was them," Logan said in a grim voice. "They say they found our mutant. They're callin' us in."
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Parking Lot of Stanislaus Mall, Ust-Ordynski, Siberia, Russia
Logan led the X-Men up to Vadim, who was speaking rapidly in Russian to three of his men. Another five were spread out behind different cars, guns at the ready.
"Good, you are here," Vadim said when the X-Men approached. "We have established a perimeter around where we think he is."
"Where you think he is?" Logan probed. "Haven't you seen him?"
"We found his . . . work," Vadim said through gritted teeth. "One of our own, he called it in before he was . . .Dr. Yelizarov can show you." He indicated a gaunt, blond man who was bent over a half-covered corpse. Logan saluted Vadim and the X-Men moved to kneel down beside the body.
"You see how he is pale all over," Dr. Yelizarov explained. "I can find no lividity, which should be here. Just like the others, his skin is desiccated . . . like all of his fluids have been drained. He has no wounds of defense, as if it happen too fast for him to fight back. It make no sense. I cannot understand. He-"
Logan sniffed at the body and his eyes widened. He yanked the sheet down, amidst the cries of protest. Kitty drew in her breath sharply and Rogue grabbed Remy's hand. The body was chopped and hacked, exposing bone - or what should have been bone.
"This looks like adamantium," Logan growled. "Was this part of your killer's work, huh?"
Dr. Yelizarov pulled the sheet back over the bottom of the corpse. "That has no business with how he died."
Logan opened his mouth to respond, but suddenly there was a flurry of loud cries in Russian.
"Stoj! Požar!"
"Alright," Logan stated. "We need to -"
"I'm going," Piotr said shortly, setting off at high speed.
"Piotr, wait!" Kitty yelled, following after him, phasing directly through two soldiers and a car.
"Oh, goddamn it," Logan screamed. "C'mon, let's get after 'em! Now!"
The X-Men fanned out over the lot, Remy twirling his bo stick in readiness, Logan unsheathing his claws.
"Bobby, can you do something about our vision?" Logan requested.
"Got it." Bobby took in a deep breath and blew it out, spreading his arms wide. The snow and fog parted, expanding over the parking lot, clearing the field and exposing the trail of bodies. The figure bending over one stood. In the now open air his booming laugh was distinctly audible.
"Wonderful, my friends!" The large man spoke in booming Russian. "Now we are all one big happy family again!"
"Piotr, what's he saying?" Bobby shouted.
"Don't matter," Logan growled. "He's our man - take 'im down!"
Remy moved in first, vaulting himself closer to the giant figure with his bo staff as he shot three charged cards towards him. They hit with deadly accuracy, but were met with only laughs by their target as he opened his giant coat to reveal two glinting metal appendages. Remy dodged one snaking tentacle, flipping over a car to avoid the second.
"Nice arms, mon ami," Remy joked. "Tell me your secret, you."
With a snarl, his assailant thrust his arms forward, and Remy dodged again. "We gotta work on your aim, homme."
"Remy, look out!" Rogue screamed as the tentacles lifted a half busted silver vehicle and hurled it at the Louisiana-bred mutant. Remy skidded backwards, just managing to avoid being crushed as the car banged him heavily in the chest as it came to rest.
"NO!" Rogue set off at a run to intercept the large Russian, punching into one of the tentacles as it moved towards Remy, wincing at its effect. The murderer turned to face her, allowing her to see his expressive, dark eyes and thoroughly unpleasant grin.
"Lyubimaya," he crooned.
"Love this," Rogue snarled, aiming a kick at his broad chest. He stumbled back, blinking for a moment or two in surprise, before chuckling. "Ty mne nraveshsya."
His tentacles loomed above Rogue's head for a few moments and then the big man grunted in surprise when they began to stiffen, slowly growing a sheet of ice.
"Shto eto?" the Russian demanded.
"Rogue, now!" Bobby cried, running up from behind, his arms outstretched, one hand controlling the ice, the other formed into a fist.
"Ach!" Their opponent made an annoyed sound and the tentacles broke free. With a roll of his eyes, he turned around to backhand Bobby viciously. An enraged Rogue made for one of the tentacles, missed, and found the giant's hand around her throat.
