(Ok all things in here are copyrighted. That means I don't own the X-men
nor do I own any actual places/ names in this fic. If they are real, they
are copyrighted materials of the marvel. And the one song belongs to Linken
Park.))
In the dark night, with only the stars above, and the institute lights shining on the building. Three figures walk to the front gate. They where apparel having a small augment.
"I told you dude, this his the place." Said a smaller one, he whore lose fitting shirt that fluttered in the small wind.
"Yeah but how the hell do we get in." The second one said. He looked around the side of the gate for a panel. Then began waving his arms in the air.
"You idiot, theirs a voices box some where."
"Allow me." The tallest step froward, he was a good size. His body was hidden by a cloak and cape, which blocked even his face. He pulled his arms out and removed the black gloves on his hands and placed them on the gate. His two partners stepped back as small sparks came off the metal gate. The boy pulled his head back; the sparks grew in intestacy. Suddenly there was a bright flash that light up the whole area. And just as soon as it had begun, red lights appeared along with a siren. "There, now I think will get an invite." He spoke again and his eyes flashed white, as he watched the outline of a women flying out of the building, and three others came running out the front door.
Soon the three where sitting in Xavier offices the moonless sky was seen though the windows. The short one was on the left. His lose fitting shirt with long blue sleeves. He also whore a lose fitting brown pants and no shoe. He stretched his toes on the carpet. His blond hair was cut short but long enough for him to run his hand though it. The other sat on the other side. He had brown hair cut long. He had a long sleeve shirt with a long stripe on the chest. He had black strap sandals. He sat with a smug on his face. The tallest one sat in the middle. He had his cloak over his face to where you could only see the out line of it. Not one part of his body was uncovered. All in black, he sat with his arms crossed.
"What, may I ask you, where you three doing out here this late. And why have you come here." Wolverine walked behind them. His claws where out.
"Wolverine, that's quite enough. But I to wish to know why you've come here." Xavier wheeled out from behind his desk and came up next to the three young boys.
The tallest one spoke up first. "Ok, by know you've guessed where mutants, my names Mirror, my brother here is called Dart, and are quiet and gothic friend we picked up on the way here is called Discharge. He's the one who gave you that light show out side. Dart and me came here to join up with you guys. Discharge, we met him along the way, he saved are butts that day too. We told him we where headed here and he tagged along"
"And what about you Discharge, why have you come." Xavier looked right at him.
"I have my reasons." He spoke to where his voice was a whisper. With that the Professor turned to Wolverine. "We will let them stay the night at least, then will decide what to do with them in the morning." He turned to the three boys again. "Next time you could try the comm. link."
Mirror looked at Dart. "I told you there was a comm. link." He reached over to slap him upside the head, but Dart moved out of the way just in time.
The next day was a Saturday, bright and slightly cloudy. A good day from training, And while the X-men where was doing that. Xavier took this time to tell the tree boys his vatic on the matter at hand.
"Usually we seek out new mutants, this is a first for use. Now how we must discuss, this first the matter of your parents."
Dart stood up and spook. "Well me and Mirror, once are dad discovered we where mutants he kicked us out, so we came here. Hey don't feel so bad, he was a jerk any way." Xavier looked over to Discharge. "And what of yours." Discharge look up, first time since he had sat down. "I have no family to be censored of."
"Fine then, Wolverine take them to their new rooms, once there unpacked and ready, let Scott show them around first and Saturday bright and early you can give them one of your award winning session. Show them what there in for as members of the X-men." Mirror and Dart followed Wolverine out into the hallway where Rogue and Kitty where standing. Jank waved to Rogue and Dart Raised his eyebrow to kitty and waved.
"Ewe gross." Kitty responded as she then decided to leave thought the floor and Rough stuck her nose at them as she blow some hair out of her face. "Great at least two of them are losers." Discharge came out, as Rogue was about to leave, she looked at him for a second, like a face she long forgot. She shook it off as she headed to the outside door for Login sessions.
Outside Dart, Mirror, and Discharge stood waited, they had on normal X-men suits but Discharge still had his cape and hood. They where in the back, Scott was showing them the training devises Discharge waited closer to Scott. "And this is the targeting range, will start here. Dart your up." Scott stepped on a rock that activated the targeting board, which popped up out of the ground next to a tree. It was a thin piece of metal with a red white target.
"Feel free to blow it up, we got lots of extra ones." Scott stepped back and watched as Dart raised his hands and with great aim shoot 20 or 30 small light purple energy darts from his palms. They imbedded mostly in the target; a few hit the out side of last red ring. As soon as Dart lowered his hands the darts disappeared. "Nice kid, good aim to." Scott looked impressed. Discharge steps up to the thing and held his fist up, arm bent to where it was pointed up. Around the muscle area, spokes flung around his arm. He aimed his fist and fired a ball of lighting. It travels just as fast as the real thing, and with the power. It knocked the metal bored out of the ground; its top corners it the tree make the bored spin as it flew. Before it landed some yards away it cut a bush midway though its height.
"Wow. Remind me not get mad. Man you flung it like five yards." Some of the other recruits where watching from a far walked up to get a better view. One even clapped. Discharge look a little unnerved by the sudden crowed. "Kid you got some power." Scott placed a hand on Discharge shoulder over to get a milled shock.
"I wouldn't suggest doing that again. Most find it very unpleasant." Discharge turned and walked farther down the walkway.
Scott looked a little perplexed. "Oooook," He looks over to Dart and Mirror. "What's with him, anti-social or something."
"Don't now, we meet up in Jersey. He didn't seem too talkative. We told him we where headed here and then he followed behind us."
Later that day as the sun set, Scott was giving a review of the new members of the team to Wolverine and the Prof. "Well Dart and Mirror fit right in with ever one. Dart fires energy darts from his hands and Mirror has mirror like plates he can cover some spots on his body. Any non- physical attack, like my eyes or Pyro's flames, would be useless on him. Discharge is like Rouge, any contact with any living thing or anything that conducts lighting he gives off a couple of volts at them, clothing only lessen the effect. He's not working out to well with the others, I think he should train with the other new kids, they think he's some sort of superman. Maybe he'll warm up to some of them "
"No kid, I don't think he'll be here long." Wolverine spoke up first. "Dart and Jank are here to join, there just like the other recruits, here to learn how us there powers and all that. But Discharge looking for something. I got this feeling that there's more to him then he'll ever let on."
