XXXXXXXXX
There was a row of holding cells along the west side of the Marauders compound. All were empty except for one. Rogue was lying with her back to the ground, hands tied behind her as Scrambler jabbed her upper right shoulder with a needle and syringe. That woke her up as she watched in horror as the syringe filled up with her blood.
"What are you doing to me?" Rogue gasped.
"Drawing blood. I thought that was quite obvious," Scrambler replied, sarcasm written all over it. He then got up and exited the cell, slamming the door behind him and joined Pyro who was waiting outside of the cell and said to him;
"You better hope that she is a genetic match for Havok. Otherwise she's no use to Sinister."
"A genetic match for what?" Rogue asked, now a little scared of what they might have planned for her. She had been in that type of predicament before.
Scrambler ignored her.
"Keep guard."
Scrambler then left with the blood sample as Pyro just continued to stand. By this point Rogue was on her feet and was staring at him through the bars. Even though most of his face was covered by a mask, she could tell it was him.
"Why...why do you keep doing this?"
She asked the question as her voice broke. Pyro turned his head slightly to see that her eyes were bright filled with unshed tears. He then turned his head away from her, ashamed for reasons he couldn't name. "Why do you put all this energy into the wrong cause?" She continued. "I never thought you were a bad person. Jesus, John, do you know what you've done? Do you know what you've lost?"
"I've lost my fair share," Pyro said in an emotionless tone.
"I know why you left in the first place."
"You don't know anything."
"I've got you in my head, remember?" She whispered.
Pyro turned his head, now glaring at her.
"Don't you see?" Rogue pleaded. "All of your anger, your pain, your confusion. It all steams from one thing. Your denial of who you are."
"What are you talking about?" Pyro asked in an aggravated tone.
"Bobby."
"What about him?"
Rogue just stared at him for a few seconds before shaking her head as the tears fell to her cheeks.
"You just made me feel sorry for you."
Pyro didn't know why her words hurt. He'd disappointed a lot of people. He knew that, he was okay with that. Rogue pulled her eyes away from him and sat back down, burying her face in her knees as she continued to quietly cry. While Pyro continued to just keep watch, Cyclops and Phoenix were just coming to inside of the laboratory. The inhibitor collars were still around their necks as they lay on a metal table, clasps over their wrists and ankles.
"Jean," Cyclops managed to say. He looked beside him to see that she was there on a table right next to his.
"I'm awake," Phoenix assured, even though her eyes were closed.
"We need to find a way to get out of here."
"Don't count on it," said a voice.
Cyclops then turned his head to see where the voice came from and saw a young man sitting at a computer looking over a DNA strand. Phoenix too stared at the other man before looking back at Cyclops. The two of them sure looked a lot alike. Havok finally sensed a pair of eyes watching and looked to Cyclops who just blinked and continued to stare at him. He knew that guy from somewhere, Cyclops was sure of that. He had a knack for remembering faces.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Havok asked.
Cyclops whispered;
"What's your name?"
"Havok." Said a voice. Sinister and Gambit were standing at the doorway of the lab. "His name is Havok."
Havok stood up and walked over to him.
"Should I stay here with you?" He asked, but Sinister shook his head.
"Scrambler needs to take another blood sample from you and match it with the girl Pyro brought."
Havok nodded and left the room. Once he was a good distance away, he then turned to look back at Cyclops and Phoenix and walked further into the room, Gambit trailing behind him.
"Scott...Jean. How nice to see you again."
"Who are you?" Cyclops snapped. "What do you want from us?"
"Oh, I'm disappointed. I'm hurt," Sinister mocked while placing a hand on his chest. "Did you really forget about me Scott? How about you, Jean?"
"We've never met you before," Phoenix spoke.
Sinister laughed a little before turning his full attention to Cyclops.
"Your eyes may be healed, but they still cannot see." He then placed his hand over Cyclops' eyes, covering them as he leaned in closer and whispered in his ear; "Remember who gave you your first pair of glasses."
XXXXXXXXXXX
Dr. Essex walked along side a fifteen year old Scott Summers on the grounds of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.
"How are things going here, Scott?" The doctor asked.
"Fine. Mr. Lehnserrh designed a visor for me. It gives me control of my optic blasts." Scott then took a deep breath. "The Professor said they won't be able to repair the damage done to my brain when I landed. I'm going to have to wear those sunglasses you gave me or a visor for the rest of my life."
"But you survived that plane accident. And you woke from a coma that my colleagues said was impossible. You're a very strong young mutant, Scott. You should take pride in that."
