Chapter One: The Graveyard Shift
I came in, brushing the sleeve of my leather jacket off. I couldn't help but whistle loudly as the key ring spun around my finger. Something about the day just seemed merrier like an odd sensation of peace hovered over Westchester County. My bike was up and running again, Scott wasn't as busy as he used to be, and we received several new students at the Mansion.
Things weren't exactly perfect though. I knew days like these; one day it would be sunny and happy and the next was terrifying and desolate. Sure we got new students today, but tomorrow something horrid would happen; an anti-mutant group would broadcast a threat or something of the sort.
Speaking of imperfect, Lorna still hadn't come back. She had taken a break from the team and headed over to Genosha to live with her family for a while. She promised that she would come back soon, yet never really specified when. As far as she was concerned, I was dead; boy, did she have a surprise waiting for her when she came back. Although I concentrated on that day she would soon come back, I couldn't have my head wrapped around it solely; I had other things to concentrate on, like Danger Room sessions with the younger kids, or being a full and loyal member of the X-Men.
"Alex! Get over here!"
I sighed, pushing the keys into my pocket and jogged down the stairs to the Rec. Room. I walked straight inside to find the entire team littered around the room, in the chairs, on the floor, or simply just standing around the TV.
"From what little information we've managed to get, we can say without a doubt that Genosha has been attacked." The news anchor on the screen said, her voice grave. "Several hundred versions of Omega Sentinels have flown over to the mutant island and began their assault. We're still unclear on who sent them, but Doctor Bolivar Trask has denied his hand in this plot."
"Hold up, hold up; how many mutants did you say lived on that island?" The second anchor asked.
"Just around 1,600,000." The first answered. "We're unsure on how Magneto, the king of Genosha, has decided to deal with this situation, or if he has even survived at all."
My blood went cold. Over one million mutants on a single island, attacked by Sentinels. That was screwed up, even for Bolivar Trask. His dream was to clear mutants from burdening the human population, but he wouldn't corner them and continue with a public mass murder; it just wasn't him. He preferred to pick us off one by one with his robots, he just loved a good challenge. This? This was no challenge. This was cruel and heartless; a total massacre.
"What we know; Sentinels were sent to the island and began to rip the mutant paradise apart. What we also know is that Bolivar Trask is allegedly not the leader of this attack. The reports confirm that Magneto and his three children were also on the island when the attacks begun. Here's what we don't know: How many Sentinels were sent and how many mutants survived. We have no idea if Magneto survived, and if he has, what power card he'll play."
"US Officials have decided not to send any troops over to aid the mutants and have been set on standby. They remain here in case Magneto does blame President Kelly and attacks America." The second reporter took over, showing several videos of destruction reporters on Madagascar and Africa have been able to record and send to the television stations.
Everyone was quiet as they went on commercial break. I guess they were just trying to absorb the situation. I wasn't any better, I was stunned into silence. 1,600,000 mutants? Hell, this might as well just bring on the great war everyone was trying to avoid.
I suddenly froze as I remembered one little detail that the media had stated; Magneto and his three children were on the island when the attack began.
Lorna happened to be one of those three children.
Fear and anxiety swelled up inside of me, making me lose footing.
"Nobody's been over there to help." Bobby said at last, breaking the silence. "Our kind is suffering and no one is helping them."
"If we go over there right now, we'll be on that massacre list." Scott said, rubbing his forehead.
"Agreed." Logan murmured. "If they can't stop it, we can't."
"How many Sentinels were sent?" Kitty asked, staring down at the ground.
"Over 100." Warren answered.
"Wait a second-" I started, trying to clear my head. "Have you all forgotten who was on that island? Our kind! Even closer, one of our own!"
"Look kid, I know she's your girl and all-" Logan began.
"No, it's not just who she is to me! It's who she is to all of us! What, it's one member, we're not gonna risk our skins and just let her and her people burn?" I was literally shaking; the realization of her dying just hit me like two sacks of bricks.
"No. We can't go to help them out; we'll seal our deaths for sure, but we can help salvage after." Scott said, looking at me sadly.
I shook my head. "They need our help."
"We can't help them."
I brushed my hand through my hair and spun, leaving the room. I couldn't believe it...I just needed to breathe.