"Bad . . . decision," Rogue choked, pulling down her collar enough for her bare skin to touch his. The man's dark eyes widened and he grunted in pain as he felt the drain of Rogue's power.
"Chto ty delayesh?" Shaking his head, snarling in fury, the man thrust Rogue away and she landed heavily on the asphalt of the parking lot.
"Alright, bub, you're payin' for that," Logan roared, leaping up to run his claws down the giant's back. His target gave a roar of his own. Whirling around, he thrust a tentacle out. His metal met Logan's with a resounding crash, making both men quake.
"Da!" the giant smiled broadly. "Vy menya panimayete?"
"Sorry pal," Logan responded. "I don't speak Red."
The giant shrugged, and attacked Logan with his arms, both human and metal. For a moment the two men were a blur of blows. "That . . . all you got, Russkie?" Logan challenged, trying to ignore the ache in his limbs. "C'mon, you-"
The Russian caught Logan's wrist in one of his hands and opened his mouth, revealing a pair of teeth coated with what looked unsettlingly like blood.
"Oh, you're not," Logan groaned as the man bent his head towards him, struggling hard. That horrifying mouth was inches from his neck when two metal arms took hold of a tentacle and pried it away. The giant's eyes flicked over with mild interest to inspect the annoyance, and then dropped Logan like a stone.
"Piotr," the giant purred. "Kak pozhivaesh?"
"Nyet," Piotr responded as the big man turned his focus to him, allowing Logan to regain his footing and move into another fighting stance. Piotr shook his head at his teacher, waving him aside. "I do not know you," he continued in Russia.
In Russian, with English subtitles
"Oh, Piotr," the giant replied. "And we were so very like brothers once upon a time. How can you not know me now?"
"No," Piotr gaped. "You . . . no. You were dead. They killed you."
"Yes, they did indeed." His fellow Russian chuckled. "But strange, I did not die. And so they determined there were other uses for me, our noble, incorruptible friends."
"You are lying!" Piotr screamed. "You were arrested, you were executed!"
The big man spread his arms. "And yet here before you I stand, my brother, my friend," the massive man proclaimed. "Come now, are you surprised they saw me as such a valuable . . . asset? And you, are you not happy to know you are not alone?"
Piotr shouted an unintelligible defiance at the mocking figure, charging towards him like a human tank. But his self-proclaimed friend only dodged, moving more quickly than would seem possible for a creature of his mass.
"Fight me!" Piotr challenged.
"Not yet, my friend," the man declined. "Not quite yet. Do vstrechi."
Ust-Ordynski Military Base, Interior Chamber, Siberia, Russia
"Vsyo pad kontrolem," Vadim assured the six mutants when they finally entered the private chamber in the base. "Everything is under control-"
"Stoj!" Piotr thundered, banging his hands down on the table, his metal rising back up his arms in anger, making the room shake. "Stop lying to me," he said, his eyes fixed on Vadim.
"We did not think you needed to know," Vadim said, not meeting Piotr's gaze.
"I didn't need to know!" Piotr laughed angrily. "I didn't need to know Arkady was ALIVE?"
"Wait, you know this guy?" Logan interrupted. Piotr bit his lip.
"Arkady Rossovich," Vadim explained slowly. "He and Piotr knew each other when they were young, were friends-"
"Before I found out he was murdering men, women, children and burying their bodies in shallow graves," Piotr growled. "And I turned him in. And he was executed. Or was he not?"
"No, he was." Vadim chuckled wryly, putting his hands into his pockets. "Lethal injection, and it should have killed him. But . . . he survived. It . . . was very promising."
"Promising?" Bobby asked, eyes widening.
"Of course," Piotr supplied bitterly. "What could the military not do with a man who cannot die?"
"But his arms," Logan pressed. "He had adamantium . . . even mutants aren't born with that."
"Carbonadium, in fact, very similar, developed in the last days of the Union," Vadim admitted. "He was enhanced with them, after his training. His codename was Omega Red. He seemed like he might prove useful, but his . . . natural inclinations could not be controlled."
"So when he started to murder again you cut him loose on the rest of your civilians?" Kitty snorted in disgust.
"We built a chamber meant to hold him," Vadim argued, raising his voice. "He escaped. We have been trying to recapture him. We have not had success."
