Sensational X-Men
Issue #36 – Lost and Found – Part Three
Unknown Space
Aboard Te & Va's Ship
"This ship isn't the X-Ship but it's better than the thing we had been on," Emma Frost said to Havok as they watched the dead ship they had been on start to drift off away into space.
"Our hosts are safely locked up in separate cells and on the far side from Mystique," Havok said.
"Last thing we need is for them to team up with her. Luckily their telepathy is only limited to each other which really does us no good separating them," Frost grumbled.
"You're just mad that someone out there is more powerful than you are," Angel smirked.
"They are not more powerful than me, birdman. It's that when they us their powers together he shows her what she needs to do to use her powers to make me see blankness when I try and enter their minds," Frost spat while Havok tried not to laugh.
"Who's watching over the prisoners?" Havok asked.
"Magnus is and Longshot is keeping him company," Angel answered.
"Boy, they've become real buddies," Frost observed.
"Well, they have battled together and both come from different worlds where they were born and raised as warriors," Havok said as he heard the bridge door open and turned to see who was coming in.
"Still no luck in getting the location of the planet Storm and the others are on or how to get this thing going in the right direction," Slipstream said as he stepped onto the bridge.
"Why won't they help us rescue our friends?" Angel asked with anger.
"They don't feel they can trust our word. They think we will dispose of them the minute they help us. Until we can actually guarantee their safety and release they will not tell us how to find our friends," Slipstream said.
"Maybe I can help?" A female voice said faintly from all around them.
"Heather?" Slipstream asked as he glanced around looking for his sister.
"Yes, Davis, it's me. I was so lost within the darkness and to hear your voice again," the X-Man known as Lifeguard pleaded with fear and excitement.
"It's her. Believe it or not I can feel a mind within the ship and it belongs to Heather Cameron," Emma Frost said as she reached out and tried to connect with the X-Man.
"What happened, how did this happen?" Havok asked looking over at Slipstream who was just as worried and concerned.
"She's weak, your presence on the bridge was enough to jerk her awake but she is having trouble sustaining. I'm trying to help her and serve as an anchor," Emma said as she strained even more as she reached out and used Davis as well.
"I'm not quite sure. All I remember is the two bald orange aliens stealing our ship off the island and then getting hit by something very painful and then drifting in darkness until I heard our voice and started waking up," Heather's voice came more strongly within their minds courteous of Emma.
"It seems that her body's powers adapted her form allowing her to survive and was somehow turned to energy and was absorbed and merged into the ship itself. I'm trying to guide her to the forefront and trigger her powers," Emma told them all.
"I will kill those two for what they did to my sister," Davis said in anger.
"If we do that then we will never know how to find the others," Angel said as, thanks to Emma, they had all seen visual proof that some of their numbers were in fact stranded on an island while sharing with her the mental images of what they had been through.
"Actually, thanks to Emma and my powers I can handle that request," Lifeguard said as the ship began to glow and shake.
It became very clear that with Emma's help, Heather had fully become one with the ship and was now in control of the ship and basically was now the ship. The ship began to change color as Heather shot a beam out, absorbed the drifting ship back into her along with other debris so her body, the ship could transform into what she needed it to be to survive. Havok couldn't believe it as the ship shifted and became very similar to the X-Ship they had once had and was now a goldish color with the words Starship Lifeguard across the sides of the ship. Heather felt great to be alive again, well as close as being alive as you could being a living ship.
"Heather?" Davis asked as he saw the image of his sister projected all over the viewing screens.
"Yup, it seems that since I am one with the ship I can, like my body, change it into what I need. I have already tracked our departure route and turning myself around," Lifeguard said.
"I know this can't be easy for you, but once we get home we will find a way to get you back to normal," Havok said as Slipstream confirmed in agreement.
"According to the coordinates, we are really far away from this planet. By the time we get there and back this way we could lose the Other's and their trail," Angel said.
"So which friends do we go after?" Emma asked with a smirk of interest at Havok.
"Actually, Davis, if we combine our powers I should be able to get us to the planet and back here in no time and still track the Others," Lifeguard said as two devises rose up from the console for Slipstream to insert his arms in.
"This is great, we don't need those two aliens anymore," Angel said.
"Yeah, and I can't wait till I get my hand on them," Davis said as he placed his arms into the slots and felt his powers merging with his sister's.
"Actually, we may have to spare them a little longer," Emma said as she came back from a far away look.
"What are you talking about?" Havok asked.