Xavier wheeled over and looked out the window. Some of the kids where out playing in the sunset. "Well let him stay as long as he wishes. If we can help him find what he his looking for, he'll tell us soon enough. Until then his secrets are his to keep.
Scott looked out the window for a second then back to the Prof. "Oh and I was able to fine out Dart and Jank real names and other information. They came forward with most of it, Dart is Daniel Gislow and Mirror is Jack Gislow. But Discharge only gave his first name, Zach. I couldn't find anything more about him. He just won't tell anyone anything."
"I will have them enrolled at the high school at the end of the holiday. For Discharge we will have to connive him to tell us, once he trust us enough he'll tell, that will be all Scott. You should enjoy you 3 days off from school you got coming. Most of the kids are already gone so it should be relatively quiet."
Scott left the offices; Jean is visiting family during the time off from school. So he didn't have many plans. He walked into the kitchen when Zach, still in his cape and cloak, was watching the TV in there. They looked at each other for a moment. Then Zach pointed at the TV, which was showing a report on a "Juggernaut" Sighting in Nevada, and a jolt of lighting shoot to the screen and the channel flipped to a news report on a how mutant should be locked away.
"Nice trick, what else can you do." Scott spoke in a joking voice as he got a glass and walked to the fridge.
Zach grunted. "Oh I can do a lot more. Maybe sometime I'll show you sometime." He looked over to Scott who was standing in front of a window. He saw a figure leap over the fence. It was followed by a few more. " Out of curiosity, how good are your security systems."
"What do you mean." He was cut off by the sounds of the sirens, then a load explosion. Zach and Scott raced out the side door. "What are they." He looked at the figures, they looked human, but the skin was green and the shins and forearms where covered in thick fur giving it the look of thick arms and legs. Their feet's where more like hands, each of their toes where long. The face was human, but with this an unnatural smile that showed all the teeth. Each one carried a blunt club. They dawned a steel armor on their chest and waist. Zach saw where the explosion came from, one of the laser turrets hit one and it had exploded. "There freaking 'bots man." Bobby said, he had also came out riding on an ice bridge from his window. One of the bots leap up high and was aiming its club at Bobby.
A sudden bolt from Zach hit it square in the chest. Before it even hit the ground it exploded. The head rolled at Zach feet, for the first time he got a good look at the face. A face he knew. Zach reached down and picked up the robotic head by the hair. Half the face was blow off, exposing the metal and wires in side. But Zach knew who it was. "John, that stupid idiot finally done it."
He watched the fight around him and dropped the head. Kitty, Rogue, Wolverine, and McCoy had also come out. The robots could easily he defeated, but after they took too much damage they would explode. Just like John's stile. One leap at Kitty only to phase though here. He watched and waited for the boom, but all it did was twitch and jerk a little. She must of have disrupted the bomb. By now most of the lawn had been trash, and the wall half only half there. He took note of the fight. One of the robots landed on the institute. Discharge took aim and blasted it off; it exploded like the others taking a piece of the building with it. While is back was turned, another bot came up from behind and grabbed him around the neck with his arms and around the legs with his feet. He began to force his powers on the thing but remembered the explosions. He then heard a poof like sound followed by a voice in a feign accent.
"I gotcha man, hold on." He felt something grab his cape, then he heard the poof sound again. For half a sec all he saw was smoke and it had a bad smell too. He turned around and saw a blue furred dude with a tail swigging behind him. "You all right, man." Zach looked at him. "Yeah, I'm fine." There was a sudden gust of wind. Zach and Nightcrawler looked up and saw Storm raising her hands; the winds began to pick up. The other X-man where running to the side of the building to take cover from the winds. All the remaining robots began to get picked up. And Zach heads for cover just as the mini tornado ensnares all the bots. Scott took off his glasses and fired into the tornado. As each bot that got hit exploded the others took on lots of damage as well, making all of them explode.
As the pieces rained down, the others spoke and talked about what just happen. Wolverine was the first to speak up. "All right everyone into the institute." He led the way; Iceman came behind Zach and put his hand on his shoulder where the cap covered it. "Thanks man" He ran ahead to catch up to the others. Zach stopped on his way in and reached down to where one of the robot's head laid. He reached down and grabbed it by the false hair. This one's face was not burned off. He knew that face, only one mutant could have been the modal for this. He though it with all his force agents the outside wall, it left a small crack on it. He stromed into the institute and pushed past a few of the recruits and walked up the stairs to his temporary room. He grab his duffel bag and took out his gloves. They where black and covered his all hands except the fingertips. This way he could shoot his blast better. He heard the poof sound again and turned around long to see Kurt sitting on his bed. "The professor wants ever one how was out there fighting to go to the meeting, da means you man."
Zach look at him and spoke in a dark term. "I know what all I need to now. You can tell Xavier I get the rest of my stuff later." He turned to the door but Kurt leaped in front of him. "What's your dell man, you just going to cut out on us like dat. And what about you buds, Dart and Mirror." Zach looked curt right in the eyes. "I don't have friends." He tried to push past Kurt but he just grabbed his arm, there was a few sparks but Kurt didn't let go. "Like it or not got some, here man. Me, Scott, everyone here." Zach's face had a look of depress on it. "I got one more thing to do, maybe I'll come back." He jerked free of Kurt and raced down the stairs. Before Kurt could catch up he was in the gauge. He looked around and looked at each car, but what caught his eye was the motorcycle in the corner. He quickly sat on it and pressed his hand on the front. With a sudden small bolt, he hot-wired it with out touching a wire. He was big enough to fit on it, though he would feel better with a smaller model. He shot out of the gauge door and waited to it open enough. Then he bolted out he raced past the front of the institute Wolverine came racing out the front door. Behind him he could here him yelling. "THAT'S MY BIKE"
Zach drove the bike though the back roads that where mostly dust and rock. He had been drive for about an hour when he came at first site looked like a ghost town. The buildings where all run down and some where burnt. If it wasn't for the streetlights you won't think anyone lived here. When he stopped the bike look around. He though to him self that the place hasn't changed in the past few years.
