Disclaimer - the usual
A/N - Boo-ya! I think this qualifies as my fastest posting ever. *bows* Everyone who's wondering where the next chapter for Crossed Paths is…yeah…um…the X-Men bug bit me and this is all I can write lately. Soon! Soon I promise! But okay, I'll shush, on with the show!
The Memory Remains
Chapter 5
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Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams.
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream.
--- Metallica "Master of Puppets"
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"Just give me a moment," Jean called over her shoulder. "I'll reconfigure Cerebro to specifically target Sasha's unique mutant signature. If she uses her powers, we'll have her location." The red-head typed a few more commands into the Institute's computer. "Finished."
"Mutant signature identified. Name: Sasha Romanov. Code name: Velocity. Location: coast of Scotland, approximately forty miles west of Glasgow."
"Incoming transmission. Source: Department H. Location: Northern Alberta."
The response was instantaneous, and Cerebro continued speaking over himself, relaying the information of the two transmissions arriving at the same time, resulting in a garbled jumble of words adding to the already hectic atmosphere inside the Institute. Cyclops tried to get Cerebro to separate the messages but Wolverine's acute hearing picked up the most important part: Department H.
"Alpha Flight," he snarled under his breath. "What the hell do they want?"
"Hold on, Wolverine," Cyclops realized what he was upset about. "They could have important information for us."
"I don't care!" Wolverine spat and marched over to the screen, then pounded his fist on the panel. The screen flickered on, revealing an image of a young woman with wire-framed glasses. She wore a lab coat with a nametag across the left breast pocket: Hudson.
"Wolverine-" she began, pushing a strand of strawberry-blonde hair behind her ear.
"Heather!" Wolverine snapped, cutting her off. "I warned you what would happen if any of you tried to contact me again! 'S'matter? Your memory failing you?"
"No, Wolverine, we remembered," Heather sighed, her eyes showing signs of stress. "We didn't forget one word you said to us, but we thought even this would be important enough to put all that aside for a moment."
"What could-"
Before he could finish, Heather held up a small hologram projector and switched it on. An image of a very familiar snarling, savage mutant appeared, and he was apparently restrained.
"Sabretooth," Wolverine muttered.
"We have him," Heather switched the projector off. "And don't worry, James doesn't have anything to do with this. Important enough?"
"I'll be there as soon as I can."
Heather's image disappeared and Wolverine turned back to the team. "I gotta go."
"Take Morph with you, Wolverine," Cyclops ordered. "Somehow I doubt that it's coincidence that Sabretooth resurfaces the same night Velocity wakes up. I wouldn't be surprised if Mystique's lurking around, too."
"Good call," the Canuck nodded. "Okay, we'll check in if we find anythin' interesting." He and Morph turned to go.
"Oh, can I go too?" Jubilee asked hopefully. "Please Cyclops, please Wolverine?"
The two men exchanged a nod. "Sure, Jubilee. You've earned a real mission."
"Excellent!" Jubilee cried gleefully and hurried to catch up with Morph. They went on ahead and Wolverine held back a moment as Cyclops approached.
"Take care of her," he lowered his voice.
"No problem," Wolverine nodded, then left the room.
"The rest of us will take the Blackbird to Muir Island," Cyclops turned back to the team. "Jean and Beast will stay with Moira to help with Kevin. See if there's any way to get into contact with Rogue; she'll want to know about this. Jean, try also to isolate Velocity's brainwave patterns from machinery in her room at the Research Centre. Maybe we can find a clue as to where she's going.
"Since Cerebro's just confirmed that she's already on the mainland, Gambit, Storm and I will go on ahead to Glasgow. She'll probably head for the nearest city to avoid detection, and we'll be waiting for her. Let's move."
*
Mickey hadn't batted an eye when he saw Velocity use her powers. In fact, the corners of his mouth curled upward into a smug smile and he lit another cigarette. He turned and started suddenly at the man whom he discovered had been standing silently behind him.
"I tol' ye no' t'do tha'," he snapped.
"And I specifically told you not to get too attached," the man replied. His metallic-sounding voice resonated in the still, near-dawn air.
"Y'ask too much," Mickey turned away from the man.
"Do I? I seem to recall asking only for that which is due to me. You owe me a debt in return for a substantial favour, or have you forgotten?"
