How the Mighty Are Fallen
"The best of this kind are but shadows, and the worst are no worse."
8.30pm November 1st 2003, the Auger Inn
The night was still young and there would be many more beers drunk before Logan was through. Not that he was drowning his sorrows of course but in fact quite the opposite. Logan was celebrating the return of a very special friend one who was hopefully here to stay. Of course they had both been through a hell of a lot since they parted but the bond was still there. Things couldn't go back to the way they were but they would form a new bond maybe even better than the last one.
Logan took a deep sip of his beer and relaxed allowing himself a contented grin. He might as well enjoy himself because despite the way things had gone life couldn't get better than this. After all Jubilee was back and if that didn't call for celebration Logan didn't think anything did.
The smile vanished as quickly as it had arrived and Logan sniffed the air. He had caught a faint odor, something familiar yet at the same time warped almost beyond recognition. He muttered a curse as he recognized exactly what he had just smelt. It was the scent of Hank mixed with the stench of death, chemicals and Apocalypse. He remembered Hank's suspicions about the Dark Beast's return and knew what he had to do.
Logan's hazel eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the source of the smell. That man was moving with a predatory grace that belied his bulky frame. Of course Logan recognized the man from old photographs of Hank from before his several mutations. He nodded as he now caught the faint scent of ozone that was so distinctive of certain image inducers. Of course Dark Beast would have to be in disguise since his appearance was distinctive to say the least.
Logan caught up to his quarry just as he entered the gent's toilets. He tapped McCoy on the shoulder and as he turned punched him on the nose with an adamantium laced fist. As McCoy howled with pain Logan pushed him up against the wall and placed his claws at the man's throat in a desultory fashion.
"Ya might as well drop the act McCoy. Now tell me what yer doing here and why I shouldn't just do the world a favor and pop a claw through yer brain."
The image blurred and then faded to reveal the bestial form of Dark Beast. The furry mutant sighed as best he could and shrugged his massive shoulders before answering.
"I was merely going to answer a call of nature Logan. Anyway I must protest at this rough treatment since I've done nothing to provoke you."
Logan snarled and just extended the middle claw slightly so that it just touched McCoy's carotid artery, an unspoken threat. Logan grinned wolfishly as he saw the fear shining in McCoy's yellow eyes. At once the mutant became much more cooperative, whimpering and pleading for mercy.
"Good boy. Now tell ya Uncle Logan what yer plans are and ya might just get out of this alive."
"Oh I've got something for you right here Logan!" snarled McCoy.
Logan cursed himself for a fool, he really should have known better than to be taken in by McCoy's act. That would teach him not to let himself get so sloppy just because he was in a jubilant mood. To give Logan credit he managed to get a good slash in with his claws that gashed McCoy's arm and he almost dodged the needle. Unfortunately McCoy was even faster and as the needle rammed home Logan felt agony wash through him and he sank to his knees with the blinding pain.
McCoy gritted his teeth and rubbed his wounded arm. Then he nodded amiably to Logan as he raised his fist.
"Blowfish toxin Logan hurts doesn't it? So will this," and with that he smashed Logan in the solar plexus with such force that he ruptured the feral's spleen and sent him crashing through the wall.
The assembled drinkers were astonished to say the least when Logan hurtled through the air to crash into a table. For a few seconds he lay helpless in a mass of splintered wood and cautious hands reached out to help him to his feet. Then there were shrieks of horror and the bar rapidly entered of patrons as Dark Beast made his entrance. Logan rose to his feet unsteadily and dropped into a combat stance claws extended. He was almost delirious with pain and the effects of the poison but he would fight to the last. McCoy grinned coldly as he saw Logan staggering; it looked as though he would have a chance after all.
"Well Logan I'll give you a chance to yield. Surrender and kiss my feet in submission and I'll let you go free."
"Ya should know that the more ya hurt me the madder that makes me. Yer in fer it now furry," snarled Logan as he rushed towards McCoy.
"Excellent, I love a good fight to the death!"
