The Oncoming Storm
By V.Valentine
A/N: Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed, especially Deathblade Prime, and Mantichorus. I have seen The Thing recently, and whither or not it's Hojo or Jenova is still a surprise. But I have said that Hojo will be in the ending, and I was planning on making this a ten chapter story. (Hint) As always, please read and review, and know that I'm making no money off of this at all.
A month had passed since the Yokozuna had landed on the western seaboard. Slowly, the thing waited in its host body, directing him where to go since coming into America. Valentine's stench was strong, and he was following that in a carnal instinct of finding Vincent. His search had lead him across country, apparently Valentine had done some traveling since being found and released. He would have met the intruders personally, but he was still just a pile of goop at that point. Indeed, he needed the extra time to pull himself back together from that bomb blast.
He could still remember the day that the atomic bomb had hit Hiroshima. He had just injected himself was the same solution Valentine was injected with. And although the bomb had de-evolved him to a state of proto-plasma, he was still alive. Oh yes, it had taken him fifty long years to even be able to form an appendage again, but he had nothing else on his mind but revenge. Retribution for letting the greatest scientific mind on the planet be reduced to this unholy state. He was going to make the greatest discovery in the history of mankind, and Vincent ruined it.
He watched when the relief teams found Vincent still sleeping in his hibernation stasis, and take him off to America. His hated boiled over to the point where he focused on nothing but getting revenge on Vincent. His parents were troublesome when they were alive, but he had dealt with them, just like how he would deal with Vincent. But a simple gunshot to the head wouldn't satisfy his thirst for blood, no, he had something much more devilish in store. And so he had gotten onto the next boat to America, just as soon as he could start moving again. His travels eventually found him in New York, at the wreckage of a nightclub in Manhattan. The dockworker picked up the sign, reading the title of 'Hellfire Club' carved in the wood. He tossed the sign aside, flinging it into a window not caring that it crashed behind him.
His gaze went to his own form in one of the shards of glass. He looked nothing like he used, especially in this body. Running a hand through his hair, he gently moved his fingers through it, causing the brown strands of hair to turn obsidian black. He removed the hat from his head; the dust stained on the brim was not fit for a man of his caliber. Seeing that the window that he broke lead into a men's clothing store, he walked into the store, and started to rummage through the suits. Americans had fine taste in clothes, he had to give them that. A nice wool suit would fit him just fine, and then he could get back to going after Valentine. He eventually found a suit that he liked, a stark white suit with a bold black tie down the center. Slipping into one of the changing rooms, he came out again shortly wearing the suit. Looking over himself in the full-length mirror, he looked to his side to find a pair of eyeglasses left on the counter. Apparently the owner had left them here to find tomorrow. Too bad for him. Picking them up, he gently slid them onto his ear and over his eyes.
"A definite improvement, indeed." He said with a small laugh, as he moved back out of the store and back out into the street. The store next door was selling televisions as he moved past it, the news was currently on. He stopped for a moment, and listened to the news broadcast even if just a moment. "Our special news report tonight focuses on the eclectic Xavier Institute in Bayville. The town of Bayville has had several reports about strange and weird incidences from around this school. The headmaster of the Xavier Institute for the Gifted, Charles Xavier, is joining us tonight live via satellite." The new anchor announced, as the camera cut to an image of Professor Xavier. The dockworker looked to this, and smirked, then moved back out to the street and hailed a cab. The nearest cab pulled out and up in front of him, as he got into the back seat. "Where to, Mac?" The cabbie asked, looking to the back seat. The man looked back to him and smiled. "The Xavier Institute in Bayville, please."
