Chapter Four: Revelations
It was nearly the end of the day, and we still hadn't been able to get in touch with the Professor, either in his office or on his personal communicator. It seemed as if we were going to have to rely on ourselves, at least for the moment.
"All right, it looks as if we're on our own for now," I said, as I switched off the communicator after our latest fruitless attempt. "We have to decide what we're going to do next. Any ideas?"
"Kill Constantine before he kills us," said Chris. "Simple and effective. You know we're not going to reason with him. He's too far gone for that."
Fliss nodded, "It'll take more than a few words to change his mind. I agree with Chris; I think we should fight them. If we can't beat them, we call the Professor for help."
"If we can get through to him at all," said Chloe.
"I guess we all agree that we have to fight them at some point," I said. "There's something else I was thinking about…"
"What?" asked Fliss.
"I'd like to find the laboratory where Constantine and I were implanted with our mutations by our respective fathers. I want to destroy it. I don't want anybody else to have to undergo what I have."
"Then there would be no more artificial mutations," said Chris, then he looked at me suspiciously. "It would also ensure that nobody could ever threaten your position as most powerful mutant on Earth."
"Yes, I suppose that's true," I agreed. "I'm doing this for the right reason, Chris. You know I'm not interested in having power. But if I know there is nobody more powerful than me, then I know that I will always be able to overcome anybody who tries to hurt us."
He wasn't convinced, "I think you're a little too keen to make sure that nobody can match up to you."
"No, I'm not. My daughter will be able to match me."
Chloe's eyes widened. Fliss frowned, "Your daughter?"
I quickly amended, "Uh, well, if I were ever to have one."
Chloe relaxed. I turned back to Chris, "I'm just trying to ensure that there won't be anybody else like Constantine or my father, who uses artificial mutation for the wrong reasons."
"I know," he said. "But can we trust you to use your powers for the right reasons? If you start to go down the wrong road, nobody will be able to stop you, or stand up to you."
"You'll just have to trust me," I said.
He clearly wasn't satisfied with that, but he didn't say anything. I knew why Chris felt the way he did. He was jealous, understandably so, of my superior power, and he was still convinced that I was trying to steal Felicity away from him. Even though Chris and I were friends, we had always had an ongoing conflict as to who was the 'alpha male', and now that I was clearly pulling ahead, he wasn't pleased.
"All right. It's late, and I don't think we're going to get anything done tonight," I said. "It's risky going to sleep, in case our enemies come looking for us, so I suggest we take turns to stay awake and keep an eye out for trouble. Any problems with that?"
Chris had one, "Nightshade will make herself invisible. You're the only one who'll be able to detect her."
"What we need is a guard dog," said Fliss. "Are there any dogs around here that Chloe could control?"
I nodded, "Yes. The people next door have two bulldogs."
"Then I'll ask them to watch over us," said Chloe.
Unwilling to let Chloe go outside alone, I walked with her to the house next to ours, where we found the two dogs in the front garden, one sleeping in the kennel, the other digging a hole beside a rose bush, perhaps looking for a bone it had buried. It began barking loudly as we approached, but Chloe calmed it with a few quiet words, and knelt down to gently stroke the fur on its neck. She called the other dog over and began talking to the pair of them. I remained standing, looking in all directions for danger. Now that she was pregnant, my protectiveness of Chloe had become almost an obsession, and I knew I would give anything and everything on this Earth to keep her safe. It was my one great weakness; I knew it and the Professor knew it. My love for Chloe was the single most powerful feeling in my brain, and it would control me, overtaking every other instinct and desire if necessary. Given the choice between saving the world and saving Chloe, I knew which I would choose. It wasn't a choice I wanted to face, and right now my main aim was preventing that choice from ever becoming a reality.
"They're ready," Chloe said, patting the dogs one last time and rising to stand next to me.
"OK. I guess we can sleep secure."
"You nearly let slip to Felicity that I was pregnant," she chided me.
"Yeah, sorry. We'll need to tell them at some point. I mean, it will be visible after four or five months, so we can't keep it a secret for long."
