M2K Presents
Force Works 14
Cause and Effect
Part 2
The Story thus far: Nova, Kymaera, Arsenal and Tarene have gone to Dr. Strange in hopes that he could cure Tarene's amnesia. Despite Tarene's apprehension, Dr. Strange immediately unlocked the secret of what young Tarene really is, a young goddess of Asgard. Now all that is left to discover is the 'who'. Meanwhile, after a lengthy investigation, Adam Sol, better known as X-Treme was arrested by the police on suspicion of murder. The remainder of Force Works has vowed to investigate, but were ambushed on Nation Television by the telepathic cult leader known as Gabriel Thorne, who demanded that X-Treme be expelled immediately from Force Works. Dani agreed.
Metro City, Lucky Hotel
"Are ye mad Dani? How can ye do that to Adam, jus' cut him off?" Rahne demanded as the two women, escorted by watchful policemen, entered one of the listed crime scenes in preparation to examine it.
"I told you before Rahne, and I'll tell you again, drop it." Dani snapped thru the telepathic link the two women shared, "And call me Mirage in public! My family doesn't have an defended island to protect themselves!"
"Fine, 'Mirage', how ye just abandon a teammate like that?" Rahne demanded again
"Because I was ambushed on national television, and I've hardly abandoned X- Treme, we're here aren't we?" Dani replied
"Ye know exactly what I mean." Rahne retorted angrily
"Yes, I do. There's another reason why I cut X-Treme loose, but now's not the time to go into it," Dani stated, "go wolf and see if you can scent anything."
"Adam has nae scent." Rahne said as she complied, transforming from a human girl into a human/wolf hybrid. Once she was done, she took a strong whiff of air, taking in the texture of the room. As the motel charged by the hour, the scents Rahne took in were hardly pleasant.
"Anything?"
"Nae a bloody thing." Rahne sighed, "Adam has no scent, but when he burns people, it creates a distinct scent that lingers a bit."
"And let me guess, you can still smell it here." Dani sighed
"I could have told ye that lass." A voice said from behind them. Sean Cassidy stepped forward, his hands in his pockets as he regarded the two young women, "our meta crimes unit's found your boy's energy signature at every murder scene, wit' the baseline being taken from one of yuir old battles."
"Can't blame a girl for trying." Dani said defensively
"Aye, lass, I understand that. Rahne, could I talk to ye in private?" Cassidy asked.
"Anything ye say tae me, ye can say to Da....Mirage." Rahne said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Alright. What's yer relationship wit' this boy?"
"Excuse me?" Rahne asked with a raised eyebrow
"I've been a policeman most of my bloody life Rahne," Sean explained, "and I've learned a thing or two, especially body language. Yours lass, is all over the place. What's yer feelings regarding this boy?"
"I...I don' see where that's any o' yuir business." Rahne stated, unable to quite meet Sean's gaze.
"I don' want ta see ye get hurt Rahne, I..."
"It's a little late t' start patronizing me, don' ye think Sean?" Rahne said sharply, instantly silencing Cassidy
"Wow. Low blow, Rahne." Dani said telepathically, "Anything you care to talk about?"
"Now's nae the time to go into it." Rahne replied quickly
"At any rate, yer not going to find anything." Sean said after several moments of silence, "Not only are my people verra good, I've combed over every single report when I took over the investigation. Not a single mistake to be found." He said matter of factly.
"Which would be why you're here in the first place, to give this B.S case legitimacy." Dani said contemptuously.
"Ye say that like it's a bad thing. Like I keep saying, I'm convinced we have the right man. I knew the minute my superiors asked me to take over this case, it was because they wanted to demonstrate that there was no anti mutant bias present." Cassidy explained, "I'm not in the habit of letting murderers get away regardless of their bloody genes. And yuir a fine one to talk, lass. You're the one who expelled this 'X-Treme' from your little club."
Before Dani would reply, Rahne let out a whelp of pain and hobbled over to the bed situated in the middle of the room, and pulled her right leg up and across her left leg.
"Rahne, what's wrong?" Dani asked
"I stepped on some glass." Rahne explained as she pulled the offending shard loose from her foot and examined it. Her healing factor had already closed the wound, but Rahne's attention was focused on the glass she's removed. She held it in front of her nose and regarded it carefully, allowing her enhanced senses and instincts to inspect the sliver.
"Wolfsbane, what is it?" Dani asked
"This glass...it almost smells as if it's alive." Rahne stated as she handed it off to her leader.
"I don't suppose you know anything about this?" Dani asked as she handed the glass over to Cassidy.
"All I know it that it's a piece of glass, regardless of what Rahne's nose says. I'll have it examined, though, don't ye worry," Sean said as he dropped the fragment in an evidence bag, "Who knows? Maybe Adam had an accomplice?"
Both young women were silent, not quite sure of what to say.
***
A run down hotel in Metro City
"Five gets you ten he did it."
"Should I ever be accused of a crime, remind me not to turn to you for moral support, Speedball." Taki said as he casually ran his scanners over the crime scene.
"Why? You're a little different than Adam. He's like, all secretive and stuff." Speedball explained, "Which is really creepy for a guy who has a stabbing fetish."
"We all have our secrets." Taki said evenly.
"What, like the fact that you're gay?" Speedball smirked knowingly, "when you ogled Adam back in Africa, we kinda figured it out, though I'll admit that we were all a little shocked you actually a sexual orientation."
"Touché'. And then there's your little secret crush on Rahne..." Taki shot back.
