Kick! Punch! It's all in the mind! Here, we reach a turning point in the story, and things can only get better from here. I dunno... maybe it'll progress to the point where it becomes "good." Yes, let's hope so. Oh, and excuse the grammar.
Chapter Seven - Scott's Mission and the Hunt
Scott sipped some cranberry juice at the breakfast table. Pietro sat next to him, eating scrambled eggs with sausage. Caliban and Callisto sat across from them, eating some kind of pastry Scott didn't recognize.
"So just why are we here" Scott asked.
"You see, we have an agreement with Apocalypse," Callisto explained. Immediately, Scott and Pietro got up. "Oh, don't worry. Please, sit down. We're neutral in this war of his. He's agreed to let us have all this wealth and property and to protect us from enemies so long as humanity exists."
"Once the humans are wiped out," Caliban explained in his monotone rasp, "Then our protection is void. For what reason, we are not certain. However, the Horseman Death brought you both here to keep you safe. He seems concerned for your safety."
"Death? The guy with the metal wings?" Pietro asked.
"Yes," Callisto replied. "Before he became a Horseman, he was an associate of ours, a fellow aristocrat. The other Horsemen were not present when you were brought here, so we can only assume that he wants this to be kept a secret."
"So long as you remain here, Apocalypse cannot destroy humankind. He would not elaborate, but we will have to keep you here, to protect you and to protect ourselves."
"I'm getting sick of this," Scott said. "Everywhere I go, someone wants to keep me somewhere! What am I, a parrot? I'm not some pet you can just lock up! I'm outta here."
"You're not going anywhere."
"Wha… fuck! Juggernaut!" The massively built Cain Marko entered the dining room, wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Cain was a wealthy but uncultured man. He was not born into high society, but rather inherited it. When his brother Charles Xavier had died, Cain received some of his fortune as his only living relative, though the rest was taken by the United States government. When the government collapsed, Cain took back what was his, and more.
"So you've met Dr. Marko before?"
"DOCTOR?! Doctor of what, demolition?"
"Dr. Marko is an archaeologist," Callisto explained. "He has his temper tantrums, but he's not a bad man."
"You," Cain said. "You're the little punk who threw that cigarette butt in my mouth. I haven't forgotten that."
"Er… look, it was an accident! How was I supposed to know you were napping under that bridge?"
"Scott, Dr. Marko, please," Callisto interrupted. "You're acting like humans. Try to maintain some civility."
"So these are the two Warren brought us. You know, that jerk can't do anything right. Least he could've done was bring a cute girl."
"Dr. Marko…"
"Fine. I'm going out to relieve some stress." Cain walked out of the dining room. It seemed like the floor shook a bit as he did.
"Oh, that's no good," Caliban said. A lizard-like mutant servant without a nose walked up to Caliban and whispered something to him. "Thank you. Scott, Pietro… you seek to find Wanda Lehnsherr, correct?"
"Yeah, we do," Scott said. He was quick to answer and Pietro raised an eyebrow.
"We can help you." Caliban got up from the table. "Come with us, please." Scott and Pietro followed Caliban and Callisto out of the dining room and down the hall decorated with numerous paintings and small statues.
"Quite a collection," Pietro said.
"Small trinkets." Caliban led them through a door at the end of the hall that seemed to lead to a dark basement. Once they had walked far enough into the dark, they noticed a light further down. Scott's glasses obscured his vision, but the closer they got, the more clear it became.
"What the-?!" Several young boys, all identical in appearance, were working at several computers.
"Jamie Madrox was brought here by the Horseman Death as well," Callisto explained. "Before Apocalypse wiped most of the human population out, the human military worked on a new form of communication using telephone lines. It is still used by Trask and his army for secure information transfer, but it was never fully developed, so a twelve-year-old mutant and ten of his artificially created duplicates can easily tap into this network and acquire information. Apocalypse himself requested that we do this for him. I'm not sure he really understands human technology."
"So what does this have to do with Wanda?" Scott asked.
"We have been using this opportunity to do some investigation of our own…" Caliban explained. "Trask's monitoring system has tracked Wanda from Mexico to New Zealand and now Iraq. She is currently moving north-west, along with other mutants… Alex Summers is among them."
"So she's safe?" Scott asked.
"Yes. She is safe, but not for long." Callisto pointed to a tracking map on the third Jamie's screen. "If this trajectory does not change, she and the others will be arriving in Europe shortly, passing by or possibly stopping in Northern Germany. Apocalypse maintains a base there."
"What?!" Pietro screamed. "She's crazy! She's with Magneto, isn't she?"
"Trask's technology cannot track enhanced mutants," Caliban said. "It has difficulty tracking most mutants as it is."
"We're going to Germany, then!" Scott ordered.
"Not so fast," Callisto said, standing in Scott's way. "You can't leave here."
"I can't let Wanda walk into a trap!"
"We will send someone to help her, but you have to stay here."
"Fuck you! Outta my way!" Scott held the trigger to his glasses.
"If you face Apocalypse alone, you will fail," Caliban warned him.
"Better to die trying, don't you think?" Scott yelled back. "C'mon, Pietro. We're going."
"What?! What do you want me for?! These guys want to keep me in this nice mansion here, and I'm not about to let them down."
"Look, Pietro!" Scott yelled, grabbing Pietro by the collar. "I've had enough of your attitude! You want to end this now or you want to suffer later?!"
"Does it matter?!"
"YES IT MATTERS! Now come on!" Pietro reluctantly followed Scott up the stairs. The Jamies continued their work as Caliban and Callisto discussed what had just happened.
"He takes after his mother," Callisto said.
"We cannot control him. We might as well give them a transport."
"Yes, and the journal."
"The journal… I'd forgotten about it." Elsewhere on the grounds, the servants tried to stall Scott and Pietro.
"You don't even know how to get there!" the noseless servant pleaded.
"OUT OF MY WAY!" A larger, more human looking servant grabbed Scott's head with his large hands, covering his eyes. "HEY, HEY!"
"Let him go," Callisto said. "Scott, Pietro, you can take our jet. We'll send a pilot with you, but he will return when he drops you off."
