TheLegendaryManHimself: I don't have any plans for Daredevil or Electra. Let's just saw I set a few things up for the future.
BlackRoseApocalyps: Great to hear from you again, hope you liked the way I handled your OCs.
Ldypebsaby: All will be revealed in future fics.
Red Witch: You probably right about that, I did give enough clues.
Slickboy444: I have no idea how many stories I'll have in the AGU but most likely there will be a few like this.
Ruby631: I didn't get any of those references you said in that review.
Episodic: I'm glad you liked the background I gave him. Somehow I don't think he would apologize but you'll see that sometime in the future.
ViciousAssassin: The group in TMNT was The Foot. Yeah Shadow is his codename, yeah this is ending, I might do a few short fics before I go for the next big one.
Thanks to: The Uncanny R-Man, Erich, Aaron, X00001, Ranndie Mazda
ADJUSTMENTS
CHAPTER 39: WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS BEEN UP TO
In Massachusetts, in the hills was the Private School for the gifted, but this was the Hellion School. There were many mutants and was sponsored by the Hellfire Club. It was a large complex surrounded by a high wall and unlike Xavier's school no one was the wiser that this private school was for mutants only. Mainly due to the fact it was out of the way and the closest neighbor was nearly a mile from the property line.
Inside the place was lavish and had everything you could ask for, the Hellions themselves were just getting out of their own version of a Danger Room, all of them were tired, sweaty and limping. Beef the largest of them was carrying Bevatron and Roulette mainly being dragged out by the back of their uniforms.
"God how long is that damn Selene woman going to run us ragged." Catseye asked them fixing her purple hair.
"Well we did lose on our first try." Tarot said to her over her shoulder brushing aside some of her long brown hair.
"Yeah like it was our fault she lost concentration and the rest of them were freed." Empath muttered.
"We also need to be better then the X-Men the next time we fight them." Emma Frost told them. "I will not allow us to fail again like that."
"So we just fail another way." King Bedlam snickered but when he saw the icy stare that Frost was giving him he decided to shut up for the moment.
"Look we're supposed to be the elite of all the students here," Emma said to them sternly. "We shouldn't have lost." She sighed. "Besides we're moving soon anyway."
"I still don't see why we don't just stay here." Empath muttered, he personally liked it here and didn't look forward to Bayville.
Emma sighed again. She hated this as much as the rest of them. "Look, we need to keep an eye on the X-Men and we can only do that in Bayville, I don't like it either since I have to leave a few promising students that I've been looking after but this is what we were ordered to do by the Hellfire Club. You do remember them right? The ones that pay for all of this."
"Alright we get it." Tarot said. "We're just venting."
Emma knew that but still, you needed to keep these kids in line. With a simple nod of her head she walked off by herself. She went down the halls to a meeting she had with a few promising students that she wanted to see. They were her pride and joy and she knew they would be great mutants one day.
She walked into one of the few private teaching rooms. These were basically like regular schoolroom only with a few desks and a larger circular area used at the back to train or explore powers in the classroom with the others. "Good morning Miss Frost." Five identical fourteen-year-old girls with short blond hair and eerie glowing eyes. All five looked the same and dressed in the same boarding school clothing. These were The Stepford Cockoos. Celeste, Mindee Sophie, Esme and Phoebe
"Hello Miss Frost." Said a slightly timid girl with long red hair. She was Angelica Jones AKA Firestar who could control microwave radiation into fire and could fly on it with thermal updrafts and was older then the five others being sixteen.
"Hello girls." Emma said with a hint of a smile on her face. She walked over to a desk and sat behind it. "Well I'm afraid we're going to have to step up in our training."
"Because you're leaving us." The Five-in-one said together.
Emma sighed a little. "It's not because I wanted to believe me I think my time would be better spent with you six but things aren't working out this way."
"But…aren't there more X-Men then Hellions in Bayville?" Angelica asked. Emma nodded not sure where the girl was going with this. "Well…couldn't you bring in more people as back-up?" Angelica asked hopefully. For over a year Frost had been personally helping her to develop her powers and abilities and she didn't feel comfortable with anyone else.