"Umm, yeah..." Speedball shifted awkwardly for a moment, "anyways, my point is that we really don't know X-Treme. He comes to meetings and missions, stabs people and then leaves without a word. Dude, if it weren't for Dani, we wouldn't have even known Adam was Scar!"
"Shi'ar." Taki corrected
"Whatever. My point is, Adam's never really opened up to anyone besides Bobby. It's not like I have a problem working with hardcore guys. Heck, the first team I was on, our leader dropped Nova off a roof." Speedball said.
"What's so bad about dropping Nova off a roof? He can fly, after all."
"Because he didn't have his powers at the time." Speedball said uncomfortably, "that's what."
Taki looked away from his scanner and towards with a perplexed look on his face, "And you followed this man why?"
"Same reason we all followed Dani from day one. He's damn good, and he was upfront with us from day one." Speedball answered, "I trusted him because he trusted us. And it was only Nova he dropped off a roof, after all."
"I see your point. Adam has been rather anti social to the...ahem...extreme." Taki admitted.
"That's all I'm saying man, that's why I gots doubts. Your scans turn up anything?"
Taki shook his head and sighed, "Nothing good. I'm picking up the energy signature of his 'burning' ability as well as something else I can't quite place, but that's it."
"Well, maybe the next scene will be better." Speedball said unconvincingly as they turned to leave. He heard an odd crunch under his foot, and he knelt down to examine what exactly it was that he'd stepped on.
"Speedball, what is it?"
"Just some glass shards." He said dismissively, "Forget it. Man, I hope Adam isn't having too rough a time at Tartarus, because we ain't making much headway in getting him out."
*** Tartarus
Adam attempted to drone out the taunts and jeers of the other prisoners as he was led down the cellblock after cellblock to his cell. Overall, Adam had to admit earth prisons were a lot easier to bear than the other prisons Adam knew about around the universe. He had been booked at the precinct house and then rushed to Tartarus, not even bothering with questioning. The police obviously afraid that he'd use his powers to escape, and they felt they already had enough to bury him. Arriving at Tartarus, Adam had his long hair cut back to just above his neck and given an orange jump suit and special manacles that covered his wrists and negated his mutant powers (but not his strength and agility, though Adam wasn't about to 'fess up to that).
But as he walked, Adam found he couldn't quite banish the thought that he really was guilty of the murders he was accused of. From what little they had told him, the murders occurred around the times he'd had his blackouts. That alone was suspicious, but add that to the fact that Adam's biological father was a madman that paled even Hitler and Stalin combined, and his case was even worse. At least, it was in Adam's mind. Adam's heart didn't really sink when he'd heard that Dani had expelled him from Force Works post haste. He'd already hit rock bottom. Adam closed his eyes and prayed to whatever gods still cared about him to give him some answers.
"You might wanna open your eyes, mutie." A guard spat from behind Adam, "because looks like there's been a little slip up."
X-Treme opened his eyes to see three men in prison jump suits standing outside their cell, towards X-Treme. One man, an African American with dreadlocks, pointed teeth and sharp claws, was leaning up against the steel wall, a look of disinterest on his face. The other two men, one a powerfully built (four hundred pounds if an once) seven foot six and the other an even six foot tall average looking black male.
"Oh dear, it looks like we transferred Headsman, Cardiac and Mongoose at wrong time." One guard remarked with mock concern.
"Shame about our new boy getting roughed up like he did." Another remarked.
X-Treme didn't wait for another word before stepping forward to meet his foes.
"I'm sorry about this kid." Cardiac said sincerely as he stepped forward to attack. Despite his recent capture by the F.B.I after being exposed by the CSA, Cardiac felt no real anger towards law enforcement in general. He accepted he worked outside the law a long time ago. However, to survive in prison and Tartarus especially, one had to go with the crowd. No one here cared about Cardiac's vigilante status, as all his real targets had always been 'rich fat cats', so Cardiac remained relatively unscathed from the wraith of his fellow prisoners, and he naturally desired to keep it that way.
"Yeah, so am I." X-Treme executed a back flip as soon Cardiac was within arm's length, both feet catching Cardiac's chin. Cardiac crumbled to the ground, likely in mock defeat Adam suspected, but he had no time to investigate as Headsman lumbered forward, fists swinging wildly.
"Goin' down, pretty boy!" Headsman declared as he struggled in vain to hit X-Treme. Though Headsman continued to miss, X-Treme recognized that Headsman was driving him back, up against a wall where Headsman's height and weight would let him tear into X-Treme. Not deciding to wait, the alien warrior flipped over Headsman towards more open ground. However, Adam miscalculated, and Headsman spun around and managed to clip Adam with a backhand, sending him rolling down the hall towards Mongoose, coming to a stop at the feet of the villain.
"You gonna take that from him?" Mongoose asked Adam as he picked his teeth with his claws. Adam just glared at Mongoose for a moment before standing up and sprinting back towards the grinning Headsman. Headsman met him midway, and left loose a powerful right that X-Treme ducked. Adam then rolled forward, underneath Headsman's legs and spun around. Not wasting a moment, X-Treme unleashed a punt that would have lifted lesser men into the air. Headsman crumbled to one knee, and much to his credit didn't cry out in agony, rather he gritted his teeth in rage. X-Treme took a few steps back and then burst into laughter.
