Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men. And I'm obviously not making any money off of them...cause I'm broke!
"Wake up!" A voice chanted at him, from a far off distance. Through the whirling, violent mindscape, he could not discern the speaker. Faces leered at him, large and convoluted in the wake.
"What's happening?" he demanded.
"Your mind has split. All that you have fought to prevent has happened. Your X-men need you!"
"Split…I don't understand."
The shadows about him stopped, smoothing into tranquility. A woman sat in front of him, her face vaguely familiar. Her shiny red hair lay smooth on her scalp, as if the winds in this place did not bother her.
"Your inner demon. You gave him a name. He is all that is repressed by you, all that is bad and evil, all that makes you a mortal man." Her voice was soft but her eyes gleamed at him, stark and harsh. "Onslaught."
"No!" Xavier cried. "I had him beaten. I had him destroyed."
"It is not so," the woman said, shaking her head. "He merely left, merged with another body and another body, searching. He could not find a host powerful enough, until you contacted Magneto."
"Eric? He's in Eric? Then there is no hope!" Xavier cried. "Eric has a soul, at least, while Onslaught…"
"Does not have the good that is you, Charles Xavier." Charles bowed his head into his hands.
"This is all my fault."
"No more than any other man who represses the dark side. Instead of a battle, as a normal mind would, for dominance, your Good half merely created a separate entity from itself and literally battled one another. But Onslaught will not rest with Magneto. His plans are set in motion, and Jean is even now fighting for control of her very essence. They need your help. I need your help."
"Who are you?"
"A…friend. An anomaly born if the events set into place today succeed, in a world that is much different, and much worse, than any you could ever imagine. I can only reach you here, but there is someone waiting to help you on the outside."
"How do I get out of here? How can I defeat him?"
"Onslaught is you. How would you defeat yourself? And all you have to do, Charles," she said, leaning close to him, her lips to his forehead. "Is wake up."
Rogue fell to the ground in an undignified heap. Her head was ringing, and the necklace she clutched dug painfully into her collarbone. Xavier's eyes laughed at her from Magneto's face, eyes that were eerie and insane.
"You think you can defeat Onslaught?" he roared. "Nothing can defeat me! I know all your fears, all your weaknesses, and I have such power!" His voice throbbed on the tension filled air, his face maniacal in the dim light. Gambit charged another card, the faint whistle breaking the silence after his outburst.
"Give it up…Magneto. Um, Xavier. Whoever the hell you are!" Scott roared. He was facing the wall. Nightcrawler turned him.
"Onslaught, my children! I am more than Xavier. I am better, than Xavier, I am all that he wishes he could be but will never let himself! Magneto is just the shell I inhabit, till I can have the true power, the real power. Give me the necklace!" He commanded, levitating himself above the floor, his hand extended to Rogue. She felt the tug of magnetism against the necklace, but she clutched it to herself desperately.
"Leave her alone!" Gambit yelled, letting his card fly. It was quickly followed by another.
That was all that was needed to set the rest of the X-men in action. Lightening arced across the ceiling, as Storm used the winds to make her rise in the air. Her eyes filmed over, a milky white, and the electricity danced along her fingertips. She let out a yell and it raced to Onslaught, striking the front of his armor and leaving a scorch mark down his chest plate. Psylocke's fist emitted it a faint purple light, but it grew stronger as she raced towards him, leaping at the last second and being caught by Angel, who maneuvered her closer to him. He let her fall, her fist aiming for his head, uncovered by his helmet….
He caught her with a backhand. She went spinning across the room, slumping against his throne as her head thudded off of it dully. Her katana faded into nothing. He slammed his helmet over Magneto's white locks, turning to the rest of the group. Gambit had his bo staff in one hand, racing around the room, all the while flicking his cards. Iceman struggled to turn his snow balls into ice shards, but they bounced harmlessly off the armor, as well as the rain of bullets Mystique was pumping into him. Colossus turned to metal in an instance, growing larger and crowding the room. He began a lumbering run at Onslaught, but the metal in his body allowed for Onslaught to pick him up and send him crashing into Storm. The electricity and wind died as she was caught by the big man and pinned to the wall. She began thrashing and screaming, as Colossus's unconscious body trapped her beneath it. Beast had managed to get close to him, jumped, and kicking him in the left shoulder with his powerful legs, the same instance that Nightcrawler teleported, aiming his kicks at his head. Onslaught took a mere step back from the deluge of kicks, even as Shadowcat joined in with punches to the areas the armor did not cover. She phased her arm in, attempting to solidify it within his body. She heard a crack and a tear, and with a scream she pulled her arm from him. It hung down limp and useless, blood running from the fingertips….