When we finally got to Genosha, we weren't greeted with any happier news. The once loud and joyful lands were now silent and desolate, completely depressing. My fists clenched at the sight; not even the buildings were left. The only thing that stood was the large palace, its shine dulled due to the overhanging gray clouds.
The sight of it infuriated me. The Sentinels purposely left the palace alone and untouched, right in the middle of the land. It signified one thing that I was able to see clearly. It said Magneto was no longer the king of Genosha.
He was the king of the graveyard.
I couldn't stand to look any longer, yet I couldn't pull my eyes away.
Once the jet landed, everyone filed out faster than before, eager to get out.
"Storm, take Rogue and Iceman down to the town area. See if you can find any survivors. Gambit, you Nightcrawler, and Jean take the communication towers and the other important supplies areas. Havok, take Wolverine and Shadowcat to the palace. You might have better luck there." Scott separated us into teams easily and our group dispersed to search what was left of Genosha.
As I led my team towards the palace, I could see the imprints the bombs made in the broken grounds, several bars of iron and wire littering our path. I suddenly noticed it was the main walkway from the town to the palace, where the residents went to visit their leaders.
My stomach churned as my eyes skimmed over something that resembled a leg beneath several rocks. Logan grasped my arm and pulled me along, making me realize I had stopped to look.
"C'mon, kid." He said. "The palace is just ahead." He dragged me along until I was able to pull all of my sense back and lead the group again, Kitty trailing just behind us.
We stepped over what remained of the 50-foot palace gates and entered the large metal structure through the empty doorway. No guards, no music, no voices; just total silence.
The fact that the palace had been completely unscathed- not even a scratch or smudge on the floors -was terrifying. It was like a horror movie, only worse; it was real, and it was against us.
"Split up?" Kitty asked, rubbing her arms. I didn't blame her, I was just as creeped out.
"No. Although the palace is abandoned, I'm not taking the chance. Smaller Sentinels could be crawling around waiting for us." I said, looking around. "We'll take the upstairs level first."
That's how we moved, from the top level down. Adding to my horror, there was absolutely no one on any of the floors. Not Erik, not Wanda or Pietro, not Lorna, absolutely no one.
On the very top level, we found several bedrooms. At the very end of the hall, there was a large room easily recognizable as Erik's. The stand beside the oversized bed was a dead giveaway as well; it was for his helmet. Portraits of what looked like a younger version of himself hung on the walls, adding the air of superiority to the room. Still, nobody there.
I led them out and into several other rooms along the hall, still finding nothing.
Finally, we got to the last room at the end of the hall. It wasn't plain like the others but it wasn't filled either. There were three unmistakably familiar suitcases against the wall in the corner. Kitty and I exchanged a glance as Logan began sniffing the room out.
All of a sudden, something off to the side caught my eye, drawing me closer. I turned, walking towards the silver nightstand and grasped the small gray object in my hand. It was attached to three keys; it was about three inches long and shaped like a flat triangle, one word engraved on each face: I, Love, and You. I had given it to Lorna for her twenty-second birthday and I knew she carried it everywhere; even to foreign countries.
The only difference now was that the words weren't the same; the only people who had the power to change it were Lorna herself and her father.
I paled as I read each word on each of the faces: Help, Us, and All.
I turned it over in my hands, trying to fight the tears that welled in my eyes.
"This is her room." I said, grasping the keychain firmly. "Can you get her scent?"
Logan walked up to me, sniffing the pendant thoroughly before turning his nose upwards. "Yep." He said, sniffing the air. "Her room alright."
"Can you follow it?" Kitty asked, hopeful.
"Yeah...it goes outside."
We both followed Logan silently, leading away from the bedrooms. Before I knew it, we were standing on the large walkway that overlooked the waterfalls; whatever remained of them anyways. The large falls had stopped flowing, reduced to little trickles down broken rock. The water beneath the walkway was dirty and filled with stones and gunk that I didn't really feel like naming at the moment.
I nearly stumbled into Logan and Kitty into me as he stopped abruptly.
"Trail goes dead here. I can smell Magneto too. About two to three days old at most."
My grasp tightened around the keychain as we turned to look around.
Where could the royal family have gone?
"What's that? Down there?" Kitty pointed up to another balcony that overlooked the other side of the island. It looked thicker than the one we stood on.