"We will tell them. But not now. Not until this thing with Constantine is over. It's bad enough having you constantly worrying about me and the baby, without them doing the same thing. I have to tell you, Neil, I'm scared that you're going to be so concerned about my safety, that you won't be worrying enough about yourself, and Constantine will kill you. I can look after myself, although you don't seem to realise it."
"I do realise it. It's just my instinct to protect you," I said. "And besides, it isn't just you I'm protecting now. It's our daughter, our future, too. It's the responsibility of both parents to look after the child."
"I suppose so. But Neil, promise me that you won't do anything stupid. Promise me that if it comes down to protecting me, or stopping Constantine from taking supreme power, you'll stop him."
"I can't promise you that."
"Neil!"
"Chloe, if you died, I wouldn't care about anything any more. The whole world could go to hell in a hand-basket for all I cared. I certainly wouldn't be sticking around to find out."
"You mean…you'd kill yourself?"
"Yes. Do you really think I could stand to live fifty or sixty more years without you?"
She looked into my eyes, her voice choked with emotion, "I don't want to think about that. I don't want to think about either of us dying. We're going to live through this, we're going to get married, we're going to have our baby and live together forever. Nobody, not Constantine, not Antaeus, not Magneto, not anybody is going to stop us."
I pulled her close to me and held her tightly, neither of us willing to let go of the other. We needed each other; we couldn't live without each other. Nothing was ever going to drive us apart. I would make sure of it.
The next day dawned dark and overcast, and I hoped it wasn't an omen for anything to come. I woke to find Chloe still asleep beside me, her arm over me. Gently lifting it aside, I got out of bed and went over to look through the window. The two dogs were still sitting in the garden next door, one asleep and one awake, and they appeared to be calm and unharmed. I could sense Chris and Felicity both asleep in the other bedroom, and I was relieved. Nothing had come to threaten us during the night. I pushed my telepathy out as far as I could, wondering if I could – and hoping I wouldn't – sense Constantine and his followers. No. There were no other mutants within a mile or so. Good.
I went downstairs and into the kitchen, deep in thought, trying to decide where I might search for the artificial mutation laboratory my father had used. The Professor would probably know where it was, but we couldn't seem to contact him right now. It had to be in Edinburgh, since I had been born here, and I knew my mutations had been given to me when I was only a few hours old. Then something occurred to me. Constantine had been born on the same day I had – the Professor had told me so – which meant he must have been implanted at the exact same time. Had our fathers been working alongside each other, each callously using his own son as an experimental subject? Had we been there together, beside each other, as babies? I doubted it. The Professor hadn't known about Constantine until recently, which meant he must have been somewhere different from me, or else hidden somehow.
I didn't really know where or how to start looking for the laboratory, so I walked into the living room to find the phone book. It seemed unlikely it would be listed there, but it was somewhere to start. I had three names to look for, the names of the three men who'd worked together on artificial mutation: Rosiçky, my father, who was dead; Van Gaarde, who had been imprisoned for life in the US; and Matthews, Constantine's father. I wondered where he was. I opened the phone book and started with my own name. Nothing; there were no Rosiçkys living in Edinburgh. I tried the business section. Nothing there either. I looked up Van Gaarde. I had no evidence that suggested he had ever lived in Edinburgh, so it was not much of a surprise when that came up blank also.
Matthews was a far more common name, and there were several of those in the residential section. Unfortunately, I didn't know the first name of Constantine's father, but I recognised the address of the Matthews estate; it was listed under 'Matthews, C'. I didn't know if that was the father or Constantine himself. It didn't really matter.
I tensed as I heard the sound of footsteps coming up to the front door, but then I heard the post-flap opening and closing, and I relaxed. It was only the postman. I went into the hall for the mail. There were two advertisements, which I binned; a bill, which I put aside for now; and a copy of the newspaper, which my granddad had subscribed to. I unfolded the paper and glanced at the headlines with idle interest. My eyes widened when I saw the main headline.
NEW EVIDENCE IN MATTHEWS MURDER CASE, it announced. I looked down at the article, and read through it: Police have uncovered new evidence in the search for the murderer of Cornelius Matthews, the respected scientist who was killed in his Edinburgh home last month. A witness, as yet unnamed, has come forward with information which may have provided a definite identification of the killer. The witness describes seeing a mutant with gold eyes entering the Matthews estate on the day of the murder. Anybody who knows of such an individual should contact police immediately.
