Disclaimer: Once there was a man named Stan Lee. He created these people called the X-Men. Since he made them, he owns them, not me. Got it?
Alrighty. Hello to you all. As stated previously, this chapter will feature the Marauder's ruthless attack on the Morlocks. The rating of this fic has been raised to R for this chapter. It won't be pretty, consider this your last warning.
Glaivester: I considered it, but no, there will be no Nasty Boys. This fic has enough mutants already, wouldn't you say?
Elven Lord Mic: The stranger's identity is revealed at the end of this very chapter.
Well, enjoy the show!
Evan Daniels picked his way carefully through the ankle deep water that lined the curved tunnel. The small splashes he made as he walked echoed off the empty chamber walls. He deftly danced to one side to avoid a large clump of some decaying organic material. One disadvantage to living in the sewers, he supposed.
Once he reached The Alley, the gigantic chamber the Morlocks called home, he knew he'd be better off. The Morlocks kept it very well cleaned, although the smell at times left something to be desired.
But Evan never complained. These people were kind enough to take him in when his mutation made him unfit to live on the surface. In fact, compared to the rest of them, the bone plates covering parts of his skin looked mostly normal. But they treated him as they treated each other, equally and with respect. And they were certainly a diverse group, to be sure.
There was Callisto, their leader, and Caliban, who could sense other mutants.
There was Ape, the shape shifter, and Erg, the healer. Plague, who could infect almost any disease on someone with a touch. Skids, who created force fields, and the super-strong Sunder.
Little Leech, who's 'sphere of influence' could negate any mutant power within its radius. Scaleface, the lizard morph, and countless others who made up his new extended family.
Although, if he said he didn't miss the institute, he would be a liar. He missed his aunt and all his friends very much. If the day came when he could one day control his mutation, he would return to them.
Evan spied Caliban lounging in one corner of The Alley. The pasty-white mutant was looking as dour as ever. Did that guy ever smile?
"Yo, what's up dude?" Evan asked as he sauntered over.
Caliban glanced up at him and gave a slow nod. "Spyke."
"Man, you gotta lighten up once in a while."
If Caliban had eyebrows, he would have raised one. Lacking that, he simply said, "What do you mean?"
"Well, you could try smiling, or maybe…hey are you listening?"
Caliban was staring at the ceiling, a distant expression on his face. After a few moments he spoke again.
"Mutants."
Evan blinked and looked around. There were a few other Morlocks milling around The Alley, but no new faces. "Anyone we no?"
"I don't recognize them."
At that moment, the earth began to shake violently. Bits of stone and mortar fell from the walls. Pieces of scavenged furniture tipped over.
Evan fought to hold his footing. "What the hell? Avalanche?"
Caliban shook his head. "No…not Avalanche."
"He's right, not Avalanche!" The rumbling stopped as three figures dropped into The Alley from a large hole in the wall. Evan didn't recognize them, but they were the Marauders, namely Rictor, Mimic, and Sauron.
Callisto came dashing in, flanked by Sunder and Skids, to see the source of the commotion. She eyed the three mutants standing before her. Rictor and Mimic looked normal enough, but Sauron looked like he would fit right in.
"If you're looking to join us, there are less destructive ways of making yourself known." Callisto said.
Rictor laughed uproariously. No…no my dear. We have not come here to join your…collection."
At that moment, an ear-splitting scream pierced the air from somewhere outside The Alley.
Forgetting the intruders, Callisto dashed back out the way she came, followed by Sunder, Skids, Spyke, and Caliban. The scene they came upon chilled their blood.
A strange man with white skin in a red armored costume was choking the life out of two Morlocks with what appeared to me metallic tentacles that came out of his wrists.
"Sunder, stop him!" Callisto shouted.
The large mutant charged forward, intending to wrap his meaty fists around the attackers neck, when something large and red came barreling out of the shadows. Sunder was his with such tremendous force that somersaulted backwards fifteen feet into the nearest wall.
Evan's jaw dropped as he recognized the big man. "Juggernaut? Here?"
"That's right pal!" Rictor called as he entered the room. "And he ain't all!"
