Chapter Title: Seeds of War
Disclaimer: I own nothing from X-Men Evolution. It's a great show, I'd suggest for everyone to at least watch one episode…
Warning: First off, this story is most certainly an alternate universe to the main one, in order to include my friends' and my original characters. Next, there will be some angst, which occurs in all of my stories, and even more fluff in between of the action…Fluffiness! Yay!
Rating: PG-13. Why? One simple word: language. Lloyd has a filthy mouth.
Pairings: None here, but tttrrruuusssttt me. There will be more in the future! Edit: Oh, there's Kva/Leon hintage! More of this certainly later! -winks-
Author's Notes: Finally. Now I get to the good stuff. My character and her half-brother (one of my best friends' characters). This is going to be a decent length chapter (for me), but not as long as the last one; going deep into the shadowy realm of the mutant mercenaries/assassins/renegades and their past connection with Genlabs, and the…well…you'll have to read to see!
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'There is nothing…only darkness. Then I look up and see the stars above me. They are like a mirage…so far away and indefinite. They remind me of my past. On a warm summer night while the breeze sweeps over us, and there's nothing else to worry or threaten us.
Its cold wherever I am…I feel nothing, nothing but the frozen grasp of fate when I continue to cheat death.
I watch the wind break against a crumbling building. It grows weak… the ravages of time have been turned on what was once a marvel within humanity, though now it is forgotten, lost to the distant past. It saddens me…
I feel…empty…
Lost…
Forgotten… just as everything else in the world is…and eventually should be. But our destinies are always manipulated by another, and others often have a different plan for our lives than we do…
Over the skies and seas the wind whispers the call of nature. The howl of a wolf…
It beckons to me…
I know what I must do now…'
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-A random street on the outskirts of Bayville-
"Oh my God!"
"Jesus fuckin' Christ…"
"Is she still alive…?"
"I don't know how she could be…that mutant tore her up."
Voices…
She could hear voices.
"Go see if she's alive."
"But I don't want to…that mutant could come alive and kill me!"
Humans…
A soft groan in pain escaped the femora's mouth, and she tottered weakly to her feel, causing gasps from the small group of humans gathered around her.
"Miss, please don't move, you're ble…"
"Touch me, and you'll find your hand missing."
Was the embittered and brutal reply, and she leveled that crimson-hued stare directly on the people. She still thought that the human race was much like ants…pitiful and pointless and crawling in their so-called lives.
A scarred hand went to her face, where she wiped blood that had been trickling from her mouth. Hmph…the mutant she had hunted down certainly put up a fight. But she had sustained worse wounds elsewhere. Like Genlabs.
'Genlabs…'
Her mind hissed hatefully, going back and recalling the day that was the final for that horrible place. She walked from the sight of the battle, leaving her fallen foe and a group of people watching her back in confusion……
Genlabs.
An independent organization ran by a single man. Dr. Eric Conrad, a top scientist in his field. Genetic Research. A genius…but at what cost? He and his men captured as many mutants as they could find…taking them and toying with their particular mutations as if it was a silly little game.
And all the experimentation had its own affects…Dr. Conrad learned. Not only did some of the mutations started to mutant…he learned of the particular strand. The X-Gene. And with that knowledge…he worked to perfect the ultimate mutants…mutants strong enough to wipe out the rest of the mutant race and rid the world of their kind.
The mutant hunters…
-STILL the random street on the outskirts of Bayville-
"You did WHAT!"
"I killed him."
"In a public area! You know that's AGAINST what you're supposed to do! A kill is supposed do be done in secre…"
"Do not tell me how I'm supposed to kill. I've been at it longer then you have, Lloyd."
"Who the fuck do you think…"
CLICK.
The femora shut the cell phone; cutting off the conversation right then and there. She was frowning; her half-brother had been right…for once. Although the mutant she had been hired to hunt down and kill put up a decent fight for his life…she really should have done it in a place where they wouldn't have drawn so much attention.
Your brother's a bastard.
"Heheh…Not funny Katori."
Then why are you laughing?
With a hand lightly whacking the wolfish mutant hunter's muzzle, Raine limped a few steps before sitting down; dizzy from the loss of blood. Katori; a defect from their side, padded over and nuzzled her; his ice blue eyes worried for her sake. Although she had stopped the bleeding; the wounds were more serious then she dared to admit to herself, and she had already lost an amount of blood that would have put down a warrior with less stamina.
You need to go to a hospital…
"And for them to chase me out because of what I am? Katori; you can't exactly miss the fact that my eyes are red…they would be automatically suspicious."