"I brought this up too, the main Hellion team will go to Bayville but we will get additional members here that show they are worthy to be put on the main team." Emma smiled at little next. "That's why I wanted to push you girls harder, so I can be sure that all of you will be picked."
The other girls all nodded and smiled at that. Frost got up from her desk and walked out in front of them. "Now then…shall we begin?"
-An Hour Later-
The rest of the Hellions had changed, showered and were walking the halls. Most of them were still hurting and aching from their training from hell. Bevatron was still rubbing the back of his neck trying to get a kink out of it.
"I can't wait to pound those X-Men again, this time I'm going to wipe the smirk off that guy's face." Bevatron said. Ever since he was beaten by Mayhem he had a near obsession of beating him and the other X-Men. He didn't like to lose especially in fights.
"Please." Tarot said rolling her eyes. "Next time let Beef do it, he was just playing with you and would wipe the floor with you and you know it." Bevatron just sneered at her.
Beef was amused by it. He liked the fact Bevatron liked to fight and was always up for it, especially a challenge. Some times the two of them would go into town and go to the run down areas and just start a fight. "You know you should-Hey!" Beef was interrupted as someone walked into him.
He looked down at a boy with blond hair who had been carrying lots of books. "Oh great," Beef moaned. "If it isn't Cypher." Beef crossed his arms a glared down at the young man. "Watch where you're going bookworm." He told him and kicked a few of the books away.
"Lay off him." Roulette said. "He's one of us."
"He's a wimp," Bevatron said acting like he wasn't even there. "His only mutation is the ability to translate any language. What a useless power!"
Roulette just ignored him and helped to pick up the books. "Here you go Douglas."
"Um…thanks." Doug Ramsey said blushing a bit. "And you can call me Doug if you want."
She smiled sweetly at him. "Alright then Doug." She cooed in her French accent and Doug blushed even more and walked away from the others mainly from Beef and Bevatron.
"Let me guess." Catseye said putting a few errant purple strands of hair out of the way, her tail twitching slightly. "He's your latest conquest?"
"Hey he's cute." She snapped.
"You think everything with a Y chromosome is cute." Tarot said walking away from in her. Catseye followed leaving Roulette there. She merely huffed and then just upturned her nose and walked off to a different location. This left Beef, Bevatron, Empath and King Bedlam alone.
"So…what do you guys want to do?" Empath asked.
"Go pick on the freshmen and see if we can shake them down for some cash?" Beef offered.
King Bedlam grinned. "Sounds like fun to me."
-Isla Des Demonas-
In an island out in the middle of nowhere in a tropical climate an ancient castle was being retrofitted and upgraded since the return of the master of the island. Walking down the stone corridors Azazel ruler of Neyaphem who looked a lot like the devil, only he was wearing high class garments with a black cape with a red on the inside with a golden chain running over his chest from the two sides.
He was given word that his elite group had been finalized and he was looking forward to seeing the results. He walked into the outside down a bath to a small coliseum that had been built. He walked to his personal seat, mush like an Emperor of Rome might have sat in watching below as his newest members trained.
He already saw his two sons Kiwi Black, a large mutant with a club and tattoos over his face and his slightly younger brother Abyss, with his black body, smooth face and coils for certain parts of his body. There he also saw in a large brown robe like that of a monk with the hood drawn was Ginniyeh.
She was a middle-aged woman with the ability to tell truth from lie and who could take physical damage to regenerate her body. Which considering its frail condition worked out. Even though she hid her eyes he knew that they had been sown shut in order to increase her ability to 'see' with her mind. She was also part of his inner circle and advisors.
He walked over to a throne with red satin on it and looked onto the field. "So tell me, who have you all chosen to be a part of the Scourge?" He had chosen that name for the team since he liked the sound of it.
Ginniyeh stepped forward. "We have chosen the most promising that we have at the moment. You can already see Jillian there." Indeed he did. The female that looked so much like his other son Kurt only with bat-like wings, was flying in the air avoiding certain attacks from other mutants the team was training against.
Abyss stepped forward to take over for the blind woman. "You see the other blue one?" Azazel saw a young boy with a mane of dark hair with two bangs in the front. He had glowing eyes and cloven hands like Kurt and Jillian only with talons on the ends. His feet seemed to be the same. He too had bat-like wings and from what he could tell had a slim yet athletic build. It was hard to tell since he was dressed in baggy black pants and a tunic that covered his mouth.
