*** Of gods and Men
I do not own X-Men nor do I endorse their products. This story should fit in continuum. Though I personally chose the main characters from the X-men in mid 2003. I decided to do this story because certain characters in New and Uncanny have not been crossed over lately. I thought it might be a good chemistry since certain issues haven't been resolved. Each chapter is suited to fit a general timeline within a comic. Enjoy!
Author's Notes: I have edited the last chapter because at first it did not show the "telepathy" conversations.
Last Issue: Emma Frost and Warren Worthington III are suspects of grand theft. Paige has been kidnapped. Beak is way over his head following Beast's directions. And Iceman is just here to enjoy the ride?
CHAPTER 2 - Chickens and Falling Skies
*Florida's nighttime alleyway
Two men approached the giant bird. It was late at night and the darkness made it hard to see the features of this . . . monster? It was about the size of an average man. It had peach colored skin. The most striking part of its features was how featherless it was. The two men stared at it. Dared to look into its eyes. It blinked.
"What are you guys going to do?"
They were surprised that "it" could talk. Mutant? It was definitely a freak. "It" sounded almost childish.
"We're going to kill you."
"But why? What have I ever done to you?"
"You were born."
The two large men looked amused. They snickered. One of them spat on the ground. The other picked up a crowbar.
The giant bird quickly reached into its jacket before either man could take a swing at it. Before they realized anything, the giant bird sprayed something into their faces. Pepper spray. Eyes. Face. Burning.
As the giant bird ran away from the two men, who lay on the ground sobbing like cowards, it said, "I am Beak and I might be a freak but I have the basic human right to live!"
------------------------------------------------------------ *Florida, Museum Ballroom
"Robert, freeze all of them!" Emma Frost pointed to the decaying bodies around them.
"Huh?"
"You imbecile. It will slow down the deterioration of these people."
Bobby Drake had to shake himself back into reality. He looked at the palm of his hands and then turned them over. To the horror of the crowd around him he froze all the decaying victims. Though the decaying of these people stopped, they were now ice statues. Frozen in their suffering. Everyone else in the room that was alive and well fell to the ground.
Emma Frost transformed into her diamond exoskeleton. "I put the rest of the people to sleep. It will be easier solving this mystery without the banter of a bloody riot. Oh and Iceman, dear? Settle Warren down. He is irritating me and my patience is thinning."
Flying around the room, Warren Worthington III is at a frantic state.
"Paige! Where are you? PAIGE!"
Iceman looked up to see an angel dressed in a tuxedo. Shouting out his girlfriend's name. The angel spotted him and flew down to Iceman quickly.
"Oh boy. Here comes crazy Warren," he said under his breath.
"Bobby! We have to find Paige!"
"Warren. Buddy, snap out of it. There are people dying in this room right now. Paige is a survivor. We'll find her but there are other things we gotta do first."
The angel looked surprised. "You're right. Look at me; I'm acting like an idiot." He gently landed on the ground and folded back his wings.
"Don't worry about it."
"It's just after Betsy died . . . I couldn't protect her Bobby. I'll be damned if anything happens to Paige. I almost lost her too."
"I know," Iceman said.
Emma, in her diamond form, moved towards them.
"I just called Henry on my cellphone." She closes the flip phone and puts it back in her purse.
"What did he say Emma?" Warren asked, taking charge.
"Before the lights went out and all hell broke loose, I was reading a few minds to catch up on the latest gossip. But alas, they all had a tuneless gusto of thoughts. I did, however, discover something interesting. It was nothing scandalous or undignified really. The people who are now devolving into animal droppings have all been exposed to the black diamonds. Henry says that the substances are probably radioactive and therefore unstable."
"Ok." Warren paused to think. "How long will these people stay frozen Bobby?"
"A couple of hours."
"Hopefully that will give us enough time to find a cure to whatever these people are going through. But we're dealing with much more than stolen radioactive diamonds. Someone or some thing kidnapped Paige for whatever reason. And these people only started decaying when the lights turned off."
Iceman finally understood the situation. "You're thinking that somebody has a remote control that turns this thing on? And what does Paige have to do with all this?" He scratches his head.
