Chapter Nineteen: Round Two!
The characters in this fic, by and large, do not belong to me. The X-Men, and related characters, are the property of Marvel Comics. GI Joe, and related characters, belong to Hasbro. The Delgado children (Althea, Brittany, Daria, Quinn, and Claudius), Xi, Sgt Snuffles, and the Eloi belong to Red Witch. Reader, however, does belong to me.
Red Witch: I'm glad you like it! How does the song go: You ain't seen nothing yet!
RogueFanKC: The Marauders are so gonna get it! Re. Trinity and Multiple- I wanted to approximate the comics storyline as much as I could, and it featured a one-on-one of Psylocke vs. Sabretooth in the Mansion in the last part of the story. The psychic protectors somewhat diminish the effectiveness of Trinity's lightning (if I understand their powers correctly). Don't worry- the girls and the boy are gonna play their role in kicking ass! Re: "YO JOE!" Thank you. I wanted something to show their unity of purpose, and that was really the only thing that could.
Sparky Genocide: Actually, I haven't seen "Sins of the Son" yet, but that's not the reason. I started the story last summer (before Season Four), and RL interrupted my flow, and it took me forever to get back into it. Not making excuses, just explanations. Anyway, I already had me version of David Haller planned out, and by the time "Sins of the Son" was aired and the official Evo-David was introduced, it was too late for me to back out. And yes, he is psycho!
L1701E: Never fear, the good guys will lay the smacketh down. Essex is the type to prefer quality over quantity, so no armies of Marauders. In this fic…
Cammy: Nope, just "Round Two" here. There will be a Round Three eventually, but not for a while. No, I'm not going to bring the Crimson Dawn into this, although the circumstances are very similar, and Sabretooth set the whole thing off by nearly killing Betsy. Sequels? I've got a definite one, but it isn't based off of any one specific storyline. I'm going to try to make the Joes more prominent in it, but don't worry- there'll be lots of weird and wonderful Marvel stuff too.
"So you're in those cloning tanks!" Flint exclaimed.
"Yup," Arclight laughed. "The telepathic blockers also store our memories. The moment we die, it transmits our memories to the next tank, and we wake up somewhere safe, and then we come for the people that killed us. It's like immortality, you know? As long as we serve the Master faithfully, we will never die."
"You know, I'm really only in it for the immortality," Prizm remarked as she shot his laser-lights at every target. "The action's just a bonus. Okay, a major bonus."
"So you sell your soul to live forever?" Lady Jaye called back.
"Something wrong with that? Say- are any of you willing to tell me who killed me?"
"Does it matter?" Fred shouted as he and Rogue tussled with Arclight.
"I remember every moment of my life, fat boy, up to my death. I kinda like to know who kills me, so I can repay the favour."
"Den it's Remy you want!" Remy shouted, standing up and drawing Prizm's fire.
"Maybe," Prizm hissed. "But I also remember being kicked and shattering. You aren't that fast, LeBeau- you never were!"
"Maybe, maybe not," Remy taunted. "Want to find out?"
"Sure- when the Sentinels make short shrift of your friends outside."
What? Sentinels?
"You don't really expect us to fall for that, do you?" Flint shouted.
The battle was interrupted by a Sentinel crashing through the roof.
"You just had to open your mouth, didn't you?" Lady Jaye asked him.
***
"Great googly moogly!" Lance shouted as large explosions could be heard.
"Great googly moogly?" Kitty asked.
"Don't ask."
"Sounds like we lost a Sentinel," Blockbuster sighed.
"You have Sentinels?" Althea demanded.
"If Bucket-Head can get some, little girl, then the master can get several- and make them tougher."
"Oh, joy," Evan muttered, shooting some flaming spikes at Blockbuster.
***
*Go out the window* a voice in Elisabeth's head said.
*Who the hell are you?* Elisabeth demanded. The voice was female and familiar, but it didn't seem to be Emma Frost.
*You can hear me?* The voice sounded shocked.
*You're coming in loud and clear.*
*Then that means… it is not important right now. I am not the Astral entity you know as Malice. I am… I am not your friend, but in this instance, our interests are as one. You wish to defeat the one named Creed, and I wish to survive.*
Elisabeth barely dodged Sabretooth's blow. As it was, his claws cut into her back, and pain filled her world.
*Why the hell should I trust you?* Elisabeth demanded, launching a spin-kick at Sabretooth's head. He dodged, grabbed her foot, and threw her to the wall in one swift motion.
