Tamazi: You have to admit, it isn't just Gambit causing strife here. Logan is the one who wanted an unfair spar in the first place. Gambit wasn't going to back down. I to believe Storm and Logan have a connection going on. It's not even in your face obvious, but it's just nice, lol. Gambit might sharpen his ideas up now he has been suspended. However, the X-Men know they need all the mutants they can get against the Sentinels, was it really wise to remove a good fighter from their team at such dangerous times? We shall see..
Colossus: Not the most cheerful review I have read, granted. I understood the majority of the criticism coming my way through your post. I shall use this opportunity to discuss the points risen if you are ever to read this chapter. Firstly, you said the prequel to this one. By that I assume you mean Passion from the Past? Because, there are two more stories before that one which may help answer doubts you have since they lead up closely to the stories I have written. Then you go on to say you skipped chapters and then insult the changes to some of the characters. Just because the character's personalities have changed for either better or worse does not mean it is 'wrong'. It's character development; their actions are not out of the blue. It seems your dislike is focused upon the character's behaviour very personally. If I want Gambit to be a nasty piece of work and stir up trouble, why can't I? After all, this is fanfiction. It seems as if your main objections are the fact that the characters don't act like you had envisioned in your mind, true, they have changed a lot throughout my story, by events along the way.
Your arguments then take upon chapter 37, and your personal objections to the fight, this is not my own doing, it is not poor writing if you don't like the way one of them is acting, or if you don't agree with what a character has done, it's intended if I have written it.
You say, "Wolverine just wanted another excuse to beat up Gambit because he can't keep his lady like a real man" then you have spotted why the fight was unfair. We knew it wasn't fair from the beginning because of Logan's healing and adamantium skeleton. Logan wanted his revenge. It wasn't a mature response, but Logan was never the levelheaded member of the group.
Your review started off with constructive criticism then turned into a hateful bashing for work I have spent years upon. You then go on to say how this story needs a plot, yet you are contradicting yourself as you admit you hadn't properly read the story. There is a plot, events are occurring throughout the story that are leading us on. I apologise for my jump to defence and any hostility you may have found in my words, but it's purely defensive to what I thought was a cruel review. I put my heart and soul into writing this story, constructive criticism I can accept, just not shameless and insulting bashing that in some cases is not truthful.
Blix: Hey, Blix. x.x At least you know what I representing, of course they're 'silly boys' neither of them are behaving properly, that's why Scott and Storm gave them a reprimanding. Though is Logan is acting just as bad as Gambit, they both need to sharpen their ideas up.
Nice spot of action coming up next, folks! I've been planning this piece for a while! (rubs hands together excitedly)
Chapter 38There had been no word of Gambit since yesterday's activities, Logan was happy to think that he may have disappeared back down to New Orleans and was going to stay there for good. But unfortunately, Siren had said that he was in his room, avoiding the others. This left Logan feeling bitterer than before, but he didn't say a word about his feelings. He took heed on Scott's warning. He wasn't going to be chucked out of the team.
It was just reaching afternoon when Logan was sat sprawled on the couch in the empty recreational room. He was laid upon the large three-seater beside the bookcase when he saw Storm walk into the room. Logan made no attempt to sit up; he just continued to lounge with one leg bent across the soft furnishing. As the woman walked in, she cast Logan a solemn once over before she walked over to the group of couches around the large television. Logan peered at her from his corner, watching her like a hunter would from behind the bushes.
"What are you doing?" he asked, breaking the silence of the room.
A soft creak sounded as Storm lowered upon one of the couches directly facing the television, "I'm looking at the news," she informed simply.
"Why?" it may have seemed like a rather stupid question, but Logan had not seen any of the X-Men purposely coming in to watch the new before, they were normally teaching lesson's anyhow.
Storm glanced over to him as the speakers of the television came to life, "Because if there have been any sudden murders by the Sentinels it'll be on the news whether the Government like it or not."
"Oh," said Logan knowledgably, "So you're trying to find out before the Government does?"
"Something like that," said Storm distractedly as her eyes stillened upon the screen, reading the headlines at the bottom of the screen. After several seconds she spoke again, "No murders," she informed.
"Well, that's good isn't it?" said Logan from his seat.
"Depends. Unfortunately, there could be murders we don't know about.. plus it's somewhat unnerving to not hear any news at all. It's as if these Sentinels don't do anything, or if they are, are doing it extremely well."
