Writer: Rowland Wells
Disclaimer: I am in no way any part of Marvel Comics or any affiliation of their enterprise. I do not own the X-Men or any Marvel Characters.
Alternate
X-Men
#03
"no embraces"
The garden outside was far too quiet for Logan's sensitive ears. Nothing in the air suggested that his position had been given away, but as a breeze blew the wind across his face, he picked up on the smells and tastes of the fellow students hunting him in the arena. The sun was shining gloriously, casting shadows over the grass and trees, and the birds were chirping, full of life and energy. Logan's ears pricked up, and he twirled around, slicing through Hank, as the X-Man was about to pounce. The claws cut deep into his flesh, and Hank dropped lifelessly to the ground. Logan rolled over, and jumped past Hank's body as a red blast burst across his front. He bounced off the bark of a tree trunk, and skidded into Scott's view, drawing his blades across his teammate's chest. He was thrown backwards, and slammed to the ground as Jean stepped out from behind a wall. She elevated him into the air helplessly using her powers, but Logan reacted rapidly, cutting through a large tree branch, which collapsed on top of her. She was pinned to the floor, and Logan dropped, landing on his feet. He spun around, and kicked Tessa to the floor, stamping on, and then cracking her neck. He spat at Jean, who was struggling for her life, but extended his six claws into her face.
Warren's voice filtered through on the com, and he deactivated the danger room simulation. 'I think that's enough for today.' He trailed off, and glanced at Logan taking the headset off, shocked. 'I haven't seen anyone dispatch the sims that easily before. It's really quite disturbing – where did you say you trained?' Logan hopped over the rails, a crude leer still stuck on his lined face. 'I didn't.'
Warren nodded, uncomfortably, glad that his own sim wasn't on the danger room programmes yet. 'You… you're going to be a fine addition to the team.'
'Thanks, Wings. I'll let Charlie know how I did, eh? Old guy looks like he could use some good news.' He strutted out of the room, and into the rest of the Mansion.
* * *
Charles Xavier sat in the middle of his finely furnished office, pouring relentlessly over the documents, files and newspaper articles relating to the recent Sentinel activity occurring all over the country. A log fire burned weakly, spluttering warm ashes every so often, and keeping the room warm for him to stay comfortable in. His grand desk was filled with bits of cut-outs, magazines and other riff-raff that focussed on the new hazard to Mutantkind. Colossal walking robotic units, at least the height of a house, were being developed and bred by a secret United States Government project specifically for the purpose of combating what was identified as the mutant threat to the country. His eyes perused each column of information, scanning it to locate any more information on the subject. The rising classical music was interrupted, as Tessa walked into his office, another mug of tea in her hand for him. He saw her come in, and settled back into his chair, glad of the disruption. 'I've been glancing over these documents again and again, and as much as they tell me, I haven't found out anything new. The police must be beside themselves with anger at the prospect of so many innocent people being murdered on the streets. It's a wonder this contingency is still on its feet, what with all the outrage.'
'I'm glad you've had a chance to calm down about it, sir.' She replied, sitting in the large leather chair opposite him. 'I've got those cctv tapes you requested. It wasn't easy, but to analyse this menace properly, we can't take any risks. I watched them, and I couldn't see any markings on the metal hull anywhere. I'm afraid I still can't determine who manufactures the Sentinels, and where they're even from.' She sighed, rubbing her head. 'This is a disaster…'
Charles placed the documents back into a folder, and turned the music off. He moved around the desk to face her. 'This is going to be a long road now. The path will be long and winding, and we can't make the situation any better for people. We can try to find and destroy as many of these things as we can, but ultimately, the decision to terminate their production lies within the Government, and the crooked politicians and organisations that are associated with them. Only time will tell, Tessa.' He rolled over to the fire, stabbing at the logs with a poker. They blazed slightly, but eventually settled down. 'Have you got the locations of the other two students ready? I had trouble finding them myself. Cerebro needs to be fine tuned if it will ever become as efficient as we designed it to be.' He stated, finishing his tea.
'I worked them out, and here's the file. Shall I come with you to California? The nearest one is there: Katherine Pryde.'
'No, that won't be necessary – I'm going to go there by myself. The Blackbird needs to stay in the student's possession for the time being. If a situation arises, then they will need to respond quickly.' He replied, rolling the chair over to the window, overlooking the Mansion's gardens. 'Logan seems to be integrating suitably well. He's developed a rapport with Jean straight away.'
'I wonder what Scott thinks of that – I had my doubts about him at first, but he's just naturally defensive. It seems like his been through the wars, Professor.'
* * *
The sun was hidden behind a bank of clouds, which masked the light from casting shadows over the flowers and bushes that decorated the Mansion's idyllic gardens. Benches lined the stone paths, and large hedges, cut into blocks separated each path from the other. Placed in the centre of the garden was a small pond surrounded by an iron rail. A stone fountain peeked from out of the water, spouting a plume of clear liquid into the air before it crashed onto the rocks around. Jean and Logan walked through the gardens at a leisurely pace, chatting casually. His grey shirt, stained from years of abuse, clung tightly to his chest, and the dirty jeans he had on complemented the personality that seemed rough around the edges. 'I'm wondering why you chose to come here of all places, Logan, it's not like the Professor advertises for mutants to just come up and join us.'
