Chapter 29: Weapons & War

Addison "Tulpa" Santiago- Dawid Auguscik (25)

Damek "Frank" Santiago- Dawid Auguscik (25)

Jonothon "Chamber" Starsmore- Douglas Booth (30)

Douglas "Cypher" Ramsey- Julian Stahler (23)

Raven "Mystique" Darkholme- Amber Heard (?) (30*)

Kitty "Shadowcat" Pryde- Michelle Trachtenberg (30)

Anna-Marie "Rogue" Carlysle- Ashley Greene (30)

Remy "Gambit" LeBeau- Gabriel Aubry (32)

Monet St. Croix- Candice Patton (25)

Hisako "Armor" Ichiki- Mirai Shida (18)

Roberto "Sunspot" DaCosta- Marlon Teixeira (24)

Dominikos "Avalanche" Petrakis- Dominic Purcell (38)

Erik "Magneto" Lehnsherr- (older) Clive Owen (84)

Pietro "Quicksilver" Maximoff- Lehnsherr- Toby Hemingway (36)

Scott "Cyclops" Summers- Matt Bomer (38)

Ororo "Storm" Munroe/ Iqadi T'Challa- Lupita Nyong'o (37)

Joshua "Elixir" Foley- Hunter Parrish (22)

We were at the point of no return.

Despite us being Team Sigma, a numeral that somehow denoted a lesser status, we were the first team deployed. Every team was perfectly timed for the successfulness of the mission. It was our job to covertly enter the facility to download and copy every file Weapon X had. Everyone had a part to play and no one was more important than the next. We stood against the building, our bodies pressed up against the concrete wall of the Weapon X facility. I felt the cold stone against my back, even through the leather of my uniform. The air, chill during the middle of night, slid past my bare scalp sending a chill down my spine.

Everyone was here. Cypher looked exhausted but I knew he'd get the job done. Next to him was a strange black orb we'd come to know as 'Warlock'. What begun as a project for Ms. Pryde's computer class, turned into something much more for Doug. The computer program he made was meant to be an artificial intelligence program but he'd built it too well and the program began taking over his computer. Now, it was almost sentient the way he spoke to it in his weird computer language.

Rogue and Shadowcat looked ready for battle, but being X-Men, they were already familiar with battle and what came along with it. Chamber and Mystique were cool customers as always but I was a wreck. Usually on a mission, I was calm and levelheaded but it seemed like every second someone constantly reminded us the importance of what this mission could accomplish and it was starting to get to me.

As if hearing my thoughts, Chamber gripped my hand and gave it a small squeeze for support. Our eyes met and a calm wave swept over me. Damek was next to me waiting, uncharacteristically calm as Mystique reviewed the plan. Being with Wicked had matured my brother a lot and his happiness and fulfillment made me happy, not just for him but for us. I frequently asked him if he wanted to see our parents but he said he wanted nothing to do with them due to their treatment of me. I felt guilty because I didn't want to be the reason he didn't have a relationship of some kind with them.

"Is everyone clear on their roles?" Mystique asked, looking each one of us in the eye, hammering home her words.

Silently, we all nodded. It was go time.

I closed my eyes as the connection between Damek and was made; my mind became a thread, wiggling its way into Damek, allowing me to see and feel everything he could. I didn't need to see myself to know that my eyes had began to glow their trademark pale blue. Next to us, Shadowcat readied herself, Cypher at her side and Warlock next to him.

"I'll let you guys know when the coast is clear." I said, my voice oddly layered as the words left my lips. The sensation was a strange one; I could experience everything Damek could but I could still experience everything from my body.

We crept towards the wall of the building, our limbs moving on both of our accords. We had to be in perfect harmony or the connection would snap like a twig. Slowly, our incorporeal body sank into the wall as we passed through it.

The inside of the building looked normal enough- long white hallways with tiled floors and fluorescent lights. The whole place had a clinical feeling about it that was both creepy and clean. We walked down the long hallway before reaching an intersection, one side going left, the other going right. I summoned up the memory of the map in my mind, trying to remember the route to the main computer database. The blueprints flashed in my mind and I knew the correct path was left. Taking the left, we kept our eyes and ears alert, searching for another body in our path. According to the intel, the facility should be empty at this time of night but there would no doubt be security patrolling the halls.

Back in my real body, I commanded myself to speak.

