Chapter 16, been done before 15 sort of just had to change some things. This is out later then I said but I'm afraid playing as Deadpool on X-Men Legends II just provided to great a distraction. Only two reviewers this time, so I give each of them 69 jellybeans sorry it's all I got and well I like that number…I wonder why.
X00001: Wow long time no review, glad you liked the chapter.
Blix: I do so enjoy writing Zack and Bailey "fluff" if it can be called that. It's still fun to write like that instead of all mushy stuff, mostly cause I can't do mushy all that good. More Zack and Bailey stuff in the next chapter, a bit here.
Disclaimer: Everything goes to their respective owners from Marvel to fan fiction authors.
Chapter 16
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Love makes you want to puke don't it?
LondonThe assembled members of the F.O.M.E. sat in Jessica's flat. She was in her room after a strong suggestion from everyone to rest while they found Katie. The girls quickly left shouting about shopping leaving the boys alone in the flat.
"What the fuck is a flat anyway?" Zack asked as he rummaged through Jessica's fridge.
"Think of it as an apartment." Griffin replied from his spot on the couch where he sat flipping through the channels at super speed. "We should have gone shopping with the others.
"You insane mate?" St. John replied from his spot on a recliner where he sat playing with fire as usual. "Do you have any idea what that requires of a guy who gets suckered into that?"
"Yeah if you buy all the stuff and carry it, it means you get laid." Zack replied. "Well maybe just that one time…"
"Is everyone forgetting why we're here?" Paul, who up till now had been quite, asked. "Katie! We need to find her."
Jessica opened her door and looked at the boys. "Magneto would like us to bring his student back, have you all forgotten?" She asked. Jessica was the only adult member of the F.O.M.E. who came to London, Jack was to come but she convinced him to stay with the Hawk and Kara back in New York.
Zack raised his hand and jumped up and down. "I forgot! I forgot!" He exclaimed.
"In order to repay Magneto for Cerebro he asked we bring back a mutant named Jonothan Starsmore. So who wants to go look for him?" she asked looking at each of the boys, none of which jumped at the chance to go except Zack who still had his hand up though he was no longer paying attention to Jessica.
"Good Zack you can go." She said with a faint smile then closed her door again with a slam.
There was a collection of Good Luck's from St. John, Paul and Griffin. Zack on the other hand was still watching intently at the television. "Wait what did I agree to?" he asked.
An hour later and a small search of London the mutant Shift stopped at a small outdoor café to rest. He had been searching through the city looking for a mutant with the bottom of his face gone, it should have been easy, but in the mutant business nothing is easy.
Zack found each table occupied except one in the back where a guy with messy black hair was dressed in black leather pants, a black leather jacket and a black shirt, black ribbons were wrapped around his chin and seemed to go past his chest. Pleasant looking guy, Zack thought but figured they wouldn't talk and he needed a place to sit.
"Mind if I sit down?" Zack asked the person looked at him skeptically, "Look the rest of this place is packed and I've been on my feet all day looking for someone…so please?" Zack asked pleadingly.
The darkly dressed person nodded. He said nothing just sat at the table and read his book. Zack on the other hand was slightly bored and figured he needed someone to talk to. "Name's Zack." The shape shifter introduced as he stuck his hand out.
The leather clad man just sat there looking at Zack's hand. Zack continued to hold his hand out even though the other person was not going to shake it.
"Jono" he replied telepathically as he shook Zack's hand.
"Jonothan Starsmore?"
Jono froze; he knew eventually someone would come looking for him after what happened with whatever her name was. "Maybe…"
"I'm here to take you back to Xavier's Institute. Magneto let us use the big metal room dealy and in return we bring you back." Zack said, now that he had found Jono he could relax. He put his hands behind his head and looked around the city. People walked and talked, then he noticed something peculiar. Running along the shadows of the people coming towards the small café was someone wearing a hooded cloak.
"Hello? Hey you!" Jonothan "yelled".
Zack snapped out of his daze and looked at the other mutant. "Huh? What?" Zack looked over at a standing Jono who was looking at Zack with distaste.