'Perhaps I needed to find some sorta sanctuary to help me clear my head out. I heard about this place in the city. Rumours, mostly from people I met – people I could depend on for information. It's tough, being a drifter. Nothin' ties you down. As soon as one place gets on top of ya, the tendency is to get as far away as possible.'
'I'm happy you did, because we're hurting for help on this whole new problem. You know about the Sentinels, yeah?' She asked, stopping in front of him to explain. He was a good six inches taller than her, and she had to look up to talk to him. She stood close.
'Hadn't seen a thing 'bout them, before a couple of days ago.' He replied, looking down at her.
'We got into a mess with one of them on that same day – my god, it was like something out of a dream. We watched this girl as she was incinerated right before our eyes. It showed no remorse, no guilt, and no signs of stopping. It took all four of us to bring down one of them, before some other guys showed up to deal with it.' She started walking at his side once more. 'We found out later that this guy Magneto was who we spoke to. He's an old nemesis of the Professors, from a long time ago; he just showed up to look for the girl we were hunting.'
'So what's his deal?' Logan asked.
'I think he's trying to make a play for power – with the President out of the way, and these Sentinels running about trying to kill all the mutants, he's going to appoint himself as our saviour, hell bent on some sort of jihad to wipe out the people in charge. Then, once the war is over, he will be our new leader; someone who we can trust and sympathise with, as he can, us.'
'And what do you think?'
'I think that killing all the people in charge, and decimating any amount of faith left in mutants is a suicidal way to become king. If Magneto really wants to take control of a brave new world, then he's going to have to prove himself, beyond any tolerance that humans will have for him.' She bowed her head, torn between emotions. 'Personally I don't think it's going to work out.'
They walked along the stone paths silently, enjoying the fresh air. 'What do you think of Charlie's dream? Sounds like you know him best.' Logan asked. He leant against one of the bushy hedges as Jean sat on the bench watching the fountain spray droplets into the air.
'He's got some nice ideas, Logan, but somehow I don't feel it's going to turn out like he planned, either. I suspect that we're being built up for the big comedown; that once Magneto goes for the power and gets pulled back, we'll be resented by the public just as much for being involved. Ordinary people are far too fickle for the Professor's liking. Nothing special is coming our way. We've just got to stay above water, and expect nothing more.' She squinted up at him as the sun finally came out. 'I'm really a positive person on the inside.' She laughed. 'You've just seen the side that needs reassurance.'
'I believe you got it going on, Jean. You're alright for a college chick.'
'College chick? I think I deserve better than that, old man.' She laughed again. He gestured to the Mansion casually. 'Go back in?' She nodded, grinning to him, and they started back.
* * *
The North Point Mall plaza was buzzing with the voices of over a thousand shoppers as they milled through the shops and stalls, selling and buying, shouting, whispering and enjoying themselves in the open sun. Leading straight out onto the public street, people wandered in from outside into the seating areas, buying hot coffee and fresh pastry. Bags littered the plaza floor, cigarette butts were endlessly strewn across it, and mud from the nearby park caked on the carpets. Amid the hustling shoppers, Hank and Bobby wandered, looking for deals to pick up on. The sunny afternoon had everyone out in the open, especially the two new friends who wanted to try their luck at every stall hoping to cheat any sellers out of their products.
To the side of the plaza came a slow rumbling noise, a grating of metal on concrete, almost like a machine was starting up that was too big for the area. The noise quickly built up around the area, the people within it coming to a halt as they stared blindly around for the source. Several ran into the shops, aware of the impending danger. As the rumble increased, the crowd formed itself into a half-circle instinctively flocking to stay out of trouble. The giant black head of a Sentinel emerged from behind the obstruction of the plaza floors, and its footfalls shook the ground terrifyingly. Hank grabbed onto Bobby's shoulder, holding him in place with the rest of the crowd. It clambered into view like a giant doll; standing oblivious to the rest of the world while everyone stopped to watch. Its head rotated serenely, followed by the torso. Several more people stepped backwards, and made a line for the cover of the shops.
Abruptly, the Sentinel sprang to life, and a tiny pod ejected from its chest plate, towards one of the runners. The man cried out as he saw the projectile, and it burst open before hitting him, a net flying out to entrap him. The force of the hit sent the man careening straight into a shop window which shattered on impact. At that moment the crowd exploded, and people dashed off in every direction. Screams went up, and the two mutants ran to an escalator to reach the higher ground. With the ensuing panic, the Sentinel let off numerous flares from its hand scorching the mutants running towards it. They collapsed feebly in front of its feet. More pods shot from its breastplate colliding with three mutants running in the opposite direction.
Fireworks spewed into the afternoon air while a young mutant directed his powers at the colossus. They blew harmlessly away in the wind before the Sentinel closed its foot down onto the attacker.
Bobby dashed down the ground floor of the plaza, and into view, Hank straight behind him. 'I'm gonna shoot off some blasts, Hank – smash his legs once their frozen!' He shouted. Hank grabbed of one of the metal supports holding a stall up and ripped it from the holdings. A barrage of pedestrians ran in front of his view, brushing past, and hitting him from the side, but eventually Bobby got into the clearing. The Sentinel focussed in on the young boy's form, narrowing the distance between them with heavy feet.