Logan and I exchanged a glance before he shrugged.
"Let's go."
We found our way up and around to the balcony. It looked like it was only used by the upmost class, or in other words, Erik and his children.
A cold shiver ran through me and refused to leave. I stood there, trying to catch my breath at the awkwardly familiar sensation.
"Havok? Are you alright?" Kitty asked, touching my back, having no effect.
My heart began to sink to my stomach as I suddenly remembered where I had felt the awkward sensation and my blood iced even further if that was possible.
I turned slowly, looking at Logan. "Logan...do you feel that?" I asked, lifting my hand to move my fingers in front of my face. The air felt thicker, like you could almost touch it if you tried.
"Do you?" He asked, moving his arms as well.
"No kidding." I answered, moving around some more.
"What?" Kitty asked, oblivious to the feeling.
I moved forward, my boot landing on the edge of a tile. It shook and I pulled back quickly, looking at it.
A hatch door. I had stepped on a door.
"Magnetic field." Logan said, answering Kitty. "It's weak but it's definitely there."
I stepped back, examining the ground. It turned out that four tiles were pieced together as one large door. I bent down, lifting the door. Beneath was a dark hole that continued for maybe forty feet.
"I can go down." I said immediately, my heart threatening to beat out of my chest. "I can use my power as a light."
"No way, Summers." Logan answered just as quickly. "It could be dangerous."
"Look, there's no way we can find out what's down there unless someone goes." I was eager now; I needed to know what was under the ground.
"What if there's nothing there? You'll be stuck at the bottom until we can get the others."
Logan was making me impatient. "Tell them to get the rope and head over; we've found something."
I didn't really wait for an answer. Kitty turned to switch her communicator on and I jumped down the hole in the floor.
I pushed my arms and legs against the wall, controlling my fall. The beam in my chest turned on and illuminated the surrounding areas, making everything about my descent easier.
My boots touched the metal at the bottom and I let myself go, brushing my gloved hands off. The space extended into another area, but stopped several feet away from me. Just like the rest of the palace, it was made of metal. I quickly realized what this was; a failsafe.
"It's a ditch! Used for hiding!" I called back up. I could see Logan's head poking out trying to see me. "I'd say a good sixty feet!"
I turned, looking; I had to squint. Although my beam was bright, the cave itself was large, therefore the light didn't travel very far. This must have extended into the palace, either underground or in the ceiling somewhere.
I skimmed the cave one last time when I caught the glimpse of what looked like an elbow. The longer I stared, the more clearer the body in front of me became.
I slowly took in the horror of the reality that this body was Lorna.
I wasn't sure how long I stood there; when I was able to get my sense back, I bent down, touching her bare shoulder. Whatever clothes she had been wearing tore, barely covering her now.
Tears sprung in my eyes again as I noticed her long green strands sprawled randomly around her head, covering her face.
She laid on her side, her back facing me. My trembling hands found their way to her arms, rolling her onto her back. I cupped her face, ran my hand over her skin, all while trying to hold back a whimper of fear and sadness.
I pushed my fingers to the inside of her wrist, checking for her pulse. Before I had the chance to determine if it was there or not, she sprung up and tackled me, knocking me flat onto my back.
I half expected her to stop and shout out my name in complete joy and surprise or to hug me tightly instead of attack, but she did none of that. Lorna sat on my torso, her hands finding their way around my throat.
I laid there in shock for a few moments before grasping her beneath the arms and pushing her off of me.
She growled and flung herself at me once again, but I ducked and let her hit the wall instead. I took the time to scramble to my feet.
"Lorna, stop!" I said, my hands raised in surrender. "It's me, Alex!"
She hissed at me (I wasn't sure she was able to make that noise in the first place) and threw a punch.
I caught her fist before it connected with my face and blocked her kick with my own leg. I spun her around using the fist I held, and pulled her to me, her back hitting my chest.
"Stop." I said firmly, holding her arms over her chest. "I'm here to help you."
Lorna suddenly froze and pulled away, letting the light in my chest shine again. She backed away into the opposite corner, her face paling. "Save me!" She whispered, grasping her head. "My son! Save my son!"
I shook my head. "What are you talking about, what son?"