The last remaining members of the Marauders sauntered in. Black Tom was carrying a body over his shoulder. Throwing it unceremoniously onto the floor, it landed face up, revealing it to be the shape shifter Ape.
"I be tellin' ye laddie, these Morlocks sure nae be providin' any challenge. We jus' cleaned up a whole room withou' nae breakin' a sweat."
Callisto's horror quickly change to righteous anger.
"You…you invade are home, and start murdering my people? Why?!" She shouted.
Rictor shrugged, his cocky smile in place. "Well, we do what we're told."
Omega Red dropped the two Morlocks he had been strangling. They had long stopped struggling. His coils danced menacingly, as if they had a mind of their own.
"Can we cut the pointless chatter and get back to the job at hand?" He asked, voice tinged with a heavy Russian accent.
"Yes, yes of course, forgive me." Rictor said. "Marauders, you know what to do."
"Morlocks! Let's show this scum what it means to mess with us!" Callisto shouted.
With a bellow of rage, Sunder tore himself from the fragments of the wall and charged Juggernaut.
"Haw! Big bad mutie wants to play rough. Come show me what you got!" Juggernaut taunted, massive hands balling into even larger fists.
Sunder reared back and put every ounce of strength in his body behind his fist. The blow rang off Juggernaut's helmet. The crimson goliath didn't even so much as stumble.
"That's it? Aww, this ain't gonna be any fun, I can tell." Shaking his head, Juggernaut gave Sunder a casual backhand slap across his misshapen skull. Sunder flew to the side, the sound of his jaw cracking echoing throughout the tunnel.
Erg, who could heal most any injury, hurried to Sunder's side and knelt down, placing his hands inches above the mutant's shattered jaw.
"Easy, my friend. You'll soon be good as new."
Something tapped Erg on the shoulder. He turned his head to see Black Tom poking him with his walking stick.
"Now, we cannae have any o' that. Ye'll make our jobs that much harder, ye will." Tom's right hand began to glow. The glow traveled down the length of his stick until it reached the knobby tip. The glow intensified, and Erg figured out too late what was about to happen.
There was a loud crack, a splattering noise, and Sunder felt himself covered by something wet that was still warm. He didn't have the courage to open his eyes and see what it was.
Evan watched the gruesome display and felt his temper shoot right out the top of his head. Thrusting several razor-sharp bone spurs from his forearms, he hurled them towards Black Tom's exposed back. They got halfway to their target when an intense blast of heat incinerated the projectiles.
"Why not duel with me instead, gaijin?" Said a voice with a Japanese accent, as Sunfire flew into Evan's line of sight.
"Fine by me!" Evan loaded up another set of spikes and fired them off at the hovering mutant. Sunfire swerved out of the way and let loose another blast of flame. Evan rolled to one side and shot off a bone spur from his forearm. The spur nicked Sunfire under his arm, tearing his uniform and drawing blood.
Sunfire cursed in Japanese and changed strategies, twisting in the air and diving head first towards Evan, his hands bursting into flame along the way.
Evan thrust out three spikes on each hand, in a reasonable imitation of Wolverine. He tensed, waiting for Sunfire to come within striking range. At that moment, he felt a strange sensation come over him. He grew slightly lightheaded, and he got the feeling that the floor was moving under him. He turned his head to one side in an attempt to find out what was going on. The move set the world whirring sickeningly. Evan immediately felt nauseas.
Catching a flash of red out of the corner of his eye, Evan turned his head to look in front of him. Through the dizzying blur he saw the world through, he noticed Sunfire was about two seconds away from putting his fists through Evan's chest. Acting purely on instinct, Evan projected a layer of bones in the shape of plate armor out through his chest. The organic shield came up just in time. Sunfire slammed headlong into him. The force of the blow shattered his bone armor, but he was saved from having his lungs collapsed. He was still sent rocketing backwards into a crumbling stone pillar, and a combination of the dizziness he felt and a sharp blow to the head put him into dreamland.
Sunfire nodded to Vertigo, thanking her for the assist, before flying off to find more prey.
Sauron flapped around above the pitched battle. He had already feasted on two Morlocks. Lucid, who saw through walls, and Façade, who could hide like a chameleon. Having the freedom to do with them as he wanted, he had drained them of every last ounce of energy they possessed, until both were no more than dried out husks littering the ground.