"We found him in Romania and the people there though he was a vampire or something. He has enhanced strength and agility, can heal faster then normal and has limited telekinesis." At that moment Azazel saw the young boy extend his hand and the air seemed to distort in a sphere by it and it launched itself at a mutant throwing the mutant back with great force.
"He's called Raziel," Abyss continued. "Mainly because someone said he looked like this character from a popular video game series."
Azazel was still catching up to what he missed out in the years trapped by the accursed sorcerer, but he did know of them and thought them mindless entertainment. He gestured to move on.
Next Abyss pointed out a tall intimidating man all in black, he wore jeans, a shirt, a wide brimmed hat, and leather coat. His skin was slightly pale and his eyes were all white. His dark hair was in strands and fell all over and he also had a dark goatee. He also had on this impassive yet fearsome expression on his face. "That is Deadman, he's super strong, nearly invulnerable and also heals faster then normal. He doesn't say much but his actions speak for themselves."
Indeed they did, because at the moment he was fighting off several mutants. He grabbed one by the throat and just slammed him quite forcefully into the ground incapacitating his foe.
Abyss now pointed to a young lady with a generous figure. She had orange skin offset by red scales in certain places and wore a red female tunic that allowed her red dragon-like wings on her back to be free. She also had a tail and two mall horns on her forehead and a mane of long fire-like hair. She opened her mouth and fire came from it. "She is Lady Drago, super strength, flight, healing and her skin and scales are tough but she's not invulnerable. Plus not only can she breath fire but creates fire balls."
Azazel nodded; so far he was pleased by what he saw.
His son went on to a sickly looking girl who was thin, very frail looking and her dark hair looked like it was all greasy and tangled. It went to her mid torso and a lot hide her eyes. He swore gray clothing and had dark green skin. He was about to ask what she did since she was just walking when a large rock was hurled at her and then it just stopped in mid air. He looked at his son with an interested look on his face.
"Gorgon, she can freeze any object or person in time for a limited amount of time."
Then there was only one last person left. A young boy with green scaled skin and snake-like eyes and fangs. He wore skintight pants and nothing else. The front of his torso, the front of his neck and the bottom of his jaw looked like the bottom of a snake. He was very quick and agile and moved smoothly and silently. He even scaled up the walls of certain obstacles like there was no gravity.
"The last one is Slither." Abyss said gesturing to the snake-like mutant. "He's immune to all toxins and can make any with his fangs. He has enhanced agility, speed and strength and can scale any surface."
"Excellent." Azazel said leaning back into his chair. "You have all done well, I approve of these choices. I can't wait to test them out, but let them train a bit more. I want them ready."
They all bowed and Kiwi and Abyss made their way to the lower levels to join in on the team. Azazel sat back and watched the young ones battle. They were indeed strong and soon he would make his presence known to the others. Battle lines were being drawn and he was going to be ready for when all hell broke lose.
-Savage Land-
Sinister was in his lab again, partially working and partially he was hiding out from Magneto. When he had reported back from what he found Magneto hadn't been pleased at all. First for Sinister's defeat and secondly was the 'traitors' in that town. So far Magneto found that mutants and humans living together didn't sit well with him.
Personally Sinister thought it was just that it proved Xavier's way of seeing things and if Magneto was one thing he was stubborn and didn't want to admit that he was wrong, about anything.
So far the town would be left alone, they had more important things to worry about then one little town. But they would keep an eye on it and when the war with humans come even they would need to pick a side, then they would come back and take those that would join them.
The door opened and he saw Mesmero in his dark cloak step out. He looked around as the door slid closed. "Are we alone?"
"Yes, did you find it?"
The tattooed mutant telepath nodded and from his robes pulled out an artifact with strange carvings on it. It was slim on both ends and had a large round center with a hole in it. Sinister took it and smiled. "Perfect. The first piece for the Key of Time."
"You really think it can bring him back?" Mesmero asked him. When Sinister had found this in the collection of a wealthy Spanish man, he was excited that they were closer to bringing back the one they truly served.