"I was asking when we were leaving."
"Oh right…uh…after we do something." Zack looked back to where he said the cloaked figure but he was gone. He walked with Jono down the street back towards Jessica's flat. He took one last look behind him and watched as the cloaked figure ran down the street with a bag in its hand. "Come on sunshine!" Zack said as he grabbed Jono's Jacket and kept him even with him.
"HEY SCARFACE!" Zack yelled at the cloaked figure he knew had to be the same one in New York he saw right before Jessica was kidnapped. "I should've known it was him. Pick the lead up Jono!"
They chased the person down an alley where an open sewer cover rested behind a dumpster.
"Clever, can we go now?"
Zack stood anxiously at the manhole cover with the quiet Jonothan. They were waiting for reinforcements instead of traveling into the sewers alone. The duo continued to wait in silence; Jono sat on the ground while Zack continued to stare down the manhole.
"I haven't seen anyone in there since Scar face, can you sense anything?" Zack said moving his head to look at Jono.
"No I don't sense a thing." Jonothan replied in his telepathic voice which revealed a hint of boredom and angry.
"Okay look sunshine, I understand you don't want to hang around London and honestly I see why, but we're going down there, happy mutant or angry mutant. Choice is yours." Zack said as he too sat down on the asphalt.
Jono thought about that, he had been angry since Sugar Kane had just used him as a mutant pawn for her status. "Fair enough. You ought to try lightening up." Jono said telepathically.
"Was that sarcasm?" Zack asked his facing showing the shock from "hearing" Jono "talk" that way. "So how long does it take you to wrap that stuff around your face?"
"You called for backup mate?" Asked the Australian accent of St. John Allerdyce.
Zack got up and gave a high five. "Bout time you guys came…" Zack looked behind the pyromaniac. "Where the others?" he asked knowing the answer.
"Just me mate sorry. Who's your friend?" St. John asked looking down at the leather dressed mutant.
"The name is Jonothan Starsmore but you can call me Chamber."
"Whoa…"
Zack smiled at the reaction from his fire obsessed teammate. "Yeah that was my response more or less."
"Does he talk like that all the time?" St. John asked.
Jono groaned and climbed down the manhole into the sewers below. Oh bloody hell, he groaned inwardly at the stench of the sewer. He took one last look at the world above and shook his head as he saw the Australian hold the American in a headlock. Looks like I'm on my own.
Above the sewers St. John held Zack in a headlock. "Come on say it, the sooner you do the sooner your free mate."
"I will not say it!" Zack said defiantly
"Come on it's a smart idea."
"NO! I will not say Psylocke is hotter!"
"Fine we'll just sit here and wait." St. John replied tightening his grip.
"Fine!" Zack used his powers to make his head small enough to get out of the headlock then quickly tripped St. John and sat atop the former-terrorist and pulled his head back. "Bailey's the best." Zack looked around noticing the absence of one mutant. "Chamber?" he then let his friend's head go and got up.
St. john stood up and adjusted his neck. The two mutants gazes drifted to the open manhole. "Guess we're going in. Hopefully Bailey won't mind you smelling like sewer." St. John said with a wry smile as he climbed in the sewer.
"Hopefully you don't mind a giant sized boot up your ass." Zack followed suit and jumped down into the sewer resulting in an outward spray of sewer water onto St. John.
"HEY!" he yelled as he spit out some excess water.
"Sorry." Zack said sheepishly. "Who would've guessed that was coming?"
Chamber had found his way to a large door that blended into with the stonewall of the sewers and made his way through the underground tunnels. He was in awe at the state of the place. The tunnels were dark originally but oddly enough he found a torch on the wall and managed to light it. Now illuminated the tunnels showed off an assortment of torches along a brown stone corridor along the walls were drawings of sorts, some of animals and peoples, other of more violent bloody scenes.
He heard two people coming so he put out his torch and took cover in the darkness. He listened until finally they stopped in front of him. He unwrapped and used his powers to corner them; the light from his powers illuminated the faces of a frightened Zack who had jumped into St. John's arms. He quickly wrapped himself back up partly relieved it wasn't a threat and partly disappointed it wasn't.