Mr Matthews, who was stabbed to death in his study, was found by his only son Constantine, who, on the subject of this fresh evidence, had the following to say, "I hope that my father's killer can be brought to justice, and we can be spared from any more such horrific attacks. It's been a difficult time for me, but we will all be able to sleep safely again, once the murderer has been caught."
My blood ran cold. This man who had been murdered was the man who had worked with my father and Van Gaarde. He was Constantine's father. He had been dead for about a month, murdered…somebody had seen a mutant with gold eyes…I had gold eyes, but I hadn't killed him. I only knew of one other mutant with the same ocular mutation as myself, but he was dead. Was there another like me? Or…wait a minute…was this Constantine trying to frame me for murder? Could he have killed his father himself? I'd killed mine, so it wasn't impossible.
I glanced at the clock on the wall. The breakfast news was just coming on TV, and I hurried through to the living room to switch on the television.
"Good morning," the news reporter was saying. "Police believe they have identified the man responsible for the murder of Cornelius Matthews. A witness, who wishes to remain anonymous for safety reasons, called them yesterday with a description of a mutant with gold eyes. This mutant is believed to be one Neil Rosiçky, a resident of Edinburgh, whose whereabouts are currently unknown. His motive for the killing remains a mystery, but a police spokeswoman has ensured the public that every possible step is being taken to protect Edinburgh from further mutant attacks, and that Rosiçky will be apprehended within days. Rosiçky's former girlfriend, a Miss Claire Stewart, identified him to police this morning. In other news…"
I switched off the TV and sank back into my armchair, struggling to take all of this in. Constantine's father had been murdered, and now I was being held responsible. This had to be Constantine's doing. Unable to track me down himself, he'd put the police on my trail instead. Now matters were much worse. I had to evade him and the police, as well as finding this laboratory and destroying whatever equipment was inside. We couldn't get in touch with the Professor, which meant I was on my own. What should I do? I closed my eyes, calmed my mind, and tried to think logically. The first thing was obvious: I had to go alone. Both the police and Constantine were really only interested in me. They would leave my friends alone if I wasn't with them.
But what should I do? What could I do on my own? My first priority had to be finding the laboratory. I didn't have much time before the police found me; my house would be one of the first places they would try. I had to destroy what was in the lab, kill Constantine, and prove my innocence of his father's murder. Preferably, but not necessarily, in that order. None of them would be easy. The Professor would vouch for the fact that I had been in New York at the time of the murder, but unfortunately I couldn't contact him right now.
Where should I look for the lab? The Matthews estate seemed like the best place to start. Hopefully I would find some clues there, or maybe the lab itself was actually inside the estate. Searching there while avoiding Constantine and the police wouldn't be easy, but it had to be done. I had to leave now, while my friends were still asleep. I grabbed my jacket from my bedroom, walking as quietly as I could to avoid waking up Chloe. I took one last look at her sleeping face – so angelic, so innocent – then I went back downstairs. I was about to leave the house when I realised I should write a note to explain where I was, otherwise my friends might panic and think I had been killed. I took a piece of scrap paper from the hall table and wrote on it: I must go alone. Do not follow me. Think of Jacqueline for me.
I had written that last bit so that my friends would know it was me who had written the letter, and know it wasn't a trick of Constantine's. He didn't know about Jacqueline. I placed the note at the bottom of the stairs where they would see it, then I opened the front door and left, closing it quietly behind me.
I retraced our steps of the previous day, back towards Constantine's estate. I could see evidence of the police's search for me: several police cars were driving around the neighbourhood, and a number of officers were on the streets. Nobody stopped to accost me. I knew they wouldn't have a recent photograph of me, since there weren't any, and I was wearing my sun-glasses to hide my gold-pupilled eyes. With luck, the police wouldn't be able to get a proper picture of what I looked like, unless Constantine pointed me out to them.
