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X-Men: Restoration

Chapter Twenty Two: Marcos Vega

Marcos zipped through the power lines as he felt the energy surging through him. It was like ice skating on energy. He felt like he was on top of the world. He laughed. Trent was joining those losers. They would soon be defeated, like a squashed bug. Why was he working for The Institution? They said that they would let the Brotherhood live in peace and power. Who doesn't want a little power?

He snickered as he buzzed toward the X-Mansion to see what his enemies were up to. He was sobered by hearing familiar voices. This must have been where Rainier escaped to. He was surprised that Rainier would stoop so low as to go to the enemy. He heard Rainer chuckle. Rainier with them and laughing? He never laughed. He was always stiff and uptight. He went deeper into the mansion as he tried to find a visual. Rainier was sitting next to the fire as he laughed at a muddy colored guy who was cracking jokes. A little girl was petting a cat while she giggled. Ansleigh was causing a light show to happen by exploding the bolts of electricity from Eric. Camlin and Coralie were nearby. Camlin was entranced by her lover boy. Coralie suddenly turned towards him. She stared at him with unmoving focus.

"Guys, we've got company." She smiled deviously. Marcos felt a force go through him. Coralie probably sent a ghost. Camlin was doing the same. He got out of the electric lines and saw Eric get enraged. That kid needed to cool it. The muddy colored dude ran full speed at him as he became mud. Marcos felt him explode as the mud sprayed over him. He short circuited and became his humanoid form. The mud guy punched him. Marcos saw Rainier's expression of horror and of shock. Rainier had joined them.

"What are you doing here, Vega?" He said as he got up out of an armchair.

"What are you doing with these geeks?" Marcos said as he felt the electricity start to pulse through him again. Rainier walked up to him as the X-Men parted the ways. Camlin held Eric back with a tug of the hand.

"They don't betray their friends. They didn't betray me when we were in training. You guys always went running. The Brotherhood has no sense of camaraderie and that is why it never worked. We acted like it for sure but you were quick to turn your back on me. I heard what you guys did at The Institution. Betraying your own kind to stay safe, to stay in power. THAT is what COWARDS do." Rainier sneered at him as the little girl peered from around him.

"Rainier! You have no self-worth! You are reduced to babysitting while the battle is going on out there! You should be fighting." Marcos spit.

"I heard what you did to Vanessa! Doesn't she already have enough pain? Now you are letting that ruthless Bamback experiment on her!" Rainier yelled as he walked up to Marcos as he jabbed his finger in his chest. Marcos was thrown on the ground as Marcos tried to maintain himself in his electric form. Rainier loomed over him.

"Hm, I seem to know who you care about! Is Levi and Hope here too joining with you scum!" Marcos got up off the floor as he signaled around with his arm. Rainier's eyes widened.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM!" Rainier said as he got enraged at the Marcos. Marcos laughed in contentment.

"Oh, you never knew…did you? They left us." Marcos snickered pleased with himself.

"Rainier!" said a firm voice from the background. It was Storm and Professor X. They probably had heard the commotion. Rainier had fury ablaze in his eyes but he bit his lip, held his chin high and backed away. Marcos laughed.

"Are you listening to them? He is just an old man past his prime." Marcos laughed.

"I suggest you leave, Mr. Vega." The professor said in a calm but firm voice. Marcos snickered.

"I don't take orders from an old man." He chuckled. Suddenly, his body became limp with pain as he fell onto his knees. It was the old man! He had control over his every move. Marcos saw all of them loom over him as he struggled. He heard a soft voice inside of his mind. We offer refuge for those who need it but for those who seek to taunt and fight, we cannot offer such a thing. Please leave.

Marcos felt a release as he became scared and before he even knew his body was moving back through the cable lines towards the Brotherhood home for relay in communication. The Institution had sent him on runs yet he had no idea what they were planning but it was good. It was very good. He would get his piece of the cake. He jumped out of the phone cable and saw that the home was unoccupied except for Natalie who was eying him with a disturbing tenseness.