The teenage didn't know how to respond to that. Sure he was happy to still be alive...but his parents...Alex. He always tried not to think about them anymore, because it just hurt too much.
"Anything else going on?" Essex then asked as they passed a massive fountain.
Scott laughed a little.
"Yeah. I met this girl that's my age. She's right over there."
Scott nodded with his head and Dr. Essex looked past a small group of students to see a red haired teenager sitting under a tree, looking to be working on some class assignment.
"She's pretty."
"Yeah, she is." Scott scratched the back of his neck. "But…uh, I don't know how to tell her."
Dr. Essex smiled.
"How about I help you with that?"
"How can you help me?"
"Follow me."
Scott watched and then got nervous as Dr. Essex walked over to Jean and said something to her. She reluctantly got up and Essex motioned with his head for Scott to follow them back inside. They were now sitting next to each other in the infirmary, getting their blood drawn. Dr. Essex had just finished with Scott and now was preparing a new needle for Jean.
"Just a quick poke and you'll be done," Dr. Essex assured.
"Why do you need a sample of our blood?" Jean asked.
"I come here every now and then on Mr. Lehnserrh's behalf. I take blood samples of all the students to run tests. Just to be sure that everyone is healthy. All done."
Essex then placed a bandage over Jean's arm.
"Did it hurt?" Scott managed to say, mustering up all the courage to speak to the girl he had a crush on
"No."
"My name's Scott by the way. Scott Summers."
Jean laughed.
"Yeah, I know. We sit next to each other in Dr. McCoy's class. I've been waiting two months for you to say something."
She really had been waiting for him to properly introduce himself? Scott then smiled and said;
"Better late than never, eh?"
XXXXXXXXX
Sinister took his hand away and Cyclops was staring up at him, wide-eyed as he now knew.
"Dr. Essex?"
Sinister nodded.
"What happened to you? You stopped coming around the school, I thought you might have died."
"In a way, I did."
"Why are you doing this to us?"
Sinister walked over to his high-tech computers.
"Because you two are the prototypes. The chosen ones. Your genetic material will be the foundation for the master bloodline of the ultimate race of mutants. You two will give birth to the future."
"Whatever you want, just leave Jean out of this," Cyclops said, looking over at Phoenix. Not wanting something to happen to her…again.
"I'm afraid I can't," Sinister replied. "Her DNA is the perfect match for you. And soon, I will find the perfect match for your brother."
Cyclops' head snapped up.
"My brother? The guy who was just in here? That was Alex?"
"Yes. He's alive Scott. He always has been. I found him after his foster parents died under...mysterious circumstances. Such a shame."
Cyclops seethed at Sinister's oblivious implication, who in return, began to laugh.
"What have you been doing with him?" Cyclops seethed.
"Making him the man you should have been. And since he has the Summers bloodline, Alex will be able to spawn powerful offspring as well. Strong enough to hold together the DNA splicing of all mutations."
"You're playing god with other mutant's lives," Phoenix spoke, disgusted.
"Do you have a better suggestion?" Sinister then asked. "Xavier would rather faun over humankind in hopes of a sniveling coexistence. Or Magneto would have you fight among yourselves to prepare for a war you cannot win, unless you are willing to force mutation to the next stage."
"As your slaves?" Cyclops snapped.
"As my creation. As my gift to the world. The mutant powers of all combined in each, as my children. From your offspring, I will control the future of all mutant creatures on earth."
Cyclops and Phoenix listened to the mad scientist in wide-eyed terror. Even Gambit shared that look. Phoenix slowly shook her head.
"I thought that Magneto was a monster. But you-"
"-Are utterly and contemptuously sinister." He finished. "I know. They were my wife's dying words."
"She was right."
Sinister then came forward and slapped Phoenix across the face.
"Hey!" Cyclops yelled as he struggled to get out of the vise grips. "Stay away from her!"
Suddenly, outside the compound, fast, violent winds began to pick up. Hard rain started to fail from the sky as the clouds turned grey and the wind began to intensify so greatly the trees that surrounded the compound bent so far back they snapped. The facility began to shake as the wind slammed into it as thick ball of hail, the size of oversized golf balls began to come down. The lights inside began to flicker as Scrambler looked to the monitor to see that a tropical hurricane had formed over the compound. He quickly grabbed the radio.
"Mr. Sinister?"
Back in the laboratory, Sinister snatched the other radio from Gambit's waistband and answered;
"What?"
"We've got a bit of a problem," Scrambler spoke. "A hurricane just suddenly formed in this area."
Sinister narrowed his eyes.
"Prepare yourself Scrambler. We are not alone."