He drove slowly up the main street. Home sweet home. Then he saw what he was looking for, an old civil war style mansion. But now it had a look of tech-no. The fence around it was a metal picket. There where cameras all around. He drove the bike up next to some bushes and hide it in there. He grabbed the metal fence and notices that it was electrified. Before he could start claiming he heard a car pulled up behind him. It was the X-van, Then Kurt poof out and Rough and Kitty claimed out the back door.
Kurt came up to Zach. "Man are you in trouble, Wolverine mad as hell and is out for the kill, you stole is bike man. What you where you thinking." He looked back as if expecting them right then. He then looked back to Discharge. Zach looked back to the building. "I got unfinished business in there. So how did you guys find me."
Rogue, Kitty and Kurt made a semi-circle around him. "We followed you to catch up Wolverine's got a tracker in his bike. While we're here, Mr. McCoy is looking at the bot that wasn't destroyed. Now you already seemed to know where to go, now we're going to wait here, and your going to talk." Zach look at them. "So this is what it's like to have older siblings. You'll way to protective." Zach lowered his hands and bent low to the ground, then placed the palms of his hands on the ground. "If you're going to keep following me, well try to keep up." He made sudden blast of energy that rocket him over the fence, he landed hard on his back with a look embarrassment on his face. "I got to work on my landings." Kurt popped in right over him. "Not one word, not one word." Zach said as he sat up and slowly claimed to his feet.
"You not going stop are you." Rogue said, she and Kitty had phased though the fence.
"No, if I stop now, he may attack again. And who knows how much damage he could do next time." Zach walked up to the main door as the cameras followed him. He looked at one, knowing that he would know he was. He waved and sparks engulfed his hand. He turned and fired it like a lighting bolt. The door rattled and shook. After a second, it fell in. The inside was bare, no tables, no chairs, just the walls and stairs. There was a second set of stairs that lead down. It was silent in the house. "This is too freaky," Rough said, "Just like in the movies just before what ever come out and eats everyone." Zach wasted no time in this and quickly raced down the second stairs. It was different as he went down. The walls where only 10 feet from left to right, but the tunnel curved slightly so it seemed to go own forever. He could just barley see a light at the end. There where speakers on top of the walls. Suddenly he heard music play a sound he knew. 'In the End' by Linken Park. "What is that." Kitty asked.
Zach smiled. "It's a song about that in the end nothing matters. He's trying to psyche us out. He knows where here. And this should be fun." At the end of the tunnel he saw a door with a light over it. Under the light was 3 of those drones. Zach quickly blasted them into the door. They did not explode, but the shock left burn marks on the door. He raised his hands and his face got all tense as he tried to raise the voltage in his blast just as he was about to fire Kurt tapped him on the shoulder. "You do now I just poof us in, right. Or kitty can phase us though"
Zach looked at him. "Oh sure, if you want to do it the easy way." He lowered his arms. He heard a beeping sound. He looked over to Rogue as she pulled out of those pen sized walleye talkies. He could here the Prof. on it. "Nightcrawler, Rogue, Shadowcat, Have you found Discharge yet." Rogue spoke in. "Yeah, I think he already knows where to go."
"I thought as much. We examine the robot; it appears to be highly advance. Careful, Cebro has been detecting a mutants it that area recently. We are sending in the rest of the team, Storm as gather the X-men who where gone. We will arrive shortly, Xavier out."
Just as the last words where spoken the large door began to slide down slowly. It shook as it descended. A voice could be heard as it did. "Welcome, one and all to greatest show on earth. On this side we have 3 members of the famed X-men and a little boy with a broken heart." The voice gave a pitiful sound in it has it spoke those last words.
"And in this corner, tag teaming with many robots model after his beautifully self. As the door finally slide all the down, they could seen a large room. The far wall that was on a platform so it was higher up was mostly TV screen showing many different things. One was of Winnie the pooh and tigger jumping on his tail. Another was the jungle book, the scene where Mogle meets King Lou. Anther was a video tape of the X-men playing baseball. In front of the TV screens was a chair with what look like a sci- fi version of a build in computer. The chair tuned around. In it sat what looked like a one of the robots but it was different. It smiled a more real smile. It spoke once more finishing his early sentence.
"THHHHHEEEEE CONQUER." He placed his hands on the armrest of the chair and raised his full body off the seat; he raised his feet up to his mouth and places one on ether side of his mouth. He made that noise to where it sounds like a crowed cheering. Then he raised his left leg over his head and waved his fist in a circle going. "HOO HOO HOO."
The group stepped forward to the other side of the thick door once was. Kitty looked up at the Conquer. "Is he for real." Zach stepped up beside her. "Sadly, yes." Zach looked around. The room was mostly bare other then the screens and chair. Over on the far right, he saw a large ring on its side. On the sides where two orbs and on side of them were weird looking guns. Zach looked back to the Conquer. He smiled to Zach. "So old buddy what's it been 1, 2 years."
"3, you fool. I remember the last time we met. It ended with you running scared," Zach yelled at him.
"No, you're mistaken. I did what I came to do that day. Tell was it as much fun for you as it was for me. It was your fault it happens. All you need to do was DIE. But you can't even do that right. No you had to play the hero."
"And all you wanted was a battery and a lie detector."
"Yes she was good at that. She always knew the truth. And I think that's was you liked her so much. To bad she had to die."
Kitty walked up to Zach. "What is he talking about."
Before Zach could answer, the conquer spoke up. "But today isn't about you. Sadly I did not even know you where with the X-wimps. I got all these great new toys from my new boss. And all I had to do is destroy the X-men."
Discharge walked closer to the platform and looked up to The Conquer. "Well you did a half crap job of doing it, not one X-dude is died."