"Dear, you want to hear something more intriguing?" Both men looked at the ex White Queen.
"Henry told me that Barnel Bohusk took the locating device for the black diamonds but he is now missing. Bless the little dear."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------
*Somewhere else
Paige opens her blue eyes. Her dress and skin are torn. She's tied up. Her mouth is covered. It's dark. She's hears voices.
"Boss said we got the wrong girl."
"What? There's no way!"
"Watch it I'm driving."
"What do you mean we got the wrong girl? We listened to his instructions like he told us. And how does he know we got the wrong one?"
"He saw the real one in the surveillance camera. You know, the hot one in white."
"But this one had diamond skin. He said to get the one with diamond skin."
"Yea but this one can rip off her skin to turn into something else. The boss told me that was her mutant gift."
Paige looked to the direction of the voices. She could only see the back of their heads. Wherever she was she knew that she was in some sort of van. She put her tied hands down and clawed at her left hand, pulling the skin away to reveal something pink and jelly like.
"So there are two that can turn into diamond? What are we going to do with this one huh?"
"Boss said that we could still use her. She's one of them X-Men, so they're bound to look for her sooner or later."
The one in the passenger seat turned its head to look at Paige. She gasped when she saw his face: yellow eyes and blue skin. He looked exactly like Nightcrawler!
"Don't worry sweety. We're going to take care of you nice and proper. Soon you're going to meet the boss."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
*At the docks
Beak is sitting at the edge of a dock. Small waves stroke the shore. The moon filters through some clouds. The water itself reflects the luminosity of the heavens above. A few fishing boats pass by. Beak sighs.
[Barnel Bohusk, you undeniable weirdo. Can you hear us?]
"What? Who's there?" Beak looked around to see nobody.
"I must've gone crazy in the head or something."
Beak almost fell off the dock when five ghostly blond heads appeared around him. He regained his balance and opened his eyes to see the Stepford Cuckoos' heads.
[Beak stop screaming]
"Sorry. It's just my usual reaction when I see floating heads that are talking to my brain. So how are you guys doing this?"
[Professor Xavier is teaching Miss Frost's class today. When Mr. McCoy said you went missing, the Professor had asked us if we wanted to use Cerebra to find you. We thought it was a wonderful idea. You left the communication device at the hotel didn't you?]
The five telepathically said in unison.
"Don't blame me. Mr. McCoy was going too fast in his instructions and I couldn't process everything. And then these big guys came at me when I was near the black diamonds."
[We know Barnel. We can see right through you. Professor Xavier says to stay where you are before you hurt yourself. You've been through several unpleasant experiences already. Miss Frost and Iceman are on their way to the docks. Don't do anything you might regret. We'll see you in the mansion]
Before Beak could say anything, the girls had disappeared. He stares out to the stirring ships.
In the distance he hears a tires screeching and far off voices.
"How did she manage to get away?"
"I don't know but I saw something move into the bushes."
Beak turns around to see a van pass by with two shadowy figures moving inside. In the corner of his eye he spots a shiny woman jump out of the bushes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------
*In a taxi cab
Emma Frost and Iceman are wearing their uniforms. Emma has her arms on her lap and legs crossed looking to the side window, her face away from Iceman. She is in her diamond form. Bobby has his hands in his pocket and a worried expression behind his sunglasses. He turns to look at his telepathic teammate. Emma crosses her arms.
"Dear, why are you staring at my breasts?"
"I was just wondering how you wear that reverse x-bra. Doesn't it ever fall off?"
She sighs.
"Come on Emma. You wear that thing for people to see you in all you're glory."
"Just like you wear that pseudo outfit to hide your inferiority complex."
He sighs. She leans back a little, transforming from diamond to skin.
"Do you think I failed her Robert?"
Iceman is a little surprised by her question. "You mean Paige?"
"I just wanted my students to be strong and independent and - and"
"Safe?" He leans back.
"She's never even said a word to me since she came to the mansion. Can you believe that? Not one bloody word."
"She is strong, she is independent and she's also brave. She's all that because of you. Sure you make mistakes. God knows we all do. You're a good teacher."