Cyclops and Phoenix looked at each other as a small bit of relief passed over them. The others were coming to save them. Sinister then glared at the pair.
"Just how many of you damn X-Men are there?"
"Enough to handle you," Phoenix said while raising her chin.
"We'll see about that," Sinister laughed. "My Marauders annihilated your X-Men the last time they tried to interfere. The results of this test will be the same as before."
Sinister then looked to Gambit who still seemed numb from learning of his fathers plan.
"Watch them. I will deal with this personally."
The building shook violently again, this time as a large bolt of lightning came down from the sky and struck the front entrance of the compound.
BOOM!
The sound of an explosion vibrated throughout the compound as Wolverine, Storm, Beast, and Iceman stepped through the large hole that had been punched in by the lightning. They all looked around as they entered a long white corridor with a multitude of glass doors on either side. Storm's eyes burned white as she kept the hurricane going which continued to pummel the building.
While Storm, Wolverine, and Beast stuck together, moving forward at a brisk pace they didn't notice that Iceman had gone off his own way.
Suddenly a blast from a gun went off and Beast was captured in a net. Beast roared as he fought to get out of it. Wolverine ran to his side, ready to cut it open with his claws when he was hit from behind from Harpoon. Harpoon had a spear and stabbed Wolverine in the stomach with it. Wolverine sliced the spear in two as Storm fired a lightning bolt at Harpoon, sending him flying backwards. Sneaking up, Scrambler reached out and grabbed Storm around the back of her neck. The hurricane outside then slowly began to dissipate. Wolverine, claws glinting, smacked Scrambler away from her. He was thrown against the wall, his nose was now bloody but Scrambler had a smile on his face.
"You touched me."
Harpoon then threw his spear at Wolverine's chest which impaled him. Storm looked to him, expecting him to pull it right out and heal quickly but he slowly began to slump to the floor. Wolverine moaned in pain and his eyes closed. His claws retract leaving his knuckles bloody where they cut his skin.
"What's happening?" Storm asked, out loud.
Storm dropped down next to him. Beast stopped struggling in the net as he looked on, confused as well. "Logan! Wake up! Logan!"
Scrambler was amused by her concern.
Wolverine weakly opened his eyes and slowly pulls the spear from his chest. The wound was bad as dark red blood poured from it and it wasn't healing. He looked at Scrambler and tried to struggle, but couldn't even manage that.
"I have an interesting touch as you can see," Scrambler explained his powers. "I can either alter another mutant's power or take it away altogether, as in your case."
"Please...please, please, he's dying! He'll die if you don't give him back his powers!" Storm begged.
"We surrender!" Beast shouted. "Just help him!"
Scrambler smirked and looked back at Harpoon.
"Go get some more collars."
As Harpoon went off to find some more mutant-inhibitor collars, back in the laboratory, Cyclops was struggling in his restraints.
"We've got to get out of here."
"I can't use my powers at all," Phoenix said in frustration.
BEEP!
Suddenly the collars on Cyclops and Phoenix were released. They turned their heads to see Gambit with the remotes in his hands. They didn't stall any longer as Cyclops fired his optic blasts at his restraints while Phoenix telekinetically torn hers off. They got up off the table and faced him. Cyclops eyes lit up a little, ready to blast him if he made a move but Gambit did nothing.
"I can't be apart of this. Not anymore," Gambit said, ashamed at his role in all this. "It's too much…"
"You kidnapped us."
Gambit lowered his eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm his son."
"So why are you helping us now?" Phoenix questioned.
"To atone for my father's sins. He must be punished for all the things he's done."
"Alex," Cyclops suddenly remembered. "Where is Alex?"
"He usually hangs around the training room," Gambit answered.
The compound shook again as the final winds of the hurricane died down as Gambit led the way down the hall to the entrance of the training room. Havok was inside but seemed oblivious to it all. He was staring at the photo of him with his foster parents. He whispered to himself;
"I hope I haven't let you down."
Havok kept remembered the words of that girl during the fight with the X-Men. 'How could anyone be so cruel?' The words kept echoing and Havok couldn't help but wonder what his foster parents would think if they could see him now.
Suddenly, the doors of the training room were then opened. A figure was in the shadows as Havok spun around.
"Who's there?"
"Alex," said a voice.
Cyclops closed the doors behind him and walked out of the shadows, coming closer to the younger man. He had told Phoenix to stay outside and not interfere, no matter what.
"Stop or I'll kill you," Havok warned.
"Do you remember the plane accident?" Cyclops asked while he raised a hand.
"What are you talking about? Who are you?"