"Oh I know, I planned it. I knew that some would be gone and you would come after me soon. Ever heard the word trap." He raised what looked like a remote control and pointed it at the door. With a boom the large metal door slammed shut. And 3 doors under the platform slide open. Out of each door some of the robots but instead of clubs they had guns. The first row began to shoot as they made way for the next row. Kitty phased into the ground as Kurt ported him and Rogue behind the first robots. Rogue knocked two down and grabbed a gun and fired into the middle door. She heard one or two robots collapse. Hopefully that would slow them down. Zach fire a blast on the ground that launched him up onto the platform. He looked at Conquer. "This time you won't run away. This time you paid for what you did to Shylow." He raised his hands and fired a bolt of electricity. The Conquer dogged left and the blast it the TV screens. The sudden energy caused half of them to explode. White sparks flew everywhere. The Conquer stood up and taped is fingered foot on the floor and a black pole shoot up form the ground. He caught it in the middle and spun it around in his hand. He got into a staff fighting stance and laughs. "This time you die." He charged forward and swung the pole. Zach ducked in time and leaped forward, grabbing the Conquer around the waists. Sparks flew on contact as both fell to the ground. Discharge was first to his feet, but the Conquer used his hands as feet and grabbed the poll with his toes/fingers. He swung it low nearly hitting Discharge's shin, he moved back with each swing.
Down on the bottom floor, Shadowcat and Nightcrawler where fighting the robots. Shadowcat would phase though them as Nightcrawler would port in the middle and just as they would shoot port away, letting the bullets do damage to the other bots. Rogue, however was climbing a ladder up to the platform. She tried to come up behind the Conquer. But he heard her coming. He leaped onto the railing and used it to do a wide swig with the pole, barley missing them both.
"What's the matter Zach-e-boy. I remember a time when you would attack her for trying to help you out. You gone soft." He did a flip off the railing; over Rogue's head and landed a few feet behind her. "Well, time to decorate." He held the pole like a shotgun and aimed it at Rogue. He twisted the end of it and the back fired off like a rocket shooting the pole forward. Discharge leaped forward and shoved Rogue out of the way; the pole hit him just above the shoulder hooking his cape. The pole carried him up at an angle; it did not stop until it hit the wall, Haggling Discharge like a trophy piece.
He pulled at the pole as hard as he could, but it wouldn't come lose. He looked down at the Conquer; he had pulled out another pole. He used it to hit Rogue in the stomach. As she rolled a bit Kurt ported in and grabbed the Conquer around his shoulders.
"Yo, ratboy. Hands off." He swung the pole up and smacked Nightcrawler right in the face. He fell limp to the ground, he moaned a bit. Shadowcat phased up form the floor and grabbed the pole. She phased it out of his hands. The Conquer leaped back and laugh. "Is this what the X- men is really, a bunch of little kids. I was told you beaten great fighters, I feel sorry for the Juggernaut. How could you ever have won a fight." He leaped forward unexpectedly and tackled Shadowcat and grabbing the pole he leaped back. All Zach could do was watch, then he did what to him was the unthinkable. He reached up and undid his cape. While it and the hood stayed up there, he fell down and landed on his feet. Rogue began to catch her breath and looked over to him. The first thing she notices was his hair. It was brown, suit of a buzz cut and two inches worth in a stripe on the left side over his eye going back that was white. His skin was slightly pale and his eyes where gleaming with a white flash.
"John, guess what. The old Zach is back." He grabbed both gloves on the wrist with ether hand and slipped both off then began to wave his hands and arms in front of him; this motion seemed to generate voltage as he began to fire blast of electricity. The Conquer threw the pole at him but it was knocked back and imbedded in the wall. Other blast missed around him as he ducked for cover. He slipped under them and leaped up and came down on Discharge. Sitting on Discharge's chest he began to punch his face while sparks flew from contact.
"I kicked you butt before and I'll do it again." He grabbed Discharge's skull. But the shock of energy was too much for him as he was throwing off and landed on his back. He stood up a little dazed and he looked pissed. "I'll crush you." His voce was interrupted buy the sound of metal cutting metal. Everyone who was awake looked over to the door as two sets of claws sliced it. The Conquer looked up to the remaining screens and saw the X-jet had landed out side during the fight. "Uh, Oh." Just as he said that a blast hit the down with a red light.
Nightcrawler woke up just in time to rap his tail around Discharge's foot and grabbed Rogue's leg and ported the out of the way and while Shadowcat phased into the floor, The Conquer could do nothing but try and leap out the way. The pieces of the door smashed there way though the room hitting the platform and trashing everything on it. Smoke filled half the room. Once it cleared, the Conquer kicked some chucks of metal the covered him out of the way and looked to where the door once stood. There stood the X-men, Cyclops, in front, Jean was floating above them as well as Storm. Next to Cyclops was Wolverine and on the other side was Iceman and Beast. Nightcrawler ported in with Rogue and Discharge, who stepped out of the way. Shadowcat phase in next to the group, completing the scene. The Conquer looked at them then to him self. His left arm was limp and there were a few blood spots on his clothing. He was in no shape to fight. He looked up and breathed heavily though his nose. "Next times boys and girls, your entrains alone won't beat me." He ran and leaped over to the large ring and pressed a button on the side and the weird guns fired lasers into the orbs. Suddenly the ring was filled with a green liquid like light. The Conquer blew a kiss to the X-men. "Someday soon will meet again. I hope for a much better show. Tell then I shell hope you improve Little Zach" He leaped into the green light and disappeared.
In a pit of rage, Discharge released some of his energy; it sparked around him as he rushed forward. Nightcrawler poof in front of him and tried to calm him down, "Hey man stop." But Discharge kept going forward, caring Kurt with him. Rough and Shadowcat stepped out and grabbed him around of his arms just short of the ring. He suddenly shoots a bolt of energy form his body and hit the ring. The light grew and engulfed them.
All four where sucked into the light and for a second all there was as a green glow then there was ground, only it was ten feet below them as the plummeted, Discharge though he saw a figure run off into a strain of trees. As he hit there was a slight pain and blackness. When he woke up he saw the face of a large male loin starring him in the face. His main fluttered in the hot wind. "OH SHI." His words where cut off by a roar from the loin that pushed his hair back.
