Professor Howard was strapped in the center of his Sentinel en route to Manhattan. With a rough estimate of 1.6 million inhabitance in Manhattan alone, it was the perfect city to start. The sea wind would carry the virus to every corner of New York, and then some. The close surrounding Stated would have infected as well. Howard smiled as he came into the airspace of Manhattan. He watched as cars instantly stopped upon seeing him. He touched the Sentinel down and prepped it for distribution.
With the mutant population at the mercy of his virus, Howard would finally purge the world of the mutant scum forever. And should more mutants arise, then he would purge them too. He purge them all until there were no more mutants to be had on this world.
A black jet overhead stopped Howard's thoughts. His eyes narrowed as he watched the jet land on top of a large building nearby. Howard's hands quickly shot to the weapons controls. He targeted the landing jet and fired.
The missiles soared through the air. People screamed and ran for cover. Suddenly the missiles changed course, soaring high into the sky, far form the population. The missiles collided with each other and exploded. Howard's glared at the black jet. His targeting system focused on the group of mutants that emerged from the jet. They were instantly recognized as the X-Men. Howard smirked at the sight of the infected mutant.
"Take that thing down without settin' off the virus." Logan ordered.
"Understood." Scott said.
The team jumped into action. Warren took flight toward the Sentinel. Kurt grabbed Evan and teleported off the roof. Kitty and Piotr jumped off the roof and fazed through the ground beneath then. Jean lifted herself and Scott from the roof to the ground. Rogue lifted Gambit and flew down with the others. She dropped him onto the ground and flew back up. Storm and Logan were the last to join the other.
Scott aimed and fired his optic laser. The Sentinel took the hit dead on, but was completely unharmed. Evan launched several spikes from his chest into the leg on the Sentinel, merely implanting them. Piotr picked up a damaged car and hurled it to the Sentinel. Howard waved the car away toward a populated area. Jean caught car and set it down easily.
"You X-Men cannot stop me!" Howard yelled.
"Wanna bet bub?" Logan asked. Piotr threw Logan hard toward the Sentinel. Logan landed on the chest of the Sentinel and began stabbing at it.
The arm of the Sentinel came crashing down on Logan, swatting him to the ground. Scott fired is beam again, trying to distract Howard from Wolverine. Piotr threw what debris he could find, often using empty cars. Strom called lighting around the city, striking the Sentinel with as many bolts as she could manage.
Gambit grabbed onto a lamppost and charged it up. Rogue broke it from the ground and hurled it into the Sentinel. The post exploded on impact, but the Sentinel continued to stand. Rogue shook her head in disbelief.
"This ain't workin'!" Rogue called into her communicator.
"We need a new plan." Scott said.
Howard aimed his weapon toward Rogue and Gambit. Rogue's eyes widened as she watched the arm power up. The blast emerged from the hand, aiming for them. Rogue dove in front of the blast, taking it to her chest. She held her place in the air, as strong as she could.
"Rogue!" Gambit called. He charged his cards and threw them to the arm. The cards detonated inside the palm, disabling the weapon. The beam ceased instantly. Rogue dropped her arms and she started falling. Gambit ran toward Rogue. He jumped onto the back of a car and caught Rogue midair. Gambit set Rogue down behind the car. Her arms were red and raw, but she seemed alright.
Kitty phased through the car. "Go, I'll watch her."
Gambit nodded and ran back toward the battlefield. He jumped onto the swinging arm of the Sentinel and held on. He charged several more cards and slipped them into the space between the pieces of the arm. Gambit released as Howard swung the arm, sending Gambit flying backwards. Kurt teleported in time and caught Gambit before he collided with the wall of a building.
The cards detonated, blowing off the arm of the Sentinel. The arm fell to the ground. Howard's charged up the other hand and fired at them. He'd had enough. Howard began entering the dispersal sequence. Above his head, he heard the stretching of metal. Suddenly the head of the Sentinel was ripped off. Howard stared up at the infected mutant. She grabbed his collar and hauled him out, but not before he activated the code.
Rogue dropped Howard onto the ground. She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. The others slowly surrounded him. Howard smiled darkly.
"Somethin' funny bub?" Logan asked.
"You're too late." Howard said.
From behindhand, the body of the Sentinel took flight into the air. Pieced of the armored body fell off as it rose higher and higher into the sky.
"What's happening guys?" Kitty asked.
"In five minutes, the virus is about to be spread as far as the wind carries it." Howard answered.
Scott turned to Jean. "Jean, bring it down!"
Jean closed her eyes, but nothing happened. "I…I can't."
"What?" Scott asked.
"Hey, I can't teleport." Kurt called.
"You're powers are gone now. You're witnessing the beginning of the virus entering your systems." Howard said.
Rogue looked up at the rocket. She breathed deeply and quickly. Her hand wrapped around the vial of antidote that Hank had given her before the mission. 'Just one drop would destroy the virus.' That was what Hank had said back at the mansion. Rogue swallowed hard. She could do, couldn't she? She had the power, but would she be able to administer the antivirus in time?
A strong hand slipped into her right hand. Rogue turned her head to see Gambit standing beside her. His face was beaten, but held strong emotions. She had never seen them before. There was fear, sadness, regret. Still he smiled at her.
"If dis be our las' minutes. cheriè...Remy wanna spend'em wit y'." Gambit said.
That was it. Rogue wasn't going to stand here and do nothing when she could. "Ah hate ta tell ya this, Gambit, but ya ain't dyin'. Not taday."
Gambit looked confused.
Rogue reached around his head and kissed him passionately. For the first time since her powers had manifested, Rogue felt nothing. Nothing pulling Gambit into her head. No foreign memoirs bombarding her mind. Just a simple kiss from the man who never ceased to amaze her.
Rogue pulled back and smiled. "Hav a good laife, Remy."
"Cherè?"
Rogue thought of Quicksilver and sprinted down the street. She could hear him yell after her, all of them yelling after her, still she ran. Rogue ran over the debris, taking her high and high. She jumped off one of the buildings and took flight. The wind blew her hair wildly as she tried to catch up with the rocket. With five minutes until detonation, Rogue had limited time to decontaminate the vials.
"Rouge, what are you doing?" Scott asked.
"Ah'm the only one that cahn stop it, Scott. Ah have the antivirus." Rogue replied.
"Rogue, get back here. We'll find another way." Logan ordered.
"There's no time Logan. Just trust meh." Rogue said.
Rogue flew up under the rocket, right near the flames. She reached into her mind and pulled Piotr's powers. Sheets of metal layered her skin, protecting her from the fierce flames. She could feel the heat of the flames as she reached the rocket. Parts of her clothes burned off the skin. Her gloves melted off her hands. Rogue flew harder, passing the flames from the rocket. She slammed her hand into the side of the rocket, embedding her fingers in it.
With her other hand, Rogue pried the panel from the rocket, exposing the mechanics and the virus. Rogue pulled out her antivirus vial from her belt. Using her teeth, Rogue broke off the top of the vial, exposing the antivirus.
Suddenly her body trembled in excruciating pain. She dropped the vial, letting it drop toward the earth. Rogue grit her teeth and pulled out her last vial. She glanced at the counter. Only one minute left. She bit off the top and searched for Kitty in her mind. Rogue phased the vial into the virus container. She watched the dark blue liquid quickly change into a crystal clear liquid. Rogue smiled and looked at the counter. Her smiled vanished instantly.
"Tahmes up." she whispered.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
oooooo...ok, was the fight scene alright for everyone? i wanted to try it out, i hope it worked for everyone.
i own nothing.
ps, the ending might suck a little. i pologize in advance.