"Oh what are you whining about? I barely touched anything of value!" X- Treme chuckled maliciously, or at least appeared to. To anyone not in an incredible amount of pain, they would have recognized the total lack of malice in Adam's voice. Adam, knowledgeable in all forms of warfare, was employing psychological warfare in this instance, goading his foe into a mistake. Taking a few steps back, Adam put his hands on his hips casually and stated, "Tell you what, I'll make it fair. I'll stand right here perfectly still, whenever you're ready."
Headsman's mind went red with rage in response to Adam's utter disrespect. No one, not Spiderman, not that Scarlet Spider punk, no one talks to the Headsman like that. His injury forgotten, the villain raged forward and lashed out with a right hook powerful enough to kill a half dozen men in one shot. But that's exactly what X-Treme wanted him to do. X-Treme brought up his left arm, covered by the steel manacles issued by the prison to keep Adam's powers at bay, and deftly snapped it out, taking the hit directly, and then snapped back. The process was similar to how regular martial artists broke cement blocks with their bare hands, and potentially devastating for the recipient
"Yeaaarrgh!" Headsman screamed as he clutched his shattered right hand, while the suppressed pain of his manhood began flaring up.
"Had enough?"
Roaring with enough rage to do the Hulk proud, Headsman charged again, this time lashing out with his remaining good hand.
"Roosha, what an idiot." X-Treme sighed as he repeated his last maneuver, only this time using his right arm to block. X-Treme, this time, didn't stop there. Even if he beat this man, Adam knew that there'd be hundreds willing to take his place. A message had to be sent, and this man was the best person to use. And easily the most deserving. X-Treme lashed out with two snap kicks, one again striking Headsman in the manhood and another hitting Headsman dead center in his chest, expelling all the air from his lungs. As the villain crumbled, X-Treme put one leg over Headsman's shoulder, straddling the larger man's arm between his legs.
"You're going to tell your friends something for me." X-Treme said as he gripped the sides of Headsman's arm with both hands.
"Fuck off." Headsman said thru clenched teeth and a haze of pain, "I'm not doing a damn thing for you, so save your hero threats."
"You misunderstood me. I wasn't making a request, only a statement," X- Treme explained as he pulled Headsman's arm up towards his chest, "you're just an example."
Mongoose licked his lips in anticipation he heard the slow -crack- and cry of pain before Headsman finally passed out. Mongoose was knowledgeable enough in the ways of maiming and infliction of pain to recognize the fact that the break wasn't a very clean one. Mongoose had to admit, he was wrong about this new arrival. He wasn't the soft weakling Mongoose had assumed him to be. This 'X-Treme' was seemingly everything Mongoose could desire in a foe, skilled, cunning and uninhibited by morality.
"I hope you're warmed up, because the prelims are over." Mongoose stated as X-Treme let Headsman's mangled arm drop to the floor and turned to face the animal warrior.
X-Treme raised his arms in a defensive posture and said, "Prove it."
With an animalistic roar, Mongoose charged forward on all fours and swiped at X-Treme with his claws. Adam ducked to the side and drove his knee into Mongoose's mid section and an elbow into the mutate's eye. Mongoose lashed out with a savage strike that sent X-Treme sprawling and caused stars to appear on the edges of his vision. Adam struggled to his feet at Mongoose shook his head in disapproval
"You're becoming something of a disappointment, boy." Mongoose warned as he rubbed the blood out of his bad eye, "That was only a single shot."
"I'm not here to entertain you." X-Treme snapped as he pushed past the pain and flipped up to a standing position.
"Maybe not, but I was hoping that I could find a kindred spirit in you. Your passion for combat, for making your foes suffer the true agonies of defeat," Mongoose rolled his hand in a dismissive gesture, "think what you want, but we're not that different."
Mongoose didn't need his enhanced senses or even vision to know that he'd struck a raw nerve with X-Treme. As easily and surely as X-Treme manipulated Headsman, Mongoose had played X-Treme with even less effort. With a roar of defiance, X-Treme charged Mongoose and lashed out with a roundhouse kick that Mongoose barely blocked.
"I can sense it, you know, even without your scent..." Mongoose sidestepped a kick.
"You like hurting people, there's a monster inside you you let out when it suits your purposes..." Mongoose leaped over a foot sweep.
"Why keep it locked up boy?" Mongoose lashed out with a right hook that spun X-Treme around 180 degrees. Mongoose gripped X-Treme's throat with his left hand and grabbed X-Treme's right wrist with his free hand. Mongoose then whispered in X-Treme's ear, "let it out boy, there's nothing wrong with monsters. Nature made them for a reason."
"I'm not a monster!" X-Treme declared and marshaling all of his strength, Adam pulled his right wrist free and slammed his elbow into Mongoose's throat, just below the beat's Adam apple. The pressure on X-Treme's neck went slack for a moment, and Adam wasted no time in pulling the hand away from his throat. Adam placed his right foot directly behind Mongoose's lower calf and pulled it up, tripping Mongoose to the floor.
"I'm not a monster!" Adam screamed uncontrollably as he spun around and straddled Mongoose's chest. The alien warrior began to pummel the man beast senselessly, "You hear me, Shakki! I'm not a monster!"
Despite his rage, the life long of training Adam received was still fully functional, and Adam instinctively focused his attacks on Mongoose's neck and eyes, areas that were as important as they were vulnerable. So savage was the attack, even Mongoose was taken off guard and left unable to defend himself.
"You hear me, D'Ken?!" X-Treme demanded madly as he drove his thumbs into Mongoose's eye sockets and gripped the villain's head firmly. Adam began slamming Mongoose's head on the steel floor with an animal like fury, "I'm not you!"
