Destiny Of A Hero 3
By: slickboy444
AN: Hello! Part 3 his here of the sequel to "Worse Than Death." Some of the details in this story relate to my the last fic, so I suggest you all read that one before you start with this one. If you want to know the whole series to this point, the stories are "Xtra Member," "Matchmaker," and "Worse Than Death." Before I get started I wish to thank one of my reviewers, Krall, for helping me with this story. And don't forget to REVIEW! Please tell me what you all think by posting it on fanfiction.net or send it to me at slickboy444@aol.com. Remember, I don't own the X-men, Zelda, or any of the songs I may mention in this story so please don't sue. I have nothing. Thanks and I hope you enjoy this story.
All my x-men evolution fics are dedicated to Jen (aka: littlesortaredheadedgirl) the author of the x-men evolution fic "Snow." I highly recommend you all read it.
AN: 'These mean character thoughts.'
***********************************
The lights suddenly began to flicker about the base of Magneto's team known as the Acolytes and an ominous darkness began to overtake the area. The startled group of mutants got up and readied for battle as the whole building was consumed by a mysterious presence.
"Who's there!" demanded Magneto over the growing commotion.
Suddenly they could hear a dark, sinister laugh coming from all directions. It was a laugh that made even Magneto's skin crawl.
"It's time to join the forces of darkness my minions. You WILL be my subjects."
The bewildered Acolytes began to relentlessly scan the area, but they couldn't locate the source of the voice. It was as if it was coming from all directions. Suddenly, the lights all went out and the four mutants were consumed by complete darkness. Pyro immediately lit the place back up with flames.
"You think we're scared of the dark mate? Think again!" taunted the young pyromaniac.
Magneto then entered the room poised for combat. Suddenly, the lights returned and a dark cloud appeared in the center of the large room where a figure took shape.
"Who are you?" demanded Magneto as he started to make everything metal in the room shake. However, the dark figure in a black cloak just smiled in an amused way.
"Why...I am your new lord. They call me, the Shadowmaster!" The dark wizard then blasted them with a massive burst of dark energy, sending the stunned group flying.
"We bow to nobody! You can't defeat us!" yelled the master of magnetism, never one to allow any presence more powerful then him.
"Ah, but is not I who will defeat you...Gaun zei khan!"
Upon saying those mysterious words six additional figures appeared before them. The Acolytes let out a faint gasp, for it appeared to be the Brotherhood. However, they had undergone a major change. Their bodies were littered with mysterious markings and they were all wearing similar red uniforms with dark symbols covering them. On top of that, each was carrying ominous looking weapons. Toad had two long swords the gave off a purple glow, Blob held a massive hammer, Pietro wore large gloves with spikes in the knuckles, Lance wielded a whip-like chain, Mystique had a long bow similar to Gambit's, and Wanda had a hand-held ax.
"Attack them!" yelled the Shadowmaster.
"With pleasure," said Mystique as she and the rest of the team lunged forth in to battle. Although she hated being a slave, the shape shifter had to obey like the rest of the crew.
Magneto was shocked by the brotherhood's sudden change in allegiance. He watched as the brotherhood split up and began to attack his team. Wanda and Pietro worked to double team Collosus, who had taken on his metal form. The Russian mutant began to charge Pietro, but it didn't seem to worry him in the slightest.
"Think you've got me?" said Quicksilver as Piotr got close. Then, the gloves he was wearing began to glow and in one swift punch, the speed demon sent Collosus flying back in to the metal wall. "Think again!"
Before Collosus could pull himself together, he felt himself being pulled out of the wall by some mysterious force. He looked up to see that it was the Scarlet Witch. The mighty mutant tried to move, but something was paralyzing his every muscle.
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," taunted Wanda as she raised her ax, pointed it at the immobile Collosus, and let loose her powerful hex bolts. The Russian mutant let out a loud yell as he collapsed to the ground in defeat. Suddenly, a ball of flame zoomed past Wanda's head. She looked over to see that Pyro was the source.
"Its time to heat things up!" yelled Pyro as he prepared another blast. Suddenly, Toad appeared out of nowhere and used his sword to blast his foe back.
"Don't worry my crimson cutie, I've got your back!" said Toad as he jumped forth and quickly sliced the fuel lines to Pyro's fire starters. "Ain't so tough now are ya? Man I could get use to this yo!"
