The New Marauders (2 of 3)
Charles Shire had been living on the streets of Frankfurt since he was 8 years old. Around the age of 13 he discovered he was a mutant and around the same time he lost his voice. Though in a way he never did. His mutant ability was to create constructs made of pure light and it was through these constructs that he was able to speak. He used the constructs to spook people and while they weren't looking he snatched some food, or some clothes, or whatever else he needed. He had been living that way for 4 years, but now all that was crashing to an end.
An old man in a long purple trench coat was chasing him down the alley behind one of his favorite places to steal food. The man had called himself Judas Traveller and promised Charles great power. Shire wasn't no fool though. He wasn't just going to hop off with some guy who was floating and had a green shield around him. He probably shouldn't have told him to go suck his momma though. That just supremely pissed the guy off. Now Charles was running for his life.
"Come to me my Babylon. You can't run forever," Judas said as he floated above the broken concrete moving ever faster towards Charles.
Huffing Charles looked back and said, "Why the hell are you calling me Babylon you sick ass!"
Traveller laughed, "Just as the Babylonians were a warlike people so shall you be a maker of war. There will be a massacre wherever you step!"
Charles was really getting desperate now when all of a sudden the skin surrounding his neck bulged out wildly. It was like skin was just…growing. Shire let out a scream of terror as he fell to the floor trying to push away the ever-growing skin. Judas Traveller didn't like using the powers of Masque at all, but with the insolence of this Shire he just had to instill some fear.
"Make it stop! Please make it stop!" Charles begged as tears streamed from his eyes.
"I will," Judas Traveller said as he reached out his hand and in a few short seconds Charles's neck was back to normal. Then with the power of Vanisher the two mutants were gone.
Exiles Base"You know the last time most of us met we were locked in deadly combat," Exodus said flew down to where Polaris, Havok, and Proudstar were waiting for him outside the base. Colossus had been the first to meet them and he informed Bennet of their arrival.
"Sure was. Guthrie knocked you real good too."
Exodus ignored the comment from Havok and continued on, "What brings the three of you here? I had figured that my team wasn't exactly the most popular one to come to help for."
Lorna noted the bit of sarcastic resentment in Exodus's tone, but she chose to ignore it for obvious reasons, "Look Sinister has kidnapped Blink. We know you've been dealing with Sinister a lot and we were wondering if you could give us some assistance."
Hesitating before he answered Exodus said, "You must understand that I would gladly help you, but two of my students are missing at the moment. I believe a very powerful woman is holding them by the name of—
"Would one of these students have long blonde hair and would one of them look like a Russian kid?" Havok asked.
Du Paris's eye perked up at that question. Slowly nodding his head he said, "Yes…that would be them. Have you…Sinister took them didn't he?"
"Master of the obvious. Someone give him a damn award!" Havok mocked.
"They're really is no need for all of that Alex. We're all friends here," Colossus said picking up on the obvious attitude of Alex.
"He's right Havok. Let's just try and save our mutual friends here," Proudstar chimed in.
"Indeed. I suggest we all go in the base and try to run down our options. I'm sure all of us can come up with a way to save those important to us," Exodus said rising up from the ground with his telekinesis.
"Umm not to be prodding, but where is Mutant Forger, Proteus, and the rest?" Havok asked.
Exodus turned his back to the four mutants quickly, "They left. It's just Colossus, Sunfire, and myself now."
Havok smacked his hand to his forehead, "Aw shit! Do we got luck or what? I thought Exodus was packing some heat and all he's got is the tin man and the wannabe Human Torch."
Colossus didn't retaliate to Havok's comment only because Exodus telepathically told him not too, but Peter wanted badly to knock Alex off his high horse. He wanted very badly to.
"So let's run over some plans. I don't want to just bust in there and get our asses handed to us," Havok said as he sat down in the chair next to Lorna. Beside Lorna was Proudstar and standing behind the both of them were Colossus and Sunfire. It took a minute or two to explain Sunfire's new appearance, but Alex and Lorna were still a bit freaked out by it.
Exodus swiveled around in his black leather chair and from behind his desk said, "Of course. In that case I think you should probably know just who is in Sinister's employ. He has quite the group of people surrounding him as of late."
"Well, we don't exactly have all day here. No telling what Sinister is doing to Clarice!" Alex exclaimed.
Bennet's expression darkened as he replied, "Probably the same thing he did to Derrick and Adnan."
"Look Alex we need to know who we might be going up against here. I want to find Clarice fast too, but we gotta be prepared," Lorna said touching Havok's arm gently.
Alex rose out of his seat, "If you actually had a team we wouldn't need to be prepared! We could go in there and bust the hell out of Sinister!"
"I believe Cable is more of the busting type. Perhaps you should have gone to him. After all he does have the Phoenix Force now," Exodus said calmly.
Everyone in the room was shocked at this revelation. James looked at Exodus and with concern asked, "How?"
"I don't how, but I just felt it. I was sword training and felt a tremendous power. An old power. One thing is certain. Cable most definitely possesses the Phoenix Force."
The room remained silent for three minutes before Havok spoke up, "Answer this for me. Where did Proteus and the rest go? One moment I see you guys kicking Ramses's ass on TV and the next they're gone? That doesn't make sense."