"Enough! That's enough!" Guards declared as they began shocking Adam with electric cattle prods to get him to release his victim. The shocks also brought Adam back to his senses. He didn't resist as the guards grabbed him and began dragging him to his cell, he was too mesmerized by his blood caked hands. And as much as he wished otherwise, he remembered every single thing he'd said and done to Mongoose with frightening clarity.
*** United Front Office Building
Gabriel Thorne silently raged as he watched the media storm surrounding Force Works. His plan had been so simple, so easy, how could it have gone wrong? He asked himself again and again.
Frame a member for the murder of several anti-mutant activists. Then, when the truth is revealed, turn the public against Force Works, who would stand beside their accused teammate to the bitter end like the good little heroes they were, confident in his innocence. Thus they would be ruined. Only they didn't do that. Force Works cut X-Treme loose, on national television, ruining everything. Their image and reputation was largely unscathed at the moment, and was likely to remain that way when events were fully played out.
But as one part of Thorne raged, another part of him felt a small amount of respect budding inside himself.
"These children are quite ruthless, I must admit." He thought to himself as he watched his plans burn on national television. He was consoled by the fact that there was absolutely no way to trace what had happened back to Thorne or any of his people. So one plan failed, so what? Tomorrow was another day.
*** Dr. Strange's sanctum
"So bored." Nova commented as he flipped past channel after channel while leaning back in an old recliner
"If you're so bored, why not just turn on the news?" Kymaera proposed while she sat across from Nova on the couch
"Because it's so damn slanted I also fall over every time I listen," Nova explained, "Besides, I doubt anything important's happening now anyways."
"Heaven forbid you read the paper." Arsenal said while sitting at a table behind Nova, flipping thru the Metro section
"Or talk to your girlfriend." Nita added.
"You said that, not me." Nova stated as he turned the channel to football. Tarene sat on the edge of the couch away from everybody, deathly quite as she fiddled with her hands waiting for Dr. Strange to finish his preparations to unlock her memories. Tarene began to slight tremble as she ruminated on what the others might do when she finally regained her memories. They already didn't look at her the same way now, after all.
Force Works? Would you join me in my study? The unmistakable voice of Dr. Strange requested inside their heads.
"Damn, just as it was about to get good." Nova muttered as they stood up and made their way towards Strange's study. As they entered, they saw Dr. Strange floating in the middle sitting meditation style while a bowl, engraved with ancient runes, hovered several inches away from Dr. Strange himself.
"I do believe I have discovered a cure for your amnesia, Tarene. All you need do is imbibe this potion, and your memories will be fully unlocked." Dr. Strange explained as he willed the bowl towards Tarene.
"Umm, no thanks. My stomach's kinda upset." Tarene said as she gently pushed the hovering bowl away.
"Have no fear. It tastes like strawberry." Dr. Strange smiled warmly.
"No." Tarene said with a slight trace of anger.
"Tarene, it's not going to hurt you. Dr. Strange knows his business." Nita stated as she placed her hand on Tarene's shoulder to calm her.
"I said No!" Tarene shouted as she grabbed Kymaera's wrist and whipped her around and slammed the young Atlantean into the unprepared Nova, embedding them both in the cold, gray walls of the study. Tarene swatted the bowl away, spilling its secrets all over the floor. Lightning crackled and storm clouds began to flood the room as Tarene gripped her war mallet menacingly, "I don't care who I was! I don't!"
"Young lady, that is quite enough!" A voice boomed into every fiber of Tarene's being. The young goddess looked and saw that Dr. Strange, standing only a few feet away, was beginning to summon the mystic power he'd spent a lifetime acquiring. No longer was the doctor the kind host he'd been when Tarene had first met him. His face bore a look of steel determination with a small trace of annoyance as powerful and otherworldly energies whirled about him. Godly instincts Tarene was barely aware of warned her of the immense power this man truly held, power she had no doubt would be turned against her in mere moments.
So, Tarene did what any intelligent god or goddess would in her position. She threw her mallet into the air, slammed thru the roof and tore away as fast as her mallet would carry her.
"Tarene! Wait!" Arsenal willed his metal wings out of his body and took flight after the fleeing young woman.
Dr. Strange, for his part, brushed several dust particles off his cloak, looked about his damaged study and sighed, "Quite unruly."
*** Metro City, The Work Place
Dani clasped her hands together in front of herself while she leaned back in her chair at Force Works' conference room table, "Taki, tell me you have something."
"I'm afraid not." He said from his seat, while Speedball sat beside him, his feet perched up on the table while he leaned back, "I've gotten some unusual readings here and there, and some odd glass shards, but that's it. There's no doubt in my mind Adam was at each and every crime scene I visited."
"There must be something," Rahne implored, "I know him. Adam's nae killer!"
"Maybe he thought he was doing us a favor?" Speedball said, "I mean, he is an alien, so killing these bigots might make sense to him."
"Except that he turned these washouts into martyrs." Dani explained, "And Adam's not nearly that stupid. Do we have anything to prove he didn't do it?"
"I'm afraid not." Taki confessed, "Unless you happen to know a glass man who can control all biological functions and force Adam to kill, that is." Wiz Kid remarked flippantly
Speedball suddenly fell backwards out of his chair in shock.
"Something you care to share with the rest of us?" Wiz Kid asked with a raised eyebrow.
Speedball blinked several times, as if in disbelief of the idea now firmly planted in his head, "I think I know exactly who framed Adam."
Next Issue: The real killer is revealed while Arsenal and Tarene have a heart to heart.