Pyro got up to flee, but he was knocked out cold by a fist from a speedy Pietro.
Meanwhile, Sabertooth growled as he stood before the immense Feddy Dukes, a.k.a. the Blob. Sabertooth seemed to negate the fact that Blob was carrying a massive hammer that was almost as big as he was, but it still didn't scare him.
"Come on fur ball! I dare ya!" taunted Blob.
With a roar, Sabertooth pounced on the oversized mutant with rage. However, Sabertooth didn't seem to realize that his slashes weren't affecting him in the slightest. With an annoyed sigh, Blob took his hammer and effortlessly swung at the renegade mutant, sending him flying. Then, the cat-like mutant was caught before he hit the ground by Lance.
"Light as a feather," he commented with a grin. "Batter up Blob!"
Lance then threw the dazed Sabertooth towards Blob where he laid out a heavy, forceful blow with his hammer. Sabertooth was knocked out cold after that as he groaned in defeat on the floor, unconscious.
Gambit was now in the presence of an angry blue shape shifter. He saw in the back round how his teammates were taken down with minimal effort on the part of the brotherhood. Now he and Magneto were all that remained to fight this mysterious new intruder.
"Seems you've got some new threads chere," said Gambit as he stared down his opponent.
"That's not all I've got Cajun...Now you'll feel real power!" taunted Mystique.
With speed and brute force, Mystique made the first lunge at the Cajun mutant. Quickly, Remy countered with everything he had. The fight erupted in a blur of slashes and swipes from each combatant. With each passing second, Mystique seemed to gain more of an advantage. She felt no fatigue or loss of strength as she fought. It was as if she had never had any to begin with. Remy, however, wasn't so lucky. After a good few minutes worth, Remy fell to the ground after suffering a major blow from Mystique's new weapon.
"Time to play ma game!" said Gambit as he got out a handful of cards. The whole deck began to glow red as if they were on fire, signaling that Gambit was ready to launch his explosive attack. Then, a barrage of cards began to fly directly at Mystique. However, she didn't seem too afraid.
Calmly, she began to use her weapon as a fan and began to deflect every incoming card with apparent ease. A wry smile grew upon her face, for she was enjoying her new power immensely. Some of the cards that were deflected found their way back to Gambit and he began to feel them explode around them. He tried to get away, but before he could react the nimble Toad jumped in front of him.
"Lights out Gambit!" said Toad as he used his glowing swords to blast the Ragin' Cajun back against the wall, knocking him out completely.
Magneto watched in shock as he watched the last of his associates fall. He never would have thought that the Brotherhood, who had always been more of a joke, could fight and defeat his best new recruits with so much ease. Now all five of the mutant soldiers encircled the master of magnetism and prepared to take him down.
"You all will not defeat me so easily!" bellowed Magento.
Then the Shadowmaster, who had mainly been a mere observer, stepped forth.
"Stand down my minions, you have done your duties well. Let me handle this pathetic being."
"Pathetic?! I'll show you pathetic!" yelled Magneto as the whole room began to shake.
Suddenly, everything metal levitated in the thin air and began to whirl around the room in a cyclone like fashion. Soon, Magneto was surrounded in a cloud of metal as the room began to shake ever more violently. However, the Shadowmaster remained remarkable calm through this spectacle much to Magneto's disappointment. This enraged him further as he began to send every bit of metal he could at the dark wizard at blinding speeds. The Brotherhood watched in awe, unsure of whom to route for, but it seemed that the Shadowmaster had the upper hand, for the metal barrage just bounced away from him. A dark shield of energy surrounded and protected the wizard as he began to walk closer to the enraged mutant.
"It's...Impossible!" exclaimed Magneto as he intensified the barrage, but to no avail.
"Bow before your new master Magneto, for now you are my slave!"
In one masterful stroke, the Shadowmaster let forth a concentrated blast of dark energy at the bewildered Magneto.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" yelled the hapless mutant as he collapsed to the floor.
The Shadowmaster then raised his staff in to the air.
"Time to put an end to this... Mon amshei mon ghan ran zu, Mon amshei mon ghan ran zu."
