Marvel 2000 Presents
Force Works 21
Eye of the Beholder
Part 5
Conclusion
The story thus far: The rogue mutant team known as Factor X, with the assistance of Force Works, has just finished saving the world from global devastation nearly instigated by Eric the Red and Factor 3. After a harrowing escape, the two teams found themselves deposited in Times Square in full public view. Now, Force Works finds themselves boxed into a corner with no positive outcomes…Arrest Factor X for saving the world, or allow the world to think Force Works condones terrorism!
Times Square, New York, New York
"Are you mad?" Fixx demanded, now the de-facto leader of Factor X following the death of their founder, Jason Blackwood, "in case you hadn't noticed, we just helped save the world!"
"And that's what we'll tell the judge," Mirage answered remorsefully, her energy bow taunt as her team stood at her side. Their faces had the same looks of pity and resignation Danielle Moonstar's had underneath her mask, but there was no doubt they were ready to do what their leader asked of them.
"Wait a minute, we do a job you couldn't, and this is our thanks?" Wildchild snapped.
"You guys brought this on yourself," Nova stated, "I'm sorry about this, but you guys gotta turn yourself in."
"You wanna say that to my face, pretty boy?" Random growled. He stepped forward, but his teammate placed an arm across his chest to stop him.
"I too must object, we've done nothing morally wrong here," Helix observed.
"This isn't a damn debate!" Mirage snapped, "you have four seconds to surrender! Five…!"
"What the hell woman…!" Bandit protested.
"Four…!"
"We needn't do this," Monsoon pleaded, "we can find another way!"
"Three…!"
Weapon X said nothing, he simply stared at the woman who'd helped free him from the heinous Weapon X program, fought for him, and now couldn't so much as look him in the eyes.
"Two!"
Force Works sprang into action, actually managing to catch Factor X slightly unawares. They had been given four seconds as promised, and had expected Force Works to make their move after Moonstar shouted one.
Wiz Kid struck Fixx down with a blast of ultra-sonics. Nova struck Helix in the jaw so fast and hard the rapidly evolving mutant never had a chance to defend himself. Monsoon summoned a thundercloud to assist his teammates, but Tarene dispelled it with ease. Monsoon was quite after that. As was Bandit, who carrying the woman he loved, was in no position to attack anyone.
That left Wildchild who was falling under an assault from Wolfsbane and Speedball, and Random who was being pounded into a sticky white paste, literally, by Arsenal and Kymaera.
Fittingly, the two teams seemed to part like the red sea around Moonstar and Weapon X.
Rahne. Sam. Brindwind. Shan. Brandon. These were the short list of people Danielle Moonstar considered her truest friends and family. Her arms felt like lead as she pointed her psychic arrow at the black clad warrior, tears welling in her eyes and each breath feeling as though she were inhaling glass. Betraying the Mutant Liberation Front and fighting the Fallen Angels in China, two teams that were made up of friends who doubled as enemies wasn't half as difficult as this. Perhaps that was because when she fought them then, she was fighting for something far more noble than public relations.
"Brandon, please…please surrender," Moonstar begged, though she already knew his answer. The Weapon X program that had turned the mutant standing only a few yards away from her into the ruthless fighting machine he now was had prejudged him against the government and didn't exactly leave him predisposed to trust the law enforcement community in general.
Moonstar's lowered her bow, and for a brief moment, she truly thought her once friend would simply surrender. Her illusions were shattered when he created an energy dagger in his hand and rushed towards her. Mirage couldn't hope to react fast enough at Weapon X closed the distance between them in less than seconds and sprang into the air, ready to come down upon her like the wraith of God. Weapon X plummeted towards Moonstar, his body language one of anger, betrayal and violence.
Suddenly, Weapon X was thrown back painfully, his lungs burning for air. Twisting in midair, he landed on the pavement in a crouch, skidding to a stop. He looked up just as a pair of black boots came back to earth, his attacker landing on bended knee.