Force Works 14
Cause and Effect
Part 2
The Story thus far: Nova, Kymaera, Arsenal and Tarene have gone to Dr. Strange in hopes that he could cure Tarene's amnesia. Despite Tarene's apprehension, Dr. Strange immediately unlocked the secret of what young Tarene really is, a young goddess of Asgard. Now all that is left to discover is the 'who'. Meanwhile, after a lengthy investigation, Adam Sol, better known as X-Treme was arrested by the police on suspicion of murder. The remainder of Force Works has vowed to investigate, but were ambushed on Nation Television by the telepathic cult leader known as Gabriel Thorne, who demanded that X-Treme be expelled immediately from Force Works. Dani agreed.
Metro City, Lucky Hotel
"Are ye mad Dani? How can ye do that to Adam, jus' cut him off?" Rahne demanded as the two women, escorted by watchful policemen, entered one of the listed crime scenes in preparation to examine it.
"I told you before Rahne, and I'll tell you again, drop it." Dani snapped thru the telepathic link the two women shared, "And call me Mirage in public! My family doesn't have an defended island to protect themselves!"
"Fine, 'Mirage', how ye just abandon a teammate like that?" Rahne demanded again
"Because I was ambushed on national television, and I've hardly abandoned X- Treme, we're here aren't we?" Dani replied
"Ye know exactly what I mean." Rahne retorted angrily
"Yes, I do. There's another reason why I cut X-Treme loose, but now's not the time to go into it," Dani stated, "go wolf and see if you can scent anything."
"Adam has nae scent." Rahne said as she complied, transforming from a human girl into a human/wolf hybrid. Once she was done, she took a strong whiff of air, taking in the texture of the room. As the motel charged by the hour, the scents Rahne took in were hardly pleasant.
"Anything?"
"Nae a bloody thing." Rahne sighed, "Adam has no scent, but when he burns people, it creates a distinct scent that lingers a bit."
"And let me guess, you can still smell it here." Dani sighed
"I could have told ye that lass." A voice said from behind them. Sean Cassidy stepped forward, his hands in his pockets as he regarded the two young women, "our meta crimes unit's found your boy's energy signature at every murder scene, wit' the baseline being taken from one of yuir old battles."
"Can't blame a girl for trying." Dani said defensively
"Aye, lass, I understand that. Rahne, could I talk to ye in private?" Cassidy asked.
"Anything ye say tae me, ye can say to Da....Mirage." Rahne said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Alright. What's yer relationship wit' this boy?"
"Excuse me?" Rahne asked with a raised eyebrow
"I've been a policeman most of my bloody life Rahne," Sean explained, "and I've learned a thing or two, especially body language. Yours lass, is all over the place. What's yer feelings regarding this boy?"
"I...I don' see where that's any o' yuir business." Rahne stated, unable to quite meet Sean's gaze.
"I don' want ta see ye get hurt Rahne, I..."
"It's a little late t' start patronizing me, don' ye think Sean?" Rahne said sharply, instantly silencing Cassidy
"Wow. Low blow, Rahne." Dani said telepathically, "Anything you care to talk about?"
"Now's nae the time to go into it." Rahne replied quickly
"At any rate, yer not going to find anything." Sean said after several moments of silence, "Not only are my people verra good, I've combed over every single report when I took over the investigation. Not a single mistake to be found." He said matter of factly.
"Which would be why you're here in the first place, to give this B.S case legitimacy." Dani said contemptuously.
"Ye say that like it's a bad thing. Like I keep saying, I'm convinced we have the right man. I knew the minute my superiors asked me to take over this case, it was because they wanted to demonstrate that there was no anti mutant bias present." Cassidy explained, "I'm not in the habit of letting murderers get away regardless of their bloody genes. And yuir a fine one to talk, lass. You're the one who expelled this 'X-Treme' from your little club."
Before Dani would reply, Rahne let out a whelp of pain and hobbled over to the bed situated in the middle of the room, and pulled her right leg up and across her left leg.
"Rahne, what's wrong?" Dani asked
"I stepped on some glass." Rahne explained as she pulled the offending shard loose from her foot and examined it. Her healing factor had already closed the wound, but Rahne's attention was focused on the glass she's removed. She held it in front of her nose and regarded it carefully, allowing her enhanced senses and instincts to inspect the sliver.
"Wolfsbane, what is it?" Dani asked
"This glass...it almost smells as if it's alive." Rahne stated as she handed it off to her leader.
"I don't suppose you know anything about this?" Dani asked as she handed the glass over to Cassidy.
"All I know it that it's a piece of glass, regardless of what Rahne's nose says. I'll have it examined, though, don't ye worry," Sean said as he dropped the fragment in an evidence bag, "Who knows? Maybe Adam had an accomplice?"
Both young women were silent, not quite sure of what to say.
***
A run down hotel in Metro City
"Five gets you ten he did it."
"Should I ever be accused of a crime, remind me not to turn to you for moral support, Speedball." Taki said as he casually ran his scanners over the crime scene.
"Why? You're a little different than Adam. He's like, all secretive and stuff." Speedball explained, "Which is really creepy for a guy who has a stabbing fetish."
"We all have our secrets." Taki said evenly.
"What, like the fact that you're gay?" Speedball smirked knowingly, "when you ogled Adam back in Africa, we kinda figured it out, though I'll admit that we were all a little shocked you actually a sexual orientation."
"Touché'. And then there's your little secret crush on Rahne..." Taki shot back.