A dark haze engulfed Magneto along with the rest of the Acolytes. Just like the Brotherhood, they rose off the ground and began to undergo a transformation. In a beam of dark blue light, mysterious symbols appeared on their skin and their clothing was replaced with new uniforms similar to those of the Brotherhood. When the light show stopped, the five new dark warriors stood before the victorious Shadowmaster.
"Wha...What happened to us?" said Gambit, confused by his new appearance.
"Did you not listen to anything I said?! You are all now my minions of darkness," said the victorious Shadowmaster with a grin.
"NO!" said Magneto in a fit of rage. "I will not bow to the likes of..."
But that was as far as the master of magnetism got. Suddenly, a purple light engulfed Magneto and he keeled over in agony. It was just like what happened to Mystique before. Wanda, Pietro, and the rest of the Brotherhood couldn't do anything, but watch. They knew that the slightest thought of disobedience would lead them to a similar fate. Magneto tried in vain to overcome the agony that was thrust upon him the second he thought about rebelling against the Shadowmaster. The more he tried the worse it got. Finally, it stopped. Magneto was still breathing hard as the Shadowmaster walked up to him.
"Like the rest of my minions have learned...Any thoughts of disobeying me will be met with pain more intense than anything a mere speck like yourself could comprehend. You serve me and only me now. You should be grateful, for now you are all stronger, faster, better, and immortal. Your mutant powers have also been enhanced beyond anything you could do on your own. It is for these reasons, I made you my warriors of darkness. From now on you no longer function as the Acolytes or the Brotherhood. You now function as one."
Magneto finally stood up, not daring to think any more thoughts that he would have under any other circumstances. Even with his mighty powers, the Shadowmaster had proved that he was stronger. Now, a man that once said he bowed to nobody, was a slave. Every one of the mutants in that dark room stood before their new master with mixed feelings. However, they knew that they had no choice but to serve this strange man. Now, even the slightest thought against the dark wizard was met with a painful shock that forced them obey like dogs.
"So...What exactly are you gonna have us doing now Mr. Shadowmaster? Are we just gonna keep on recruiting more mutants?" asked Toad, breaking the silence between the group.
The dark wizard just gave his new team another sinister smile.
"No...For now you are all I need for my master plan."
"Well...What kind of 'master plan' are we talking about here?" asked Lance as the rest of the team became eager to know.
For a moment the Shadowmaster was silent. He appeared to be lost in thought as if he this were a moment he had prepared for. "For untold centuries I have been waiting...Planning...Hoping for this time to come. This time...When the forces of darkness regain control over the forces of light. And the world finally bows down to me! Mutants will be my soldiers, humans will be my subjects, and the world will be my kingdom."
The Brotherhood and the Acolytes uneasily listened to what seemed like mad ambitions. Then again, this was a madman they were facing. But the Shadowmaster wasn't done yet.
"There is, however, one force that can stop this from happening...And it is a force that you all are quite familiar with if I'm not mistaken."
"The X-men," said Mystique.
"Yes. These...Pests are the bugs in my plan. And you all are my exterminators!"
"Cool, so we get to fight those X-geeks?" asked Pietro.
"Better...You get to destroy them!"
By destroy, the Shadowmaster meant kill. The rest of the team could tell by the tone of the wizard's voice that's what he meant.
"However, you will encounter one being that you cannot, hence will not, fight. I know him as the hero of time, you know him as Link!"
"Ah Link, we have encountered this being before," said Magneto upon hearing Link's name mentioned.
"Indeed, he is very powerful and very strong. However, he does have a severe weakness...A weakness that will lead to his downfall! And I shall have my revenge..."
"Revenge? Have you faced this man before?" asked Magneto.
"In a manner of speaking...Yes, I have. But this time it is I who will triumph and it is darkness that shall rule!"
************************************
As the afternoon sun reached it's peak position in the sky, all seemed calm at the Xavier Institute. Most of the students were training in the Danger Room with Logan and Beast, others were outside, and the rest lofting about the many rooms that the mansion had to offer. Jack had chosen to pass the time lying on the roof of the mansion under the sun with his guitar to pass the time. The warmth of the sun beating down above and the soft sound of his guitar filled the air and helped relax a deeply troubled soul. Jack was lost in his own little world until he heard the door to the roof open. He looked over to see his friend, Scott Summers, approach him.
"Hey Jack, what's up?" asked Scott as he sat down besides him.
For a moment, that didn't seem to register in Jack's head.