McCoy managed to step to the side but even so the claws plunged into his chest scraping across his ribs and drawing gout of blood from his side. The wound was minor though and it was clear that Logan was not fighting with his usual skill. He was finding it hard enough just staying conscious, his healing factor working overtime to heal ruptured organs and fight off the effects of the poison. He started with a slash of his claws that gashed Logan's own ribs and then decided that it was time to fight dirty. It was so much more fun that way.
Logan howled as a knee landed in his groin. As he doubled in helpless agony claws swept across his forehead and he was momentarily blinded by blood trickling into his eyes. He lashed out blindly and was rewarded by a snarl of pain. Then a fist shattered his nose, the cartilage popping as another fist slammed into his solar plexus again. Logan slumped to his knees but managed to get a blow of his own in on McCoy's already wounded arm leaving it dangling limp and useless. He paid dearly for this as a claw hooked into his eye, twisting until with a fountain of blood it was torn clear out of its socket.
"Y-you know w-what th-they s-say 'bout …. an eye f-for an eye .. Log-gan," wheezed McCoy. Then there were no more words as Logan's fist smashed into his jaw nearly breaking his neck and driving him back several steps.
Logan rose drunkenly barely able to breathe let alone stand. Still the effects of the poison seemed to be wearing off and his spleen was beginning to knit together. He was a wreck but he healed fast and if he could buy a few minutes he would get some of his strength back. McCoy may have got the better of him so far but it was not without cost and sooner or later he would get in one lucky blow and it would all be over. Logan almost always won through in the end on endurance if nothing else.
"Well McCoy ya done well, I'll give yer that. Gave me a real pasting but now I'm getting my second wind and ya going ta realize that ya don't tangle with the Wolverine if ya want ta live."
McCoy laughed brokenly then instantly regretted it as spasms of pain raced along his spine. He subsided into a helpless coughing fit for almost a minute. At last it passed and wiping a trickle of blood from his jaw he continued in a whisper that even Logan had to strain to hear.
"T-true Logan but I-I d-did w-well yes. I g-gave a g-g-ood ac-count of m-my-ss-sel-f, maybe ev-ven as well as S-s-a-Creed."
Logan was feeling an unbearable itch in his empty left socket as the destroyed eyeball began to regenerate. He had to admit this was one of the toughest fights he'd had since that battle with Sabretooth, where he had died. McCoy had been faster, stronger, more agile and ferocious than he could have thought possible. He respected him for his fighting skills if nothing else. Therefore he would make it quick as soon as he got his strength back. A quick thrust through the heart would do it.
"Ya seem ta be a lot tougher than ya used ta be McCoy. Mind telling me how ya got so powerful?"
"L-lets just say th-at l-like m-my counterpart I-I h-ha-ve changed, gotten strong. S-she d-did w-well, made me r-reach f-f-ull p-pot-ential." McCoy could barely stand now and he looked about ready to drop at any moment. Logan really didn't think McCoy was likely to be doing anything except bleed for the foreseeable future.
"Time fer ya ta meet yer maker fuzzy. This will be quick so just shut yer eyes. It'll be less painful that way."
McCoy shut his eyes but he was smiling and Logan wondered why. Unless Dark Beast was twisted enough to get off on the pain the way that Creed did. It seemed he was wrong though as McCoy was merely reflecting on what had gone before.
"I-I've sur-vived w-worse than th-this Logan. Vargas, now he b-beat me within an inch of my life b-but in the end h-he was the one w-who lay b-b-blo-ody and br-broken at m-my feet."
"What goes around comes around McCoy. Now I'm going ta send yer soul ta hell."
"Wrong Logan I've managed to stall you just long enough. Now how does that old song go? Oh yes, "I get by with a little help from my friends."" McCoy grinned triumphantly and then exhausted he let himself slump to the floor in a bloody heap.
Darkness was engulfing Logan like living shadows. He howled in agony as his healing wounds suddenly reopened and the blood flowed free once more. His senses seemed to be failing him, eyes growing dim, hearing and smell dropping to levels no better than an ordinary humans. Worse he felt an icy chill spreading through him, his blood seemingly freezing in his veins. To his horror Logan realized the cloud was somehow draining him of his powers. Then he felt a white hot pinprick of pain as a burst of emerald flame burst through his abdomen.