Hank ran around to the other side at lightening speed. 'Ready!' He shouted above the rumble. The Sentinel let off the orange beams at Bobby, but the boy was too fast, and formed a large wall of ice in front of him, which the beams impacted off first. He concentrated, and placed his hands below his waist. The moisture froze beneath him and an enormous column of crystal white ice erected itself, elevating him to eye level with the machine. 'Watch it – he's going to catch you out! Bobby!'
The Sentinel took a step back and raised its hands to the threat, but Bobby shot off several more blasts, covering the feet of the machine. They stuck helplessly, and the Sentinel wobbled dangerously. Hank took an almighty swipe with the steel pole and cleaved through the ice, into the metal hull of the machine. The ice column was shot in two, the beams tearing into the glass and iron of the plaza's frame. Bobby saved himself with an ice slide which took him down to ground level.
Hoisting the pole out once more, Hank clambered to the top of the knee, jamming it between the metal housings. Bobby then formed a protective layer over it, and thick black smoke leaked out from the Sentinel's mouth. It shook, then blew off its breastplate, and stumbled backwards. 'It's falling into the shops – Hank – it's gonna crush everyone in there!' Bobby grabbed his shoulder, and then dashed in the direction of the disaster. He conjured up his remaining strength, and shot an ice beam underneath the machine, which caught it, and slid the Sentinel back into the plaza. It lay, blowing a thick fog over the area.
The crowd reappeared, surrounding the two mutants in a half-circle. 'Well done my boy, you're a real hero.' Hank whispered. He held Bobby's hand victoriously in the air. 'Ladies and gentlemen – the fantastic Iceman!'
A bottle flew through the air, striking Bobby spitefully on the head. He fell unconscious as Hank supported his weight.
* * *
In the days past, when Erik Lehnsherr had considered himself to be the arbitrary force that brought mankind to its knees by demanding the surrender and removal of all nuclear power to forever eradicate the threat of nuclear elimination; he had produced great difficulty for himself. None of the governments to whom he addressed had seen it that way, and as such, he had caused their retaliation on him. The Japanese Government initiated the first attack, ordering what they had dubbed 'a counter-strike' out against him, using the Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine, Shogun. His noble request had fallen on deaf ears to the Japanese government, who were obsessed with the Cold War supremacy race at the time. Off the coast of Ashizuri-Zaki, on the Island of Shikoku, he crushed the hull of the submarine as it resurfaced to enter Japanese territory. An object lesson for them – sinking the vessel that launched the attack, just to show he could. He had felt nothing but pity for their leaders, refusing to relinquish their power so that he might stop an inevitable disaster. In his ignorance, he'd actually believed that they would comply. How wrong he was; they had retaliated with an air force strike large enough to intimidate even him. The submarine had been too far underwater for anyone to survive the implosion, but using it as a statement for the last military order to understand his cause; he had simply left the wreckage at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The counter-attack did not leave him unscathed, but to show his further ability, Magneto destroyed each of the aircraft as easily as he had the vessel.
Many years later, he returned, for the purpose of collecting the nuclear arsenal that remained at the bottom of the Ocean floor. This time, he would settle only for guarding his own domain from the intruders that could threaten the sanctuary of the people that survived there. He would protect the Savage land from the politicians of the world, and the Sentinels that were currently tormenting the centre of America. High above the waters, his helicopter hovered, the rotor blades creating ripples that spread rhythmically outwards on the surface. The cabin door slid open, and Magneto stepped out, onto the rail. His body floated out from the confines of the vehicle, and he was suspended in the air above a bubbling fountain of water that spluttered and burst below. He dropped into the Ocean, the magnetic bubble surrounding him. Wanda stood by the door, looking out at her father, playing games with the world once more. 'Keep it steady, Pietro.' She said to her brother, piloting the helicopter for them all.
Moments ago, he stood at the bottom of the Ocean, literally miles below its surface, in a realm of darkness and abysmal cold, as alien and hostile as any foreign planet. He stood and stared at his handiwork, and remembered. The days long ago when, in his arrogance, he had demanded the great powers of the world to disarm their nuclear arsenals.
Out of the depths; from the sand and sewage collecting above years of rust and decay within the waters, the hulk of the submarine resurfaced, courtesy of its killer. Water streamed out of the gaps, gashes and gears, all coated with the mould of decades under the water. His fingers parted, forcing the hull open once more, and from their casings, the weapons sprung free, and into his possession at last. They were perfect pen-shaped cylinders, containing enough of a payload to destroy his home many times over, and he would take them for his prize.
The wind blew gently against his cheek, and the sun glazed down upon their activities. Birds flew high above them, and from out of this peace, the sound of roaring engines deafened the area as jets blazed overhead. Pulled from his reverie, Magneto held onto the warheads, as they passed and went off into the distance. Wanda ran back into the cockpit, and slammed a headset on. She looked to Pietro, but he was busy barking into the microphone. 'We're not encroaching on Japanese airspace!' She heard him shout above the grating noise of the rotor blades. Through the windshield, she gaped as the jets spiralled over and spat fire at her father suspended in mid-air. She struck the flight stick, screaming to her brother, but he didn't seem to hear her. The helicopter lurched to the side, as the jets passed over once more. They released a missile at them, and then circled once more. The helicopter fled off in the opposite direction, and Magneto concentrated, and then let himself follow them, the warheads behind.