I was keeping my telepathic senses alert, constantly checking for the presence of any other mutants. As I left the house, I could no longer sense Chloe, Chris or Fliss, and for a while I was alone, the only mutant in my sensor radius. When I got closer to the estate, I could sense Constantine and the other three. They were together, inside the large manor building, and I looked around for a spot where I could hide and try to see what they were doing. Two or three large trees were growing just by the fence that surrounded the estate, and I headed over to them. I looked in the direction from which I sensed their presence, and forced my eyes to look through the fence. I could see inside the estate now; the courtyard, the scene of yesterday's battle, was empty. I zoomed in on the manor, and through the outer wall, homing in on the four of them.
They were together in a large, furnished room, talking about something. Actually, Constantine was doing the talking and the other three were listening. This was the first chance I had to get a good look at Nightshade, while she wasn't using her invisibility. She was of medium height, about as tall as Fliss; her hair and her eyes were the same dark colour, and her face was expressionless. She wasn't unattractive, but she looked too cold and cruel to be the kind of woman I could fall in love with. I could tell that Constantine liked her, however, from the way he was looking at her. Also, from the way the four of them were seated – relaxed, not tense or ready for action – I deduced that this was going to be a long discussion. Hopefully I could sneak into the manor and have a look around for something that might lead me to the lab.
I brought my vision back to where I was standing, and looked around. There was nobody in sight, nobody to witness my slightly unconventional method of entrance. I raised both hands and levitated myself from the ground, over the fence, and down into the courtyard. It was the same way I had escaped yesterday; I hadn't thought I would be so eager to go back so quickly. I hurried across the courtyard towards the building, and paused by the door. They would probably hear it opening; if Ocelot possessed a feline sense of hearing, he definitely would. I looked around for another way to get in. There was a window half-open on the ground floor, slightly further along, slightly further away from my enemies, and I ran over to it. Gingerly pushing it slightly further open, I jumped up and climbed inside.
Dropping to the floor of the room beyond as quietly as I could, I took a moment to get my bearings. This was a kitchen of some sort. Dirty plates and cutlery were beside the sink, and a half-empty bottle of milk stood on the worktop. I could hear Constantine's voice faintly from the room they were in, and I decided to move as far away as possible. The kitchen only had one door, which led out into a hallway, and I turned left to get away from them.
The next door on the right led into some kind of study. Constantine's father had been found dead in the study…I wondered if it was this room. For a moment I felt like I was playing Cluedo – Neil Rosiçky, with the dagger, in the study – then I walked over to the desk to look for anything that might be important. The desk was littered with papers, and I began flicking through them, looking for some mention of Cornelius Matthews' research into mutations, something that might mention where his laboratory was. None of it seemed useful. There were pages and pages of chemical formulae and complex equations that meant nothing to me; letters from Edinburgh University researchers; and a few scientific magazines. I decided to try somewhere else.
I left the study and continued along the corridor. Turning a corner, I found a staircase leading down. I went down, and found myself in some sort of basement area. A quick look around the room told me that there was nothing here. Nor were there any doors leading anywhere else, so I decided just to go back up, and headed for the stairs. Suddenly I stopped. Something wasn't right. There was something wrong down here. I had felt cold for a second…just for a second…when I had been walking towards the stairs. Slowly I went back to where I had been standing, and stopped when I suddenly felt cold once more. What was this? I touched the wall on my right. Was it my imagination, or did my eyes detect a slight variation in colour between this area, and the rest of the wall? Was that a draught I felt coming through? Was it in fact a door?
It was relatively simple to find out. I pushed my vision beyond the wall, and saw that it was indeed a secret door. There was a small corridor beyond, with a door on either side. I pressed my hands against the 'wall', trying to find some way open it. There had to be a switch or something, but I couldn't see it. Then I stopped. There would be an opening mechanism on the other side as well, and it wouldn't need to be hidden, since it was in the secret area. I looked through the door once more, trying to see a switch that might open it. There – a small button by the door. I used my telekinesis to press it, and the door slid open silently in front of me. I walked through, pushing the button to close the door behind me.