"Thanks. About time you guys made sense."
"One more thing." Callisto handed Scott a small, beaten, leatherbound book. "This is a journal from Dr. Marko's late colleague, the man who freed Apocalypse in the first place. Read it and study it. Without it, you don't stand a chance against Apocalypse."
"Right, I'll do it… and…" Scott paused for a moment. "Thanks," he said reluctantly.
"Good luck to you." Scott and Pietro were led to a hangar that contained, among other things, a small jet. The pilot accompanying them was the noseless, lizard-like servant called Lucid, wearing a loose-fitting suit and an odd pilot's hat.
"Alright, just sit back," Lucid told them. Scott and Pietro sat in the passenger seats as Lucid prepared the jet for takeoff.
"Hmm. Speed-reader, get to work on this." Scott handed Pietro the book.
"Wha? Me? Oh, alright." Pietro looked at the book's cover: The Journal of Dr. Nathaniel Essex
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Forge sat at the controls of the X-Men's Blackbird with Magneto next to him. Forge had fitted the Blackbird with enhancements that allowed it to fly at extremely high speeds, but he had not developed a designed that could withstand traveling that fast. Magneto had to use his power to keep the ship together, so nobody ever said anything to him during these trips. Breaking his concentration would have catastrophic consequences for everyone onboard. Magneto would use his power to carry the ship himself, but even his power could not match the Blackbird's speed, and the sooner they reached Germany, the better.
Behind Forge and Magneto, in the passenger seats, Mystique sat with baby Kevin, across from Alex and Cannonball. Behind Alex sat Tabby and Pyro, and behind them was Evan. Across from them, Wanda sat with Rahne, and behind her, Gambit kicked back with two seats to himself.
"So how long until we get there?" Pyro asked.
"Too long," Wanda said.
"You guys better be careful," Gambit warned them. "Apocalypse is one bad mutant. Wrong move, and you're holding your head."
"I can take him," Pyro said.
"Oh, you think so, eh? You ain't never met him, have you?"
"Well, no, but-"
"Then shut your hole, boy. Let us men handle this."
"Ahem," Mystique said.
"Yeah, and Mystique… an' Wanda… an'… aw, fuck." Wanda just looked out the window. Wherever they were, it was getting dark. All she could think about was Scott. But why now? She hadn't thought that much about him before leaving Mexico. She looked out to see another ruined city below. This one still had some activity. Most likely mutants who had taken over the city after the humans had been evicted, so to speak. Just like the city where she and Scott had split…
"Pyro," she called, distracting herself from her own thoughts, "Just how do you know my father?"
"Oh, that's easy. He and my dad were close mates."
"Your dad?"
"Yeah. Martin Allerdyce, ever heard of him? He wrote books. I tried doing the same, but I just didn't inherit his talents.
"Martin was a drunk," Mystique said.
"Yeah, he was lots of things. I dunno why Magneto hung out with him."
"He liked your father's books," Mystique explained. "Martin had a sort of obsession with the Shakespearean definition of tragedy. Magnus likes to think of himself as a powerful noble."
"Magneto Rex," Pyro joked. "Ha. I think my dad might've written a book with that title."
"You're all so damn boring," Gambit said. "You know, this is why none of you got nowhere. Always reading stupid books and talking about philosophy and all that boring shit. Pyro, you ever even kissed a girl?"
"Uh… no, I haven't. Tabby's just here to make it look that way."
"Aw, shut up, she's only with you cuz ain't nobody else around."
"I don't see anyone sitting with you, Gambit."
"That's cuz I ain't turned on the Gambit charm. Nothin' personal, but none of you ladies are my type." Gambit shrugged and shuffled his cards.
"You play solitaire often?"
"Hey, fuck you." Evan laughed. "You shut up, too, porcupine. I'll have you know that I-"
"Quiet, all of you!" Magneto yelled. "I need to concentrate. We're almost there."
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General Trask sat in a chair at a table in a small room within the Indian base, across from Sabretooth. Sabretooth had demanded that the guards leave them alone, but Trask was wiser than that. His men were stationed at the door, ready to burst in on Trask's command, and Sabretooth had overlooked a hidden camera installed in an air vent.
"So, Mr. 'Sabretooth.' What do you want?"
"I want you to call off your little war."
"I'm afraid I can't do that. Mr. 'Sabretooth,' are you employed by anyone, or are you here for your own reasons."
"Doesn't matter. Call off this war. You don't want to fight Apocalypse."
"I have met him, and he is nothing. I was expecting to die when I faced him, but all I got was a limp."
"But what did he get?"
"Well, he…"
"Think about that, Trask. He let you get away so you could start this war. End it now, Trask. Dissolve this army and spread out."
"You're insane. That's just what the enemy wants."
"You're not going to listen to me, are you?"
"You're a mutant. I have no reason to. Now, are you going to leave or am I going to have to have you escorted."
"I thought you were a reasonable man, Trask. I'm going to have to end this myself." Sabretooth threw the table aside and reached for Trask, who quickly rolled out of the way. Immediately, Trask's men rushed in, but Sabretooth pushed past them before any shots could be fire. They turned around to go after him, but he was already gone.
"General Trask, are you alright, sir?" a soldier asked as Trask brushed himself off.
"I'm fine. Just a mutant wacko who thinks he knows what's going on in the world. Get the tracker up, and make sure you take him out."
Sabretooth walked through the jungle, but he didn't run. He knew he was being followed… in fact, he had counted on it.
"Take him down!"
"Surprise, surprise!" Sabretooth turned to face Trask's men. He rushed at them as they fired their rifles…
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Toad clung to a rather tall tree just outside of the castle had had been held in by Apocalypse. He looked around frantically, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
"Aww… c'mon… where is everyone?!" After the experiment with Kurt, Apocalypse had let his prisoners out of the castle and let them run free. There was one very dangerous catch: they were being hunted.
Toad looked down and finally saw a familiar face. Jean was walking around, constantly looking behind her. He knew he would regret it, but he didn't have many other options.
"Yo, Jean!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Hey, whoa, calm down! It's me, Toad!" Toad jumped down to the ground. "Didn't mean to scare you like that… seen anyone else around?"