*Because, good as you are- and you are, for I have helped make you so- you are no match for him alone. You must allow me to help you, for otherwise you die, and I do as well.*
*I don't do business with strangers,* Elisabeth said as she stood, uneasily. Creed grinned, and backed off. He had her trapped in a hall, and she couldn't do anything except jump out the window near her position. He clearly wanted to let her make the first move.
*You may call me Kwannon. Now will you let me help you? There are three possibilities. I am either a delusion, or a foe, or an ally. If I am not an ally, you are dead anyway.*
*You're right. What do I do?*
*What I show you.*
Elisabeth's head flooded with images.
*I can't do that!*
*Yes, you can, and you must. Now do it, or die!*
*Okay.*
Elisabeth looked into Creed's eyes, and grinned savagely. She was a Braddock, and her breed didn't beg. With a sudden move, she backflipped towards the window, and hit it, glass shattering with her motion and mass. She heard Sabretooth growl, and lunge to catch her, but he was just a fraction too slow. She fell past the first window ledge, and her hands reached, and grabbed it. It didn't stop her descent, but it slowed it and allowed her to swing into the window beneath. It hurt her hands like hell, but it worked.
*How did I do that?*
*With some difficulty, but it was a good beginning. Now go the small gymnasium your fellows have erected on this floor. There are potential weapons there.*
*How did you find me?* Elisabeth asked the voice.
*I was not intending to contact you as such. It would appear that the stress of the situation and our coinciding interests made the communication possible. When one of those factors is relieved, then the status quo will return.*
*What are you?*
*Nothing you need be concerned with right now. Our fates are linked, and let us leave it at that.*
As Elisabeth ran, she suddenly remembered why the voice sounded familiar. It was the voice of the woman in Elisabeth's nightmares- not the laugher, but the screamer.
***
Seconds before the throwing stars could connect, Kurt teleported and touched Todd and Pietro.
BAMF!
They materialized close to Lifeline, in a relatively safe and secluded area near the battle.
"Are those Riptide's throwing stars?" Lifeline asked.
"Huh?" Pietro groaned.
"The ones in your legs," Lifeline explained as he started pulling them out.
"Oww!"
"Sorry, but they need to come out. Are they?"
"Yup," Todd nodded. "Turns out those cloning tanks Storm Shadow found are in working order."
"If he's back from the dead, then Blockbuster and Prizm probably are, too."
"Not for long, yo," Todd grunted, leaping back to the battle. Kurt ported a second later. They returned about a minute later, Todd holding Kurt in his arms.
"Not again," Kurt groaned.
"He ported a little to close to few stray stars, yo," Todd explained.
"I can see that," Lifeline said grimly. "Be careful, Todd. There's nobody left who can get you back safely."
"I don't need that, yo," Todd laughed. "I'm a ninja!"
"No you're not!" Pietro groaned.
"I'll ignore that because you're wounded," Todd said as he hopped away.
***
Vertigo's laughter echoed through the din.
"Three blind mice, three blind mice," she laughed, enjoying the confusion of her enemies trying to remain with their eyes closed while dodging Scalphunter and Blockbuster.
Evan growled. He found a covered area, and used it. Things were not looking good for the good guys. The Marauders knew how to play off each other's abilities. Dodging Blockbuster wasn't hard. Even Scalphunter could be dodged, barely. But doing it with your eyes closed and with a whole lot of noise? Not easy. Maybe he could even the odds a little bit. He targeted Vertigo, and sent a volley of flaming spikes at her.
He meant for them to just miss her- he really did. However, by chance or an act of subconscious, the spikes hit Vertigo. She went down, fiery spikes piercing her mouth, brain, and heart.
***
"Wakey-wakey, father," Xavier heard. He opened his eyes.
He was laid out on the grounds of his estate, he saw Polaris- no, Malice- floating triumphantly above him. She was wearing a helmet similar to Magneto's, rendering his telepathy useless. Gabrielle was on the ground beneath her, still unconscious.
"We meet again," she went on. "Are you proud of me?"
"Let me make one thing clear, Malice," Xavier said evenly. "You are not my daughter. None of David's other aspects are my children."
"That's what I thought. And speaking of little Davy…"
"What have you done with him?" Xavier demanded.
"Nothing- yet," Malice purred. "I'll deal with dear, darling David after I'm done here. Now, how do you want it?" With Polaris' powers, Malice lifted a number of sharp metallic objects into the air. "Quick, or slow? Just so you know, if you choose 'quick,' Gaby will die very slowly, but if you choose 'slow,' she dies a relatively painless death."