My excitement growing, I knew this had to be it. This had to be the secret laboratory which my father, Van Gaarde and Matthews had used. In here I would find the experimental apparatus they had used to implant mutations in myself and Constantine, then later in Antaeus and the others. I pushed open the door on the left and looked inside. This appeared to be a store room, with bottles and boxes of chemicals and other equipment lining the shelves. This wasn't what I was looking for. I tried the other door.
Here it was. As soon as I saw it, I knew this was what I had been looking for. This room was huge, probably taking up most of the underground level of the manor, and its centrepiece was two huge machines, sitting side by side. I had no idea what either of them might be, and I walked over for a closer look. The first was like a metallic globe, about the height and width of a man, and appeared to be closed on all sides. My keen eyes spotted a panel on one side that slid open, and I took a look inside. The interior of the globe was an alcove in which a person might sit, with a small computer screen and a keyboard facing the seat. My curiosity piqued, I climbed inside and sat in the seat.
It was cramped inside – I was tall for my age – and I found myself looking at the computer screen. Experimentally I tapped one of the buttons on the keyboard. The screen suddenly came to life and welcomed me with the words, PLEASE SELECT METHOD OF IMPLANTATION: DIRECT(D) OR INDIRECT(I)
OK. That was weird. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something moving, and glanced down. From some hidden recess, a small device had appeared, and was positioned above my right arm. Its tip had a needle like a syringe, and it seemed to be connected to the rest of the machine somehow. Was it supposed to inject me something? Was that how a mutation implantation worked? Was it simply injecting extra DNA into the subject's blood-stream? I didn't know, and I wasn't keen to use myself as a test subject to find out.
Another message appeared on the screen: FOR HELP PRESS (H).
That sounded like a good idea. I hit the 'H' key. Words began to appear on the screen: SELECT DIRECT(D) TO TRANSFER MUTATIONS FROM SUBJECT TO SELF. SELECT INDIRECT(I) TO SELECT MUTATIONS FROM LIST OF SAMPLES.
That didn't help much. I didn't want any extra mutations, but I was curious to find out what the 'samples' were. I hit the 'I' key. My heart quickened as I saw what appeared on the screen next:
SELECT MUTATION YOU DESIRE FROM LIST OF SAMPLES:
– TELESCOPIC AND X-RAY EYESIGHT (CHAMELEON)
– CAMOUFLAGE (CHAMELEON)
– FLAME BREATH (INFERNO)
– BERSERK ATTACK (INFERNO)
– TELEPATHY (MINDSTORM)
– TELEKINESIS (MINDSTORM)
– BODY STRENGTH (ANTAEUS)
– HEALING ABILITY (ANTAEUS)
– GRAVITATIONAL FIELDS (GRAVITUS)
This was it. This was the hub. This was where it had all started, where my father had begun his experiments. Chameleon, Inferno, Mindstorm and Antaeus were the four mutants who had worked for him, and these were the mutations each of them had possessed. This machine, or one like it, must have been what gave them their mutations. And me, the same thing must have happened to me. And Gravitus – that had to be Constantine. That had to be his mutant name.
I was beginning to get nervous of that syringe thing pointing at my arm, and I jumped out of the machine before it tried to inject me with anything. I closed the panel of the machine, and my heart began to slow as I got myself under control. This had to be destroyed. This machine and all of its samples, wherever they were. That would put an end to my father's legacy, and ensure the safety of my wife and child. I would destroy it along with everything else in this laboratory. Still curious, I walked over to see what the second machine was. It was similar in appearance to the first, but was lower and longer. It also had a panel that opened, and I looked inside. It was like the other, except the person inside would lie down instead of sit. Also there was no computer terminal inside, and there appeared to be restraints to tie somebody down.
I realised what it was for. One person would be restrained in the second machine, while another person went into the first machine. They selected a 'direct' method of implantation, and the mutations of the restrained person were implanted into their body. I supposed it would save time taking a sample of the other person's blood, and loading it into the machine. I had to find these samples, and make sure they were destroyed. I looked back at the first machine, and noticed a second panel in the back that I hadn't seen last time. I slid it open, and knew I had found what I was looking for. Fitted snugly inside were five test tubes, containing blood samples. I peered closely; the first was labelled CHAMELEON, the second INFERNO. The rest were guessable enough. I pulled out the test tubes and put them inside my jacket pocket while I explored the rest of the lab.
