Author's note: The madness continues! Well, the stories approaching endgame, with three more chapters after this. So enjoy!
Previously on…
The Astonishing X-Men are a team of mutants, led by CYCLOPS and EMMA FROST, who fight to protect a world that has long feared and hated them. Their recent rise in popularity though, thanks in part to their recent ream-ups with the celebrity/superhero team Fantastic Four, as well as the trendy new lease on what people call "Mutant Culture", have made their lives all the more bearable. The resurrection of their long dead teammate COLOSSUS, has also improved their morale.
On the morning of September eleven, the world was horrified to witness the fall of the Two Towers, the result of two passenger airplanes getting commandeered directly into them. The death toll was flew past the thousands. After recognizing that it was an act of terrorism, the American Government and her close allies, have decided to wage a war on Terror. This was four years ago. The War on Terror still rages on.
When an American brigade find themselves under heavy attack from Iraqi guerilla, one of them, CHRISTIAN LEWIS, suddenly begins to feel the thoughts and emotions of every one surrounding him. Unable to take the enormous strain, he sees a glimpse of four women covered in blood red burqas, right before uncontrollably releasing a psychic shockwave that kills everyone in a four hundred mile radius. A group of women in red burqas, identifying themselves as the Ring of Fatima, have taken responsibility for the tragedy. And they promise not to stop until everyone else perishes as well.
When the CIA contacts the X-Men to investigate, they are first weary of having to participate in such a sensitive issue. But after a night of arguing with the team, and perhaps something deeper, Emma Frost and SCOTT SUMMERS soon accepted the offer, recognizing their duties to homo superior as more important than their personal dislike of war. With the aid of LILAH MORGAN, they manage to reach Iraq without difficulty, and are soon sent to Karbala where the psychic shockwave originated. It didn't take long for Emma to realize that Christian Lewis was already dead. But before they could discuss the matter at hand any further, a sudden psychic attack cripples Emma Frost. With the help of the THREE-IN-ONE, three telepathic sisters, the psychic attack on Emma was pushed back. Their celebration however, was short lived, as the RING OF FATIMA finally emerged for a face-off with the X-Men. After defeating three of them, the X-Men are now faced with a colossal monstrosity, who happens to be their leader…
Chapter 7: "The Home Front"
"The X-Men are risking their lives in Iraq as we speak…and this is what they're fighting for…?" Cady asked with a grimace as she leaned her chin on her clenched fist. Beckah, who sat beside the red-haired girl, could only nodded in response, while they both watched Mark standing on top of the cafeteria table. He was surrounded by his friends, showing off by shooting up an entire keg of apple cider. Everyone in the room cheered him on, as he raised his arms in victory over the sweet beverage.
"Imagine if they actually served alcohol in here." Mused Cady before taking a sip from her boxed milk.
"It's weird not seeing his best friend by his side." Beckah then whispered, before taking a bite out of her tuna sandwich. "I mean, they were like, inseparable."
"Yeah…it makes me feel bad about his new roommate. I mean, Derrick's going to be hard to replace."
"Isn't that him? His new roommate?" Beckah asked, pointing at a young man sitting alone by the corner. "Chris something, right?" Cady tilted her head. "Poor guy. Last time I saw a kid that left out was when Beak first enrolled."
"…Maybe we should go and sit with him." Beckah suggested.
"Oh no, no, no, just because you lost half your friends over that thing with Sooraya, doesn't mean you have to lower yourself to charity cases." Cady retorted.
"God, don't you even know the meaning of tact?"
"Sorry!"
"…"
"Have you at least tried talking to her?"
"…That would actually require some guts on my part. I swear Cady, if it's facing her or fighting psycho mutants in Iraq, then somebody get me an X-Jet, pronto…because I bet anything the X-Men are facing are a lot better than what I'm going through…"
Karbala, Iraq/14:40
"Crud!" Logan yelled, diving out of a gigantic maw's way before it could swallow him whole.