"Umm, yeah..." Speedball shifted awkwardly for a moment, "anyways, my point is that we really don't know X-Treme. He comes to meetings and missions, stabs people and then leaves without a word. Dude, if it weren't for Dani, we wouldn't have even known Adam was Scar!"
"Shi'ar." Taki corrected
"Whatever. My point is, Adam's never really opened up to anyone besides Bobby. It's not like I have a problem working with hardcore guys. Heck, the first team I was on, our leader dropped Nova off a roof." Speedball said.
"What's so bad about dropping Nova off a roof? He can fly, after all."
"Because he didn't have his powers at the time." Speedball said uncomfortably, "that's what."
Taki looked away from his scanner and towards with a perplexed look on his face, "And you followed this man why?"
"Same reason we all followed Dani from day one. He's damn good, and he was upfront with us from day one." Speedball answered, "I trusted him because he trusted us. And it was only Nova he dropped off a roof, after all."
"I see your point. Adam has been rather anti social to the...ahem...extreme." Taki admitted.
"That's all I'm saying man, that's why I gots doubts. Your scans turn up anything?"
Taki shook his head and sighed, "Nothing good. I'm picking up the energy signature of his 'burning' ability as well as something else I can't quite place, but that's it."
"Well, maybe the next scene will be better." Speedball said unconvincingly as they turned to leave. He heard an odd crunch under his foot, and he knelt down to examine what exactly it was that he'd stepped on.
"Speedball, what is it?"
"Just some glass shards." He said dismissively, "Forget it. Man, I hope Adam isn't having too rough a time at Tartarus, because we ain't making much headway in getting him out."
*** Tartarus
Adam attempted to drone out the taunts and jeers of the other prisoners as he was led down the cellblock after cellblock to his cell. Overall, Adam had to admit earth prisons were a lot easier to bear than the other prisons Adam knew about around the universe. He had been booked at the precinct house and then rushed to Tartarus, not even bothering with questioning. The police obviously afraid that he'd use his powers to escape, and they felt they already had enough to bury him. Arriving at Tartarus, Adam had his long hair cut back to just above his neck and given an orange jump suit and special manacles that covered his wrists and negated his mutant powers (but not his strength and agility, though Adam wasn't about to 'fess up to that).
But as he walked, Adam found he couldn't quite banish the thought that he really was guilty of the murders he was accused of. From what little they had told him, the murders occurred around the times he'd had his blackouts. That alone was suspicious, but add that to the fact that Adam's biological father was a madman that paled even Hitler and Stalin combined, and his case was even worse. At least, it was in Adam's mind. Adam's heart didn't really sink when he'd heard that Dani had expelled him from Force Works post haste. He'd already hit rock bottom. Adam closed his eyes and prayed to whatever gods still cared about him to give him some answers.
"You might wanna open your eyes, mutie." A guard spat from behind Adam, "because looks like there's been a little slip up."
X-Treme opened his eyes to see three men in prison jump suits standing outside their cell, towards X-Treme. One man, an African American with dreadlocks, pointed teeth and sharp claws, was leaning up against the steel wall, a look of disinterest on his face. The other two men, one a powerfully built (four hundred pounds if an once) seven foot six and the other an even six foot tall average looking black male.
"Oh dear, it looks like we transferred Headsman, Cardiac and Mongoose at wrong time." One guard remarked with mock concern.
"Shame about our new boy getting roughed up like he did." Another remarked.
X-Treme didn't wait for another word before stepping forward to meet his foes.
"I'm sorry about this kid." Cardiac said sincerely as he stepped forward to attack. Despite his recent capture by the F.B.I after being exposed by the CSA, Cardiac felt no real anger towards law enforcement in general. He accepted he worked outside the law a long time ago. However, to survive in prison and Tartarus especially, one had to go with the crowd. No one here cared about Cardiac's vigilante status, as all his real targets had always been 'rich fat cats', so Cardiac remained relatively unscathed from the wraith of his fellow prisoners, and he naturally desired to keep it that way.
"Yeah, so am I." X-Treme executed a back flip as soon Cardiac was within arm's length, both feet catching Cardiac's chin. Cardiac crumbled to the ground, likely in mock defeat Adam suspected, but he had no time to investigate as Headsman lumbered forward, fists swinging wildly.
"Goin' down, pretty boy!" Headsman declared as he struggled in vain to hit X-Treme. Though Headsman continued to miss, X-Treme recognized that Headsman was driving him back, up against a wall where Headsman's height and weight would let him tear into X-Treme. Not deciding to wait, the alien warrior flipped over Headsman towards more open ground. However, Adam miscalculated, and Headsman spun around and managed to clip Adam with a backhand, sending him rolling down the hall towards Mongoose, coming to a stop at the feet of the villain.
"You gonna take that from him?" Mongoose asked Adam as he picked his teeth with his claws. Adam just glared at Mongoose for a moment before standing up and sprinting back towards the grinning Headsman. Headsman met him midway, and left loose a powerful right that X-Treme ducked. Adam then rolled forward, underneath Headsman's legs and spun around. Not wasting a moment, X-Treme unleashed a punt that would have lifted lesser men into the air. Headsman crumbled to one knee, and much to his credit didn't cry out in agony, rather he gritted his teeth in rage. X-Treme took a few steps back and then burst into laughter.
