Thicker than Water
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "Da-da-da-duh-duh-da! I am your sing-ing telegram".
*** Hey there reviewers, some of you wanted to know a bit more about Warlock. Here's a link to a bio that i found online for him: Though you will see more of his 'tallents' in action during the rest of this fic. Yup. Will i bring in Doug Ramsey?. Well not in THIS chronicle, but he may appear in future ones.
***
Chapter 23 - Hidden agendas
***
After the strange clatter in the dock yard, Vivian and Dagger had split up, just in case either were followed. Dagger smiled at herself as she looked at the Dampener in her hands, if the mutants were looking for them, then it meant that it had worked. Trask would pay good money for this. She glanced at her watch, Vivian should have returned to their meeting spot hours ago, where was she?. Deep down, she didn't trust the mutant, even though Vivian swore blind she wasn't a BORN mutant, there was something about her that Dagger just didn't like. She was taken out of her thoughts by the ground shaking. She thought for a second, perhaps those mutants had found her...didn't Trask say one of them could create Earthquakes? She paused as the ground shook again. No, that wasn't an Earthquake...those were footsteps. Something was heading her way...something big...and strong. Suddenly, the wall on the small building she was occupying caved in, and a huge man wearing a rounded helmet on his head thundered in, perched on his shoulder was Vivian. Dagger stood up, about to ask what was going on when they were joined by four more figures. Three, two male and one female looked like triplets, while the fourth figure resembled a large cat-man as he hovered in the air with huge, demon-like wings. He swooped to the ground and sniffed the air before giving a feral growl.
"Honey, i'm home", said Vivian with a chuckle.
Dagger stood up, glaring at Vivian and the new-commers.
"What's going on?", she asked, "who ARE these people?".
Vivian gave a hissing laugh. She pointed to the man who's shoulder she still occupied.
"Allow me to introduce you to Cain Marko, better known as the Unstoppable Juggernaught", she said, then pointed to the triplets, "these are Mimic, Imitate, and Dopleganger ".
The winged one gave a growl, stepping forward.
"They call me Pickles", he said.
"They are my...strike team", said Vivian with a smirk, "i freed them all from Stokes' Secuirty Facility. Thought i'd give them a bit of...exersice".
Dagger blinked, before looking at Vivian.
"I thought you said you didn't work with mutants", she said.
"I don't", replyed Vivian, "Mr Marko here used the Jems of Cytorak to get his powers and as for the triplets and Pickles, they were, as i, created in a lab, having the D.N.A of other mutants put into them to give them ther 'gifts'".
"I...don't understand why we need them", said Dagger, "we were doing fine alone".
"I said i didn't work with mutants", said Vivian, "but, i also descovered that i don't work well with humans either. You see, Humans and Mutants, they both fight over genetics, a thing they cannot control, yet there are an elite few of us who CAN control our destiny, our abilities. WE are the future, for we CAN choose".
Dagger narrowed her eyes.
"What are you saying...exactly?", she asked wariily.
She gave a shout of suprise as one of Vivian's tenticles shot out, snatching the power dampener out of her hands.
"We are going to take away all of the true mutants powers, just as Trask wanted", she said, "but then, oh then, we shall use their D.N.A to make more like ourselves, those we see worthy for the role as the worlds dominant species".
"World domination...is that it?", asked Dagger, rolling her eyes, "man, that has been done soooo many times. It's kinda out-dated...don't you think?".
"Perphaps", said Vivian with a shrug, "but what can i say?. I love the classics. I'm giving you a choice, Dagger, you can join us, and we will give you ANY power you wish....or you can fall like the rest of your race. It is your choice".
Dagger narrowed her eyes, already judging up the chances of her winning a fight like this...they weren't good.
"No thank you", she said, "i'd rather NOT be a freak".
With that, she chose to run, it seemed the only option she had left. Imitate went to go after her, only to have Vivian drop to the ground in front of him.
"Let her go", she said, "we have bigger fish to fry".