"How do we kill it?" Kitty asked, strafing around the monstrous mutant's spider legs in hopes of pinpointing an Achilles heel.
"I will try punching it. If not work, then promise to find me good mortician." The Colossus dryly retorted as he charged toward one of the abomination's legs in an attempt to strike it down. He did not anticipate the quickness of the creature, as it suddenly turned and caught Peter with it's right jaw-arm.
"Peter, no!" Kitty stopped to a halt as she watched in horror, while the monstrosity's massive maws clench themselves around the Russian mutant's waist. It's yellow, corrosive saliva began to cause the Colossus' steel skin to hiss in smoke.
"Let him go!" Scott yelled, immediately firing a concentrated optic beam across the creature's arm, trying to force it to let go of his team member. At top strength, Cyclops had the power to puncture steel, and at full power, he could even vaporize adamantium. But he was far from either, thanks to Rashana's psychic attack, which was the cause of the blood that had streamed from both his eyes. At that moment, focusing too much energy could make his eyeballs explode. And he figured that he would be much more useless blind in their current situation.
"Hit her harder!" Kitty yelled. She herself not yet strong enough to use her power to phase something so gigantic. The smoke from the walls of flame that now surrounded them made even breathing harder, much more so concentrating to use their mutant powers.
"I can't!" Scott shot back, feeling the solar energy once again overwhelm his eyes. And the very moment he receded firing at the creature, the maw that gripped the Colossus began to vibrate wildly. "Oh my God, what's it doing?" Kitty yelled in a panic. The corrosive liquid that it generated began to bubble violently, burning through Peter's metal skin, and forcing him to scream in agony. Logan made a valiant leap at her from behind, only to get himself back fisted across the street by her free arm.
"Let him go!" Kitty screamed again, also foolishly rushing headfirst into danger.
"Kitty! Look out!" Scott warned, as Sultana aimed the jaw-arm that held Peter at the Shadowcat's direction. In an instant, the acid that had pressurized erupted in a lethal geyser, propelling the fatally wounded Colossus at the team's youngest member.
"…!" Fortunately enough, Kitty still had enough in her to turn intangible, just a fraction of a second before the acid that carried Peter could burn her face. With her heart still pounding like a drum, she reached up, and extended her intangibility to Peter the moment that her phased form came in contact with him. It was enough to save him from further injury.
"Hey!" Scott opened fire at Sultana once again, this time achieving a focused beam that managed to crack itself across the monstrosity's temple. The force of the blow caught her attention, and gave Kitty enough time to phase Peter below ground, and out of harm's way. "Over here, you freak of nature!" Scott then fearlessly yelled, firing another shot, this time hitting Sultana right in between the eyes, causing her to stagger a few steps back. "You will spit out my girlfriend, right now!"
"Way to tell 'er, Scottie…" Logan muttered as he crawled back to his feet, oblivious of the fact that his boot was caught on fire.
"…!" Scott fired another quick round, right before he telegraphed, and crouched to avoid, the swing of her enormous right arm. She then swung her left arm over her head, and crashed it down like a massive jackhammer, which Scott needed to quickly roll out of in order to dodge.
Meanwhile, inside one of the stone houses, Kitty swam herself out of the solid floor, towing Peter along. "It's okay, it's okay…" she whispered repeatedly, as she finally returned to her tangible form. Peter was still motionless, his flat back on the ground, thanks to the shock that his system experienced. "…oh my God…" Kitty pressed her bloodstained hand against her mouth, as she finally got a clear view of the damage that was done to the man she so dearly held. His metal skin had practically melted into red hued layers, nearly destroying any inch of symmetry his body had. It was clear that only his enhanced physiology kept him alive. And barely at that.
"Katya…" Peter muttered in a low, guttural voice. His eyes were still closed.
"Shh, don't talk, don't…"
"I think…I won't make it…"
"No! No, no, no don't say that! I will not lose you again!"