Logan noted with interest the charred hole in his jacket and realized that he had been impaled apparently through the kidney. The cloud lifted, Logan's senses returned and the agony became unbearable. He had reached his limit and so he dropped into merciful unconsciousness as his healing factor was fighting hard simply to keep him alive.
"Gotcha," growled McCoy triumphantly before closing his eyes and letting his head loll back.
The shadows seemed to coalesce into a roughly humanoid shape. Two points of light surveyed Logan and the shadow gave a sibilant hiss as a tendril of darkness reached out to caress one stubbly cheek.
"He lives Salamander, shall I destroy him. Let me engulf him, take away his strength and let him bleed."
"No Pitch Black, he's helpless and barely alive. He's beaten so no need just to murder him. Besides we've got more important things to worry about like our leader. He needs help fast if he's going to live."
"Very well but mark my words Salamander, leaving a live enemy behind us is not a wise thing to do. Still let me solidify and we'll help the leader."
"You do that Natalie," said Salamander.
Logan grunted and briefly awoke his gaze focusing on the young man looking down on him. If it wasn't for the metallic blue hair and golden eyes he would look the double of Forge. The man looked down at him briefly before turning to McCoy.
"Anyway he's just too beautiful to kill," whispered Salamander to himself.
Xavier Institute Of Higher Learning 9.00 pm
Barnell Bohusk was beginning to regret his curiosity. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to find out where Nick had got to. Beak had wondered what had been taking Nick so long when he was only supposed to be fetching that baseball. The answer was that Nick was very, very dead reduced to a desiccated husk. Feathers rustling uneasily Barnell turned from the corpse opened his beak wide and promptly lost his lunch.
"Fay wretch, what a disgusting creature thou art. Now please don't be frightened since mine appetite be sated and an unattractive mutant like thou shalt not be mine usual choice anyway. Now approach and kneel before thee."
Beak gaped in astonishment at the beautiful creature before him. The raven hair was blowing in an unseen breeze and those violet eyes were alluring. He felt a tug in his mind and he had no choice but to obey. Her voice was in his mind bidding him to tell her of Hank. She wanted to meet Hank.
"No I won't be used like that, not again," begged Barnell.
Tapered fingers ruffled the feathers on Barnell's forearm as if to soothe him. Then she smiled revealing rather too prominent canines and the long nails scraped across his throat drawing a thin red line.
"Thou hast no say in the matter Barnell Bohusk, no say at all."
McCoy's Mansion 9.10 pm
Mantichora checked to make sure nobody was in sight before entering his private room, his shrine that nobody could be allowed to see. He growled contentedly and moved towards his shrine, the click of his claws on the flagstones was the only sound. He knelt and for long moments he fought to control his anxiety, his tail thrashing uncontrollably and the spines on his shoulders rattling with his agitation. Then he shook his head to clear it sending a ripple through his mane and was finally still.
He smiled showing fangs as he gazed at the pictures of his idols. He ran their names silently through his head, Wolverine, Wild Child, Wolfsbane, Feral, Beast, Vivisector, Grizzly, Sasquatch, mutants who were beasts like him and who he respected and admired. The greatest of them all and the one he worshipped and emulated stared forbiddingly at Mantichora from the painting on the wall. It was a magnificent piece of art and it looked almost as if Creed would leap out of the picture and pounce on him at any moment.
"Creed once more I thank you for the lesson you taught me so long ago. You came among the Morlocks, my people as an angel of death. You showed us that we were weak and unworthy and you slew many. You looked at me just once and I was filled with awe at your power. Help me to live up to your example and be the greatest of all predators. Hear my plea Sabretooth and give to me of your strength."
Conundrum's mask lay discarded on her bed as she sat before her mirror brushing her hair. With each brush stroke a ripple of color flowed through her tresses as they changed from red to green to blue to purple before finally settling on magenta. She smiled happily and then decided she was bored with this hairbrush so she transformed it into a new one.