"Then why do my students keep dying? My Hellions, Synch, the ones in Genosha and recently Skin, they were all full of life and had so much potential."
Emma Frost slowly morphs back to her glimmering hard shell.
"I heard that you don't have any emotions or empathy when you change. Is that why you became a life size rock at the party? Every time you reach an emotional crisis, you can't just block it out and expect for everything to be all right. You have to accept that life is hard and life is cold."
"I suppose you want me to go on a rampage and become the perfect Faberge killing machine like your dear Lorna?"
He fell silent.
"Ice is growing where your heart is, Bobby Drake! There was a time when you knew me more than anyone in the world. Oh for heaven's sake we shared the same body. But we don't have that connection anymore. So don't give me this sanctimonious speech when you have absolutely know idea the hell I've been through."
He sighed again.
"Emma, there was a time when I even considered asking you out. Beneath your Ice Queen act, there was a self-determined woman who loved children and had many of the qualities of what made an X-Man. Deep down, we still have that psychic bond - that's why we've avoided each other all this time. None of us want to admit who we really are."
She opened a silver flask and took a deep gulp.
"It's because we're cynical darling. I've had enough of this topic. How dare Warren leave us to fulfill his romantic heroics! Paige is a strong, independent and brave young woman. I taught her myself. We must find Barnel Bohusk, get that contraption from him, find the stolen black diamonds, solve this fiasco of a crime and then maybe I can get some much- needed rest. Oh and save the dying pompous bigots from and slow and painful radioactive death."
She took another large gulp from the flask. Bobby smiled.
--------------------------------------------
*In the night sky
My name is Warren Worthington III. I usually enjoy flying at this time in the night, letting the gentle wind carry me across landscapes or through complex cities. There's a freedom about flying that's hard to explain. It's like falling from the sky but never worrying about hitting the ground because you have control.
Flying is my escape from the real world, like Emma's diamond exterior is also her emotional armor. There are some things you can't escape. Fate is one example. I saved Betsy's fate when Sabertooth "killed" her. I couldn't save her the second time.
I saved Paige once before too. Can I save her again? Charles told me through Cerebra that her thought patterns were constantly moving. She had to be in some sort of vehicle. I started to move down towards the ground.
I soar through misty clouds, beneath the bright stars and above the flickering lights of the city below. Thermals push under my wings.
A small plane roars through the night. I could see it from the corner of my eye. It moves fast. I turn to see its direction. In big bold letters it has the words SHAW CORPORATIONS written across it.
"This is not good." I say to myself.
I follow the aircraft to its landing from a safe distant. I land in a nearby tree. I was still too far to see who was coming out of the plane. Was it Sebastian Shaw? Before I could figure anything out I was being shot at.
Bullets pierced my skin. My healing abilities were doing their best to repair the damages as I tried to fly out of there. That was before the tree exploded below me, rendering me unconscious.
After some time I heard some voices in the void darkness.
"You know who this is boss?"
"Yes I do. We have some unfinished business. Don't we Mr. Worthington? And I wouldn't be too worried about your young girlfriend if I were you. Come now, we have work to do. I must show you my beautiful black diamonds. Just like you, they fell from the sky you know."
--------------------------------------------------
*Back at the docks
"Oh my God it's Husk!" Beak says to himself as he gets up from the docks.
Paige runs across the beach towards the thrashing waves. The van behind her stops as smoke seeps from the windows.
"I wouldn't try anything if I were you. I'm made of steel now losers!"
A pink puff of smoke surrounds her.
"You should be worried. Our boss is rich, powerful and has many means. Our father on the other hand is a power this earth hasn't seen over several millennia."
In the distance, Beak could see Paige lost in the cloud of pink smoke. The cloud moved away from the beach and back into the van. Paige was nowhere to be seen.
"I really have gone crazy in the head," Barnel says to himself.
Seconds later a taxicab comes around the corner. Before Emma or Bobby could get out, Beak jumps in closing the door behind him.
"What is the meaning of this?" Emma shouted.
"Follow that van!" Beak shouts to the taxi driver.
"Beak you're stepping on my leg!" Bobby shouted.
"You guys better be able to pay for this," the taxi driver shouts at the X-Men.
TO BE CONTINUED!
