I'M DYING 4: FLU MISERIES

Chapter 11

"There's half a dozen choppers and a line of armored trucks headed this way," Wolverine reported. "Unless someone's having a surprise party, I don't think that's good."

Indeed it wasn't, as they were all armed with large-caliber weapons, to take down the "monster".

"Try and get them to hold their fire," Xavier instructed his proteges.

"Yeah, like they'll listen to us," said Wolverine.

"Surround him! They won't shoot us to get to him!" Cyclops said.

"You sure about that?"

There was no insignia on the choppers whatsoever. They were plain black from top to bottom. And their pilots didn't look happy to see the X-Men . . .

"Step away from the creature," said a voice over a bullhorn.

"We've got it under control," Spyke said.

The "creature" saw the choppers land. Frightened of these unknown people converging on him, he bolted.

Cyclops split the team up: half would go after him, while the other half kept the invaders busy.

"What's going on?" the Sandoval creature asked Xavier.

"I'm not sure yet. Please don't run away. I promise you, I won't let anything happen to you."

Jean and Cyclops tried to reason with the soldiers.
"He's not dangerous!"
"He ripped his way out of a research lab, lady. I call that dangerous."

"Very dangerous," said another of the men.

"He's just confused! If a bunch of men with guns started shooting at you for no reason, wouldn't you fight back?"

"No reason?!"one of the others snickered.

"He doesn't know any better! He's got the mind of a child!"
"Then consider this the mother of all spankings."

This was not going well . . .

And things at the hospital were even worse.

The Brotherhood had finally arrived, and they were not getting along with the other patients. Lance had to be physically restrained from punching out a kid who made cracks about mutants as he walked into the waiting room.

"You got a problem, punk? Huh?"

"Chill, Lance!" pleaded Wanda.

Marco found his way to Kurt and Fred's room . . . where Fred was heaving into a basin.

Mystique saw Marco come in. "You got here just in time."

"Okay. Should I start with him?"

"You can start anywhere you like, as long as you do it now."

Marco went over to Kurt first, since he was closer.

"Who are you?"
"I'm a friend. I'm here to help you."

Kurt wasn't sure what to make of this newcomer. "Are you vith us or zhem?"
"Us or them who?" Marco didn't know what he meant. No one had as yet filled him in on the X-Men/Brotherhood feud.

Fred tried to help. "Uh, we're kind of, like, fighting each other . . ." That was as far as he got before he heaved yet again.
There obviously wasn't time to do Kurt and Fred separately, Marco thought, so he put a hand on each of them, concentrated his energies, and fed his healing energies into both of them at the same time.

This took a lot out of him, unfortunately . . . and when he was finished he needed Kurt's help to get up again.

"Are you all right?"

Marco blinked, looked at Kurt, and passed out.
"Not again," said Lance.

"Is he dead?" Fred asked.

"No, but we'll all be dead if you don't stop that monster," Mystique said. "Put him in the car and let's go."

He was on the run again. Having failed to reason with the soldiers, the X-Men had fallen back and were trying to come up with Plan B.

"Keep them busy," Cyclops said, "while Jean and I try to help him get away."

"I'll try," said Spyke. He led Shadowcat and Rogue back towards the advancing army.

"How are we supposed to stop them?" Rogue demanded.

"Yeah, they've got, like, body armor!" Shadowcat added.

"We don't have to stop them!" Spyke said. "All we have to do is keep them from getting to our friend. Remember what Logan had us do in the session last week?"

The girls looked at each other and smiled.

Xavier jumped as his cell phone rang. "Yes?"
"Sorry to bother you," said Hank McCoy, "but I've found some things I thought you should know."
"We're a little busy right now."
"It concerns Michaela Sandoval."
"I'm listening."
"Seems about five or six years ago, she was involved in a big genetics project at Stark Industries."
"I thought they were into military hardware, not biotech."
"Whatever they were working on had military written all over it. It may even have been connected to Weapon X."
"Really?"
"She and a partner--a male partner--were involved in isolating and reproducing the mutant gene. The project is listed as a failure, but . . . the two had some kind of falling-out, he left, and then she was kicked off. I can't say for sure, but it looks like--"
"That project may have resulted in our friend," Xavier concluded. "Which means that this mysterious partner may be able to help us control him. Where is he now?"
"He vanished. Two years ago. There's no trace of him working anywhere, unless it's under an assumed name."
"I'll ask Magnus. He may remember the man. What was his name?"
"Banner. Bruce Banner."

(Ha ha! Betcha weren't expecting that! Working our way to a big finish, so stay tuned!)