Chapter 6
Bayville Sewers...
When Evan next comes round he is feeling only a tiny bit better. He hears a conversation not too far away and struggles to his feet, leaning against the wall due to how dizzy he feels.
"Callisto, bringing him here was a mistake," Caliban argues with her.
"I had to," Callisto insists, feeling it was necessary at the time. "Even if he hadn't been poisoned you've seen what's happening to his mutation. Those plates growing on his skin. The top-worlders will never accept him now."
"But they'll be looking for him," Caliban warns. "Superman will come."
"Superman?!" Evan blurts out.
Callisto's head snaps round and sees Evan leaning against the wall. She gathers herself. "Yes. Superman."
"He knows you? You know him?" Evan asks two of only a hundred questions he suddenly has.
"The brightest of all lights, the one who scares away the shadows is our friend, he is kind to us," Caliban explains.
"That is true," Callisto agrees. "He's one of the very few of those up there," she points upward, "we allow to know that we live down here."
"Why do you live down here?" Evan asks. "And who are you?"
"We're the Morlocks. My name is Callisto. I'm their leader," she introduces herself as she walks over to him. "We live down here because the surface world can be a very cruel place to mutants who look like us..." she reaches out and lightly touches the bony spikes now protruding from his face, there are others coming out his back, "or you," she adds.
Evan reaches up and feels the spikes on his face. He tries to retract them...but nothing. He tries again, concentrating as hard as he can. Zip. His head bows as it sinks in. He's stuck like this.
"Here we find acceptance and safety," Callisto explains. "For mutants like us it is the only place we can go...but it's not safe any more."
"Why?"
"Pow-R8. I told you, it's poison...and Spears has been dumping it down here. It's seeped into everything."
"Well if you know Superman shouldn't you just ask for his help."
"We did," Caliban says.
"And I...trust him to do so," Callisto says, rarely saying that. "But I'm not sure we can wait. He'll do it the legal way. That takes time. From what we've seen Spears has already repaired the damage we caused the other night. He'll be recommencing production tonight. I can't just sit around while my people are poisoned...not even for Superman," she says. So yeah she gave her word not to cause trouble...but again like her argument for trying to get to Spears, which she failed to do, she admits, it's the factory that is the source of the trouble. By destroying it once and for all she'll put an end to the trouble.
"I-I want to help," Evan offers after hearing their plight.
"Good," Callisto accepts it. "We'll probably need you. According to Lucid, Spears has increased security."
It wasn't what Callisto originally planned to do. Not at all but as Evan slept Lucid had reported back to her from his spying on the factory that Spears was ready to restart it up and she couldn't wait. Her people are too sick. Exposed to another dose of that stuff some might die. If she had had more time she truly would have left it to Superman. Honestly. She swears. But she doesn't have time and she can't wait and Evan has had training. He'll be an immense help.
Caliban makes a noise of discomfort. "What?" Callisto asks as she drags him away so they can talk privately.
"He's down here...along with Wolverine, Storm and Berserker," Caliban reports.
"I...I can't take the risk. I can't," Callisto says, sounding like she is trying to convince herself as much as anyone else. "Can I?" she asks.
"Callisto must do what she thinks is best...as long as she realises he'll want answers later," Caliban gives some wisdom.
Callisto nods. "We hit the factory tonight. I'll deal with Superman when the time comes."
"Assuming he doesn't find us first," Caliban cautions.
"He's never seen this part of the tunnels. He can't find us," she states confidently because Callisto was cautious when she brought Evan down here. She didn't take him back to their home and not even Superman can find them in this maze.
"Welcome to Chez Morlock," Berzerker says grimly as he, Superman, Storm and Wolverine enter the cavernous space where the Morlocks live. He hadn't been thrilled at this idea of coming down here again...mostly out of fear of Callisto skinning him alive but when the Professor gives an order you do it. That's part of being an X-Man.
"By the Goddess," Storm whispers in shock at seeing the state these people live in. She never imagined...she was so focussed on finding Evan she never really thought about what she would find. It's so wrong to her to see fellow mutants living like this in the sewers.
