Chapter 7
Archaic Resolution
I was on my way to New York City, just a few miles from the outskirts. I had a car phone on loudspeaker.
"You do realise that this is quite risky don't you Scott? The likeliness that we'll even get past the front door is pretty low." I overtook a Sedan and increased my speed slightly.
"Then why are you going in?" He asked over the phone. He and the rest of the X-men were on their way to New York. My superior, Psylocke, was on her way to the Outfit's safe house to gather them up. It was nice to hear they had been searching for me all this time.
"I'm going in because I have to, it's my fault that she's there and I'm going to get her out. If I fail then at least I can clear as many obstacles out of the way for whoever comes next." I shifted into sixth gear and pushed the accelerator to the floor.
"Our ETA is ten minutes, see you then." He must have had his doubts about trusting me, but I didn't care. I had more important things to worry about. I hung up the phone and concentrated on getting to my destination.
Rogue woke up in a small dark room, she wasn't chained or bound in any way so that was a plus. She stood and walked around the room, feeling the walls for any clues. When she found the door she began to search for the handle, she gripped it and pulled down. It moved! She wasted no time, she moved out into the bright corridor and ran as fast as her body would let her.
She found herself in the lounge of an apartment. She looked around and saw a man standing at the window looking out.
"Evening Miss Rogue, you are awake I see. How do you feel?" From his cultured accent she took a guess at him being English. Completely contrast to her Southern accent.
"Ah'm fine but I want to go home. Now." She replied. The man turned around to face her and she was instantly shocked. Apart from the changes of age, and a severe scar at his left temple, this man was the spitting image of the photograph of Joseph Greerson. "Oh. Mah. Gawd". She breathed. Joseph smiled warmly.
"I see you've heard of me. I've also heard of you." He stepped closer to her, dangerously close. "You and I are going to get better acquainted very soon, but I have to sort out a few things. Tyesson." He spoke to someone behind her. "Take her to my office and prepare her." A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and began to drag her away.
"Prepare me for what?" she asked.
"You'll see."
I was lost, I knew I had to ask for directions but I couldn't ask them looking like I did. I stopped the car and closed my eyes in concentration, willing the 'Shadow Skin' to dissipate. I felt a small ripple over my skin and I immediately warmed up, only just realizing how cold I had been. I stared at my hands just to be sure and was relieved to see pink, healthy skin. I was normal again. I started the car and moved off once more.
I slowed down and stopped next to a police car and rolled down the truck's window, then knocked on theirs. The female officer closest to me rolled the window down.
"Can I help you sir?" she asked me. She seemed a bit irate, so I gave her my best smile.
"I'm sorry to bother you, Miss, but could you direct me to Navy Arms Incorporated? I'm a little lost. You see, I'm new to the area." I reached into the side pocket of the hummer and brought out the map of the city I'd picked up from a gas station and handed it to the officer.
"Sure, I'll mark it on your map for you." She pulled out a ballpoint and began to write, her male partner on the other hand looked like he needed sleep. He fixed me with a suspicious look and began tapping on the computer that was on the dashboard. Crap, I thought and circled my hand around the baton that had nestled next to the map. "Here you go sir; I've put on where you are at the moment, so it should be easy to find your way." She handed back the map and I released my hand from the baton to take it. The male officer started to open the door to get out as I sat back.
"Thanks ma'am, I really appreciate it." I released the handbrake and was on my way again. I knew something was wrong when the cop cars lights and sirens turned on behind me. I pushed the brake hard and the cop car ran into my back end, crushing its engine block instantly. I floored the accelerator and made my escape.
The building was tall, real tall. The Navy Arms insignia was shining on the roof: an anchor bisected by an ancient ships canon. At a cursory glance the place was quiet, but I could see several armed guards in the lobby, they knew I was coming. I stepped out of the truck and moved to the boot. I looked it over; the impact from the police vehicle had hardly dented it. I opened the trunk and pulled out the rifle inside. I rested the rifle on the Humvee roof; the rifle was originally designed to punch through tank armour, so to get any kind of shot you had to rest it on something strong enough to take the recoil. I sighted up to the top of the building and spied a sentry on the roof; I took aim and squeezed the trigger. The sentry flew back out of sight as the voice of the rifle boomed out to the surrounding neighbourhood. I threw the rifle into the back seat and got back in the front. I moved off and turned the first left right in front of the lobby. I turned the hummer around after about a hundred yards and got out of the vehicle once more and popped the boot, it was filled with enough weaponry to supply a small brigade. I pulled out a Kevlar vest and as many handgun magazines as I could possibly carry, and two combat knives. I was ready. I got back into the Humvee and stared at the front door to the Navy Arms building.
"Here goes nothing, I'm coming Rogue." I floored the accelerator and released the brake. The truck kicked off and began to rush at the doors. I braced myself for the impact.
"Quiet night, huh George?" Kyle asked his partner as they patrolled the lobby.