"If you want to get to her," Two short blades, no longer than a foot and a half, were removed from their sheathes, and placed at the sides of the man's trench coat, the razor's edges protruding from the sides of his ring finger like a claw from his knuckles. He stretched his neck to the side with a loud –pop- while rolling his arms and shoulders back and forth like a prize fighter readying for a championship bout, "you're going to have to go… through me." warned X-Treme.
Weapon X didn't hesitate to send his energy dagger flying. Even if he had to kill this odd warrior and his once dearest friend, he would never surrender his freedom to those who warped him into the monster he was now. No matter who he had to kill.
"Is she gonna be okay, man?" Speedball asked as he approached Bandit. Cradled in his arms was Silhouette, Speedball's friend and one time teammate. Without her, Speedball knew both teams would likely be dead.
"What the hell do you care!" Bandit barked, "you should be thankful she's unconscious, makes putting that shiv in the back so much easier, man!"
"Hey, you guys were the ones who destroyed a stinkin' factory," Speedball defended.
"Not everyone has a three million dollar public relations team," Bandit hissed.
Speedball felt a remorseful knot form in his stomach just as his heart fell into his stomach. Not even the sight of the lethal Weapon X trying to kill X-Treme could raise him from his fallen spirits.
X-Treme slashed at Weapon X with his short blades, which clashed with Weapon X's short energy daggers, lights flashing like a dying light-bulb and sending small sparks into the air that singed Adam's cheek. The two moved back and forth, jockeying for advantage as they sought to puncture one another.
After a dazzling display of speed, X-Treme saw an opening and lashed out with his knee to Weapon X's stomach. Weapon X took the blow like a man and drove his head forward, smashing Adam's nose. X-Treme returned the favor, his boot rocketing up and catching Weapon X between the legs so hard the once X-Forcer was lifted into the air. While still in midair, Weapon X slammed the palms of his hands into the sides of X-Treme's head, and holding onto the man's ears, head-butted the Shi'ar warrior yet again and drawing even more blood from his broken nose. Adam thanked him by slamming the palm of his hand into the center of Weapon X's rib cage, breaking his ribs and robbing him of breath all at once.
But even warriors as skilled as these had their limits. Both X-Treme and Weapon X back pedaled from one another, taking stock of their situation.
Adam wiped the blood from his face. Surprisingly, he wasn't hurting too bad from before when Eric the Red had knocked him around a little (okay, a lot) but he was hurting badly now. Weapon X pulled no punches, struck with expert skill and almost seemed, at least at the start, fresh as a daisy. Running his thumbs back and forth over his blades, Adam prepared himself for when Weapon X would make his move.
Ironically, Weapon X was thinking the exact same thing as he held his personal energy daggers in each hand. Much to his chagrin, he found his telepathy useless against his alien foe. Adam's mental defenses prevented Weapon X from seeing more than a few scattered images, nothing that would be remotely useful in a fight.
The respite lasted only a handful of seconds before the two threw themselves at one another. Weapon X reacted first, a split second before he sensed X-Treme preparing to move. He leapt into the air, spinning like an Olympic ice skater and brought his foot careening down across Adam's face. X-Treme lashed out with two punishing rapid punches to both of Weapon X's kidneys, rupturing them. Weapon X lashed out with a kick across Adam's face and leaned in with an elbow to the side of the hybrid's ribs, cracking them.
Adam put all the pain in his body into a devastating left hook that shattered Weapon X's jaw and sent small skull fragments into the black clad assassin's brain, greatly taxing his healing factor. Without pause, Weapon X slashed his energy daggers upwards. X-Treme moved to avoid the first, and inadvertently moved into the path of the second. It sliced into his cheek, the heat of the dagger instantly cauterizing the wound. Before Weapon X could bring his weapons down, X-Treme's blades were there, stopping them cold.