"Once we get to the other pieces then yes." Sinister told him and walked over to a wall and placed his hand on what looked like normal wall but then a seam opened up revealing a hidden safe and placed the artifact in it. When they got the Key of Time they would no long have to put up with his masquerade. He was also sure that he could convince a few of the other members to join them, but he would move slowly. He had time to take things slowly and carefully.
-Elsewhere in the Savage Land-
The other mutants were a little down from their fight in Town X, mainly the old Brotherhood members. At a table with Blob, Lance was sitting with him and Pietro out in one of the eatery places. Fred of course was eating a large lunch.
"Man how can you eat when at a time like this?" Lance asked him.
Fred just shrugged. "I'm depressed and I eat when I'm depressed."
"Then you must be depressed all the time." Pietro snickered who was leaning back on his chair with his arms behind his head.
"Hey! At least we were there and not chasing some girl." Lance said angrily.
"Crystal isn't some girl."
"Yeah she's the only girl that has given you a hard time, what gives?" Lance asked out of curiosity. "I would have thought you would have moved on by now."
'What can I say? I love a challenge. Besides at least I didn't get my ass kicked by only a few X-Geeks and a hick town of mutants." Pietro said with a smile. Lance created a small tremor causing him to fall on his back with a thud. "Hey!"
Both Fred and Lance had a nice laugh at that. Then Fred notice Lupa one of the Savage Lance Brotherhood. She was gray with elf ears and her long grayish hair was in a ponytail. "Hey Lupa you alright?" Fred asked her seeing that she seemed a little shaken up.
She sat down in an empty chair. "Leash…Toad…badness…"
"Come again?" Lance asked her.
"Leash wanted to cheer up Toad with a massage to make him feel better after all those injuries. Well I went to check up on her and…when I opened the door Toad was still there and they…they were…" She covered her eyes. "I can't get that image out of my mind! Where's a damn telepath when you need one?"
"Whoa…Toad got some?" Pietro said in surprise.
"Cool." Fred said with a grin, he was glad Toad had found someone that actually seemed to like him, unlike Wanda had. Then noticed Lupa's reaction. "Uh…not that you had to see that but, well, uh…drink?" He offered her one of his large fruit drinks. She took it mindlessly and started sipping.
"Hey has anyone seen Mystique? I haven't seen her in some time." Lance asked as the thought just suddenly came to him.
"No and who cares?" Pietro said sitting back down now though he wasn't leaning back on it.
-Washington DC-
Mystique in the guise of Mallory Brickman wife to Senator Miles Ralph Brickman was in a park watching her adopted daughter Gloria play. This was one of the things she had always wished she could have done with Kurt and Rogue, moments like these she never got the chance to do. She was glad she had the chance with Gloria at least.
But she didn't know how long it would last, she knew she couldn't keep this up forever. Sooner or later the truth would come out, Miles would hate her for lying and she knew that she would have another angry child on her hands. So far she was zero for three and wonder how long before Gloria became number four.
She sighed to herself, the moment of enjoying this gone. So far she had convinced Miles to speak out against Kelly and his mutant registration act. She knew that this would most likely ruin his career but not only was he genuinely against the act she needed to get that bill defeated and until she could get enough blackmail material on certain political bodies she needed to stall for time.
The truth of the matter was that she hated using him. For all her hatred of humanity and trying to save her kind and especially her children she now had a human daughter and a husband that loved them both. It was the perfect life yet it was all a lie.
She couldn't allow herself to grow attached to Miles and Gloria…but she knew it was too late for Gloria. It would tear her apart inside, she had already gone through this with Kurt and Rogue and the thought of doing it again pained her to no end. But she knew that Magneto would call for her again, and at that time she might not be able to return to this life.
So until then…she would enjoy every minute of this. She watched her daughter play and smiled again. It was these memories that she would cherish and that she would use to comfort herself at night. Because in the end…She was alone.
NEXT UP CHAPTER 40: WRAP UP
Okay last chapter it up, and before I get a LOT of questions let me answer a few, Shadow will get his own little fic so don't worry about that as will X-Force and I'm going only for a few shorter fics before I try for the next big on 'Back to School'.