"The female, Ta, just opened up her mind to me and is aware of us not needing them anymore, but she just told me that if we guarantee their safety and freedom after we rescue our friends on the planet they can help us with two major problems," Emma said.
"And what is that?" Havok asked.
"Her mate, Te can see what needs to be done and he happened to pass the infirmary and got a good look in. If we make the deal, not only can he help Bobby learn to reform himself but he can tell us what we need and how to fix Avalanche's spine so he can move again," Emma said as they all looked at each other knowing they had no choice but to make the deal.
Epilogue
The sky crackles and flashes with light and roars with loud thunder as something comes crashing through the atmosphere. As it gets closer to the earth it is clear that it is a very small spacecraft that is on fire and is damaged beyond repair. The whole ground shakes as it hits with great impact. There is movement from within as the craft continues to burst into flames. Zan Marko, the mutant known as Spirit shakes his head as he tries to remain conscious. Last thing he remembered was running from the Others and making a getaway on a small craft he found on board their ship. They were on his tail and nearly blasted his ship into nothing. He was afraid he wasn't going to escape and he wouldn't have if it wasn't for the fancy flying by….
"Petra?" He screamed suddenly remembering he wasn't alone.
He looked over and saw she was off to the side and wasn't moving. He couldn't get a good view since he was strapped in his chair and couldn't get the safety belts to release. He was stuck and he could feel the flames getting hotter and closer. He knew he didn't have a lot of time before the flames burned them alive or the whole ship going up. He wasn't sure what to do. Out of the group he had always been the quietest and the least courageous. Even though he didn't remember his time before waking up in this sector of space and only had the memories of what they had been told about their previous lives, he could feel in his soul he had always been this way. He knew that now, more than ever, that would all have to change or he and Petra would die.
Closing his eyes, Zan concentrated and called on his powers. He felt a surge of power cross through his body and his mind and soul open up as he pushed with all his might. Suddenly he no longer felt the heat of the fire or the pain of the physical world. He was now floating above his chair in his ghost form. Taking one last glance at the empty chair he had just been trapped in he floated safely past and through the flames until he reached where Petra was lying. He could tell she was pinned under a piece of the ship that had caved in upon impact. What he couldn't tell was if she was still alive or not. Closing his eyes and concentrating he was soon back in his physical form and could feel the intense heat of the fire around them.
"Petra, wake up, please," Spirit said as he reached out and touched her face and felt relieved when he felt her spirit still within her body.
Zan didn't know what to do. There was no way he could lift and pull her free and in his ghost form he had no influence over the physical world. If he didn't do something she would surly die. The craft shook as the side of the ship exploded. Zan closed his eyes and held his friend's hand as he awaited their pending death. After a few seconds, when he felt a strange breeze instead of agonizing death he opened his eyes to find part of the side of the ship had been blown away. As the smoke cleared he realized that what blew the side open had not been from the fire but from an outside source. We watched as two figure came into view and approached the whole in the ship.
One was a woman with bright red skin with long flowing blue hair that matched her blue eyes, lips and nails. She wore a bikini outfit made of some kind of animal hide. Standing next to her was a Caucasian male in a matching loin cloth with short brown hair, semi-muscular build and what looked like balls of energy for eyes. The man stepped closer as he and the woman spoke in a strange language. Spirit had no idea what they were saying but he got a feeling that they weren't here to harm them. The man then said something to him in his strange tongue. Spirit looked at him for a second and then informed the man that he had no idea what he was saying even though he knew the man wouldn't understand him either. Zan was about to laugh at himself when the strange man paused and then smirked.
"You speak English. It's been forever since I've heard or spoken it. Don't worry, my name's Scott Summers and I'm here to help you," the man said in perfect English as he held out his hand to Zan for assistance while the woman stepped over to Petra and easily lifted the piece of ship that was pinning her.
Alpha Flight
Return of Beasts – Part Three
Canada – Tavern – Bachelor Party
"I told you I didn't want to do this," Walter said as he was lead into a tavern by his friends.
"Try and relax. Barkeep, a round for everyone," Wolverine called out.
"I want no trouble in here, you hear me Logan?" The tavern owner called back as he started to fill up glasses.
"Don't worry, you know me," Wolverine laughed as he lit up a cigar.