"Sloppy," Remy criticized. Vadim glared at him. "Oh, it does not meet your standards?"
"Callin' in someone else to do your dirty work, you? Just expectin' them not to put it together? No plan to restrain votre problème?" Remy sniffed. "Oui, it does not meet my standards."
"We can contain him if we can get him into the cell," Vadim tried to bargain. "We just need your help-"
"To fix your problem?" Piotr hollered, getting up into Vadim's face, switching to Russian. "You want me to deal with the monster you let loose on Mother Russia! The monster I gave you to destroy! Instead you made him into an even more deadly weapon. The weapon you would have made me."
"Please," Vadim pleaded. "You are not Arkady, you are like your father-"
"Don't you dare!" Piotr lowered his voice, threatening. "Don't you . . ."
Piotr pulled himself away, stumbling back. His face constricting in pain, he shook his head. "Nyet. No. No." Backing away he moved out the door, as if unsure of everyone in the room.
Ust-Ordynski Military Base, Outer Courtyard, Siberia, Russia
"Piotr!"
Piotr closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, watching it spiral into the air. "Kitty, you should not be out here, it is too cold."
Kitty rounded to face him. "If you can deal with it, I can too."
"Not with this," Piotr denied.
"You're not responsible for what he's done, Piotr," Kitty persuaded. "You did everything you could."
Piotr looked away, as if trapped. "Kitty, Katya, please, just go inside."
"You wanna stay out here and beat yourself up?" Kitty pressed. "Tough, I'm not gonna let you do it. This is their problem, their issue-"
"I. Am. Them!" Piotr exploded, and Kitty stepped back. "I'm sorry," he said, holding his head in this hands. "I . . . I was a part of it."
"Of what?" Kitty said, more gently. Piotr swallowed hard.
"My father was an . . . agent," Piotr said, haltingly. "He worked for these people. And then . . . after I found out about . . . Arkady . . . They approached me. They said . . . I showed promise. That I would be able to help my country." Piotr smiled harshly. "I wanted to help. They said I could."
"Piotr-"
"So I trained with them," Piotr continued, as if, having begun, he could not stop. "I worked with them. I let them mold me. But the things they had me do . . . I knew it could not be for the good. They wanted to make me the perfect weapon. A killer. I could not do it. I knew . . . I left." Piotr nodded. "I had to get out. But I could not stay around my mother, my sister. I could not . . . contaminate them."
"Piotr in all the time I have known you, you have never tried to do anything other than help people," Kitty said earnestly. "You would never hurt anyone, we know you . . ."
"But you do not, do you?" Piotr argued. "Not this part of me. Not the part that could become like them."
"That is your choice, Piotr!" Kitty stated. "You chose to leave, you chose to get out. Arkady didn't, Vadim didn't. That's all that matters."
"Perhaps," Piotr replied, sounding unconvinced.
"No," Kitty said firmly. "Definitely." Piotr smiled at her, and Kitty embraced him.
"Thank you," Piotr said into her shoulder. Kitty smiled, rubbing her face into his coat. "There's no need."
"Hey!"
Piotr and Kitty sprang apart, embarrassed as Bobby and Remy ran up. Rogue and Logan following close behind.
"You okay, homme?" Remy asked carefully.
"Oui," Piotr said, his accent making Remy grin.
"Well it's your call," Logan ventured. "But they say Arkady has attacked again. Civilians."
"Sure." Bobby rolled his eyes. "They just wanna help, right?"
"It's your call, Tin Man," Logan posed.
Piotr drew himself upright. "My call."
"If you say we don't go in, we don't," Logan promised. Piotr gave a half-smile.
"If we let innocent people be hurt, because we are afraid for ourselves," Piotr said, "We might as well all sign up with the FSB. No. Let's finish this."
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Tsentralnaya Ulitsa, Ust-Ordynski, Siberia, Russia
"What happened here?" Kitty whispered, staring out over the bodies strewn about the street.
"You have to ask?" Bobby murmured.
"Do we have a plan this time?" Rogue questioned. "We kinda embarrassed ourselves last time."
"This one takes offense at that," Remy replied, whirling his bo staff, eyes alert. "I . . . wait. Hear that?"
The X-Men froze, and then Logan signaled. "Here, right here."