Within a few hours, the cab pulled up in front of the Institute, it slowly screeching to a halt. The cabbie looked back to the man in the back, and spoke again. "Alright, that'll be two hundred and thirty four dollars, and forty cents." The cabbie announced as the man moved to remove his wallet. "It seems that I do not have enough. You'll have to die." The man says suddenly, and a gray appendage shoots from seemingly out of nowhere, injecting a barb into the cabbie's neck. His veins gently popped out of his neck, oozing out pus that slid down his neck as the cab driver convulsed and fell into a fitful seizure. The man smiled, retracting the appendage as he stepped out of the cab, and up the small distance of driveway, and then up the steps to the Mansion's front door. Lightly knocking, he waited for a few moments, as he eventually heard someone come to the door. Jean gently opened the door, looking to the man. "Hello. Can I help you?" She asked politely as the man nodded with a thin smile. "I certainly hope you can, child. I'm looking for Vincent Valentine. Is he here?" He asks, as jean shakes her head. "He's out for the afternoon, but he should be back in time for dinner. Would you like to come in and wait?" She asked, as the man nodded. "Thank you, I believe I will." He says, stepping in once Jean steps to the side. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name, Mister..." Jean began as the man turned back to her. "Hojo. Nobunga Hojo."
Jean nodded, though she was trying to remember where she had heard that name before. She was almost positive she had, but with their ever- increasing number of people that hate them, it was getting hard to keep track. But he said he was looking for Vincent, and then it hit on her. "Wait a minute! Your...." Jean begins, but couldn't finish as the same gray barbed tentacle slid out from his suit and gently pierced her neck. As she slumped to the floor, Hojo smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'm your new god." Hojo said just before turning around to find the X-men standing in the entrance to the parlor, Wolverine going out to the front of the group, claws already out and ready to attack. "Not if we have anything to say about it, bub." Logan rumbled, just before leaping into the air claws first at Hojo.
Meanwhile, in the city....
"How about this one?" Emma offered as Vincent looked to it. "Looks a little out of date, don't you think?" He asks, as he looks to the picture. Vincent was currently looking over office furniture for Emma's office, once they found out that she was going to be taking over Frost Enterprises. Vincent had offered to help her with her office, but he was starting to regret that decision over the last seven of the ten hours they had been in the coffee house. He wanted to help Emma; he was sincere about that, but maybe not to this degree. Vincent mused that someone like Kitty or Ororo could help her more than he could. They were at least knowledgeable about this kind of thing. But, he assumed it was because they were lovers that he was the one helping her.
"You're right, it looks like it should belong in a psychiatrist's office." Emma remarked as she moved to sip on her coffee, just before dropping the cup to the ground, staring up at the ceiling. She remained like that for a few moments, and then looked to Vincent. "That was the professor. We have to get back to the Mansion, now." Emma said, as she hastily left some cash for the broken mug and the stain on the floor. Vincent looked to her, wondering what she was talking about. Just content in nodding, Vincent went with her out to the car, and got in on the passenger side as Emma looked to him. "I would recommend that you have Death Penalty fully loaded for this." Emma warned as Vincent nodded, grabbing his rifle from the back seat, and checking to make sure that it was fully loaded. Luckily it was, and he quickly closed the chamber.
Vincent wondered if this was what Chaos was talking to him about. He had mentioned something big coming, and it seemed that the Professor asked for him especially. He looked to the material that lined his rifle as he then looked back to the road ahead. He could see the outline of the month up ahead and it wouldn't be long until they were parked outside. The house wasn't on fire, and it looked all right, save for the cab that was outside. Though he couldn't imagine an enemy that had the potential to hurt everyone showing up in a cab. But that could have merely been a diversion just to throw them off. Either way, his mind was racing and he was trying to prepare himself for the probable battle that was to come. He looked to Emma for a moment as they pulled up in front of the house, as he slowly got out, and looked around briefly. No tell tale signs of damage from outside of the house, so he joined Emma at the front door, and slowly walked in with her.