"You have been a blessing, Katya…"
Helicarrier/14:50
"You think they're fighting? In Iraq? The X-Men?" Co-director Hill leaned back on her leather chair, and rested her leather-clad feet on the silver table, of which she sat as the head. Nick Fury stood by the door, his arms crossed in front of his chest, staring intently at the woman who, at the moment, shared his position. The Black Widow, a red-haired agent in a leather-suit, was beside him.
"Tell me why the hell I should give a f#ck." She coldly remarked.
"I don't know. It could be because we're supposed to be in the business of saving goddamned lives. That was at least before bureaucratic f#ckheads like you crawled up through the ranks."
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Fury."
"Thank God. Any closer to your skank self and I'm going to start puking blood."
"Listen here, co-director. Just because you cry at sleep over your Break World shenanigans, which almost cost the X-Men their lives, doesn't mean that I do too. And just because you stretch all your resources helping those 'New' Avengers every time The Void shows up, doesn't mean I'm willing to hand you over mine. I don't owe anything to your precious superhero friends. And I sure as hell don't owe you. Now, I have a meeting in ten, and unless the next time you go through that door begging for me to be full-time director, then I suggest you stay on your side of the Helicarrier. Do I make myself cleat? Or do I need to draw you some pretty pictures?"
"…Yeah. All Clear. Bitch." Fury responded with a growl, before turning to the door.
"…" The Black Widow took a step to the side in order to give Fury room to depart. She then gave the female co-director a quick glance before following the old man out. The sliding doors closed behind them.
"…are they gone?" asked a woman, who promptly stepped out of the shadows.
"Feel free to jump in any second now, Ms. Graham." Hill commented, while pressing a button on a hidden panel by her chair in order to lock the doors.
"You're right about Fury." Lilah remarked. "He'll be trouble."
"He doesn't understand the glory of our purpose."
"It doesn't matter. He soon will. Just make sure that you wrap him in so much red tape, he won't be able to lift a finger to stop us."
"You just do your job, Ms. Graham. And I'll do mine."
Karbala Streets/14:53
Sultana let out a shrill scream as it bent down, and leapt straight up. Both Scott and Logan, the only two remaining X-Men on the field, gazed up as the shadow of the creature fell on them. It gave them a second's glimpse of the creature's underside. "…Eeew…" Logan sneered, seemingly oblivious of the danger he was currently in. "Move!" Scott quickly yelled, as he and the Canadian mutant darted towards opposite directions, just in time to avoid the abomination from crushing them with it's gigantic legs. Logan quickly found himself on all fours, facing Sultana with his claws drawn. Scott also managed to support himself, his hand at the tip of his visor, as he aimed his sights on the creature that loomed defiantly in between Logan and himself. But before either of them could launch a proper reprisal, Sultana made another leap. This time she landed on top of a four story house that was already enveloped in liquid flames, making it close to impossible for Logan to go in after her without seriously injuring himself as well.
"…Let's…play…more…" she declared, aiming one arm at Logan, and the other at Scott. Like with Peter earlier on, the monstrous jaws at each arms' end was already building up with acidic pressure. Ready to explode at any moment's notice.
"What are the chances that butterflies are going to pop out of those snappers?" Logan asked, ready to evade the corrosive hose that would burst out any second now. Scott bit his lower lip, and raised his hand to his visor, only to lower it again as a sly smile spread across his face. "Much less than the chances of Hank sneaking up on that thing."
And before Sultana could open fire, the blur of a creature moving at top speed slammed at it from behind. The Beast carried with him enough force to knock Sultana off the building's edge, with him still firmly latched onto it's torso, which was the only part that remained physically human. It's arms flailed wildly in the air, spitting out toxic geysers into every which direction, prompting the two men on the ground to scramble to safety. A second later, Sultana fell face-first to the ground, letting out a loud crack as she did. The Beast reared his head back for a moment, right before letting out a loud growl, and then sinking his teeth behind Sultana's neck. Logan was quick to jump into the fray, hopping onto one of the creature's legs just as it began to get back up. It gave him enough room to face the sac that carried Emma.