Inside the helicopter, the sirens blared and flashed, wreaking panic within. Pietro started to speed his movements up, pressing every dial and lever that he could see. His hands became a blur, and Wanda watched, mesmerised. 'Take care of the missiles!' He yelled, despite the noise. 'Make sure Magneto is unhurt!' Wanda ran from the front to the back of the cabin and from the corner of her eye, saw the weapon tailing, flame spilling from its engine as its lock centred on them. Gunfire from the jets issued from behind, splintering the back of the helicopter rhythmically. Wanda burst every bullet before it had a chance to come close. She stepped out on the side of the vehicle, holding tightly to the side rail.
The pilot of the first jet signalled to his comrade, and then let another missile loose from its holster. Grinning underneath his helmet, he expected the vapour trail to appear, but on his display, the locking mechanism was still engaged. Registering suddenly, he tried to eject, using the button on the dashboard, but in a determined flash, the jet exploded. Leaving the other one some time to expect its fate; Magneto tailed the wounded helicopter as he saw Wanda explode the other missile. Fragments were repelled from his magnetic field as he flew over the water, following his children. The jet flew by them once more, endeavouring to squeeze off more shots at the targets, but Magneto used his power for one last time ripping every nut, bolt, and turning from the vehicle's structure. It broke apart in the air, travelling at an unbelievable speed. The pilots tried to eject, but spun into the waves, the impact killing them immediately.
Safe to retreat, the helicopter flew away from Japanese Waters, down to Antarctica territory where the Savage land could be found. Pietro clicked the communications equipment off, and slowed down, controlling the craft at a normal pace.
* * *
Since the introduction of the Sentinel program within the heart of the United States, the amount of anti-human protests and terrorist action had decreased severely. The Sentinels were rapidly becoming the new police force for mutant action, capturing, collecting and killing the mutant threats, regardless of situation. The many mutants who had registered under the Act were implanted with a chip underneath the skin, just below the brain, and this was supposed to act as identification for the targeted person. The Sentinels were distributed all over the country, and soon were exported to the more populated parts of the Americas. Canada was soon overrun, the mutant populous desiring to grease along with the humans, but in certain parts of Alaska and South America, such as Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia, hardly any mutants went under the knife for the registry chip. The countries were soon infected with Sentinels, and the factories that produced them, the governments insisting that the action needed to be stamped down on. The terrorist activity was neutered once more, and the factories continued to build up their forces.
Before Xavier left to go to California, he picked up messages being sent out by the people living in the mutant ghettos of Brazil. Assembling the students as fast as he could, Charles sent them via the Blackbird to get to the city of Caucaia, near Fortaleza in Brazil. Once gone, he left to get the Pryde girl in Deerfield.
The Blackbird never paid any attention to airspace whenever Hank piloted it. They flew over several countries getting as quickly as they could to Caucaia, all the while receiving information from on-board computers that were linked to Xavier's database. Ororo pulled one of the documents from the printer, staring at the computer screens in the process. The topographical, political, cultural and militaristic information was all being displayed over and over, while the aircraft sped towards its destination. 'These things have only just been introduced, but by the Professor's information, they've ravaged the country already. How are we supposed to take care of the situation there – we're only a few people!' Tessa unbuckled her belt, as Hank signalled their arrival in a matter of minutes. 'It's not how we can help the entire country that's important, what matters right now is whether we can save an entire group of people from being slaughtered. Sit tight, and get ready – we'll be touching down in the heart of the site, so let's get everything right.'
'I say we collectively take down each one as it comes – that way we can make sure it goes as planned with as little resistance as possible at one time. We don't need anyone going off lone wolf style.' There was a quiver in Scott's voice as he thought about the impending war. His gaze shifted to Logan, but soon moved off as the man stared back insolently. Certainly the project had gotten out of hand; spreading to the rest of the world was only a matter of time.
Rolling hills cascaded fog gently down their slopes as the Blackbird glided over the city. On the outskirts of the surrounding suburbs, the students on board could see already orange flares blazing into the morning air. As they got closer, the view was forgotten, and each person on board focussed. Bobby started to sweat, but it was soon overlooked as the familiar clunk of the landing gear came out, and they landed. Spilling out of the jet in an unsteady ramble, screams penetrated the atmosphere, and the grating noise of machinery grinded from all around. A spread of people scattered from out of tents and broken buildings as several Sentinels rounded the beaten path, their faces gaunt and unyielding. 'This is it, everyone – let's make them pay!' Scott shouted, but his voice was lost in the panic. He shot off a few blasts from his eyes, but they missed, as he was running. Ororo took to the air, rising above the others. Warren followed her example, but dived towards the machines, as they incinerated the stragglers from the group. Jean used her mind to lift up the hollowed carcass of a truck, and she swung it against the lead Sentinel, but it knocked the object out of its path, proceeding to fire some nets at the combatants. The students scattered, and Hank and Logan ran toward the machines, breaking out their weapons.
