X-MEN #30

TRANSFORMING TOWNS PART 3

By:Bodhi Ouellette

Virginia:

They jumped... free falling from hundreds, maybe even thousands of feet in the air. Some of the X-Men used their acrobatics to attach themselves on the "Walking Town", like Hepzibah, Psylocke, Wolverine, Shadowcat, and Beast. Others, since they couldn't fly, were being carried; Savage was carrying Havok and Forge, Marvel Girl carried Thunderbird, and Rogue carried Surge and Shatterstar. The rest of the X-Men (Colossus, Armor, Warpath, Gentle, and Ruby Summers) all let themselves fall right at the feet of the beast. All of them use their different sets of strength, and they all begin punching down the ankles and feet of the "Walking Town". The force was enough for the "Walking Town" to stop in its tracks, to lift up his leg and begins moving it around, trying to shake the invaders off of him. This proved little effect, however. As defenseless as a military base with a huge gaping hole in a fence, the "Walking Town" stopped in it's tracks, as it slowly lifts its arms up to the side of him. A red surge effect jolts out of the "Walking Town's" fingertips, and spawning from the ground below, were more, human sized rock monsters. All of these new Rock Monsters that spawn all leap off from the ground, even flying for a short destination, and begin attacking the X-Men. Now the X-Men had to deal with the "Walking Town's" army, as the "Walking Town" itself, is free to continue on it's mission.

New Utopia; Cerebro:

Professor X and the other New Mutants watch, with Kelly Newbury sits in her hovering chair, as multiple screens display new, current, and ongoing footage, detailing the "Walking Town's" progression. Such footage included one from CBS News, where Joyce Hollands was reported in for this event. There is also a map displayed, with a moving dot, representing where the "Walking Town" is on the map.
Benjamin: Wow. Look at that. This is what you guys deal with on a daily basis?
Professor X: Indeed, my child.
Jamie: What I don't understand is why is Magneto doing all of this? Why would he want to harm an entire town, and turn it into... well, a weapon?
Professor X: I don't know. For everything Eric has done, he has proven himself to have been one of us, once. This is unlike anything Eric would be willing to do.
Aloc: Define "willing"?
Professor X: I have known Eric for years now. I have seen him enact plans that were as extreme as this; plans that have ended in deaths, but this... this is a whole new level.
Kelly: All we can really do right now, Professor, is hope that the X-Men can take this thing down.
Professor X: Yes... you're right. That's all we can do right now.
Xavier takes a look at the map as he sees the dot moving. Xavier notices something about the dot, and the direction it's moving towards.
Professor X: There's something about where that colossal is heading towards. Kelly, can you create an estimate guess as to where this thing is heading?
A small red line appears, pointing east, with a circle on Washington D.C.
Professor X: Oh, no.
Kelly: Professor, remember, this is just an estimated guess.
Professor X: You might be right, but my gut tells me this is the truth here...

Virginia:

It had been 30 minutes now, and the X-Men were now struggling to keep up with not only defeating the "Walking Town's" rockmen, but the "Walking Town" himself. With every attempt to attack the "Walking Town", the X-Men get bombarded with it's rock monsters it created to fight off it's enemies. At the ankles of the "Walking Town" was the "heavy hitters", still latching on for dear life, while trying to not only damage the "Walking Town", but also fighting off rock monsters as well. The only main offense the X-Men can provide are by it's flyers; Rogue pulled away two rock monsters off and throws them into each other, cracking into many pieces. Sunspot speeds into a group of rock monsters, bursting through them, which breaks them apart. While Savage was flying, a rock monster attaches to his back. Though the rock monster attempted to drag the Savage down to the ground, the Savage was stronger, as he pulled the rock monster off of his back, grabbed his head, and ripped it clean off of it's body.
Rachel Grey was focusing on keeping any and all rock monsters off of the X-Men members, with her telekinetic powers. With every more they get rid of, more and more are created. It was going to be an endless battle that needed to end, and fast. As Marvel Girl gets close to the "Walking Town's" back, a rock monster attacks Marvel Girl. She uses her telepathy to push it into the back of the "Walking Town", making a crack. Marvel Girl, curious as to why the back was week, used her telepathy to look inside the "Walking Town". What she sees, deep inside the heart of the monster, is a young man, attached to the warped machine that has been fused with the man inside. Rachel has just discovered the heart of this "Walking Town".
Marvel Girl: X-Men! I've found a weak spot!
She hears someone say something not even audible. Marvel Girl then flies herself over to Wolverine and Shadowcat; the former was hanging on the "Walking Town" with his claws stuck in its hip, and the latter had her hand phased through the him, both using his other arm for slashing or punching any rock monsters who try to attack them.
Marvel Girl: I found a weak spot, Logan!
Wolverine: (Sarcastically) Oh, that's nice, where did you find it?
Marvel Girl: On it's back. I also discovered someone inside of the thing. It's probably him that's controlling this thing.
Shadowcat: (beat) How did we never thought about trying the back?
Marvel Girl: You're answer's coming up 20 feet away from you.
Marvel Girl then uses her telekinetic powers to stop the incoming rock monster who lunged himself over towards Logan. She then gives a powerful force blow that turns the entire rock monster into pebbles.
Wolverine: Alright, this is the new plan-
Marvel Girl: - way to not say "thanks" to me-
Wolverine: - Kitty, you're going with her; get Rogue, Thunderbird, Psylocke, and Pixie to deal with whatever the hell's inside. We'll try to take this thing out on the outside. You got that?
Marvel Girl: Understood.
Wolverine: Then let's take this bastard down.
Marvel Girl grabs Shadowcat, and then flies off over towards Rogue.
Marvel Girl: Follow us. Grab Betsy and Neal, and you get Pixie to come with us as well.
Rogue and Marvel Girl fly near Pixie to get her attention.
Marvel Girl: Megan, we need you, pronto.
Pixie then follows Rogue and Marvel Girl over to the right arm of the "Walking Town", where Psylocke and Thunderbird was, also defending themselves from rock monsters. Pixie and Marvel Girl blast the rock monsters off.
Marvel Girl: Betsy, Neal, come with us.
Rogue grabs Betsy, while Marvel Girl grabs Neal off of the arm.
Thunderbird: Hey, guys. What's going on?
Marvel Girl: I found a way that we can stop this thing once and for all.
Pixie: You have?
Marvel Girl: Yeah, I threw one of those rock guys into the back and it made a crack. (They all are now facing the back of the "Walking Town") I'm sending Kitty in first. Kitty, can you make yourself invisible?
Shadowcat uses her new powers to turn herself completely invisible.
Marvel Girl: Alright, you ready?
Shadowcat: (Voice) Ready.
Marvel Girl flies over towards the back of the "Walking Town" and with all her might, she throws the invisible Kitty inside of the monster...

The X-Men finally have a chance to take this thing down! Hooray! Now, it all comes down to stop this thing before any more damage can be done. But what we're revealed in the next issue will lead into a battle between X-Men and Magneto's Brotherhood!