Age of Apocalypse Revolver

Fifth Chamber

By Michael Edwards

The pain Mitch felt could not be described in words. The burns were still healing. Flesh had regrown. Tender to the touch. Magneto checked him over to see to what extent Mitch's healing prowess would cover his injuries. Being a self taught geneticist, Magneto also learned much about anatomy and medicine. The latter he learned after Charles had died. Realizing that in war, he would need to treat his soldiers and perhaps treat himself.

"It's amazing," said Magneto with a cold clinical tone. "It has been several hours and you are almost completely healed."

"Hurts like hell," said Mitch. "Do you think there will be any lasting effects?"

Magento summoned a metal device to him. He switched it on and it scanned Mitch all the way down to the cellular level. The silence that followed and the look of complete fascination bothered Mitch.

"Eric!" said Mitch with annoyance.

"Yes, sorry." Magneto set the equipment back with a magnetic field. "I don't think there will be. Your metabolism seems to be absorbing ambient energies to aid in your recovery process. Acting as a fuel source for your healing factor."

"How much longer until I am fully healed?"

"Another two hours at most, however; I have no idea of the psychological effects of what you went through."

"...let me worry about that," said Mitch.

"For now you should rest and let your body finish mending," said Magneto. "I need to have a talk with Robert."

"I don't know if it's a good idea, he's really on edge."

"I know, but I only do it because his power is useful."

"Useful to the war, but at what cost to his sanity and soul?"

"All of us bear a cost in this war, Mitch…some more than others."

Magneto walked away, leaving Mitch in the treatment room by himself.

Jean hugged Logan the moment he walked into the house. He laughed and set her down.

"I'm okay, darlin'."

"Are you sure?" she asked, looking him over.

Sabertooth walked in after him. Jean stood back giving him a look of disgust.

"Well, well, the runt has a frail."

"Don't even look at her," said Logan with a glare.

"Not my type," said Sabertooth. "Do you guys have any grub?"

"The kitchen, towards the back."

"Thanks frail."

"Don't worry about him, darlin'. He makes a move toward you and I'll cut him in ways that won't heal."

"I'm not worried about him," said Jean. "I'm worried about us, because the time we have together seems finite and I don't want to lose you."

"Ain't nothing gonna happen ta me, Jeannie. I'll crawl through hell for you."

The two hugged and then kissed.

Gambit looked around for Rogue. He found her in the swimming pool. She wasn't wearing full clothing, just a swimsuit. Gambit sat near the edge and whistled. Starling her.

"Damn you, Remy, ya scared me to death!"

"Was enjoyin' the view and what a lovely view it is," Gambit said with a smile.

"You swamp rat," said Rogue flying out of the pool and drenching him. "You shouldn't startle a lady!"

Gambit only smiled as he looked up at her. Her fine body dripping water.

Rogue covered herself and flew off into the changing room where she toweled off and changed into her clothes. She came out several minutes later in a better mood. Gambit rung out his coat and smiled at her. The next thing he knew he was in the pool with nothing but his underwear on.

His head came out of the water and he looked at Rogue who held his clothes. She had a big mischievous grin on her face.

"A good amount of metal in your clothes," said Rogue. "Maybe now you'll be more gentlemanly."

"I don't mind, chere. You saw the goods and you know what awaits you!"

Rogue dumped his clothes right on his head and left in a huff.

Mitch remembered every bit of the pain and searing sensation from Prelate Alex Summers plasma blast. The hairs on his arm had just regrown on the fresh skin that replaced the charred skin. His face was still a mess. Burn scars that were still healing. His eyes were healed enough that he could see color and shapes. Nothing concrete.

He got up from the medical bed and used his enhanced hearing to get around like a makeshift radar. Walking down the winding hallway to his room. Inside was Mina, waiting for him. He noticed her scent and his face was wrought with confusion.

"What are you doing here, kiddo?"

"I heard you got hurt," said Mina. She walked up to him and placed her hands on his stomach.

He didn't realize what she was doing until it was done. She was infusing him with energy, it bolstered his healing powers. Making his injuries heal even faster. When he saw her, she collapsed into his waiting arms. His body fully healed.

"Mina, you didn't have to do that but thank you."