"Slow," Xavier spat. He didn't trust Malice to keep her word, but he also knew that the longer she spent here, the better the chances of rescue- if not his, then Gaby's, and if not theirs, then David's.
"Perfect," Malice grinned. "I think I'll start with the rusty nails. Do you have any feeling below the waist? I take your screams as a yes."
***
"Lockdown!" Brittany yelled as her sisters ran into the Danger Room. "We're locking this place down!"
"What?" Callisto and Mole both shouted. They saw Trinity carrying the stirring Dr. MacTaggart, and went to them.
"We're under attack," Daria told them. "Sabretooth and Polaris are here, and maybe the others, too."
"Let's go!" Callisto called to the few healed Morlocks there.
"Do it quick, before the place-"
The lights went out, and the back-up lights went back on.
"Goes in to lockdown," Quinn groaned. "That was fast."
"Okay everybody!" Jamie called as he joined the group, Amanda and Paul with him. "We're in lockdown, 'cause we're under attack!"
"We know," Callisto told him. "Open us up! We're going to fight!"
"Will do!" Jamie called.
Minutes passed.
"What's the hold-up?" Brittany asked, joining him in the control room.
"I can't open it up!" Jamie told her. "This stupid thing accepts one code for lock-down, but two to open up- and I'm the only X-Man here!"
"And you didn't know this when you locked us in here?"
"I haven't been shown all the controls! It can be opened up from the other side by one of the adults, so we aren't stuck with no way to get out. I sent out a distress signal to the X-Jet, but nobody's answering."
"Great! Remind me to kill Baldy when if all get out of this!"
"We do have air circulation, and water, and some supplies," Jamie told her. "We can last a while down here if we have to."
"Well, that makes me feel much better," Brittany groaned. "Get comfortable people!" she shouted as she re-entered the Danger Room. "We're gonna be here a while!"
***
"I've got one! I've finally got one all by myself!" Wet Suit crowed as he brought down his first Sentinel.
"I've got two by myself!" Leatherneck shouted back. "Just proves that the Marines shoot better than the Seals!"
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, really!"
"Then watch this! AHHHHH!!!!!!" Wet Suit started going postal on the Sentinels.
"That's nothing! Watch this! YAHHHHH!" Leatherneck started going postal on the Sentinels.
"Are they like that all the time?" Sunder asked Bazooka.
"Actually, that's calm. Usually they swear and wrestle."
"They're best friends," the Blind Master explained.
"I'd hate to see what they do when they're riled up!" Sunder said wonderingly as he watched the two shoot and trade insults.
***
Scott heard the beep of the comm signal, but he was too busy shooting Sentinels and dodging their weapons to answer.
'You're just gonna have to wait,' he thought. Finally, the fight slowed down enough for him to quickly hit the switch.
"Make it fast!" Scott shouted.
"Scott? It's Jamie! We're under attack and we're in lockdown, and I can't get us out!"
"WHAT?"
"Polaris an' Sabretooth are here! Polaris has the Professor and Ms. Haller, and Elisabeth's fighting Sabretooth off upstairs, and I have us in lockdown down here. The Morlocks want to help fight, but I can't get us out of lockdown with only one code!"
"Stay calm. I'll give you mine. It's X-1-9-3-1-5-2-0-2-0." Before he could finish, the X-Jet was hit. He gave the code again. "Did you get all that, Jamie? Jamie! JAMIE! Damn!" The blast must have hit the comm system. 'Come on, Multiple,' he thought. 'There's a code, and you're a smart kid, so crack it.'
*Jean* he sent. *We have yet another problem…*
***
"Scott? Scott? I didn't get all that! SCOTT?" That noise must have been the X-Jet getting hit. He hoped Scott was okay.
"I heard talking!" Daria called as Trinity ran into the Control Room. "Did you get through?"
"Yeah, but the link's been cut. I got some of the code, but I don't think I got it all. It's X-1-9-3-1-5."
"Punch it in!" Quinn urged.
"I can't! You only have a limited number if tries on this thing! Make too many mistakes, and your code is locked out!"
"Wonderful!"
***
"We're making progress," Hound Dog told Low Light. "More and more of those metal monsters are getting knocked out of the sky."
"There's still too many 'em, though," Low Light grunted back. "And we've got Riptide to worry about, too."