****
Forge sighed from where he sat in the garden pondering over what to do with Warlock. Heck, he was certainally old enough to be taking care of a kid...but he'd never really sat down and THOUGHT about it. Twenty years worth of 'thinking time' and this had never really come up once. He'd thought about his family, his friends, even what he could have been doing instead of being stuck, but for some reason, this had never come into his head.
"If you think too hard, your brain may explode".
Forge glanced up to see Ororo and gave her a smile.
"Don't want to clean up the mess, huh?", he said, then sighed, "man, this shouldn't be that hard of a thing to think about".
Ororo sat down.
"You mean to tell me the great mutant 'thinker' can not make his mind up about something?".
Forge nodded.
"Yeah", he said, "i would LOVE to take care of Warlock, really...i just don't know if i can...i mean it's a huge responsibility. I mean, what if i mess up, lets face it, twenty years of solitude hasn't really given me much prep for something like this".
"Forge, nothing can prepare you for taking care of another living person, alien or otherwise", she said, "i was worried about taking care of Evan. He was my responsibility.....", she paused, then sighed, "The fact of the matter is, you will not know if you can truley do anything, until you try".
Fogre nodded.
"You're right..as always", he said, "it's gonna take some getting used to, machines i can understand completely but people...people are a whole different ball-game. It's kinda funny, looking after an alien teenager wouldn't have been my first guess on me having a family".
"I do not think that would be ANYONES first guess", said Ororo with a small laugh, then despite herself, she added, "what would have been your first guess?".
Forge shrugged.
"I would have kinda liked the nice, calm life", he said, "y'know, the kids, the dog, a nice house in the contry by a river. The whole white- picket-fence deal. A porch with one of those chairs that you can suspend from the roof with chain so it swings, somewhere to watch the sunset with. And of course the woman i love to share it with me, and to grow old with me.....man, i'm sorry, that didn't sound as corny in my head".
"Hmmm?", said Storm, before snapping herself out of it, "oh...it does not sound corny at all. It sounds..."
*Will everyone meet in the Common Room imedieately, it is an emergency*
"Mmm..wonder what that's all about?", asked Forge, standing up and heading off, leaving Ororo to send mind bullets at Xaver's head.
****
It wasn't long before everyone had gathered into the Common Room, where Xavier, who for some reason was keeping a distance from Storm, broke the news to them.
"I finally picked up Vivian's signature on Cerebro", he said, "she is at a derilict chruch just out of town".
"Good", said Sabertooth with a snarl, "lets go get her".
"That isn't all", said Xavier with a sigh, "it seems she has taken a little trip to Stoke's. She had freed my brother, the triplets...and Pickles".
Sidney gave a snarl upon hearing Pickle's name.
"I'm going with you", she said, standing up.
"No", said Xavier, there are too many people in that group who would like nothing more than to kill you Sidney. I will not risk it, you would be targeted instantly".
"I am NOT one of your flock to make that decison", said Sidney, her fur bristling.
"But you ARE one of MINE", said Magneto, "you stay, Sidney. Thats goes for Todd and Wanda too".
"What?", the pair said in unison.
"I am not going to put obvious targets in the battlefield", he said, "plus, we need the room for those who can fight".
"I CAN fight", snapped Wanda, hex energy frizzling around her.
"I don't want to risk your life", said Magneto, "you are my daughter. It would be sentencing you to death, sending you out there".
"So what, you suddenly CARE about me?", she snapped, before Todd put an arm around her shoulder, she sighed, "fine, whatever!".
Xavier looked at Storm.
"Ororo, without your pow...".
"I know", Storm cut him off, "i shall stay here and watch the others".
"My powers are pretty usless in the battlefield too", said Forge.
"Pyro and Colossus will stay with you and the kids as protection", said Magneto.
"Lets go get us some escapees", said Logan with a grin.
***
Ta da, done done done :D. Yes, i FINALLY know what i'm doing with my bad guys, and yes, Pickles is BACK!. Whoahahahhahahahahha!. I missed that evil little physcopath. So, who is being left at home and who is going to fight? Where is Dagger?. Well, find out next time!. Please do review. Until next time....