Logan's main concern is trying not to pass out from the smell. Has he ever mentioned how much he hates the damn sewers.
There is a hiss from an average height woman with unusual blue-coloured hair.
"H-hey Scaleface," Ray greets her with a nervous stutter. "Now we're not here to cause trouble. We just want to talk to Callisto."
"Speak for yourself sort-circuit," Wolverine says to Berzerker. He raises his right hand and pops his claws. "Give us the porcupine and I won't carve you up like a turkey roast," he warns the woman.
"Wow. You're just all sort of diplomatic aren't you," Superman mutters sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. He gently tugs Storm back. "You better give them space. This'll get nasty."
Storm isn't sure what Clark means...until the blue-haired woman transforms into a large, green, dragon-like reptilian form with a fanged mouth, clawed hands and feet, thick scales, and a ridge of spines along her back. She opens her mouth and snorts out a blast of fire.
She then charges at Wolverine and the two end up tussling on the floor.
"Take it easy on her Wolverine!" Superman shouts out. "Remember you're a guest in their home!" he adds, cheeky amusement clear in his tone.
"Space Boy go shove it up your..." Thankfully Wolverine's diatribe is cut off before he can finish it.
"Come on. I can see Healer. This way," Superman points.
"What about Wolverine?" Storm asks.
"Oh he'll be fine. She's just trying to scare him a little. Be nice Scaleface! He's a...friend!" Superman adds with a momentary pause in his description of Logan.
"And Scaleface her own healing factor when in that form," Berzerker adds in case anyone is worried about her.
"Yeah," Superman says with a nostalgic grin. "That's how she greeted me when I first came down here you know. Good times."
Storm looks twice at Clark. What else does he get up to that no-one else knows about. She follows him into another chamber where the sick Morlocks are laid up in bed and there is an elderly man with a beard.
"Superman," Healer greets the Morlocks' friend
"Healer," Superman greets him back.
Healer eyes Storm and Berzerker. "Raymond. Good to see you again," he greets the electricity generator warmly.
"Yeah. Hi Healer," Berzerker greets the man. Ray was fond of him. After he ended up down here after his parents kicked him out he found Healer took that place of a kind fatherly figure.
Healer looks at Storm and sighs. "I told her going up there was a bad idea. You're here looking for your nephew, yes?"
"Yes," Storm says, her heart momentarily lifting of its gloom. "You've seen him?"
Healer shakes his head. "No but Callisto asked for some of my medicine for him. She knew you'd probably follow so she didn't bring him back here."
"Nor is she here is she?" Superman figures out.
"No...but I do think she regrets that her actions have caused fiction with you, Superman."
"I asked her not to cause trouble until I sorted this out...which I have by the way. My friend in the police is taking the steps to shut Spears down right now."
"That's good," Healer says, pleased by this news. "But Callisto is many things. Patient has never really been one of them."
"What is her story? Do you know it?" Superman asks the elderly man, the journalist in him wishing to know, to understand why she does what she does.
"I do," Healer admits. "But it is not my place to share it."
"Why Healer? Why was she up there in the first place?"
Healer shakes his head sadly. "I'm sorry but I cannot answer that."
"Please, where's my nephew?" Storm asks.
Healer sighs at the tone in her voice and it breaks his heart not to be able to help. "I regretfully cannot tell you, no matter how much I may wish to."
"Why not?"
"Because he won't betray Callisto," Berzerker answers for Healer. "Don't ask him to Storm," he requests of her because it is asking too much.
Storm is torn. She understands loyalty, admires it even but it must have its limits somewhere especially when the health and well-being of her nephew is at stake.
"How is everyone doing?" Superman asks, gesturing at the patients.
"Better," Healer answers. "Slightly," he amends. "Thanks to you."
"I just do what I can. It's probably not enough."
"It's all any of us can do," Healer says wisely.
"Come on," Superman says. "We won't find Evan here," he tells Storm and Berzerker it's time to leave. They're wasting their time being here when Callisto isn't.