"The coast is clear." I said, the layered voiced speaking ominously. "Go down the hallway and make a left."

Shadowcat nodded as she grabbed Cypher's wrist. Cypher spoke to Warlock in a garbled, almost static language, similar to the sound of the old school AOL connection. It was eerie to hear the sound come from his lips but I'd grown pretty used to it by now. In response, Warlock rolled over to Cypher before crawling up his body like a worm. Before I could see what Warlock would become, Cypher and Shadowcat were off, running towards the wall. Seconds later, they were gone.

"Alright." Mystique said as she turned to Rogue. "We'll enter through the backdoor on the left side of the building."

"Copy that." She nodded.

"Chamber, you'll stay here and protect Tulpa's body until he returns." She said to Jono. "Do not like him get hurt and more importantly, don't let him get distracted."

*Right.* Camber responded with a nod.

Mystique and Rogue took off towards the backdoor, leaving Chamber with my unconscious body. He didn't care that his only role was to guard me; he would do it everyday, all day if it insured the love of his life would be safe.

Back inside the facility, I was running through the hallway, my senses on overdrive. With the combination of my mind and Frank's mind, I felt invincible. I felt like I could hear every sound and see every small movement. I twisted and turned, the map burned brightly in my mind as I relayed every path and corridor to Shadowcat and Cypher who I knew were only steps behind me.

Finally, I entered into an enormous room. The ceiling was higher than I could see and darkness crept along the corners, despite the bright fluorescents. But it wasn't the room itself that made me pause, it was the giant Sentinel head submerged into the floor. I was standing on a raised platform and the head appeared to be a level below me so that as I turned, I was looking the monstrosity right in the eyes.

Shadowcat and Cypher came running up behind me, Cypher being covered head to toe in Warlock, making him look like a reject from Tron. They both froze as they saw what I saw.

"What is that?" Cypher asked in awe, gawking at the machine.

"Don't quote me on this." Shadowcat said, her mouth agape. "But I think it's some sort of master mold or something."

"So it's like the Sentinel's God?" Cypher asked.

Well that's creepy… I said aloud, forgetting they can't hear me.

"What are you two just standing around for?" Mystique asked as she and Rogue came walking into the space.

"We were a little distracted by that!" Shadowcat said, pointing to the machine.

"Yes, well" Mystique said, pushing past them and walking towards the large computer system several feet from us. "That is not our concern."

Her words snapped everyone back into action as Cypher and Shadowcat rushed to the computer. Mystique drew her gun and she and Rogue moved towards the entrance of the space we were in at the moment, ready to defend us if need be.

For moments, everything was tense and nothing could be heard but the rhythmic taps of fingers on keyboards.

"I'm in!" Shadowcat said triumphantly.

"Me too." Cypher mumbled, not nearly as enthusiastically. He was probably a little peeved that Shadowcat got to it before he did. Cypher then held out his hand, forming a long rectangular shape from the palm of his hand. It pulled away from the Warlock armor he was wearing as he grabbed it and yanked it free. When he held it up to the light, I could see that it was a flash drive. It had the same black and gold designs on it as the ones found on Warlock's body.

Cypher inserted it into the computer and quickly charts, graphs, and words began popping up and disappearing. Shadowcat had inserted a similar flash drive and the same information was flying across her screen.

Minutes ticked by and I was starting to feel uneasy. This was all taking way too long for my liking. Finally, after what felt like forever, the screens went completely black. My heart began to race as I was sure the jig was up and we had been caught. But my panic was assuaged when Shadowcat smiled brightly and said.

"We got it!" She beamed. "Now let's get the hell out of here."

"Right." Mystique said with an uncharacteristic smile, the white blinding against her blue skin. "Tulpa, go back to Chamber and let him know we're on our way out."

No answer was needed as I instantly felt my soul being yanked back to my body like a taut rubber band being released. With a visible jolt, I was back. I could only see Chamber's back as he stood vigilantly over me. I took a moment to marvel at my man's tight ass before standing up and dusting myself off. He turned and in his eyes I could see relief. He once told me he was afraid that I would merge with Frank one day and never be able to return.

"Hey babe." I said kissing the mouth of his bandages. "The team's on their way out."

Chamber grabbed me by the waist and squeezed me tightly, a sigh fluttering through my mind. But just as quickly as it happened, it was over and he was back in mission mode, glancing across the empty desert terrain for movement.