Logan jumped off one of the houses and landed on the arm of the leader, jamming his razor thin claws into the hull and tearing a gash as big as he was. Shafts of ice propelled through the air, splintering against the metal hulls of the Sentinels, but did nothing. Bobby ran for cover as the counter attack tore up the ground where he was just standing. 'I need some help!' He screamed, but the concrete collapsed about him, holing the X-Man up. Warren landed on top of the lead Sentinel's head, and placed a small device in a crack. The massive metal beast swivelled around to try and bat him away, and succeeded in flattening Warren's form, which dropped to the ground. Logan leapt off the shoulder as the head burst open in a blaze, landing shakily on the dirt path. It stumbled along the passageway, finally coming to rest on a heap of rubble. Growling viciously, Logan spied another one coming around the corner to kill them. 'Over here!' He yelled, and sped off in its direction. 'Don't split up – Logan!' Scott called amid the noise. 'Damn it, we need to stay together or we're finished!'
From just over a quarter of a mile away, Ororo hid behind the corner of a building atop the surrounding hills. Clouds accumulated above the ghettos, the air stirring with static charge. It rumbled as she cast her hands to the sky, and flashes of lightening struck into the Sentinels, shattering them in a spectacular light show. She looked around her, making sure no-one was any the wiser.
The Sentinels were grouping together in the centre of the area, slowly paying less attention to the mutants abandoning their homes, and more on the attackers. Streaks of white light burst through the black clouds above them, knocking two of the giant constructs out, and hitting the ground with ferocious force. The earth shook and rumbled as each hit the floor, burning inside. Hank ran over to the other side of the remaining Sentinels, watching for splinters and sparks flying everywhere. He took hold of one of the legs as it swung forward, and then proceeded to break into the compartments and rip out the wires. Logan dashed below him and sawed into the joint, causing the machine to stagger. It turned on them, bashing Hank back onto the path. Once done, the eye in its palm opened up, and the orange flare shot out, catching Logan unawares. He was pushed onto his back, and the flesh was flamed straight off of his body, leaving it charred, black and burning. The Sentinel resumed its course, and hobbled toward the Blackbird, sitting defenceless. Hank got up, nursing his damaged back, but saw Logan's remains stuck in the dirt ahead of him. 'Jesus, Logan!' He cried, dashing over. 'Oh my god, you're completely burnt – help me, someone!'
The walls shivered and crumbled as one of the remaining Sentinels stamped down a side path, slowly chasing Tessa, as she ran for her life ahead of it. It crushed on the rubble, flattening houses, and decimating the gardens. Standing still for a moment, it raised the arm, and fired off the familiar orange flare, coursing over the ground in a bloody tear. She hid behind one of the walls, as the beam passed over the ground in front of her. Tessa stared around, looking for a sizeable weapon to use. Panicking as the Sentinel came closer; she left the idea and ran out of the way toward the far wall of a large house. The beam shot over her head, blasting away the wall, and she hit the ground running. The foot of the Sentinel towered over her, and she screamed, preventing it from falling down with the power of her mind. She stretched out her arms, the sweat pouring off her, and then forced the foot backwards. There was a space of a metre above her head as the Sentinel prepared to stamp down once more. Once again, she stopped the foot closing down on her body, and the Sentinel opened both its hands, firing the orange flares to each side of her. The ground burst open beside her, the earth flying everywhere. She screamed. Suddenly, the Sentinel stepped backward, as Warren flew into its view, his wings beating as he struggled to maintain his altitude. Wounded from before, each wave from the wings cracked his back agonisingly. The Sentinel sent up the flares into the sky, illuminating the dark clouds. Lightening tore down around the area, as Warren struck the Sentinel against the head at speed, forcing the giant machine around. It spun lazily, careering into the buildings. Warren swept down, taking hold of Tessa in his arms. They left as the Sentinel lay in a heap, concrete and metal construction bars sticking through its chest.
Scott skidded to a halt in front of the marching Sentinels, and switched his visor on. The fiery red beam blazed out, cutting into the hull of one, and knocking the other one backwards. It straightened, and shot a flare at him, but Scott vanished. He looked out from underneath the truck wreck, and then ran out as they passed by, catching each in the back with his blast. The leader swivelled, and shot out a net from his chest, which caught Scott against a wall. He struggled limply in pain, but slipped into unconsciousness. Jean ran over to him, and cut the wires holding him loose. He slumped onto the floor. 'Scott – wake up! We've got to get out of here; this whole thing's gone wrong. Scott – damn it!' She screamed, dragging him under the cover of another broken building.
Ororo appeared in the sky, calling down a hazy fog for them to hide in. She cleared away the rubble covering Bobby with a strong wind, releasing her friend. He ran over to her. 'Ororo – am I glad to see you. We've got to leave. Get the others, I'll try and take on the other Sentinels.' She flew off in the direction of Scott and Jean, while Bobby ran for one last stand against their opposition. He summoned as much power as he could and fired off several shots of ice, which collided with the Sentinels, knocking one over entirely, the other shafts sticking in the machine's breastplate. It collapsed to its knees, breaking apart, producing a thick, dark smoke from the mouth.
Watching as their enemies finally fell; Hank was tugged by his shirt to the floor. Logan's claws popped in front of his face, and Hank scrambled back in terror. 'Logan – you're not dead?! Hold still, I'll call the others; don't move!' His body shuddered and convulsed, and he vomited over the path, clutching his chest. He sat up, and retracted the claws. Hank watched, mesmerised, as Logan was resurrected before his eyes, the flesh and skin crawling back onto the black muscle, blood oozing from the cracks and tears in his torso. 'I'll be looking better in a few, bub' he croaked out, spitting blood away. 'It takes a while…' Hank stood up in disbelief, and ran for the other students.