The 3 head back to where Logan is.
"Can't you find Evan?" Storm asks Superman.
"Only if he shouts. Otherwise he's lost amongst the din. Even I can't find him down in this maze. Bayville's sewers are really old in places and lead lined," he has to regretfully inform her.
The 3 arrive back in the other chamber to find Wolverine and Scaleface still grappling.
Superman puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles real loud. That stops them. "Sorry, Scaleface but we're leaving. Need your new playmate back."
Scaleface reverts to her human form. "Next time, top-worlder," she promises Wolverine with an excited gleam in her eye.
"You better believe it, bub," Wolverine promises back.
"Now come on," Superman asks them to calm down. "The only person Wolverine wrestles with these days is Storm," he quips. "And really would it kill you two to remember my hearing is very sensitive," he whines.
Storm blushes. Even Logan looks uncomfortable.
Superman chuckles. "Lets go," he orders.
"I so didn't need to know that," Berzerker complains to Superman.
"I like sharing my misery around."
Once outside the Morlocks' home Clark stops momentarily and looks back and around in case they're being listened to. "Callisto's up to something," he says to them.
"How's that kid?" Logan asks.
"Because she wasn't the only one missing. Several of them were."
"He's right," Ray agrees, reviewing it in his memory.
"And if she wasn't up to something she would have been there. She knows I'll try and stop her. Hell she knows perfectly because that was our deal. I only leave them alone as long as they behave."
"And this, whatever it is, she needs Evan for," Ororo tries to follow the logic.
"Possibly. Otherwise why did she take him?"
"It's good thinking," Logan has to say. He can follow it. It makes some sort of sense. "But what is she up to?"
"I don't know," Clark confesses. "Why was she even at the Skate-Park?" he asks a question he doesn't know the answer to either and Healer wouldn't answer it.
"We're just going to have to wait until she makes her move," Logan realises. "Sorry, Ro," he apologises, knowing it's the last thing she wants to hear.
"No. It's..." not alright, "It's just the way the situation is," she says, sadly having to accept this is where they are.
Pow-R8 Factory...
Evan had to admit that the Morlocks were not bad at this as they break their way into the factory. Torpid was paralysing the guards as they went with one of them taking turns in being the distraction as she sneaked up on them.
They had taken out the guy in the security office first...at Evan's suggestion because he monitored everything through the cameras. Hey all those DR sessions have helped after all.
Lucid uses what is x-ray vision to peer through a wall and see a way in to where the vats are where the Pow-R8 is stored before it's bottled.
Cybelle, the slim african-amercian woman, offloads some sacks she is carrying to Façade, the snout-nosed mutant with Chameleon-like powers. She walks up to the wall, removing one of her gloves. She uses her acid touch to burn a large circle into the wall and then pushes the piece out making a hole for them to pass through.
Evan steps through first and takes out the camera, just in case there was a guard they missed, so no-one sees this. He's...conflicted about what he is doing but feels like he should help these Morlocks. Besides it's not like he can go home is it. These people...may be all he has now. He should help protect them.
Yeah maybe he's not thinking right. Maybe the drink has affected his mind but for right now he feels this is what he needs to do.
They climb up to the top of the vats and Evan helps pour a white powder out of the sacks into one. "What's this stuff going to do?" he asks Callisto.
"Taint his entire supply of Pow-R8 and then gum up the plumbing," Callisto answers. Alright it's basically cement. Simple but very effective.
They start clambering down. Evan is 2nd last, just waiting for Torpid to come to watch over her and make sure she doesn't fall.
It's at this point Spears and more security barge in. Spears had just been double checking over everything tonight considering they were restarting production and he was wanting to make sure it all went smoothly when he found the paralysed guard in the security office and the cameras out. He knew what that meant. His saboteurs were back. "Fire!" Spears orders his two guards.
The guards fire powerful tazers which miss Evan but strike the metal vault. The charge zooms up and surges through Torpid who screams in pain.
Above Bayville...