I do not own X-Men nor do I endorse their products. This story should fit in continuum. Though I personally chose the main characters from the X-men in mid 2003. I decided to do this story because certain characters in New and Uncanny have not been crossed over lately. I thought it might be a good chemistry since certain issues haven't been resolved. Each chapter is suited to fit a general timeline within a comic. Enjoy!
Author's Notes: I have edited the last chapter because at first it did not show the "telepathy" conversations.
Last Issue: Emma Frost and Warren Worthington III are suspects of grand theft. Paige has been kidnapped. Beak is way over his head following Beast's directions. And Iceman is just here to enjoy the ride?
CHAPTER 2 - Chickens and Falling Skies
*Florida's nighttime alleyway
Two men approached the giant bird. It was late at night and the darkness made it hard to see the features of this . . . monster? It was about the size of an average man. It had peach colored skin. The most striking part of its features was how featherless it was. The two men stared at it. Dared to look into its eyes. It blinked.
"What are you guys going to do?"
They were surprised that "it" could talk. Mutant? It was definitely a freak. "It" sounded almost childish.
"We're going to kill you."
"But why? What have I ever done to you?"
"You were born."
The two large men looked amused. They snickered. One of them spat on the ground. The other picked up a crowbar.
The giant bird quickly reached into its jacket before either man could take a swing at it. Before they realized anything, the giant bird sprayed something into their faces. Pepper spray. Eyes. Face. Burning.
As the giant bird ran away from the two men, who lay on the ground sobbing like cowards, it said, "I am Beak and I might be a freak but I have the basic human right to live!"
------------------------------------------------------------ *Florida, Museum Ballroom
"Robert, freeze all of them!" Emma Frost pointed to the decaying bodies around them.
"Huh?"
"You imbecile. It will slow down the deterioration of these people."
Bobby Drake had to shake himself back into reality. He looked at the palm of his hands and then turned them over. To the horror of the crowd around him he froze all the decaying victims. Though the decaying of these people stopped, they were now ice statues. Frozen in their suffering. Everyone else in the room that was alive and well fell to the ground.
Emma Frost transformed into her diamond exoskeleton. "I put the rest of the people to sleep. It will be easier solving this mystery without the banter of a bloody riot. Oh and Iceman, dear? Settle Warren down. He is irritating me and my patience is thinning."
Flying around the room, Warren Worthington III is at a frantic state.
"Paige! Where are you? PAIGE!"
Iceman looked up to see an angel dressed in a tuxedo. Shouting out his girlfriend's name. The angel spotted him and flew down to Iceman quickly.
"Oh boy. Here comes crazy Warren," he said under his breath.
"Bobby! We have to find Paige!"
"Warren. Buddy, snap out of it. There are people dying in this room right now. Paige is a survivor. We'll find her but there are other things we gotta do first."
The angel looked surprised. "You're right. Look at me; I'm acting like an idiot." He gently landed on the ground and folded back his wings.
"Don't worry about it."
"It's just after Betsy died . . . I couldn't protect her Bobby. I'll be damned if anything happens to Paige. I almost lost her too."
"I know," Iceman said.
Emma, in her diamond form, moved towards them.
"I just called Henry on my cellphone." She closes the flip phone and puts it back in her purse.
"What did he say Emma?" Warren asked, taking charge.
"Before the lights went out and all hell broke loose, I was reading a few minds to catch up on the latest gossip. But alas, they all had a tuneless gusto of thoughts. I did, however, discover something interesting. It was nothing scandalous or undignified really. The people who are now devolving into animal droppings have all been exposed to the black diamonds. Henry says that the substances are probably radioactive and therefore unstable."
"Ok." Warren paused to think. "How long will these people stay frozen Bobby?"
"A couple of hours."
"Hopefully that will give us enough time to find a cure to whatever these people are going through. But we're dealing with much more than stolen radioactive diamonds. Someone or some thing kidnapped Paige for whatever reason. And these people only started decaying when the lights turned off."
Iceman finally understood the situation. "You're thinking that somebody has a remote control that turns this thing on? And what does Paige have to do with all this?" He scratches his head.