Piotr was the first to make it to the gasping, bleeding body of Vadim Saltykov. "Piotr," the chief director coughed in Russian. "I want . . . you to tell my mother."
"Don't talk like that," Piotr warned, holding the man's shaking hand. "We will get you to the hospital."
"No time," Vadim replied. "You must know . . . his mutation . . . he must feed to survive. But . . . if you can force him to extend his energy long enough . . . he may be killed."
"Just try not to talk," Piotr pleaded, his throat tightening.
"Your father," Vadim began.
"Don't, Vadim, don't-"
"He was not a perfect man," Vadim struggled to say, blood blooming at the edge of his mouth. "But he did good things too. He would have wanted you to . . . use your strengths . . . to help . . . our . . . our-"
Piotr gasped as Vadim's grip on his hand went slack.
"Kak dvizhushchiyesya, moy drug."
All of the X-Men turned immediately to face Arkady, but Piotr stood up slowly, letting out a long, slow breath. "I am not your friend, Arkady."
"Well," Arkady continued in their native language. "How unfortunate for you. Until now my tender feelings for you have kept me from hurting you. You have cut me deeply. I suppose I owe you for handing me over to the wolves."
"Try this wolf first."
Arkady roared as Logan jammed his right hand claws into the Russian's side, parrying one of his tentacles with his left. Logan pulled back, and Arkady charged towards the Canadian.
"Oh no, homme, no' this time," Remy growled, leaping onto the giant's back. He put his bo staff around Arkady's neck and pulled it tight, charging up the man's coat. Arkady struggled, finally reaching over to grab Remy and tossing him hard. Remy tucked and rolled, landing on his feet as the coat exploded. Arkady stumbled, hissing and spitting and trying to pull it off. Bobby stepped forward and thrust his hands out, focusing as ice build up on the coat, holding it to his back.
"Nakipʹ," Arkady spat, backhanding Bobby, who hit the ground, hard. Arkady shook like a dog and his iced coat shattered, icicles flying, forcing the X-Men to duck. When Rogue looked up Remy was kneeling on the ground, clutching his head.
"Hellfire," Rogue snarled, barreling towards Arkady, pummeling him with her fists. Arkady grabbed her left arm and Rogue tugged off her right glove with her teeth and slapped her bare hand against Arkady's face. They both drew breath sharply as Rogue's draining power warred with Arkady's. Rogue bit her lip, holding in her whimpers of pain. Slowly, Arkady began to grin as Rogue started to crumple. Suddenly Arkady's eyes widened. Dropping Rogue, he clutched at his chest, a steady scream building up to a wail until Kitty emerged, covered in fluids.
"Gross, majorly gross," Kitty spat, shaking. Arkady aimed a powerful kick at the little mutant.
"Kitty!" Rogue reacted on instinct, shoving her friend out of the way, and taking the blow. Logan slid across the icy ground to catch the white-streaked mutant before she hit the concrete. Arkady beamed, then turned his gaze to Kitty.
"Nyet," Piotr demanded, stepping firmly in front of the smaller mutant. "This has been coming for a long time, so aim it at me."
"Da," Arkady consented, and his tentacles extended out, slamming into Piotr's metallic skin. Grabbing one arm, Piotr grunted as he applied pressure.
Arkady simply laughed. "You think you can break me?" he challenged. Kitty phased through the other tentacle, trying to disturb the electrical flow, and with a roll of his black eyes, Arkady shoved her aside.
"This is between brothers," Arkady said, opening his wide mouth and bending towards Piotr's throat as the mutant struggled to hold him back. Piotr narrowed his eyes, and then blinked.
"Illyana?"
His sister smiled, and then her entire image wavered. Piotr blinked, wondering why he was hallucinating before he was dead. His sister reached out her hand, and Piotr smiled.
"To, chto ty ulybayeshʹsya?" Arkady demanded. "To . . . to . . ."
Arkady began to shudder, and Piotr's eyes veered between his sister and the giant, who was trembling as if weakening. While his mind was a mass of confusion, his body reacted: throwing the limp tentacle aside, Piotr launched himself towards Arkady's throat. He fixed his gaze on Illyana, willing her to look away. Illyana nodded, closing her eyes, and Piotr snapped Arkady's neck.
