CHAPTER 29: ZERO HOUR
Peter wasn't having a good day first he lost the guy he was partnered with and now he just pissed off this girl from one too many rejections he guessed. Hey it's not like he had a lot of experience with girls in fact Rogue was the first real girlfriend and beyond that only Mary Jane had talked to him on a regular basis.
So now he was narrowly avoiding being clawed by the Black Cat and boy was she getting close with those. She was nearly as fast as he was not as strong but damn fast and agile whatever Magneto did it really boosted her up that's for sure. "I don't suppose we can talk things out?"
"Tried it Spider you know a woman can only handle so much rejection," She said taking another swipe at him with the claws on her gloves. "Personally I just don't get it, I'm sexy as hell, I'm now your equal we could have so much fun and you want to stay with these people?"
"Why? I mean I know you're not like the rest of them, they hide in that mansion and yet you go out there every night and they don't." Black Cat told him going for a jumping kick he dodged it but she kicked off a metal container box and back at him. "Come on I know you love the action the thrill just like I do. Why else do you go out in the night looking for trouble?"
"There is a better way and a more profitable way to do it. Don't you think you deserve life to give you a break?"
Peter leaped over her and fired his webbing it shot at her this was the new impact webbing he had designed. As soon as it hit it expanded around her basically tying her up around her upper torso. "Sorry Cat but even if I did agree with some of that, you're way isn't my way."
The damn thing was there was some small part of him that had thought maybe he did like the action and he sure as hell thought the world owned him a little. But then again he wasn't the type to take what he wanted especially from someone else. Not only that but the world had given him what he needed, and she didn't know him well enough to know that.
He watched her struggle trying to break the webbing but it was too tight. "Sorry Cat but you don't know me as well as you think, now if you'll excuse me I have to go and help my friends kick the asses of your partners."
Felicia wasn't happy at all and screamed out her frustration, she got all this new power to get someone she considered could be her very equal. Someone she could really like but then he spurned her, she tried to help him damn it. First with that warning and now to get away from it all and he turned her down. She had never felt so hurt before but she put it aside for now.
Felicia looked at her clawed gloves if she could just reach the webbing she guessed she could cut herself free.
The others were fairly as well as they could, the Acolytes weren't like the Brotherhood. They were well trained and more dangerous then any enemy fought other then Juggernaut. Storm was with Scott and Jean as they were battling the armored form of Colossus he was proving to be pretty hard customer, his body was taking everything they could throw at him.
Ororo's lighting he just shrugged off and Scott's beam did knock him off his feet but he got back up. He could also move surprisingly fast. He quickly ripped part of a wall off one of the old factories and threw it at them. Jean reached out and held it up and threw it back.
It slammed into him sending Colossus into the building, then thought that might be it but then the rumbling they heard and the sounds of twisting metal made them think otherwise. "What's it going to take to keep him down?" Jean asked seeing him stepping out of the hole.
"I don't know but he we'll just keep knocking him down until he stays down." Cyclops told them.
Kurt was with Wanda as they were battling Sabertooth and it wasn't an easy fight Kurt kept teleporting out of the way while Wanda tried to hex the large mutant but he was fast and she was getting frustrated. She also knew Kurt couldn't keep this up as every time he teleported it would sap his energy.
The Scarlet Witch gritted her teeth and redoubled her efforts she was so focused that she forgot about her father for a moment. Her team mate was in trouble and despite how they used to be enemies she had started to like the X-Men. Kurt was a funny one and tried to make her laugh and had always been nice to her.
He had become a nice friend and so she was going to make sure Sabertooth didn't touch him. Beast was already running onto the scene by now and trying to get close to Sabertooth as he was more of a match in strength and agility.
Gambit had joined up with Sandman and now the two of them were giving Lance, Kitty and Evan a really hard time as if Sandman wasn't giving them enough of a hard time as it had been. Now they had two of them, Evan did his best against Gambit but the guy was too fast for him plus he kept blowing apart his spikes. Sandman was still pinning down Lance and Kitty, Avalanche tried his powers but then the other man just turned into sand and moved like water over the ground.
"Great well the hell is everyone?" Lance asked dodging another blast of sand he already was feeling some of it in his uniform but also knew he'd be feeling some bruises along the way as well. He never knew how hard sand was until it was shooting right at you.
"They're most likely busy," Kitty said phasing again to dodge another attack, "Although I'll admit some help would be nice."
The sand formed into a human shape well the torso and head the arms were sand as was the waist and everything below it. "Forget it kids you're all toast and there isn't going to be any cavalry." He sent a giant fist of sand down as Kitty grabbed Lance and they went through it unharmed.
"Hey if cavalry is out how about some airborne infantry?" Came a voice and Sandman turned to see Spider-X fly through the air and shoot wedding into his face. He yelled out something as he was tarring at the material.
Peter landed to the other three as they were now between Gambit and Sandman. "Hey guys sorry I'm late so I take it the walking sand trap and Mr. Explosive are giving you all sorts of trouble."