The X-Men(Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Jean, Shadowcat, Thunderbird, Tarot and Nightcrawler) were basically just frustratingly waiting in the x-jet lazily circling the town. They were all dressed and ready to go at any moment as soon as they heard anything, or picked up anything on Cerebro or just got, well, any sort of lead.
Superman is sitting...floating cross-legged above the floor of the jet, his eyes shut listening when he hears it. His eyes snap open. "Torpid!" he calls out. "They're at the Pow-R8 factory!" he hones in instantly.
"Go Clark," Cyclops authorises him.
Clark is gone in a gust of wind out the door as the X-Men pilot the jet. By bad luck they were on the opposite side of town from the factory right at this moment but luckily they have a very fast jet. They'll be there in minutes. They can only hope that is not too late.
Pow-R8 Factory...
Torpid topples over unconscious but Evan catches her before she hits the ground. The Morlocks scatter as the guards fire more tazer shots at them.
One unlucky aim hits a mains power junction box...which overloads and explodes.
"NO!" Spears cries out in panic as he sees the possibility of everything going Kablooey.
A wire snaps free from the damaged box, hits a pressure vessel used in the process, causing it to explode right under one of the vats, sending it toppling over, into the next one which topples into the next one...whose ladder Evan is still standing on while he holds Torpid.
As it topples Evan leaps, using his body to protect Torpid as he lands roughly.
The tidal wave of, what is to them, poison, heads right at them.
"Quickly! Into the drains!" Callisto orders as they run for what is their very lives.
The Morlocks leap down, Evan carrying Torpid, into the sewers running through the twisting maze as the wine coloured liquid seems to follow them at every turn.
They run until Callisto's one good eye spots they have run into a dead-end. Oh no! What has she done?! She's gotten them killed.
Evan flings a series of spikes into the wall and they start climbing, trying to get above the poison...just as the roof explodes.
They turn their heads from the debris momentarily before they realise what it is.
Superman...and he's standing in front of the tsunami.
"What are you doing?!" Callisto shouts at him.
"I'm going to freeze it," he answers.
"Can you do that? That much?" Evan asks because it's so much liquid.
"Don't know. Lets find out." Superman inhales deeply, as deep as he can, as the liquid is mere moments away and exhales his freeze breath. He lets out the longest, coldest breath he can manage and vanishes in a blizzard of snow.
The Morlocks try to shield themselves from the bitter of bitterest colds. When they can look again they find everything as far as the eye can see frozen solid and thick with ice...and Superman is bent over, his hands on his knees, gasping for breath.
Callisto climbs down and places a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you," she says in a whisper, touched with true gratitude.
Superman gives her a look out of the corner of his eye that shows his unhappiness at her. He then feels someone tugging on the bottom of his jacket and there is Torpid, smiling at him gratefully.
"You alright, honey?" Superman asks her.
Torpid nods.
Superman winks at her. He's just glad he was able to locate them in time. Like he said some of these tunnel are lead-lined which blocks his vision but luckily they didn't pick one of those.
"Man..." Evan drawls, lost for anything else to say as he takes in what Clark has done. "Are you alright?" he asks Superman.
"You know what I've been saying about being 'buzzed' since Smallville?"
Evan nods.
"I'm not buzzed any more. Man do I need a nap," he complains, blowing out a weary breath.
Torpid giggles. Evan chuckles as do the others. Even Callisto can't help a small laugh, though that may be more out of relief than anything.
"Superman!" a voice calls from above. It's Cyclops. They got here quick you have to compliment them. Following the signal from Clark's communicator.
"We're down here!" Superman calls back. "Need a little help getting out!"
"Stand back!" Cyclops shouts as he blasts a larger hole in the sewer roof.
Jean then floats down and starts levitating people out one by one. The rest of the X-Men help them up.
Clark gathers a breath. He looks up. "Storm! We need the rain! Dilute this as much as we can!" he requests.
Storm understands and rises into the air, summoning the power of the storm with which she shares her name. A torrent soon pours down onto Bayville.