So far, Riptide proved impossible to pin down. The Joes were forced to concentrate on the Sentinels, and so were the mutants. Riptide threw his stars 360 degrees, so getting a shot was practically impossible- he knew, because he tried. Every time he became metallic and tried to repeat Colossus' kill, the Sentinels swarmed at him, and even he couldn't take both the throwing stars and the missiles, and was forced to retreat. Whenever Todd tried to get close, the Sentinels did the same thing. And Pietro and Nightcrawler were both down. Low Light was really starting to get mad.
He was also not the only one to realize the Riptide problem. Willow had long since moved to a safe vantage point, and watched him. She noticed that he was leaving his feet exposed. A small area, but one she would be able to exploit. She willed a nearby root system to grow at an unnaturally quick rate. She knew it would die from exhaustion the moment she withdrew her powers, but at the moment she had no choice. She sent it growing underneath Riptide's feet, and as soon as it was in position, she willed it to grow upwards. The roots erupted underneath his feet, knocking him over. She didn't give him a chance to get up again- the roots extended over his body, and she willed them to tear him to pieces.
"Ugh!" Bobby shuddered when he noticed Riptide's screams and the resulting bloody mess. "Could've gone without watching that!"
"There's a way in!" Willow shouted.
"Cover me!" Tabby called. She ran inside, with Xi and Jean joining her, Jean shielding them with her telekinesis. They went in.
***
*I'm here,* Elisabeth told Kwannon. *Now what?*
*You are surrounded by possible weapons. Take them, and use them!*
*Easy for you to say!*
Looking around, Elisabeth spotted the weight rack. That would have to do for now. She went to it and picked up two of the heaviest weights she could carry and still run. She made for the door, which burst open as Sabretooth crashed through.
"There ya are," he grinned. Before he could continue, both weights were thrown at him. He caught them both, but Elisabeth started to pick up more, and throw them. He caught them all, and tossed them down. He was big, but he was fast!
"You're a strong one," he leered. "Anything else you want to try?"
Elisabeth looked around frantically. This gym didn't really have much. Baseball bats were out of the question, as she didn't want to get that close. There were many assorted balls, but they would be useless.
'If I only had a sword!' she thought desperately.
*Agreed.*
*So you're still here. Any ideas?*
*He's not going to let you get to the window or the door.*
*That's it?*
*I would have had you use the baseball bat, but you fixed on the weights. And this place has no foils or genuine swords- nothing you can expertly use, or that I can help you with.*
"Guess not!" Sabretooth yelled as he sprang. Elisabeth knew that she could not dodge in time.
'What I wouldn't do for a sword, or even a knife!' she thought desperately. Suddenly she jerked. Psychic energy surged in her mind, and down her right arm, which exploded in purple energy. Instinctively, she jabbed the spike- no, the knife- into Sabretooth's head. He screamed in pain, and went down.
*WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?*
*It would appear that the union of our minds caused your power to react in an… unforeseen way.* Kwannon told her, sounding shocked. *Even as you were wishing for a blade, I was too. I would guess that our powers mixed and responded to our need.*
Sabretooth was still breathing. Elisabeth decided to hightail it while she could. Shortly after she left the room, she could hear him groaning. It wouldn't take him long to fully recover. She considered returning to her room, but she didn't know if she could get to her sword in time.
'What the… Limey frail… to me?' Creed's voice echoed through her mind. She gasped softly- whatever her knife did to him, it partly disabled whatever psychic defence he had implanted. She connected their thoughts, and pushed. It hurt him, but his defence was working enough to blunt her force. As she ran, she probed his mind. His higher functions were still protected, but not his lower ones, like lust or… hunger. Hunger! That was it! Not even Sabretooth could get up right away after that!
*Oh* Kwannon almost giggled. *That is perfect!*
*I think so too.* Elisabeth made for the kitchen, and heard the distant-but-ever closer sounds of Sabretooth coming after her. Looking around, she found that all her weapons had been left out for her, with a note. Perfect. She smirked, and linked her mind to Sabretooth's once more. She projected hunger into his mind, fierce, ravenous hunger that needed to be sated immediately, and that would make the most toxic of waste taste like Emeril Lagasse himself made it. She ran into the kitchen, and ran out again. Distantly, she heard Sabretooth enter the kitchen, but she didn't hear him exit. She waited for many tense minutes, until the sound of a wounded animal came from the kitchen. Her plan worked- and not only did it help her in the short run, but in the long run as well. She made for her room, just in case she underestimated his healing factor.
