He had a name once, but he no longer used. It was a weakling's name, a human's name. Someday, there would be no humans left, only the powerful, only the mutants. The mighty Apocalypse would rule them all, and he… he would serve as his right hand.
But for now, Mesmero had to find a way to retrieve his most dread lord back from the terrible nothingness from where he had been imprisoned. Fell through the cracks of time indeed. Apocalypse was eternal. Mesmero had witnessed his power, firsthand. No such simple method could defeat the Alpha and the Omega. Therefore, it was a simple matter to free his dread lord from wherever he was, and then their plan would come to fruition. No mistakes this time.
Unfortunately, easier said than done. Time-travel was limited to the power of the devices from the time of Rama-Tut. Apocalypse's technology. And most of that had either been destroyed or confiscated by the United Nations to be studied and, hopefully, to "benefit" mankind. However, Mesmero knew more of them existed, scattered across the world, hidden amongst the ruins of the world as the pyramids had been. And now he had the resources to find that technology. It would take longer to study it, but surely there was a key amongst the useless junk he was accumulating.
Mesmero was, in fact, so engrossed in his studies of a particular artifact (an olmec dagger supposedly capable of "cleaving through the winds") that he missed the sound of soft footsteps until their own spoke.
"I can see I'm not bein' particularly clear with you, Mesmero…" said a thickly-accented voice, causing Mesmero to shudder even as he turned around. "So I see I'll have to refresh your memory."
The owner of the voice was a young man, no more than eighteen or nineteen years of age. With dark blonde hair cut short and a small goatee gracing his thick, strong chin. He had the look of an aristocrat, though his clothes were more those of a punk or goth. He stepped down the stairs into Mesmero's study, hands on his hips as he regarded the hypnotist mutant. But it was his black eyes… the eyes were what scared Mesmero most. They were the eyes of someone with power.
"Black King… what brings you here?" asked Mesmero, at once bowing low before the young boy no more than half his age. He showed him the same respect as he would have Apocalypse… for now. Until the situation changed, he had to.
"I made it abundantly clear two months ago, Black Knight. En Sabah Nur is dead," he stated, and Mesmero felt his spine stiffen at the insult. "Stop searching through dusty ruins to resurrect that bastard. The Circle rules now. Concern yourself with serving the Circle," he stated darkly. And Mesmero recognized the veiled threat. The Circle's leader was the Black King. Basically, he meant to concern himself with serving him.
No true names were spoken between the two. Too dangerous. Their particular locales were shielded from prying eyes, ears, and minds, but one could never be too cautious when you were part of the Circle. Thus, only your codenames were ever used. His was Black Knight. A medium rank in the upper levels of the Circle, and certainly far better than that countless Black Pawns who worked under the Black King.
The Black King's dark eyes narrowed, glancing at the dagger still held in Mesmero's hands. He squinted, and it suddenly burst into flame, falling out of Mesmero's shocked hands and falling to the ground to shatter against the floor. While the fact that it broke so easily meant it was not an artifact of Apocalypse, the fact that the Black King would so casually destroy it angered Mesmero almost beyond all reason.
"Focus your energies better, Black Knight," stated the Black King as he lifted himself up and floated out of the chamber. "Or you will die."
And in that regard, the Black King never made idle threats.
"Having trouble with our favorite tattooed freak?" asked Emma, idly twirling a finger through her blonde locks as she watched the Black King enter their meeting chamber. As the organization's name implied, they met at a circular table, in the tradition of Camelot. However, Emma was White Queen and a power in her own right, second only to the Black King (the White King had died from natural causes almost a year ago. Because a dagger in-between one's eyes quite naturally ends ones life.) Emma was the only survivor of a decidedly hostile take-over of the old, White regime. And that because she switched sides with the rising Black King before he destroyed her too.
Emma had changed out of her normal business suit. It felt so ugly on her, despite what the thoughts of every male (and even a few females) had told her every day she kept up with the charade. Now she wear back in her customary white latex garb that was no where near indecent. The sort that clung to her body like a second skin, and made her feel almost like she wasn't wearing anything at all. A white fur cloak was thrown around her shoulders. It made her feel free… and powerful.
