X-MEN #27

CROSSING TERRITORY PART 2

By: Bodhi Ouellette

Savage Land; Magneto's Base:

Magneto stood on his thin metal board, while he watched as his Brotherhood were working, building, repairing, and adjusting sets of machines similar to what the Savage used in Europe and Africa. Progress was moving smoothly. There was just one final piece of the puzzle to be put in.
Coming onto the roof is Mesmero, free from wherever he has been.
Mesmero: I have returned, master!
Magneto rotates around and looks down to see Mesmero. He lowers his metal plate down onto the roof. Magneto lifts his arm up with his palms out, and his metal plate "liquefies" and travels up into the hand, as he closes the hand and brings it back down.
Magneto: You do not need to only call me by Master, my child. You may call me any name you'd like.
Mesmero: Then how about... the mutant savior?
Magneto: If you wish. Now, we must discuss your little incident with the X-Men a while back.
Mesmero: (Resentful) Ah, yes. I blame myself for not being prepared for such a strike that came from that X-Man they called Shadowcat.
Magneto: No, my child. It never was your fault, that you've got caught.
Mesmero: (long beat) It... it wasn't?
Magneto: Not at all, at least, I don't believe so. You see, Ms. Pryde experienced a new mutation that have been popping up, as of recently. One that will most likely benefit her when it comes to such situations as the one you've experienced. But much like Ms. Pryde, you also have powers. Stronger, more powerful powers, in fact. As you, and many others as apart of the new breed of mutants.
Mesmero: (confused) Why are you so kind to me? I mean, I heard what some of the Brotherhood said about how you acted earlier. They all thought you were gonna lose your temper. So why are you being so nice?
Magneto: (beat; smirks) Because you're here. You do have the computer chips, don't you?
Mesmero: Oh! Yes. (Mesmero pulls out of his pocket a bunch of specially made computer chips) These things have been in development for years now. Funded by the U.S. Government, maybe S.H.I.E.L.D., but I'm not too sure about that info, and manufactured under a warehouse in Boston. These suckers can power any sort of techy stuff, from a smartphone, to a supercomputer. Made with Super-Adaptoid technology.
Magneto: We have only one more machine to assemble. And unfortunately, we might have a bit of a "pest" problem, in the form of the inhabitants of the Savage Land.
Mesmero: Is there something you want me to do?
Magneto: As far as you know, you are the most important person at the moment. Time is also on our priority. I need you to insert these chips into those machines before the end of the night. I will not delay the inevitable anymore. Tomorrow we begin the rise.
Mesmero: It shouldn't take long. I can get this all done in just half an hour.
Magneto: Then get to it.

Weapons Room:

Used for "emergencies only", the Weapons Room has since been taken over by The Sheriff as his arsenal room. Any kind of gun you wish you wanted, it was there; handguns, submachine guns, automatic rifles, shotguns, and many more. Standing near the automatic machine guns was The Sheriff, picking and choosing which weapon to use by solving with elimination, saying "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe" rhyme countless times to himself. It was down to only two guns left, as one of the Brotherhood members entered into the room.
Brotherhood #2: Sheriff? Come on, there's no time to be counting how many guns you have, you gotta come back up to your post before Magneto gets really mad.
Sheriff: Dammit, man, you're interrupted me! Now shut up, I'm deciding.
Brotherhood #2: Deciding what?
Sheriff: Of what gun I'm gonna use to mow down those dirty Savages. Now, let's see... eeny, meeny, miny moe, catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers, let him go, out goes that is Y... O... U.
The Sheriff picks up the gigantic and powerful, but dusty M60 machine gun. Sheriff brings the gun to his lips and with a puff the dust flies off into the air.
Sheriff: Ah. Now this should do the trick. But now that I'm thinking about it... (Sheriff walks over to where a bazooka is placed) This might be faster, and would pack more of a kick on direct impact. Oooh! But I could go with the Ballista... mmm, nah. Would take too long...
Brotherhood #2: (whispering to himself) This is gonna take forever.
Voice: (In the distance) Yo, Drift! You down here?
Drift: Yeah! Sheriff's down here, too, making out with his guns!
Voice: (In the distance) Ha!
Sheriff: You guys don't appreciate the care for such weapons like these!
Drift: Yeah, alright. You coming, or what?
Sheriff: Fine.