With a stretch, Logan sighed, "Both sound worrying."
"Indeed – Oh, wait! Look!" she beckoned him over with a hand impatiently, eyes staring at the screen.
"A murder?" Logan quickly asked as he hurriedly rose his body off the couch to stride over to the television.
"No," answered Storm quickly, making a small shushing sound as she pulled him down to sit beside her. Logan frowned as he obediently lowered, before he raised his head, staring across at the television. The running headline across the bottom emblazoned in capital letters, 'McNair - New York Senator replacement arrives at Whitehouse Summit.' Onscreen was a smartly dressed man, presumably the headlining Senator who was walking along briskly, a smile in place for the numerous flashing camera's around him. His hand idly flattened hit tie before his hand rose and he waved politely to the audience around him as he walked through the sectioned off passageway.
You would probably not feel there was anything remotely worrying about this. The only thing relating to the X-Men being the fact that he was replacing the late Senator Robert Kelly. However, what made both Storm and Logan stare at the screen was the group of black suit-cladded people behind him. Two men, two woman, the quad walking in briskly placed footsteps behind the Senator, arms swinging in time to the movement. Telltale black sunglasses covered their eyes, and silver tiepins glinted in the sunlight.
They both knew what they were, but Logan vocalised it in a faint growl, "Sentinels." The newsreader came back onscreen, discussing Senator McNair's recent happenings in his private life that held no information for the mutants watching. Logan turned his head away from the screen, watching Storm carefully, "Why the hell are they on TV? Aren't they supposed to be secret?" he asked with a growl tracing his words.
"Well, perhaps they were acting as bodyguards or something, they are inconspicuous," reasoned Storm in a quietly thoughtful voice as she turned her eyes off the television, which was now reporting a celebrity's failed marriage. Something the X-Men did not care for.
"Do you think that Senator.. what's his name? "
"McNair."
"..McNair had anything to do with these machines?"
"Well, he may know they can protect. Or somebody may have employed them protect McNair whilst he is unaware. We can't point the finger at him." She then glanced to Logan, "And we don't know completely if they are actual machines."
"Well I'm guessing they been built," hissed Logan, "It's the sort of craftsmanship one would expect from the Strykers. They've been created to kill mutants. Don't forget what the Professor said, Ororo; he said Aurora and I could have been the beginnings of these Sentinels. We were tested on for this reason."
"How could somebody have the skill build something like that?" she sighed as she shook her head angrily, "Oh! I don't understand.."
Logan gently rested a large hand on her shoulder, "Hey, don't go getting yourself worked up, Ororo. It'll come clear eventually"
X-Men, report to the X-Jet at once. I need you to go to Boston immediately. Scott will explain everything.
"It's Charles.." said Storm, raising her head from her hands, side fringe being tossed out of her eyes as she stared her bright eyes to Logan.
Logan nodded with a sigh as he pushed to his feet, "C'mon.. let's go see what's happened."
Running footsteps sounded across the metal flooring as the X-Men departed from the Uniform foyer. The four mutants joined Scott who was stood waiting for them at the top of the lowered staircase. Gambit was nowhere to be seen. Storm was the last up the steps, completing the zip of her black leather uniform up to her neck as she hurried inside the Jet. Once inside, she positioned herself besides the standing Siren, watching Scott expectantly.
Scott nodded his head as he saw his X-Men arrive. He glanced over them each in turn, pacing a little with folded arms before he relaxed them by his sides with a sigh sounding.
"What is it, Cyclops?" asked Logan gruffly, folding his arms over the chest of his black X-Men uniform.
Scott flashed Logan a slight glare at the impatience before he sighed again and nodded, "X-Men. Sentinels have been spotted in Boston, perhaps targeting a mutant. We are to intervene immediately," he said, looking slowly around the group.
"Sentinels were in Washington this morning," said Storm, "it was just on the news a moment ago." Eyes fell upon her as she continued to talk, "They were not attacking. But are the Sentinels alone or with a human?"
Scott frowned at this information, "They are alone. The Professor discovered it with Cerebro. He also said their movement patterns displayed are alarmingly similar to that of an assassin trail."
"It's not the same ones, Ororo," growled Logan softly, "Sounds like these guys mean business."