"No, now fuck off."
"Look Jean, we got our differences, right? But we gotta gotta stick together. Strength in numbers, right? So stick we stick together, we stay calm, we find the others."
"I don't need your help, Toad! See those bushes? Why don't you go hop behind them and fuck yourself?"
"Dammit, Jean, listen to me! You wanna get killed out here?! If we stay together and don't start shit against each other, we might have a chance!" Jean looked away. "You know, neither of us really wants to face it, but we ARE brother and sister. It's time we acted like it."
"I can't trust you, Toad. Go find someone else to trick."
"Fine, Jean. If you want to go about this all alone, go ahead. We could use each other's help, but if you don't want any of that, I guess that's just the way that's gotta be." Toad crouched down and prepared to hop away.
"Wait!" Jean called. "Look, Toad. We'll work our problems out later, but for now, let's call a truce."
"You got it. Now let's go find the others."
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Elsewhere in the forest, Rogue climbed up a tree-covered hill, hoping to find a higher vantage point and hopefully spot her allies. As she climbed up, she found Kate curled up against a tree, crying softly.
"Kate? Are you alright?"
"We're gonna die… we're gonna die."
"Kate, we're not gonna die." Rogue wasn't used to giving reassurance to others, but there was nobody else around to help Kate. "Look, just stay with me. We'll get out of this alive."
"How do you know?"
"Look, you don't always have to know things, you just know… I mean, you just feel it. I can feel that we're going to get out of this just fine."
"But… but Kurt…"
"Stop worrying! You're not just going to sit there and whine about it, are you?"
"What else can I do?"
"You can get some guts and help me look for the others, now come on." Rogue continued uphill. Kate got up, rubbed her eyes, and ran after her.
"Wait for me! I'm coming, Marie!"
"That's better. Hey, in case anything happens, get ready to phase us through trees, or something."
"I… I will."
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Freddy charged through the forest, trying his best to squeeze between the trees, but mostly he ended up hitting them. He had only knocked one tree down, but the others were tilted at an angle that could fall at any moment. Freddy looked around desperately for his friends, not because he was afraid for himself, but for them. He was the strongest of all of them, and he could shrug off most attacks with ease. But what about Toad, Rogue and Kate? And what about Jean?
"Freddy!" Jean yelled. She was hiding behind a tree, while Toad was stuck onto another tree.
"He's coming this way! Freddy yelled. "Keep running, I've got your backs!" Jean quickly started running, and Toad hopped from tree to tree. They heard a crackling sound behind them, like thunder, and then the sound of a tree falling.
"Freddy, watch out!" Freddy caught the tree he had loosened a moment before. When he saw what was on top of it, he began to regret it.
The beast that stood on the fallen tree had once gone by the name of Kurt Darkholme. Now, he was known as Nightcrawler. He resembled a cross between a man, a cat, and a wolf, covered in dark blue fur that was short in some areas, but longer and shaggier in others, particularly his back. He had a short black mane growing from his head and the top of his back, and a whip-like tail behind him that ended in a strange pike shape. He no longer had feet or hands, only claws that vaguely resembled human parts. His face carried traces of Kurt Darkholme, but it was clear that he was no longer Kurt. He had grown a small, almost wolf-life snout with rows of sharp teeth, and his wears were brushed back near the top of his head, long and pointy. The second Freddy had caught the tree, Nightcrawler pounced at Jean. She pushed him away telekinetically, but Nightcrawler disappeared in a cloud of thick, black smoke. He reappeared in a bright white flash with a loud thunder-like crackle and landed right next to Jean. He turned his head and snarled, then Toad jumped onto his back and kicked off into the trees. Angered, Nightcrawler climbed after Toad.
"Yo, snap out of it, bro!" Toad yelled. Nightcrawler roared back at him, not sounding like any other creature Toad had heard before. Nightcrawler's roar had the mighty bellow of a lion, but at the same time, the sinister hiss of a snake. Toad hopped away before the beast could maul him. Below, Freddy pounded at the tree and shook Nightcrawler down. In a dark puff of smoke and a bright white flash, Nightcrawler was on top of Freddy. Nightcrawler growled, and jumped off Freddy, shaking his head as he remembered that Freddy could not be damaged. Jean thrust her hands forward, and Nightcrawler flew against the tree with great force. He fell onto the floor and slowly got back up, shaking his head and whimpering slightly.
"Now it's comin' after you!" Toad yelled. Nightcrawler pulled back and jumped at Jean, baring his fangs and brandishing his claws.
"I don't think so!" Freddy had quickly moved between Jean and Nightcrawler as the monster jumped onto his chest and began to maul him mercilessly. Freddy flinched and grunted, and shook visibly from the attack. Freddy dropped to the ground and Nightcrawler, satisfied with the amount of work he had done, jumped off and clung to a nearby tree. Jean rushed to Freddy's said, and for the first time in her life, she watched him bleed. Somehow, Nightcrawler had been strong enough to pierce even Freddy's mutant skin.
"Freddy, no! How could this happen?!"
"He's too strong Jean… he's too strong…" While Jean sat with Freddy, Toad distracted Nightcrawler by hurling a glob of slime at him. Nightcrawler teleported away and appeared a few feet away from Toad with a vicious, sharp-toothed grin. A bolt of orange energy struck Nightcrawler in the face and knocked him on his side. Alex held his hand out a few feet away, with Gambit, Pyro and Wanda closeby.
"Are you alright?" Alex asked.
"We're cool… 'cept Fred."
"He's wounded," Jean explained. "We need to get him to a hospital."
"Pyro, take them back to the Blackbird," Wanda ordered. Jean used her telekinetic powers to lift the bleeding Freddy off the ground and carry him with her after Pyro.
"Whoa, that's one nasty critter," Gambit remarked as Nightcrawler got back up.
"Hey, that's my brother!" Toad yelled.
"I see the resemblance." Toad sneered, then hopped after Jean and Freddy. "What do we do about this monster here, fearless leader?"
"We keep him busy while help arrives!" Wanda yelled. She waved her fingers to keep Nightcrawler from getting back up, but somehow, he did. "Ah… what?!" Nightcrawler disappeared in a puff of black smoke.
