X-Men: The Winds of Change

By Ldynwaitin

Chapter Twenty Nine

Rocking the Boat

Everyone rushed to the opening left from the broken window. Looking out they saw that every cell door was open. Hybrids were rushing out into the Facility.

Magneto checked to make sure the lab door was secured with the metal table. "I don't know how long we'll be safe in this lab." Alessia moved higher and leaned forward for Charles to get a better view. Looking down he saw Marauders below scrambling around on the cavern floor. The released hybrids attacked several of the Marauders. It was an all out war down there. "I can't imagine why he would give up so quickly. Releasing all of the hybrids is not a smart move. They are as much a threat to him as they are to us."

"Actually, I think he's a genius," Beast said.

Alessia slowly moved down, she turned to face Beast as Charles said, "What makes you say that?"

Beast picked up a piece of the light fixture, the one that Magneto could not lift. "This, it's not Ferromagnetic." Getting rolling eyes he added. "It's made of an alloy composed of Aluminum and other metals that have no magnetic properties."

He pointed to the fallen door of the lab, "Go ahead, Magneto. Try lifting it." Frowning Magneto attempted to lift the object. His face turned red as he strained to use his power on it, but it would not move. Panting, Magneto gave up.

Beast violently threw the light fixture against a wall. Hitting the wall, it shattered into hundreds of pieces. "He must have been planning this for a long time. He actually created a metal that is Magneto proof. That way Magneto can't use his own Facility against him."

"But he moved the tables, and could fly," Havok said.

"The tables are made of steel, but the Facility is composed of this non-magnetic alloy. As to flying, I believe he's able to use the magnetic pull of the earth to do that. This entire mountain would have to be a giant magnet to counter act that."

"This changes things a bit," Charles said. "But our objective of catching up to Sinister is imperative."

"What about this jar?" Banshee asked. Charles head whipped around, it was still there, the jar that contained the healing mutant had not been destroyed in the battle.

Erik immediately noticed a look on Charles face that told him exactly what was inside that jar. "Is that it?" he asked him, "The miracle cure?" Charles mutely nodded his head.

"What?" Beast said. "You mean what's inside that jar could heal the Professors legs?"

"Yes," Charles softly replied.

They all stared at the jar. This was a way to heal the Professors legs. Charles moved Alessa up to the table. "This is my lightening in a jar," Charles whispered.

"Charles, you could walk again," Mystique said. "You have to use it."

Touching the jar, Charles closed his eyes, "No, Raven, I am not a ghoul. I will not steal another's life. This has to end here. Let her rest in peace."

He swept the jar off the table. It shattered on the floor. The object inside sat in a pool of the golden liquid.

"Charles!" Mystique gasped. "You could have been cured."

Charles contently smiled, "I don't need curing, I'm happy with the way I am."

"About time!" Beast, Havok and Banshee said together. They all laughed.

Charles took in a deep breath. "If this was not such a dire situation this would be a defining moment for us all. But that will have to be put on the back burner, along with other things." Alessia swiftly rolled to the doorway. "Erik, if you please."

Erik moved the table that was blocking the door. Outside stood ten Nob's, they scrambled in. All of them surrounded Charles. His eyes smiled at them, he touched several on their shoulders. "Thank you for helping my friends."

Peter moved to stand with them, they were shocked to hear him actually say, "Your welcome."

Even Charles was taken aback with Peter being able to talk. "Peter, Sinister does not realize that he actually did something right. He created you." Patting him on his back, he said. "Once we stop Sinister, and release the hybrids, you are coming with us."

"That's still up for debate," Erik mumbled. He stormed into the hallway. The corridors were bathed in a dark red light. A warning alarm blared throughout the hallways. He looked to Charles for advice. "Do you have any idea where to start?"

"Know," Peter said. He stared at Charles as he touched his arm. Physically connected to Peter, Charles saw into his mind. A mind that was linked to all the Nob's. He became disorientated as he looked out through the eyes of different Nob's. He took in a deep breath as he moved through hundreds of minds. It was both exhilarating and maddening. He had no idea how complicated a life form the Nob's were.

Skipping through many minds, he suddenly stopped. He was looking through the eyes of a Nob close to Sinister. He saw him rushing down a corridor. His Marauders as well as ten Centurions surrounded him. One of the Marauders screamed for help as he was dragged down a corridor. A hybrid was standing in the hallway. His giant mouth wide open, the Marauder was being pulled into it. Two of the Electric Marauders bombarded the hybrid. He howled and fell dead on the floor.

What Charles noticed the most, was the look on Sinister's face. He was frightened, for the first time in his life he actually feared that he would die.

Once Peter broke contact, Charles consciousness returned to the Lab. "Peter," he panted. "I had no idea. Thank you." Charles knew what Peter had given to him was a great gift. It was an experience that he would never forget. Taking in a deep breath he explained briefly to the others what he saw. "It appears that Sinister is in the same boat as us."

"Fine," Magneto said. "Let's start rocking that boat then."

Magneto led them down the corridors. As Charles followed him he lifted his hand just as Benny opened her mouth to say something. "Don't worry Benny, we have not forgotten about your father. I am currently searching for him. I will let you know when I find him."

Closing her mouth she softly cursed, "I hate telepaths."

"You'll be changing your mind later, I'm sure," Charles shouted.

She pursed her lips shut, and silently droned, "Stay out of my head."

They quickly moved through the corridors. It didn't take them long to run into several of Sinister's Marauders. Coming close to the end of a corridor, ahead they saw it turned sharply into another. Charles held his hand up, as he came to a stop.

"I sense four Marauders ahead."

Suddenly they saw a Centurion walking around the corner. Immediately he shouted a warning to the Marauders further down the hallway. Havok fisted his hands and shot a plasma beam. It landed square in the chest of the Centurion. He slammed into the wall and fell on the floor.