Casting about for his next meal, he spotted a lone woman among the carnage. Grinning maliciously, he tucked his wings in and dove towards her.
She must have seen him coming, for she turned to face him, and look on her face was not the one of shock or fear Sauron had expected.
Then, before his astonished eyes, she began to change. She grew in height and stature until she had mutated into a gigantic, dinosaur-like being.
Sauron was initially surprised at meeting another mutant similar to him. Scaleface, however, didn't waste time going on the offensive. Rearing back her long neck, she snapped forward, attempting to snap Sauron in her mighty jaws.
Sauron blinked himself out of his stupor in time to dodge to one side. Scaleface was relentless, snapping constantly at the smaller Sauron.
Sauron, however, was extremely nimble in the air. He danced easily in and out of Scaleface's range, taking a stab with his beak, or a swipe with his talons whenever the opportunity presented itself. Sauron dodged another attack and saw an opening. Flapping around the other side of his opponents head, Sauron attempted to claw one of her eyes out. His attention focused as it was, he was unprepared when Scaleface's massive tail came streaking in and caught him squarely in the ribs.
Shrieking in pain, Sauron tumbled through the air. Unable to keep himself airborne through the burning sensation in his ribs, he spiraled towards the ground, landing unceremoniously in a heap.
Scaleface lumbered over to his fallen form. Raising her leg, she brought it crashing down, intending to crush Sauron beneath.
She was surprised when something stopped her leg before it could make contact. Craning her neck to get a look, Scaleface saw that the Juggernaut had caught her leg and was now holding it in place while Sauron scrambled to safety. Scaleface roared indignantly and tried to push down with her leg. Juggernaut continued to hold her at bay, barely exerting himself, even though she outweighed him by at least six-hundred pounds.
Scaleface finally lifted her foot away. Trying the same route she did with Sauron, she lashed out with her tail. Juggernaut caught it as easily as he had her foot, and began to squeeze it in his mighty grip. Scaleface grimaced in pain as she felt the bones creaking under the strain. She attempted to pull the appendage out of his grip, but Juggernaut held on like a pit bulldog.
While attempting to find a way out, she became aware of a presence in front of her face. Looking up, she found herself staring directly into Sauron's eyes.
Although the human pterosaur was in obvious pain, his eyes bore into hers with determined ferocity. A calming voice inside her head told her to drop her defenses. She offered slight resistance initially, but finally relented, shifting back to her human form.
Sauron landed before her and proceeded to drain her energy away. The boost allowed him to heal his wounded ribs quickly, and he was soon in fighting shape once more.
When Sauron was done with her, Juggernaut smashed her head in.
The minute she felt that one presence arrive on Xavier's property, Jean knew exactly who it was. Hardly daring to believe her senses, Jean tore out of her room and down the hallway. She was in such a rush she took no notice of anyone who was in her way.
Bobby and Sam barely managed to jump out of her way. Tabby had to shove Jubilee off to one side. Kurt and Amanda weren't so lucky. Too absorbed in each other, they failed to notice Hurricane Jean bearing down on them, and paid the price moments later when they were knocked on their collective butts.
Numerous heads turned to follow her path of destruction, wondering where the fire was. Fred even pulled his attention away from his gigantic sammich to track her progress.
Jean flew, literally, out the front doors. Just ahead, she saw a small group of people making their way up the drive. Not even taking into account the fact that five of them once belonged to the Marauders, she made a beeline straight to the one person in the group she desperately wanted to see.
"SCOOOOOTTT!!!!"
Scott, who was still weary from the time he spent in Sinister's 'care' raised his head blearily and had about two seconds to prepare before a red-headed dervish bowled into him, knocking him flat on his back and squeezing the air out of him in a hug.
Scott tried desperately to signal that he was in need of oxygen, but Jean seemed not to notice. Finally, Gambit had to pry Jean off of him.
Scott sat up and took a few deep breaths, his color slowly returning to normal. Jean escaped from Remy's grip and reached down to help him to his feet.
"Scott, I thought…I thought you…that you…" Jean was quite unable to form words at the moment, owing to a combination of euphoric happiness, and the tears streaming out of her eyes.