"Gonna get you out of there darlin'." He muttered under his breath, as he swung his claws at the sac, peeling off a few of it's layers with each motion. It was much thicker than it looked.
With a terrible shriek, Sultana quickly grabbed Logan around the waist with her left jaw-arm, while the right reached behind her and did the same to Henry. "Let them go!" Scott yelled, firing an optic blast at her head, which she leaned sideways to avoid. At the same time, she lashed her front legs upward, catching Scott off guard and sending him flying back.
"Now…where were we…?" Sultana asked, raising both men in her grasp to the air and squeezing them tight. "Ah yes…you were going to join your whore in my stomach…"
Cerebra/15:57
"The image is still blurry. But it isn't good." Celeste remarked, as she strained to overcome the sudden psychic interference that caused their vision of the battlefield to static.
"That thing's scrambler is impossible to decipher." Phoebe added.
"Is it even a scrambler? I'm not picking up any electronics on that thing…" Celeste noted.
"Then we stick to what we can do." Mindee reminded.
"Telepathic anesthesia underway." Phoebe declared.
"I'm augmenting their strength, but it'll only delay the inevitable." Celeste commented. "It will save them from their systems going into shock, but it'll leave them extremely exhausted."
"As opposed to being extremely dead?" Phoebe asked.
"This is very, very bad." Mindee concluded, before tilting her head up and putting her attention elsewhere. "Mark?" she called, feeling the young man's thoughts swirl in her head. Her two sisters rolled their eyes.
Gym Locker Room/15:58
"Hey." Mark greeted as he toweled himself off. "You missed the game." He remarked with pouted lips, pulling his jersey off and dumping it in his funnel bag. One of his teammates gave him a quick high-five for a game well-played. "You should have seen his hook shot!" his teammate then shouted into Mark's ear, earning him a quick jab to the shoulder.
"Sorry. But we're a little caught up."
"Why, something happen?" Mark asked, still chuckling softly from his teammate's antics. Though he knew that he didn't need to talk out loud when Mindee was in his head, he realized that it was the only way for people not to bother him whenever he's in a public place. "He, wait a minute, are you three still in Cerebra? How long have you three been in there?"
"Mark, now isn't the time for this…"
"Mindee, seriously, I'm really worried about you three. The powers you've been showing are- -"
"The X-Men are being slaughtered." Mindee responded, in no mood for any serious discussion about her boyfriend's claim that the Three-in-One's powers are growing tenfold. That there was another voice only she could hear a voice both beautiful and frightening. A voice that was so very tempting.
"What?" Mark yelled out loud, prompting everyone else in the locker room to stop and turn.
"Are they breaking up or something?" one of the guys asked, prompting Mark to throw a towel at him.
"They've started fighting about an hour ago, and now, they can't seem to beat the thing they're up against." Mindee explained. Her two sisters gave her a disapproving stare, as the time she spent with Mark telepathically put a strain on their psychic link. They were called the Three-in-one for a purpose after all.
"…Why? Is it Magneto?"
"No. But it's big. Really big. And it's skin is…hard. Mr. Logan and doctor McCoy are…diverting it's attention."
"…Christ…"
"It won't be long before it takes the X-Men down."
"Big…skin hard…hey, I think I have an idea…you know I always wondered what would happen if…"
"Mark! That's an excellent idea."
Karbala Streets/16:05
"Scott!" Emma telepathically called, forcing the mutant leader to snap out of his exhaustion. "Huh?" still groggy from the blow that sent him crashing against a wall, Scott slowly picked himself up.
"Emma?" he swallowed a lump in his throat, as he felt his stomach turn at the thought of what his lover was going through inside the creature's belly. Though whatever it was must seem more comfortable than where Logan and Henry were. "Logan! Hank!" Scott called, realizing that Sultana opted to squeeze the life out of them, instead of burning them alive.