"You're about three seconds away from making this personal," Adam hissed as he glared into Weapon X's oval, crimson eyes. Weapon X's witty retort was to dissipate his energy daggers, drive his left elbow into X-Treme's face followed by a palm strike to the bottom of Adam's jaw, forcing his opponent back.
The pain radiating from Adam's face was nothing compared to the pain that his ego was suffering. Sure, he wasn't going easy on this guy by any means, but he was still offering him a chance to end this peacefully. And for his (relative) kindness his face was getting a makeover.
"Okay," Adam wiped the blood from his face and slung it on the ground with a wet –splat-. Pointing his blades towards Weapon X, he growled, "You want to play rough? Fine. So will I. Try to keep up."
Weapon X could almost feel X-Treme's anger, but more importantly, he realized, he could now see his foes thoughts. X-Treme's battle plans and tactics were neatly lain out before his foe just at Adam Sol charged with a roar. Weapon X could only react on instinct, and hunched down in anticipation. He could see that Adam intended to attack low, hoping the cripple his foe by attacking the nerves and arteries that lay below the waist.
So Weapon X was naturally shocked when X-Treme instead chose to leap over Weapon X's shoulders, and was helpless to prevent Adam's real plan. With unnatural speed and skill, X-Treme drove his short blades into Weapon X's back as he flipped over him, puncturing muscle and bone before finding purchase in Weapon X's lungs. Using both his natural momentum and strength, X-Treme hoisted Weapon X into the air using his blades as hooks.
For a moment X-Treme stood there, blood dripping down his blades and onto his snarling face. Weapon X, to his credit, did not writhe or scream, even as the blades exited out the front of his chest and he slid a painful half inch down the blades. Finally, with a scream of rage, Adam slung Weapon X off his blades and into the air, where the ebony warrior glided through the air before he crashed atop the roof of a 1986 Buick Rivera. The glass of the windows exploded outwards as the roof slumped underneath the sudden warrior weight.
Even the most powerful healing factor had its limits, and Weapon X knew his was fast approaching. His vision blurred, he almost didn't see X-Treme crashing down from the sky towards his prone form. Weapon X pealed himself out of the roof and barely rolled down onto the hood of the car before X-Treme's booted heels came slamming down, smashing the steel roof of the car into its seat cushions.
Springing up, Weapon X created an energy sword and swung it towards his foe, intending to relieve him of his knee joints. Adam jumped over the sword, tucked himself into a ball, and then lashed out with both feet at Weapon X. One foot smashed into Weapon X's face, the other his chest. Both sent him flying into the trunk of the car behind him, shattering the thick glass. Punching through the broken glass, he scooped up a sizable amount of glass in both hands and expertly flung it at Adam. That much glass thrown with that much skill was impossible for X-Treme to dodge, but he focused on protecting his face, where all it took was a single shot to remove his eyesight.
That gave Weapon X the breather he needed. He rolled onto the sidewalk and created an energy dagger in one hand. The people had long since given the two a wide birth, and though they'd never admit it, no one in Force Works would dare get between the two deadly warriors unless there was no other choice.
Seeing his foe create a new weapon, Adam instantly sheathed his blades and withdrew his heavy sword with his right hand. It was forced with alien steel, based upon a pattern that an old friend of Adam's used. With twin blades and a spiked handle guard, it was a deadly in the hands of an amateur. And Adam Sol, the X-Treme, was no amateur.
He lunged at Weapon X, his sword sweeping for X's neck. The energy lance deflected it, and with his left hand Weapon X caught Adam in the jaw, yet again. Ducking low, Adam drove his shoulder into Weapon X's midsection. Acting as though he weren't even hit, Weapon X struck down with his energy lance and sliced across X-Treme's right wrist. His specially made Kevlar mesh jacket prevented the ultra sharp lance from cutting too deep, but the pain loosened Adam's grip on his sword.