"I wish I knew..." responded Jack finally.
Scott hadn't expected him to respond in riddles, but anything went with somebody as troubled as Jack Robinson.
"Bad dreams again?" asked Scott.
"Among other things, yeah. I haven't exactly been sleeping much lately," responded Jack. "But don't worry, I'm use to it."
"Well I can relate," reassured Scott. "I can definitely relate."
Jack knew what he was talking about. Scott had told Jack about the plight that killed his family. He had also told him how he was still plagued by nightmares about the whole thing to this day. In many ways, it was a situation very similar to Jack's.
"How do you deal with it?" asked Jack.
Scott sighed, "I have help. I have the professor, I have Jean, but I don't have to face some of the things that you did...So I don't know if you should be asking me."
"Close enough," replied Jack. "But I never had people around me like you until now. And that's what makes us very much alike...In more ways then one," replied Jack.
"What do you mean?" asked Scott.
"...Nothing," said Jack as he went back to playing his guitar. He knew that Scott was confused on what he meant by that, but, truth be told, Jack himself didn't really know either. Once again Jack found himself back in his own world of music. However, Scott didn't leave, not just yet.
"Hey Jack," said Scott after a few minutes of listening to Jack's guitar. Jack stopped and looked back at him. "Remember a few months ago...You know at that seven week anniversary that Jean and I had that night at the spring festival."
"Yeah why?" asked Jack.
"I don't think I ever thanked you for what you did back there."
"Oh, well," said Jack humbly, "That was nothing."
"No it was really something. I owe you big time for finally bringing me and Jean together, but there is one more thing I noticed that night."
"What was that?" asked Jack, curious at what he might say next.
"If I remember correctly, you were there with Rogue weren't you?" Scott now began to show a sly grin.
"Well yeah but..." Jack began to stumble, knowing what Scott was probably referring to. "Hey, I didn't tease you about Jean so..."
"Yes you did," said Scott abruptly. That stopped Jack cold in his tracks, for he could not deny that wholeheartedly.
"Okay I did, I won't deny that. But it's kinda different between me and Rogue."
"Well, I don't know about that," replied Scott. "You seem to confide in her more than anybody else at this place, and you seem to be more comfortable around her than anybody else. Now I may not see as clearly as most people, but that definitely doesn't seem all too different when I look at it."
Jack didn't respond; he just sat there worried about the effects his next words would have. Scott just shook his head.
'Man was I really that ignorant before?' thought Scott.
Jack was about to respond, but Scott felt he had enough to deal with.
"Look I'll stop right here Jack," said Scott much to Jack's relief, "I know you've got enough on your mind." Scott then got up and began to leave. "One more thing...And take it from somebody who's been there. Don't wait so long, it'll eat you alive and torture you to no end."
And with that, Scott left Jack on the roof once again. Jack put his guitar down and began to think. As much as he denied it, Jack knew he was developing deep feelings for Rogue. They were very much alike in so many ways. They both were lost souls that struggled to make sense of where they came from. They both thought and felt alike and it was easy to confide in each other. However, love was something Jack was very uneasy with. In the time he had been with the X-men, he saw the deep love between Scott and Jean from day one. He saw how happy they made each other when he got them together. Many times, he would watch the couple show their affection for each other and he would have many mixed feelings. He would be happy for them, but sad for himself. For so long Jack was never able to love another. Every time he did, terrible things would happen, terrible things and events that etched themselves in his mind. He didn't want Rogue to go through the same thing. Jack couldn't even bear the thought of her suffering. It all became too much for his anxious mind to bear.
"I need to get away...Gotta clear my head," said Jack to himself as he got up.
After a while he sped out the front gate with nothing but his own legs powering him. As he left, Rogue watched from a window overlooking him. After starring blankly at the path Jack had just left by, she suddenly got up from the window and made her way down to the garage.
"I hope Logan doesn't ground me for life for this," she said as she revved up his motorcycle and sped out the gates.
**********************************************
AN: Well, that's it for part 3. Stay tuned if you want to see the first encounter between the Shadowmaster and Link! Be prepared for big surprises as this series continues. I know this story has been more Jack/Rogue than Scott/Jean, but for now that's how the story has been fanning out. Please tell me what you think by sending me reviews at slickboy444@aol.com or by posting them on fanfiction.net. Thanks again and best wishes to you all!