"Yeah." George was never one to use polysyllabic words. They split off from the centre of the lobby and moved towards the two security stations situated on either side of the doors. Kyle begun a conversation with the clerk on his side, George merely nodded a greeting and turned to face the doors. He stopped and stared in horror as he saw a company Humvee hurtling at full speed towards the doors. He only had enough time to warn everybody before the Humvee smashed through the glass doors, sending deadly shards every where. The two clerks died instantly, but Kyle's and George's reflexes had saved them. Kyle looked up at the piece of glass quivering in the counter inches above his head. He got up and met George by the truck as the driver got out. They froze as the driver faced them.
"Hey guy's. Mind if I drop in?" Gabe said as he motioned towards them with his hand, two tendrils of shadow snaked out of a nearby pillar's shadow and wrapped around the two guards necks and lifted them in the air. They died quietly but slowly.
Joseph stared out of the window, oblivious to what had happened twenty stories below. Tyesson stood by the desk silently, waiting for orders.
"Is she prepped?" Joseph asked without turning around.
"Aye sir, she will be undergoing therapy very soon," she answered. The intercom on the desk spluttered to life.
"Joseph sir, the Shade has entered the building and he's pissed! We're having trouble holding him back sir." Stifan shouted over the intercom
"We were planning on this so don't worry, just keep him out of the level fifteen labs." Joseph said, still not looking round. There was an explosion, then several screams over the 'com.
"Too late sir! He's here! Orders?" The sound of gunfire echoed through the room.
"Stifan, take another man and go prep the chopper; we're cutting our losses. Tyesson, give Gabriel a nice welcome, make sure he doesn't make it to the roof." Tyesson nodded and watched Joseph leave.
I ducked behind an up turned desk and waited for a lull in the gunfire, I'd reached what looked like science labs with a rather macabre looking operating table. I reached my hand over the desk and fired in the general direction of the stairwell door, the bastards had almost snuck up behind me as I had dismantled Joseph's gene-reclamation devices. I rolled over to a pillar and rested my back against it, stretching both arms around the pillar to fire, hearing a satisfying thwack as the rounds hit home. The Mobile phone in my vest pocket trilled, I fished it out and pressed the call button.
"Yeah?" I asked into the phone.
"Gabe? We just entered the lobby, what the hell have you done?" Scott asked. He was getting annoyed at something.
"What do you mean 'what have I done?' " I asked as I flinched away from a round that almost got too close.
"You've killed four people, in cold blood."
"What's your point? That's what I do One-eye. I'm trained to kill first, then keep on killing. Get used to it." I hung up before he could reply. Damn he irritated me! I placed the phone back in my right breast pocket and stood up. I peered around the corner. Only three left. Stifan and another were missing, now was my chance. I un-holstered a second pistol and walked in to plain view, diving to my right I pulled the triggers and didn't stop till I was empty. I threw the pistols away and peered around the corner of the file cabinet I had dived behind, there was only one still standing, the others weren't dead but they weren't getting up anytime soon. I bolted towards him as fast as I could, not giving him time to recover. I moved in close and grabbed his rifle by the fore grip and magazine housing and twisted, his slow reflexes were the death of him. The rifle rounds tore his legs to pieces; he fell to the floor screaming. I picked up a grenade from his belt and walked to the stairwell, pulled the pin and dropped it right there and ran. The blast destroyed the stairwell completely, I couldn't have the X-men watching every move I made.
Scott jumped back, narrowly dodging the falling metal; Jean helped him up off the floor.
"What the hell?" She breathed.
"Dammit Gabriel!" Scott shouted.
"How are we supposed to, like, get up there now?" Kitty asked Scott. Wolverine answered instead.
"Why don't we ask the spook?" Scott flung his cell phone at Wolverine.
"You talk to him, he's beginning to really annoy me." Scott bit back on the cussing, barely. Wolverine pressed the redial button and held the phone to his ear.
"Gabe we're stuck in the lobby, a certain someone blew the stairs." There was slight static on the line as Gabe answered.
"There are service elevators behind the west clerk's desk. Take them to the seventeenth floor and check the offices there, Rogue's in one of them." Every one had heard the news and crowded around the phone.
"How do you know? Are you with her now?" Wolverine asked into the phone.
"No sir, I'm looking at a C.C.T.V. screen and she's on it." Gabe answered, there was a rustling then a metallic click on the other end. "Get to her quickly, I'd do it myself but I'm a little tied up now." The phone went dead, Wolverine shrugged.
"He hung up." He passed the phone back to Scott. "Let's move out X-men, we've got one of our own to save. They crammed into the only elevator still on the ground floor. Wolverine punched number 17. Everyone braced themselves as it made a sudden jolt and slowly rumbled upward to level seventeen.
I hung up and placed the phone back in my pocket. I made to move, but froze right on the spot. I stood facing the one person I had hoped never to meet face to face again. Tyesson, my ex-combat instructor.
"Long time no see Gabey."