"Richard will read me a story now," sang Conundrum and with a gesture the chosen book flew from it's shelf to her open hand. Trailing multicolored bubbles and a remarkably realistic flying goldfish Conundrum set off in search of her brother.
Richard's canines showed in triumph as he doffed the paint smattered smock. The portrait lay revealed in all its glory showing all the people who meant the most to Richard. Hank and Logan stood side by side with Jubilee, Annalise and Kami and the parents he had lost so long ago. Months of hard work were at an end having culminated in this artistic triumph.
"That is magnificent Richard," breathed Kami.
"I'm glad you like it Fushido. I just hope that Mantichora doesn't get into his shaggy cranium the notion of destroying this."
Xavier Institute of Higher Learning 9.25 pm
"Why doesn't anybody notice us? Help, I need help!"
"Barnell thou art a fool. It is a simple matter with my power to ensure we are unnoticed. They may look at us but they do not see us. No-one can help thee Beak," said Maeve. She was fast losing patience with Beak but in the short term he was still useful to her.
"One of the telepaths will pick you up you know. You may be powerful but I doubt you're as strong as the Professor," said Beak in desperation.
"I have no superiors merely peers or inferiors. I can easily shield my mind from any telepath. Now open the door."
Beak shook his head and tried his best to look determined. Maeve shook her head and glared at Beak. She battered aside his meager defenses and took control of his motor functions. Operating Barnell like a puppet she forced him to knock on the door of Hank's laboratory.
Unfortunately due to Beak's blathering she had lost the element of surprise but that was of little import. Beast stood no chance against her, this she was sure off.
Hanks laboratory 9.30 pm
Hank frowned as he could have sworn that he heard voices outside his laboratory door. He'd been deeply engrossed in his experimentations on those gray hairs he had retrieved from the mugger's corpse. The police had been gratified to have such a distinguished bio-chemist working for them. Hank only hoped that Trish Tilby didn't decide to get involved in the investigation. If Dark Beast found out about her he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. He certainly hadn't refrained from murdering many of Hanks old friends and acquaintances when he was trying to find out about him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. Barnell, what's the matter?"
Sobbing Barnell ran to Beast throwing his arms around the leonine mutant's waist. Hank gently patted his shoulder and his forehead wrinkled with concern when he saw the sheer terror in Beak's eyes.
"I'm sorry Beast, I couldn't stop her."
Hank's gaze was drawn to the door and he was speechless for a moment at the awe inspiring sight. She was perhaps the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, pale as moonlight, hair as dark as night, the eyes and ears like those of a cat. Her general appearance combined with her dress caused Hank to think that he was in the presence of the Faerie Queen.
"Stars and garters, Cassandra Nov?!" muttered Hank.
"Thou art mistaken Henry Philip McCoy but I am flattered to be compared to one so powerful."
"She's evil Hank, s-she k-k-killed Nick."
Hank moved in front of Beak shielding him with his bulk. The woman was beautiful yes but he could sense something very old and dangerous about her. With his heightened sense of smell he caught the scent of pine forests, open moors, summer flowers by a mountain stream mingled with the sickly sweet odor of death. She was not Titania but rather Morrigan it seemed.
Hank extended his claws and showed Maeve his teeth. For a second he saw her flinch but then the mocking smile returned to her lips. She raised one languid hand as if to inspect her talon like nails. Hank's nostrils flared as he picked up the scent of Beak's blood on them and he glanced down at the gash on Beak's throat. Rage filled him that his pupil had been hurt. He would fight to the last breath before allowing any more harm to come to Barnell.
"I know not who you are ma'am but I warn you that if you do not leave immediately I may distasteful though it is be forced to commit gratuitous physical violence if you should attempt to harm Barnell or any one else. This is your first and only warning."
Maeve's laugh sounded like the tingling of a bell. Stifling a yawn she glanced at Hank who suddenly found himself unable to move a muscle. Beak whimpered beside his immobile mentor as Maeve moved in closer. There was an almost feral look about her and lightning crackled about her fingertips as she placed a delicate kiss on Hank's furry cheek.
"Mine name ist Maeve mortal and thou art nothing," whispered Maeve into Hank's ear.