"Dear, you want to hear something more intriguing?" Both men looked at the ex White Queen.
"Henry told me that Barnel Bohusk took the locating device for the black diamonds but he is now missing. Bless the little dear."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------
*Somewhere else
Paige opens her blue eyes. Her dress and skin are torn. She's tied up. Her mouth is covered. It's dark. She's hears voices.
"Boss said we got the wrong girl."
"What? There's no way!"
"Watch it I'm driving."
"What do you mean we got the wrong girl? We listened to his instructions like he told us. And how does he know we got the wrong one?"
"He saw the real one in the surveillance camera. You know, the hot one in white."
"But this one had diamond skin. He said to get the one with diamond skin."
"Yea but this one can rip off her skin to turn into something else. The boss told me that was her mutant gift."
Paige looked to the direction of the voices. She could only see the back of their heads. Wherever she was she knew that she was in some sort of van. She put her tied hands down and clawed at her left hand, pulling the skin away to reveal something pink and jelly like.
"So there are two that can turn into diamond? What are we going to do with this one huh?"
"Boss said that we could still use her. She's one of them X-Men, so they're bound to look for her sooner or later."
The one in the passenger seat turned its head to look at Paige. She gasped when she saw his face: yellow eyes and blue skin. He looked exactly like Nightcrawler!
"Don't worry sweety. We're going to take care of you nice and proper. Soon you're going to meet the boss."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
*At the docks
Beak is sitting at the edge of a dock. Small waves stroke the shore. The moon filters through some clouds. The water itself reflects the luminosity of the heavens above. A few fishing boats pass by. Beak sighs.
[Barnel Bohusk, you undeniable weirdo. Can you hear us?]
"What? Who's there?" Beak looked around to see nobody.
"I must've gone crazy in the head or something."
Beak almost fell off the dock when five ghostly blond heads appeared around him. He regained his balance and opened his eyes to see the Stepford Cuckoos' heads.
[Beak stop screaming]
"Sorry. It's just my usual reaction when I see floating heads that are talking to my brain. So how are you guys doing this?"
[Professor Xavier is teaching Miss Frost's class today. When Mr. McCoy said you went missing, the Professor had asked us if we wanted to use Cerebra to find you. We thought it was a wonderful idea. You left the communication device at the hotel didn't you?]
The five telepathically said in unison.
"Don't blame me. Mr. McCoy was going too fast in his instructions and I couldn't process everything. And then these big guys came at me when I was near the black diamonds."
[We know Barnel. We can see right through you. Professor Xavier says to stay where you are before you hurt yourself. You've been through several unpleasant experiences already. Miss Frost and Iceman are on their way to the docks. Don't do anything you might regret. We'll see you in the mansion]
Before Beak could say anything, the girls had disappeared. He stares out to the stirring ships.
In the distance he hears a tires screeching and far off voices.
"How did she manage to get away?"
"I don't know but I saw something move into the bushes."
Beak turns around to see a van pass by with two shadowy figures moving inside. In the corner of his eye he spots a shiny woman jump out of the bushes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------
*In a taxi cab
Emma Frost and Iceman are wearing their uniforms. Emma has her arms on her lap and legs crossed looking to the side window, her face away from Iceman. She is in her diamond form. Bobby has his hands in his pocket and a worried expression behind his sunglasses. He turns to look at his telepathic teammate. Emma crosses her arms.
"Dear, why are you staring at my breasts?"
"I was just wondering how you wear that reverse x-bra. Doesn't it ever fall off?"
She sighs.
"Come on Emma. You wear that thing for people to see you in all you're glory."
"Just like you wear that pseudo outfit to hide your inferiority complex."
He sighs. She leans back a little, transforming from diamond to skin.
"Do you think I failed her Robert?"
Iceman is a little surprised by her question. "You mean Paige?"
"I just wanted my students to be strong and independent and - and"
"Safe?" He leans back.
"She's never even said a word to me since she came to the mansion. Can you believe that? Not one bloody word."
"She is strong, she is independent and she's also brave. She's all that because of you. Sure you make mistakes. God knows we all do. You're a good teacher."
"Then why do my students keep dying? My Hellions, Synch, the ones in Genosha and recently Skin, they were all full of life and had so much potential."