Mickey took a long drag on his cigarette then whirled around and stabbed the burning end into the man's arm. As he did so, his appearance changed: tanned skin became pale blue, dark brown hair became deep red, bright blue eyes to ghostly white, muscular physique changed to the curves of a woman. "I never forget anything."
The man didn't even flinch, and watched as his techno-organic skin instantly healed the burn on his arm. He turned hollow eyes on her. "Then do as you are told, Mystique. I gave you information to reclaim one daughter, now I need the other one. Need I remind you that it is not only me who orders this?"
Mystique took one last puff and then dropped the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under her boot. "She isn't going to New York," she sighed.
"What?"
"She's going back to Russia. Why? I don't know, but that's what she told me. She was acting very strangely. Something's happened that even you did not count on."
"I always have a plan for a change of plans," he reminded her. "There is nothing to worry about."
"I'll find out-"
"I don't want you following her. You know what you are to do. After that, your job is done. You will have nothing more to do with her."
"She is my daughter."
"She is no longer your concern," the man stressed. "Do you understand?"
The dull glow of the impending dawn softly illuminated the man's frightening features as he leaned closer to Mystique's face: his skin was eerily pale and his teeth were jagged and sharp. His hair was a neat black crew cut and his eyes, like hers, were without pupils.
Mystique remained stone-faced as she shifted back to Mickey's appearance. "I get ye." Brown eyes burned with hatred as Mystique turned and walked away. The man watched until she was out of sight.
"Ruckus, its Essex," he spoke into a communicator in his ear. "Move to plan B. Mystique may now be a liability. We must ensure our success."
"Loud an' clear, Boss," Ruckus replied through the comm.
"Excellent," Nathaniel Essex, known to most as Mr. Sinister, grinned maliciously, eyeing the building behind which he knew Cable and Domino hid.
*
Pyro, Avalanche and Toad walked quickly back to Toad's apartment to retrieve Blob from his drunken slumber. There were still several hours until dawn but the Brotherhood still had no idea how to get across the Atlantic and locate Sasha before the X-Men could do the same.
"'Allo, gents, lovely night, in't it?"
The three of them snapped into instant battle stance and turned around to face the voice, but were met only with the deserted street.
"Oh, got to be a mite quicker than that, lads."
The voice was now where they had just looked away from, but again there was nobody when they turned back.
"This is getting old real fast," Toad muttered, his eyes darting around the street in search of any movement to betray their mysterious caller.
"I heard that one," Avalanche growled, his top lip curling into a sneer. He closed his eyes, listening for even the tiniest sound. A pebble bounced to his left and without hesitating he slammed his foot into the concrete and sent a shockwave in that direction, tearing up pavement as it went.
"Random acts of destruction! I like your style, Lancey-Boy. Too bad you can't aim."
"Where are you?!" Avalanche exploded. A steady rumble began and the asphalt pieces clattered against the street.
"Woo! Look at the fire in this one, Gorgeous!"
"You want fire?" Pyro narrowed his eyes. "You got it!" An audible click sounded and from underneath Pyro's trenchcoat the flame-thrower came to life. The Aussie released his mutant power at full force and manipulated the fire until it had grown into a monstrous flaming dragon. The creature lit up the street as bright as day and revealed that which had previously been hidden in shadow: a dark gooey purple form clinging to the ledge of a third story window.
"Oh-ho, so the whelp has bite afterall. Might actually be something legit to the Boss's theory."
The purple mass untangled itself, revealing the two figures it had been concealing and taking form itself. The Brotherhood stared at the two men and one woman perched on the window ledge.
"If you won't shut him up, Pyro," Avalanche said, "I'm gonna."
"This one's all mine," Pyro replied. The dragon took a step toward the building and moved its head so it was within yards of the trio, its burning eyes seeming to stare straight through them.
"Whew, is it just me, Ruckus, or is it getting hot out here?" the man made of the purple goo grinned.
"Allow me, Gorgeous," the other man with bright pink hair and a long purple overcoat replied. Then he screamed.
The Brotherhood boys had never heard a more horrible sound. All three cringed and covered their ears as the force of the sonic waves of his scream blew back and evaporated the fiery creature. He stopped screaming.