"This doesn't look good… let's find the others quickly!" Wanda ordered. Rahne and Cannonball arrived on the field. "What are you doing here?"
"Orders from Magneto," Rahne explained. "He said there was something else out here."
"Alright then… let's keep looking!" As the group continued to search, Forge tended to Freddy aboard the Blackbird's cargo hold while Jean waited nervously. Toad sat next to her in the passenger hold.
"It'll be okay," Toad said.
"I don't know, Toad. Freddy's never been hurt like this before. I thought it was impossible."
"Just calm down. That robot guy knows what he's doing."
"I hope so. Freddy's really all I have, after you and your bastard dad ditched me. He's the only reason I even stay with the X-Men."
"Hey, hey," Toad said. "I didn't ditch you, okay? My mom chose me, and your folks chose you, and we couldn't help that!"
"We were supposed to stay together, Toad, but the moment some blue whore decides to adopt you, you go for it!"
"May I remind you that I am sitting next to you," Mystique said through clenched teeth. "But thank you for reminding me why I decided not to adopt you." Forge stepped out of the cargo hold, pulling off bloody gloves.
"How is he?" Jean asked. Forge's face was grim and serious. He ignored the rest and went straight to Magneto. He whispered something to him, and then Magneto's face became serious. Or rather, more serious.
"What? What is it?! Tell me!"
"I will tell her," Magneto told Forge. "Jean… he sustained significant damage to his vital organs. Forge will need to do a proper examination with his own equipment at the Institute, but from what he has seen, Fred does not have long to live."
In the forest, Alex and Wanda led Gambit, Rahne and Cannonball in search of Rogue and Kate. They were surprised to find them both hiding in a tree.
"It's okay, Kate," Wanda called. "Everything's fine."
"I know!" Kate yelled. She jumped down and used her phasing ability to soften her landing. "Where's everyone else?"
"Wha…" Wanda was surprised at Kate's sudden change in attitude. "Uh… back at the Blackbird. Cannonball, help Rogue down." Cannonball nodded and flew up into the tree, picked up Rogue, and flew back down. Rogue was a little shaken, but otherwise alright.
"Havok, take Rogue and Kate back to the ship," Wanda ordered.
"Right. This way, girls." As they disappeared into the forest, Wanda and the others stayed behind. "We still haven't found Kurt. Gambit, I heard Toad say something about his brother. What was it?"
"He said he was deeper into the woods, this way!" Gambit led Wanda, Rahne and Cannonball further from the Blackbird and closer to the castle. After a few minutes, Gambit stopped. He looked around cautiously.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm not too sure, but I think this is a trap…"
"A trap?"
"Yep." Gambit took three cards from his coat, holding them between his fingers, and charged them. Rahne went into full-wolf mode, and Cannonball readied himself to launch. Several feet away from them, Mesmero appeared. He cackled as he waved his hand. It was only then that Wanda noticed.
Her allies were all facing her.
"Come quietly, or we'll have to let Mesmero bring you in." A sly, evil grin appeared on Gambit's face. Wanda brought her hands up, but Cannonball rammed into her lightly, but hard enough to knock her over. Mesmero stood over her, and the world went black.
The devastated Jean cried into Toad's shoulder as Magneto looked out of the Blackbird.
"Wanda is not yet back," he told Forge. "Her radio has stopped working. This is strangely familiar."
"So do we send another team?"
"Yes. I will take Havok and Tabitha with me. If we do not make contact in ten minutes, take the Blackbird back to the Institute and make sure to re-examine Stalwart."
"Yes… yes, sir." Magneto, Alex and Tabby set out on foot to look for Wanda and the others. Not long into their search, Magneto signaled for the others to stop.
"There is something else here." A white flash and thunderclap later, Nightcrawler jumped towards Magneto. Magneto somehow forced Nightcrawler away from him. "Kurt."
"What?! That's Kurt Darkholme?!"
"Yes. The product of enhancement and twisted engineering by Apocalypse. We will storm the base." Magneto took their hands and they flew out of the forest and onto the castle, which was suddenly devoid of activity. "Stay close. Kurt is not the only surprise Apocalypse will have in store for us." Magneto, Alex and Tabby made their way into the castle itself, walking through a foyer tunnel of some sort, and came upon a metal door at the end.
"Must be the entrance," Tabby said.
"Nope, it's the exit!" Gambit yelled. He appeared from behind them, along with Colossus and Wolverine.
"A trap?" Magneto said. The metal door opened, and Mesmero waved his hands in an attempt to invade Magneto's mind. "You have tried this before, Mesmero. Your powers have no effect on me."
"Indirectly, no." Alex aimed his hand at Magneto's head, and Tabby held a bomb in each hand. "Come with us."
"A crude plan. You forget who you're dealing with." Magneto quickly rolled out of their way and used his powers to take control of Colossus.
"Hmm. Didn't think you could work bio-metal," Wolverine said. He drew his claws and jumped over Colossus, but Magneto moved out of the way before his attack could connect. Alex aimed an orange bolt, but Magneto absorbed it within a small cloud of magnetic energy. He forced Colossus to knocked Alex and Tabby's heads with his fists to knock them out quickly. He turned Colossus on Gambit and Wolverine, whose attacks could not penetrate the thick metal covering the massive mutant. Wolverine stayed to the side as Colossus punched Gambit in the chest and then threw him across the hall. Magneto lifted Colossus into the air and pinned Wolverine under him.
"Release Havok and Tabitha," Magneto told Mesmero. Mesmero continued to attempt an invasion of Magneto's mind. "It's no use. I am too far advanced for a mere psychic attack, Mesmero."
"Then what about two?" Mastermind caught him by surprise from behind and placed his hands on the sides of Magneto's head. With their combined powers, Mastermind and Mesmero penetrated Magneto's mental defenses. Magneto collapsed on the stone floor, and Colossus stood up and picked him up.
"All things considered, I think we worked well together," Mastermind told Mesmero, who just shrugged.
What's in Dr. Essex's journal? Who is Sabretooth working for? Could Freddy really be dying? Has Magneto fallen to the power of Apocalypse, and if he has, who is going to stop him?