Rain plummeted from the sky, cleansing the land of its wounds. The area was bare, so they students grouped together, under the shelter of the Blackbird. Before them was a sea of destruction and carnage, hollowed out carcasses lying broken amidst the rubble, while incinerated bodies lined the paths, burnt and blackened. The grass was stained crimson, tainting the earth.
* * *
The journey back was an emotionless one; none of the students wishing to speak while everything was still fresh. The computer monitors were all switched off, and nothing except the hum of the engines could be heard. Jean took control of the jet, while Hank sat still, nursing himself in the chair opposite. The com beeped into life, and Jean picked it up. A crackling voice buzzed through and Jean responded forlornly. She nodded, and placed the receiver back. 'We've got to go somewhere else immediately – the Professor has picked up news of something big in Pula, Croatia. We've got to get there now.' Logan moved forward from where he sat, grabbing her shoulder. 'What the hell does he want us to do? In case you haven't noticed, we're not exactly on best form here, girlie.'
'The acting President – his daughter has been taken from their home in Washington – Xavier thinks the Brotherhood has done it. We're supposed to do this for him, Logan – it's our job. Let's just get on with it.' She moved the controls around, manoeuvring the Blackbird away from Maine, and across the Atlantic toward the impending disaster.
* * *
Outside a large warehouse on the outskirts of Pula, Remy lit up a cigarette with his lighter. He relaxed against the large wall, admiring the fair weather in the mid-afternoon. Scratching his stubble slightly, he sucked in a few breathes of smoke, and blew them out again, creating a haze in front of his red eyes. Part of the Brotherhood had flown to the edge of Croatia, next to the coast of the Adriatic Sea in order to hide the girl they had taken from the offices in Washington. She had struggled at first, considering her father was now the most powerful person in the United States, but she soon gave up the fight as Pietro had drugged and bound her. Now she stayed in a compartment in their newfound warehouse, unconscious. Their helicopter was at the top of the warehouse, with a large tarpaulin thrown over it; and although the situation in the Middle East was extremely tense at the moment, Magneto had insisted that they would be exempt from danger while they remained to hide the girl. Magneto contacted the President personally this time, demanding that he put an end to the Sentinel contingency, if he ever wanted to see his daughter again. As of yet, he had received no confirmatory reply that the Sentinel production would be halted and recalled. That was two days ago; the President had only two more days to stop the production completely, and recall each of the atrocities.
Remy sighed, exhaustedly, and finished his cigarette, stamping the butt out on the rocky ground. Rogue exited the warehouse, looking for him. She walked over without saying a word, and they nodded to each other. 'It's getting uncomfortable, staying in there. I wish we were back home, and then I could appreciate the quarters we've got.' She said.
'Know what you mean, chere. I be hoping that her daddy caves soon. This whole thing – its jus' sick. Put the whole thing 'bout mutants into perspective, neh?'
'Remy…' She paused, quietly. 'What do you think about us?'
'Brotherhood? S'alright, but I never tend t'stay in one place for a long time, so I'll see.' He replied.
'I mean, about us – you and me? What do you think?' She asked again, stepping closer to him. 'Everything about Magneto and the Brotherhood – that's not important right now.'
'I want to take care o' you. Je te voudrais, chere, but I can't touch you.' He replied, quietly.
'Do you think we should still be together?' She asked, almost whispering.
He felt her heated breath on his lips, and he stroked her reddening cheek with his gloved hand. 'Yes – I do.' She pulled him into a kiss, but he retracted after a few seconds, feeling slightly hazy. 'I'm sorry – I didn't hurt you did I?' She asked, concerned.
'Nothing I can't handle.' He said, taking a few deep breaths. She had drained him in their embrace, almost absorbing his mutant abilities, and memories. Remy seemed to recover after a moment, shaking off the weariness. Overhead, the roaring sound of jet fuel burning swept past them. Pietro suddenly appeared by their sides. 'What was that?' He shouted as it went by.
'Don't know, man – we might soon find out.' Remy answered. He took a few steps forward, coming out into the middle of the road. Ahead of him was a large black aircraft just landing, the dust and dirt billowing up in a cloud as it touched down. Pietro was by him instantly once more.
The ramp of the Blackbird plopped down into the dirt, and the weary X-Men scrambled out. 'There they are!' Scott called to the other students. He readjusted his visor, and darted towards them. Pietro suddenly emerge before Scott, and shoved him to the floor. 'You're the young punks that we at the sight of the Sentinel before – where we found the girl. What are you doing here?'
Jean ran to them. 'You're the ones holding the President's daughter – that's a bad move – you're just going to aggravate the situation, don't you realise?' She pleaded with Pietro, but he blew them off. 'Magneto has told them if they don't stop the Sentinel production, then we're going to take care of his daughter. I suggest if you were clever enough, that you leave us alone.'
'The Professor knew it was you and Magneto that took her – you've catalysed the problem even more!' Jean shouted.
'We wouldn't be in this mess, if only you could use your powers to make a difference, red – get back or you're going to find yourselves in a load of trouble!' Pietro shouted back.