Seconds later, the team came bounding out of the back door, triumphant smiles on their faces, even Mystique's.

"Okay." Mystique said, finally stowing her pistol into its holster. "We're not supposed to leave until Team Beta gets here."

*Teams Alpha and Gamma entered while you guys were inside.* Chamber responded to which Mystique merely nodded.

We all stood on alert. Chamber's hand remained on his bandages, Mystique kept one hand hovering over her thigh holster, I had a knife in each hand, Warlock had morphed Cypher's hand into a large blade, and Rogue and Shadowcat stood in battle stances.

The air began to ripple like water and like molasses, Team Beta stepped out of the space. Led by Storm, they all strode proudly towards us. Team Beta was comprised of Gambit, M, Armor, Sunspot, and Avalanche. It would be their job to wreck havoc on the facility, destroying it and the Sentinels within. No doubt, Storm and the rest of the ex-X-Men would try to save anyone left in the buildings.

Since they'd arrived, it was time for us to depart.

"Mystique to Asteroid M, do you copy?" Mystique said into her comm. Team Beta had just entered the building when a voice responded.

"Asteroid M to Mystique. This is Daytripper. I do copy." Daytripper responded in her heavily accented voice.

"Good." Mystique smirked. "Bring us home."

A circle of golden light suddenly appeared before us. Without further hesitation, we all stepped into the portal and went home.


Teams Alpha, Gamma, Sigma, and Omega all sat within the Citadel with the standby members of the Exiles. Everyone was waiting anxiously for Team Beta's report, something that was very important as their performance determined the actions of everyone else. Team Omega were already on edge as they were the kill squad and would only be necessary in the event that Team Beta failed.

I sat next to Chamber, bored out of my mind. Some were pacing, some were idly talking, some stood silent and stoic, and some were engaged in a game of poker. I was listening to Damek chatting to Wicked about a movie they'd seen the night before. She wasn't technically a member of the Exiles but she was still allowed within the Citadel. Chamber sat calmly next to me, his hand idly playing with my thigh. At first, I was relieved that our part of the mission was over but my emotions were now kicked into high gear and my instincts were in overdrive. Something felt wrong.

*Babe, are you ok?* Chamber asked. Since the first time we had sex and merged energy, not only was our telepathic connection incredibly strong but we could read each other's emotions like a book. More so, it was him reading me as he was always such a rock.

"I don't know…" I said hesitantly. I didn't want to say how I felt out loud with so many people around. *Something's not right.* I finished telepathically.

"Team Beta to the Citadel!" Storm's voice rang clear within the space of the War Room. She sounded uncharacteristic from her normally strong and regal self. She sounded terrified. "Come in! It's urgent!"

I didn't have to say a word as my eyes met Chambers.

Quicksilver strode over the comm link attached to the table and pushed the response button.

"Copy! This is Quicksilver!" He said strongly. "What's going on?!"

"It's the Sentinels!" She shouted. "Someone's activated them!"

Quicksilver froze for a second, his eyes scanning the crowd. He kept opening his mouth to speak but he couldn't find the words. He looked like a floundering fish.

"Quicksilver can you hear me?!" Storm shouted a little louder. "The Sentinels are headed to Genosha!"

My stomach dropped as I glanced back at Chamber. He looked scared as well. Quicksilver was white as a sheet as he pressed the button to respond.

"Storm…" He asked, his voice shaking. "How many are there?"

For a tense moment, there was a complete and pregnant silence.

"Hundreds!" She shouted. "Quicksilver…they just keep coming."


No one moved for what felt like forever. Cyclops was the first to move as he hurriedly pressed the comm link.

"Storm, this is Cyclops!" He said, much stronger than Quicksilver had. "We're sending transport to you!"

"Scott, hurry!" She responded.

In a flurry, everyone fell into action. Transport was arranged for Team Beta, Magneto and the citizens of Genosha were informed and procedures were taken for the safety of everyone. Asteroid M set up an energy barrier around the island while Forge and Madison Jeffries initiated a program which activated the island itself, turning the entire island into the Danger Room, built to attack anyone who's not meant to be there. The citizens were taken into the caves deep beneath Genosha while the Exiles suited up for battle.

It had been an hour and a half since Storm reported the attack and we were all now standing in Genosha's capital, Madripoor, in the city's center as we waited for the inevitable.

Apparently while they were destroying the building, the master mold activated and dispatched every Sentinel within the facility. The building itself was destroyed but it was too late. They were on their way to us.

