X-MEN #24
EVALUTION
By:Bodhi Ouellette
New Utopia; Labs:
Forge's lab is cleared of space to fit the Machine the X-Men retrieved in Algeria from the Savage. Speaking of Forge, he, along with Danger, is examining this machine for analysis. Much of the machine's outer shell has already been removed or disassembled.
Forge: Hm. This doesn't seem possible.
Danger: Coming from the man who has dealt with even more convoluted pieces of technology?
Forge: It doesn't seem right. It's look is something I haven't encountered. But I have seen something similar to this design before.
Danger: The X-Men have seen this before?
Forge: It seems similar to what Magneto had back in the Savage Land. I just can't grasp what this tech is-
As soon as Forge touches the machine, his body freezes. Blue tiny waves pulse off Forge's fingers once. Evaluating. Taking in. To him, his vision is cluttered with code. He's having a hard time trying to even see now. It gets so intense that Forge's almost comatose state had to be interrupted by Danger, by pulling his fingertips off the machines contact of him.
Danger: Forge? Forge are you alright?
Forge: Huh? Yeah, I guess I'm fine. That was odd. All I did was touch this thing and suddenly... suddenly...
Danger: What is it?
Forge: Suddenly, I know what this thing is made of. I'm going to assume, that I just had used my secondary mutation powers.
Danger: I assume getting physical contact with any sort of technology will reveal the source code. Is that your new mutation?
Forge: Couldn't have said it better...
Interrogation Room:
The Savage is chained to his seat, as Marvel Girl is sitting opposite to him from a table placed in the middle. Through a big mirror, on the other side, is Professor X, Beast, and Wolverine, watching.
Savage: How many times do I have to tell you, I don't know. I don't even know what went through my mind when I was doing all of... this.
Marvel Girl: So you're telling us you have no clue to what you did? At all?
Savage: No. I don't. But... I know what my goal was.
Marvel Girl: Goal? So you remember bits and pieces of things.
Savage: You can say that. I know that I was taken in, by a man. He had showed me wonders; told me that the mutants were destined for great things.
Marvel Girl: Who is your master? Sinister? Magneto?
Savage: I don't know. That's the problem. He never revealed his true identity. He portrayed himself as something different. Something that he wanted me to see him as. But he told me what I needed to do for the mutant race. I was to expand. I was to evolve.
Marvel Girl: It was a dangerous act, you caused.
Savage: The Master was smart. He knew there wouldn't of been too many casualties.
Marvel Girl: But there were casualties.
Savage: (beat) I was aware of that when I did the deed. And I regret it now that my mind is clear of his influences. My mind might not have been all in my control, but in the end, it is all my fault.
Professor X: This leads us nowhere.
Beast: Not necessarily, Professor. We at least know that his actions were not of his doing, per say.
Professor X: But we are left at a dead end, Henry. We don't know who this master is. And the Savage's minds were made so that their thoughts can not be read.
Wolverine: Normally, I would recommend doing an autopsy on someone like him... but as you can see, I'm trying to be a new man, so I won't.
Beast: But you just did.
Wolverine: Bub, how many times do you have to ruin my jokes?
Beast: I wasn't ruining your joke, Logan. I was just pointing out the fact that you said you 'weren't' going to say what you eventually said.
Wolverine: ... Shut up.
Professor X: I might actually consider an autopsy, Logan, now that you've mentioned it.
Wolverine: You do know I wasn't suggesting you 'do' that, right?
Professor X: It's our only way we can find something that'll get us to where, or how the Savage got this Machine.
Wolverine: Charles, stop. If you even THINK about doing that, I will literally stab you in the leg.
Professor X: Hm. You really have changed, Logan. Maybe for the better.
Wolverine: I told you all I was gonna change. To be that leader Scott was to us all.
Living Room:
Kitty: ...Seven spades.
Pietro: Go fish.
In the a living room like luxury area in the New Utopia base, Kitty Pryde and Piotr Rasputin are both playing 'Go Fish' between one another at the coffee table. Hisako is sleeping on the couch.
Piotr: (Cont.) Got any two diamonds?
Kitty: Damn. I'm horrible at this game.
Piotr: You just need some practice.
Kitty: Maybe you should stop talking.
Piotr: Haha haha! Oh, Kitty, you can be very stubborn sometimes.
Kitty: (smiles) Some people just never seem to change, do they?
Piotr: No. No they don't.
Kitty: Five hearts.
Piotr: Go fish.
Hisako, still sleeping, begins to sweat a bit, and move from side to side.
Pietro: Nine aces... did it just get pinker all of a sudden-
Piotr looks up to see Kitty, covered in a variation of Hisako's armor powers, but smaller, and covering all of Kitty's body as if it was an extra layer of skin. Kitty begins to freak out.
Kitty: What's going on?!
Piotr: I don't know-
Then, Piotr gets his own pink armor layer as well. He begins to freak a bit as well.
Piotr: This is a bit crazy, da?
Kitty: It's Hisako. She must be giving us these armors.
Piotr: Look.
Piotr points at a bunch of hollowed beings resembling Hisako's armor. No one is in them however, and there are about a dozen of them, staring right towards Piotr and Kitty.
Outside the Base:
On the "lawn" of the floating base, Alex Summers is playing catch with his nephew, David Summers. David is wearing his own baseball glove, while Alex has formed his own using his new powers. The ball is also made from Alex's new powers.