"Hello, Marcos." She said as she got up from the couch. His arms tensed as he cautiously moved into the room. The only person that intimidated him was her. She was so unpredictable. She was ruthless. She was pure evil to the strongest concentration.

He didn't say anything but he stood his ground. After a few moments of silence, he muttered "Hey, Foster."

"Why did you come here? When everyone else is at The Institution?" She asked playfully as her eyes brightened. He shook his head slowly.

"I just feel comfortable here." He slowly let the words formulate in his mouth. Her eyes turned dark as she stepped closer to him. "You better be just taking a break. You are a dumb fool if you let anything pass those lips of yours because you will have the whole universe angry at you. You are a messenger, nothing more. If you find out anything keep it to yourself. Hopefully, you aren't dumb enough to go joyfully running off and joining those X-Men or the others. Say anything and I will personally present your worst nightmare: forever swimming in the middle of the great Pacific Ocean where no one will find you. I'll just take the jet and drop you straight in." She laughed as she strutted out of the room tipping her hat before leaving. Marcos sat there as he gripped his hands in fists. He couldn't swim and she knew it.

He sighed as he vaguely reminisced where he had grown up in the Bronx. He bit his lip remembering that Sarah was his cousin. Yet, she joined the wrong side. She was always too weak. She stuttered all the time. She couldn't defend herself. She was too jumpy at everything. Yet, he felt an obligation to protect her, she was family. She always would be family but he couldn't lose sight of his own safety. She was too frail for him to take care of. He couldn't handle frail. He could only fight.

He looked up and saw Vanessa peering in at him through a portal while he saw Dr. Bamback's mad wacky laboratory. Vanessa had changed. They had to buzz cut her hair on the underside of her skull to insert probes or something. He guessed they were done with experimenting on her. She looked tougher and a whole lot meaner. Marcos felt the aura in the room. Dr. Bamback stepped into view.

"We are ready for you, Marcos." Dr. Bamback smiled as he gazed intensely at Marcos with his green eyes. There was a loud clunk at the door as he heard two voices overlap each other yelling. The door went flying aside as Levi and Hope approached Marcos. Dr. Bamback had a fury at them but then grinned evilly at Hope.

"Don't do it, Marcos! They are not who they say they are. They will destroy your life. Look at what they did to so many of our friends. Vanessa…" Hope trailed off. She gazed at Dr. Bamback with fear.

"Oh, you've come back! Haven't you, you little conniving genius! You'll never be able to escape this time. Marcos, I'll have your neck soon enough." He laughed as throughout his hand through the portal and black fog consumed Hope. Levi was next to her trying to help her but the fog had already cleared. All there was, was a black X on Hope's neck. Levi gasped as he quickly picked up an armchair and threw it through the portal. The portal sealed shut. Marcos had no idea what was going on but the chances were that Dr. Bamback would not be speaking to him in a very long time. Natalie walked into the room, holding a glass of lemonade.

"Oh, the air duds, oh I mean air dud came back." She said pointing to Hope's limp body that was on the floor. She giggled but Levi was way past enraged.

"You destroyed it all. Our friendship, our group. You were the one who came in here and said we had a calling to a higher purpose. You are the weak link. You try to manipulate anyone you want." Levi growled as he approached Natalie. Natalie took a step back.

Marcos had to do something to make it up to Dr. Bamback. He had to be a part of the plan, he wanted to be stronger. He wanted to be safe. He did the only thing he could think of. He sent more than enough volts through Levi's system to stun him unconscious. He sat down on the floor as he saw two old friends unconscious. He had just seen Dr. Bamback with mutant powers or something incredible.

Natalie let out a long hard laugh. "You might be dumb but you know who is stronger. Dr. Bamback might have something in for you after all. Just as long as you can keep Dr. Bamback's mutation under wraps or else you will end up drowning in the Pacific Ocean, alone." Marcos gulped down his fear as he saw another portal open up through the wall and there was a clean lab table just for him. Dr. Bamback signaled him with pride as he stepped through the portal. This was the only way he could stay safe.