Age of Apocalypse Revolver
"First Chamber"
By Michael Edwards
The mass pulsed with life. Beast watched it grow. His smile widened. He checked the instruments in front of him. All the readings were nominal. One of Beast's creations, Wolverine stood by. Lumbering muscle with a keen intellect. Purple skin. His bracers have large blades on them. Wolverine was impatient. Some of his DNA is from Sabertooth and numerous others. Giving him a short fuse.
"I know you are pacing back and forth back there, Wolverine." Beast turned to look at him. "What I am growing is a very personal project that has Apocalypse seal of approval."
"But why am I here, master?"
"Because this project needs the strictest security," said Beast. "When my beauty hatches, we will have a new friend that will want to play."
"Is this new…thing a weapon against Magneto and his X-Men?"
"That would be a small world scope for my creation, but they would make a good test run."
Magneto drank his coffee slowly. He felt better. Not one hundred percent, but strong enough to hear Mystique's report. She sat with a notepad where she wrote down what she had learned.
"In Alabama, Apocalypse's resident geneticist, Beast is growing something. I've heard it is called Project Mayhem."
"Project Mayhem?" Magneto set his cup of coffee. "Whatever Beast is growing will likely be something we cannot see to fruition."
"That's not all. Humans designated for culling are being transported to Ohio - for what reason I don't know."
"Do you know the details of where and when this transport will leave?"
"Not yet, I am waiting on information from an informant."
"Sadly, I cannot wait. The project in Alabama has me concerned especially when McCoy is involved. Whatever he is growing could upset the precarious balance of the whole war."
"I suppose you will be rallying you X-Men to shut it down?"
"Yes, I will return when the mission is over. As ever, be careful Mystique."
"I always am."
Logan moved when he saw Jean open her eyes. He ran his hand through her red hair.
"You okay, darlin?"
"Yeah, I was just exhausted."
"Eric ain't here, and I have no idea where Pietro is. I've been here by your side."
"We need to alert the others," Jean said, sitting up.
"Take it easy."
"I can't, Logan, whatever is going on out there is Apocalypse's doing! We know what evil he is capable of!"
"I know, settle down."
Just as Logan finished, Pietro came in with a gust of wind behind him. He looked at the two of them.
"So you two are back, what did you discover?" asked Pietro.
"Apocalypse has somethin' cooking in Alabama, a small town from what we reckon."
"Whatever it is," said Jean. "Your father would want to know about it."
"He's not here, and if it is urgent maybe we should assemble a strike team…I could talk with Storm."
"Hold your horses," said Logan.
"No, Logan, if it has to do with Apocalypse - then it must be stopped."
"We don't even know what it is," said Logan.
"Correction," said Magneto. "We know that is something not good. So we do need to send a team to investigate and I shall lead this team."
"Is that a wise idea, father?" asked Pietro. "You have been running yourself ragged these past weeks."
"I'm fine, I managed to get some rest. As for who I'll take, I think Mitch, Piotr, and Katherine will accompany me."
"I ain't gonna tell you how to run things, Eric, but Mitch is teaching the kid. Is it wise to take him?"
"An aspect of Mitch's power allows him insight that very few of us are capable of."
"Father, take me along. I should go with you!"
"No, Pietro. I need you to stay here in case something happens. You will be able to assemble a strike team should something happen while we are gone."
"The whole point of this mission is investigation and sabotage."
"It's your call," said Logan. "But if you need us, we'll be there."
"I appreciate it, Logan."
"Pietro, will you get Mitch, Piotr, and Katherine for me?"
"Right away father," said Pietro.
He zoomed off in a hurry. Jean looked at Logan and then Magneto. Something felt disturbing about the whole situation. She wasn't sure what bothered her. Without an idea of what it was, she couldn't mount an objection to the mission.
Mitch had finished with today's lesson with Mina after Pietro told him he was needed. She was a quick learner which would mean that she might become an X-Man sooner than later. He felt for the girl. She was only fourteen, if that. But in this climate. Everyone became a soldier regardless if they were ready or not. No child had it easy. It was worse than before when humans ran the world. Before Apocalypse unleashed his horde on society.
Food was scarce. Only certain places grew food. You had to have connections like Magento had to get any. Clean water was hard to find. Infinites patrolled every street, every forest and lake they could to enforce the culling of the weak and unneeded. Mitch wished Mina could grow up in a world of safety and care. Instead of the harsh cesspool it is.
Piotr and Katherine had been enjoying each other's company. They were all they had in the world. When Pietro told them that Magneto needed them. They looked at one another not knowing if they would come back or not. Piotr leaned down and kissed her.
"This mission, it, uh could be our last. I want you to know that If that is the case, I will gladly spend that time with you."