Everything seemed normal enough on the inside as well, as the moved throughout the rooms. He slowly reached the door to the parlor, and opened it without a sound as he walked in. And there, on the walls of the parlor, were the X-men attached by some sort of green goop that Vincent didn't even want to imagine. He saw the Professor's wheel chair over turned, and he too was on the wall with the others. Other than being on the wall for some reason, they didn't look hurt. Emma quickly joined him inside the parlor, and gently raised a hand to her mouth. "Admiring my work?" A voice questioned as Emma and Vincent looked to a chair sitting by the fireplace. They could see the outline of a man's arm lightly sipping on a cup of tea, as he watched the fireplace. "Since you're going to ask anyways, they're fine for the time being. But, I would recommend getting them to a hospital within the next twelve hours, if you can." The voice continued, putting his teacup down, then standing up and looking to Emma and Vincent. Hojo gave them a small cruel smirk, as Vincent's eyes narrowed.
"Hojo!" Vincent yelled out, before leaping into the air, and leveling Death Penalty for a bead right between Hojo's eyes. Hojo simply crossed his arms and the same gray tentacle slid out from his suit and raced out to stab Vincent right in his exposed left arm. Vincent dropped to the ground in pain, the paralyzing feeling starting to wash over him like a flood, as Emma looked to him and then to Hojo. "Who are you? What have you done to Vincent?" Emma cried out, as Hojo laughed out loud. "Stop asking questions, you idiot. Actually, you might make a good scientist." Hojo said, the gray tentacle slowly started to remove the suit he was wearing from his body.
As the jacket and shirt came off, Emma could see Hojo's chest and arms were a dull grayish black with a slight tint of yellow in the skin. His pants were then removed showing off his legs, but then the tentacle slowly removed those as well, breaking them off like they were a part of a cracker. The tentacle grew out and expanded slightly, as Hojo slowly began to balance on it as if it were a leg in itself. Breathing in slightly, Hojo gave a cruel smirk. "My name is Nobunga Hojo, but you can call me Lifeform. I created the Vincent that you all know, and now you're going to see me destroy him. But first, for matters at hand." He said, just before lunging for Emma.
A/N: Cliffhanger! Until next chapter!
By V.Valentine
A/N: Thanks again to everyone who's reviewed, especially Deathblade Prime, and Mantichorus. I have seen The Thing recently, and whither or not it's Hojo or Jenova is still a surprise. But I have said that Hojo will be in the ending, and I was planning on making this a ten chapter story. (Hint) As always, please read and review, and know that I'm making no money off of this at all.
A month had passed since the Yokozuna had landed on the western seaboard. Slowly, the thing waited in its host body, directing him where to go since coming into America. Valentine's stench was strong, and he was following that in a carnal instinct of finding Vincent. His search had lead him across country, apparently Valentine had done some traveling since being found and released. He would have met the intruders personally, but he was still just a pile of goop at that point. Indeed, he needed the extra time to pull himself back together from that bomb blast.
He could still remember the day that the atomic bomb had hit Hiroshima. He had just injected himself was the same solution Valentine was injected with. And although the bomb had de-evolved him to a state of proto-plasma, he was still alive. Oh yes, it had taken him fifty long years to even be able to form an appendage again, but he had nothing else on his mind but revenge. Retribution for letting the greatest scientific mind on the planet be reduced to this unholy state. He was going to make the greatest discovery in the history of mankind, and Vincent ruined it.
He watched when the relief teams found Vincent still sleeping in his hibernation stasis, and take him off to America. His hated boiled over to the point where he focused on nothing but getting revenge on Vincent. His parents were troublesome when they were alive, but he had dealt with them, just like how he would deal with Vincent. But a simple gunshot to the head wouldn't satisfy his thirst for blood, no, he had something much more devilish in store. And so he had gotten onto the next boat to America, just as soon as he could start moving again. His travels eventually found him in New York, at the wreckage of a nightclub in Manhattan. The dockworker picked up the sign, reading the title of 'Hellfire Club' carved in the wood. He tossed the sign aside, flinging it into a window not caring that it crashed behind him.