Chapter Seven - Scott's Mission and the Hunt
Scott sipped some cranberry juice at the breakfast table. Pietro sat next to him, eating scrambled eggs with sausage. Caliban and Callisto sat across from them, eating some kind of pastry Scott didn't recognize.
"So just why are we here" Scott asked.
"You see, we have an agreement with Apocalypse," Callisto explained. Immediately, Scott and Pietro got up. "Oh, don't worry. Please, sit down. We're neutral in this war of his. He's agreed to let us have all this wealth and property and to protect us from enemies so long as humanity exists."
"Once the humans are wiped out," Caliban explained in his monotone rasp, "Then our protection is void. For what reason, we are not certain. However, the Horseman Death brought you both here to keep you safe. He seems concerned for your safety."
"Death? The guy with the metal wings?" Pietro asked.
"Yes," Callisto replied. "Before he became a Horseman, he was an associate of ours, a fellow aristocrat. The other Horsemen were not present when you were brought here, so we can only assume that he wants this to be kept a secret."
"So long as you remain here, Apocalypse cannot destroy humankind. He would not elaborate, but we will have to keep you here, to protect you and to protect ourselves."
"I'm getting sick of this," Scott said. "Everywhere I go, someone wants to keep me somewhere! What am I, a parrot? I'm not some pet you can just lock up! I'm outta here."
"You're not going anywhere."
"Wha… fuck! Juggernaut!" The massively built Cain Marko entered the dining room, wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Cain was a wealthy but uncultured man. He was not born into high society, but rather inherited it. When his brother Charles Xavier had died, Cain received some of his fortune as his only living relative, though the rest was taken by the United States government. When the government collapsed, Cain took back what was his, and more.
"So you've met Dr. Marko before?"
"DOCTOR?! Doctor of what, demolition?"
"Dr. Marko is an archaeologist," Callisto explained. "He has his temper tantrums, but he's not a bad man."
"You," Cain said. "You're the little punk who threw that cigarette butt in my mouth. I haven't forgotten that."
"Er… look, it was an accident! How was I supposed to know you were napping under that bridge?"
"Scott, Dr. Marko, please," Callisto interrupted. "You're acting like humans. Try to maintain some civility."
"So these are the two Warren brought us. You know, that jerk can't do anything right. Least he could've done was bring a cute girl."
"Dr. Marko…"
"Fine. I'm going out to relieve some stress." Cain walked out of the dining room. It seemed like the floor shook a bit as he did.
"Oh, that's no good," Caliban said. A lizard-like mutant servant without a nose walked up to Caliban and whispered something to him. "Thank you. Scott, Pietro… you seek to find Wanda Lehnsherr, correct?"
"Yeah, we do," Scott said. He was quick to answer and Pietro raised an eyebrow.
"We can help you." Caliban got up from the table. "Come with us, please." Scott and Pietro followed Caliban and Callisto out of the dining room and down the hall decorated with numerous paintings and small statues.
"Quite a collection," Pietro said.
"Small trinkets." Caliban led them through a door at the end of the hall that seemed to lead to a dark basement. Once they had walked far enough into the dark, they noticed a light further down. Scott's glasses obscured his vision, but the closer they got, the more clear it became.
"What the-?!" Several young boys, all identical in appearance, were working at several computers.
"Jamie Madrox was brought here by the Horseman Death as well," Callisto explained. "Before Apocalypse wiped most of the human population out, the human military worked on a new form of communication using telephone lines. It is still used by Trask and his army for secure information transfer, but it was never fully developed, so a twelve-year-old mutant and ten of his artificially created duplicates can easily tap into this network and acquire information. Apocalypse himself requested that we do this for him. I'm not sure he really understands human technology."
"So what does this have to do with Wanda?" Scott asked.
"We have been using this opportunity to do some investigation of our own…" Caliban explained. "Trask's monitoring system has tracked Wanda from Mexico to New Zealand and now Iraq. She is currently moving north-west, along with other mutants… Alex Summers is among them."
"So she's safe?" Scott asked.
"Yes. She is safe, but not for long." Callisto pointed to a tracking map on the third Jamie's screen. "If this trajectory does not change, she and the others will be arriving in Europe shortly, passing by or possibly stopping in Northern Germany. Apocalypse maintains a base there."
"What?!" Pietro screamed. "She's crazy! She's with Magneto, isn't she?"
"Trask's technology cannot track enhanced mutants," Caliban said. "It has difficulty tracking most mutants as it is."
"We're going to Germany, then!" Scott ordered.
"Not so fast," Callisto said, standing in Scott's way. "You can't leave here."
"I can't let Wanda walk into a trap!"
"We will send someone to help her, but you have to stay here."
"Fuck you! Outta my way!" Scott held the trigger to his glasses.
"If you face Apocalypse alone, you will fail," Caliban warned him.
"Better to die trying, don't you think?" Scott yelled back. "C'mon, Pietro. We're going."
"What?! What do you want me for?! These guys want to keep me in this nice mansion here, and I'm not about to let them down."
"Look, Pietro!" Scott yelled, grabbing Pietro by the collar. "I've had enough of your attitude! You want to end this now or you want to suffer later?!"
"Does it matter?!"
"YES IT MATTERS! Now come on!" Pietro reluctantly followed Scott up the stairs. The Jamies continued their work as Caliban and Callisto discussed what had just happened.
"He takes after his mother," Callisto said.
"We cannot control him. We might as well give them a transport."
"Yes, and the journal."
"The journal… I'd forgotten about it." Elsewhere on the grounds, the servants tried to stall Scott and Pietro.
"You don't even know how to get there!" the noseless servant pleaded.
"OUT OF MY WAY!" A larger, more human looking servant grabbed Scott's head with his large hands, covering his eyes. "HEY, HEY!"
"Let him go," Callisto said. "Scott, Pietro, you can take our jet. We'll send a pilot with you, but he will return when he drops you off."
"Thanks. About time you guys made sense."