And I could admit that I was scared. I could also feel Chambers fear as well as Damek's. Everyone was scared, it was written on their faces. The island was built to defend itself from intruders but the island's defenses could only last for so long.

I held Chamber's hand tightly.

*I love you.* I said through our link.

*Don't say that.* He said glaring at me. *We're getting through this! And when it's over, I'm gonna make love to you like I nevah have before!*

I wish I could feel as confident about it as he did but I didn't. And my instincts were never wrong. I turned to Damek and before I could speak, he nodded his head.

I know what you're going to say. He said. Don't fucking say it. We said goodbye to each other once, we won't be doing that shit again.

I know why they were saying these kinds of things but it was only frustrating me because I was scared and the 2 most important people in my life wouldn't let me tell them how important they were to me. I couldn't ruminate on my frustrations because the skies began to darken as the first wave of Sentinels hit the barrier around the island.

Everyone readied themselves, power's flared to life and battle stances were taken. I looked over at Doug, Warlock climbing up his body. Our eyes connected for a minute and no words needed to be spoken.

I glanced around, looking for something to transform as Chamber began undoing his bandages. There wasn't much within the square I could use and I was starting to get frantic. The Sentinels who hit the barrier were instantly blown apart but I could tell the barrier wouldn't hold. From what I can see, about 70 Sentinels had already fallen due to the shield but they just kept hitting it. Asteroid M had begun to descend to the ground as its inhabitants began to ready themselves for battle.

I had to breathe because I could feel myself start to hyperventilate. Too many people I love were in the range of fire. Doug, Damek, Jono, and David were going to be in the fray of battle and if we failed, Sarah, Cessily, Nom Nom and everyone else who were now underground would be at risk as well.

I concentrated on my breathing like Mystique had taught me. I cleared my mind. I didn't think about my friends or my family. I centered myself and called forth my power. I didn't have anything to use it on but just having it there calmed me.

I opened my eyes and glanced to the sky. The barrier was growing weaker with every strike but I didn't let it bother me. I looked to my left at Chamber and I smiled. I looked to my right at Cypher and I smiled. My hands shook no more as I reached for the knives strapped to my thighs.

Finally, the barrier broke like shattered glass. Magneto was the first to rise and before the Sentinels could make it through the ever expanding hole within the barrier, he was tearing them apart with his magnetic abilities. Storm and other flyers took to the skies as the clouds begin to darken. As quickly as they appeared, countless lightning bolts fell from the sky and ripped Sentinels apart. Sunspot's body went black as he flew into the air and he began tearing them apart with his bare hands. Those who could attack long range, like Cyclops, began firing at the ones who escaped the initial pummel.

And chaos began.

I instantly lost Chamber and Cypher in the fray as a Sentinel touched down in front of me. It raised its black metallic hand, readying to send a blast of energy at me. Aiming it just right, I tossed one of my knives at the center of the circle of energy, causing its arm to explode. Before I could take care of the other arm, Damek was in front of me. He levitated into its arm and flew through the Sentinel's chest and instantly it began to spark and explode. I had to roll to the right in order to avoid its falling body.

The Sentinels weren't huge, about 7 feet tall, but they were still large enough to crush me if they'd wanted to.

I knew I had to do something. I felt useless and I couldn't find the people I loved. I ran across the battlefield, dodging falling Sentinel parts and dead comrades. I could see a spot behind the fallen statue of Magneto and I needed to collect myself.

I sprinted across the courtyard but I froze as I glanced at the sky. The first hundred Sentinels looked like the ones we were used to seeing, sleek and black, but a new version was descending and they were fiercer than the last ones. They looked like they had been built by Tony Stark and they were taking out mutants left and right.

As I watched them attack, I was jolted out of my stupor by a bisected Sentinel staring right at me, its one functioning arm pointed right at me. I scrambled to the left but I wasn't fast enough as the beam tore through the right side of torso. The pain was unbearable and it felt as if every nerve in my torso was on fire. I bit my lip hard, drawing blood, as I tried to hold my screams in but pain is a much more persistent motivator and a scream ripped from me lips, despite my protests. I couldn't look at it but I feel the warm blood sliding down my hip and running down my leg. I clutched it, hoping to stop the pain but all I could feel was the blood bubbling through my fingers.