By: slickboy444
AN: Hello! Part 3 his here of the sequel to "Worse Than Death." Some of the details in this story relate to my the last fic, so I suggest you all read that one before you start with this one. If you want to know the whole series to this point, the stories are "Xtra Member," "Matchmaker," and "Worse Than Death." Before I get started I wish to thank one of my reviewers, Krall, for helping me with this story. And don't forget to REVIEW! Please tell me what you all think by posting it on fanfiction.net or send it to me at slickboy444@aol.com. Remember, I don't own the X-men, Zelda, or any of the songs I may mention in this story so please don't sue. I have nothing. Thanks and I hope you enjoy this story.
All my x-men evolution fics are dedicated to Jen (aka: littlesortaredheadedgirl) the author of the x-men evolution fic "Snow." I highly recommend you all read it.
AN: 'These mean character thoughts.'
***********************************
The lights suddenly began to flicker about the base of Magneto's team known as the Acolytes and an ominous darkness began to overtake the area. The startled group of mutants got up and readied for battle as the whole building was consumed by a mysterious presence.
"Who's there!" demanded Magneto over the growing commotion.
Suddenly they could hear a dark, sinister laugh coming from all directions. It was a laugh that made even Magneto's skin crawl.
"It's time to join the forces of darkness my minions. You WILL be my subjects."
The bewildered Acolytes began to relentlessly scan the area, but they couldn't locate the source of the voice. It was as if it was coming from all directions. Suddenly, the lights all went out and the four mutants were consumed by complete darkness. Pyro immediately lit the place back up with flames.
"You think we're scared of the dark mate? Think again!" taunted the young pyromaniac.
Magneto then entered the room poised for combat. Suddenly, the lights returned and a dark cloud appeared in the center of the large room where a figure took shape.
"Who are you?" demanded Magneto as he started to make everything metal in the room shake. However, the dark figure in a black cloak just smiled in an amused way.
"Why...I am your new lord. They call me, the Shadowmaster!" The dark wizard then blasted them with a massive burst of dark energy, sending the stunned group flying.
"We bow to nobody! You can't defeat us!" yelled the master of magnetism, never one to allow any presence more powerful then him.
"Ah, but is not I who will defeat you...Gaun zei khan!"
Upon saying those mysterious words six additional figures appeared before them. The Acolytes let out a faint gasp, for it appeared to be the Brotherhood. However, they had undergone a major change. Their bodies were littered with mysterious markings and they were all wearing similar red uniforms with dark symbols covering them. On top of that, each was carrying ominous looking weapons. Toad had two long swords the gave off a purple glow, Blob held a massive hammer, Pietro wore large gloves with spikes in the knuckles, Lance wielded a whip-like chain, Mystique had a long bow similar to Gambit's, and Wanda had a hand-held ax.
"Attack them!" yelled the Shadowmaster.
"With pleasure," said Mystique as she and the rest of the team lunged forth in to battle. Although she hated being a slave, the shape shifter had to obey like the rest of the crew.
Magneto was shocked by the brotherhood's sudden change in allegiance. He watched as the brotherhood split up and began to attack his team. Wanda and Pietro worked to double team Collosus, who had taken on his metal form. The Russian mutant began to charge Pietro, but it didn't seem to worry him in the slightest.
"Think you've got me?" said Quicksilver as Piotr got close. Then, the gloves he was wearing began to glow and in one swift punch, the speed demon sent Collosus flying back in to the metal wall. "Think again!"
Before Collosus could pull himself together, he felt himself being pulled out of the wall by some mysterious force. He looked up to see that it was the Scarlet Witch. The mighty mutant tried to move, but something was paralyzing his every muscle.
"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," taunted Wanda as she raised her ax, pointed it at the immobile Collosus, and let loose her powerful hex bolts. The Russian mutant let out a loud yell as he collapsed to the ground in defeat. Suddenly, a ball of flame zoomed past Wanda's head. She looked over to see that Pyro was the source.
"Its time to heat things up!" yelled Pyro as he prepared another blast. Suddenly, Toad appeared out of nowhere and used his sword to blast his foe back.
"Don't worry my crimson cutie, I've got your back!" said Toad as he jumped forth and quickly sliced the fuel lines to Pyro's fire starters. "Ain't so tough now are ya? Man I could get use to this yo!"
