X-MEN #20

THE UNIVERSAL X-MEN

PRYDE AND GLORY

By:Bodhi Ouellette

Boston, Massachusetts:

*BOOM*
A warehouse by the docs explodes in a gash of black smoke, with a loud boom. Out from the fire comes a bunch of men with explosive devices, and a man. A small man, about 5 ft 3, and looked no older than 25. His costume is goofy as all hell, and is covered in neon colors. He also wears a colorful cape, with a logo on it: A bullseye of some sorts. And what does this young adult call himself? Mesmero.
Armed Man 1: We got the device, boss.
Mesmero: Good! Now that the device is mine, I can use it to bend the entire world under my will!
?: Wow, seriously?
All the thugs and Mesmero look up to see a team of X-Men (Shadowcat, Havok, Colossus, Armor) floating down into the scene.
Shadowcat: That has to be the most cliched villain plot, ever!
Mesmero: That maybe so, but you have to realise the bigger picture!
Shadowcat: What bigger picture? What are you, anyways? Magneto's new stooge?
Mesmero: Ha! Please! I'm no stooge for anyone! I am freely independent!
Havok: Guess that explains the stupid costume.
All of a sudden, Havok turns against the team of X-Men and blasts them all down.
Mesmero: Hahahahaha! Don't you see? I can control whoever I want! Why do you think these guys are working for me!
Shadowcat: Good to know. Colossus!
Colossus charges towards the thugs and Mesmero. Mesmero was not hit; A thug got into the way of Mesmero through his mind control. Mesmero then grabs the device from one of the thugs and begins to run off.
Havok: He's getting away!
Shadowcat, Havok, Colossus and Armor begins chasing Mesmero out of the docs.

Mesmero leads them into the actual City of Boston. Mesmero knocks down a bunch of people down on the ground, hoping to stall from the X-Men that are chasing him, but this barely slows them down. Mesmero then gets a bright idea. He turns around and mind controls Colossus. Colossus cries in agony from Mesmero's mind blast, but it goes away quickly, as Mesmero is now in control of Colossus. He orders Colossus to attack the other X-Men, to which he does. Armor and Havok hold Angel by the arms.
Armor: Pietro! Snap out of it! It's us, remember?!
Colossus's strength gets the better of the two, however, as he throws Armor forward into a wall, and curbstomps Havok onto the ground. Havok however, quickly blasts an energy beam at Colossus.
Shadowcat: Can you two handle Pietro?!
Havok: We got this, Kitty! Go after Mesmero!
Shadowcat: Good! Colossus should go back to normal soon! And if not, well then, I'm going to get to Mesmero, and I'm gonna stop him!
Shadowcat sprints as fast as she can to catch up to Mesmero, who almost was out of the sight of the X-Men.

Eventually, Mesmero reaches his way into the Fenway Park area. Shadowcat was not far behind, and Mesmero was running out of breath. Mesmero needed to trap her. So, he drove his way towards the open & empty Fenway Ball Park. Mesmero entered in the front gates, as he quickly entered into darkness. Shadowcat lost him. But she made sure she would get him. Like a panther hunting for it's prey, Shadowcat entered the shadows.
Mesmero (Voice): What's wrong? Are you lost? Are you preparing for defeat? Why don't you just give up!
Shadowcat entered into the light again. She saw her arms, and shocked to see them; her arms were quickly disappearing.
Shadowcat: Huh?
She quickly enters into the walls of the park.
Mesmero (Voice): I know where you are. I can detect your thoughts. I can see through the walls and find you. I can find you. And I will kill you... what?
Mesmero is up in the announcement station, many feet above the field of the park.
Mesmero: I can't sense you. I can't sense you at all! What?! How?!
He quickly begins to go out of the station, and makes his way out into the middle of the fields. He jumps over the railings and then stops dead center of everything. He looks out, trying to search for his enemy.
Mesmero: Go on! Try to stop me! I might as well accept defeat!
He then felt like someone was grabbing his feet below him, but when he looked down, he saw nothing. But then he was thrown off of his feet and landed on his back. He looked back up to see just a floating arm punch him, knocking him cold. The invisible silhouette reveals herself to be Shadowcat. She looks at herself, almost in a confused and scared state.
Shadowcat: What was that?
She looked over to see Colossus, Armor, and Havok all in front of Shadowcat and the unconscious Mesmero.
Shadowcat: Cuff him. I'll call out the X-Jet to pick us up.
Armor: What's wrong, Kitty?
Shadowcat: Hm?
Armor: You seem troubled, you che're. Anything on your mind?
Shadowcat: Well... when I was chasing Mesmero around the field, I kind of... started to disappear.
Havok: What?
Shadowcat: That's what I though. I didn't know what that was all about... I guess... secondary mutation?
Havok: Could be.
Shadowcat: If that's the case...
She looks down back at her hands again.
Shadowcat: Then that's pretty sweet.

A Savage has returned! He's cooking up something in London, and the X-Men send in Storm and a few European Division X-Men to stop this Savage! But when they figure out he has an answer that will change the meaning of being a mutant forever! Find out in The X-Men Issue 21!