Chapter 3 : The Return, The Proof And The Shield
2006 Tibetan Plateau, Tibet
A caravan of mutants were in hovercrafts going up the treacherous paths up the mountains in the Himalayas: One mutant was large and had green skin with yellow armoured hide on completed with a horn atop of his forehead, he was on the front of the vehicle. They called him Basilisk. Second was Katu, an African man, who was atop of the hover craft using his powers to protect them from the blizzard like wind. Third was the driver, a brunette female in armour matching Cortez they called her Unuscione. Fourth was a man in a black cloak with a skull over his face, Xorn was what his name was and he stood with Katu but did not show any signs of anything just pure coldness emitted from him. Fifth was a girl with blonde hair who was carefree in her posture in the passenger side of the vehicle, Boom Boom was regularly reprimanded by Unuscione. Ahead of the Transportation was a large red figure with white armour including a face mask, he was once a weakling mutant until Cortez powered him up to be a decent tracker of mutant power, Caliban, is what he is called. On the back of the hovercraft was three mutants who recently got back from New York where they performed a demonstration for mutant kind, Havok, Avalanche and Gambit. So if anything this was a secure vehicle, with inside maybe Mutants last hope, Magneto.
Westchester, New York
"So do you think he will just come back after what happened to the professor?" Rogue asked Bobby.
"We'll see" he replied in his shy like way.
"Yeah, I guess" She tried to say before the train pulled in to reveal a big fuzzy Dr. Henry McCoy also known as beast. "Hank!" she ran up and hugged him since he has helped her through her transition into human hood.
"Aaah sweet Marie, you seem to blossom even more every time I see you" he smiled a fanged smiled.
"Hey Hank" Bobby said slapping him on his shoulder, basically telling beast to back off his girl.
"Bobby" Hank grabbed him into a bear hug. "And here is our guest." Hank revealed the other one who stepped off the train also clad in blue fuzz.
"Kurt Wagner but known in the Munich Circus as NightCrawler."
The Whitehouse, Washington D.C.
"Mr President." Trask addressed the President as he walked out of the oval office.
"Trask….Major" The president responded to the Director and his new favourite scientist but noticed a rough looking man in the shadows.
"Mr President this is Colonial Nick Fury… he has helped us arm us with the cure for mutants." Trask began but stopped as the president.
"Even without Worthington." Talbot interjected.
"Don't you think we should talk about this either in private and with 'The new Ambassador to the united nations and Still the Secretary Of mutant Affairs." The president went to storm off but was stopped by the rough man who looked all over quite hard and had an eye patch
"No offence sir." He had a thick New York accent. "But eer I just don't want these creatures tainting the country I love so much." He nodded to Trask and Talbot and stepped back as the Secret service stepped in.
"If you can guarantee the stopping to these Mutant terrorists….you have my blessing."
Tibetan Plateau, Tibet
Inside the hover craft was two rows of seats big enough to seat twelve comfortably. "Sabretooth," Toad said smiling at his former partner. "I would love to say I am surprised to see you here with Cortez but…I smelt you coming." He laughed as he teased him, Sabretooth growled back which made Nocturne and Pyro laugh along with Toad.
"Calm down, Creed" The metallic voice of Mystique shut the conversation down. Everyone knew that Mystique's word was law as Magneto would see to it, only Fabian Cortez seemed to be confident enough around her. 'He must think he has Eric in his pocket.' Mystique smiled at Cortez who smiled back before carrying on whispering to Magneto.
"Can Caliban find him?" Mastermind an old man in the corner at the back of the seating area called out.
"Cortez gave him enough power to do so." The Human sympathiser replied back.
"What are you looking at?" Mystique directed her question to the woman opposite her with Cortez and Nance Winters either side.
"The Future" Destiny replied with a wry smile.
"So what exactly do you want me to do?" Magneto asked Fabian Cortez.
"Magneto….. Mutants have been around for a while" He began. "The first one I know of is Apocalypse, or known as En Sabah Nur…he was powerful beyond measure as he over came the Egyptian ruler Ramat-Tut" Fabian took a pause. "He is immortal and during the twelfth century in France he claimed a Crusader called 'Bennett Du Paris' and rebuilt him in his image. Paris became known as Exodus." Fabian gave Mystique a quick smile since she was just staring at him. "Apocalypse preached that he was there to rally all mutants to his banner but in order to do so he need an army, Exodus was meant to be his helper but as Exodus helped all mutants…Apocalypse decided that only the strong deserve to survive." Fabian then saw Magneto look inbetween Fabian's side of chairs consisting of Destiny, Nance, Sabretooth and Mastermind have tension with Magneto's side which had his lieutenants, "Mystique, Pyro, Toad and Nocturne. "Exodus rallied against him, but got imprisoned for his betrayal until Apocalypse could figure out could do with him." Cortez lent back against his head rest as they went over a bump.