His gaze went to his own form in one of the shards of glass. He looked nothing like he used, especially in this body. Running a hand through his hair, he gently moved his fingers through it, causing the brown strands of hair to turn obsidian black. He removed the hat from his head; the dust stained on the brim was not fit for a man of his caliber. Seeing that the window that he broke lead into a men's clothing store, he walked into the store, and started to rummage through the suits. Americans had fine taste in clothes, he had to give them that. A nice wool suit would fit him just fine, and then he could get back to going after Valentine. He eventually found a suit that he liked, a stark white suit with a bold black tie down the center. Slipping into one of the changing rooms, he came out again shortly wearing the suit. Looking over himself in the full-length mirror, he looked to his side to find a pair of eyeglasses left on the counter. Apparently the owner had left them here to find tomorrow. Too bad for him. Picking them up, he gently slid them onto his ear and over his eyes.
"A definite improvement, indeed." He said with a small laugh, as he moved back out of the store and back out into the street. The store next door was selling televisions as he moved past it, the news was currently on. He stopped for a moment, and listened to the news broadcast even if just a moment. "Our special news report tonight focuses on the eclectic Xavier Institute in Bayville. The town of Bayville has had several reports about strange and weird incidences from around this school. The headmaster of the Xavier Institute for the Gifted, Charles Xavier, is joining us tonight live via satellite." The new anchor announced, as the camera cut to an image of Professor Xavier. The dockworker looked to this, and smirked, then moved back out to the street and hailed a cab. The nearest cab pulled out and up in front of him, as he got into the back seat. "Where to, Mac?" The cabbie asked, looking to the back seat. The man looked back to him and smiled. "The Xavier Institute in Bayville, please."
Within a few hours, the cab pulled up in front of the Institute, it slowly screeching to a halt. The cabbie looked back to the man in the back, and spoke again. "Alright, that'll be two hundred and thirty four dollars, and forty cents." The cabbie announced as the man moved to remove his wallet. "It seems that I do not have enough. You'll have to die." The man says suddenly, and a gray appendage shoots from seemingly out of nowhere, injecting a barb into the cabbie's neck. His veins gently popped out of his neck, oozing out pus that slid down his neck as the cab driver convulsed and fell into a fitful seizure. The man smiled, retracting the appendage as he stepped out of the cab, and up the small distance of driveway, and then up the steps to the Mansion's front door. Lightly knocking, he waited for a few moments, as he eventually heard someone come to the door. Jean gently opened the door, looking to the man. "Hello. Can I help you?" She asked politely as the man nodded with a thin smile. "I certainly hope you can, child. I'm looking for Vincent Valentine. Is he here?" He asks, as jean shakes her head. "He's out for the afternoon, but he should be back in time for dinner. Would you like to come in and wait?" She asked, as the man nodded. "Thank you, I believe I will." He says, stepping in once Jean steps to the side. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name, Mister..." Jean began as the man turned back to her. "Hojo. Nobunga Hojo."
Jean nodded, though she was trying to remember where she had heard that name before. She was almost positive she had, but with their ever- increasing number of people that hate them, it was getting hard to keep track. But he said he was looking for Vincent, and then it hit on her. "Wait a minute! Your...." Jean begins, but couldn't finish as the same gray barbed tentacle slid out from his suit and gently pierced her neck. As she slumped to the floor, Hojo smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'm your new god." Hojo said just before turning around to find the X-men standing in the entrance to the parlor, Wolverine going out to the front of the group, claws already out and ready to attack. "Not if we have anything to say about it, bub." Logan rumbled, just before leaping into the air claws first at Hojo.
Meanwhile, in the city....
"How about this one?" Emma offered as Vincent looked to it. "Looks a little out of date, don't you think?" He asks, as he looks to the picture. Vincent was currently looking over office furniture for Emma's office, once they found out that she was going to be taking over Frost Enterprises. Vincent had offered to help her with her office, but he was starting to regret that decision over the last seven of the ten hours they had been in the coffee house. He wanted to help Emma; he was sincere about that, but maybe not to this degree. Vincent mused that someone like Kitty or Ororo could help her more than he could. They were at least knowledgeable about this kind of thing. But, he assumed it was because they were lovers that he was the one helping her.