Pyro got up to flee, but he was knocked out cold by a fist from a speedy Pietro.
Meanwhile, Sabertooth growled as he stood before the immense Feddy Dukes, a.k.a. the Blob. Sabertooth seemed to negate the fact that Blob was carrying a massive hammer that was almost as big as he was, but it still didn't scare him.
"Come on fur ball! I dare ya!" taunted Blob.
With a roar, Sabertooth pounced on the oversized mutant with rage. However, Sabertooth didn't seem to realize that his slashes weren't affecting him in the slightest. With an annoyed sigh, Blob took his hammer and effortlessly swung at the renegade mutant, sending him flying. Then, the cat-like mutant was caught before he hit the ground by Lance.
"Light as a feather," he commented with a grin. "Batter up Blob!"
Lance then threw the dazed Sabertooth towards Blob where he laid out a heavy, forceful blow with his hammer. Sabertooth was knocked out cold after that as he groaned in defeat on the floor, unconscious.
Gambit was now in the presence of an angry blue shape shifter. He saw in the back round how his teammates were taken down with minimal effort on the part of the brotherhood. Now he and Magneto were all that remained to fight this mysterious new intruder.
"Seems you've got some new threads chere," said Gambit as he stared down his opponent.
"That's not all I've got Cajun...Now you'll feel real power!" taunted Mystique.
With speed and brute force, Mystique made the first lunge at the Cajun mutant. Quickly, Remy countered with everything he had. The fight erupted in a blur of slashes and swipes from each combatant. With each passing second, Mystique seemed to gain more of an advantage. She felt no fatigue or loss of strength as she fought. It was as if she had never had any to begin with. Remy, however, wasn't so lucky. After a good few minutes worth, Remy fell to the ground after suffering a major blow from Mystique's new weapon.
"Time to play ma game!" said Gambit as he got out a handful of cards. The whole deck began to glow red as if they were on fire, signaling that Gambit was ready to launch his explosive attack. Then, a barrage of cards began to fly directly at Mystique. However, she didn't seem too afraid.
Calmly, she began to use her weapon as a fan and began to deflect every incoming card with apparent ease. A wry smile grew upon her face, for she was enjoying her new power immensely. Some of the cards that were deflected found their way back to Gambit and he began to feel them explode around them. He tried to get away, but before he could react the nimble Toad jumped in front of him.
"Lights out Gambit!" said Toad as he used his glowing swords to blast the Ragin' Cajun back against the wall, knocking him out completely.
Magneto watched in shock as he watched the last of his associates fall. He never would have thought that the Brotherhood, who had always been more of a joke, could fight and defeat his best new recruits with so much ease. Now all five of the mutant soldiers encircled the master of magnetism and prepared to take him down.
"You all will not defeat me so easily!" bellowed Magento.
Then the Shadowmaster, who had mainly been a mere observer, stepped forth.
"Stand down my minions, you have done your duties well. Let me handle this pathetic being."
"Pathetic?! I'll show you pathetic!" yelled Magneto as the whole room began to shake.
Suddenly, everything metal levitated in the thin air and began to whirl around the room in a cyclone like fashion. Soon, Magneto was surrounded in a cloud of metal as the room began to shake ever more violently. However, the Shadowmaster remained remarkable calm through this spectacle much to Magneto's disappointment. This enraged him further as he began to send every bit of metal he could at the dark wizard at blinding speeds. The Brotherhood watched in awe, unsure of whom to route for, but it seemed that the Shadowmaster had the upper hand, for the metal barrage just bounced away from him. A dark shield of energy surrounded and protected the wizard as he began to walk closer to the enraged mutant.
"It's...Impossible!" exclaimed Magneto as he intensified the barrage, but to no avail.
"Bow before your new master Magneto, for now you are my slave!"
In one masterful stroke, the Shadowmaster let forth a concentrated blast of dark energy at the bewildered Magneto.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" yelled the hapless mutant as he collapsed to the floor.
The Shadowmaster then raised his staff in to the air.
"Time to put an end to this... Mon amshei mon ghan ran zu, Mon amshei mon ghan ran zu."
A dark haze engulfed Magneto along with the rest of the Acolytes. Just like the Brotherhood, they rose off the ground and began to undergo a transformation. In a beam of dark blue light, mysterious symbols appeared on their skin and their clothing was replaced with new uniforms similar to those of the Brotherhood. When the light show stopped, the five new dark warriors stood before the victorious Shadowmaster.