The former Horsemen of War leaned back in his chair, "They're off saving entire dimensions my friend. See even though we stopped Ramses here there are still other worlds under the control of his generals. Proteus, Mutant Forger, Ever, Star Prophet, and Plazm are out there in the Multiverse doing something more important than anything they could have done in the Exiles. They're bringing that precious commodity of freedom to countless billions."
Sunfire, who had remained silent for quite a bit, spoke up, "Maybe now you understand why the Exiles are the way they are now Havok. Or perhaps you prefer to needlessly badger us some more? Otherwise I suggest you shut up and listen."
Before Havok even had an opportunity to speak Proudstar cut him off, "Don't Alex. He's right. Maybe it's a Summers thing as of late to have a chip on your shoulder, but the attitude needs to go. Three mutants are within Sinister's thrall and we need to save them. Exodus you can continue on with what you were going to say."
"We've wasted enough time. I'll just download all the information I have into your minds. This may hurt you a bit, but I'm sure you all have plenty of experience with telepaths," Exodus said as he put his hands to his temples and concentrated.
Alex, Lorna, and James winced as the download of information began to fill their minds. They learned of the Tans, the F-Series mutants, the Savage Land Mutates, and Judas Traveller. As the download reached its peak a little bit of blood oozed out of their noses.
"Man that never gets any better," Havok says as he leans forward in his seat.
"Now we're prepared though. I think we can handle Sinister," Proudstar said.
"Maybe we are. Maybe we aren't. Don't underestimate Sinister. He's quite—
"Look man I don't need you telling me how bad Sinister is. We've all faced him before! I know what he's like. Lorna knows what he's like! You're not my leader and I don't need a briefing from you," Havok yelled.
Exodus laughed, "You need leadership from someone. Ever since you came back from that little dimension you've been lost and so you try to hide your insecurities by acting like your brother. Which is quite surprising considering how much you've tried to break away from him. Irony of ironies really. You finally have the chance to truly be your own man and you become like the one you've tried so hard to separate yourself from."
Havok leaped out of his seat and began to strangle Exodus, "Stay out of my head you bastard! You hear me!"
Bennet threw Alex back into the nearest wall with his telekinesis and he kept the mutant glued there. Lorna got out of her chair and stared Exodus straight in the eye, "You let him go."
The tone of Polaris so chilled Exodus that he gladly let Summers fall to the floor. Proudstar sighed, "Can we all just be big boys and girls?" Then looking down at a banged up Havok he said, "Man pull yourself together. This whole grim and gritty deal can only be done so many times! It's pathetic really. So what your life is screwy at the moment? You ain't the only one with problems."
"Fuck you," Havok mumbled.
"Perhaps we should just leave this one behind Exodus. All he would do is cause trouble. He's out of control and he's incompetent. The man is too much of a liability in battle," Sunfire warned.
"I'm inclined to agree with Shiro," Peter said. This shocked Lorna and Havok because they never saw gentle, compassionate Peter siding with hothead Shiro Yashida.
"No way I'm staying out of this fight," Havok said slowly rising up from the linoleum floor.
"Then stop acting like a bitch and shape up. Ever since you've come back Alex all you've done is treat me coldly. I don't whether you love or just plain hate me. Stop trying to hide your feelings and start being Alex Summers again. The real Alex Summers and not this bullshit one you've created," Polaris said as she walked over to where Alex was and took his hands in hers. Her tender, loving eyes broke through Havok. Everything she had been saying was so true, but he didn't know how to tell her that. So he did the best he could.
Alex reached out and gave Lorna a hug and as he did so he whispered in her ear, "I don't hate you baby. I just loved you too much to let you in on my problems."
Lorna let a tear slide down her cheek and squeezed Alex Summers tightly. Then with a little bit of a chuckle she told him, "Why you always got to try and be such a hard ass? You gotta let me in sometimes. Especially now. I know what's it like to feel like you don't belong and to feel alone. Just talk to me sometimes."
"You got it Lorna," Havok said as he finished off the embrace and rose to his feet.
Looking at everyone in the room Havok said, "Well, now that the dramatic love scene is over we can get to saving our friends."
"Boszhe moi! I never thought you would get around Havok."
Tibet
"You see I was meant to be the mate of Onslaught, but he couldn't be patient. I wanted to wait for our powers to reach full germination, but he had to get to work on his plans in such a rush. Then Shadow King showed up and destroyed him. I was left all alone then. So I went about my own plan. I was going to complete the Dark Zodiac so I could gain ultimate power. That failed as well and it was all due to one mutant…Exodus. And that fool Sinister knew he was going to be the end of me. He knew it and I hate him for it. Am I boring you with all of this Longshot?" Onset asked as she looked across at the newly resurrected mutant.
"Not at all Onset. In fact I like your story. It makes me yearn to see him again," Longshot said. His long blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He was wearing a black sleeveless jacket and black pants. Along his silver belt he had numerous knives attached. His jacket was open revealing the white t-shirt he was wearing below it.
Onset laughed, "You mean Exodus? Yes, I'm sure you want to see him. And sure you want to see Sinister don't you Ozymandias?"
A man made of stone stepped out from the shadows, "Yes Onset. I want to make sure he suffers like I suffered."
"And last but not least I know the person who wants to see both Exodus and Sinister," Onset said as she rose up into the air.
"Of course master," Gaunt said as he floated up in the air next to Onset.
"Don't fret you three because you will have your wishes. And once I free the rest of our allies my plan will be set in motion. Exodus and Sinister will lie dead beneath my feet! You all shall have your revenge!"
