Eclipse
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Disclaimer: Don't own Marvel so don't own X-men.
//are thoughts **telepathic speech [You guys know the drill.]
I'd like to thank the following for their collaboration on this fic: Admiral,
Chaos, Dazzler, Discord, Evenstar, Jason Barnett, and PolkaDot.
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Chapter 2
Monet was the first to open her eyes. They scanned the room before falling upon Jono and her sister. He felt her forehead and reached out for her hand. Monet looked away as Jono examined the plague that had befallen her sister. Nicole lay on her other side still unconscious from the furious cross-country trip.
**Sweetheart ya need to wake up and feed some.** Jono said as he pulled back the bindings on his chest. A gentle suffusion of blue light crept down his body and into her palm. Claudia's eyes slowly opened and took in the image before her.
A small cracking voice pierced the quiet of the room. "Why?"
Monet thought the same thing even though she had come to Jono for help. She couldn't understand how he could so quickly forgive. We don't deserve it. We should have died rather than betray our friends.
**Because you needed it.** he said to Claudia his eyes never leaving Monet's. Monet began to cry. Her tears dropping against the sheets made brilliant by the blue fire of Jono's psionic being.
*****
-Medlab-
Everett woke up with a major headache. He'd felt psychic backlash but never anything on that scale. He rose up fast only to have Jean and Beast restrain him.
"Mr. Thomas, I suggest you don't try to move too much. From the readings I'm getting not all of your neurons are firing just yet. You're lucky your synaptic pathways didn't just shutdown."
"I found Jubilee then I lost her again. I did however find out what she's up to." It didn't take too long for Everett to get up and around.
Cyclops was as meticulous as ever insisting on a debriefing. Synch told them of Jubilee's dealings with the High Lord Ascension.
"So what do we do now Cyclops?"
**What indeed Mr. Thomas. All the pieces are on the board and the game is set. You should be asking yourself, 'what happens if Eclipse loses?'** The hollow laughter fills Everett's mind.
**You can't just toy with people.**
*****
Eclipse let her powers test the edges of the compound. They could find nothing out of the ordinary but it never hurt to be cautious. She dialed up her night cloak increasing the sensitivity level. The sound dampeners absorbed the errant sound waves allowing her to go completely unnoticed.
What little security there was didn't stand a chance. Mrs. Brawn had insisted that everyone remain alive. They'd be alive in the morning but wish they weren't. Eclipse slipped down the hallway. There didn't seem like there was anything left to impede her progress when a growl from an adjacent hallway caught her ear. A large ball of fur and nails struck her in the side.
'Ah Crap! What is he doing here? Duh! Tristan doesn't trust his dear little wifey. I'll make sure to tell Paige that when I see her again.' Jubes dropped her nightcloak and flung her arm out strafing the hall in ebony fire. Sabretooth dropped into a tumble landing in a crouch on all fours. One huge paw rose to his face as he licked the blood from his claws.
"You taste as good as ever frail. You left without sayin goodbye." Creed said as he sprung foreword his claws catching nothing but air. His face caught a boot a sickening crunch later telling him his nose had been broken. The feral mutant snorted blood.
"Victor I really don't have time to play I'm on a job." She somersaulted over Creed and used his back to springboard letting her momentum carry her down the hall. A quick burst of plasma imploded a section of hallway.
A distant tingle at the back of her mind signaled the onset of an unwanted visitor. /How could you have� / The voice of young Jubes began before being cut off. 'I was lonely, drunk, and desperate so let's not have this conversation OKAY!'
With each passing minute she knew that Dr. Leishner was getting away. His psi-pattern was moving farther and farther away from her position. From the brief information Paige had provided she knew he had to be heading to the lab. She took a right turn down another corridor leading to the lab only to be overcome by a strange and disorienting feeling.
/Ack! It must be a power suppression field. So that's the way you wanna play eh Doc? Alright then let's play./
A suppression field meant only one thing Dr. Leishner wasn't going to come quietly. Eclipse extended two forearm length adamantium blades from hidden caches on her arms. / Paige said alive but she'll just have to settle for dead./
A few feet down the corridor appeared to be made of glass. /Humph! I saw that movie too dork!/ She thought before getting a running go and vaulting from a hand plant. She glided across one section of glass before folding up and scraping the blade against the glass. With each twist a slash, vault a stab, roll and hand plant a tear. Her movements carved a deadly dance through the corridor a symphony of lasers and sparks trailing in her wake.
She'd learned quite a lot hanging around people like Wolverine and Gambit such as always watch your back and only use the best equipment to get the job done. The only thing left for her to do was to grab the Doc and his formula and hit the bricks.
One door left and nowhere else to go for the doctor. With a kick she burst into the room. The doctor was visibly startled but still managed to get a few shots off with the glock he pulled from a drawer. He didn't last very long with Eclipse. A minute later her was out like a light. She went to the computer and popped a disk into the computer. The disk would copy and destroy any files stored on the computers hard drive. She worked quickly the doctor wouldn't be out long and Sabretooth would eventually find a way past the damaged hallway.
She searched the room five times before locating a hidden refrigeration unit in the center of the floor. It slid open revealing a few vials of pale amber liquid. She kicked the old doctor. Not for the first time did she consider leaving the doc for Creed to find before removing the disk popping a tranq in the doc. Moments later she beam out of the lab with minimal effects.
She had what she came for and with a quick stop off at the Brawns' she'd go visit a long lost friend.
~*~
-Astral Plane-
"Oh almost." The Gamesmaster yelled as he turned towards Xavier. "You see Charles the longer she plays the game the looser her humanity is to hold onto. She is almost ready."
"Jubilee may slip but she will never turn fully."
"Time will tell. Ah time something you will eventually run out of my friend." Xavier sneered at the prospect of such a friend.
~*~
TBC