Over by the far wall was another large device, and I walked over, intrigued to find out what it was. It looked something like a very large filing cabinet, with four long compartments, and I wondered if it was a good idea to open it and find out what lay inside. There was a piece of paper lying on top of the machine, and I picked it up. It read: CRYOGENIC FREEZING CHAMBERS MUST BE KEPT AT OPTIMUM TEMPERATURE AT ALL TIMES!
So that's what this was. My curiosity overtook me, and I slid open the first compartment to see what was inside. My eyes widened and I gasped in shock, fighting the urge to retch.
Chameleon's dead body stared up at me, encased under a clear plastic shield, his gold eyes gazing sightlessly at the ceiling above. I shoved the compartment closed, unwilling to look at him a second more. This was one of the four psychotic mutants who had served my father and tried to kill me. I had seen him die, and I thought I would never see him again. What was he doing here in this cryogenic unit?
I slid open the second compartment, though I knew I would not like what I saw inside: Inferno, his body crushed nearly beyond recognition. I pushed it shut and opened the third: Mindstorm. A shiver of fear ran up my spine, and I pushed it closed quickly. Of all the mutants I had met, Mindstorm was the one I feared the most. Possessing telepathic power second only to the Professor's, and telekinetic power second to nobody's, she had proved a formidable enemy, but it wasn't just that which made me fear her. There was something else about her…she was just pure evil. She would torture a person for the fun of it. None of the other enemies I had faced had ever been like that. Even Constantine, Magneto or Rat had never been that bad. They might hurt or kill people, but they would only do it for a genuine purpose. Mindstorm would do it simply because she enjoyed it. I was glad she was dead.
I pulled open the fourth chamber, but wasn't surprised to find it empty. It was larger than the others, and it must have been designed for Antaeus. It was then that I noticed another machine, sitting up against the wall, looking like a larger version of one of the cryogenic chambers. I went over to get a closer look. It had a hinged top, and I lifted this off. Inside was enough space to accommodate a supine body, but nothing else. I frowned, wondering what this machine was used for. Did it have something to do with Antaeus coming back to life? Was it some kind of regeneration chamber? That sounded like pure science fiction, but I was in no position to know what was or was not possible with today's technology.
A horrifying thought occurred to me. If this was a regeneration device, capable of bringing people back to life, then my worst nightmare could come to pass, and Mindstorm could return. The mere thought of her being alive once more, was enough to send a cold snake of terror slithering throughout my nervous system. I had just begun to think about how I might go about destroying this lab – there had to be some chemicals in that storeroom I could mix together – when I heard the sound of footsteps. Somebody was about to enter the lab. I'd been so intent in my exploration that I hadn't sensed their presence. Hurriedly I looked around for somewhere to hide; the implantation unit seemed the only place. As I ducked within it, and slid it closed from inside, I heard the door opening, and voices. In the darkness of the tiny chamber, the computer terminal provided the only light. I looked through the walls of the chamber to see who was there: Constantine and Nightshade.
"I still don't understand why you won't tell me what's going on here," Nightshade was complaining. "Or what any of these machines do. I am supposed to be your second in command, remember."
Constantine turned to face her, folded his arms and sighed, "All right, since you insist, here's your guided tour of my father's laboratory. There are three main objects of interest: first, on my right, the mutation implantation chamber – I've already explained to you what that does; second, facing me, the cryogenic freezing pods, where I'm storing those dead mutants my father brought back from New York."
"Have you been able to work out who they are?" she asked.
"No. Impervious can't tell me anything either. He's completely lost his memory. He doesn't know who he is or what's going on. He's stupid enough that I can manipulate him fairly easily, though. Anyway – third, on my left, the cloning chamber."
"Cloning chamber?"
"That's what my father called it. It's how he brought back Impervious."
Nightshade walked over and curiously touched the surface of the machine I had suspected of being a regeneration unit.
"What does it do, exactly?" she asked.