Clark unleashes his heat vision on his winter wonderland, making it melt and allowing it to wash away. He then lets out another huge, weary breath. He feels a hand on his shoulder. He turns his head to see Jean, smiling softly at him. "I'm sorry for all this if I made things worse," he says.
"I know," Jean says, knowing he is genuinely contrite.
"Can I get a lift up? I'm pooped."
Jean shakes her head fondly at him and levitates the both of them out of the sewer and back onto the street.
Storm lands from above and looks around for Evan only to see he and the Morlocks are gone. "Evan? Evan!" she shouts.
Everyone looks around to see that he has vanished.
"Damn that kid," Logan curses.
"This is Karma isn't it?" Clark mutters under his breath, looking at the heavens thinking this is aimed at him somehow for failing Evan. Summoning up some reserves of energy from somewhere, he vanishes in his gust of wind...taking Storm with him.
Evan is walking with Callisto and the others through the sewers. He hated to just run off like that but he didn't know what to say to any of them. He doesn't know what to say about himself, what to think about what is happening to him. The bony spikes...he's stuck now. There's no getting rid of them. He's not even sure they've finished growing. He's needs space away from them just for now.
"It's not so bad down here," Callisto says pleasantly, sensing Evan is torn. "We don't have everything they have up there...but we have each other."
"If you say so," Evan says, sounding rather miserable.
"We could always use another protector. Superman can't be around all the time as much as he might argue that...and you are trained and have control over your powers."
"It's not like I have any other choice is it?"
"There's always a choice Evan."
At that voice, the voice of his aunt, Evan spins round to find her and Superman standing there. "Evan," she pleads. "What are you doing? Come home, please."
Evan looks sad. "I can't auntie O."
"Why not?" Superman asks the pertinent question.
"Your many visions on the blink?! Look at me!" Evan gestures at himself.
"We are Evan," Storm says, her voice strong so she gets it across she is 'looking' at him. "I see a family member in pain, who's walking away from those who only wish to help him."
Evan sighs. This is going to take awhile. "Callisto...could you give us a minute?" he requests.
"We'll be waiting in the next tunnel over," Callisto tells him with a nod as she and the others walk off.
Evan turns to his aunt. "Look auntie O...I'm not the same guy I was when I came to the Institute."
"Who is?" Superman asks him back. "Am I the same person who was terrified of revealing the truth of what he was because he feared rejection? Who didn't know, who didn't have a clue what his place in the world was or what he should do with his powers? None of us are the same Evan."
Storm nods. "Change is inevitable Evan. It's the way of the world," she says and she understands this more than most. After all what changes more frequently than the weather.
Evan snorts. "Yeah and I'm living proof aren't I," he mutters bitterly. "Lets face it I was treated like dirt before and now that I look like this...I'm better off down here."
"I should have brought Nightcrawler along," Superman comments. "I would have loved you to have said that to his face."
"I-it's not the same," Evan weakly argues, suddenly realising how that must have sounded in relation to Kurt. "I...just want to be left alone...until I sort my head out."
"Yeah because that always works so well for me," Superman says sarcastically, using all those times he has brooded and moped and you know what, what good did that do him in the end? Answer; not a whole bunch.
"What do you know about it?!" Evan spits out. "You don't look like this! You don't have to put up with how mutants are treated!"
"No Evan," Clark says firmly. "I don't have to deal with that." His eyes narrow in cold hardness. "And you don't have to deal with the fear of every second of every day that I might crush someone to death because I squeeze too hard. Or the fear you might burn everything in sight because you shoot fire from your eyes. Or be driven insane by the relentless screams and cries I hear all the damn time. I can never hug my mother the way I want to. I would wish to hug her with all my strength to show her how much I love her but I can never do that...nor anyone else. Not my sister. Not my father. Not Rogue when we were dating. Can you imagine never really being able to show someone you love how much you care?"
Evan is forced to silence.
