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CHAPTER NINE
Suddenly, another fist came out of nowhere, slamming into Wolverine's face and knocking him onto his back. He looked up at the new assailant. The figure standing over him was tall, taller than anyone else present. And some of those present were tall. His face was pale, his red eyes staring with barely suppressed anger. He was dressed in black, an old-fashioned looking suit complete with a cape that, coupled with his skin, made him look something like a vampire.
Wolverine propped himself up on one elbow. "Let me guess. You're Sinister?"
"Mister Sinister,"the other corrected. All eyes were on him, the individual battles forgotten. He cast his eye over his followers. "Marauders. I ask you to accomplish the simplest of things, yet you fail me. You would do well to remember that I may soon have other lieutenants at my service."
Wolverine had got to his feet. "Yeah. Anyone ever told you you look ridiculous?"
Sinister's hand snaked out and grabbed him by the throat. Wolverine struggled to free himself, gasping for breath, as Sinister actually managed to lift him off his feet. Sinister's strength was incredible and he didn't even seem to be making any effort. "If you persist in trying to annoy me, I may well reconsider the decision I made about you." He hurled Wolverine over his shoulder, causing him to hit the ground hard, knocking him out.
Beast leapt into action, hurling himself at Sinister, but the villain was ready for the attack. He twisted, deflecting Beast away from him, and slammed him into the ground as well. Beast lay still.
"Does anyone else wish to be foolish?"Sinister asked.
Bobby glanced at Rogue and shook his head slightly.
"Good. Bring them."
Scalphunter grabbed Rogue around the waist, holding her tight, while Riptide took hold of Bobby's shoulder. "What do you want with us?"Bobby demanded.
"Your X-Men could cause me a lot of inconvenience. But with you in my hands, they'll be far less keen to launch an attack. Come."
Colossus and Siryn were standing waiting by the X-Jet, having changed into their uniforms. "Are you sure you're up to this?"Colossus asked.
Siryn shot him a sideways glance. "You're not going to tell me not to come, are you? Because Dad tried that when he was here."
"No. It's just…I worry about you."
Siryn managed a slight smile. "Well, I worry about you too. I guess we'll just have to make sure nothing happens to either of us."
Xavier and Storm approached. "Are we all ready?"Xavier asked. He was answered by a series of nods. "Splendid. Let's go."
Wolverine's head was splitting. He had no idea how long he'd been out, although the embarassing memories of exactly how he'd ended up unconscious were coming back. He slowly opened his eye and looked around. He could see Beast lying on the ground, stirring slightly. "You okay, fuzz?"he asked.
"I believe the greatest damage is to one's pride,"Beast answered. He took a look around himself. "What happened to Rogue and Bobby?"
Wolverine forced himself to sit up and sniffed the air. "I can pick up their scent. Them and Sinister's flunkies, the Marauders or whatever he called them. They were together." He struggled to his feet. "Went this way." He led the way, Beast behind him, across the landing strip, following the trail. He had gone a few hundred metres when he stopped abruptly.
"What is it?"Beast asked.
"Trail stops. My guess is a chopper or something. Sinister must have had it waiting for them." He let out a frustrated growl. "They're gone. He's taken them."
Storm brought the X-Jet in for a gentle landing. "This close enough, Professor?"
Xavier patted her on the shoulder. "Well done, Storm. Come on, everyone, let's take a closer look." He led the way down the ramp.
The quartet's gaze was immediately drawn to the building in front of them. It looked as though every door and window had been smashed. Rubble was strewn around the front of the building and faint wisps of smoke seemed to be coming out of the holes where the windows used to be.
"I take it that's the place?"Colossus asked.
Xavier nodded slowly. "Let's take a look."
They took a step over to the building and then stopped. Four other people emerged from inside. All of them wore blue leather outfits similar to the black ones the X-Men wore. Those of the X-Men who had heard the story of Kitty and Warren's encounter instantly recognised one of them as Multiple Man. Leading the group was a fair-haired, good-looking young man who seemed to be somewhere in his early thirties. The other two were a large hulking man and a dark-haired young woman in her late teens.
"Who are you?"Storm demanded.