Avalanche clenched his fist and the tremors began again as he prepared to bring the entire building down on top of the antagonists.
"Down boy," the woman with long, platinum blonde hair said as she raised her hand, and suddenly he along with Pyro and Toad could hear nothing but a high-pitched resonating in their heads. Their skulls felt as though they would explode and they dropped to their knees in agony.
Toad opened his eyes and clenched his teeth as he forced himself to focus. He could swear he recognized their attackers from somewhere and the names sounded so familiar. The answer was on the tip of his tongue.
The woman saw him fighting her power and she increased the intensity of her attack. Their heads throbbed and their stomachs churned. Avalanche's alcohol-filled gut submitted to the pressure and he vomited all over the sidewalk.
"Vertigo is never a fun-time experience," the man called Ruckus smirked as the trio descended to the street. "But that's what happens when you play with the big boys."
"Or, should we say, the Nasty Boys," Gorgeous George added.
"Nasty Boys," Toad squeaked. "I remember now. You're Sinister's gang."
"Oh, now have a little respect, mate," Ruckus feigned hurt. "We do have names. You wouldn't like it if we addressed you as Mystique's gang."
"Especially since she betrayed them, or did I hear that rumour correctly?" Vertigo smirked.
"Hey, now, Vertigo, don't kick a man when he's down," Gorgeous laughed.
"What do you want?" Pyro screamed over the pounding in his head.
"Glad you asked!" Ruckus grinned, motioning for Vertigo to stop. "We're actually here to help you boys out and give you a nudge in the right direction, so to speak."
Avalanche was on his feet as soon as Vertigo had released them from her power, and he grabbed Ruckus by the collar of his overcoat and pushed him against the wall of the building. "Talk fast!" he ordered.
Gorgeous and Vertigo made a move toward Avalanche, but Ruckus calmly raised his hands, keeping them back but on guard. "We just happen to have information on the whereabouts of the delectable Ms. Sasha Romanov."
Pyro was now on his feet and he threw Avalanche off of Ruckus and then took his place and slammed the Nasty Boy against the wall. "Where is she?"
"Would you get a load of this little cracker?" Ruckus laughed. "Didn't think you had any spark left these days. 'Ow good it is t'be wrong."
"Now!" Pyro screamed, applying pressure to Ruckus's throat, blocking him from using his mutant power.
"Either you get him off, or we do," Vertigo told Toad, her voice still calm. "Only one way ends with him still breathing."
"Johnny, back off!" Toad yelled, motioning for Avalanche to help him. The two grabbed hold of Pyro and yanked the Aussie off his victim.
"Now, that was uncalled for," Ruckus massaged his throat. "We're bringing helpful information, not delivering a ransom note. What do you think, Gorgeous?"
"There's just no trust among mutant gangs anymore," the purple man shook his head. "The Morlocks don't come out to play, and Heaven knows the Hellfire Club isn't up for a friendly game of chess."
"And let's not even mention the mutates of the Savage Lands," Vertigo smirked.
"And now even Mystique's gang has it in for us," Ruckus's eyes twinkled. "Oh, what a world we live in. Well, I know when I'm not wanted. Perhaps we'll just be off." They turned to leave.
"You're not going anywhere," Toad folded his arms. "You have information on Sasha, and I'm guessing it doesn't come for free. What do we have to do?"
All three turned around. "Smart lad," Ruckus pointed at Toad. "As a matter of fact there is a little job for you boys. It's like this: your old boss isn't doing as she's told and we think she's tailing Sparky's sweetheart. Chances are it's to get her back on her team, and we just can't have that. Deal goes: we zip you three overseas, giving you a head start on the X-Men, and all you have to do is keep Mystique away from the lovely Velocity."
"No problem," Avalanche said, anxious to get back at Mystique for her betrayal.
"Hold it," Toad said. "Blob's still asleep back at my place. We've got to get him first."
"No time," Vertigo shook her head. "The X-Men are already on the move."
"Besides, we dropping in there first looking for you," Gorgeous grinned. "Let's just say it didn't look like he'd be ready to wake up anytime soon."
"It's now or never, mates," Ruckus folded his arms.
"We'll do it," Pyro nodded.
"Fantastic," Ruckus smiled.
To Be Continued…