"They'll be plenty more, Piotr. You can bet that great ass on it!" Katherine said, slapping his ass.
Magneto stood outside as his team gathered. He lifted them up with his magnetic field and they headed toward the rural town in Alabama.
Beast jumped back as the large mass popped and his latest creation came out. It stood ten feet tall with four arms, two legs. Large protruding horns from the temple area and three eyes. It looked like a demon from hell. Beast laughed.
"Yes, Mayhem is ready. The ultimate mutant specimen."
"I see nothing special about him," said Wolverine. Beast's first creation.
"Ah my dear Wolverine. Mayhem has numerous abilities, more than you possess."
Wolverine snorted.
Mayhem looked at his master. Just smart enough to follow orders. He snarled at Wolverine.
"Easy my angry friend," said Beast. A spy drone floated down to Beast and projected a hologram of Magneto and his X-Men. "Ah good, your first feast!"
Magneto rested in Mitch's telekinetic bubble. Using the copied power of Jean to finish transporting them to the rural town. Magento saw the familiar technology of Magneto where a thriving town once existed. Piotr was in his steel form ready for battle. Kitty had the retractable claws Magneto fashioned for her. Mitch entered his copied steel form. His head turned as he sensed something above them.
"Look out!" shouted Mitch.
Mayhem came down with the force of a wrecking ball. Moving too fast for Mitch to do anything. When he hit, he broke the telekinetic bubble. Magneto managed to catch himself, Piotr took Kitty in his arms as they dropped to the ground. Making a huge crater in the ground. Katherine had phased near the last moment allowing her to avoid the horrible impact. When she became tangible, she checked Piotr to see if he was all right.
Mitch caught himself with his copied telekinesis. He was the first to feel the full might of Mayhem. The four clubbing arms come down with immense power. Mitch popped his claws and used copied super speed to try and stay one step ahead of Mayhem. Only to find Mayhem could move faster too.
"Piotr, are you all right?" asked Katherine. He wasn't moving and this made her scared.
Finally, he began to move.
"Katherine, what happened?"
"We're under attack, Mitch is fighting…the thing that attacked us!"
Magneto observed the scene playing before him. No infinites, just the massive beast attacking Mitch. Magneto could feel the metal around him and summoned it with sheer force of will. He reshaped the metal into bladed projectiles that he launched into the monster. The effect he had hoped to have was all for naught. The monster regrow the arms cut off and healed around the blades in its body.
Katherine made sure that Piotr could stand and was stable. They ran together to help Mitch, by drawing the monster's fury. Mitch was prone in the beaten hole he was in. The combination of Logan's accelerated healing factor and Pietro's fast metabolism healing his injuries. He knew he was out of the fight for however long it took. He was awake, very much in pain.
"D-damn it," he said between pained gasps. "Now…I know what Logan goes through."
Magneto reshaped the bladed projectiles and shaped them into metal bonds to try and restrain the creature. Piotr punched the creature in the face having little effect. Katherine cut the creature and phased when he swung his two right arms at her.
As much power as this creature had, it had to have a weakness. Nothing was unbeatable.
"Mitch, if you can hear my thoughts. Connect our minds."
"Eric, you removed your helmet, why?"
"Just do as I ask."
"Our minds are linked," Mitch said with his mind.
"This creature possesses great power, but it has to come at a cost. I think we need to make this a battle of endurance, my X-Men."
Piotr avoided a punch from the creature. Heeding the advice of Eric. He taunted the creature.
"Come at me, monster; show me what you have!"
The moment it swung at him again, Katherine made him intangible, and they went into the pavement. The creature smashed at the ground. Magneto used his magnetism to hurl all kinds of metal junk at the creature.
Mitch, who was not yet fully healed, used his copied telekinesis to rip chunks of concrete from the street and hurl them at the creature. Piotr struck the creature from behind and Katherine phased him through the creature and into the street. Coming out outside of its striking distance. Watching from above with his helmet floating beside him, Magneto noticed the creature was becoming slower to react. The injuries were slower to heal.
The X-Men continued their assault! Striking and evading. Keeping it from catching its equilibrium. A double upper cut from Mitch and Piotr sent the creature up and then down where it didn't get back up. The strain of its own power and the injuries were causing Mayhem to dissolve.
Beast saw all of this from a safe difference many hundreds of miles away with the spy drone he left behind. Disappointed, he looked at Wolverine.
"A setback, a minor one at that. I guess you take first place as my finest creation."
"Let me at the X-Men, I will have them bleeding and dying before the sun sets."
"Not yet, as one of the X-Men interests me."
Beast looked at the captured image of Mitch and steepled his fingers together.
Next: Second Chamber