"Wha...What happened to us?" said Gambit, confused by his new appearance.
"Did you not listen to anything I said?! You are all now my minions of darkness," said the victorious Shadowmaster with a grin.
"NO!" said Magneto in a fit of rage. "I will not bow to the likes of..."
But that was as far as the master of magnetism got. Suddenly, a purple light engulfed Magneto and he keeled over in agony. It was just like what happened to Mystique before. Wanda, Pietro, and the rest of the Brotherhood couldn't do anything, but watch. They knew that the slightest thought of disobedience would lead them to a similar fate. Magneto tried in vain to overcome the agony that was thrust upon him the second he thought about rebelling against the Shadowmaster. The more he tried the worse it got. Finally, it stopped. Magneto was still breathing hard as the Shadowmaster walked up to him.
"Like the rest of my minions have learned...Any thoughts of disobeying me will be met with pain more intense than anything a mere speck like yourself could comprehend. You serve me and only me now. You should be grateful, for now you are all stronger, faster, better, and immortal. Your mutant powers have also been enhanced beyond anything you could do on your own. It is for these reasons, I made you my warriors of darkness. From now on you no longer function as the Acolytes or the Brotherhood. You now function as one."
Magneto finally stood up, not daring to think any more thoughts that he would have under any other circumstances. Even with his mighty powers, the Shadowmaster had proved that he was stronger. Now, a man that once said he bowed to nobody, was a slave. Every one of the mutants in that dark room stood before their new master with mixed feelings. However, they knew that they had no choice but to serve this strange man. Now, even the slightest thought against the dark wizard was met with a painful shock that forced them obey like dogs.
"So...What exactly are you gonna have us doing now Mr. Shadowmaster? Are we just gonna keep on recruiting more mutants?" asked Toad, breaking the silence between the group.
The dark wizard just gave his new team another sinister smile.
"No...For now you are all I need for my master plan."
"Well...What kind of 'master plan' are we talking about here?" asked Lance as the rest of the team became eager to know.
For a moment the Shadowmaster was silent. He appeared to be lost in thought as if he this were a moment he had prepared for. "For untold centuries I have been waiting...Planning...Hoping for this time to come. This time...When the forces of darkness regain control over the forces of light. And the world finally bows down to me! Mutants will be my soldiers, humans will be my subjects, and the world will be my kingdom."
The Brotherhood and the Acolytes uneasily listened to what seemed like mad ambitions. Then again, this was a madman they were facing. But the Shadowmaster wasn't done yet.
"There is, however, one force that can stop this from happening...And it is a force that you all are quite familiar with if I'm not mistaken."
"The X-men," said Mystique.
"Yes. These...Pests are the bugs in my plan. And you all are my exterminators!"
"Cool, so we get to fight those X-geeks?" asked Pietro.
"Better...You get to destroy them!"
By destroy, the Shadowmaster meant kill. The rest of the team could tell by the tone of the wizard's voice that's what he meant.
"However, you will encounter one being that you cannot, hence will not, fight. I know him as the hero of time, you know him as Link!"
"Ah Link, we have encountered this being before," said Magneto upon hearing Link's name mentioned.
"Indeed, he is very powerful and very strong. However, he does have a severe weakness...A weakness that will lead to his downfall! And I shall have my revenge..."
"Revenge? Have you faced this man before?" asked Magneto.
"In a manner of speaking...Yes, I have. But this time it is I who will triumph and it is darkness that shall rule!"
************************************
As the afternoon sun reached it's peak position in the sky, all seemed calm at the Xavier Institute. Most of the students were training in the Danger Room with Logan and Beast, others were outside, and the rest lofting about the many rooms that the mansion had to offer. Jack had chosen to pass the time lying on the roof of the mansion under the sun with his guitar to pass the time. The warmth of the sun beating down above and the soft sound of his guitar filled the air and helped relax a deeply troubled soul. Jack was lost in his own little world until he heard the door to the roof open. He looked over to see his friend, Scott Summers, approach him.
"Hey Jack, what's up?" asked Scott as he sat down besides him.
For a moment, that didn't seem to register in Jack's head.
"I wish I knew..." responded Jack finally.