Zack quickly got out of St. John's arms and dusted himself off. "Find anyone?"
"Have yah not noticed the darkness?" Chamber replied telepathically as he motioned his arms around.
"Pyro give us some light won't you?" Zack asked turning to his teammate who began to search for his lighter.
"I'd love ta mate, but uh …I seem to have forgotten my lighter. MY LIGHTER!" St. John cried out in panic.
Zack thought for a moment and an idea hit him, using his powers he turned his clothes into an outfit of paper, ripped off the shirt and formed a paper stick, pulled down a piece of Chamber's wrappings lit the paper on fire then pointed it in front of St. John. "Now give us some light!"
After wiping the tears from his eyes after the realization of losing his lighter St. John used his powers to send a large stream of fire through the tunnel. The torches along the walls lit up illuminating the way for the three mutants.
Zack was forced to roll around on the ground after St. John had lit his paper pants on fire. "Stop drop and roll mate!" St. John yelled as he stomped on Zack.
"I'M OUT DAMN IT!" Zack yelled as he quickly used his powers to create his F.O.M.E. outfit.
The three walked through the halls of the tunnels, Chamber kept to himself as he took in the area around him, Pyro had grabbed one of the torches and was playing with the fire, Shift had gone ten feet in front of them hoping to find a way in.
After ten minutes of walking Shift leaned his body against the wall to catch his breath. "You can't possibly be winded already are you?" Chamber asked.
"Hey I was the one using my powers to search for Jamie! Still didn't find the little guy." Shift then pointed his finger at Chamber. "Then I had to deal with you and your "Woe is me" attitude." Shift then pulled his finger back angrily causing his elbow to hit the wall which then slid up and Shift fell backwards letting out a girlish scream as he fell.
Pyro and Chamber looked down the dark corridor. "Well what you waiting for mate go down." Pyro said as he urged Chamber.
"Do you think I'm an idiot? You go down." Chamber said as he pushed Pyro forward causing the mutant to tumble. "Is it safe?"
"Depends on your definition of safe is." shift groaned as he yelled a few curses followed by ordering Pyro to get off of him. Which resulted in Chamber sliding down, safely, onto the other two. "I hate all of you." Shift used his powers to make himself fill with muscles and pushed the other two off him.
The trio continued through the corridors until they came to a large dome shaped room filled with bones of animals and a few skulls that did not appear to be from any animals. Shift continued his muscle bound appearance, while Pyro looked around for any sort of flame, and Chamber tried searching for someone or something that might come out of the area to attack.
"Upworlders? What are you doing here?" A voice rang out through the small circular room.
"We're looking for someone. His face is covered by scars, wears a hood…" Shift said as he tried his best to see anyone through the small amount of light they were granted.
"I knew it was stupid for Masque to bring that girl in here." The voice said angrily. "Now that you know our location we cannot let you leave." The voice yelled in a harsh tone. "Hemingway!"
Shift looked back at his two companions and an idea hit him. "John, you and Chamber take one of the tunnels and find Katie maybe she can get us out of this."
"Are you insane? That Sheila was clearly pissed off and who knows what this Hemingway is like." St. John replied as he scanned the area looking for someone.
"Please how hard could he be? Besides we can't have Chamber getting killed you said that Magneto guy wasn't enjoyable. Don't want to make him mad so…" Shift picked the two mutants and pushed them through a dark corner. He turned around in time to see a large gray creature, maybe it was purple he couldn't tell. It hulked over him he was well over 10 feet, filled with muscles, a few spikes intending from his backside and forearms, his teeth, which were more like fangs were yellow along with his eyes. "Of course this couldn't be easy."
Shift made his muscle form as big as he could get however it was nowhere near the level of the gargoyle looking creature in front of him, so he did what any wannabe superhero would do, he charged. He let out a small wary cry and the creature grabbed his fists as he tried to struggle to overcome the beast that was barely flinching, all the way showing off its teeth. "Stop grinning!" Shift said while resisting the force that was going to crush him like a twig. He lifted his foot and kicked where the genitalia should have been only to feel his foot make a cracking sound and a large amount of pain to follow.