Constantine frowned, "I've been studying my father's notes, so I know how to use it, but apart from that my knowledge of it is pretty sketchy. Basically it will heal any organic life form which is placed inside. It uses the life form's DNA to replicate existing cells and repair any damage."
"It healed Impervious?"
"Yes. What I don't know is whether he was alive or dead when my father brought him back. It seems unlikely this machine could restore anyone from death, but I'm going to try it on one of these dead mutants."
"Why don't we try it now?"
"We can't. There are some unstable chemicals used in the machine, and we can't use it until they have fully cooled down from the last time it was used. It should be ready for use in another day or two."
Nightshade was still examining the machine, her back to Constantine, and his eyes were fixed steadfastly on her bottom, no doubt undressing her in his mind. She turned round and he brought his gaze back up to her eyes, lingering slightly on her chest as he went.
"So now you know what these machines do," he said. "Happy?"
"No! You still haven't told me what you're planning to do," she said. "I know you want to kill Oculus, so he can't stand in your way, but what exactly is he going to stand in the way of?"
"All right, I'll tell you. Currently there are very few mutants who are powerful enough to stand up to me. Oculus is one, and it's rumoured he has a mentor of some kind over in America. Anyway, within a year I plan to ensure there are none capable of matching me, not then, not ever. First of all I'll kill off any who try to oppose me. After that it's too much bother to go around the world killing a baby mutant every time a new one is born, so my plan is the somewhat simpler alternative: make myself so powerful, give myself so many different powers, that no natural-born mutant can ever match me."
"How do you do that?"
"The implantation chamber. I can use it to transfer the power of any mutant into myself."
"Why haven't you used it yet?"
"Because I'm not sure of the side effects. It did weird things to Impervious, and I want to test it before using it myself."
"Test it on who?"
"On one of Oculus' friends. I want at least one of them taken alive."
Nightshade nodded slowly, then her expression darkened and she looked at him suspiciously, "So how do I know you aren't just going to use this machine to transfer my powers to yourself, then kill me?"
"Because I need you," Constantine said. "I can't do everything myself, and I need people I can trust. Besides…I like you a lot."
Her eyes widened, "You do?"
"Come here," he commanded.
Nightshade obeyed, and Constantine took her by surprise, throwing his arms around her, pulling her towards him and kissing her furiously.
"Damn, you're beautiful," he whispered.
She struggled for a moment, then relented, put her arms around his neck, and began kissing him in return. I could sense wild, animal passion flying back and forth between them, and I knew she was just as attracted to him as he was to her. Nightshade liked a strong man, a leader, and she was prepared to give herself to Constantine. He pulled her down on to the ground, and she lay atop him, the pair of them still kissing with an uncontrolled fury. It was at this point that I closed my eyes. I didn't really want to watch my two worst enemies making love on the floor a few feet away from me, and I was grateful when they were interrupted by a buzzing sound from the communicator on Constantine's belt.
"What is it?" he snapped impatiently into the communicator, then his tone changed. "They're here? Where's Oculus? He must be here somewhere. OK, Ocelot, we'll be right up."
"What's going on?" asked Nightshade, as she got to her feet, looking a little embarrassed.
"I'm not sure. Oculus' friends are here, but he doesn't seem to be with them."
"They must be staging a distraction so he can sneak in here," she said.
"Yes, my thoughts too. You go up and join Ocelot. I'll find Oculus. And Nightshade?"
Halfway to the door, she paused, "Yes?"
"We were interrupted, but we'll continue this later."
His eyes entranced by the seductive swaying of her hips, Constantine watched her go, then he turned back to the cloning machine, and seemed to be writing something on a small note pad. It was only then that I allowed myself to breathe a sigh of relief, but it wasn't really. I myself had escaped detection, but somehow the three of my friends had followed me here. Somehow they had managed to find out where I was going, and they'd done exactly what I was afraid of them doing: they'd come to help me. I could sense their presence, up in the courtyard; they were in the middle of a battle, presumably with Ocelot and Antaeus. And Nightshade was about to join them…she would make herself invisible, and my friends, not knowing she was even there, would be slaughtered. I had to get up there now and help them fight her. There was just one problem: Constantine was between me and her, and I knew he would do anything to protect the woman he loved.