***
"Why don't we get the heck outta here?" Lance asked Kitty. With Vertigo dead- for now- moving was easier, but still dangerous.
"Gotcha!" Kitty grabbed him, and they made for the others. They went through the walls. Blockbuster howled in rage.
"Oh no you don't!" Blockbuster punched through the walls, following them.
"You'll take the roof down, idiot!" Scalphunter yelled, but Blockbuster didn't care. He wasn't gonna be beaten by kids and humans!
"Well, look what the shadow-cat dragged in," Prizm drawled as they ran into the room the others were fighting in. He started firing at them, too. Since her phasing abilities didn't make her invulnerable to energy, the group scattered and joined their friends.
"Here you are!" Blockbuster grinned as he crashed through the wall behind them. He blinked when he saw that he had joined up with the others. Rogue saw her opportunity, and took it.
"If these guys are just gonna be back, then we don't have to hold back!" she yelled as she flew into Blockbuster at top speed. She grabbed on to him, and altered her flight path so that she was flying up, through the roof, and into the air above the hideout. She saw the Sentinels, and the others fighting. She brought the struggling Blockbuster up as high as she dared, and then threw him down. His screaming stopped the moment he collided with his first Sentinel. After he landed, Rogue took a moment to check before joining the fight against the Sentinels. Blockbuster was a bloody pulp.
***
"She's right," Logan smiled pleasantly as he dramatically unsheathed his claws. "Who's first?"
The Marauders turned and fled.
"After them!" Althea yelled, and they scattered in pursuit.
Wanda somehow ended up alone. She prowled the halls, looking for a target, and somehow, instinctively knew when to duck.
"You're getting good, Witch-girl," Scrambler laughed as he sailed over her. "I got you twice, but you still survived. Third time's the charm, y'know."
"I know," Wanda replied grimly, and used her powers to knock him through a door. Within moments, he emerged, carrying a machine gun.
"Warned you," he smiled, and started firing.
Wanda's powers activated almost before she could register what was happening. Scrambler's bullets shifted trajectory, and hit him. He went down, looking like human Swiss cheese.
"Never piss off a witch," she told him, before going off to find more enemies, or her friends.
***
Essex watched Scrambler's death with displeasure. Half of his present Marauders were down. Depending on Sabretooth's reasons for leaving, he might tear a strip off of the feral mutant. He couldn't decide where to begin with Malice.
***
David Haller sat up on his bed. Mama- something was wrong with mama and Professor X! He got up, and left his room. He noticed that the Professor's house looked like somebody had a fight. He went down the stairs- where the mess was worse- and went out the open doors. He didn't know how, but he could feel his mama and Professor X in his head, and there was somebody with them- somebody he thought he knew.
***
"Is somebody out there?" Jean, Tabby, and Xi heard a voice call from behind what was obviously a cell.
"Where have I heard that voice before?" Tabby asked.
"That's Destiny!" Jean realized.
"Or it is a trick," Xi said, reminding them of Mystique's deception at Rogue's birthday party.
"One way to find out," Tabby muttered. "Stand back in there!" She called to the person in the room.
"Wait!" Jean called, but she was too late. Tabby threw a firecracker into the lock, and the door exploded open. Jean erected a telekinetic shield, which they didn't end up needing. Destiny emerged from the room. Right after Jean dropped the shield, Xi ran up to her, and touched her forehead.
"It is her," he told them. "She is a precognitive, and not a shapeshifter."
"What are you doing here, Destiny?" Jean asked her.
"And how can someone who sees into the future be captured?" Tabby asked. Xi nodded.
"I wish to know the answer to that, also," he said.
"I was captured by Essex," Destiny told them. "And as for being a pre-cog, my abilities let me see all of the future- all of what might happen. By the time I know what will happen, it can sometimes be too late to change it, and this time was one of those times."
"What a dumb power!" Tabby said.
"I've often said the same thing, at times," Destiny smiled wryly. Then she stiffened. "Into the room- quickly!" The four went back into the cell, and hid in the wreckage. They soon heard somebody coming, and a voice swore.
"Great!" a crystalline voice hissed. Prizm. "She's gone!" He started to go.
"If he isn't stopped now, he will kill some of your friends!" Destiny said suddenly. Tabby and Xi stood up, but Jean beat them to it. She flew out of the room. Prizm whirled, but before he could fire, Jean threw him against the walls with all her mental strength. Within moments, there was nothing left of Prizm but crystalline dust.