"You've failed, Polaris!" She cried, clutching her head even tighter. "You've let us all down!" She paused. "No, I'm sorry! I tried!"
I wanted to sit there and cry. Whatever garbage she was spilling, it hurt me more than I thought.
"Alex!" Bobby called. "We're dropping the rope!"
"It's her!" I called back. "It's Lorna! She's alive...but something's wrong!"
The moment I said that, she let a panicked cry escape her.
I moved closer. "Hey, hey." I soothed, touching her bare arms. "You're okay now. I'm here, I'm saving you."
"She couldn't save us before." She whispered, tears streaming down her face.
"Do you guys have a blanket or something?!" I called. "Her clothes aren't...much."
"Why rescue her?!" Lorna shouted at me, making me jump slightly.
I stared at her, a frown falling over my face. Lorna stood there against the wall, clothes ripped and falling off, green eyes wild and scared. Her hair fell around her face, dampened curls sticking to her back and face. It nearly made me drop and cry on the spot, but I couldn't; not now anyways.
"Please make them stop." She begged, throwing herself at me. I caught her, carefully pushing her hair behind her back. "Just make them go away."
The length of rope tumbled down the side of the hole, stopping just by my knees, along with a thick blanket which landed beside me.
As I turned, I noticed a type of metallic shine in the corner where Lorna had been when I first found her. Gently, I let her go and turned and stepped towards it. The closer my light came, the more the shine grew into a red helmet. I picked it up quickly, turning it in my hands several times before looking at Lorna again. "This yours?" I asked, holding it up.
She nodded numbly, not even looking up.
Aware that her magnetic field was still up, I let it go for a moment. The helmet floated into the air; I caught it before it could go far.
"Guys!" I called up again. "Catch this and don't let it go!" I flung the helmet up, the piece of metal soaring up into the air. I let the keychain I was holding go up as well.
"Alright, Lorna, ready?" I asked gently, lifting the blanket. Trying to keep my hands from shaking, I wrapped it carefully around her form, making sure it stayed before pulling her closer to me. "Can you hold on?"
Much like a three year old, she pulled herself up to wrap her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck.
Her weight had lightened since I'd last seen her, not exactly a very good sign.
Huffing, I grasped the rope, wrapping my foot with the bottom half and began to pull us up.
"Why are you saving us?" She whimpered when we were almost to the top.
"You're gonna be okay." I replied. I knew it was irrelevant to her- their -question, but it was all I could think of.
I stopped climbing when our heads broke the top. "Take her." I groaned, turning slightly to allow them to grasp her first.
Logan grasped my upper arms, hauling me up as well.
I rested on my side for a moment, trying to purge the burning sensation from my shoulders.
The rest of the team began crowding, murmurs of excitement and concern mixing with the dead air.
"Hey, hey, back off." I said, rolling to my feet. "Get away from her."
Lorna sat down, her arms holding up the blanket over her chest. Her head was bent towards the ground like she was listening to a nonexistent conversation.
I bent down in front of her, touching her shoulder lightly. "Can you hear me?"
"Yes I hear you." She snapped, pulling away.
"Tell me what's wrong." I begged pulling my hand back.
She hissed, moving to attack again, but I only pulled her to my chest, wrapping my arms around her so she couldn't move. "Lorna, please just stop fighting me!"
"Hang on just a moment." Hank said, digging in the bag the others had brought from the jet. He fished out a syringe and moved quickly towards us.
Lorna struggled harder, stepping on my feet and kicking at my legs. I lifted her off of the ground slightly, trying to stop her.
"Hold her still!" Hank said, stopping in front of her.
Grasping her tightly, I squeezed her harder than I would have preferred, making her squeak.
Hank seized the moment and tilted her head, pushing the needle into the side of her neck.
She gasped, freezing up for a few moments before falling limp in my arms.
I groaned, gathering her into my arms. "Did you guys find anyone?" I asked, pulling the blanket up to cover Lorna's back.
The others shared the same solemn look, shaking their heads.
"No one's alive." Jean said sadly.
Although we had found who we were looking for, my skin still prickled uncomfortably.
"Not even the animals." Bobby muttered.
"Alright, X-Men. Let's get back to the jet." Scott said, gaining control again.
And to the jet we went.