"Nothin' I couldn't handle," replied Black King, leaning in to kiss her white-gloved hand. The two of them enjoyed flirting endlessly, though they knew it was mostly out of ambition. The Black King wanted a loyal second-in-command, and White Queen enjoyed the power her rank brought.
"And what about your little Hellions?" he asked into her ear huskily, sending a shiver down her spine. She smirked, whispering back into his.
"They're getting rather eager for some bloodlust…" she replied with a playful giggle. Again, all for show. And they both knew it. "You know of course our most gifted was helpful in getting Jean back."
"Seems Colonel Wraith actually made himself useful. We might have to keep him alive for a while longer. How is Black Bishop doing with our guest?" he asked smugly, taking his seat next to Emma's own and leaning back casually.
"I'll ask," she replied, closing her eyes and sending out the psionic equivalent of a tap on the shoulder.
Having trouble, Mastermind? she asked telepathically, careful not to intrude too far into his mind. She might've disrupted his work. Or worse, gotten caught into it. And she liked her memories intact, thank you very much.
Almost finished, he replied. Give me two minutes and we'll be there. Just having a little trouble with this damn link… we should've broken it when we got the chance.
And risked pissing her off? She's a lot stronger than you are, thought Emma. She'd obliterate you if she got the chance. Nah, best we just leave it like this… let the link die on its own.
Whatever, he replied, and Emma could even sense a bored tone in his thought patterns. Abruptly he severed the link. While outwardly she was calm, and had an almost amused smirk on her pretty pink lips, inwardly she was fuming.
I'll make you pay for that, you bastard, she thought.
Trouble? came a thought from the Black King. He hadn't moved his mouth, but he had quirked an eyebrow as he usually did when he was asking a question. It was a silent way of saying 'think before you reply.'
"Nothing I cannot handle on my own," replied Emma with a charming smile. Telepathy didn't work very well for conveying emotions. Not the kind of telepathy possessed by the leaders of the Circle, at least. There'd been a rumor of a mutant capable of manipulating emotions in Salem, Massachusetts but he'd suddenly dropped out of sight, and it hadn't been too interesting anyway.
"I am here," stated Mesmero as he slipped into the room like the skulking thief he was. He gave a low half-bow to Emma and the Black King before sliding into his chair opposite them. As befitted the Black Knight rank that he held.
"We are here as well," stated Mastermind from the opposite doorway. All doorways in this particular fortress led to the Circle's meeting chamber. It was the heart of their installation.
Mastermind strode in, still cloaked in his illusionary guide as a handsome man with a thick moustache and long, drawn back brown hair. His clothes, however, had been exchanged from a modern business suit to a 19th century Englishman's clothes, all as black as the night. It didn't fool a single member of the Circle, all powerful telepaths in their own right, but they'd obliged him anyway. Like a jester in a king's court, his antics amused them.
And behind Mastermind strode their latest member. Who would soon be formally inducted into the Circle as their Black Queen. She strode in like a queen already, her every motion graceful and fluid, her bright red locks had been bound above her head in a bun, her body clad in skin-tight latex similar to the Emma's, though of pitch black rather than snow white. An ebon cloak flowed around her shoulders. She walked around the Circle, meeting the eyes of all gathered, and sat down with regal grace on the Black King's opposite side. By his left hand.
"Let the council begin."
Instantly the lights flicked off, plunging the room into darkness. It did not matter. They did not need their eyes to see one another. Their minds were powerful enough. They spoke aloud anyway.
"Gentlemen," began the Black King. "And ladies, of course," he added with a meaningful smirk. "Gathered at this table are some of the most powerful, and influential mutants in all the world. We have among us the potential to rule. To do whatever we wish, answering only to one another. Already our organization's influences, legitimate and otherwise, have stretched worldwide. And none even know our names. And now I introduce to you our final member, and with her, together we have the power to dominate the world from the shadows.