"Didn't know you had it in you," Tabby whistled.
"Nice work," Xi said approvingly.
Jean just felt numb. It was automatic, and necessary, but she had just killed a human being.
"You did the right thing, child," Destiny told her. "Trust me- I know."
***
Althea followed Arclight into a small room. Arclight turned and sent tremors at her. Althea barely dodged in time, but she did dodge.
"You think you can keep that up forever?" Arclight laughed.
"I don't have to," Althea grinned, looking down. Arclight looked to her feet, and gasped in horror. She ruptured a water pipe. Before she could react, she was surrounded by water.
Althea watched, seemingly dispassionate, but internally torn. The woman would be back, and they both knew it, but killing wasn't in her nature, even if she was trained to do it. Finally, Arclight stopped struggling, and went limp. Althea waited a few minutes to make sure, then she let the water flow freely. Arclight fell to the ground, not breathing. Althea kicked the body, and then stepped on the neck to make sure.
***
"Think, think!" Jamie said as he tried to figure out what the rest of Scott's code could be.
"You said it's X-1-9-3-1-5?" Daria asked.
"Yeah."
"What's yours?"
"It's X-1-0-1-1-3-9-5. Why?"
"Think-tank time, girls," Brittany said, and Trinity stared at each other. A few minutes went by, with Jamie making a few clones to help him think. X-1-0-1-1-3-9-5. X-1-9-3-1-5. There had to be a connection. Waitaminute. Take out the X. Jamie's code became 1-0-1-1-3-9-5. 'E' was the fifth letter of the alphabet, and the last letter of Jamie's name. What if his code was really 10-1-13-9-5? It spelled… Jamie.
"I've got it!" the clones and the triplets yelled at the same time.
"Letters of the alphabet?" a clone asked.
"J-A-M-I-E," Quinn nodded. "Scooter's code is X-1-9-3-1-5-1-5!"
"Which spells out S-C-O!" another clone added excitedly.
"So the rest of the code is 2-0-2-0!" Daria finished.
Jamie typed in his code, and then Scott's code. The lower levels went out of lockdown!
"Yahoo!" The girls and the clones all hugged.
"Let's go everybody!" Brittany yelled out of the door. "We have some ass to kick!" Trinity and Multiple led the charge.
***
Lance crept as stealthily as he could down a corridor. He was separated from the others. Dammit! He suddenly felt an explosion of agony in his shoulder. He fell to the ground.
"You call yourself a hunter, boy?" Harpoon grunted, coming out of the shadows. He kicked Lance in the balls.
Lance roared like a wounded bull, and folded up into the fetal position. Harpoon hit him on the back, and in the base of the skull. Lance was barely holding on to consciousness. He looked up at Harpoon, holding a spear, obviously about to use it. He used the technique that Spirit had taught him about reaching past physical pain, and reached into his powers. He knew he was gonna die, but he would take this murderer down with him!
Lance heard a noise like an eagle's cry. A small flash suddenly blocked Harpoon's head from him, and a larger one hit the Marauder in the stomach. Harpoon yelled in pain, and fell to the floor, down but not out. Pietro? No-
"Stay the hell away from him," Spirit said grimly, as Freedom perched back on his arm.
"Spirit," Lance groaned. No- not now! The tremors were beginning, and he couldn't stop them! No- please God no- he couldn't kill Spirit!
He felt somebody grab his shoulder and start to pull. He managed to look, and saw Kitty's face. She grabbed Spirit, too, and the four of them moved to safety as the roof came down.
"Kitty? Spirit?" Lance asked weakly. Freedom cried. "Freedom?" Lance smiled.
"Yeah Lance, it's us," Kitty smiled.
"Did you really think we would leave you alone, young brave?" Spirit smiled. It could have been Lance's fading vision, but he swore he saw tears in Spirit's eyes.
"Did I get him?" Lance asked. Kitty phased through the wall. She came back a few seconds later.
"You got him," Kitty said grimly.
"Good," Lance breathed. "Just gonna go to sleep now…"
"Sleep, young brave," Spirit said as he picked Lance up. "We shall guard you."
"Thanks dad," Lance smiled as he fell into blackness.
"Always, son," Spirit whispered. "Always."
***
Callisto led her Morlocks through the mansion. They had divided up duties with Trinity and Multiple- the kids take the outside, the Morlocks the inside. She followed the mess and trail of blood, and as she passed by the kitchen, she heard the sound of a whimpering man. Not just any whimpering man- Sabretooth. She stopped, and made a signal, then she kicked the door in.