Onslaught turned and caught Nightcrawler by the tail. His psychic scream was so loud that all the people in the room paused for a moment, even as Nightcrawler's eyes rolled in his head and he fell from his mid-port in air to the ground. Beast flipped out of Onslaught's hold, crouching and sweeping a kick at his legs. Iceman froze Onslaught's feet to the ground, so Beast caught him in the knees. But Onslaught didn't move. With a laugh of pure glee he entered Iceman's psyche. The boy began to pelt Beast with ice particles that clung heavily to his blue fur. Onslaught then set Beast upon Iceman. Mystique jumped out of the way as the two dove at each other, fists and feet flying. She dropped her empty Uzi and raced to Rogue's side. Rogue was struggling to breathe, sure that her ribs had punctured her lung from the fall. Mystique grabbed her arm and heaved her to a stand.
"We have to get out of here!" she hissed.
"We can't abandon them!" Rogue gasped, doubling over in a fit of coughs. She looked up to see Onslaught slinging Colossus across the room. Storm struggled to her feet, but doubled over the pain in her head. Cyclops was in the corner, face tortured that he could not participate, for fear of blasting his teammates. "Momma, get me over there!" she said, pointing to where he stood over Jean's body. She heard a loud cry as Gambit went sailing past her. Psylocke had risen to her feet and was sparring with Onslaught, but he batted her away like a pesky fly. Mystique dragged her, half limping towards Cyclops. Rogue clutched the necklace to her chest, hoping they could keep Onslaught occupied until she reached Cyclops and Jean. Gambit was up and running, bo staff broken and thrown aside, cards fanned out in his hands as he threw them. Mystique threw her at Cyclops, even as she dodged Colossus's flying body. He caught her in the shoulder and she fell, but she managed to scrabble to her feet.
"Whatever you are going to do," she panted. "Do it quick!" And then she turned to join the fray.
"Scott!" Rogue cried. She grabbed his face, the pads of her fingers warm on his skin, chain knotted around her hand. "It ain't working!"
"Just direct me!" he barked. She moved behind him, peering over his shoulder, using her hands to position his head.
"Open!" she screamed. He blinked his eyes open, and a wide beam of red swept through the room. He slammed his eyes shut as it connected with Onslaught, causing him to fly backwards, taking Beast and Iceman with him. Onslaught picked himself out of the rubble easily, shaking off bits of rock. Gambit raced up behind him grabbing some of the debris to use as weapons, charging them and flinging them towards him.
Rogue held on to Scott's face, surveying the room. Beast and Iceman were down for the count, laying unconscious in the rubble. Angel was dodging Onslaught, but he had nothing more than his hands and feet, and was soon caught and sent flying into the throne. His wing caught in the chair and as he rose it was wrenched violently. Shadowcat had attempted to walk towards them, face pale from loss of blood, and had been knocked out by Colossus, who was currently pinned to the far wall. Psylocke was trying to pick herself up, but was too weak to rise to her feet. Storm lay in the corner, blood leaking from her nose and staining her white hair. Mystique was still on her feet, throwing rocks at Gambit to charge, who was racing around Onslaught.
"Open!" she screamed again, and another beam went slicing through the air, coloring the world around them red and hot. Onslaught flew back again, but this time he was more prepared. He grabbed Mystique, staring into her eyes. She fought his grip, her screams all the more terrifying because they couldn't see was she was seeing, even as she slipped from his grasp, running straight into a wall. She didn't rise. Gambit ran at Onslaught, using the man's shoulder to flip himself up and over, grabbing at his helmet as he went. He dragged it off the man, but tripped over Iceman. He fell, the helmet rolling from his hands. Even as he turned Onslaught was upon him, large boot pinning Gambit's throat to the ground. Gambit's hands came up and the boot began to glow, but before it could detonate, Onlsaught kicked him in the face. The glow faded.
"Now it is just us," he said. "The one I wanted, the one I need, and the one who made it all possible," he said, leering at them. He walked over the limp forms and the rubble, and grabbed his helmet, wiping the dirt off of it.
"Now!" Rogue said, but Cyclops was yanked from her hands, pulled forward by Onslaught.
"You," he said, bringing the man's face close to his own. "Must die!"
"Never!" shouted Scott, opening his eyes. Onslaught just laughed as the beam bounced harmlessly off the field he had erected about himself. He grabbed Cyclop's necks.
"With all the powers I have at my exposal, nothing would give me more satisfaction than to feel your neck snap beneath my hand!"
"Cyclops!" Rogue shouted, running forward.
"No!" he cried. "Keep the necklace away fr-," he broke off into gags as Onslaught's fist tightened around his neck.
"Don't listen child. You can save his life. Just give me what I want."
"You can have it!" Rogue cried, wrenching the necklace from her wrist and dangling it in front of her. "Just leave him alone!"
"Rogue!" Cyclops gasped. "No!"
"Here," she said, marching up to him. She dangled the necklace at him, her blood caked fingers swinging it. He shoved Cyclops back and grabbed at the necklace.
The minute he held it in his hand Rogue grabbed his wrist….
Alright it's official...I suck at action. I think I'll go back to the clilffhanger transitions.
So hopefully this clears it all up...Professor Xavier's bad half inhabited Magneto for the necklace, and he's(Onslaught) been pulling the strings all along!
To all my reviewers: thanks for keeping me writing- I wouldn't do it if it wasn't for you!