I present to you… the Black Queen."
"Fascinating," whispered Hank, peering into the microscope at the meteor fragment he'd just obtained. And none-too-easily, either. It had taken Logan's adamantium claws to slice off a tiny piece so he could examine it. The stuff had been far tougher than any steel he'd ever encountered, and almost as powerful as adamantium. And now he knew why.
It was vibranium.
A rare, naturally occurring mineral that, until now, had been only discovered in Africa. In the wake of a meteor strike, if Hank recalled correctly. Ah, well that explains it. The element vibranium was no tougher than ordinary lead, normally. But, through as a yet unknown science, it absorbed vibrations and converted it into energy, thus strengthening itself (hence its name). No wonder Logan had to use his claws to break it up. If it absorbed much more sound, this particular fragment might explode. Vibranium did have a breaking point, after all. It could only hold so much.
"Unfortunately," he said to Kitty, "this does not explain our little guest."
After the meteor impact, the students had returned to the mansion to study the meteor and the odd little alien they'd discovered in it. It didn't seem quite a baby, all things considered. It was perhaps, near as Hank could tell, an adolescent as its species measured their age. At least capable of taking care of itself. Where it had come from, he had no idea. Nor did he have any idea of how to care for it.
Kitty, however, did.
Her parents had never allowed her to have any pet in her entire life larger than a goldfish. However, in her efforts to try and change their minds, she'd taught herself countless little tricks on the care of various animals, read dozens of books, and helped out with any friends pets she'd known at the time. Eventually the interest passed, but the knowledge remained.
And useful it was, because Kitty was adamant about keeping Lockheed.
Hank, Logan, Professor X, Ororo and her parents combined would not have the power to sway Kitty's mind, influenced unfortunately by entirely too many late night sci-fi sessions with Kurt. The instant the thought of giving Lockheed (named after a dragon-esque doll she'd had since birth) to the government or to a scientist organization appalled her. Thus, like it or not, the Xavier Institute now had an impromptu mascot.
She sat in a black chair, legs up and resting on top of the controls, hands holding her favorite fashion magazine. She paid only a cursory glance at the screens before her, since she felt there was absolutely zero threat. Only one screen was blank. The Circle did not let its meetings go out to any who were not part of its inner ranks. And for all her usefulness, the red-haired girl seated before the screens was not an member. She was a Pawn, nothing more. Still, she didn't care. Once she got what she wanted, she was out of here.
Idly she glanced up at one of the screens, showing some of the other Pawns in their barracks. Hellions, the White Queen liked to term them. An accurate a description enough. In the screen she also saw her own reflection, her distinctly asian features and unnaturally red hair. Grumbling, she turned back to her magazine. She hated mirrors. Sighing like the teenaged girl she was, she flipped the page of her magazine… and froze. Her fingers trembled then, suddenly… dangerously. An editorial had caught her attention. "Mutant fashion?" it was called, and it had pictures of some of the more famous mutants at the Xavier Institute. Including, there, at the front…
She growled, darkly, and lashed out with her pink tipped nails, slashing clear through the magazine picture. The girl whom she'd been looking at now found herself painfully missing her head. Had she been real, that is. Now that her image was destroyed, the red-headed girl relaxed… marginally. It wasn't as satisfying. The real thing would do better.
Footsteps. She heard them long before their owner knocked at her door.
"Come in," she grunted darkly, tossing the magazine aside and pushing off her legs, making her chair rotate in a circle so she could face who was entering. Like she had any doubts. The lingering stench of death and formaldehyde told her exactly who it was.
The door slid open, to reveal Colonel Wraith.
"Daily injection?" she asked grimly, admiring her nails more than him. She'd chipped the tip of one. How annoying.
"It won't be but a moment, child," he replied, scuttling across the floor like a spider and gently taking her arm. She unbuckled the front of her green leather shirt, sliding it off. She wore a black tank top underneath, but wouldn't have cared overly if she hadn't been. She bared her arm, still admiring her nails rather than paying any attention to him. The needle pierced her shoulder, and she scarcely felt a thing.