When she got a look at the kitchen, and then at the look on Sabretooth's face as he lay in the fetal position, she waved her people to stay back. It could have been a ruse. She believed it was a trick until she found a note placed near to one of the many empty trays that were laying everywhere.
"I baked these for you, so enjoy! Kitty."
Callisto read and re-read the note, looked around at all the empty trays, which used to hold cakes, cookies, and muffins, and then burst out laughing.
***
"Master!" Scalphunter shouted as he entered the control room. "Master!"
He saw a message on the console.
'See you soon,' it read. Scalphunter snarled. He knew what it meant.
"Looks like your boss just up and ran out on you," a voice from behind him taunted. He turned. It was the bomber.
"Pity," Tabby snarled. "I wanted to give one of these to him, too." She was making a large time-bomb.
"It'll take more than that to kill Essex," Scalphunter laughed. "Go ahead, girl. Kill me. But I'll be back, and so will the rest of us, and we will be coming. Tell them that, Boom-Boom. We will be coming."
"AAH!" Tabby shouted, and launched her bomb. It exploded on contact. Half of Scalphunter's torso was sprayed all over the room.
***
"We've got wounded!" Spirit called as he, Freedom, Lance and Kitty emerged from the ruins of the hideout. The ground was littered with robotic wreckage.
"Over here!" Lifeline called. He was with Pietro and Kurt, recovering nicely from their encounters with the business end of Riptide's throwing stars. "What happened?"
"Harpoon got him in the shoulder, and hit him a few times. He brought the roof down on Harpoon."
"So that makes three," Kurt said. "Harpoon, and Riptide, and Blockbuster."
"Who got them?" Kitty asked.
"Villow got Riptide, and Rogue got Blockbuster."
"And I got Prizm," Jean told them as she, Xi, and Destiny joined the group.
"Destiny?" several people asked.
"The real article," Xi nodded. "Tabitha was with us as well, but we got separated."
"We have to move out now," Jean said. She relayed Scott's message.
"Damn!" Althea yelled as she, Wanda, Tabby, and the other members of the strike force joined the throng. "What are we waiting for?"
"Any prisoners?" Lifeline asked.
"None," Althea shook her head. "I got Arclight."
"Scrambler," Wanda said.
"Vertigo," Evan added.
"Scalphunter," Tabby nodded. "And their boss escaped."
"Damn," Thorn grunted as the group went to their plane and helicopter. "I wanted a shot at him."
"You may get your wish, sooner than you'd like," Essex said to himself from in the trees where he was hidden.
***
"Stop it!" Gabrielle screamed, tears running down her face. After she regained consciousness, she was bound with chains.
"But I'm just getting started," Malice laughed. Charles already looked terrible.
"How can you do this for so long?" Gabrielle shouted.
"If you mean 'how can I torture Baldy,' it's because it's fun," Malice laughed. "But if you mean 'how can I keep such direct control for so long,' it's because I've inhabited this body for a while now. I've got dear Lorna under my thumb. It's still tiring, I admit, but my revenge is giving me all the energy I need. And now, what more do I do with you?" she asked Charles. "I know! I'll use some hydrochloric acid! Then I'll start with the chainsaw. Then I'll get nasty."
"Stop it!"
All eyes turned to the source. There, in a too big t-shirt and a pair of baggy boxer shorts, was David Haller.
"Stop hurting Professor X!" he screamed. "Stop making Mama cry!"
"YOU!" Malice shouted. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm making you stop!" David shouted back, and started to glow. Gabrielle's eyes widened, and Charles stared in amazement. David had never used any of his mutant abilities ever since he came out of his catatonia! Perhaps the proximity of Malice was somehow responsible, but he couldn't guess how, since she had that helmet on. The light slammed into Malice. She yelled, but soon erected a magnetic shield, which managed to deflect the attack.
"I don't know how you knew to find me, or even how you're doing this, but after I'm done with mommy and daddy, I'll dissect you," Malice snarled. "Maybe I'll find out then."
"Or maybe not!" Three voices intoned in unison. Everybody looked up. Trinity were floating in the sky.
"Delta Wave, girls!" Daria called. The Triplets floated down to Malice's level, and boxed her in, using David as the fourth corner of the box. They smashed their lightning at her.
"UGHH!" Malice grunted, but her shield still held.
"Nice tries, girlies," Malice sneered. "Between my powers and my mental shields, did you three really think you could beat me?"