"Hemingway stop playing around and finish him already!" Yelled that same female voice.
I'm really beginning to hate that voice Shift thought then the next moment both his hands were held above his face and Hemingway's fist was thrown into his jaw. Shift was dropped and stood up, though albeit off balance for a few seconds before Hemingway sent his fist in an uppercut to Shift's jaw sending the shape shifter into the air and crashing into the wall. At this rate I won't have a jaw left.
"So what's this Katie bird look like?" Chamber asked breaking the silence best he could with his telepathy.
"A girl." St. John replied, not really remember what she had looked like, she never stood out much to him anyway. "KATIE!" Pyro yelled out.
Chamber rolled his eyes and groaned this was going to be a long day.
Above the mutants fighting, on the streets of London a lone FOME member walks up to the open manhole. She took a quick look around and noted the empty alley she was in. "Who would put a manhole in an alley?" She asked aloud. "I'll make Zack pay for this." Bailey groaned as she climbed into the sewer entrance, then following the torches she found the open stone door, sliding down that she made her way down the hallway where a fight was taking place.
"Zack?" She called out watching as the shape shifter was punched into the wall, the large creature hovering over him let out a laugh then turned to her. A small grin spread on his face.
"Another upworlder?" Asked an angry voice from somewhere. "Hemingway finish the other down then kill the girl!"
Hemingway smiled and brought his fists over his head and prepared to bring them down on the shape shifter's head.
Zack took his eyes from Bailey up to the creature standing above him, ready to kill. "Sorry to disappoint you big fella, but I was born naked and I'm-" Zack jumped to his feet then sent his entire body into Hemingway causing the beast to fall back. "Going to die naked. So unless you'd like to strip me it won't end here."
Bailey stepped into the circular room to check on Zack but was cut off when from out of nowhere a creature appeared in front of her. It was covered in a green substance almost like gel, inside the substance was its black skeleton, and its eyes, nose hole, and mouth were all glowing yellow. In a second it surrounded Bailey and she felt a small shock only with her liquid powers nullified the effects the creature was supposed to do to her.
"Bailey!" Zack yelled but was grabbed by the large fist of Hemingway who pulled the shape shifter back onto the ground and shook its finger at him. "Want to see why they call me Shift?" the mutant then proceeded to turn his body into a spiked rock, only to have Hemingway laugh and begin to pull off the spikes.
"Katiekins! Animala! Katester!" Pyro continued to shout out for their missing member.
"That's useless you know? She's obviously hiding or gagged."
"The Sheila has got to be here somewhere. Besides we don't know how long Shift can hold them off out there."
Down two corridors and through a room the F.O.M.E. member Animala wakes from her slumber, no idea that her teammates are in the middle or searching for her right now. She turns to face Masque who is not with her like usual but she quickly dismisses it as something important. She gets out of bed and approaches the room's door. Once she reaches for it she hears an argument from the other side the voices are slightly muffled but she can make out Masque's and some angry woman's.
"Are you sure I can't convince you to stay?" Masque asks.
"No, they have attacked our base here, Gene Nation will not sit idly by as they try to kill us mutants! Where is that teleporter? She is supposed to take us back to America." The woman spits back bitterly.
"Magik will not be able to take you back, she has done what she came here to accomplish." Masque replies.
"That woman and her Hellfire Club. We leave at dawn, now though I must make sure Hemingway and Sack have dealt with our intruders." The woman walks away leaving Masque alone.
Masque sighs and opens the door to Katie's door causing her to fall on top of her from her spot where she was listening in. "Katie good to see your awake…I uh got you s-some breakfast." Masque said finding the ability to hide his nerves.
"Who's attacking this place?" Katie asked as she stood up again. "Are they bad?"
Masque looked at the young girl. "No, they are…they are…"
"Yes?"
Masque took a deep breath; his time with her would be better spent with her happy then stuck down in the sewers with him. "It's your friends. They're here to take you back."