"You're right, it looks like it should belong in a psychiatrist's office." Emma remarked as she moved to sip on her coffee, just before dropping the cup to the ground, staring up at the ceiling. She remained like that for a few moments, and then looked to Vincent. "That was the professor. We have to get back to the Mansion, now." Emma said, as she hastily left some cash for the broken mug and the stain on the floor. Vincent looked to her, wondering what she was talking about. Just content in nodding, Vincent went with her out to the car, and got in on the passenger side as Emma looked to him. "I would recommend that you have Death Penalty fully loaded for this." Emma warned as Vincent nodded, grabbing his rifle from the back seat, and checking to make sure that it was fully loaded. Luckily it was, and he quickly closed the chamber.
Vincent wondered if this was what Chaos was talking to him about. He had mentioned something big coming, and it seemed that the Professor asked for him especially. He looked to the material that lined his rifle as he then looked back to the road ahead. He could see the outline of the month up ahead and it wouldn't be long until they were parked outside. The house wasn't on fire, and it looked all right, save for the cab that was outside. Though he couldn't imagine an enemy that had the potential to hurt everyone showing up in a cab. But that could have merely been a diversion just to throw them off. Either way, his mind was racing and he was trying to prepare himself for the probable battle that was to come. He looked to Emma for a moment as they pulled up in front of the house, as he slowly got out, and looked around briefly. No tell tale signs of damage from outside of the house, so he joined Emma at the front door, and slowly walked in with her.
Everything seemed normal enough on the inside as well, as the moved throughout the rooms. He slowly reached the door to the parlor, and opened it without a sound as he walked in. And there, on the walls of the parlor, were the X-men attached by some sort of green goop that Vincent didn't even want to imagine. He saw the Professor's wheel chair over turned, and he too was on the wall with the others. Other than being on the wall for some reason, they didn't look hurt. Emma quickly joined him inside the parlor, and gently raised a hand to her mouth. "Admiring my work?" A voice questioned as Emma and Vincent looked to a chair sitting by the fireplace. They could see the outline of a man's arm lightly sipping on a cup of tea, as he watched the fireplace. "Since you're going to ask anyways, they're fine for the time being. But, I would recommend getting them to a hospital within the next twelve hours, if you can." The voice continued, putting his teacup down, then standing up and looking to Emma and Vincent. Hojo gave them a small cruel smirk, as Vincent's eyes narrowed.
"Hojo!" Vincent yelled out, before leaping into the air, and leveling Death Penalty for a bead right between Hojo's eyes. Hojo simply crossed his arms and the same gray tentacle slid out from his suit and raced out to stab Vincent right in his exposed left arm. Vincent dropped to the ground in pain, the paralyzing feeling starting to wash over him like a flood, as Emma looked to him and then to Hojo. "Who are you? What have you done to Vincent?" Emma cried out, as Hojo laughed out loud. "Stop asking questions, you idiot. Actually, you might make a good scientist." Hojo said, the gray tentacle slowly started to remove the suit he was wearing from his body.
As the jacket and shirt came off, Emma could see Hojo's chest and arms were a dull grayish black with a slight tint of yellow in the skin. His pants were then removed showing off his legs, but then the tentacle slowly removed those as well, breaking them off like they were a part of a cracker. The tentacle grew out and expanded slightly, as Hojo slowly began to balance on it as if it were a leg in itself. Breathing in slightly, Hojo gave a cruel smirk. "My name is Nobunga Hojo, but you can call me Lifeform. I created the Vincent that you all know, and now you're going to see me destroy him. But first, for matters at hand." He said, just before lunging for Emma.
A/N: Cliffhanger! Until next chapter!