I knew I had to treat the wound so I finally found the courage to look at my side and I wish I hadn't. Blood was pouring out of the huge hole in the side of my stomach. The wound was pretty bad as well; the beam had cut a medium sized hole into my side and I could swear I could see a white bit of bone. The world tilted before me and bile rose up in my mouth.

I knew I was going to die.

And I wasn't afraid.

I pulled an adamantium knife from my thigh holster and peeked around the corner at the Sentinel that had shot me. It was no longer lying still and was trying to crawl towards its lower half. I squinted one eye closed; aiming my adamantium blade at the machines exposed wiring in its neck. My focus was blurred and everytime I tried to take aim, my wound would violently disagree. Over and over I tried until with perfect precision, and fingers crossed, I hurled the blade at the robot, hitting it where a human's collarbone would be. The Sentinel began jerking and smoking before finally falling in a flurry of sparks.

I laid back, my back against the rough stone of the fallen statue and shifted my weight, the action sending a sharp pain through my side. It didn't hurt as much anymore and I was starting to become completely numb to the feeling. Through the debris, I looked up at the sky. The Sentinels just wouldn't stop coming and I knew the humans had finally gotten their wish. Today would mark the end of mutantkind.

I felt cold.

And so very tired.

My eyes felt so heavy and raw and all I wanted to do was sleep. So I closed my eyes and I let the feeling of calm wash over me.

*DON'T YOU FUCKING DO THIS TO ME!* A voice screamed, jolting my eyes open. *GET THE FUCK UP!*

I tried to sit up but the action made the pain worse. I shifted my head to the right and then the left searching for him.

*YOU CANNOT JUST GIVE UP AND LEAVE ME!* Jono screamed in my head. *FIGHT!*

I couldn't see him but I could feel his love and anger. And his passion. And it did something to me. I flipped over to my stomach which hurt so bad but the pain was irrelevant. Crawling, using mostly my arms, I pulled myself further behind the statue. I used the broken stone to pull myself into a sitting position. To my right, Josh Foley laid dead, his normally happy, blue eyes glazed and empty, his golden skin still shining brightly. I wanted to cry for him but right now we needed more than tears. We needed a miracle.

"I'm so sorry." I said as I reached for his shirt. With a flourish, I ripped a huge piece of it off and tightly tied it around my waist to stop the bleeding. In seconds, the shirt had begun to turn red. I stuck my head over the side of the statue, searching for Damek or Chamber.

We were not going to win. I knew that. There was not enough optimism in the world to believe that we'd all make it out of this thing alive.

There were about half of us left and the Sentinels were still coming in masses. I looked up into the fray and I noticed something. There was a single Sentinel who wasn't moving or reacting to anything below him. It looked slightly different from the others as its body was black chrome and purple and it was almost human-like. But despite every Sentinel moving and attacking, this one stood still hovering in the air.

That had to be the "leader".

That had to be the master mold.

I knew that if I could get to it, I could possibly end this massacre. I knew I had to do something. I knew I had to stop it.

*Jon, I need your help!* I said through our connection.

*Anything babe.* He responded. His voice sounded exhausted. I felt exhausted and the pain was starting to make my head hurt. Every action felt drawn out and every breath I took was painful.

*I can't really move right now.* I grimaced. *I need you to come get me and move me.* I flashed him a mental image of what I could see, hoping he could somehow see my location through our mental connection. I waited for what felt like days but was probably only seconds when suddenly he was standing in front of me, touching me everywhere. It was partly relief and partly him trying to look at my wound but I didn't care. Being able to see him alive brought joy to my heart. His pale skin looked paler than usual and his flames looked smaller than I'm used to seeing them.

"Stop it." I said, shooing his prying hands away. "I have a plan."

*Wot is it?* He responded, occasionally glancing around for trouble.

"You see that Sentinel over there." I said, pointing to a Sentinel across the way. It looked basically unharmed, save for the hole in its chest. Chamber glanced at it and nodded. "I need you to take me to it."

Instead of responding, he bent down and hoisted me into his arms, trying to avoid the hole in my side. In an instant, we were sprinting across the battlefield, him dodging explosions and bodies without dropping me. My blood had begun to drip onto him but he ignored it, remaining steadfast. I looked up at him and I fell in love with him all over again. He was the only man I would ever love this much again and if we lived, I knew I would marry him.