Emma Frost slowly morphs back to her glimmering hard shell.
"I heard that you don't have any emotions or empathy when you change. Is that why you became a life size rock at the party? Every time you reach an emotional crisis, you can't just block it out and expect for everything to be all right. You have to accept that life is hard and life is cold."
"I suppose you want me to go on a rampage and become the perfect Faberge killing machine like your dear Lorna?"
He fell silent.
"Ice is growing where your heart is, Bobby Drake! There was a time when you knew me more than anyone in the world. Oh for heaven's sake we shared the same body. But we don't have that connection anymore. So don't give me this sanctimonious speech when you have absolutely know idea the hell I've been through."
He sighed again.
"Emma, there was a time when I even considered asking you out. Beneath your Ice Queen act, there was a self-determined woman who loved children and had many of the qualities of what made an X-Man. Deep down, we still have that psychic bond - that's why we've avoided each other all this time. None of us want to admit who we really are."
She opened a silver flask and took a deep gulp.
"It's because we're cynical darling. I've had enough of this topic. How dare Warren leave us to fulfill his romantic heroics! Paige is a strong, independent and brave young woman. I taught her myself. We must find Barnel Bohusk, get that contraption from him, find the stolen black diamonds, solve this fiasco of a crime and then maybe I can get some much- needed rest. Oh and save the dying pompous bigots from and slow and painful radioactive death."
She took another large gulp from the flask. Bobby smiled.
--------------------------------------------
*In the night sky
My name is Warren Worthington III. I usually enjoy flying at this time in the night, letting the gentle wind carry me across landscapes or through complex cities. There's a freedom about flying that's hard to explain. It's like falling from the sky but never worrying about hitting the ground because you have control.
Flying is my escape from the real world, like Emma's diamond exterior is also her emotional armor. There are some things you can't escape. Fate is one example. I saved Betsy's fate when Sabertooth "killed" her. I couldn't save her the second time.
I saved Paige once before too. Can I save her again? Charles told me through Cerebra that her thought patterns were constantly moving. She had to be in some sort of vehicle. I started to move down towards the ground.
I soar through misty clouds, beneath the bright stars and above the flickering lights of the city below. Thermals push under my wings.
A small plane roars through the night. I could see it from the corner of my eye. It moves fast. I turn to see its direction. In big bold letters it has the words SHAW CORPORATIONS written across it.
"This is not good." I say to myself.
I follow the aircraft to its landing from a safe distant. I land in a nearby tree. I was still too far to see who was coming out of the plane. Was it Sebastian Shaw? Before I could figure anything out I was being shot at.
Bullets pierced my skin. My healing abilities were doing their best to repair the damages as I tried to fly out of there. That was before the tree exploded below me, rendering me unconscious.
After some time I heard some voices in the void darkness.
"You know who this is boss?"
"Yes I do. We have some unfinished business. Don't we Mr. Worthington? And I wouldn't be too worried about your young girlfriend if I were you. Come now, we have work to do. I must show you my beautiful black diamonds. Just like you, they fell from the sky you know."
--------------------------------------------------
*Back at the docks
"Oh my God it's Husk!" Beak says to himself as he gets up from the docks.
Paige runs across the beach towards the thrashing waves. The van behind her stops as smoke seeps from the windows.
"I wouldn't try anything if I were you. I'm made of steel now losers!"
A pink puff of smoke surrounds her.
"You should be worried. Our boss is rich, powerful and has many means. Our father on the other hand is a power this earth hasn't seen over several millennia."
In the distance, Beak could see Paige lost in the cloud of pink smoke. The cloud moved away from the beach and back into the van. Paige was nowhere to be seen.
"I really have gone crazy in the head," Barnel says to himself.
Seconds later a taxicab comes around the corner. Before Emma or Bobby could get out, Beak jumps in closing the door behind him.
"What is the meaning of this?" Emma shouted.
"Follow that van!" Beak shouts to the taxi driver.
"Beak you're stepping on my leg!" Bobby shouted.
"You guys better be able to pay for this," the taxi driver shouts at the X-Men.
TO BE CONTINUED!