Scott hadn't expected him to respond in riddles, but anything went with somebody as troubled as Jack Robinson.
"Bad dreams again?" asked Scott.
"Among other things, yeah. I haven't exactly been sleeping much lately," responded Jack. "But don't worry, I'm use to it."
"Well I can relate," reassured Scott. "I can definitely relate."
Jack knew what he was talking about. Scott had told Jack about the plight that killed his family. He had also told him how he was still plagued by nightmares about the whole thing to this day. In many ways, it was a situation very similar to Jack's.
"How do you deal with it?" asked Jack.
Scott sighed, "I have help. I have the professor, I have Jean, but I don't have to face some of the things that you did...So I don't know if you should be asking me."
"Close enough," replied Jack. "But I never had people around me like you until now. And that's what makes us very much alike...In more ways then one," replied Jack.
"What do you mean?" asked Scott.
"...Nothing," said Jack as he went back to playing his guitar. He knew that Scott was confused on what he meant by that, but, truth be told, Jack himself didn't really know either. Once again Jack found himself back in his own world of music. However, Scott didn't leave, not just yet.
"Hey Jack," said Scott after a few minutes of listening to Jack's guitar. Jack stopped and looked back at him. "Remember a few months ago...You know at that seven week anniversary that Jean and I had that night at the spring festival."
"Yeah why?" asked Jack.
"I don't think I ever thanked you for what you did back there."
"Oh, well," said Jack humbly, "That was nothing."
"No it was really something. I owe you big time for finally bringing me and Jean together, but there is one more thing I noticed that night."
"What was that?" asked Jack, curious at what he might say next.
"If I remember correctly, you were there with Rogue weren't you?" Scott now began to show a sly grin.
"Well yeah but..." Jack began to stumble, knowing what Scott was probably referring to. "Hey, I didn't tease you about Jean so..."
"Yes you did," said Scott abruptly. That stopped Jack cold in his tracks, for he could not deny that wholeheartedly.
"Okay I did, I won't deny that. But it's kinda different between me and Rogue."
"Well, I don't know about that," replied Scott. "You seem to confide in her more than anybody else at this place, and you seem to be more comfortable around her than anybody else. Now I may not see as clearly as most people, but that definitely doesn't seem all too different when I look at it."
Jack didn't respond; he just sat there worried about the effects his next words would have. Scott just shook his head.
'Man was I really that ignorant before?' thought Scott.
Jack was about to respond, but Scott felt he had enough to deal with.
"Look I'll stop right here Jack," said Scott much to Jack's relief, "I know you've got enough on your mind." Scott then got up and began to leave. "One more thing...And take it from somebody who's been there. Don't wait so long, it'll eat you alive and torture you to no end."
And with that, Scott left Jack on the roof once again. Jack put his guitar down and began to think. As much as he denied it, Jack knew he was developing deep feelings for Rogue. They were very much alike in so many ways. They both were lost souls that struggled to make sense of where they came from. They both thought and felt alike and it was easy to confide in each other. However, love was something Jack was very uneasy with. In the time he had been with the X-men, he saw the deep love between Scott and Jean from day one. He saw how happy they made each other when he got them together. Many times, he would watch the couple show their affection for each other and he would have many mixed feelings. He would be happy for them, but sad for himself. For so long Jack was never able to love another. Every time he did, terrible things would happen, terrible things and events that etched themselves in his mind. He didn't want Rogue to go through the same thing. Jack couldn't even bear the thought of her suffering. It all became too much for his anxious mind to bear.
"I need to get away...Gotta clear my head," said Jack to himself as he got up.
After a while he sped out the front gate with nothing but his own legs powering him. As he left, Rogue watched from a window overlooking him. After starring blankly at the path Jack had just left by, she suddenly got up from the window and made her way down to the garage.
"I hope Logan doesn't ground me for life for this," she said as she revved up his motorcycle and sped out the gates.
**********************************************
AN: Well, that's it for part 3. Stay tuned if you want to see the first encounter between the Shadowmaster and Link! Be prepared for big surprises as this series continues. I know this story has been more Jack/Rogue than Scott/Jean, but for now that's how the story has been fanning out. Please tell me what you think by sending me reviews at slickboy444@aol.com or by posting them on fanfiction.net. Thanks again and best wishes to you all!