Walter laughed as they all headed into a back room reserved for them. Now sitting at a big table was James Howlett, Mac Hudson, Jean-Paul Beaubier, Whitman Knapp, Bucky Sadler aka James Barnes, Sean Bernard, Chuck Moss, Albert Louis and Madison Jeffries. Walter was glad that they kept it small and restricted to Alpha Members. The only two not present that he wished were here were Shaman and Puck. Shaman couldn't be reached with Salem-X and Puck was off somewhere searching for his daughter's mother. He was glad Madison made it, despite his soon to be wife's protests, and that his adoptive son Jayson had stayed back at Flight Industries to look after the Beta Flight kids. As happy as he was, a part of him suddenly wished he was somewhere else.
"What's wrong, getting cold feet?" Madison asked as he slapped his old friend on the back.
"Back off," Walter snapped suddenly as he grabbed Madison's hand and threw him across the room.
"Whoa, Walter, what gives?" Jean-Paul asked as he moved with great speed to catch Madison.
"I don't know, been feeling edgy lately," Walter said not knowing why he had done that.
"It's marriage. It'll do that to you. That's why I try to avoid it," Wolverine said as he sniffed a few times.
"Maybe you need a drink to calm the nerves," Sean said as he went to check on the drinks.
"Something don't smell right," Logan whispered to Mac as he passed by and catching a quick look from Knapp.
"I think maybe you all need to leave me alone," Walter growled as he shoved passed everyone turning into Sasquatch but with a different tint to his fur.
"That's not Walter," Wolverine said as Mac nodded in agreement.
"Tanaraq, you fool," Somon said after Whitman screamed as Hightech tore out of his body and shifted form into an old pointy eared being.
"This can't be. You and your kind were banished form this realm," Guardian said as his clothes ripped away to reveal his Guardian suit.
"Darn you Logan!" Wolverine heard the barkeep shout as he extracted his claws.
"I have no choice. Olanik Etisua Remintin!" Somon shouted as he struck his staff to the floor.
Immediately Earthmover and Feedback went into convulsions as they were replaced by Great Beasts. Earthmover became a white swampy looking creature known as Tundra the Earth Beast while Feedback became the beast made of fire with a black face in the center known as Tolomaq the Beast of Fire. Before anyone could react a man from the main bar stood in the doorway and roared as he transformed into a large hulk-like creature with claws and teeth. He was becoming the Great Beast known as Kariooq the Corruptor. Just as Kariooq was about to attack a hole blew out of his chest and the creature dropped to one knee.
"I will not have monsters in my bar," the barkeep shouted holding out his smoking gun.
"Kariooq, no!" Somon roared as the Great Beast disintegrated into smoke and ash leaving a man lying on the floor, dead form a large bullet wound.
"Looks like these Beasts are in a weak and mortal state and can finally die," Guardian said.
"Yes, but so do their hosts, our friends," Sean said in horror at the dead man on the floor.
"Get everyone out of here now," Wolverine shouted at the barkeep and then turned to face the four Great Beasts.
"We may be weak, but we will destroy you and this planet," Tanaraq growled.
"And you will not kill your friends," Somon smiled.
"Who said any of you were my friends?" Wolverine asked as he leapt at the old one.
"Logan, no!" Mac shouted after his feral friend.
As they watched Wolverine go in for the attack Tundra stepped up and waved his swampy arm. The Earth ripped up from the ground and slammed into the mutant with great force sending him back and away from their leader. Madison quickly called on his powers and in moments had pulled forth enough material to create and form his Box suit around him. He quickly fired off blasts but they had no effect on Tolomaq as the blasts went harmlessly into his fire form and he caused all the lanterns in the tavern to explode and send their flames at the humans before them. Northstar moved at great speed and created a vortex of wind to carry the fire away and then snuff out. The Great Beasts laughed as they watched the humans scramble.
"How are we going to take them out? Even at weaker levels of power they will be tough to take down without harming our friends," Sean said as they all gathered together and glared at Wolverine as he got up from where he had landed.
"It won't matter. Now that all the remaining Beasts have assembled here on Earth we will no prepare the ritual to permanently take over your friend's bodies which will grant us our full powers and immortality," Somon said as the wall behind him blasted apart revealing a hole leading outside and two women approaching.
They all looked in surprise as Shiver and Mystic stood there and soon began to transform after Somon shouted his incantation once again. Shiver became the Snow Beast known as Kolomaq while Mystic became the large purple floating head known as Ranaq the Devourer. As all six surviving Great Beasts stood side by side they seemed to get a little larger in size. Somon smiled as he gave the command for the Great Beasts to attack and kill all the Alphans as he began the final ritual spell to grant them ultimate domain and power on Earth.
Next: Issue #37 – Lost and Found – Part Four & Alpha Flight: Return of Beasts – Part Four