"Yeah you can say that," Evan said firing some spikes to keep Gambit at bay, "Where were you anyway?"
Peter sighed, "Don't ask man but trust me never piss off someone with claws," he pointed to where there were a few lines cut into his costume. He was lucky only got away with a few scratches to his skin.
"Uh…Hey can he get out of the webbing?" Lance asked him pointing to Sandman.
"He shouldn't unless he wants to rip the skin of his face," Peter said but then Sandman's face turned to sand and slid past the wedding. "Unless he pulls a T-1000 on it," Peter said lamely.
Rogue was searching for her teammates after that near miss with the guy with the strange eyes. She saw some fighting and went at them running when she was kicked from behind. She rolled and got her hands under her when she stopped. That had hurt, whoever had kicked her was defiantly stronger then normal but thankfully so was she.
"Well look what I found the pale girl," Rogue gritted her teeth she remembered that voice.
She swiftly turned her head and saw the Black Cat looking smug down at her, "Well this day may not totally be a bust after all. I owe you one you little witch, you cost me last time." And not just being captured and placed in jail while nearly losing she had stolen. There was something or someone else she had but then again Felicia was good at taking what others had.
Rogue felt a small sting on her cheek from where she hit the gravel on the ground and got up, "Well then maybe we got unfinished business then?"
"You got is shuck head." The Black Cat leapt at Rogue she was taken by surprise by her speed and with the strength of her blows that she was feeling. Rogue raised an arm up to block a kick to her head and it really stung. If she had to guess her speed and strength matched her own.
Felicia too was noticing a change last time they had been about equal but she had expected to be more then a match for her. She read the file on her that Magneto had and her only power was taking those from others.
She felt a punch to her gut and she staggered back this wasn't right but then again she did like a challenge. Maybe this would be more satisfying this way, taking her out too easily would cheapen things. And this time she wasn't going to touch that poison skin of hers either.
Trask watched all of this and it seemed that they made kick the crap out of each other before he got the change to do anything. But when they were all in the correct area that's when he looked at the control operator next to him. "Do it now!"
The woman nodded and imputed the commands, large gears and motors kicked into life.
Above them the mutants were still fighting but then there was a loud shaking sound. "Lance is that you?" Evan yelled out as he lost his footing and went to his knees so not to fall onto his face.
"Hey it's not me! I'm not even using my powers at the moment," He had no idea what was going on. Normally when he used his powers he could feel a small connection to the ground and then he could make that connection vibrate. There was nothing so he knew it couldn't be him. "Wanda is that you?"
"No it's not," She yelled out as she fell onto her back.
"Hey are we sinking?" Evan asked everyone they all looked around as the ground seemed to fall beneath them. They suddenly had a feeling of a giant drop at the giant floor they were on quickly descended. Before they knew it they landed in a dark area and not very gently either.
Everyone was thrown around as material were scattered across the place as well. Back at the mansion Xavier was completely surprised by what he was now sensing. The entire structure had to have been shielding from telepathy but with that large opening his mind now could get in.
He sensed many minds all human, and he also sensed Logan's. He tried to wake him but he was hurt and unconscious, 'Can anyone here me? Ororo, Beast, Scott?' He sent to their minds.
'Yes we hear you professor.' Beast thought out loud looking around as everyone was picking themselves up. Then there were many sounds of rifles and everyone noticed they were surrounded by people that looked like soldiers with weapons pointed at them. 'I think we may have fallen into the enemy's hands Charles.'
Xavier saw through their eyes and he couldn't help but feel this was all a trap but if it was Magneto's or these strange people he wasn't sure. 'I can sense Logan near you he's in a cell 300 meters to Kitty's right. I'll see if I can give a distraction and you can get him out-wait something is going on…'
Everyone looked at the soldiers curiously as a man that may have been their leader pull them back. "Well now this is a surprise, I didn't expect any visitors to my facility but I do have a welcome for you all. I'd like you all to meet The Sentinel."
With that very large thuds that sounded like giant foot steps were heard as from a darkened giant door way a massive robot started to walk itself out of the doorway. Everyone had never seen anything like it, it was something out of a sci-fi movie and you'd never think it could actually be working in real life outside of the movies. But there it was and it was making its way towards them.
"Oh man zhis is not good," Kurt said looking at the massive robot their other enemies forgotten for a time given they have literally a bigger problem on their hands.
"Great here we are battling a giant robot," Peter shook his head his life was never normal, "And us without Godzilla for backup."
"Godzilla, hell I'd settle for King Kong at this point," Evan said over his shoulder.
Scott really didn't like this but now he was faced with a few problems, "Kurt! Take Kitty with you and get to Logan the two of you can get to him the fastest and then get him out. The rest of us will have to deal with that thing."