In the dark night, with only the stars above, and the institute lights shining on the building. Three figures walk to the front gate. They where apparel having a small augment.
"I told you dude, this his the place." Said a smaller one, he whore lose fitting shirt that fluttered in the small wind.
"Yeah but how the hell do we get in." The second one said. He looked around the side of the gate for a panel. Then began waving his arms in the air.
"You idiot, theirs a voices box some where."
"Allow me." The tallest step froward, he was a good size. His body was hidden by a cloak and cape, which blocked even his face. He pulled his arms out and removed the black gloves on his hands and placed them on the gate. His two partners stepped back as small sparks came off the metal gate. The boy pulled his head back; the sparks grew in intestacy. Suddenly there was a bright flash that light up the whole area. And just as soon as it had begun, red lights appeared along with a siren. "There, now I think will get an invite." He spoke again and his eyes flashed white, as he watched the outline of a women flying out of the building, and three others came running out the front door.
Soon the three where sitting in Xavier offices the moonless sky was seen though the windows. The short one was on the left. His lose fitting shirt with long blue sleeves. He also whore a lose fitting brown pants and no shoe. He stretched his toes on the carpet. His blond hair was cut short but long enough for him to run his hand though it. The other sat on the other side. He had brown hair cut long. He had a long sleeve shirt with a long stripe on the chest. He had black strap sandals. He sat with a smug on his face. The tallest one sat in the middle. He had his cloak over his face to where you could only see the out line of it. Not one part of his body was uncovered. All in black, he sat with his arms crossed.
"What, may I ask you, where you three doing out here this late. And why have you come here." Wolverine walked behind them. His claws where out.
"Wolverine, that's quite enough. But I to wish to know why you've come here." Xavier wheeled out from behind his desk and came up next to the three young boys.
The tallest one spoke up first. "Ok, by know you've guessed where mutants, my names Mirror, my brother here is called Dart, and are quiet and gothic friend we picked up on the way here is called Discharge. He's the one who gave you that light show out side. Dart and me came here to join up with you guys. Discharge, we met him along the way, he saved are butts that day too. We told him we where headed here and he tagged along"
"And what about you Discharge, why have you come." Xavier looked right at him.
"I have my reasons." He spoke to where his voice was a whisper. With that the Professor turned to Wolverine. "We will let them stay the night at least, then will decide what to do with them in the morning." He turned to the three boys again. "Next time you could try the comm. link."
Mirror looked at Dart. "I told you there was a comm. link." He reached over to slap him upside the head, but Dart moved out of the way just in time.
The next day was a Saturday, bright and slightly cloudy. A good day from training, And while the X-men where was doing that. Xavier took this time to tell the tree boys his vatic on the matter at hand.
"Usually we seek out new mutants, this is a first for use. Now how we must discuss, this first the matter of your parents."
Dart stood up and spook. "Well me and Mirror, once are dad discovered we where mutants he kicked us out, so we came here. Hey don't feel so bad, he was a jerk any way." Xavier looked over to Discharge. "And what of yours." Discharge look up, first time since he had sat down. "I have no family to be censored of."
"Fine then, Wolverine take them to their new rooms, once there unpacked and ready, let Scott show them around first and Saturday bright and early you can give them one of your award winning session. Show them what there in for as members of the X-men." Mirror and Dart followed Wolverine out into the hallway where Rogue and Kitty where standing. Jank waved to Rogue and Dart Raised his eyebrow to kitty and waved.
"Ewe gross." Kitty responded as she then decided to leave thought the floor and Rough stuck her nose at them as she blow some hair out of her face. "Great at least two of them are losers." Discharge came out, as Rogue was about to leave, she looked at him for a second, like a face she long forgot. She shook it off as she headed to the outside door for Login sessions.
Outside Dart, Mirror, and Discharge stood waited, they had on normal X-men suits but Discharge still had his cape and hood. They where in the back, Scott was showing them the training devises Discharge waited closer to Scott. "And this is the targeting range, will start here. Dart your up." Scott stepped on a rock that activated the targeting board, which popped up out of the ground next to a tree. It was a thin piece of metal with a red white target.
"Feel free to blow it up, we got lots of extra ones." Scott stepped back and watched as Dart raised his hands and with great aim shoot 20 or 30 small light purple energy darts from his palms. They imbedded mostly in the target; a few hit the out side of last red ring. As soon as Dart lowered his hands the darts disappeared. "Nice kid, good aim to." Scott looked impressed. Discharge steps up to the thing and held his fist up, arm bent to where it was pointed up. Around the muscle area, spokes flung around his arm. He aimed his fist and fired a ball of lighting. It travels just as fast as the real thing, and with the power. It knocked the metal bored out of the ground; its top corners it the tree make the bored spin as it flew. Before it landed some yards away it cut a bush midway though its height.
"Wow. Remind me not get mad. Man you flung it like five yards." Some of the other recruits where watching from a far walked up to get a better view. One even clapped. Discharge look a little unnerved by the sudden crowed. "Kid you got some power." Scott placed a hand on Discharge shoulder over to get a milled shock.
"I wouldn't suggest doing that again. Most find it very unpleasant." Discharge turned and walked farther down the walkway.
Scott looked a little perplexed. "Oooook," He looks over to Dart and Mirror. "What's with him, anti-social or something."
"Don't now, we meet up in Jersey. He didn't seem too talkative. We told him we where headed here and then he followed behind us."
Later that day as the sun set, Scott was giving a review of the new members of the team to Wolverine and the Prof. "Well Dart and Mirror fit right in with ever one. Dart fires energy darts from his hands and Mirror has mirror like plates he can cover some spots on his body. Any non- physical attack, like my eyes or Pyro's flames, would be useless on him. Discharge is like Rouge, any contact with any living thing or anything that conducts lighting he gives off a couple of volts at them, clothing only lessen the effect. He's not working out to well with the others, I think he should train with the other new kids, they think he's some sort of superman. Maybe he'll warm up to some of them "
"No kid, I don't think he'll be here long." Wolverine spoke up first. "Dart and Jank are here to join, there just like the other recruits, here to learn how us there powers and all that. But Discharge looking for something. I got this feeling that there's more to him then he'll ever let on."