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "Da-da-da-duh-duh-da! I am your sing-ing telegram".
*** Hey there reviewers, some of you wanted to know a bit more about Warlock. Here's a link to a bio that i found online for him: Though you will see more of his 'tallents' in action during the rest of this fic. Yup. Will i bring in Doug Ramsey?. Well not in THIS chronicle, but he may appear in future ones.
***
Chapter 23 - Hidden agendas
***
After the strange clatter in the dock yard, Vivian and Dagger had split up, just in case either were followed. Dagger smiled at herself as she looked at the Dampener in her hands, if the mutants were looking for them, then it meant that it had worked. Trask would pay good money for this. She glanced at her watch, Vivian should have returned to their meeting spot hours ago, where was she?. Deep down, she didn't trust the mutant, even though Vivian swore blind she wasn't a BORN mutant, there was something about her that Dagger just didn't like. She was taken out of her thoughts by the ground shaking. She thought for a second, perhaps those mutants had found her...didn't Trask say one of them could create Earthquakes? She paused as the ground shook again. No, that wasn't an Earthquake...those were footsteps. Something was heading her way...something big...and strong. Suddenly, the wall on the small building she was occupying caved in, and a huge man wearing a rounded helmet on his head thundered in, perched on his shoulder was Vivian. Dagger stood up, about to ask what was going on when they were joined by four more figures. Three, two male and one female looked like triplets, while the fourth figure resembled a large cat-man as he hovered in the air with huge, demon-like wings. He swooped to the ground and sniffed the air before giving a feral growl.
"Honey, i'm home", said Vivian with a chuckle.
Dagger stood up, glaring at Vivian and the new-commers.
"What's going on?", she asked, "who ARE these people?".
Vivian gave a hissing laugh. She pointed to the man who's shoulder she still occupied.
"Allow me to introduce you to Cain Marko, better known as the Unstoppable Juggernaught", she said, then pointed to the triplets, "these are Mimic, Imitate, and Dopleganger ".
The winged one gave a growl, stepping forward.
"They call me Pickles", he said.
"They are my...strike team", said Vivian with a smirk, "i freed them all from Stokes' Secuirty Facility. Thought i'd give them a bit of...exersice".
Dagger blinked, before looking at Vivian.
"I thought you said you didn't work with mutants", she said.
"I don't", replyed Vivian, "Mr Marko here used the Jems of Cytorak to get his powers and as for the triplets and Pickles, they were, as i, created in a lab, having the D.N.A of other mutants put into them to give them ther 'gifts'".
"I...don't understand why we need them", said Dagger, "we were doing fine alone".
"I said i didn't work with mutants", said Vivian, "but, i also descovered that i don't work well with humans either. You see, Humans and Mutants, they both fight over genetics, a thing they cannot control, yet there are an elite few of us who CAN control our destiny, our abilities. WE are the future, for we CAN choose".
Dagger narrowed her eyes.
"What are you saying...exactly?", she asked wariily.
She gave a shout of suprise as one of Vivian's tenticles shot out, snatching the power dampener out of her hands.
"We are going to take away all of the true mutants powers, just as Trask wanted", she said, "but then, oh then, we shall use their D.N.A to make more like ourselves, those we see worthy for the role as the worlds dominant species".
"World domination...is that it?", asked Dagger, rolling her eyes, "man, that has been done soooo many times. It's kinda out-dated...don't you think?".
"Perphaps", said Vivian with a shrug, "but what can i say?. I love the classics. I'm giving you a choice, Dagger, you can join us, and we will give you ANY power you wish....or you can fall like the rest of your race. It is your choice".
Dagger narrowed her eyes, already judging up the chances of her winning a fight like this...they weren't good.
"No thank you", she said, "i'd rather NOT be a freak".
With that, she chose to run, it seemed the only option she had left. Imitate went to go after her, only to have Vivian drop to the ground in front of him.
"Let her go", she said, "we have bigger fish to fry".