"Looks like the training could have come sooner, X-Men.. but it's too late now. Somebody out there is going to be killed unless we get there sharpish." Scott shook his head slowly.
"But it's Sentinels.." said Aurora quietly, teeth taking her lower lip, "Are we sending ourselves to death?"
Storm glanced worriedly to Aurora at her words before back to Scott. Scott shared a look with his second in command before he breathed out heavily, "We are here to protect mutants targeted by the growing hate of humanity. Those humans who hate, we try to guide. But we must go and defend the mutant. They won't know what they are being let in for."
"Come on," snarled Logan encouragingly, slapping his hands together roughly, "Let's go rain hell down on those Sentinels!"
The X-Jet swooped through the bright blue sky, large wings spanning out grandly as the dark aircraft calmly hummed. Below them stretched a large dual carriageway, various cars and lorries trundling along it at fast speeds as the vehicles headed in and out of Boston. The sun bore down its heated rays magnificently, zapping away all evidence of the recent snow, for now, hardly a droplet lay on the dusty road of the highway. Within the Jet, Storm had a close eye on the coordinates Charles had given them, and was following the trail with her finger, "They are not far," she told Scott, "If we land in the open field beside this carriageway, we can run across the bridge."
"Very well," said Scott quietly before he raised his voice for the other X-Men to hear, "We are landing, belt up."
The Jet suddenly turned out of it's level flying and glided down towards the earth. The shadow of the Jet rippled across the passing traffic below as it dived grandly towards the sun soaked earth. The engine calmed to a low purr as the feet of the Jet extended and the large craft landed on the small field Storm had identified.
"They're on the bridge," informed Storm as she speedily whipped back her seatbelt and leapt to her feet, "We don't have much time, it seems like they are intending to get the mutant as they travel on the road."
The other X-Men quickly unfastened their seatbelts at Storm's words, a flash of tension suddenly arriving. The stairs of the Jet lowered to the grass, and Storm took the lead, hurriedly running down the steps before jumping the last few to spring across the grass, her silver cape glinting brightly in the glowing sunlight. The X-Men followed behind her, their exit making the Jet staircase lift. Storm led them to the side of the busy road, where she stood, looked around in a sudden panic, before seeing the large pedestrian bridge high across the rumbles of the dual carriageway. "Up here!" she cried to the others. Turning to run up the concrete steps, gloved hand grabbing the long smooth metal railing that ran up the concrete wall of the stairs. As she came to the top, she stopped suddenly, sudden halt causing her hair and cape to fly ahead of her before swinging back.
The X-Men joined her side, staring over to where two black suited figures stood further along the bridge, watching the road below. "Logan, Aurora" said Scott, "Is it Sentinels?" The last thing they needed was to spring an attack upon two business associates out for a stroll.
"It's Sentinels alright," growled Logan, whilst Aurora nodded her head in response.
"Alright. X-Men, let's go," murmured Scott, readying his hand to his visor.
"They've seen us," whispered Aurora as the female Sentinel turned her head slowly to glare through the seemingly opaque black glasses. The male Sentinel beside her stepped back and turned his head to stare across the bridge to the mutants. The Sentinels then looked slowly at one another before they began walking forward in brisk steps, almost robotically placed.
"Now!" cried Scott, and the X-Men began their run across the bridge. Aurora was in the lead and she made a low-throated growl of determination as four silver adamantium blades ripped out of the gold gauntlet of her left lower arm. She leapt upon the oncoming female Sentinel with a ferocious roar spurring from her human lungs. She and the Sentinel tumbled to the floor. Blasts of red laser sliced through the air overhead to knock back the male Sentinel who was walking towards them. Scott then ran forward, continuing to attack.
A high-pitched yelp sounded as Aurora was thrown off the floored Sentinel, long legs kicking off the adamantium female. Aurora landed upon her feet, but stumbled back heavily. Logan's hands grabbed her shoulders as he caught her, sharing a glare with her before he pushed her upright and sharply ran around her with a hiss of extended claws. Recovering from the strike, Aurora's eyes narrowed as she leapt back upon the female Sentinel.
