CHAPTER FIVE

Harmony found herself nowhere. Around her everything was black, blacker than night. She whimpered slightly…and to her surprise, a comforting hand enveloped hers. She looked up into the face of Professor Xavier. He seemed to be whole again, walking. More than that, his hand felt human. "Professor..?"she asked in confusion.

"Here, I can appear however I like,"he explained. "Unfortunately, the lack of freedom is too high a price to pay." He turned away from her. "Have you met my friend Erik?"

Another man stepped out of the gloom, grey-haired and dressed in dark clothes, with a wide-brimmed hat. He nodded politely to her. "A pleasure, Miss Drake."

"How long have you been here?"Harmony asked.

"Oh, I've always been here. In a way, I started this."

"It took both of us to make this happen,"Xavier reminded him. "The rage that you express and I supress."

"But where are we?"Harmony persisted.

Xavier knew the answer would bring her no comfort. But truth was all he had. "Inside Onslaught."

The X-Jet came into land on the lawn of the mansion. Jubilee, Moonstar and Cypher were waiting there to greet them as Logan, Storm, Bobby and Warren descended the ramp. "What happened here?"Bobby asked.

"Our new arch-enemy paid a visit,"Jubilee explained. "He calls himself Onslaught."

"Is everyone all right?"Storm asked.

"Sam and Rahne were a bit hurt. They're recovering inside." Jubilee seemed to hesitate before saying any more.

"Where's Rogue?"Bobby asked.

"She's upstairs. She's okay. But…" – Jubilee took a deep breath – "…he took Harmony."

"What?"Wolverine demanded.

"We tried to fight him when he got inside,"Moonstar explained. "But he just ignored us. Paige and Angelo got in his way. If they hadn't been using their powers, they'd probably both be dead. Then he just…absorbed Harmony into him."

Bobby took off towards the mansion. "I've got to see Rogue."

Wolverine caught Jubilee's arm as she turned as if to follow him. "If there's anything else you want to tell us, now's the time."

Bobby hurried up to their room, then came to a juddering halt just outside the door. Rogue was lying on the bed, her back to him. "Go away,"she said, tearfully but firmly, sensing someone there.

"Marie, it's me,"Bobby answered. Rogue didn't answer but he took the silence as an invitation to enter. He walked into the room and clambered onto the bed, gently laying a hand on her back.

Rogue turned over and he put his arms around her, holding her close. "I'm so sorry,"she said quietly. "I let them take her."

"It wasn't you,"Bobby promised her. "We'll get her back."

"How?"

"I don't know yet. But this mansion is full of people that love her. No-one's going to let this be the end."

Henry McCoy, also known as Beast, looked up at the towering figures standing before him. Sentinels. They were supposed to serve and protect humanity, just as his subordinates in X-Factor and his old comrades in the X-Men did. But he had had enough bad experiences to feel nervous around them.

The creator of this new breed of Sentinels came to join him. "Admiring our work, Doctor McCoy?"

Beast bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Impressive, Mr Shaw. But then Sentinels often are when inactive. It is when they are actually used that the real test begins."

Shaw gave no sign of being insulted by the declaration. "Well, with the help of you and your colleagues, hopefully that test will be soon."

"I see no reason for it not to start right away,"observed another voice. Henry Peter Guyrich. After being removed from his position as the co-ordinator of X-Factor, he had been all too quick to join Shaw on his project. With him were the members of X-Factor: Havok, Polaris, Colossus and Siryn.

"As you say, Mr Guyrich,"Beast agreed with strained politeness. "Let us see, shall we?"

Beast, Guyrich and Shaw retreated behind a glass screen where other technicians were monitoring. Havok led his team forward. "Ready when you are, Mr Shaw."

"Begin,"Shaw instructed.

Lights lit up over the Sentinels as they came online. Havok waited and then unleashed a force blast that sent one of the Sentinels back. Polaris used her magnetic powers on one, stopping it in its tracks. The Sentinels struck back, generating opposing fields that cancelled her powers out, and marched on.

Just outside the building where the test was being held was Onslaught. He psionically scanned the interior, his mind probing everything that was going on inside, every small part of the Sentinels' workings. Then he struck.

Havok sensed something was wrong but he wasn't sure what. It was like a subtle shift in the Sentinels' behaviour or appearance. Their stance was just a bit more threatening, their lights shining just a bit more ominously. Then one of them reached out and grabbed Polaris. It began squeezing her and she gave a gasp of pain.

"It's going to kill her!"Havok shouted. He fired a force blast that severed the Sentinel's arm. Polaris fell from its grasp and Colossus, already in his metal form, dashed forward to catch her. Siryn unleashed her sonic scream and blasted the Sentinel down.

"What are your people doing?"Guyrich demanded.

Beast was unsure himself but felt the need to defend them. "I'm sure whatever it is they have a reason for it."

Next minute, a blast from one of the Sentinels shot away the protective glass in front of them, wrecking the control room as they all dived for cover. "They're attacking us!"Guyrich protested. "Your use of force must have triggered this!"

Shaw shook his head. "No, this isn't part of their programming."

X-Factor were continuing their battle against the Sentinels. Suddenly, the robots took off, smashing through the roof. Everyone looked up and saw Onslaught there, waiting to meet them. The Sentinels joined him and within seconds, all of them were simply distant specks in the sky.