"You may have blocked it out, you were only eight when it happened," Cyclops took a deep breath. "Alex, I'm your brother-"
Havok let loose a blue blast of energy from his chest but Cyclops quickly ducks and part of the wall comes down when it's hit."
"My name is Havok!"
"Al…Havok, listen to me!" Cyclops pleaded. "Whatever Essex might have told you about me or the X-Men is not true!"
BLAST!
Another piece of wall came down and Cyclops just barely managed to dodge out of the way.
Havok blasted at Cyclops again, this time hitting him. Cyclops winced but then slowly looks down and realizes he wasn't hurt. Havok cocked his head before sending out another blast and this time Cyclops doesn't even try to duck.
Cyclops then sent a small blast of his own from his eyes which nailed Havok in the shoulder. He too, was unhurt.
"What…?" Havok looked over himself in confusion.
"I guess cause we're brothers are powers don't work on each other," Cyclops theorized.
"Brothers? You're with the X-Men."
"Yes, and I'd like you to come with me."
"Never!" Havok shouted. "You want to eliminate mutants!"
"Is that was Essex told you?" Cyclops asked. "Look, we aren't the bad guys here-"
He was cut off by a hard punch to the face. Havok then grabbed a hold of him and ran forwards, slamming Cyclops against the wall. Cyclops fell limp to the floor and covered up as Havok began to furiously kick him. Cyclops worked his way back up to his feet, refusing to fight back against his younger brother.
Havok went to throw another punch which Cyclops caught and forcibly pushed him against the wall so they were face to face.
"Stop!"
"How come my power doesn't work on you?"
"I told you, we're brothers!"
"That's impossible."
Havok tried to get free, but Cyclops held him tight. It took everything he has to keep him against the wall.
"Listen! We were in a plane accident. Mom gave us the only two parachutes left so that we could live," Cyclops explained and with those words Havok stopped struggling to listen as Cyclops continued. "I hit my head on the way down, it left me in a coma. I didn't know what happened to you. I was told you died too."
"Why are you with the X-Men?" Havok then asked.
"I found a home with them. We aren't trying to get rid of mutants, we protect them and humans who are helpless against dangerous people…like Essex."
"He's helped me."
"He doesn't give a damn about you. Only what you can do for him. Who do you think killed your adoptive parents?"
Havok stared at him in shock.
"They were poisoned."
"By Essex."
Havok shoved Cyclops away from him.
"How would you know?"
"He basically admitted it to me." When Havok still looked unsure, Cyclops reached out and grabbed his hand, the same he had when they were about to jump out of the airplane. "Alex, please. I need you to believe me about this."
Looking down at the grip the older mutant had on him, there was something familiar about it, even if he couldn't pinpoint what. And in that moment, years seperation and painful memories were cast aside by an unspoken bond between brothers.
Havok then led Cyclops and Phoenix away from the training room and up to the roof of the compound where the stratojet was sitting.
"Jean, take Alex and go," Cyclops ordered.
"What about you?" Phoenix said. "And the others?"
"I'll take care of it. I have to finish things here."
Phoenix shook his head.
"I'm not leaving."
"Please, Jean." Cyclops grabbed her hands and looked her right in the eye. "I thought I lost you both. I don't want to take that chance again."
He gave her a pleading look before turning back and running back down into the compound. Phoenix looked back at Havok, unsure of what to do.
"Come on, let's go if we're going," Havok said.
"No." She couldn't explain it, but Phoenix at that moment was now feeling the same way she had felt during that whole time that eventually culminated with her almost sacrificing her life to save the one's she loved. She felt like something terrible was going to happen. "No I can't go. You stay here, I'll come back for you."
XXXXXXXXXX
Kitty was sitting on the ground in her phased form, now her right leg and left arm had faded away. Xavier was sitting with her, trying to keep her as calm as possible as now her left leg was beginning to fade into nothingness. If it were possible, Kitty would have been sobbing by now.
"Professor...if I die-" Kitty managed to choke out.
"You're going to be alright, Katherine," Xavier assured, wishing that he could comfort her. "Just try to remain calm."
"Can Ms. Grey really help me?"
"Yes, Katherine. You wouldn't believe the things that she is capable of now."
Xavier turned his wheelchair around and stared up at the ceiling as he whispered to himself;
"Jean...where are you?"
XXXXXXXXXXX
Rogue and Pyro had heard all the commotion from within the compound and they both knew who it was. Pyro stared down the end of the hall, waiting for which ever X-Men came.
"John, please let me out," Rogue pleaded but Pyro ignored her. "John?"
He finally turned his head to meet her pleading eyes.