Xavier wheeled over and looked out the window. Some of the kids where out playing in the sunset. "Well let him stay as long as he wishes. If we can help him find what he his looking for, he'll tell us soon enough. Until then his secrets are his to keep.
Scott looked out the window for a second then back to the Prof. "Oh and I was able to fine out Dart and Jank real names and other information. They came forward with most of it, Dart is Daniel Gislow and Mirror is Jack Gislow. But Discharge only gave his first name, Zach. I couldn't find anything more about him. He just won't tell anyone anything."
"I will have them enrolled at the high school at the end of the holiday. For Discharge we will have to connive him to tell us, once he trust us enough he'll tell, that will be all Scott. You should enjoy you 3 days off from school you got coming. Most of the kids are already gone so it should be relatively quiet."
Scott left the offices; Jean is visiting family during the time off from school. So he didn't have many plans. He walked into the kitchen when Zach, still in his cape and cloak, was watching the TV in there. They looked at each other for a moment. Then Zach pointed at the TV, which was showing a report on a "Juggernaut" Sighting in Nevada, and a jolt of lighting shoot to the screen and the channel flipped to a news report on a how mutant should be locked away.
"Nice trick, what else can you do." Scott spoke in a joking voice as he got a glass and walked to the fridge.
Zach grunted. "Oh I can do a lot more. Maybe sometime I'll show you sometime." He looked over to Scott who was standing in front of a window. He saw a figure leap over the fence. It was followed by a few more. " Out of curiosity, how good are your security systems."
"What do you mean." He was cut off by the sounds of the sirens, then a load explosion. Zach and Scott raced out the side door. "What are they." He looked at the figures, they looked human, but the skin was green and the shins and forearms where covered in thick fur giving it the look of thick arms and legs. Their feet's where more like hands, each of their toes where long. The face was human, but with this an unnatural smile that showed all the teeth. Each one carried a blunt club. They dawned a steel armor on their chest and waist. Zach saw where the explosion came from, one of the laser turrets hit one and it had exploded. "There freaking 'bots man." Bobby said, he had also came out riding on an ice bridge from his window. One of the bots leap up high and was aiming its club at Bobby.
A sudden bolt from Zach hit it square in the chest. Before it even hit the ground it exploded. The head rolled at Zach feet, for the first time he got a good look at the face. A face he knew. Zach reached down and picked up the robotic head by the hair. Half the face was blow off, exposing the metal and wires in side. But Zach knew who it was. "John, that stupid idiot finally done it."
He watched the fight around him and dropped the head. Kitty, Rogue, Wolverine, and McCoy had also come out. The robots could easily he defeated, but after they took too much damage they would explode. Just like John's stile. One leap at Kitty only to phase though here. He watched and waited for the boom, but all it did was twitch and jerk a little. She must of have disrupted the bomb. By now most of the lawn had been trash, and the wall half only half there. He took note of the fight. One of the robots landed on the institute. Discharge took aim and blasted it off; it exploded like the others taking a piece of the building with it. While is back was turned, another bot came up from behind and grabbed him around the neck with his arms and around the legs with his feet. He began to force his powers on the thing but remembered the explosions. He then heard a poof like sound followed by a voice in a feign accent.
"I gotcha man, hold on." He felt something grab his cape, then he heard the poof sound again. For half a sec all he saw was smoke and it had a bad smell too. He turned around and saw a blue furred dude with a tail swigging behind him. "You all right, man." Zach looked at him. "Yeah, I'm fine." There was a sudden gust of wind. Zach and Nightcrawler looked up and saw Storm raising her hands; the winds began to pick up. The other X-man where running to the side of the building to take cover from the winds. All the remaining robots began to get picked up. And Zach heads for cover just as the mini tornado ensnares all the bots. Scott took off his glasses and fired into the tornado. As each bot that got hit exploded the others took on lots of damage as well, making all of them explode.
As the pieces rained down, the others spoke and talked about what just happen. Wolverine was the first to speak up. "All right everyone into the institute." He led the way; Iceman came behind Zach and put his hand on his shoulder where the cap covered it. "Thanks man" He ran ahead to catch up to the others. Zach stopped on his way in and reached down to where one of the robot's head laid. He reached down and grabbed it by the false hair. This one's face was not burned off. He knew that face, only one mutant could have been the modal for this. He though it with all his force agents the outside wall, it left a small crack on it. He stromed into the institute and pushed past a few of the recruits and walked up the stairs to his temporary room. He grab his duffel bag and took out his gloves. They where black and covered his all hands except the fingertips. This way he could shoot his blast better. He heard the poof sound again and turned around long to see Kurt sitting on his bed. "The professor wants ever one how was out there fighting to go to the meeting, da means you man."
Zach look at him and spoke in a dark term. "I know what all I need to now. You can tell Xavier I get the rest of my stuff later." He turned to the door but Kurt leaped in front of him. "What's your dell man, you just going to cut out on us like dat. And what about you buds, Dart and Mirror." Zach looked curt right in the eyes. "I don't have friends." He tried to push past Kurt but he just grabbed his arm, there was a few sparks but Kurt didn't let go. "Like it or not got some, here man. Me, Scott, everyone here." Zach's face had a look of depress on it. "I got one more thing to do, maybe I'll come back." He jerked free of Kurt and raced down the stairs. Before Kurt could catch up he was in the gauge. He looked around and looked at each car, but what caught his eye was the motorcycle in the corner. He quickly sat on it and pressed his hand on the front. With a sudden small bolt, he hot-wired it with out touching a wire. He was big enough to fit on it, though he would feel better with a smaller model. He shot out of the gauge door and waited to it open enough. Then he bolted out he raced past the front of the institute Wolverine came racing out the front door. Behind him he could here him yelling. "THAT'S MY BIKE"
Zach drove the bike though the back roads that where mostly dust and rock. He had been drive for about an hour when he came at first site looked like a ghost town. The buildings where all run down and some where burnt. If it wasn't for the streetlights you won't think anyone lived here. When he stopped the bike look around. He though to him self that the place hasn't changed in the past few years.