"Sorry, I didn't sense him," Charles shouted. This was going to be a problem. The halo that the Centurions wore hid them from him. He quickly told the Nob's to stay in the back, he did not want them harmed. Once Centurion landed on the floor two bolts of electricity flew down the corridor, followed by several sharp quills.

"That's two of them," Banshee said. "I wonder what the other two can do?"

Their answer came when they heard a pattering sound above their heads. Angel screamed, and pointed up. They all saw clinging to the ceiling a man with four arms and four legs. His multiple eyes stared down at them. Opening his mouth a stream of white thread poured out.

Everyone scrambled away as the corridor was covered in the silk thread. Some of it caught onto Alessia. Slowly she was being pulled back. Magneto latched onto Alessia. She was made of steel, this was something he could control. He struggled to drag Charles back. The thread the mutant created was super strong. He was actually finding it hard to hold onto Alessia. Banshee and Havok grabbed Alessia's arm wrests and dug in their heels as they tried to pull her free. Charles attempted to reach into the mind of the mutant, but its brain was very unusual. It was almost segmented, like an insect. Cyclops looked up and opened his visor. He blasted a wide beam at the arachnid hybrid. The silk thread hissed and broke. Havok and Banshee fell to the floor as Alessia snapped free.

The hybrid scrambled on the ceiling, stopping just above them Mystique shrieked for help as the hybrid now attacked her. Its thread latched on to her arm and pulled her up. He grasped her body in two arms, and scrambled back. He quickly spun her around, encasing her in a silk cocoon. Havok and Cyclops ran down the corridor. Cyclops had to be careful not to hit Mystique. He aimed his beam at the hybrid's body. Shrieking in pain it released Mystique. Havok caught her as she fell. The hybrid landed with a thud on the floor, withering in pain before Cyclops hit him again with his eye beam, cutting him in two.

Cyclops now screamed in agony as a bolt of electricity ran through his body. He fell to the floor. Beast and Banshee dragged him back as Benny ran down the corridor. Diving on the floor, she slid the last few feet until she reached the end of the corridor. She aimed her gun down the hallway, firing she managed to hit the electric mutant. Streaks of electricity snaked down the corridor as the hybrid fell.

Spinning around Benny kicked out at the wall, pushing her back as the quilled mutant fired its giant quills at her. Standing up, she quickly jogged back. She said with a smile, "Two down, two to go."

Stumbling up, Cyclops immediately went to Mystique. She was nearly encased in the thread. Banshee and Angel were trying to pull the threads off her, but they were just to strong.

Mystique began to moan, "They're getting tighter." She gritted her teeth as she felt the threads constricting her chest, making it hard for her to breathe.

Cyclops quickly focused a beam on the threads. "Concentrate, Cyclops," Charles told him. "Keep it powerful enough to cut the threads, but not harm Mystique."

Cyclops struggled to keep the beam as tight as possible. He saw her struggling to breathe, he knew he had to work fast. Concentrating harder, he saw the threads begin to snap. Once he cut the ones around her chest she took in a deep breath. Seconds later he managed to cut off all the threads. Angel helped her as she tried to stand. Gasping she sheepishly looked at Cyclops. "Thanks," she mumbled.

"Glad you're all right," Cyclops truthfully returned.

But the danger was not over. Taking a stance, they waited for the remaining Marauders to come to them. Seconds later they noticed that the metal seemed to be glowing red.

"It's getting hot in here," Beast shouted. The entire corridor was becoming hotter. The metal around them began glowing red. Beast quickly sprinted to the end of the corridor. He saw a silk thread from the spider mutant still attached to the ceiling. Jumping up he grabbed it and swung forward. Swinging to the end of the hallway, he took a quick peek down the other passageway. He saw the source of the heat.

A Marauder was standing in the corridor. Both hands were touching the metal walls. Where his hands made contact the walls were bright red. It moved down the walls, into the floors and ceiling. Just as he was spotted Beast swung back into the corridor. Landing deftly on his feet, he rushed back to the others.

"It's a mutant Professor, he's heating up the metal. We don't stop him soon, we're going to bake in here like an oven."

Charles looked to Riptide. "I believe you could cool him down."

Riptide looked to Magneto for consent. Nodding his head with approval, Riptide held both hands up. Twin tornados appeared. They leaped off his hands and moved down the corridors. Spinning faster they grew as tall as the hallways. They turned the corner and flew down the corridor. Everyone ran after the tornadoes once they heard screaming.

Sprinting around the corner they saw the quilled creature slamming into the Marauder touching the walls. Sucked into the tornadoes they struggled to break out of their hold. Riptide slowly moved forward. He made the tornadoes move faster and faster until each man was slammed into the walls, rending them unconscious. Once their bodies went limp, the tornados slowly dissipated.

Benny didn't hesitate, she quickly shot both of them in the head. They went limp with each shot. She tightly gripped the butt of her gun, aiming it at the end of the corridor.

Beast ran ahead, he moved the Marauders bodies so that Alessia could take the Professor past them. Charles stopped when he noticed Peter standing next to the quilled mutant.

"Not move, this dead?" Peter asked him.

"Yes, Peter. He can't hurt us any more. Quickly now, we must go."

They rushed down the hallway, managing to skirt meeting any more Marauders or hybrids until they reached the end of the tunnel. It opened up to the second section of the Facility. The second cavern and escape lie beyond that. They could see hundreds of hybrids moving in the Facility. Some were bent on destroying the place. They ripped, melted and tore apart walls with their abilities. Other's hid in dark corners. Nowhere could they see any Marauders or Centurions. They had all fled, leaving them alone with hundreds of raging hybrids.