"You want me to release him from his prison." Magneto asked.
"He is trapped in a ore of enchanted Messilick." Fabian smirked
"The metal compound for…Adamantium, Vibranium and Carbonadium" Magneto recalled
"Nearly unbreakable and only Apocalypse is strong enough to get through…apart from you and your gifts." Cortez informed him "And it will prove to the rest of the troops your are strong enough.
"How do you know Exodus will be loyal to the cause?" Magneto questioned.
"Because he has been a solider his whole life and will follow orders especially when he finds out that were are his brotherhood." Fabian emphasised whit hand gestures.
"What of Apocalypse?"
"He has disappeared from our sources, no one seems to know." Fabian dismissed. "The others will follow you you willingly after you have released Exodus from his prison…..Eric it's up to you to save us all."
"No my dear boy…if its up to me we wouldn't need saving" Magneto looked around at the eight other mutants following him blindly. "Charles give me strength" He prayed quietly so no one heard him.
Des Moines, Iowa
"Okay, Bobby lead out the new recruits" Storm said as she landed the blackbird. "Logon, Beast be ready if they need it."
"Of course Storm " Beast replied
"You betchya" Logon lazily said.
"Okay lets go" Bobby lead him and four other recruits out of the lowered blackbird ramp. "Angel, NightCrawler Flank!" Bobby shouted as he dived behind an abandoned car, NightCrawler teleported atop of a streetlamp to the right of the iceman while Angel took to the skies to his left. "Jubilee give us covering fire! Kitty Phase through until you get in there." Bobby peeped over the car and saw a group of bank robbers trying to escape with the money.
Jubilee sends her 'fireworks' at them knocking one over and getting their attention. The main bank robber gave a signal and the militarily spread out, firing towards the car. NightCrawler, Angel make yourself known. With that Angel swooped down and picked the main bank robber up sweeping him aside, dumping him into a dumpster in an alleyway. Nightcrawler then wrapped his tail around one of the most agitated ones foot and teleported away. The Robbers then started to form a clump of them together as the stragglers were being got by Angel and NightCrawler with Jubilee hitting some with her powers. Finally when all were close Bobby froze them together.
"Well done Bobby" storm said over the radio.
"Yeah, congrats Iceman" Angel said landing next to him.
"Thanks, man…Storm." Bobby said shyly.
"Rogue would be so proud." Jubilee teased.
"Eerm yeah." He looked.
"You were gut" NightCrawler said from atop of the car next to the teenagers.
"Eeer Bobby." Kitty said coming out of the bank next to the frozen perpetrators. "There is no one inside the bank."
"What?" Jubilee questioned.
"No one…no bank guards, no bank tellers, no people no nothing." Kitty said concerned. Jubilee ran around the car and looked in one of the dropped bank robbers bags.
"There's no money in here!" She looked panicked at Bobby.
"Storm!" he said into his radio but was cut short as the blackbird was stamped on by a giant red metallic foot.
"Was?" NightCrawler turned right into a green gunge shot at him and when he stopped rolling the gunge hardened and he became suspended in it.
"ANGEL, JUBILEE" Iceman instantly ordered. But it wasn't instant enough cause as Angel took off he was slammed back down by the green gunge. As was Kitty but she was able to morph through it. Jubilee went inside the bank and only popped out to fire big 'fireworks' at the metallic beast which was the same size of the building. "Kitty!" Iceman hopped over the car and created an Ice bubble around the two of them as another green blob was fired upon them.
"Bobby, Kitty!" Jubilee cried as she fired another blast at the machine, before the monstrosity could reply an angry man leapt up towards the gigantic attacker with claws gleaming in the light before getting batted away at Jubilee. "Logon" she went towards him but a concussive blast rippled threw the air directly at wolverine and the surrounding area was dented sending Jubilee sprawling.
Beast then attempted to attack, he pounced much higher than wolverine did but still got enclosed in the metallic hand.
"Mr Senator McCoy" It spoke. "This is a warning on behalf of the government" it continued. "No mutant shall use it's abilities on others, especially humanity." It ungrasciously dropped the former docter and blasted away leaving the X-Men hurting.
Tibetan Plateau, Tibet
"Is this it!" Fabian had to shout over the howling winds.
"Yes, Cortez" Caliban hissed back.
"I feel it as well" Mastmind concurred, as he felt a presence of a mind nearby,
"I shall move this Iron Mountain then." Magneto gritted his teeth as the rest stood back and watched.