Drift and Sheriff both make their way back outside of the base. Drift, Sheriff, the two other Brotherhood mutants, and Kyle are all prepared to stop anyone from getting in. Sheriff points his M60 at the forest, ready to attack. Brotherhood #1 does a few movements with his hands, and a part of the ground rises up to create a small defense fort.
Sheriff: This is stupid. Why do we have to defend ourselves against a bunch of powerless Tarzan people?
Brotherhood #1: Magneto told us to defend this place from the Savage guys, so we might as well listen to what he says.
Sheriff: Yeah, but, I mean, we have powers that are beyond some stupid tribe of jungle guys, so what's the deal?
Brotherhood #3: Maybe it's punishment for you, for not actually finishing them off.
Sheriff: Oh, trust me. That isn't gonna happen again.
Drift: Hm. Sheriff might have a point, though. The Savage Land guys have a piece of Transformer with him, yeah? But I don't think anyone else really knows how powerful Transformer can get, other than Kyle. (Turns to Kyle.) Kyle, I know you don't talk much, and you and Transformer are buddies and all, so we gotta ask; How powerful can Transformer become?
Kyle: (beat) It's kind of complicated. Transformer claims that he could make himself into something as big as a gigantic island if he wanted to, but, I've never gotten him to become such as size.
Drift: So you're saying that your buddy is a pretty powerful kid?
Kyle: (Shrugs) I guess.
There was a long silence between them all.
Sheriff: (long beat) Don't go pissing your pants now, guys. Those Savages wouldn't be able to manage to make just a small piece of Transformer to take us all out, now...right?
Blasting from the forest were multiple plasma bolts that came directly towards the Brotherhood members. Some of them were lucky to quickly duck down, but Kyle was hit directly in the soldier by a plasma shot.
Kyle: Ahhh!
Drift: Kyle!
The Brotherhood members all turned back to the forest to see a huge swarm of the Savage Land people, armored and weaponized with pieces of the Transformer, enough to stand against powerful attacks. Leading the charge was Ka-Zar, with his wife Shanna, and his Sabertooth Tiger Zabu, all armored with pieces of the Transformer.
Sheriff: Ah, hell. You think you got what it takes to stand against us?! (Sticks his M60 at the intruders) Well, I've got news for you! We've got the upperhand here!
The Sheriff started to shoot his M60 at any Savage Land people who were heading towards the Sheriff. But the air being propelled only did minimum, to barely severe damage, if the bullet actually hit the small bits and pieces of skin that was still visible.
Sheriff: Oh, I'm SO going to kill Kyle after this!

Mesmero begins inserting the chips inside of these machines. Magneto stood behind him, watching proudly as his plans were going into fruition.
Mesmero: First one What are you planning on doing with these things? What's their purpose?
Magneto: Hm... I guess since you've supplied me with these chips, I guess it wouldn't be hard to tell you what I've been planning... I plan on sending these machines over-
Brotherhood #4: -Magneto!
Magneto: (Irritated) What is it?
Brotherhood #4: We're under attack!
Magneto: Impossible. Who would stand against the power we have?
Suddenly, a huge explosion could be heard on the other side from where they were.
Magneto: (beat) I will deal with this...

Back to the heat of the whole battle, more Brotherhood members have arrived to help fight off the Savage Land inhabitants. Drift spins himself like a drill into a huge group of their enemies, where Sheriff was behind him, blasting his M60 at the already knocked down Savage Land people. A plasma blast hits Sheriff in the back, crying in pain. He turns around to see Ka-Zar tackling him to the ground. Ka-Zar makes a bunch of swift punches at the Sheriff's face, making him bleed. As Ka-Zar is about to take another blow at Sheriff, Sheriff, and others around him notice a figure descending from the sky. Ka-Zar turns his head around to see Magneto floating on his metal plate above the battle.
Magneto: There will be no more violence...
He waves his hands out, and with the force of his powers, detaches all of the Transformer armor and upgraded weapons off all of the Savage Land people.
Magneto: (Cont.) And there will be no more conflict. Between the inhabitants of the Savage Land, and the Mutant race.
Pieces of metal then detach and fly off of Magneto's gloves. They all split apart and form cuffs that then attach to all of the Savage Land people, as well as Zabu.
Magneto: (Cont.) Until the time is best suited, you will be my prisoners until the day comes that the mutant race is thriving, and all that is beneath us is dying. You will be the last of the homo-sapien race to live. Unless you submit. And believe. Take them away!
Magneto floats off. Many of the Brotherhood members then begin rallying the Savage Land people up into lines. The Sheriff walks over to Ka-Zar and Shanna.
Sheriff: I don't wanna be "that guy", and have to shove this into your face, but... you've lost, buddy. Now get moving.

Magneto returns to see Mesmero implementing the final chip into the final machine. Mesmero turns around to witness Magneto's return.
Mesmero: I've finished inserting all of the chips into these machines. Now, back to what we were talking about, what are these things for, exactly?
Magneto: (smiles) Oh, where do I begin...

The Brotherhood's preparation has finished! But this is just the beginning for what's to come! While the story of the Savage Land is not yet over, we transition into a new arc. One that is actually my favorite arc I'll be writing so far, and it'll be the biggest thing the X-Men have to face yet in my run!