"Can you imagine, Evan knowing you are the only one of your kind left in all the universe? That there is literally no-one else like you on Earth or anywhere. That you are different from every other person you live with. I've been alone Evan. Terribly, terribly alone, cut off from everyone because I couldn't tell them what I was, couldn't show them...and then I was at the Institute and I told you what I was and you accepted it. I wasn't alone any more and I couldn't go back to the way it was before. Can you?"
Clark's expression hardens. "You can say many things against me Evan. Usually I let them wash off my back but never, ever tell me I don't understand what it means to be alone or different. If anything it is you who has no idea, no concept of what true loneliness is. If you want to walk away from everyone who loves you and cares for you go right ahead, be alone and miserable or if not, stop being a complete bonehead and come home. If you walk away then having extra bones is obviously the least of your problems. Whatever you choose Evan, just remember this, you have to live with it...and believe me that's harder than you can imagine when your choices hurt everyone you love," he says, true pain lacing through his voice as he remembers those very choices he has made that have hurt everyone he loves. He turns and walks away. He's said his piece.
Storm stays behind. "Please Evan," she pleads one more time, "We...your parents and I, we don't care what you look like. We only care about you. Come home."
Evan is hit hard by the words...especially Clark's. For some reason Evan can tell he's talking from personal experience. He swallows. "I-I just...I need to think..."
Storm sighs, weakly smiling. At least he wasn't just walking away. "Ok, Evan," she accepts in a soft whisper. She turns to leave but looks over her shoulder one last time before she does. "Whatever you decide you'll always be my nephew and you'll always be your parents' son...and no matter what we'll always love you and be proud of you."
With that she leaves Evan to his thoughts.
Just out of sight, round the corner, Callisto was pressed up against the wall. She had to listen in. She had to know but what she heard, what she learned was confusing...and she means in relation to Superman. Only one of his kind left in the universe? What the hell does that mean?
Storm soon catches up with Superman. "Do you think he'll listen?" she asks.
"Not sure. I hope so. Needing time to think...we all need to do that. You should have seen me after my parents showed my ship to me and I learned for the 1st time I was an alien."
"You didn't always know?" Storm queries that with surprise.
"How could I?" Clark asks with a wry grin. "I don't exactly look alien like do I?"
"What happened?"
"I remembered that in the end my parents had raised me and looked after me and loved me no matter what I was and that I was still their son. If Evan has a modicum of sense he'll remember that too."
"I'm not sure Evan has a modicum of sense," Storm says in dry humour, more out of a need to distract herself.
Clark chuckles lightly. He takes a breath. "Storm...if I let you down over this, I'm sorry. I truly, truly am," he apologises. "But my word is my word. I can't change that bit nor would I change my choice. I guess I might have dented your image of me a bit."
"Clark, I never imagined you as perfect. We've all been through too much together to not have seen each other's flaws. Yes. I'm disappointed in you. I won't deny that. Angry...I think I'm past that."
"Good. I have enough women angry at me for one reason or another as is. You're scarier than like, 99% of them."
"Thanks...I think. Is Callisto one of these women?"
"I'm the one angry at her. We had a deal. She broke it. It's on my list to have words with her when I get a chance." This wasn't it. This was about Evan but make no mistake Clark will get around to talking with Callisto about all this.
Storm nods and the two get themselves back out of the sewers and take a moment to orientate themselves as to where they are. "Clark may I ask a question?"
"Sure," he shrugs.
"What did you mean back there? About hurting the ones you love? I could hear it in your voice. You meant that."
Clark sighs and rubs his face. "Storm I wish I could stand here and say I have never make bad choices or screwed up but I have and those choices hurt the two people I love most in this world. You're right. I'm not perfect. Nor without sin. There is blood on my hands, innocent blood, that I can never wash off," he says with great pain.
Before Storm can ask further what he means a gust of wind blows her white hair about. She brushes it back out of her face and finds Clark gone.
Author's Note: Since Clark is partly to blame for Evan's state seemed only right he be the one who tries the hardest to fix it and reach Evan. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; X-treme Measures Part 7 as Evan makes a final decision about his future.