But then…
"C'mon. I can make it back to the warehouse. I'm not weak."
Raine rocked to her feet, standing and then walking a few steps before glancing back at her constant companion. He shook his muzzle in a human-like gesture, and lightly padded after her.
I never implied that you were…
-The Warehouse-
The Warehouse. The Renegades main lair… They were all mutants; a group who had banded together and trained and fought to survive. Some of the best assassins and mercenaries came out of this group…and they were led by one of the best. Lloyd Alister. Axel.
The alchemist was staring at the cell phone furiously; but he wasn't able to blame Raine. She had every right to hang up on him like that; she was the best at what she did. Kill.
Inhaling over a deep and stressed breath, Lloyd stood from behind his desk and walked out into the main populace of the Warehouse. He smiled at the one sight that befell his eyes. Demo; training his student Kva and Lloyd's own student Leon. And though he would never admit it to the boy; he had been one of the best students that Lloyd ever had. Raine had been right to allow the boy to stay and bring him to his attention.
Kva, an orange-haired black-eyed youth of seventeen years, noticed Lloyd and waved furiously. He had a broad grin on his face, cheerful and playful. The lad was known for his hyperactiviness…enough so that not even Leon could always keep up with him.
Speaking of which, Leon looked over to his teacher and then rolled his eyes. They knocked heads often; both with their stubborn streaks and all. Kva saw his opportunity, and uber-glomped Leon. As the two lads wrestled and fought playfully, Demo shook his head and went over to Lloyd.
"Leon's improved immensely since he came here…but do you worry that the ones he used to be aligned with will come after him?"
"Ah, Xavier's brats? Not really. As far as I can tell…they tend to respect others' decisions."
"Hm."
The two men stood there in silence, watching the two boys goof around.
"When they're ready, those two are going to make a great team."
"You think so?"
"Yep. My instincts say so. And they have yet to fail me."
Lloyd glanced at the tanned face of Raine's partner; an assassin who could almost rival her in strength, and the most brilliant strategist he'd ever seen.
"You've heard about Magneto?"
"What about him?"
"That one student of yours; Ashen. Gunner's brought back news from one of his informants; he's joined the Acolytes."
"Should I care?"
"Just thought that you would be interested in knowing. You and Raine worked for him. And Ashen was your student."
"That was years ago. Plus it was Ashen's decision."
"But still. You did."
"Yes…we did. But we left."
"And got caught up in that mess over at Genlabs."
"Yes…that mess…"
A misty look glazed Lloyd's amber optics, and Demo stayed silent; knowing not to snap the mercenary out of his deep thoughts.
"He's ready."
Lloyd opened his eyes…and found himself suspended in a machine. He looked around the room; shock hitting him like a lead pipe as soon as he saw his half-sister across the room from him; almost completely hidden by the scientists gathered around the bed she was restrained to.
She wasn't moving.
"Raine…RAINE!"
He roared, fighting the chains that kept him from her. That kept him a prisoner. That cry caught the attention of several of the scientists, and they drew away from Raine's limp form over to him; muttering amongst themselves and jotting down notes. Lloyd's eyes darted manically around, and then he hollered again.
"Let her go! Let US go!"
"I apologize; but we cannot do that."
One man stepped away from the others. He was sharp; clad in a long white lab coat. His piercing amber-green eyes met Lloyd's panicked gaze, and he nodded once.
"The two of you are much too valuable for us to just 'let go' as you so bluntly state it."
Dr. Eric Conrad laughed; an evil sound as he whirled and headed away.
"Put them in the Chimera Project."
Author's Notes: And what is the Chimera Project, per say? Wouldn't you like to know! -laughs-
I'll give you a hint: it has something to do with the mutant hunters. You can't go wrong there; but it's a little more complicated then you would expect. Ah, well.
pets Dr. Conrad- Review; or I'll sic my little insane mutant hunter creator on you!
Kva: She really would too. -nods wisely-
GA! How'd you get here! Go away! -chases him away with the Giant Stick of DOOM-
Next time: What do the X-Men do when they find a severely injured Reaper unconscious on their door-step with a protective canine mutant hunter guarding her? And what the fuck is going on between the Tae Trio? Did they fit in? How will Dai and Kisha deal with Ashen joining Magneto? Who's this new girl with the Acolytes? Will she and Ashen hit it off well…or will they prove to be stubborn rivals? Or will something more develop? OOOO! I dunno! Read to see!