Author's Note – I do not own any of the characters, Marvel and DC do.
.
Chapter Eleven
Pogrom
.
"Seven hundred and ninety-three thousand mutants?" Zod asked.
"Plus families, yes sire." Faora confirmed. "More than three-quarters of them have asked to become New Krypton citizens… New Kryptonopolis is actually starting to show the first signs of becoming a true metropolis."
Zod leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers.
"Are the new citizens being screened for suitability to act as foster parents for the new generation of Kryptonians?"
"Basic screening is being applied, with potentially suitable citizens being flagged for additional observation." Faora confirmed. "Even assuming that only one in twenty of the flagged citizens pass the required examinations, we could be looking at another couple of hundred sets of foster-parents for the re-Born. Even so, we probably won't complete the project for at least another two centuries, there are just too many QNA samples to do it any quicker than that."
"And having stable citizens is a priority." Zod confirmed. "What about power negation?"
"We have created a number of reinforced wristbands containing an energy-wave generator that negates the effects of the yellow sun for the wearer." Faora said after checking her notes. "Early trials of the collar variant in the Kandor Prison are highly promising."
"Excellent." Zod nodded. "The thought of a criminal with our powers is… rather unsettling."
Faora paused for a moment before a brief shudder ran through her body, causing Zod to smirk.
"Just imagined it for yourself, did you?"
Faora nodded, looking slightly queasy.
"And our med-pods, have they been checked?"
"All med-pods have been examined and confirmed as clean, sir." Faora reported. "New Zion and New Olympus report the same. Whatever got into the med-pods, it was only on Earth. However, new monitoring programs are being installed… just in case."
"Excellent." Zod breathed. "Pass my congratulations and thanks to those who have worked hard for this."
"Yes, sir."
.
.
Scott slumped onto the settee with a heartfelt groan.
"Three more." He grumbled. "Three. Why? Why does this keep happening?"
"The school seems… empty without the other students." Chris sighed as he looked at the older teen. "With the evacuation, Lara's the only mutant remaining…"
"The only active mutant." Scott corrected with a sigh. "These things can detect passive X-gene signatures. The last one I helped take down had killed two children and their dad. When I blasted its head off, it was about to kill the baby too. It really doesn't help that the X-gene seems to activate for less than half the people who possess it…"
"Several members of the Church of Humanity were apparently latent mutants." Storm offered as she passed a mug of coffee to Scott. "Their Supreme Pontiff claimed that it was because they had become corrupted by mutants and urged everyone to turn against us as soon as possible… rumor has it that the only reason New York isn't under martial law are those Sentinels are too tough… the silver ones, that is."
"Those blasted things." Scott growled. "I had a shot at one, but my beam bounced off. Damn thing spun to try and bounce my beam back at me, but I got away. Still not sure how. Downside, I'm useless against those silver ones."
"At least the death toll's finally slowing down." Storm offered in the tone of someone looking for any bright point in a dark situation."
"And Magneto's joined our side." Scott added. "I have to admit, I didn't see that one coming."
"Neither did I, young Cyclops." A smooth voice replied and everyone spun to see the man in question walking into the living room, his helmet tucked under one arm and Charles floating along beside him. "However, circumstances have forced me to take a long look at all that I once held to be true. While I still believe that Mutants are evolutionarily superior to humans, the presence of the Kryptonians has changed things greatly. As such, I find myself seeking to preserve all of humanity, mutant and normal alike. Once this is over, Charles has agreed that I may reside here and pursue an old career of mine once more, teaching."
"Eric has agreed to teach history at Bayville High after we bring an end to the current crises." Charles explained.
"By bringing knowledge of the problems of the past into the present day, I hope I can help to create a future where no mutant needs to live in fear." Eric stated calmly, then he frowned. "Speaking of places where mutants do not live in fear, what's happening with Genosha?"
.
"Another load?" King Marko sighed as he saw a line of explosions over the sea. "How many Sentinels is that now?"
"The automated defenses have countered and destroyed over two hundred Sentinels, My Lord." Iago said after a brief pause caused by him consulting his internal info-link.
"Heh, Xanatos Enterprises has really proven themselves." Juggernaut grinned. "Remind me to give them an additional tax-reduction for… how do I phrase destroying dozens of annoying robots trying to kill my people?"
"…Services rendered to Genosha, Sire?"
Marko nodded. "Excellent. You know, having you on my personal squad really makes things run smoother."
Iago nodded, glancing sideways to where Polaris had just walked past the door with Galatea. His one attempt to intimidate the Kryptonian clone had resulted in almost half of his body having to be rebuilt while his (accidental) sneaking up on Polaris had left him embedded in a wall until King Marko had pulled him out, chuckling as he did so.
Iago had learned his lesson well. He much preferred a comfortable life (with several small luxuries and plenty of opportunities to earn more) rather than one where he was finding new places to be embedded in walls.
Even if it meant working for someone who reminded him a bit too much of Goliath.
.
"They're doing fine, mainly due to David Xanatos' company." Charles stated. "Xanatos has been pursuing closer business arrangements with Genosha and New Krypton ever since I helped him with a certain project of his, one designed to go towards repaying the debt he owes the Gargoyles. He's been quite eager to try new ways of doing things, hiring mutants with odd powers and finding ways to make them profitable."