****
Forge sighed from where he sat in the garden pondering over what to do with Warlock. Heck, he was certainally old enough to be taking care of a kid...but he'd never really sat down and THOUGHT about it. Twenty years worth of 'thinking time' and this had never really come up once. He'd thought about his family, his friends, even what he could have been doing instead of being stuck, but for some reason, this had never come into his head.
"If you think too hard, your brain may explode".
Forge glanced up to see Ororo and gave her a smile.
"Don't want to clean up the mess, huh?", he said, then sighed, "man, this shouldn't be that hard of a thing to think about".
Ororo sat down.
"You mean to tell me the great mutant 'thinker' can not make his mind up about something?".
Forge nodded.
"Yeah", he said, "i would LOVE to take care of Warlock, really...i just don't know if i can...i mean it's a huge responsibility. I mean, what if i mess up, lets face it, twenty years of solitude hasn't really given me much prep for something like this".
"Forge, nothing can prepare you for taking care of another living person, alien or otherwise", she said, "i was worried about taking care of Evan. He was my responsibility.....", she paused, then sighed, "The fact of the matter is, you will not know if you can truley do anything, until you try".
Fogre nodded.
"You're right..as always", he said, "it's gonna take some getting used to, machines i can understand completely but people...people are a whole different ball-game. It's kinda funny, looking after an alien teenager wouldn't have been my first guess on me having a family".
"I do not think that would be ANYONES first guess", said Ororo with a small laugh, then despite herself, she added, "what would have been your first guess?".
Forge shrugged.
"I would have kinda liked the nice, calm life", he said, "y'know, the kids, the dog, a nice house in the contry by a river. The whole white- picket-fence deal. A porch with one of those chairs that you can suspend from the roof with chain so it swings, somewhere to watch the sunset with. And of course the woman i love to share it with me, and to grow old with me.....man, i'm sorry, that didn't sound as corny in my head".
"Hmmm?", said Storm, before snapping herself out of it, "oh...it does not sound corny at all. It sounds..."
*Will everyone meet in the Common Room imedieately, it is an emergency*
"Mmm..wonder what that's all about?", asked Forge, standing up and heading off, leaving Ororo to send mind bullets at Xaver's head.
****
It wasn't long before everyone had gathered into the Common Room, where Xavier, who for some reason was keeping a distance from Storm, broke the news to them.
"I finally picked up Vivian's signature on Cerebro", he said, "she is at a derilict chruch just out of town".
"Good", said Sabertooth with a snarl, "lets go get her".
"That isn't all", said Xavier with a sigh, "it seems she has taken a little trip to Stoke's. She had freed my brother, the triplets...and Pickles".
Sidney gave a snarl upon hearing Pickle's name.
"I'm going with you", she said, standing up.
"No", said Xavier, there are too many people in that group who would like nothing more than to kill you Sidney. I will not risk it, you would be targeted instantly".
"I am NOT one of your flock to make that decison", said Sidney, her fur bristling.
"But you ARE one of MINE", said Magneto, "you stay, Sidney. Thats goes for Todd and Wanda too".
"What?", the pair said in unison.
"I am not going to put obvious targets in the battlefield", he said, "plus, we need the room for those who can fight".
"I CAN fight", snapped Wanda, hex energy frizzling around her.
"I don't want to risk your life", said Magneto, "you are my daughter. It would be sentencing you to death, sending you out there".
"So what, you suddenly CARE about me?", she snapped, before Todd put an arm around her shoulder, she sighed, "fine, whatever!".
Xavier looked at Storm.
"Ororo, without your pow...".
"I know", Storm cut him off, "i shall stay here and watch the others".
"My powers are pretty usless in the battlefield too", said Forge.
"Pyro and Colossus will stay with you and the kids as protection", said Magneto.
"Lets go get us some escapees", said Logan with a grin.
***
Ta da, done done done :D. Yes, i FINALLY know what i'm doing with my bad guys, and yes, Pickles is BACK!. Whoahahahhahahahahha!. I missed that evil little physcopath. So, who is being left at home and who is going to fight? Where is Dagger?. Well, find out next time!. Please do review. Until next time....