"There are lots of ways of beating somebody, bitch!" the girls cheerfully chanted.
"DOGPILE!" Dozens of Jamies yelled from above. They jumped onto Malice's shield. Malice wasn't able to raise the strength in time, so between the assault and the extra weight, the shield collapsed, and she went down, covered in Jamie's.
"WHAT DO YOU BRATS THINK YOU'RE DOING? WHAT- HEY! DON'T TOUCH ME THERE! OR THERE! HANDS OFF THOSE, YOU LITTLE SON-OF-A-BITCH!" Malice used Polaris' magnetic powers to throw the Jamies off- and then noticed that one of them grabbed her helmet. Xavier grinned.
"NO!" Malice screamed, as Xavier mustered his strength and entered Polaris' mind. He soon found her- Polaris. She was chained by Malice's will.
*Help me* she desperately croaked. With a swift motion, he freed her.
*Don't worry* Xavier smiled reassuringly. *You won't be forced to hurt anyone anymore.* He took her hand, and helped her up, and took them both to the Astral Plane, where a battle raged. Standing in front of them, back turned, was Malice. She was battling David- and not just David, but all of his other personalities as well. There were even three large sparks harassing Malice. For three young inexperienced girls to manifest in the Astral Plane like that was incredible. With proper training, each one might almost be an equal for Jean. Smiling grimly, Xavier attacked her from behind.
*AAAGGGHHH!* Malice screamed. She dissolved into darkness, and flew into Polaris.
*NO YOU DON'T!* Polaris screamed. *NOT AGAIN! NEVER AGAIN!*
*You heard the girl, Malice* Xavier said coldly as he reached into Polaris and forcibly withdrew Malice. Malice briefly re-formed, and then flew into David and his other personalities. She was expelled from each, and with each ejection, she became smaller, dimmer, less a malevolent spirit and more an impotent shade. Finally, after she was expelled from the last personality, she was almost invisible.
*MERCY!* she sobbed. *MERCY!*
*No* Xavier said simply. *You are not a person. You are the personification of dark emotion. Once you felt confident you could do it, you would kill again.* He renewed his assault, as did David and the other personalities, as did Trinity. With a small sigh, Malice dissolved into nothingness.
Gabrielle wasn't privy to any of it. All she saw was David's glow and Trinity's lightning encompass Malice, and Charles just stare at her. The Jamies set themselves to freeing Gabrielle. Then, the choker around the girl's neck dissolved, and she fell to the ground, sobbing as if there was no tomorrow. Trinity returned to the ground. Xavier sighed, and started to groan, and David slumped to the ground. He soon stood up again.
"Mom?" he asked. Gabrielle's heart skipped a beat. It wasn't the childlike voice she had heard for so long- it was him.
"David?" she breathed.
"MOM!" David called, and ran, freeing her from her chains. Then he hugged her for so long. "I was lost," he sobbed. "I was lost, and I didn't know where to find you."
"David," Gabrielle replied, sobbing with relief. "Oh, my David. Charles!" They looked at Charles, still bleeding, with tears of joy in his eyes.
"Welcome back, son," he breathed, and passed out.
"Dad!" David called, and picked him up. Gabrielle smiled. She had never heard David call Charles 'dad,' or even 'father' before. She stood up, and went over to where Polaris was sobbing. She gently touched the girl on her shoulder. Polaris looked up at her.
"Kill me," Polaris begged. "I'm a hateful, murderous beast! Please, kill me!" Gabrielle's heart broke. This girl couldn't have been any more than sixteen at the oldest- and probably younger. For her to beg for death when she was as much a victim as the people Malice made her kill was terrible.
"No, child," Gabrielle said gently, helping her up. "The time for killing is over. Now is the time for healing."
"That was a trip," Quinn remarked.
"A trip and a half," Daria added.
"Uh huh," Brittany nodded.
"What happened?" the Jamies asked in unison.
"Oh, we watched Malice accidentally give back what she took from David," Daria told them as the Jamies shrank back into one. "Then we helped destroy her."
"Yikes," Jamie shuddered. "So can we go home now?"
"Yes," Gabrielle smiled. "Let's."
Oh, but that was longer than I intended. Well, that's the end of the Marauders- sort of. They will be back, and Essex is still out there. There's still the aftermath of the last battle to deal with, and other matters as well, so stay tuned for the last chapter of "The Mutant Massacre:"
Chapter Twenty: Back to Abnormal!