Alex: Remember not to squeeze the ball when you catch it, David! I don't think you want to get any plasma in your face!
David: I'll try not to, Uncle Alex!
As Alex passes the ball to David, David pulls out his Katana and motions it like a bat, waiting to swing at the plasma ball.
Alex: David, that's not a good idea!
David hits the ball, using the side of the blade to hit the Plasma ball. He sends it hurling up in the sky. Alex is running around, trying to catch it. When he catches it in his glove, the ball explodes from the impact. A huge gush of smoke covers the scene. David goes over into the smoke to see if Alex is alright. He finds Alex, down on the ground, seemingly knocked out, until Alex grabs David and starts giving him a noogie on his head. They both laugh in enjoyment. Their smiles couldn't be any brighter. Alex eventually stops and they both get up from the ground.
Alex: That was fun, playing catch with you.
David: Yeah, I agree. It was some fun.
Alex: What's wrong, David?
David: Nothing. It's just... moments like these, make me miss my mom and dad, you know?
David then runs into Alex's arms, beginning to cry. Alex holds David in his arms.
Alex: I know how you feel, David. I miss my brother and sister-in-law too. Not a day goes by that I begin to wonder what they would be doing if they were alive now. But I must live with the fact that they are gone. You are a strong boy. And no matter what happens to us. I will always be there for you.
David: Always?
Alex: Always.
They embrace in a hug.
David notices a couple of Armored like hollow figures approaching the two. Alex notices too, and they both see themselves get surrounded by them. David pulls out his sword, while Alex prepares a plasma attack. The Armor Figures then charge at David and Alex. David takes a huge swing with his Katana, slicing four Armor Figures by the torso. One of the Armor Figures breaks, while the other three still stand. Alex had sent multiple plasma blasts at the Armor Figures. Out of the seven he blasted at, two of them actually broke. The others, still standing.
Alex: Any troubles?!
David: Not at all! I've been itching for a fight!
Alex: Good, because this is gonna take a lot of manpower!
They both turn to the same side, and they charge towards a group of Armor Figures together.
Interrogation Room:
Out of nowhere, a few Armor Figures appear inside of the Interrogation room with Marvel Girl and the Savage, and a few in the viewing room, with Professor X, Wolverine, and Beast.
Marvel Girl: Uh, Professor. What's going on?
Professor X: I don't know, Rachel.
Beast: If I were to make an educated guess, these look like the same Armor shells that Hisako's powers are based on.
Wolverine: Hank, I wouldn't call that an educated guess.
Beast: You got a better guess?
Wolverine: No. (ejects his claws out) But since they aren't human, I have the right to take 'em down.
Marvel Girl: And what about me?!
The Savage breaks out of his chains, and quickly pierces his sharp claws into the Armor Figure.
Savage: We take them out, together.
Marvel Girl uses her telekinetic powers to slowly crush the other Armor Figure in the room. Marvel Girl then opens the door out of the room. Wolverine and Beast had destroyed the Armor Figures in the room, while Xavier was in the corner, away from the fight.
Marvel Girl: The Armor. It must be Hisako.
Savage: She's experiencing a secondary mutation. And it's proving to be a powerful one. Where is she now?
Marvel Girl: With Kitty and Piotr. Hold on. (Through telepathy) Kitty, Piotr! What's going on with you?
Living Room:
Kitty and Piotr have destroyed much of the Armor Figures that have sworn them, but more just keep coming and coming.
Kitty: (V.O.) Oh, not much. Just that we're getting our butts kicked by these Armor like things!
Marvel Girl: (V.O.) Yeah I can tell. Listen, wake Hisako up. She's experiencing a secondary mutation in her sleep. She needs to be woken up for all of this chaos to stop. Now do as I say!
Kitty: Got it! (Kitty kneels down towards Hisako) Hisako! Wake up! You need to wake up! There's a bunch of armor like things that keep attacking us, so we need you, Hisako, to WAKE THE HELL UP! (Screaming it into her ear)
Hisako wakes up from that loud numbing scream. Her sweating stops, and one by one, her Armor projections she had produced begins breaking apart, and the skin armors Kitty and Piotr gained go away as well. Hisako is confused.
Hisako: Wh- what was going on?
Medical Room:
Later, in the Medical Room, All of the other X-Men present during the scene (With the exception of Forge and Danger, as well as Storm and Thunderbird), all look at Hisako. Hisako feels like she has done something wrong. Kitty takes the thermometer out of her mouth and looks at her temperature.
Kitty: 102.2.
Hisako: So what did I do?
Savage: You experienced a secondary mutation. And if what Cat and the Russian said was true, your powers just gained a maximum boost.
Hisako: So I'm more powerful now? Awesome!
Professor X: We'll have to let you see what you can do later on. Right now, we should-
Forge and Danger come storming in the room.
Forge: Charles! Charles, I've been looking everywhere for you!
Professor X: Forge? What is it?
Forge: Through my upgraded powers, I found out where the machine's source came from.
Professor X: You have? Where?
Forge: Well, some of the tech that was used is something I couldn't figure out. But I did learn that the actual machine was built in a factory...
"In Tokyo, Japan..."
"Great..."
To be continued in X-Men Issue 25! The X-Men now have a lead to the machine, and now, they'll be sending in Wolverine, and Thunderbird to figure out more about this! See what's in store next week!