We finally made it to the Sentinel and he gently sat me down next to it. Without a word, he turned his back to me and stood in front of me, protecting me from harm. I never thought in a million years I would need someone to protect me or even allow someone to but watching him fight for my safety brought tears to my eyes.

I steadied my breath and closed my eyes. Ignoring the pain in my side, I could feel the warm glow of my power in my hands. It was a bittersweet relief as they'd begun to go numb from blood loss. Touching the cold metal body of the Sentinel, I could feel my hand enter the Sentinel like a hot knife through butter. My power flowed from me into the machine, connecting the two of us together and in a way, making the robot mine. The image of what I wanted to create entered my mind and even though I couldn't see it, I knew my power was reworking the Sentinel into the image I wanted it to be.

I'd never actually seen what my powers could do so I opened my eyes. My hands were glowing with pale blue light and were wrist deep inside the Sentinel. All around my hands, pieces of it and the ones around it moved and twisted, manipulated as if by invisible hands. The sight was quite amazing as my power worked hard to bring my creation to life. The machine began to waver a little and slowly started to melt. In a panic, I knew it was because I was losing concentration. Shutting my eyes tightly, I poured my energy and thoughts into creating my death machine.

Finally, I knew it was done and I pulled my hands out and opened my eyes. The Sentinel was now shaped more like a human but had a pretty nondescript face, like a doll without features. It had style lines all over it's shiny black and chrome body. It still resembled a Sentinel but much more human. I then called Damek to me in my mind.

In an instant, he appeared looking quite dim.

Dude, where have you been?! He said as if I'd just been late for lunch. He made the move like he was going to hug me but quickly remembered he couldn't. Being with Wicked who can touch him made it harder for him to remember that he can't interact with most other people.

"Never mind that." I said. "Jon, I need you to find Gambit and tell him to charge this Sentinel."

*Ok…* He said in confusion before sprinting off into the fray.

"Now, Damek." I said, turning towards him. "I need you to enter this Sentinel and attack that one in the middle." I said as I pointed to the master mold.

"I don't know how long it'll take you to get to it before it realizes you're not one of them but it's very important you kill that thing!" I continued.

A minute later, Chamber and Gambit came back but the normally suave Cajun looked disheveled.

"Bonjour, mon ami." He said with a wilting smile. "What can ol' Gambit do for ya?"

"Thanks for coming." I said as if we were sitting down for a business dinner. "After Damek enters this Sentinel, I need you to charge it and hold the charge until it's close to that Sentinel. Is that possible? Can you do that?"

"Oui, petit ami." He responded with a nod and a wink. "Den let's do dis!"

"Ok." I sighed. Turning to Damek, I had to give him one last piece of advice. "Hey D, when you go up there, if you feel this Sentinel about to explode, get the hell out of it. I have no clue what would happen to you if you died while inside that thing and I don't want to find out today. Do you understand me?!"

Loud and clear, baby bro. He replied with a wink and smile.

Damek walked over to the robot and slowly began to climb into it. As he did, light began to fill the beast as lines of energy shot from the Sentinel's center and spread throughout the whole thing. Finally, its eyes flared to life and it turned its head in our direction.

"How does it feel in there?" I asked. Our connection has always been severed the instant he enters a creation of mine so I can't read him.

Damek raised his metallic hand and gave us a thumbs up.

"Gambit's turn." Gambit said as he sauntered over to the robot. Laying his hand on Damek's shoulder, Damek began to glow with a pinkish energy that covered his whole body before vanishing. The lines of pale blue energy running through Damek's body began to turn pink. I nodded my thanks to Gambit and with a smile, he saluted me before jumping back into the chaos of the battlefield.

Damek began to rise, his hulking body standing with little effort. He was quite large, about 15 feet tall as I used parts from other Sentinels to bulk him up a little. If I didn't know Damek was in there, I would be terrified of him.

"Jon." I said, turning to Chamber. "I need you to let everyone else know this is Damek and not to attack him."

*Ok.* He nodded.

"And they need to clear a path for him."

*I love you.* Chamber responded.

"I love you too." And he was gone.

"Damek…" I said, staring up at my brother.

But before I could finish my statement he was off, blasting through the sky from the rockets in his boots. He knew what I was going to say and I knew he flew off to avoid a tearful goodbye.

I touched my bandaged side and I could feel the makeshift bandages were soaked in blood. Using my powers had taken a lot out of me and with the large amount of blood I was losing, I knew that no matter how many motivation speeches Jon gave me, I wouldn't make it.