The whistle of spinning pistols sounded as Siren ripped them up out of the holsters at her hips. She glared viciously from long blowing strands of blonde hair, before a cunning smirk lifted her lips and she raised her guns, "Come to mama.." she purred, watching the male Sentinel push down Scott and turn to the French beauty. He was pummelled back a few steps by the sudden explosion of bullets. Scott rolled away just in time to avoid being stepped on. His arms shot forward to grab the Sentinel by the ankles and pulled him down. At the fall behind him, Logan spun around and took his chance, driving his claws into what was supposed to be the Sentinel's chest, but the fighting machine had rolled away just in time for Logan's claws to slice through the concrete flooring of the bridge.
Scott rolled back and to his feet, his eyes quickly training upon the female Sentinel and blasted her down as she struck Aurora across the face. Suddenly, Scott found a tight grip taking his neck. The male Sentinel had risen to his feet and had now grabbed Scott from behind. Scott made a gasp of surprise, hands falling from his visor and hands wrestled with the arm at his neck, slowly choking him. "Storm!" he gasped.
The weather mutant leapt over the battle upon the female Sentinel and landed behind the Sentinel who was strangling Scott. With an angry growl she grabbed the Sentinel by the clothes, dragging him back off the team leader. However, the Sentinel seemed insistent on not releasing Cyclops, so with an angry cry, Storm kick him in the back, making the Sentinel suddenly release the mutant with a growl of pain. As the Sentinel fell back into her arms, Storm quickly span, eyes suddenly clouding over with white as she threw the Sentinel from her grip and over the metal railings of the bridge with the aid of a building wind.
However, instead of rocketing into the path of traffic, a crashing thump was heard as the Sentinel landed upon the roof of a passing lorry, lying sprawled on the white material of the trailer. Slowly, he rose. Scott spun round, staring at the landed Sentinel.
"I'll get him," muttered Storm, nodding to Scott. The winds suddenly spiralled around her, sending her cape and hair. Scott looked at her warily, before stepping back to give her room.
"Be careful!" he cried, as he watched her climb up the railing before leaping off the top and soaring down beyond the bridge towards the lorry, the winds enabling her to glide down. Scott spun away from the railings in time to see a kick aiming his way; he ducked with a gasp, seeing the other X-Men run over to get the persistent female Sentinel that was starting to attack him.
Storm landed on the roof of the trailer with a soft gasp, landing crouched elegantly. The truck below continued to rumble down the highway unaware. The created winds died down, and her eyes returned to their normal colour, but the winds from the road twisted against her cape and hair, making them spiral enchantedly behind her. She glared across at the Sentinel, readying herself as he glared at her. He suddenly ran forward. She lifted her feet, running towards him also. They met with a loud crash, limbs extending and hitting the other. Storm ducked under a strike, rolling backwards to then kick across the Sentinel's ankles. The Sentinel fell forward, but aimed for the mutant, and grabbed her by the neck, holding her down upon the soft roof.
With a determined gasp, Storm struggled, hands rising to grab the Sentinel at the neck of his suit to try and throw it off, but it wasn't budging. With a growl she smashed a fist forward at his face, knuckle colliding with one of the lenses of his glasses. The black lens splintered and cracked, and parts flew away from his face and down onto the road beyond. Storm gasped as she stared up into the singular staring eye of the Sentinel. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. In the centre of the normal coloured white eye was a metal looking iris. It turned and measured like that of a camera lens. Inside the iris lay a dark pupil, glinting red in the overhead sunlight. The iris whirred slowly, staring down at the mutant.
No wonder the creators made the Sentinels wear glasses.
With a disgusted grunt, Storm tried to push the heavy Sentinel off her body, but she could not move him. Instead, the Sentinel grabbed the woman by the neck of her Uniform and dragged her towards the edge of the lorry. The Sentinel calmly stood to its feet, eyes staring through the broke frame. Thick hands clasped as strong as metal upon Storm's clothes. She glanced down behind her, crying out as she saw the rush road beneath her body, which was being extended slowly. In her panic, the heavens suddenly rumbled with thunder. She knew a bolt of lightening would make him release her, but she would drop into the road below! His grip tightened threateningly, blank face twisting into a cruel smirk as he readied to throw her.
"No!" cried Storm.
Her shout alerted Logan, who spun his head up from the attacking female Sentinel, to glare over the top of Siren's head, seeing the happenings further down the dual carriageway. He froze at seeing the black suited Storm hanging off the lorry edge, thunderous clouds above her, roaring their desperation.
His eyes shot wide, "Ororo!"
Not used a cliffhanger for a while..
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