But then she felt pain… pain indescribable. Pain that flooded her every cell and nerve, and very nearly made her lose her composure. But she managed to control it.
"Out," she ordered, and Colonel Wraith obediently fled before she got violent. As she always did after the injection. But it was necessary for her health. The door slid close, and she howled then. Roaring in pain. Her body twitched in the chair as she latched her fingers into the armrests to keep herself down.
"You did this to me," she hissed through the pain. "Its all your fault. You'll pay for this!"
Had anyone passed by the security center by that time, they would've concluded only that a lioness was loose in the fortress. As it was, most had learned to avoid it at this time.
Of course Summers would be here first to see you, she thought to herself. Jean dropped down and reluctantly slipped into his arms, though she was careful to mask her hesitation. She hugged him warmly, barely stifling a grimace as he asked her how the trip was.
"Oh it was horrible," she replied lightly, smiling the idiotic smile she was renowned for. "I ran into a storm midway to Muir Island, threw me off course to somewhere in… gee, I think it was Africa actually. So I set course back to the states." It was a believable story, if not the truth. And of course Summers swallowed it hook, line, and sinker.
"Besides," Jean added, flipping her red hair over one shoulder. "I missed you," she said, giving him a soft, loving kiss on the lips. He returned it eagerly, and for a moment she allowed herself to relax. It had been a while since she'd been kissed, after all. At least, quite like this. Might as well enjoy it.
Author's Notes:
And no more need for the voices, because I have just shown you who the evil people in my story are! Shocking, twisting, surprising, etc. yes? Good. Mesmero still searching for Apocalypse, is anyone surprised? Get a clue, tattoo-boy. You were cast aside. Emma's White Queen? Nooo… but she seemed so nice. Heh. And of course we're introduced to Mastermind and the other members of the Circle. It's an Evolized version of the Hellfire club and its infamous Inner Circle. Didn't exactly say who Black King and Queen were, but no doubt you can figure it out. Come on, I all but handed them to you. The reference to an emotion-mutant from Salem, Massachusetts was Misery from Comet-hime's 'Triangle' story. Ah, vibranium Tough stuff. That, plus adamantium, was used to make Captain America's shield, which is one tough piece of weaponry. Other properties include what was mentioned above. Lockheed becoming a pet of Kitty's? Come on, you saw that coming. Who is this mysterious, asian redhead? With nails that cut through magazine paper and has a terrible grudge against one of the x-girls? You'll see soon enough. And now Jean's not acting quite like herself. Any guesses what happened to her? Anyone? The answer will shock you. Next chapter, the plot thickens yet again (how much thicker can I make it, I wonder?) as the groups are brought into proper conflict.
DoubleL27: Yeah, I thought that'd be a fitting fate. Especially since most Remy fans seem to forget that underneath his suave charm, goatee, and cute eyes… he's a frickin' criminal! Just a little reality slap for them. Glad you like the intro of Lockheed. And actually, one of those voices wasn't referring to Jean. One of them was the girl above, talking about Sarah. Jean isn't the only one with a target on her back.
Evan fan: Neither have I, but he is indeed cute. At least what few pictures I saw of him. Plus I figured, what sort of pet would an X-Man have, but something really weird? Hehe. Glad you liked Jamie and the New Recruits, prepare for the arrival of your lovable Morlock soon enough.
Sandoz: Awwww, you figured out my evil plot with the elevator. Crafty Sandoz. I thought you'd like the intro of Lockheed, since you're such a Kitty fan. As well as I -knew- you'd love what I did to Remy. Its not death but it's a nice kick in the face, I think. And yes, you've guessed it, right on the nose.
Risty: Ding, ding! That's two winners. You and Sandoz figured it out, congratulations! And glad you liked where this is all going, I had some trouble with some ideas but I think it all worked out. Plus, I just really wanted to include Lockheed somehow.
