X-Calibre

Being a mutant was dangerous in 2028, even after the miracle event had restored the mutant population. Many had fled the United States to countries that welcomed mutants, while others flocked to California and the offer of sanctuary.

Sanctuary, however, is a fleeting thing.

"Damn it," Moonstar cursed as the black haired teacher opened fire with twin pistols, "they're coming over the walls!"

"Surrender to the Initiative," the black masked man demanded, "Team Nomad promises to treat you humanely!"

"Bite me!" Ruby Summers cursed as the organic ruby woman blasted him back with a optic blast. She touched the communications device she wore, "Old man, where are you?"

Logan chuckled as he slashed through a soldier, sending him staggering into one of the energy projectors trying to bring down the California shield. "Taking care of business," he answered gruffly.

"And the rest of X-Force?" Ruby demanded as she blasted a flier out of the air.

"Doing what comes natural," Logan said simply.

Laura Kinney aka X-23 stalked silently through the desert to the outpost, dust, mud and dirt disguising her from sight. She crawled forward on her belly through the shrubs, reaching the point she wanted and listening to the men in the tent.

Alec Pym scowled as the blonde man said, "We have to break through!" He looked a bit worried, "President Richards is getting impatient." Unlike the others in the room he only stood about four foot tall, believed due to exposure to size changing forces before birth.

"Valera will just have to wait," Sasha Martin answered firmly, the woman known as Southpaw studying the map spead out on the low table before them. "We've got to push in from the sea," she pointed with her gauntleted hand, "it might be weaker there."

"Let me go in," Armory offered, the black haired woman smiling coldly, "my Tatigon can adapt a way to break through."

"No," Alec said as he shook his head firmly, "you're our weapon of last resort. We only use you if everything else fails."

"As you wish, sir," Armory sighed.

Laura touched her earpiece, "You got all that?"

"Indeed, cub," Namor the Submariner replied as he swam with incredible speed off the coast, "consider the Sentinels dealt with."

"My god," Viewfinder murmured as the young man used his mutant gift of telescopic vision to watch the action, "he's generated a massive undertow to pull the Sentinels out to sea and now he, Merrina and Aqualung are smashing them underwater!"

"Yes!" Ruby smiled as she received reports of her teams driving the Initiative members back. "I think it's time to speak, sir," she said formally over the radio.

Scott Summers and his wife Emma Frost-Summers stood in a TV studio, the cameras waiting. Kitty Pryde sat at the controls, "Okay, Professor, we're bouncing the signal off multiple satellites, they won't know where it's coming from."

"Good work," Professor Xavier answered, watching his two students thoughtfully.

"Ladies and gentlemen of America, this is Scott Summers, the governor of the state of California," Scott said gravely. "I am sad to report that the federal government has illegally attacked our state, attempting to depose our freely elected government."

"Oh crap," Alec breathed out as they watched the broadcast in horror.

"Despite claims of a fixed election," Emma added coolly, "we willingly submitted to power dampers in a re-vote and still won."

"Clearly, any claim we are not the legitimate leaders of California are false," Scott concluded, "and we ask the American people to respect the democratic rights of the people."

"We call upon President Richards to call off her army," Emma continued, "or we will not be responsible for the consequences."

"And done!" Kitty nodded as the brown haired woman cut the connection. She smirked, "We just cut into television nation wide... I wonder how they'll take it?"

"Probably not well," Scott sighed, silver threading through his still thick brown hair,

"I'll relay commands to the teams to stay alert," Xavier noted. "Should X-Force attack?"

"No," Scott shook his head firmly, "not until we hear back from Richards at least."

Outside, Ruby nodded as a steel skinned woman neared. "You okay with working with Xavier, Danger?" she asked.

Danger, the sentient heart of the Danger Room smiled wryly, her now much more human face capable of great emotion coupled with a insanely powerful robotic shell. "I no longer hate my creator," she revealed to the younger woman, "I merely pity him now."

"Pity?" Ruby looked surprised.

"He cannot change his programming," Danger revealed as they watched the Initiative soldiers milling about in confusion, "I have."

Meanwhile, in Washington DC there was a certain amount of conflict in the White House. "All right," Valera Richards scowled as the attractive blonde looked around the room, "how did they broadcast without you stopping them?"

"It's possible they had assistance from the renegade Tony Stark," Henry Peter Gyrich said flatly from his wheelchair, then the redhead added, "or it might be because of Kitty Pryde or that techno creature Danger."

"Either way," Shinobi Shaw said as the Asian man looked out at the white house lawn, "they got the word out in a way we can't ignore."

"True," Valera conceded with a sigh.

"We can still win," Gyrich said as he rolled to her desk, "let me mobilize US Agent and the Shadow Initiative, they can..."

"No," Valera shook her head then looked over at Shinobi, "I'm sorry, Mr. Shaw, but I'm going to have to break our agreement."

Shinobi nodded, his expression only mildly annoyed. "I understand," he nodded, "our scheme would only have worked if the public hadn't known."

Gyrich looked appalled, "You two had a deal?!"

Shinobi ignored that as he added, "I will, of course, have to pull my Sentinels from your forces, then."

"Understood," Valera nodded, "but I hope we will be able to do business again."

"I'll look forward to it," Shinobi bowed before leaving the room.

SHIELD agent Camilla Black frowned as she listened to her earpiece, "Apparently, mutant enclaves across the country are rioting." She smiled grimly, "SHIELD head Maria Hill thinks we need to take steps asap, ma'am."

"I'm not surprised," Valera sighed.

"How could you make that kind of deal...?" Gyrich still sounded stunned.

"Very easily," Valera shot back, "we needed to bring California back under control, and Shaw wanted revenge on the X-Men. It was a win/win for us both, until your Initiative army screwed the pooch."

"We didn't..." Gyrich started.

"I need my speech writers," Valera turned to stride away from her desk, "we need a 'sorrow, not in anger' type of speech!" She paced, "We won't admit to being at fault, but instead say that... mistakes were made, just not by me."

"Got it," her minion said as Jessica Hudson hurried after her, "are we recognizing California?"

"Got to," Valera answered with a irritated shrug, "after that announcement they've pushed me into a corner."

Back at the Initiative they watched as their president went on the air and called the whole war off. "I sincerely apologize for overzealous members of my administration who took it on themselves to stage the attack on California."

"You've got to be kidding me," Armory yelped, "she was the one who briefed us on this whole operation?!"

Alec shook his head, "If she takes the blame she could be impeached. This way she saves her part and herself too."

"You sound like you expected this," Southpaw sighed.

"Expected, no," Alec shrugged, "but I wasn't surprised, either."

Laura received the pullback order and slipped away, mildly regretful that she hadn't had to kill them all. 'Well,' she thought as she snuck through the region run by the Initiative, 'I suppose there's always next time.'

AS the forcefields went down a cheer went up, echoed by a louder one as cyclops arrived. "We've won," he cautioned them, "but this is just our first battle here. But if they attack again we will prevail, and I swear to you... WE SHALL BE FREE!"

The roar this time could even be heard out in the Initiative camps as the soldiers fled.

To be continued...