"Oh what are you whining about? I barely touched anything of value!" X- Treme chuckled maliciously, or at least appeared to. To anyone not in an incredible amount of pain, they would have recognized the total lack of malice in Adam's voice. Adam, knowledgeable in all forms of warfare, was employing psychological warfare in this instance, goading his foe into a mistake. Taking a few steps back, Adam put his hands on his hips casually and stated, "Tell you what, I'll make it fair. I'll stand right here perfectly still, whenever you're ready."
Headsman's mind went red with rage in response to Adam's utter disrespect. No one, not Spiderman, not that Scarlet Spider punk, no one talks to the Headsman like that. His injury forgotten, the villain raged forward and lashed out with a right hook powerful enough to kill a half dozen men in one shot. But that's exactly what X-Treme wanted him to do. X-Treme brought up his left arm, covered by the steel manacles issued by the prison to keep Adam's powers at bay, and deftly snapped it out, taking the hit directly, and then snapped back. The process was similar to how regular martial artists broke cement blocks with their bare hands, and potentially devastating for the recipient
"Yeaaarrgh!" Headsman screamed as he clutched his shattered right hand, while the suppressed pain of his manhood began flaring up.
"Had enough?"
Roaring with enough rage to do the Hulk proud, Headsman charged again, this time lashing out with his remaining good hand.
"Roosha, what an idiot." X-Treme sighed as he repeated his last maneuver, only this time using his right arm to block. X-Treme, this time, didn't stop there. Even if he beat this man, Adam knew that there'd be hundreds willing to take his place. A message had to be sent, and this man was the best person to use. And easily the most deserving. X-Treme lashed out with two snap kicks, one again striking Headsman in the manhood and another hitting Headsman dead center in his chest, expelling all the air from his lungs. As the villain crumbled, X-Treme put one leg over Headsman's shoulder, straddling the larger man's arm between his legs.
"You're going to tell your friends something for me." X-Treme said as he gripped the sides of Headsman's arm with both hands.
"Fuck off." Headsman said thru clenched teeth and a haze of pain, "I'm not doing a damn thing for you, so save your hero threats."
"You misunderstood me. I wasn't making a request, only a statement," X- Treme explained as he pulled Headsman's arm up towards his chest, "you're just an example."
Mongoose licked his lips in anticipation he heard the slow -crack- and cry of pain before Headsman finally passed out. Mongoose was knowledgeable enough in the ways of maiming and infliction of pain to recognize the fact that the break wasn't a very clean one. Mongoose had to admit, he was wrong about this new arrival. He wasn't the soft weakling Mongoose had assumed him to be. This 'X-Treme' was seemingly everything Mongoose could desire in a foe, skilled, cunning and uninhibited by morality.
"I hope you're warmed up, because the prelims are over." Mongoose stated as X-Treme let Headsman's mangled arm drop to the floor and turned to face the animal warrior.
X-Treme raised his arms in a defensive posture and said, "Prove it."
With an animalistic roar, Mongoose charged forward on all fours and swiped at X-Treme with his claws. Adam ducked to the side and drove his knee into Mongoose's mid section and an elbow into the mutate's eye. Mongoose lashed out with a savage strike that sent X-Treme sprawling and caused stars to appear on the edges of his vision. Adam struggled to his feet at Mongoose shook his head in disapproval
"You're becoming something of a disappointment, boy." Mongoose warned as he rubbed the blood out of his bad eye, "That was only a single shot."
"I'm not here to entertain you." X-Treme snapped as he pushed past the pain and flipped up to a standing position.
"Maybe not, but I was hoping that I could find a kindred spirit in you. Your passion for combat, for making your foes suffer the true agonies of defeat," Mongoose rolled his hand in a dismissive gesture, "think what you want, but we're not that different."
Mongoose didn't need his enhanced senses or even vision to know that he'd struck a raw nerve with X-Treme. As easily and surely as X-Treme manipulated Headsman, Mongoose had played X-Treme with even less effort. With a roar of defiance, X-Treme charged Mongoose and lashed out with a roundhouse kick that Mongoose barely blocked.
"I can sense it, you know, even without your scent..." Mongoose sidestepped a kick.
"You like hurting people, there's a monster inside you you let out when it suits your purposes..." Mongoose leaped over a foot sweep.
"Why keep it locked up boy?" Mongoose lashed out with a right hook that spun X-Treme around 180 degrees. Mongoose gripped X-Treme's throat with his left hand and grabbed X-Treme's right wrist with his free hand. Mongoose then whispered in X-Treme's ear, "let it out boy, there's nothing wrong with monsters. Nature made them for a reason."
"I'm not a monster!" X-Treme declared and marshaling all of his strength, Adam pulled his right wrist free and slammed his elbow into Mongoose's throat, just below the beat's Adam apple. The pressure on X-Treme's neck went slack for a moment, and Adam wasted no time in pulling the hand away from his throat. Adam placed his right foot directly behind Mongoose's lower calf and pulled it up, tripping Mongoose to the floor.
"I'm not a monster!" Adam screamed uncontrollably as he spun around and straddled Mongoose's chest. The alien warrior began to pummel the man beast senselessly, "You hear me, Shakki! I'm not a monster!"
Despite his rage, the life long of training Adam received was still fully functional, and Adam instinctively focused his attacks on Mongoose's neck and eyes, areas that were as important as they were vulnerable. So savage was the attack, even Mongoose was taken off guard and left unable to defend himself.
"You hear me, D'Ken?!" X-Treme demanded madly as he drove his thumbs into Mongoose's eye sockets and gripped the villain's head firmly. Adam began slamming Mongoose's head on the steel floor with an animal like fury, "I'm not you!"