I stumbled over to a piece of debris and fell against it, my back scrapping against the rough stone behind me. I was too tired and numb to cry out. I positioned myself so that I could see Damek in the skies but I could feel a haze settling along my periphery.

True to his word, Chamber must have spread the word like I asked him to because Damek was flying towards the master mold without resistance. In fact, those still left flying in the sky seemed to help keep the Sentinels away from him. The other Sentinels didn't seem to notice that he wasn't one of them so none of them bothered him but if any of them got too close, they'd promptly be blasted by Storm's lightning bolt or crumbled into a heap by Magneto.

Up he went, climbing closer and closer to the robot's leader. He was about 20 feet away from it when the master mold turned its head in Damek's direction. Damek instantly froze and stopped moving.

What was happening?

To my horror, Damek turned around to fly to the first person by him, which happened to be a winged mutant. Without hesitation, he raised his arm and blasted a hole right through her chest. The poor woman fell from the sky like a ragdoll and hit the ground with a thump.

Damek turned to the next person and began to fly in his direction but again he froze. Damek began twitching and spasming as if he was having a seizure. He then jerkily turned back towards the master mold and tried flying towards him. Like a game of tug of war, Damek would fly towards the machine and then stop, fly towards him and then stop.

Its then I realized why. The master mold must have taken control of the body as it had been built using the Sentinel's technology. Damek looked like he was putting up a good fight though.

Slowly, Damek raised his hands, the palms of each one glowing with energy as he fired 2 blasts at the master mold. One of them clipped it on the side of the head but the other one tore its right arm off from the socket. The momentary shock of getting hit must have loosened its hold on Damek as he was now close enough to grab the broken arm as it fell. Aiming it at the master mold, he fired another blast at it with its own arm, cutting a hole in its side, mirroring my own.

The air filled with a loud screeching noise, like a car alarm and every Sentinel in the skies and battlefield dropped what they were doing and took to the skies. They were all headed right for Damek.

But Damek kept firing until the master mold was littered with holes like a block of cheddar cheese. Pieces of it were falling off left and right but Damek kept shooting. He was so preoccupied with the master mold that he hadn't realized there was a Sentinel right behind him. The Sentinel grabbed his arms and with a mighty heave, ripped the arms from Damek's body.

I gasped in shock and terror as the Sentinel wrapped its arms around Damek and I could see his armor cracking as the Sentinel used all of its strength to crush him. The other Sentinels were surrounding him, arms glowing and raised. Aimed right at him.

I felt my stomach drop as I knew I was about to lose my brother again. The only difference was I would see him on the other side. Black spots were beginning to cloud my vision and I felt extremely lightheaded.

But Damek wouldn't stop. He was still flying towards the master mold, bringing the Sentinel wrapped around him with him. He was finally close enough to the master mold that he could touch it if he'd still had arms. The master mold was practically a floating head now but it still seemed to function just fine as its eyes began to glow a dangerous red.

Tears were streaming down my face and a sob ripped tore through me and out of my mouth. I had done this. I had killed my brother. I willed him with all my might to get out of the Sentinel before it was too late but he couldn't hear me. Couldn't feel me.

Through my wavering, tear soaked vision I saw Damek look towards the ground, searching for me. Finally our eyes met and for a second, everything froze.

But a second only lasts a second and Damek's body began to glow brightly with Gambit's energy and in a flurry of fire and heat, Damek exploded.

The explosion filled the sky with light and smoke, taking with it a large number of the robots with it. The ones who weren't close enough to be destroyed by the blast were knocked back from the aftershock, slamming them into other robots and making them explode. The ones completely unaffected by the blast simply grew dim and fell from the sky like shooting stars. The sky was alight like the fourth of July and tears stung my eyes as they slid down my cheeks like lava.

I couldn't feel Damek anymore.

My brother was dead…again.

I finally stopped fighting. My life had held so much sadness and pain and all I wanted to do was sleep. So I succumbed and closed my eyes and let it all drift from me forever.


AUTHOR'S NOTES:

So most of this chapter, I made on the fly as the battle wasn't supposed to happen but I needed some conflict. I also didn't want Addison to be the one who saved the day and even though in a way, he did, I can't do much about that.

The rest of the story is already written so I'll quickly proofread it and post it. Thank you guys for sticking with me, I knew I've been very negligent.