Grunting as the body fell, heavily, Piotr staggered away as the other X-Men gathered around the huge, immobile form.
"Think he's actually dead this time?" Logan questioned, supporting a limping Rogue.
"I say we make sure," Remy offered, holding his head in his right hand, using his bo staff to support his weight.
Kitty turned to Piotr, who continued to stare ahead, eyes intent on blank space.
"Piotr?" she murmured. "What is it?"
"Do you . . ." He turned to face Kitty's questioning gaze.
"Nothing," he responded, shaking his head. "Nothing."
Home of Anya Rasputin, Ust-Ordynski, Siberia, Russia
Candles filled the tiny white house as all of the X-Men crowed into the kitchen table. All save for Piotr, who stood in the kitchen wiping down plates after the hearty meal his mother had cooked. Anya's sharp eyes couldn't be avoided, and Piotr sighed as she walked over to him.
"Chto eto takoye, moy milyy malʹchik?" Anya demanded gently.
"Still thinking about things," Piotr responded in Russian. "Thinking about . . . Dad."
Anya sighed. "Ah. Your father. You know how he loved us all."
"Am I like him?" Piotr asked, polishing an already thoroughly clean plate. Anya pressed a hand to her son's shoulder.
"In only the best ways," she promised, turning his face towards her and taking it in her hands. "Oh," she whispered, tearing up. "I loved your father with all his wisdoms, and all his faults. But I have always known you would be a better man than him. And you prove it to me every choice you make, moy dorogoy."
Piotr took one of his mother's hands in his own. "You could come with us. America is beautiful, Matushka."
Anya tsked. "I believe you. But I belong here. Your sister, however . . ." Anya nodded over his shoulder. "She will have so much more in America. Her . . . she should go."
Piotr turned as Illyana came up to him, and Anya slipped quietly away. "Illyana, Mama seems to think you would enjoy America."
Illyana smiled. "Oh . . . you think they would . . . accept me? At your school? I mean . . . I'm not like you-"
"But you are, aren't you?" Piotr countered. He took a step forward. "Illy . . . I saw you. You stopped him. You did."
Illyana gave a small laugh. "That wasn't mutation, Piotr."
"Then what was it?" Piotr asked.
Illyana drew herself up, and it seemed that a light passed over her face. "It was magic."
December 24th, Front Hall, Xavier Institute
"Not another carol, please," Logan groaned, downing another beer glass full of eggnog. "Hey, isn't your head still recoverin', Gumbo?"
"This one cannot resist Christmas cheer, mon ami," Remy replied, clapped Logan on the back, ignoring the man's dangerous stare. Rogue giggled and rolled her eyes, pulling her boyfriend away from her teacher by his coat. Jubilee and Forge, busy preventing the younger students from surreptitiously opening the presents under the tree, whispered conspiratorially while Bobby spoke with Kitty. Logan's eyes tracked from Kitty to Piotr, who stood alone, waiting by the stairway for his sister.
"I think she'll do well here, Tin Man," Logan said when he drew level with the quiet Russian. Piotr looked up and nodded. "Yes, I hope so. The Professor says the tests show an X gene so-"
"We would let her stay, even if we don't find it," Logan stated. "You know that, right?"
Piotr nodded. "Thank you."
"Merry Christmas, Russkie." Logan grinned, offering Piotr a sip of the eggnog.
"Now, I think we all know there is something strong in that," Piotr noted.
"So? Your mother had three bottles of vodka in the fridge at home," Logan argued. Piotr grinned. "Thank you, but no."
"Okay. Merry Christmas, big guy," Logan said softly, saluting Piotr before he walked away.
"It's still weird to me that they celebrate tomorrow," Illyana said in lilting Russian as she came down the stairs. "It is still twelve days."
"We'll call Mama on Christmas," Piotr promised, hugging the lithe teen. "I promise. And you will love it here."
Illyana beamed, pulling her arms tight around his neck. "I believe it." Looking to the side, her smile faded as the air in her field of vision wavered, split, and revealed a sliver of burning red and orange. "I believe it."
ENDING CREDITS
Promo For Next Week: When SHIELD agents come to retrieve information about Carol Danvers, Rogue's mental problems escalate. With pressure from enemies and friends, the X-Men have to race against the clock to defuse their ticking bomb.