"That's none of your concern,"the young man replied.
"Well, I'm concerned. And if you don't start answering questions, you'll see how concerned."
The young man hesitated for a moment then seemed to decide the point wasn't worth arguing. "You can call me Havok. That's Multiple Man, Strong Guy and Wolfsbane. And you, I take it, are the X-Men."
"I'm Charles Xavier,"the professor confirmed. "This is Storm, Colossus and Siryn."
Storm and Colossus gave curt nods at the introductions. Siryn made an awkward attempt to copy the move. "Pleased to meet you,"she managed at last.
Havok didn't seem particularly charmed. "Get out of our way,"he instructed.
"Not until you tell us what you're doing here,"Storm replied.
"Fighting you is not part of our assignment. But we'll do it if we have to."
The woman he'd identified as Wolfsbane shot him an awkward look. "Havok, we don't…"
"They're not giving us much choice. Are you going to move?" None of the X-Men showed any sign of shifting. "Very well." Havok seemed to tense for a moment, his hands raised in fists, then he brought them down sharply. A beam of laser energy burst from his chest in the X-Men's direction, causing them all to dive aside.
Multiple Man split one, two, three, four, five copies of himself off from his body. All of them charged at Storm, who began lashing out with feet and elbows to try and even the odds.
Colossus and Strong Guy locked eyes and then charged at each other, Colossus converting into his metal form as he did so. They both raised their arms and swung them at each other, clashing. The impact jarred both their bodies but they recovered quickly. Colossus punched Strong Guy in the chest, sending him hurtling back into a wall. Strong Guy's face settled into a hurt expression then he charged again, head down so it connected with Colossus' stomach, driving him back off his feet. They crashed to the floor in a flurry of punches.
Siryn looked at Wolfsbane. The other woman gave an impish smile and then her body changed, grey fur sprouting from the exposed parts of her body, her hands morphing into claws, her face elongating into a snout, until she resembled something half-human, half-wolf. She leapt at Siryn, bearing her to the ground, snarls coming from her mouth. Her front paws were clasped on Siryn's shoulders, holding her down. Siryn took a deep breath and then let out a high pitched scream. To a human, it would have been uncomfortable. To someone with the enhanced hearing of a wolf, it was agonising. Wolfsbane leapt off her, hands clasped to her ears, howling in pain.
Storm was surrounded by the various doubles of Multiple Man. She looked at the one in front of her. "You'd better hope you're only a copy,"she told him. She gathered her energies and then hurled bolts of lightning at him. The force sent him hurling back, smoke rising from his chest, then he disappeared. But the other copies continued to surround her, looking unperturbed by the fate of their fellow.
"Nice trick,"one of them said. "But this isn't a 'Hurt one, hurt them all' deal."
"Even if you found the original, you'd have to kill him to affect the rest,"another one added.
"And you don't know who that is,"finished a third.
Storm smiled. "Guess I'll have to bet both ways then." She gestured with her arms and a wind sprung up around her, blowing them all of their feet.
Then Havok fired a blast that hit the ground in front of her, causing her to stop. He fired another at where Colossus and Strong Guy were wrestling, stopping them in their tracks. His third blast struck near where Siryn was still lying, discouraging her from moving.
Xavier placed a hand to the side of his head and concentrated, forcing his mind into Havok's. For a moment, his mind seemed to hold the other in place. Then, as he pushed deeper, Havok suddenly seemed to break the grip and fired another blast that struck near Xavier. "Enough,"he snapped. He gestured to his three comrades. "Let's get out of here."
Multiple Man absorbed his remaining duplicates and he, Strong Guy and Wolfsbane followed Havok down an alley.
The X-Men were too stunned to follow. They gathered round Xavier. "What was that, Professor?"Storm asked. "I've seen you freeze whole crowds in their tracks. How come you couldn't stop him?"
"What I found in his mind, I wasn't expecting,"Xavier replied. "And yet…I'd always hoped…" He realised the other three were looking at him expectantly and shook his head, dispelling the thought. "Let's do what we came here to do,"he decided as he led the way into the wrecked lab. "Find out what happened here."