"Enough! That's enough!" Guards declared as they began shocking Adam with electric cattle prods to get him to release his victim. The shocks also brought Adam back to his senses. He didn't resist as the guards grabbed him and began dragging him to his cell, he was too mesmerized by his blood caked hands. And as much as he wished otherwise, he remembered every single thing he'd said and done to Mongoose with frightening clarity.
*** United Front Office Building
Gabriel Thorne silently raged as he watched the media storm surrounding Force Works. His plan had been so simple, so easy, how could it have gone wrong? He asked himself again and again.
Frame a member for the murder of several anti-mutant activists. Then, when the truth is revealed, turn the public against Force Works, who would stand beside their accused teammate to the bitter end like the good little heroes they were, confident in his innocence. Thus they would be ruined. Only they didn't do that. Force Works cut X-Treme loose, on national television, ruining everything. Their image and reputation was largely unscathed at the moment, and was likely to remain that way when events were fully played out.
But as one part of Thorne raged, another part of him felt a small amount of respect budding inside himself.
"These children are quite ruthless, I must admit." He thought to himself as he watched his plans burn on national television. He was consoled by the fact that there was absolutely no way to trace what had happened back to Thorne or any of his people. So one plan failed, so what? Tomorrow was another day.
*** Dr. Strange's sanctum
"So bored." Nova commented as he flipped past channel after channel while leaning back in an old recliner
"If you're so bored, why not just turn on the news?" Kymaera proposed while she sat across from Nova on the couch
"Because it's so damn slanted I also fall over every time I listen," Nova explained, "Besides, I doubt anything important's happening now anyways."
"Heaven forbid you read the paper." Arsenal said while sitting at a table behind Nova, flipping thru the Metro section
"Or talk to your girlfriend." Nita added.
"You said that, not me." Nova stated as he turned the channel to football. Tarene sat on the edge of the couch away from everybody, deathly quite as she fiddled with her hands waiting for Dr. Strange to finish his preparations to unlock her memories. Tarene began to slight tremble as she ruminated on what the others might do when she finally regained her memories. They already didn't look at her the same way now, after all.
Force Works? Would you join me in my study? The unmistakable voice of Dr. Strange requested inside their heads.
"Damn, just as it was about to get good." Nova muttered as they stood up and made their way towards Strange's study. As they entered, they saw Dr. Strange floating in the middle sitting meditation style while a bowl, engraved with ancient runes, hovered several inches away from Dr. Strange himself.
"I do believe I have discovered a cure for your amnesia, Tarene. All you need do is imbibe this potion, and your memories will be fully unlocked." Dr. Strange explained as he willed the bowl towards Tarene.
"Umm, no thanks. My stomach's kinda upset." Tarene said as she gently pushed the hovering bowl away.
"Have no fear. It tastes like strawberry." Dr. Strange smiled warmly.
"No." Tarene said with a slight trace of anger.
"Tarene, it's not going to hurt you. Dr. Strange knows his business." Nita stated as she placed her hand on Tarene's shoulder to calm her.
"I said No!" Tarene shouted as she grabbed Kymaera's wrist and whipped her around and slammed the young Atlantean into the unprepared Nova, embedding them both in the cold, gray walls of the study. Tarene swatted the bowl away, spilling its secrets all over the floor. Lightning crackled and storm clouds began to flood the room as Tarene gripped her war mallet menacingly, "I don't care who I was! I don't!"
"Young lady, that is quite enough!" A voice boomed into every fiber of Tarene's being. The young goddess looked and saw that Dr. Strange, standing only a few feet away, was beginning to summon the mystic power he'd spent a lifetime acquiring. No longer was the doctor the kind host he'd been when Tarene had first met him. His face bore a look of steel determination with a small trace of annoyance as powerful and otherworldly energies whirled about him. Godly instincts Tarene was barely aware of warned her of the immense power this man truly held, power she had no doubt would be turned against her in mere moments.
So, Tarene did what any intelligent god or goddess would in her position. She threw her mallet into the air, slammed thru the roof and tore away as fast as her mallet would carry her.
"Tarene! Wait!" Arsenal willed his metal wings out of his body and took flight after the fleeing young woman.
Dr. Strange, for his part, brushed several dust particles off his cloak, looked about his damaged study and sighed, "Quite unruly."
*** Metro City, The Work Place
Dani clasped her hands together in front of herself while she leaned back in her chair at Force Works' conference room table, "Taki, tell me you have something."
"I'm afraid not." He said from his seat, while Speedball sat beside him, his feet perched up on the table while he leaned back, "I've gotten some unusual readings here and there, and some odd glass shards, but that's it. There's no doubt in my mind Adam was at each and every crime scene I visited."
"There must be something," Rahne implored, "I know him. Adam's nae killer!"
"Maybe he thought he was doing us a favor?" Speedball said, "I mean, he is an alien, so killing these bigots might make sense to him."
"Except that he turned these washouts into martyrs." Dani explained, "And Adam's not nearly that stupid. Do we have anything to prove he didn't do it?"
"I'm afraid not." Taki confessed, "Unless you happen to know a glass man who can control all biological functions and force Adam to kill, that is." Wiz Kid remarked flippantly
Speedball suddenly fell backwards out of his chair in shock.
"Something you care to share with the rest of us?" Wiz Kid asked with a raised eyebrow.
Speedball blinked several times, as if in disbelief of the idea now firmly planted in his head, "I think I know exactly who framed Adam."
Next Issue: The real killer is revealed while Arsenal and Tarene have a heart to heart.