"This doesn't have to end in a fight."
Right after she said that, frost came creeping down the walls. Rogue took a step back as the bars in the cell began to fill in with ice as Pyro smirked. He turned and sees Iceman standing there, a wall of ice forming behind him, making the hallway their own personal arena.
"Is that supposed to scare me? You've never scared me, so don't bother trying."
Iceman walked closer while taking off his gloves. "What's with the mask?"
Pyro shrugged.
"I like it."
"I'm taking you back," Iceman then said, confidence clear in his voice.
"The only way I'll go back is dead," Pyro then laughed. "And I know that you won't take things that far."
Iceman smirked as he continued to move closer towards his former friend, then looked down at Pyro's hands and noticed something missing.
"No lighter?"
"I no longer need one." Pyro's right hand then engulfed itself in flame. Iceman stared down at it for a moment before meeting his former friend's eyes again. A lot had certainly changed about John, or Pyro since he last saw him outside of Rao Laboratories. "Last time we fought, I spared you. I won't do it again. Walk away, Iceman."
A grin came over Iceman's face while Pyro's brows furrowed under the mask.
"You're not the only one who's learned some new tricks."
Iceman's hands clench and ice formed at his palms, solid and clear, spreading out from his hands up his arms and then everywhere else on his body. Pyro's eyes widened in surprise.
"Give it your best shot."
Pyro then raised his arms a stream of fire into the air and began to construct it at his will. Iceman watched in amazement as it took the form of a solid, fire snake.
The fire snake opened its mouth, having teeth and all as it suddenly came down at Iceman. That snapped him back to reality as he began firing off streams of ice at it. The snake's head went back and forth as Iceman desperately fought it off. Pyro drew the snake back. It lost its form, but he still had the fire.
Iceman extended his hand and created a thick ball of ice. He launched it at Pyro who quickly formed a line of flame which melted it. Iceman was shocked, it was his most accurate ice ball and it had failed. He then realized that ice blasts weren't going to hurt Pyro, he was too hot for that. He was going to have to strike him close.
Holding his hands up, Iceman formed an ice-slide to advance on Pyro and surfed towards him, sending an ice blast at him which nailed Pyro square in the mid-section, knocking the wind out of him. Pyro was now angry and Iceman was so close that he wasn't able to defend himself from the next attack as Pyro sent a strong fireball at him, knocking him off balance and he crashed to the ground.
During the fighting, Rogue was kicking the frozen bars of her cell, trying to get them to shatter so she could get out.
Pyro sent a wave of fire at him but Iceman pushed through the pain and rolled out of the way, getting back to his feet. He sent a punch towards Pyro's jaw but the other caught it with a burning hand as they both stood, leaning heavily into one another. Iceman gritted his teeth as the fire was slowly melting his own hand. Water dripped down to the small river on the floor while steam began rising to flutter in the air.
In a last ditch effort, Iceman swung his other arm and ice shot from his left hand which collided with Pyro's chest, causing him to fly backwards and hit the frozen-over wall, hard. He slumped to the floor, not moving as Iceman suddenly forgot all about the fight and ran forward to make sure that he was okay.
He gently moved Pyro's body so he was sitting up against the wall. Iceman took off Pyro's mask, then went to his's neck to check to make sure Pyro still had a pulse, but once his frozen fingers touched him, the furious eyes of his former friend opened as he lunged up and grabbed Iceman's throat.
Falling backwards, Iceman's head smacked the concrete floor as Pyro's hands squeezed tightly. Air no longer was reaching his lungs, as burning flames set his throat melting. Water collected around his neck as more steam shadowed his vision of Pyro's furious eyes. If this continued, in just a matter of moments he was going to be nothing but a puddle of living ice.
"Please, John…" Iceman managed to choke out.
Iceman closed his eyes, taking in the last things that surrounded him.
"Both of you STOP!"
Rogue had finally managed to break free from the cell. Her gloves were now off and she quickly ran over to the pair and touched the back of Pyro's neck. Pyro gasped as he felt his life force being drained. This gave Iceman a little time to get away as he pushed himself backwards until his back was up against the wall. After a few more seconds, Rogue finally let go of Pyro, who collapsed to one knee, weakened.
"I can't believe you two!" Rogue then yelled, angry at the both of them. Angry that they could have killed each other. But most of all, angry because she knew how they felt about each other, but neither would say it.
Iceman and Pyro were still taking deep breaths of air as they tried to recover. Rogue kept looking from one to the other before finally settling her glare at Pyro.
"John, why did you leave!?" She demanded. "Just tell Bobby the real reason, or I will!"