"One more thing." Callisto handed Scott a small, beaten, leatherbound book. "This is a journal from Dr. Marko's late colleague, the man who freed Apocalypse in the first place. Read it and study it. Without it, you don't stand a chance against Apocalypse."
"Right, I'll do it… and…" Scott paused for a moment. "Thanks," he said reluctantly.
"Good luck to you." Scott and Pietro were led to a hangar that contained, among other things, a small jet. The pilot accompanying them was the noseless, lizard-like servant called Lucid, wearing a loose-fitting suit and an odd pilot's hat.
"Alright, just sit back," Lucid told them. Scott and Pietro sat in the passenger seats as Lucid prepared the jet for takeoff.
"Hmm. Speed-reader, get to work on this." Scott handed Pietro the book.
"Wha? Me? Oh, alright." Pietro looked at the book's cover: The Journal of Dr. Nathaniel Essex
-------------------------------
Forge sat at the controls of the X-Men's Blackbird with Magneto next to him. Forge had fitted the Blackbird with enhancements that allowed it to fly at extremely high speeds, but he had not developed a designed that could withstand traveling that fast. Magneto had to use his power to keep the ship together, so nobody ever said anything to him during these trips. Breaking his concentration would have catastrophic consequences for everyone onboard. Magneto would use his power to carry the ship himself, but even his power could not match the Blackbird's speed, and the sooner they reached Germany, the better.
Behind Forge and Magneto, in the passenger seats, Mystique sat with baby Kevin, across from Alex and Cannonball. Behind Alex sat Tabby and Pyro, and behind them was Evan. Across from them, Wanda sat with Rahne, and behind her, Gambit kicked back with two seats to himself.
"So how long until we get there?" Pyro asked.
"Too long," Wanda said.
"You guys better be careful," Gambit warned them. "Apocalypse is one bad mutant. Wrong move, and you're holding your head."
"I can take him," Pyro said.
"Oh, you think so, eh? You ain't never met him, have you?"
"Well, no, but-"
"Then shut your hole, boy. Let us men handle this."
"Ahem," Mystique said.
"Yeah, and Mystique… an' Wanda… an'… aw, fuck." Wanda just looked out the window. Wherever they were, it was getting dark. All she could think about was Scott. But why now? She hadn't thought that much about him before leaving Mexico. She looked out to see another ruined city below. This one still had some activity. Most likely mutants who had taken over the city after the humans had been evicted, so to speak. Just like the city where she and Scott had split…
"Pyro," she called, distracting herself from her own thoughts, "Just how do you know my father?"
"Oh, that's easy. He and my dad were close mates."
"Your dad?"
"Yeah. Martin Allerdyce, ever heard of him? He wrote books. I tried doing the same, but I just didn't inherit his talents.
"Martin was a drunk," Mystique said.
"Yeah, he was lots of things. I dunno why Magneto hung out with him."
"He liked your father's books," Mystique explained. "Martin had a sort of obsession with the Shakespearean definition of tragedy. Magnus likes to think of himself as a powerful noble."
"Magneto Rex," Pyro joked. "Ha. I think my dad might've written a book with that title."
"You're all so damn boring," Gambit said. "You know, this is why none of you got nowhere. Always reading stupid books and talking about philosophy and all that boring shit. Pyro, you ever even kissed a girl?"
"Uh… no, I haven't. Tabby's just here to make it look that way."
"Aw, shut up, she's only with you cuz ain't nobody else around."
"I don't see anyone sitting with you, Gambit."
"That's cuz I ain't turned on the Gambit charm. Nothin' personal, but none of you ladies are my type." Gambit shrugged and shuffled his cards.
"You play solitaire often?"
"Hey, fuck you." Evan laughed. "You shut up, too, porcupine. I'll have you know that I-"
"Quiet, all of you!" Magneto yelled. "I need to concentrate. We're almost there."
-------------------------------
General Trask sat in a chair at a table in a small room within the Indian base, across from Sabretooth. Sabretooth had demanded that the guards leave them alone, but Trask was wiser than that. His men were stationed at the door, ready to burst in on Trask's command, and Sabretooth had overlooked a hidden camera installed in an air vent.
"So, Mr. 'Sabretooth.' What do you want?"
"I want you to call off your little war."
"I'm afraid I can't do that. Mr. 'Sabretooth,' are you employed by anyone, or are you here for your own reasons."
"Doesn't matter. Call off this war. You don't want to fight Apocalypse."
"I have met him, and he is nothing. I was expecting to die when I faced him, but all I got was a limp."
"But what did he get?"
"Well, he…"
"Think about that, Trask. He let you get away so you could start this war. End it now, Trask. Dissolve this army and spread out."
"You're insane. That's just what the enemy wants."
"You're not going to listen to me, are you?"
"You're a mutant. I have no reason to. Now, are you going to leave or am I going to have to have you escorted."
"I thought you were a reasonable man, Trask. I'm going to have to end this myself." Sabretooth threw the table aside and reached for Trask, who quickly rolled out of the way. Immediately, Trask's men rushed in, but Sabretooth pushed past them before any shots could be fire. They turned around to go after him, but he was already gone.
"General Trask, are you alright, sir?" a soldier asked as Trask brushed himself off.
"I'm fine. Just a mutant wacko who thinks he knows what's going on in the world. Get the tracker up, and make sure you take him out."
Sabretooth walked through the jungle, but he didn't run. He knew he was being followed… in fact, he had counted on it.
"Take him down!"
"Surprise, surprise!" Sabretooth turned to face Trask's men. He rushed at them as they fired their rifles…
-------------------------------
Toad clung to a rather tall tree just outside of the castle had had been held in by Apocalypse. He looked around frantically, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
"Aww… c'mon… where is everyone?!" After the experiment with Kurt, Apocalypse had let his prisoners out of the castle and let them run free. There was one very dangerous catch: they were being hunted.
Toad looked down and finally saw a familiar face. Jean was walking around, constantly looking behind her. He knew he would regret it, but he didn't have many other options.
"Yo, Jean!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Hey, whoa, calm down! It's me, Toad!" Toad jumped down to the ground. "Didn't mean to scare you like that… seen anyone else around?"
"No, now fuck off."