He drove slowly up the main street. Home sweet home. Then he saw what he was looking for, an old civil war style mansion. But now it had a look of tech-no. The fence around it was a metal picket. There where cameras all around. He drove the bike up next to some bushes and hide it in there. He grabbed the metal fence and notices that it was electrified. Before he could start claiming he heard a car pulled up behind him. It was the X-van, Then Kurt poof out and Rough and Kitty claimed out the back door.
Kurt came up to Zach. "Man are you in trouble, Wolverine mad as hell and is out for the kill, you stole is bike man. What you where you thinking." He looked back as if expecting them right then. He then looked back to Discharge. Zach looked back to the building. "I got unfinished business in there. So how did you guys find me."
Rogue, Kitty and Kurt made a semi-circle around him. "We followed you to catch up Wolverine's got a tracker in his bike. While we're here, Mr. McCoy is looking at the bot that wasn't destroyed. Now you already seemed to know where to go, now we're going to wait here, and your going to talk." Zach look at them. "So this is what it's like to have older siblings. You'll way to protective." Zach lowered his hands and bent low to the ground, then placed the palms of his hands on the ground. "If you're going to keep following me, well try to keep up." He made sudden blast of energy that rocket him over the fence, he landed hard on his back with a look embarrassment on his face. "I got to work on my landings." Kurt popped in right over him. "Not one word, not one word." Zach said as he sat up and slowly claimed to his feet.
"You not going stop are you." Rogue said, she and Kitty had phased though the fence.
"No, if I stop now, he may attack again. And who knows how much damage he could do next time." Zach walked up to the main door as the cameras followed him. He looked at one, knowing that he would know he was. He waved and sparks engulfed his hand. He turned and fired it like a lighting bolt. The door rattled and shook. After a second, it fell in. The inside was bare, no tables, no chairs, just the walls and stairs. There was a second set of stairs that lead down. It was silent in the house. "This is too freaky," Rough said, "Just like in the movies just before what ever come out and eats everyone." Zach wasted no time in this and quickly raced down the second stairs. It was different as he went down. The walls where only 10 feet from left to right, but the tunnel curved slightly so it seemed to go own forever. He could just barley see a light at the end. There where speakers on top of the walls. Suddenly he heard music play a sound he knew. 'In the End' by Linken Park. "What is that." Kitty asked.
Zach smiled. "It's a song about that in the end nothing matters. He's trying to psyche us out. He knows where here. And this should be fun." At the end of the tunnel he saw a door with a light over it. Under the light was 3 of those drones. Zach quickly blasted them into the door. They did not explode, but the shock left burn marks on the door. He raised his hands and his face got all tense as he tried to raise the voltage in his blast just as he was about to fire Kurt tapped him on the shoulder. "You do now I just poof us in, right. Or kitty can phase us though"
Zach looked at him. "Oh sure, if you want to do it the easy way." He lowered his arms. He heard a beeping sound. He looked over to Rogue as she pulled out of those pen sized walleye talkies. He could here the Prof. on it. "Nightcrawler, Rogue, Shadowcat, Have you found Discharge yet." Rogue spoke in. "Yeah, I think he already knows where to go."
"I thought as much. We examine the robot; it appears to be highly advance. Careful, Cebro has been detecting a mutants it that area recently. We are sending in the rest of the team, Storm as gather the X-men who where gone. We will arrive shortly, Xavier out."
Just as the last words where spoken the large door began to slide down slowly. It shook as it descended. A voice could be heard as it did. "Welcome, one and all to greatest show on earth. On this side we have 3 members of the famed X-men and a little boy with a broken heart." The voice gave a pitiful sound in it has it spoke those last words.
"And in this corner, tag teaming with many robots model after his beautifully self. As the door finally slide all the down, they could seen a large room. The far wall that was on a platform so it was higher up was mostly TV screen showing many different things. One was of Winnie the pooh and tigger jumping on his tail. Another was the jungle book, the scene where Mogle meets King Lou. Anther was a video tape of the X-men playing baseball. In front of the TV screens was a chair with what look like a sci- fi version of a build in computer. The chair tuned around. In it sat what looked like a one of the robots but it was different. It smiled a more real smile. It spoke once more finishing his early sentence.
"THHHHHEEEEE CONQUER." He placed his hands on the armrest of the chair and raised his full body off the seat; he raised his feet up to his mouth and places one on ether side of his mouth. He made that noise to where it sounds like a crowed cheering. Then he raised his left leg over his head and waved his fist in a circle going. "HOO HOO HOO."
The group stepped forward to the other side of the thick door once was. Kitty looked up at the Conquer. "Is he for real." Zach stepped up beside her. "Sadly, yes." Zach looked around. The room was mostly bare other then the screens and chair. Over on the far right, he saw a large ring on its side. On the sides where two orbs and on side of them were weird looking guns. Zach looked back to the Conquer. He smiled to Zach. "So old buddy what's it been 1, 2 years."
"3, you fool. I remember the last time we met. It ended with you running scared," Zach yelled at him.
"No, you're mistaken. I did what I came to do that day. Tell was it as much fun for you as it was for me. It was your fault it happens. All you need to do was DIE. But you can't even do that right. No you had to play the hero."
"And all you wanted was a battery and a lie detector."
"Yes she was good at that. She always knew the truth. And I think that's was you liked her so much. To bad she had to die."
Kitty walked up to Zach. "What is he talking about."
Before Zach could answer, the conquer spoke up. "But today isn't about you. Sadly I did not even know you where with the X-wimps. I got all these great new toys from my new boss. And all I had to do is destroy the X-men."
Discharge walked closer to the platform and looked up to The Conquer. "Well you did a half crap job of doing it, not one X-dude is died."