Scott managed to give her a smile, though he couldn't do much else, he was still hurting quite a bit.
"It's good your back and all, Shades, but would ya mind tellin' me what they're doin' here?" Wolverine had come up on the group. His claws were extended, and he was glaring daggers at the ex-Marauders.
"It's alrigh', mon ami." Gambit said, stepping forward smoothly to interpose himself between Wolverine and the others. "Dese ones here, dey help us get away."
Banshee stepped forward. "We understand ye concern, but we must speak tae yer Professor immediately."
Wolverine gave him a hard look. "Is that so? Well, let me tell you something Irish, I'll be the judge o' who sees the Professor er not."
"No, Logan, he's right." Scott said, who was now being supported by Jean.
Logan was about to say more, when Xavier and Storm came up beside him.
"It's alright Logan. Let's hear what they have to say."
Banshee turned to Xavier. "Professor, listen tae me. It's the Morlocks, Sinister's gonnae kill em all!"
"Who?"
"Mr. Sinister, our leader. Look, I'll explain later, but ye must send yer team ta the Morlock tunnels, he's gonna massacre them!"
Storm's hands shot to her mouth as she gave a horrified gasp. "Evan!"
Xavier turned to face Logan. "Wolverine, get Nightcrawler, Shadowcat, Avalanche, Pyro and Colossus and meet us back here. Gambit, you'll come as well. So will you." He said, turning to Psylocke, Bishop, Banshee, Marrow, and Polaris. The five looked a bit unsure, but eventually agreed anyway.
"Jean, please take Scott, Alex, and Rogue to the infirmary so Dr. McCoy can check them out. You may stay with them if you wish.
By then, Logan had returned with Kitty, Kurt, Lance, St. John and Piotr.
"Alright, take the X-Van. One of our friends here will show you the way. Good luck, X-Men."
Callisto watched on in horror as her people were systematically slaughtered. The attackers apparently had come with orders to leave no one alive. Not even the Morlock children had escaped their wrath. Annalee, whose gigantic hands could paralyze at a touch, was cut down by the Russian Marauder who called himself Omega Red. Artie, who had telescopic eyes, met his early fate at the hands of the reptilian Sauron.
She wanted desperately to join in the fight, to die alongside her Morlocks if that was to be her fate, but Skids had apparently taken it upon himself to make sure she survived, as he had erected his force fields around her, and would not let her through.
"Skids, please." Callisto begged for what must've been the twentieth time. "Let me help."
Skids, always a stubborn one, shook his head. "No Callisto, if any of us survive, it must be you."
Callisto made a frustrated noise, but further protest died in her throat when the Juggernaut came lumbering over.
"Well, well, well, what have we got here? Two little muties hidin' in da corner."
"You cannot harm us." Skids said, puffing out his chest. "My force fields are impregnable."
Juggernaut cave a huge, booming laugh. "Please, yer makin' my sides hurt. Let me clue you in on something, little man. Nothin' stops the Juggernaut!"
Hauling back one massive fist, Juggernaut slammed it into the force field. It held up under the blow, but as it was an extension of Skids' mind, the psychic backlash rattled him. Juggernaut saw this and lashed out again, smashing against the field with his size 34 boot. Skids screamed in pain and his force field failed, unable to stay up under the strain. Juggernaut stomped forward, smacking Skids off to the side. His spine didn't survive the impact with the wall.
Callisto grimaced and prepared to square off with the human monolith, fully aware that her enhanced senses would be no match against Juggernaut's boundless strength.
Sunder, his mouth a bloody mess, came barreling up behind him, eager for a bit of revenge against the crimson giant. Sunder almost had his hands around Juggernaut, when the ground began to shake beneath him. Rictor caused a title wave of concrete to rise up, throwing off Sunder's balance.
Mimic, who copied Sunder's strength, locked the large Morlock in a full-nelson. He was unable to defend himself when Juggernaut slammed his fist into his chest, collapsing his rib cage and sending bone shards into his lungs, heart, and other internal organs.