"Look Jean, we got our differences, right? But we gotta gotta stick together. Strength in numbers, right? So stick we stick together, we stay calm, we find the others."
"I don't need your help, Toad! See those bushes? Why don't you go hop behind them and fuck yourself?"
"Dammit, Jean, listen to me! You wanna get killed out here?! If we stay together and don't start shit against each other, we might have a chance!" Jean looked away. "You know, neither of us really wants to face it, but we ARE brother and sister. It's time we acted like it."
"I can't trust you, Toad. Go find someone else to trick."
"Fine, Jean. If you want to go about this all alone, go ahead. We could use each other's help, but if you don't want any of that, I guess that's just the way that's gotta be." Toad crouched down and prepared to hop away.
"Wait!" Jean called. "Look, Toad. We'll work our problems out later, but for now, let's call a truce."
"You got it. Now let's go find the others."
-------------------------------
Elsewhere in the forest, Rogue climbed up a tree-covered hill, hoping to find a higher vantage point and hopefully spot her allies. As she climbed up, she found Kate curled up against a tree, crying softly.
"Kate? Are you alright?"
"We're gonna die… we're gonna die."
"Kate, we're not gonna die." Rogue wasn't used to giving reassurance to others, but there was nobody else around to help Kate. "Look, just stay with me. We'll get out of this alive."
"How do you know?"
"Look, you don't always have to know things, you just know… I mean, you just feel it. I can feel that we're going to get out of this just fine."
"But… but Kurt…"
"Stop worrying! You're not just going to sit there and whine about it, are you?"
"What else can I do?"
"You can get some guts and help me look for the others, now come on." Rogue continued uphill. Kate got up, rubbed her eyes, and ran after her.
"Wait for me! I'm coming, Marie!"
"That's better. Hey, in case anything happens, get ready to phase us through trees, or something."
"I… I will."
-------------------------------
Freddy charged through the forest, trying his best to squeeze between the trees, but mostly he ended up hitting them. He had only knocked one tree down, but the others were tilted at an angle that could fall at any moment. Freddy looked around desperately for his friends, not because he was afraid for himself, but for them. He was the strongest of all of them, and he could shrug off most attacks with ease. But what about Toad, Rogue and Kate? And what about Jean?
"Freddy!" Jean yelled. She was hiding behind a tree, while Toad was stuck onto another tree.
"He's coming this way! Freddy yelled. "Keep running, I've got your backs!" Jean quickly started running, and Toad hopped from tree to tree. They heard a crackling sound behind them, like thunder, and then the sound of a tree falling.
"Freddy, watch out!" Freddy caught the tree he had loosened a moment before. When he saw what was on top of it, he began to regret it.
The beast that stood on the fallen tree had once gone by the name of Kurt Darkholme. Now, he was known as Nightcrawler. He resembled a cross between a man, a cat, and a wolf, covered in dark blue fur that was short in some areas, but longer and shaggier in others, particularly his back. He had a short black mane growing from his head and the top of his back, and a whip-like tail behind him that ended in a strange pike shape. He no longer had feet or hands, only claws that vaguely resembled human parts. His face carried traces of Kurt Darkholme, but it was clear that he was no longer Kurt. He had grown a small, almost wolf-life snout with rows of sharp teeth, and his wears were brushed back near the top of his head, long and pointy. The second Freddy had caught the tree, Nightcrawler pounced at Jean. She pushed him away telekinetically, but Nightcrawler disappeared in a cloud of thick, black smoke. He reappeared in a bright white flash with a loud thunder-like crackle and landed right next to Jean. He turned his head and snarled, then Toad jumped onto his back and kicked off into the trees. Angered, Nightcrawler climbed after Toad.
"Yo, snap out of it, bro!" Toad yelled. Nightcrawler roared back at him, not sounding like any other creature Toad had heard before. Nightcrawler's roar had the mighty bellow of a lion, but at the same time, the sinister hiss of a snake. Toad hopped away before the beast could maul him. Below, Freddy pounded at the tree and shook Nightcrawler down. In a dark puff of smoke and a bright white flash, Nightcrawler was on top of Freddy. Nightcrawler growled, and jumped off Freddy, shaking his head as he remembered that Freddy could not be damaged. Jean thrust her hands forward, and Nightcrawler flew against the tree with great force. He fell onto the floor and slowly got back up, shaking his head and whimpering slightly.
"Now it's comin' after you!" Toad yelled. Nightcrawler pulled back and jumped at Jean, baring his fangs and brandishing his claws.
"I don't think so!" Freddy had quickly moved between Jean and Nightcrawler as the monster jumped onto his chest and began to maul him mercilessly. Freddy flinched and grunted, and shook visibly from the attack. Freddy dropped to the ground and Nightcrawler, satisfied with the amount of work he had done, jumped off and clung to a nearby tree. Jean rushed to Freddy's said, and for the first time in her life, she watched him bleed. Somehow, Nightcrawler had been strong enough to pierce even Freddy's mutant skin.
"Freddy, no! How could this happen?!"
"He's too strong Jean… he's too strong…" While Jean sat with Freddy, Toad distracted Nightcrawler by hurling a glob of slime at him. Nightcrawler teleported away and appeared a few feet away from Toad with a vicious, sharp-toothed grin. A bolt of orange energy struck Nightcrawler in the face and knocked him on his side. Alex held his hand out a few feet away, with Gambit, Pyro and Wanda closeby.
"Are you alright?" Alex asked.
"We're cool… 'cept Fred."
"He's wounded," Jean explained. "We need to get him to a hospital."
"Pyro, take them back to the Blackbird," Wanda ordered. Jean used her telekinetic powers to lift the bleeding Freddy off the ground and carry him with her after Pyro.
"Whoa, that's one nasty critter," Gambit remarked as Nightcrawler got back up.
"Hey, that's my brother!" Toad yelled.
"I see the resemblance." Toad sneered, then hopped after Jean and Freddy. "What do we do about this monster here, fearless leader?"
"We keep him busy while help arrives!" Wanda yelled. She waved her fingers to keep Nightcrawler from getting back up, but somehow, he did. "Ah… what?!" Nightcrawler disappeared in a puff of black smoke.