"Oh I know, I planned it. I knew that some would be gone and you would come after me soon. Ever heard the word trap." He raised what looked like a remote control and pointed it at the door. With a boom the large metal door slammed shut. And 3 doors under the platform slide open. Out of each door some of the robots but instead of clubs they had guns. The first row began to shoot as they made way for the next row. Kitty phased into the ground as Kurt ported him and Rogue behind the first robots. Rogue knocked two down and grabbed a gun and fired into the middle door. She heard one or two robots collapse. Hopefully that would slow them down. Zach fire a blast on the ground that launched him up onto the platform. He looked at Conquer. "This time you won't run away. This time you paid for what you did to Shylow." He raised his hands and fired a bolt of electricity. The Conquer dogged left and the blast it the TV screens. The sudden energy caused half of them to explode. White sparks flew everywhere. The Conquer stood up and taped is fingered foot on the floor and a black pole shoot up form the ground. He caught it in the middle and spun it around in his hand. He got into a staff fighting stance and laughs. "This time you die." He charged forward and swung the pole. Zach ducked in time and leaped forward, grabbing the Conquer around the waists. Sparks flew on contact as both fell to the ground. Discharge was first to his feet, but the Conquer used his hands as feet and grabbed the poll with his toes/fingers. He swung it low nearly hitting Discharge's shin, he moved back with each swing.
Down on the bottom floor, Shadowcat and Nightcrawler where fighting the robots. Shadowcat would phase though them as Nightcrawler would port in the middle and just as they would shoot port away, letting the bullets do damage to the other bots. Rogue, however was climbing a ladder up to the platform. She tried to come up behind the Conquer. But he heard her coming. He leaped onto the railing and used it to do a wide swig with the pole, barley missing them both.
"What's the matter Zach-e-boy. I remember a time when you would attack her for trying to help you out. You gone soft." He did a flip off the railing; over Rogue's head and landed a few feet behind her. "Well, time to decorate." He held the pole like a shotgun and aimed it at Rogue. He twisted the end of it and the back fired off like a rocket shooting the pole forward. Discharge leaped forward and shoved Rogue out of the way; the pole hit him just above the shoulder hooking his cape. The pole carried him up at an angle; it did not stop until it hit the wall, Haggling Discharge like a trophy piece.
He pulled at the pole as hard as he could, but it wouldn't come lose. He looked down at the Conquer; he had pulled out another pole. He used it to hit Rogue in the stomach. As she rolled a bit Kurt ported in and grabbed the Conquer around his shoulders.
"Yo, ratboy. Hands off." He swung the pole up and smacked Nightcrawler right in the face. He fell limp to the ground, he moaned a bit. Shadowcat phased up form the floor and grabbed the pole. She phased it out of his hands. The Conquer leaped back and laugh. "Is this what the X- men is really, a bunch of little kids. I was told you beaten great fighters, I feel sorry for the Juggernaut. How could you ever have won a fight." He leaped forward unexpectedly and tackled Shadowcat and grabbing the pole he leaped back. All Zach could do was watch, then he did what to him was the unthinkable. He reached up and undid his cape. While it and the hood stayed up there, he fell down and landed on his feet. Rogue began to catch her breath and looked over to him. The first thing she notices was his hair. It was brown, suit of a buzz cut and two inches worth in a stripe on the left side over his eye going back that was white. His skin was slightly pale and his eyes where gleaming with a white flash.
"John, guess what. The old Zach is back." He grabbed both gloves on the wrist with ether hand and slipped both off then began to wave his hands and arms in front of him; this motion seemed to generate voltage as he began to fire blast of electricity. The Conquer threw the pole at him but it was knocked back and imbedded in the wall. Other blast missed around him as he ducked for cover. He slipped under them and leaped up and came down on Discharge. Sitting on Discharge's chest he began to punch his face while sparks flew from contact.
"I kicked you butt before and I'll do it again." He grabbed Discharge's skull. But the shock of energy was too much for him as he was throwing off and landed on his back. He stood up a little dazed and he looked pissed. "I'll crush you." His voce was interrupted buy the sound of metal cutting metal. Everyone who was awake looked over to the door as two sets of claws sliced it. The Conquer looked up to the remaining screens and saw the X-jet had landed out side during the fight. "Uh, Oh." Just as he said that a blast hit the down with a red light.
Nightcrawler woke up just in time to rap his tail around Discharge's foot and grabbed Rogue's leg and ported the out of the way and while Shadowcat phased into the floor, The Conquer could do nothing but try and leap out the way. The pieces of the door smashed there way though the room hitting the platform and trashing everything on it. Smoke filled half the room. Once it cleared, the Conquer kicked some chucks of metal the covered him out of the way and looked to where the door once stood. There stood the X-men, Cyclops, in front, Jean was floating above them as well as Storm. Next to Cyclops was Wolverine and on the other side was Iceman and Beast. Nightcrawler ported in with Rogue and Discharge, who stepped out of the way. Shadowcat phase in next to the group, completing the scene. The Conquer looked at them then to him self. His left arm was limp and there were a few blood spots on his clothing. He was in no shape to fight. He looked up and breathed heavily though his nose. "Next times boys and girls, your entrains alone won't beat me." He ran and leaped over to the large ring and pressed a button on the side and the weird guns fired lasers into the orbs. Suddenly the ring was filled with a green liquid like light. The Conquer blew a kiss to the X-men. "Someday soon will meet again. I hope for a much better show. Tell then I shell hope you improve Little Zach" He leaped into the green light and disappeared.
In a pit of rage, Discharge released some of his energy; it sparked around him as he rushed forward. Nightcrawler poof in front of him and tried to calm him down, "Hey man stop." But Discharge kept going forward, caring Kurt with him. Rough and Shadowcat stepped out and grabbed him around of his arms just short of the ring. He suddenly shoots a bolt of energy form his body and hit the ring. The light grew and engulfed them.
All four where sucked into the light and for a second all there was as a green glow then there was ground, only it was ten feet below them as the plummeted, Discharge though he saw a figure run off into a strain of trees. As he hit there was a slight pain and blackness. When he woke up he saw the face of a large male loin starring him in the face. His main fluttered in the hot wind. "OH SHI." His words where cut off by a roar from the loin that pushed his hair back.
