CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Once again, Logan was forced to admit that things weren't going as well as he'd hoped.

In the end, it had all come down to brute force. He and Colossus had attacked Sinister together, metal fists and metal claws beating down on him relentlessly. There was no strategy or finesse, just an attempt to beat the crazed mutant into submission. Unfortunately, submission wasn't something that Sinister seemed to be particularly keen on.

His fists lashed out and Wolverine caught one on the jaw, knocking him back out of the fight for a moment. It gave Sinister the opportunity to focus on Colossus and he took it. He grabbed the metal giant's wrists and both of them struggled to gain the upper hand. Then Sinister actually managed to lift Colossus off his feet, just a few centimetres, just enough to hurl him away. Colossus clattered into the wall, hitting his head hard and crumpling in a heap. Wolverine quickly realised that his comrade was out of the fight.

Sinister turned to Wolverine. "We fought once before and it didn't go well for you,"he pointed out. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Wolverine stared at him defiantly. "Even if I can't stop you, I'm going to make this go real slow." He held his position. There was no point attacking and just letting Sinister beat him. He had to do this carefully.

Sinister stalked towards him. Wolverine held his claws in a defensive stance, making jabs at the Victorian geneticist. Sinister kept his distance, as though daring Wolverine to come closer. The two of them circled each other. Wolverine lashed out with a foot that caught Sinister unawares. Sinister's legs buckled under the kick and he landed on his back. Wolverine stucks his claws to Sinister's throat. "Care to surrender?"

With a snarl of anger, Sinister knocked the claws away and kicked Wolverine away from him. They managed to get back on their feet at the same time but all pretence at strategy was gone now. Sinister delivered a blow that caused Logan's head to spin. Wolverine responded with a backslash that caught Sinister across the face, drawing blood from his pale skin. But all it served to do was make Sinister angry. He delivered blows to Wolverine's solar plexus that knocked the wind out of his body then struck him once, twice on the head, flooring him.

Mutant healing was all well enough but Wolverine's energy was spent. He just lay there, Sinister standing over him triumphant.

Then Sinister felt an explosion in his back. He turned and saw Gambit standing there, Jubilee at his side. Gambit charged up a second playing card and hurled it. This one struck Sinister square in the chest, knocking him back. Gambit produced a third card but didn't charge it, simply holding it ready.

"Remy LeBeau,"Sinister noted slowly. "I'd heard you'd thrown in your lot with the X-Men. Different from the crowd you usually run with."

"They're good company."

"No doubt. But is their cause really worth dying for? You were never one who was that keen to make a stand."

Gambit drew a bo staff from his belt and stood ready. "Perhaps I've changed a bit since we last met."

Sinister gave a smile totally devoid of warmth. "We shall see."

Rogue led Iceman, Kitty and Archangel into the laboratory. She gestured to the case containing the virus in the corner of the room. "Well, there it is."

"So what do we do now?"Kitty asked. "We can't just smash it, that would release it."

"We could try and get it somewhere safe,"Iceman suggested.

Archangel nodded. "Well, if it's light enough I can probably carry it out of here."

"What are you lot doing here?"demanded a voice behind them. They spun round to find Harpoon standing there.

Bobby held up his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Look, we don't want any trouble…"

"Yeah? Well, tough! You got it." Harpoon charged up one of his spears and hurled it at Bobby. Iceman gestured at the spear and it was suddenly coated with ice. The extra weight caused it to drop to the ground and shatter.

Harpoon charged up another spear and hurled it at Warren, who seemed to be caught unawares. Not being close enough to grab and phase him, Kitty did the next best thing: she leapt into the spear's path. It struck her in the side and she landed heavily, the spear sticking out of her ribs.

"Kitty!"Bobby shouted in horror. He charged blindly at Harpoon but the Marauder had had time to charge up another spear. He swung it at Bobby, knocking him into Rogue, causing them both to fall in a heap.

Harpoon ran for the virus container and prised open the hatch. But it was only open for a second before Warren came flying into his back. The collision pitched both of them through the open hatch into the container. Warren grabbed the hatch and slammed it shut behind them.

Harpoon looked at him scornfully. "What do you think that's achieved? Sinister's made both of us immune to the virus. I just need to take care of you and then I can open it again." He raised a charged spear…then it fell from his hand. He grabbed his throat, his face turning a shade of purple. "Can't breathe,"he gasped.

Archangel had no opportunity to celebrate the victory. His skin felt like it was on fire. Both he and Harpoon collapsed to the floor of the container and lay there, still.

Gambit was leaping around Sinister, not allowing the geneticist to aim a decent blow at him. He swung his staff and caught Sinister across the back, being rewarded with a howl of pain.

Sinister kept his distance as Gambit twirled the staff. "You're right, LeBeau. You have learnt a lot. It's a shame you never learnt the most important lesson of all."

Gambit raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

"Never cross me." Sinister brought his fist down abruptly and shattered Gambit's staff in two. Gambit stared at him in horror until Sinister's next punch hit home and knocked him down. Sinister stalked towards him. "It's a lesson I'm going to have to teach you…"

Not for the first time since the X-Men's attack began, Sinister was halted by a sudden impact against his body. He turned to face Jubilee who was summoning up another plasma firework. "Leave him alone,"she snapped before loosing off a burst that struck Sinister, causing his body to be briefly covered with flowing plasma.

"You dare to challenge me?"Sinister snarled. He grabbed her by the throat, lifting her off her feet, as she struggled to free herself, gasping for breath. "You are barely fit to be called a mutant, not strong enough to be part of my new world." He hurled her to the ground. "So I might as well start the culling now."

Jubilee scrambled backwards, firing plasma charge after plasma charge at Sinister. But she knew she was running out of power. All she could do was slow him down.

Then a fist swung out of nowhere and knocked Sinister back into a wall. Sinister spun to face his new attacker and found the last person he was expecting standing there.

Cable.

"What are you doing?"Sinister demanded.

"I have seen what you tried to keep from me,"Cable replied. "I have seen the world. There are people there who do not deserve to die. Just as the X-Men do not deserve to die. But you do."

"I made you!"Sinister snarled. "You will not turn on me like this!"

The two grappled with each other, arms locked together, trying to find some sort of advantage. "I already have,"Cable answered. "It was me who told the X-Men where to find you."

"Why would you do this?"

"Your two prisoners. They told me I am the son of two of the X-Men. Two powerful mutants."

"Yes!"Sinister confirmed. "I made you from them! My 'sinister' experiments created the ultimate superior human!"

"Your mistake." Cable activated his eye laser and struck Sinister in the forehead at pointblank range. Sinister screamed in agony, putting his hands to his face. Cable drew back his metal arm and punched it straight through Sinister's chest. He held it there, seeing the shock on Sinister's face as he felt the life drain from his body. Then Cable pulled the arm out and Sinister fell.

Nathaniel Essex had lived for over a hundred years. But when he died, he was as dead as anyone else.

Scalphunter gave a sudden burst of strength and managed to break Havok's hold before headbutting him, knocking him out. He looked round and took in the scene, seeing Storm and Vertigo still holding each other at bay. He scooped up his weapon and swung it like a club, impacting with Storm's head and rendering her unconscious.

"Sinister's not coming,"he told Vertigo. "He's finished. Time to save our own necks."

Vertigo hesitated and then nodded. They backed towards the doorway that Havok had blasted open. Scalphunter covered Wolfsbane and Leech, the only members of the X-Men or X-Factor in any condition to carry on the fight, making sure they made no attempt to prevent their escape. "Later, X-People,"he noted.