Scott shoved him out of the way to go to the warehouse, but he sparked up a fight for them all. 'Oi! We've got a problem – Rogue – get the others!' Remy shouted, but he was propelled backwards by a bolt of ice from Bobby. He hit the far wall, but got up again, and took out his deck of cards. Pietro was sent flying from Hank and hit the dirt on his back. Remy charged each of the cards in his hands with his energy, and they shot out from his palm exploding with the force of a small bomb behind the students. They fell to the ground, and Jean knocked him over with her mind as she got up. Scott shot a blast from his eyes through the warehouse wall, and it crumbled into bricks and mortar. They heard the sound of the helicopter rotors starting up, and Ororo flew to the roof of the building. She landed on top, and saw Chrome starting the helicopter. He looked over to her, and ripped his headset off, but a large ball of hail burst through the glass shoving him out the other side of the vehicle.
Facing off against each other, Rogue was surrounded by Bobby and Tessa. They each lunged for her, but she backed out, and caught hold of Bobby's wrist as he turned to get her. He faltered slightly, but skewered her wrist to the wall with a shaft of crystal white ice. She screamed in pain, and absorbed his power from her hold on his wrist. Bobby hit her hand away from his, and was subsequently thrown backwards by a plume of ice from her hands. He lay, winded on the dirt path. Tessa was grabbed from behind by Remy, who charged the belt she was wearing. They tussled with one another until she started to scream out. He punched her brutally around the jaw, and relinquished his hold on her waist. She doubled up in agony, and was unable to defend herself as Remy kicked her to the floor. A red blast hurled him to the side, and Scott ran through the hole in the warehouse.
Hank jumped on top of a fence and threw himself at the top of the warehouse, just catching the top of the roof. He hauled himself up, rolling over the top to see Ororo about to fall off on the opposite side. Chrome about-turned and braced himself for another fight. His hands glowed with an angel blue aura, but before he could use them, Hank bashed straight into him, and took hold of Ororo's frozen form as it fell from the top of the warehouse. 'Warren!' He called out, panicking. Chrome picked himself up, and lunged for Hank as he was spread over the side of the roof. He dodged Hank's flailing foot, and grabbed his waist, immobilising it. The X-Man shouted for Warren again, but the numbing sensation was creeping up through his nervous system as Chrome held onto his waist. The strain on his arm was becoming unbearable, and just when he thought he couldn't hold on, Ororo stirred, and screamed as she was hanging upside down. 'Let me go!' She cried out. Hank's grip was frozen around her ankle, and he couldn't let her free. Chrome was almost finished, but a silver shaft of lightening scissored through the atmosphere and shot straight through the roof. His attention was detached just long enough for the big man to wrench his stiff leg back from the cold grip and then Hank kicked him in the stomach. Chrome was tossed backward; then lay in an unmoving heap.
Warren followed Pietro about, as he ran rings round the students in the warehouse. Logan fought off Wanda, batting her out of the way as he tried to catch Pietro. His animalistic pace kicked in, sending his adrenaline through the roof. He somersaulted over Scott, and caught Remy in the back, kicking him against the wall, violently. He then ducked under Anne Marie's attack, as she holstered her gun, to take him on hand to hand. She threw a punch at his head, but he swept under her once more, drawing three perfect scars across her hip. She yelled, and sliced her hand down onto his shoulder, but he fought it off, and shoved her against the wall, stabbing her in the left leg with his claws. As quick as he had done so, Logan jumped out of the way of Wanda's attack, and kicked her between the legs. She slumped to the floor, and was then caught with a blast from Scott. Logan stalked past Rogue, who reached out for him, the shaft of ice still wedged in her wrist. 'Get the girl out!' He shouted to Jean, who was disappearing down into the warehouse basement.
* Where the hell is she? * Jean thought out loud, and she concentrated, trying to pick up on everyone upstairs. She registered at last and dashed into the dimly lit corners of the basement. Logan ran after Jean but was tugged to the floor from behind by Pietro's quick hands. He struggled, but Pietro stamped on his chest viciously, and disappeared down into the depths. A red blast from Scott crumbled the wall just above his form, but he was long gone.
Rogue was invigorated by Logan's strength transferred to her body; she winced, as the blood around her wound suddenly set, and the shaft inched out by itself. She broke it off, and ran over to her friends, disabled on the floor. Picking Remy up, she overheard the sounds of trucks pulling up outside the warehouse. 'We've got to get out of here, Remy.' She whispered. 'The Croats are going to have a field day, if we're not out.' Hoisting him to his feet, they stood close to the outside wall. Tessa grabbed Anne Marie's gun, and held it to the Cajun as he was about to leave. 'Don't bother trying to take us on, this whole fight is over – we're taking the girl with us. You're lucky you didn't call down an American strike team to retake the girl; they'd be a lot less merciful than we were.'
Jean ran into the dark, reaching out with her mind to find the light switch in the uncompromising darkness. She checked past massive boxes and crates, opening herself up to any thoughts that might be broadcast in her direction – distress signals, or cries for help. She looked into a blackened corner wishing the light would illuminate it. Only the shadows stared back at her, but Jean was sure she could see something – a shape moving, ever so slightly. A rush of wind swept across her damp brow, and Pietro walked from out of the shadows, the light slowly creeping across his gaunt features. Jean jumped back in shock. 'Where's the daughter, Pietro – we're not fooling around, here. If you've killed her, you've made the situation all the more worse. The government will double the amount of Sentinels on the streets! You can't have been that stupid.'