"This doesn't look good… let's find the others quickly!" Wanda ordered. Rahne and Cannonball arrived on the field. "What are you doing here?"
"Orders from Magneto," Rahne explained. "He said there was something else out here."
"Alright then… let's keep looking!" As the group continued to search, Forge tended to Freddy aboard the Blackbird's cargo hold while Jean waited nervously. Toad sat next to her in the passenger hold.
"It'll be okay," Toad said.
"I don't know, Toad. Freddy's never been hurt like this before. I thought it was impossible."
"Just calm down. That robot guy knows what he's doing."
"I hope so. Freddy's really all I have, after you and your bastard dad ditched me. He's the only reason I even stay with the X-Men."
"Hey, hey," Toad said. "I didn't ditch you, okay? My mom chose me, and your folks chose you, and we couldn't help that!"
"We were supposed to stay together, Toad, but the moment some blue whore decides to adopt you, you go for it!"
"May I remind you that I am sitting next to you," Mystique said through clenched teeth. "But thank you for reminding me why I decided not to adopt you." Forge stepped out of the cargo hold, pulling off bloody gloves.
"How is he?" Jean asked. Forge's face was grim and serious. He ignored the rest and went straight to Magneto. He whispered something to him, and then Magneto's face became serious. Or rather, more serious.
"What? What is it?! Tell me!"
"I will tell her," Magneto told Forge. "Jean… he sustained significant damage to his vital organs. Forge will need to do a proper examination with his own equipment at the Institute, but from what he has seen, Fred does not have long to live."
In the forest, Alex and Wanda led Gambit, Rahne and Cannonball in search of Rogue and Kate. They were surprised to find them both hiding in a tree.
"It's okay, Kate," Wanda called. "Everything's fine."
"I know!" Kate yelled. She jumped down and used her phasing ability to soften her landing. "Where's everyone else?"
"Wha…" Wanda was surprised at Kate's sudden change in attitude. "Uh… back at the Blackbird. Cannonball, help Rogue down." Cannonball nodded and flew up into the tree, picked up Rogue, and flew back down. Rogue was a little shaken, but otherwise alright.
"Havok, take Rogue and Kate back to the ship," Wanda ordered.
"Right. This way, girls." As they disappeared into the forest, Wanda and the others stayed behind. "We still haven't found Kurt. Gambit, I heard Toad say something about his brother. What was it?"
"He said he was deeper into the woods, this way!" Gambit led Wanda, Rahne and Cannonball further from the Blackbird and closer to the castle. After a few minutes, Gambit stopped. He looked around cautiously.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm not too sure, but I think this is a trap…"
"A trap?"
"Yep." Gambit took three cards from his coat, holding them between his fingers, and charged them. Rahne went into full-wolf mode, and Cannonball readied himself to launch. Several feet away from them, Mesmero appeared. He cackled as he waved his hand. It was only then that Wanda noticed.
Her allies were all facing her.
"Come quietly, or we'll have to let Mesmero bring you in." A sly, evil grin appeared on Gambit's face. Wanda brought her hands up, but Cannonball rammed into her lightly, but hard enough to knock her over. Mesmero stood over her, and the world went black.
The devastated Jean cried into Toad's shoulder as Magneto looked out of the Blackbird.
"Wanda is not yet back," he told Forge. "Her radio has stopped working. This is strangely familiar."
"So do we send another team?"
"Yes. I will take Havok and Tabitha with me. If we do not make contact in ten minutes, take the Blackbird back to the Institute and make sure to re-examine Stalwart."
"Yes… yes, sir." Magneto, Alex and Tabby set out on foot to look for Wanda and the others. Not long into their search, Magneto signaled for the others to stop.
"There is something else here." A white flash and thunderclap later, Nightcrawler jumped towards Magneto. Magneto somehow forced Nightcrawler away from him. "Kurt."
"What?! That's Kurt Darkholme?!"
"Yes. The product of enhancement and twisted engineering by Apocalypse. We will storm the base." Magneto took their hands and they flew out of the forest and onto the castle, which was suddenly devoid of activity. "Stay close. Kurt is not the only surprise Apocalypse will have in store for us." Magneto, Alex and Tabby made their way into the castle itself, walking through a foyer tunnel of some sort, and came upon a metal door at the end.
"Must be the entrance," Tabby said.
"Nope, it's the exit!" Gambit yelled. He appeared from behind them, along with Colossus and Wolverine.
"A trap?" Magneto said. The metal door opened, and Mesmero waved his hands in an attempt to invade Magneto's mind. "You have tried this before, Mesmero. Your powers have no effect on me."
"Indirectly, no." Alex aimed his hand at Magneto's head, and Tabby held a bomb in each hand. "Come with us."
"A crude plan. You forget who you're dealing with." Magneto quickly rolled out of their way and used his powers to take control of Colossus.
"Hmm. Didn't think you could work bio-metal," Wolverine said. He drew his claws and jumped over Colossus, but Magneto moved out of the way before his attack could connect. Alex aimed an orange bolt, but Magneto absorbed it within a small cloud of magnetic energy. He forced Colossus to knocked Alex and Tabby's heads with his fists to knock them out quickly. He turned Colossus on Gambit and Wolverine, whose attacks could not penetrate the thick metal covering the massive mutant. Wolverine stayed to the side as Colossus punched Gambit in the chest and then threw him across the hall. Magneto lifted Colossus into the air and pinned Wolverine under him.
"Release Havok and Tabitha," Magneto told Mesmero. Mesmero continued to attempt an invasion of Magneto's mind. "It's no use. I am too far advanced for a mere psychic attack, Mesmero."
"Then what about two?" Mastermind caught him by surprise from behind and placed his hands on the sides of Magneto's head. With their combined powers, Mastermind and Mesmero penetrated Magneto's mental defenses. Magneto collapsed on the stone floor, and Colossus stood up and picked him up.
"All things considered, I think we worked well together," Mastermind told Mesmero, who just shrugged.
What's in Dr. Essex's journal? Who is Sabretooth working for? Could Freddy really be dying? Has Magneto fallen to the power of Apocalypse, and if he has, who is going to stop him?