"The name's Gabriel, but you can call me Shade, Alicia." I walked to my left as did Tyesson, we started to circle. "I was hoping to next see you through a rifle scope." She laughed; it was a high-pitched giggle that made me wince in pain.
"Are you really that much of a coward? You're your mother's son through and through." The insult stung, I felt like strangling her but I kept back the rising fury. I instead smirked.
"I was taught to always take the easiest option, by you and almost every other instructor, so I'm really not the only coward in this room." She didn't rise to the bait. "I would go as far to say that any person who runs from her responsibilities is a coward, like you. I'm facing up to mine." She smiled cruelly.
"When did we get all philosophical?"
"Around the time your he-bitch tortured my mother, who incidentally was a very honourable woman. If I hear you insult her one more time, I'll kill you slower than I originally intended to." I kept my voice even, giving off no emotion. I placed my hands on the hilts of the two combat knives attached to the back of my belt; she reached behind her and pulled out a katana.
"I suppose I'll have to kill you, if only to teach you one final lesson Gabe." She fingered the blade as it gleamed in the light. "A lesson in pain!" She pressed forward and brought the blade down, aiming to split my skull in two. I pulled the knives and crossed them above my head, catching the blade in the groove. I kicked out and caught her in the shin, forcing her back. She set herself again, blade pointing up and facing away from me. I settled into a defensive posture, both blades pointing down and out with the blades facing away from me.
"I'm giving you one chance Alicia, leave and I won't hunt you down. I don't have anything against you personally, I'm just here for the girl." We began to circle clockwise again.
"I have my orders Shade; I have to carry them out." She charged at me, scything the katana in a wide horizontal arc aimed at my neck, I brought up my right knife to block it. The blades connected and mine went spinning out of my hand, I spun with the blow and stepped back. I swapped my left knife into my right hand and readied myself for the follow up; I blocked the reversed attack and lost my other knife in the process. I was screwed. I backed away from Tyesson who had the sword point close to my throat. "Any last words Gabe?" The back of my legs hit a low table and I fell onto it, something pole like pressed into my back. I felt along it till I met a curved blade, it was an axe. I gripped the handle tightly.
"Yeah I do, duck!" I rolled out of the way and swung the axe up at her sword, knocking it away. I let go of the axe in mid swing and tackled her, lifting her off of the ground. I didn't stop until we hit the wall size window; I held her there and punched her in the stomach. As she doubled over I brought my knee up to meet her face, they connected and her head whipped back and cracked the glass as she fell to the floor. I felt around her waist for her holster, grabbing the revolver from it. It was a large weapon, most likely a .45 of some obscure make. I turned away from her and walked to the back off the room to where a door was marked 'roof access.'
"Freeze!" I turned to face her, she had a crossbow in her hands, she must have pulled it off the wall.
"Please Tyesson, I have no time for this." She pulled the trigger and the bolt was released, I dodged right and brought up the revolver. The bolt hit my left shoulder and pulled my arm as I squeezed the trigger. Her head exploded in a cloud of pink mist and grey matter. Her body fell through the now shattered glass behind her. I opened the door and ran up the metal stairs to the roof, it would all end there.
"We've checked haff of ze floor and still no Rogue, zhere's only one office left, she has to be there." The seventeenth floor had been well guarded but the X-men's training had helped them pull through, the bodies of the unconscious guards were proof of the level of their skill. Logan moved to the final door on the level and opened it. They finally had what they came for.
I saw Joseph and two others get in to the chopper and settle in, the rotors began to speed up, I didn't have much time. I dispatched the five guards with the revolver and ran to the chopper. It lifted off before I could get close enough. It lifted to about ten foot and began to head towards the Hudson River; I looked at its path and saw my chance. Several boxes had been stored next to the air-conditioning unit; I had a set of stairs up to the chopper. I ripped off they heavy Kevlar vest andI sprinted as fast as I could, just keeping up with the chopper. I took the boxes one bound at a time and was just below the chopper when I reached the edge of the roof, I leapt out into free air and reached out for the leg rail of the chopper. I gripped at it with all my strength and breathed a sigh of relief, I heaved my self up onto the rail and looked into the cab. I saw three figures but all I saw in detail in was Joseph. I raised the revolver and shouted his name.
"Joseph Greerson! Your time has come!" I squeezed the trigger and the hammer inched back. Joseph turned around, shock in his eyes, I smiled, I had won! The hammer fell with a dry click, the gun was empty. Joseph began to laugh as my heart fell.
"Ah Gabriel, do you know you look so much like your mother? Give her my regards."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
I felt pain in my chest and a force pushing me back, I fell backwards out of the chopper and watched dumbly as it shrunk into the distance. Hitting the Hudson felt like hitting concrete. I felt the Shadow skin surround me and water envelope me. I had failed. I tried to scream but the pain in my chest stopped me, I sunk further down into the depths of the water, after what felt like a lifetime, the darkness claimed me. My last thoughts were of Rogue, She was safe. I hadn't failed her, just myself.