Oceanbang: It's not Bishop. No Bishop, no time-traveling, thank you very much. Like Evo, I've decided not to involve time-traveling or aliens or magic (well, alright not a lot of it) in my stories. It just seems better this way.
Fluffy's Number 1 Gal: Well sure, that's fine, they can be on the de-militarized island. And thank you for this info, I do try and be as accurate in my stories as I can, but sometimes I just can't be. Glad you're enjoying the rest though.
ViciousAssassin: First of all, thank you for pointing out that error of mine. I fixed it, and I've gotten better at catching them myself, but sometimes they just slip through. Now Hank isn't that bad, he's just getting his own little revenge after all the Danger Room sessions with those darn New Recruits. Just one awful crime for Remy, because the item in question didn't belong to some fat, overly rich person who could've afforded its loss. It was for charity. If they jailed him for everything he did, he'd be locked up for the rest of his natural life. Kurt and Amanda aren't doing quite what you think they are. Amanda made Kurt promise 'just one night' in Blue Christmas's extra chapter. But they are enjoying one another's company, alone. And yeah, Lance and Lockheed might headbutt a little in future, but that'll come later.
Princess Myra: Its just a baby dragon, ya know… not like its gonna terrorize Bayville. Glad you enjoyed the fate I gave Remy, since some had been rather loud and passionate about a gruesome death for the Cajun. But I try to appease all my fans.
Star-of-chaos: Fitting, isn't it? And much better than Remy's death. But he does need to learn something about breaking the law.
Rogue14: Nonono. If Jason had been that girl, she'd have brown hair and mismatched eyes. When I said think X2, think someone else. Someone with an obsession with her -nails-. -Nails.-
Comet-hime: You know me, I try to include everyone in my stories, hero and villain. And yeah, that Rogue-Remy scene was just a teensy bit inspired by you, just so you know. And yeah, I thought the glass separation was pretty sad, but it shows how much restraint both of them have. New new recruits. Some of yours, actually, with your permission, plus a number of canon and OC's of my own, aged down to make them suitable as the new mutants. As always, can't wait to see your piccies of baby Lockheed (even though I loved your larger-than-life one of him).
Todd fan: I thought you might, but how am I evilly clever? You mean putting Remy in jail? Well, glad you like Kitty's new pet.
The Rogue Witch: Well its glad to see one of my favorite reviewers back to share her opinions with me. And don't worry, Emma is just acting, as you can see above. That's what she's really like, of course. Glad you liked the introduction of Lockheed, and it seems you loved even more the imprisonment of lovable Remy. And yes, Jean went to Muir Island before in the story 'Weapon X24.' Elements of that (and all my past stories) interact with this one.
Lamarquise: Okay, whatever comic Jean may be, Evo Jean was evil to begin with. Anyone who saw Shadowdance knows that for her own selfish reasons she strung along both Scott and Duncan for that dance, and then acted all upset when Scott got snatched away from her. She's improved in Evo, but she started out a spoiled cheerleader who was a hypocrite and a bitch. However, as I say that, I also say she has improved considerably since being knocked off her high-horse as Queen of Bayville. Now exposed as a mutant and having dumped Duncan, she is much improved. She even broke the rules once to allow herself and Scott to have fun on that Caribbean Cruise. But she still isn't and will never be my favorite. Don't fret though, she'll have a befitting fate.
X0001: Oh you'll see soon enough, believe you me.
Lyranfan: Why would he? Lockheed is Kitty's pet, and if Lance makes her happy, it'd want not to interfere. Oh don't worry there'll be conflict in that later. Glad you liked the little things like Remy and Hank's teaching style (I figure he's like that too. Show them how its done, then let 'em figure it out). I mean, he built his own shelter so its not like they don't have a model.
SperryDee: I wouldn't know, I'm not a rabid Gambit fan. I'm more of a obsessed-with-X23 fan. Remy stays in jail for the moment, but don't fret he'll be back. Glad you liked the intro of Lockheed and the rest of the developing plot.