Katie squealed with delight, she had completely forgotten about them the past few days. But now she could go back with them and see Jessica again. "Yay! Can we go see them?" she asked with all the hope of a child on Christmas.
"Well Marrow and her Gene Nation are attacking them as we speak so I don't think they'll make it." Masque replied solemnly.
"Think again mates!" Pyro said as he opened his light and made a pillar of fire to surround Masque. "Chamber gets the Sheila!"
"No! Wait! You don't understand!" Katie yelled trying to stop Pyro from burning Masque.
"BAILEY!" Shift yelled as the green blob surrounded Bailey. Hemingway hit him again but this time he was up quicker then before. Running purely on adrenaline his body changed, his face lost its skin and other human features, and then his form disappeared and in place was a tank. The gun rotated towards Hemingway who only laughed in response. The cannon fired and a large white skull fired straight into the mutant's chest sending him crashing through the wall, a large chunk collapsing on him afterward.
Shift groaned as the tank disappeared and all that was left was Shift in his human form, his uniform tattered and torn in the most uncomfortable places. He turned to Bailey who was struggling with the green person in her own liquid form. Shift used the last of his energy to run towards the two fighting mutants.
As Shift leaps towards his teammates attacker he's grabbed around his ankles and pulled back then held upside down. Hemingway smiles a toothy grin at the shape shifter after grabbing him. Hemingway brings his fast back, but before he can hit he his blasted away releasing Shift's ankles to the ground.
Landing with a thud and a grunt Shift lays on the ground in pain. Jono arrives at his side and helps him to his feet. "Why did you do that? I almost had him just a few more…" Shift quieted down seeing Hemingway get up again. "Does he not stay down?"
"Your head's bleeding." Jono stated unemotionally.
Hemingway quickly recovered and approached the two mutants and punched his fist into his palm in a threatening manner. Before Shift or Jono could react Hemingway and Sack both stopped, the latter letting go of Bailey. Out of the shadows out stepped a woman with bones growing in different directions from her body in a green top and green pants. Masque, Katie and Pyro followed behind her.
"We have other matters to attend to. We leave them." The woman said in anger as she looked at the others. "Sack, Hemingway we leave." The woman walked off into the darkness followed by her other two teammates.
Bailey ran up to Katie and hugged her, much to everyone's surprise. "Bailey? Hugging me?" Katie asked in surprise. "You do know I'm not Zack right?" Bailey slightly scowled but remained levelheaded.
"Yeah you know if you want to hug me well…" Zack pushed away Jono and pretended to lose his balance. "Don't know how much longer I can stand up."
Bailey put Zack's arm around her shoulder and walked with him out of the sewers. "So you got pretty worried about me back there any special reason?" She asked, Zack just smiled.
"Well Katester let's get you back to Jessica so she will stop trying to kill us all." Pyro said motioning for the younger girl to follow him.
She looked at Masque then back at Pyro and Jono. "I won't say I don't want you to stay but this Jessica seems…scary." Masque said hoping she'd decide to stay with him.
"Come with us." Katie said "Please?" She urged.
Masque didn't what to say, sure he'd wanted her to stay but he never thought of going with her. Granted he'd be happy to go with her but he wasn't a fan of people and never had been. This was Katie…Katie… "Okay." He said surprising himself. He knew this would be a better idea but he this was Katie he'd be near.
Alright I made a few mistakes grammar wise, I saved them for last and well can't seem to find them, hopefully not bad enough. Chapter 17 will be a while longer, not as much as the others but a bit while I come up with it. Mostly I'm bringing in the Reaper and my jerkface of a friend deleted the picture so I gota use my memory. Hopefully you enjoyed it, sorry about the fight scenes not my specialty.
Also sorry to the Chamber fans out there who didn't like my portrayal. It's been awhile since I've read any of his stories and considering a bit over half of this was written so long ago parts didn't match up. So if this gets enough bad reviews I'll rewrite.
NOW REVIEW! READING ISN'T FREE! No seriously review.