Callisto slumped to her knees, defeated. She had lost. Her people were dead or dying and there was nothing she could do about it. She didn't put up a fight when Omega Red's coils snaked around her, his 'death pheromones' sucking the life right out of her.
The Alley was ruined. Its occupants dead. The Marauders had executed their plan with grim precision and extreme prejudice. Rictor gathered his comrades to him.
"Well my friends, a job well done I'd say. I think it time we made our exit, before Xavier's lapdogs show up, as they are bound to do.
The Marauders left through a service tunnel, not an ounce of pity between them.
Despite the myriad of smells that wafted around the Bayville sewer system, Wolverine was able to pick out one in particular above all the others.
Blood. Lot's of it.
"We're almost there." Psylocke announced, as she and the other four ex-Marauders led the way through the sewers.
They arrived on the scene moments later. The group stared in abject horror at the scene before them. Kitty ran off into a side tunnel to vomit.
"We're too late." Polaris whispered.
Storm flew into the chamber, blue eyes searching the killing grounds desperately.
"Evan! EVAN!!"
"Right here, Auntie O."
The X-Men whirled as one. Spyke was extracting himself from a small pile of rubble.
"I was knocked unconscious. They must've thought I was dead, 'cause they didn't come back for me."
Storm rushed forward to embrace her nephew.
"Three people did all o' this?" Wolverine asked, incredulous.
Evan shook his head. "There were more than that. Eight, I think. Juggernaut was one of them."
The X-Men collectively paled at the sound of Juggernaut's name. The ex-Marauders were conversing amongst themselves.
"He replaced us. I figured he might." Bishop was saying.
"Hey, who're they?" Evan asked, motioning towards the five.
"Former members of the group responsible for this." Storm said. "They left to come and tell us this was going to happen."
"Weren't fast enough, were they?" Evan spat. The five looked contrite.
"It ain't their fault, Porcupine." Logan said. "We wouldn't have even known this had happen if it weren't for them."
Kitty returned from being sick. Her face had a slight greenish tinge to it, but it didn't seem like she'd throw up again. Even so, she immediately wrapped her arms around Lance's waist and buried her face in his chest.
"Are you the only survivor Evan?" Kurt asked.
"Yeah, I think so." He replied, feeling like he was about to cry for the first time in his life.
"No, not only one. Leech alive too!"
Everyone turned to see a small boy of about nine crawl into the tunnel. His skin was green, and he appeared to have no nose. His clothes were torn and he was bleeding freely from a wound on his shoulder, but he was still very much alive.
"Alrigh', time to get back to the Institute." Wolverine said as he scooped Leech up into his arms.
"What about them?" Colossus asked, indicating the dead bodies littering the chamber.
"We'll come back an' bury 'em later." Logan said, and then turned and led the group away from the scene of ghoulish slaughter.
Flight 402 from New York City touched down on the runway and taxied into the terminal. Its' passengers disembarked and went to claim their baggage. As he stepped off the plane, Peter Parker got his first look at the city that would be his home for the next week. Bayville.
"Something's going to happen, I can feel it." He muttered to himself as he grabbed his bag off the conveyor, taking a quick peek inside to see that the red and blue costume was still secure.
He was likely going to need it.
Across town, a solitary figure stalked the back streets and alley ways. He cast occasional glances at the tracking unit in his hand, his left eye flashed rhythmically.
"Not much further now." The time-displaced tracked whispered.
Cable shouldered his high-tech energy rifle, and continued his search.
In the bowel of his laboratory, Sinister sat and silently contemplated the cylindrical glass tube that ran floor to ceiling. It was filled with a viscous green liquid, and within, a tiny embryo floated.
Sinister glanced at some monitors, then towards the wall, where a picture of Jean was tacked up.
"One more component and my masterpiece is completed." He smiled to himself, a wicked, cruel smile.
"And then, the world will bare witness to a new dawn."
Well, that one was intense, wasn't it? More puzzle pieces are falling into place. Can anyone guess what Sinister's working on in the final scene? E-mail me with your guess, so we don't spoil it for everyone else. As promised, the next chapter will focus on the Marauders, their histories and how Sinister recruited them. We'll also find out what Xavier's going to do with all those mutants in his house. Stay tuned. Cobra awayyyyy!