'I wasn't that stupid. Father didn't want it, so I didn't do it. I'll only ever do what he wants, Ms. Grey.'
'We've been reading up on you all – Magneto's files can be quite comprehensive.' Wanda stated, coming into the area from behind Jean.
'Give me the daughter, and we'll go our separate ways.'
Although Jean couldn't see it, Wanda nodded to her brother slightly, and Pietro vanished from Jean's view. She spun around, but faced only more darkness as the light's burnt out. Pietro's hawk-like laughter echoed in the basement as both disappeared up the stairs.
From the roof, Warren watched the Croat soldiers jump out of the trucks, taking rifles and pistols from the back. His blood ran cold, and he looked to the other two. Chrome slipped into the cockpit of the helicopter, while they were all distracted. The engine was still running, as Wanda and the girl in her arms suddenly showed onboard, in the cabin. Ororo was the first to turn and catch sight of each of the Brotherhood clambering into the helicopter. One minute Tessa was standing with two of them against the wall, a gun in her hand, and the next they were gone, Pietro making sure everyone was on the roof before they had a chance to react. A silence followed, as the students stared at one another in disbelief. Outside, the faint sound of pattering feet was heard as the soldiers dismounted and surrounded the warehouse. They spread themselves around the Blackbird, running for cover amid the houses and shelters. The jet appeared to lie safely in the middle of the road, but each of the students knew it wasn't.
'They're going to think we're terrorists – what's gonna happen to us?' Ororo yelled. A shot splintered the bricks in front of the students, and as soon as they dropped to the floor, the walls were peppered with gunfire.
As quickly as each of the Brotherhood got on board, the helicopter flew off, leaving the X-Men alone. 'We have to get onto the Blackbird before anything else can go wrong.' Ororo whispered to the others, her voice wavering. She sunk her head low, away from any stray sniper sights, and motioned for the others to follow. 'It's because we flew over their airspace without any permission from Croat airports.' She took another look over the roof. 'Did we manage to get the President's daughter?' Hank shouted as they made their way down to the ground floor.
Shots were fired from the soldiers as they saw Logan prowling dangerously near to them. He fled, running through the hole in the warehouse wall. 'These Croats have taken up points around the jet, and we're holed in. I say we fight our way through, and take them on.' He said, looking around suspiciously. He backed up against the wall, popping his claws, and snarling fiercely. As if on cue, the main warehouse window shattered, and a gas grenade dropped into the centre of the group. Cloudy smog swiftly filled the room and the students panicked, Ororo and Bobby running out, making for cover on the other side of a railway line, which split the area in half. Scott yelled out after them, but the smoke invaded his lungs, suffocating him. He staggered, trying to breathe through his cluttered throat.
'Time to make a stand – make sure you keep your heads low!' Logan shouted. He jumped out of the window, and caught two of the soldiers in the back with his claws. He stood straight, looking for a way out, but more of them ran from behind the corner, their guns blazing. Logan ducked, rolled, slipped and slid out of the way, dragging his claws along as he moved. He cut into the legs of a few, before leaping to his feet; he then kicked one out the way and watched as the last was sucked back against the wall. Jean rounded the corner, and fought off a soldier who smacked her around with the butt of his rifle. She toppled back onto the dirt path, and Logan stabbed him in the stomach, pouncing atop the body to throw himself at the other soldiers.
Hiding behind a burnt out truck, Ororo was too stressed physically to bring down anything more powerful than a light sleet. The icy snow blanketed the road ahead of the soldiers and they slipped on it, careering into another wall. She dashed out of their view, and ran into Hank. He bounded down the icy road, and picked up the soldiers in his large hands, tossing each into the air. Bobby called for Ororo as he was snatched up in a Soldier's camouflaged arms, and she summoned down a wind to blow them all over. Unexpectedly though, a hit floored her from behind, and she passed out. Rushing up the open ramp of the Blackbird, Jean closed the door behind them, ensuring the soldiers couldn't catch the aircraft. Logan sat in the co-pilots' seat, and strapped himself in. Instead of turning the engines on, she elevated the entire craft with her mind, taking it from the battlefield. Warren flew into their view, his white wings beating forcefully as he tried to catch up with them.
A violent explosion sounded left of the warehouse, and Scott picked himself off the floor running out to escape the soldiers. Bullets ricocheted off the walls and ground, and he tried his best to dodge each as it came. The building in front of him shook and collapsed, as he hid around the warehouse corner, a hail of gunfire spattering along the path by his side. 'Help me – I'm caught in crossfire!' He cried, but not a soul heard his pleas. Tessa rounded from the rubble, and she spied Scott, who was caught between her and the gunfire pinning him down. 'Get the others – we have to leave! Where's the damn jet? I bet Logan's taken it, the snake!' He shouted, furiously.
'It's too late, the Blackbird's disappeared!' She called back, ducking to the floor. A bullet lodged in the brick just ahead of her face, and she crawled back, out of his view. Scott put his hands over his ears, the grating noise becoming deafening. He thought she shouted something, but the gunfire was too loud for him to overhear. Suddenly it ceased, and he replied. 'What did you say?'
The rubble shifted with difficulty, and Tessa's scream pierced the hiatus with deafening intensity. 'Oh my god – Scott – I think Hank's dead!'