He carried to his bed and put the cover over her. Taking a sleeping position on the floor where he covered himself with an older blanket.

Pietro had run across the county line. In Texas, he was meeting with the resistance. The mysterious figurehead behind the resistance was unknown. But resistance worked with the X-Men whenever they could. The newest info was about the cloning complex in Michigan. Where the horsemen were cloned and put to use for their master Apocalypse. The main function, however; had to do with creating a perfect vessel for Lord Apocalypse through the DNA gathered and sent to the facility.

Pietro knew he had to share this knowledge with his father quickly so he ran at top speed.

Robert created ice sculpture after ice sculpture. He didn't bother with precision. He just wanted to cut loose without Magneto's constant lectures. Magneto didn't have his helmet on.

"Perhaps," thought Magento. "It is not Magneto of the X-Men that Robert needs, but Eric the teacher and friend."

Eric approached Robert and the young man tensed up once he saw Eric. Eric looked at the ice sculptures that Robert made. He always recognized Robert's artistic talent.

"These scu-"

"I don't want to hear it," said Robert. "I don't want to hear anything you have to say."

"Robert," Eric started to say.

"No, I don't want to hear anything you have to say!" shouted Robert. "I'd be your good little soldier. But right now is my time and I don't want you around me!"

The room got colder. Eric lowered his head. Defeated. He left with Robert forming an ice wall to cover the doorway. Eric kept walking down the hallway. Passing Rogue. She saw how deflated he was. She started after when she heard Gambit calling for her. Deciding to avoid him for the moment. She ducked down another hallway and headed to the training room to blow off some steam.

Sabertooth finished eating and decided to get some exercise. He found the training room after some helpful hints and was in the midst of combat when Rogue entered.

He ripped one of the robot drones apart as Rogue crumpled one in the palm of her hand with the aid of magnetism. She punched her first through another. Ignoring Sabertooth as if he was not even there. Saberooth of course didn't care. The workout gave him all the action he desired.

The whole design of the training room was sheer genius. The robots would be beaten up, the wreckage would be collected and go through a chute where the parts were recycled to make more drones until the timer stopped. The assembly line that rebuilt the drones showed speed and efficiency to match the training going on. When the training session ended, Sabertooth wiped drone debris off his shoulder. The room was in reset mode and would take about two hours to rebuild every single drone.

"Got yer frustrations worked out girlie?" asked Sabertooth with a hint of sarcasm.

Rogue gave him a kill look and he backed off. She left the room and Sabertooth whistled, admiring her ass.

Mitch couldn't sleep. So he took some of the loose parts in his room and let his mind go blank. He built some kind of device that he didn't know yet what it was. So he disassembled it and reassembled it.

"Ah, a trace mutagenic energy analyzer."

Mitch left the room and decided to see if the device worked. So he entered the medical bay and the device began beeping immediately. Mitch smiled and decided to put in the workshop to work on later. He saw Magneto, no, Eric there. He wasn't wearing the armor and helmet of the master of magnetism.

"Eric," said Mitch. "Is everything all right?"

"Mitch…" Eric said absently. "I-yeah, everything is okay."

"Are you sure?" asked Mitch.

"Yeah," said Eric. "What is that device?"

"A trace mutagenic energy analyzer."

"Interesting, you just made it?"

"Yes."

"That's good," said Eric. He then noticed something different about Mitch. "You're fully healed!"

"Yeah, thanks to Mina…" said Mitch. "She was worried about me I guess and she helped me in my recovery."

"Her power is very useful," said Eric. "...but I find myself concerned about having her with us."

"She's safer with us than anywhere else," said Mitch. "Besides, we don't have a doctor on hand. She makes it easier."

"Though I do agree, she's young and she shouldn't have to face such horrible things at her age."

Eric rubbed his eyes. "You better try and get some sleep. Tomorrow is another day in this conflict."

"You better get some sleep too, Eric."

Eric waved him off and looked over the sketch he did of a device that he talked about with Charles. Without Charles, he couldn't complete it. He didn't understand brains the way Charles did. It was his gift in understanding the brain of mutants and humans and their subtle differences that gave Eric his appreciation for Charles.

"Charles, I wonder how different life would have been if you had lived…"