"I think I heard about that." Eric mused. "Didn't he get one girl a job with Japanese film-makers?"
"Lisa Williams, code-name Sakura." Charles confirmed. "She can generate flower petals on command and even control their trajectory to a degree. Apparently the Japanese film-makers love her because her petals can be directed to help in dramatic scenes."
Eric smiled slightly at that. "Is he a mutant himself? Xanatos, I mean?"
"No." Charles said. "However, he is one of the most intelligent planners I have ever met, one who is always on the lookout for another chance to make a profit. And not just a financial one…. Come to think about it, I may have to contact him. Since he employs many mutants, he would feel protective about them, but I have no idea what he's doing to protect them."
.
"Graaaaaaagh!"
The shredded remains of the Bio-Sentinel crashed to the ground as a huge figure straightened up, wings flaring outwards before folding inwards to form a cape. For a moment, the looming being was back-lit by an explosion as burning debris crashed to the ground, then another figure of almost identical size landed, repulsors slowing it so that it touched down gently.
"Thanks, Goliath." The second figure said as its helmet retracted, revealing the face of David Xanatos. "This was the biggest attack yet."
Goliath looked at the scattered pieces of technology and the less-than-pleasant modified bio-systems of the smaller enemies. "You are part of the Clan. The Clan will always provide aid to its members."
"A fact I am very grateful for." David replied with a smile that lacked most of the calculation and cynicism that he usually displayed.
.
"If his reputation is anywhere near accurate, then I am certain that he has the situation under control."
"He always does." Charles said with a slight smile. "He always does…"
"If only these new Sentinels didn't have that anti-magnetic field." Magneto sighed. "It would be so much easier to deal with them if I could simply rip them apart…"
.
.
"The mutant population in New York has been virtually eliminated despite the heavy losses amongst our forces." Trask reported. "Although Bayville is problematic, the mutant population there has also been severely depleted. Our probes picked up less than twenty X-gene signatures. The Church of Humanity is ready to move in and provide rear security as the area of purification increase. In addition, we have been preparing many of them for potential activation via nanites included in their food and drink."
"Then go and give the required orders to your followers." Master Mold stated. Trask saluted, then vanished in the bright flash of a teleporter.
"He is getting too excited about this." Armin Zola noted from the corner of the hall, where he was working on his own projects. "He has forgotten that this is not about destruction, but about gaining control."
"Just like Hydra once was?"
Zola nodded. "Ja, before Hydra was taken over by Apocalypse, there was a plan to take control, but Apocalypse changed it, made it more… theatrical, meaning that people were alerted too early and stopped it."
"Like the Kryptonians?"
"They are unlikely to interfere since they lost so many during the Brainiac incident." Zola pointed out. "Over a quarter of them gone in one day. How… unfortunate. It will take them at least fifteen years before their new generation is ready to deploy. Fifteen years for us to gain control over all of America… and maybe, if the plan works without any setbacks, the world."
Both cybernetic beings looked at each other for a long moment, then Zola returned to his project while Master Mold resumed directing her Sentinels as the secondary force assembled for a strike that would grant her access to New Krypton, the mutants hiding there and the vast reserves of technology that she could re-purpose for a new generation of Sentinels even more capable than those she now had under her command.
Despite the distractions, though, a portion of her mind was reviewing everything that Zola had been doing.
The fact he seemed to be perfectly obedient was worrying. It meant that whatever he was planning, she hadn't managed to catch even a trace of it yet…
.
.
"Smythe. Report."
"I have the location, and the target." Smythe said with grim satisfaction as he triggered the holoscreens. "What you are looking at is a version of Sentinel created to allow for the manufacture of other Sentinels. This one can take over any factory that's large enough and re-purpose its machinery to produce new Sentinels. Although only one has been built, it is quite formidable, both in its own right and because of its ability to produce and control Sentinels.
"It's designation is Master Mold."
Fisk glared at the image. "That's the who. Now, what about the where?"
"This is where we had a stroke of luck." Smythe smirked. "You see, Master Mold has been using our servers to transmit the programs needed to activate its Bio-Sentinels. As such, not only do I have several copies of the program to play with, meaning that if I can locate and re-write the loyalty coding, we could have an army of them ready to follow every one of your commands, but by backtracking, we have Master Mold's location. Should I have an anonymous source send the position to Superman's group?"
"I think not, Smythe." Fisk mused. "No, I believe that I will have the Six deal with this. Oh, and Smythe, once this is over, please double-check my med-pods to find out which of them has been implanting these nanites into my people."
"Of course, sir."
.
.
"…and the main story of the evening, a Sentinel Strike on Friendship Island, the location of the Gate connecting Earth to New Krypton, was defeated with no casualties amongst the defenders. A force of Kryptonians and Mutants defeated the attempted attack and in doing so, ensured that the railroad for fleeing mutants remains open.
"In a statement by Governor-General Zod today, New Krypton has reaffirmed its intent to allow mutants and those from other endangered minorities to seek refuge there, so long as they abide by the rules of New Krypton…"