"Scott! Concentrate!" Emma ordered, forcing her lover to calm himself. "I need you to focus…" Scott nodded. He could feel the pressure behind him weigh, signaling the presence of others.
"Got it." He then uttered, as he fired a single, concentrated beam of pure energy right at the topmost portion of the sac, just a little over the bugle which resembled Emma's head. With the pressure at the point of impact pushing Emma down, it was provided enough force so that the portion by her legs, the area that Logan cut up in a frenzy earlier, ripped itself wide open.
"Now!" Emma shrilly yelled as she dropped to the ground along with the green and yellow bodily fluids that held her in place. Scott turned around, sixteen feet into the air, to the roof of the house that he had just slammed into, where he found the Colossus looming at the edge of the roof. He held a broken-off pillar in both hands, wielding it like one would a partisan or a battle-stave, and immediately jumped off.
"…!" Sultana readied itself for impact, as she watched the Russian raise the pillar over his head, ready to slam it down in a blow that it was so sure it would survive. But instead of the pillar smashing atop Sultana, it suddenly phased right into her, sliding down the length of her body. And before she could realize what would happen next, it would already be too late. The Colossus let go of the pillar right as it reached the point where it's spin was connected to it's arachnid-like base. Where it materialized.
"..." Sultana's eyes rolled to the back of its head as the atoms of its body and that of the pillar fused, and consequently rejected each other, literally cutting the both of them in two.
"Huh?" Logan rubbed the back of his head, wondering what the hell just happened.
"That's just gross." Kitty whispered, as she literally stepped out of Colossus' body. It was the first time in a long time that she had to be creative with the use of her powers, and she wasn't too proud that both cases resulted in another living being's termination. Sultana's legs were crumpled on the ground, while her severed spine and torso had fallen to the side. Scott was already helping Hank up, while the still shaky Emma gave Logan a hand in help.
"You thought of that?" the Canadian asked, still a little out of breath, thanks to all the punishment his abdomen went through that afternoon.
"No. My girls did." Emma immediately replied. "Apparently, one of the male students wondered what would happen if Kitty used her powers to phase into another person. The moment we get back to the mansion, I'm giving this student a bloody gold star."
"Fight ain't over yet. One of them flew the coop." Logan noted.
"…" Henry growled in pain while Scott held him up. Unlike the rest, he was still as tense as he was earlier on. It was clear to Scott that his best friend's mind was still racing, and it took Emma a few seconds to catch up. And what she saw shocked her, but only for a second, as his thoughts made her recall one of the many revelations she entertained while under Rashana's mental thrall.
"What is it?" Peter asked, clutching at his sides, which thankfully enough were beginning to heal. The time Kitty spent inside of him must have been enough to give him an extra boost to his strength, though she herself seemed to be very much spent.
"They aren't mutants." Henry declared, earning him a lot of curious stares.
"Say what?" Kitty asked.
"Emma, if you don't mind, I don't think I can handle the talking right now…" he then muttered.
"The reason none of us could find them in Cerebra." Emma commented. "We were using the wrong bloody wavelength. They're human."
"…Okay, lot of questions…" Kitty remarked.
"No time for that now." Scott declared.
"We have to stop the one called Mariella." Emma noted.
"She doesn't look like she has that much fight left in her." Logan commented.
"No…no she doesn't. But she'll be heading back to the people she's really working for."
"…really working for?" Kitty' eyes knitted in confusion.
"There's no more Ring of Fatima…" added Peter.
"Quit it with the suspense already." Logan persisted.
"It's us, Logan. They're working for us."
Chapter 7, End
Next Chapter – Where more revelations are made, the agents take matters into their own hands, and the school faces a crisis.
Author's note: Whoo, what the hell is Emma talking about? Well, just wait and see…