He also knew that Kitty and Kurt may not be able to do much well Kitty could phase through part of it but he needed her to get Logan out of any locked room or restraints. The two teens nodded and Kurt placed a hand on Kitty as they vanished.
"So," Jean said looking up at the massive machine, "Please tell me you have a plan for this."
"Sorry not this time, we never covered giant robots in the Danger Room. Remind me to revise that after this though," He said to her that is if they got out of this but he didn't want to voice that. "Okay people here it comes! Spread out, don't make yourself a target, cover each other's backs! We have no idea what this thing can do and try to find some kind of weakness in it."
The X-Men went into action as they carried out Scott's orders just as the walking behemoth came into range and fired several energy weapons at them. Although they were too busy to notice they were the only ones fighting. The Acolytes were sitting back this fight as if they were waiting for something, or to be more precise someone.
High above the area Magneto stood in a clock tower of a tall building that overlooked the area. He gave a small grunt at how predicable Xavier was as were the humans. They were so easily manipulated it had nearly been too easy. Of course when he had learned of this project he had been planning for months, a few things had changed here or there but in the end nothing could have prevented this day from happening.
He had made sure of it and now the final act was upon them. Soon the entire world will change and a new chapter will be written. He reached out with his powers he could feel the metal through it, he felt around for the parts that moved the trap door and found them. He closed his eye to concentrate to put this as his focus.
The machinery started to groan and then move as it looked as thought to anyone that could see it that it was moving on its own. Slowly the entire floor area started to rise up, the mutants had no idea what was going on now as they were being raised higher up.
The Sentinel had to recalibrate its gyros in order not to fall over completely. Trask however looked on in horror as they rose up. This wasn't good at all the Sentinel would be seen and he can't have that. They weren't ready they still had to mass produce after the prototype was finished. This could ruin everything since this wasn't sanctioned by anyone.
"Who the hell authorized that?" He yelled to his people frantically. "Get that powered down we can't let it reach the surface."
One of the troops was on a radio talking to the maintenance people, "Sure they say there is no reason why it's activating. All the systems are being overwritten and nothing they are trying will stop it. They can't understand what's causing it."
Trask didn't know what to do this was something he never planned for anything like this. And he was helpless to do anything about this and worse yet he knew it as well. He was thinking on maybe they could override the programming maybe that would do something but it was then he realized that the range for the wireless communication was short range only.
They never designed it for outside of the base and it wouldn't stop until its programming was ended. "Sir what are your orders?"
He thought about it, there was only one choice really. "Evacuate the base, take everything that we can we need to get out of here before SHIELD shows up. We have to get all the important data out of here, wipe the hard drives destroy any data we can't take with us."
Magneto watched at the platform raised up to the surface he could see the forms of the X-Men and his own people as they fought that machine. He raised up an arm and the metal spheres that were parked rose up and went to his people. They had done what they came here to do and it was best to get them out of harms way.
The Acolytes stepped up to the metal balls only Black Cat stopped and watched them fighting the robot actually she took special interests in a certain spider powered one. She just shook her head she didn't understand why he had to play the hero but it was his call. She tried her best but if he wanted to do things the hard way then so be it.
She finally stepped into the sphere as it closed up and flew up into the sky leaving the X-Men struggling with the Sentinel.
Cyclops was doing this best but the machine was pushing them back. He looked back to see them heading out to the open streets. This was bad normally they could hide their activities but how the hell were they going to hide this?
It was a fifty foot tall robot pretty soon someone would come to find out what all the noise was about. Three was no way he just knew it but he couldn't think about that now. Their lives were on the line, he fired his optic blast as it impacted the armor but it only made a tent.
Worse they were boxed in they couldn't move in this confined area, "Everyone move out into the street!"
"What? Scott are you serious?" Storm asked him thinking about exposure.
He gave her a resigned look, "We have no choice we're getting creamed in this narrow area we need more space…It's the only way."
Storm looked at how they weren't doing so well at this rate they wouldn't last long. She gave him a look and nodded her head. She didn't like it but it was the only way to survive this. She went to help pull the team backwards out into the street.
Up in the air a channel 7 news chopper was just doing the routine traffic report. The man named James always wanted to actually report real news. He didn't like doing the traffic stuff plus the helicopter made him queasy at times too. He sighed internally as he kept up the fake smiling and good morning attitude that he was expected to have.
He went on about how some street was backed up when he heard what sounded like an explosion. He whipped his head around and looked out the back. His eyes widened and it was like his prayers had been answered either that or the boredom had snapped his mind. "Guys get a shot of that!"
The helicopter turned around for the camera man could get a shot he heard the man mutter something and he didn't blame him this was a once in a life time shot, history in the making. After this he could write his own ticket. "Ladies and gentlemen what you are seeing is live and let me tell you it's REAL!"
The camera man zoomed in on the X-Men as they battled the Sentinel through the streets of the city. It would be an image that would go down in history and it was an image that would change the world as well.
NEXT UP CHAPTER 30: OUT IN THE OPEN