With speed and skilled, Weapon X kicked Adam in the gut with his left foot and then swung his right foot into the air powerfully, he actually flipping backwards, then landing in a slight crouch. Drawing short and painful breathes, Adam wondered for a moment why he heard a slight-swish, swish, swish, like a helicopter blades just starting. A moment later, his question was answered when his sword landed perfectly upright, ten feet behind Weapon X as it embedded itself deep into the pavement.
"Not good," X-Treme thought to himself. His axe wouldn't do much good in this situation, and all his shorter blades would leave him at a disadvantage in a fight like this.
Weapon X charged, and swung his lance towards X-Treme's chest. Adam could only duck and weave at the once government killer came closer and closer to gutting him like a trout. Finally, Adam launched upon a desperate plan. When the Weapon X stabbed at him, X-Treme ducked to the side and grabbed the energy lance with both hands. His feet firmly planted, he slipped the lance out of Weapon X's gloved hands, spun of his heel three hundred and sixty degrees, and drove the energy lance through Weapon X's back and out his chest.
But even that wasn't enough to stop his foe. Marshalling every last bit of willpower, Weapon X gripped the energy lance that protruded from his chest, and sensing exactly where Adam was standing, lurched forward, freeing the lance from Adam's grip and swung to the side, the other end of the lance slashing across X-Treme's brow, blinding the man with his own blood.
Adam let out every alien curse he knew as Weapon X dissipated the lance in his chest. Without pause, Weapon X let loose a round house kick that knocked the unprepared X-Treme into the stone wall of a nearby Hollywood Video. Weapon X then began pummeling X-Treme's face with quick and powerful rabbit punches. Each and every blow sent Adam's head bouncing off the stone wall into his foe's speeding fists.
Adam however, wasn't beaten just yet. He forced his head forward through the barrage and smashed the top of his temple into Weapon X's nose, the crunch instantly lifting his spirits. He then kicked Weapon X's knee inward with his left foot and followed up with a powerful right upper cut that knocked Weapon X back.
Weapon X stumbled backwards more than he would have liked, his body screaming in protest to the punishment it was taking. He could sense that X-Treme was no better off, and knew the next attack would be their last, no matter what.
X-Treme agreed perfectly. He gauged the distance between himself and his foe as about four yards, and ran to close the distance. Weapon X created another energy lance in preparation as X-Treme ran forward and assumed a fighting stance.
When he was within two yards, X-Treme flung himself into the air. Weapon X slashed at him, but with a dazzling display of skill, Adam managed to shift his weight, swing over the lance in midair, and to slammed into Weapon X's upper chest feet first. His left foot crushed the center of Weapon X's ribcage; his right foot was pulled back and then launched forward with such strength and force that not even crashing into Weapon X's jaw lessened its speed. Both men were thrown in the air by the powerful blow, X-Treme flipping up and over 360 degrees while Weapon X was lifted off his feet and into the air.
X-Treme landed first, the New York lights blazing behind him as he landed silently in a standing position, his trench coat fluttering in the wind.
Weapon X landed next, several yards away, hard on his back with his hands slapping down hard onto the black pavement with a –thud- as Adam watched intently. X-Treme observed Weapon X's body twitch slightly before he was convinced the man was deeply unconscious.
"Yeah… that's what you get for doing this the hard way basjack," Adam spat. Then, like a great oak tree, he fell forward, equally unconscious.
The headlines were quite kind to Force Works, and Kymaera handled the press conference like Mozart might handle the keys of his piano, but Moonstar barely took notice. It had been a long day, and it was well past midnight by the time the team returned, exhausted, to their headquarters, tired in body and spirit.
Moonstar was the first in bed, not even bothering to remove her uniform, now affixed to her body by both blood and sweat like a second skin. Up at the crack of dawn, she sequestered herself in her office, her demeanor warding most everyone off who were unwilling to give her the space she needed.
The sun rose behind her open window, the curtains open while her shadow reached out across the room, on the distant horizon. Moonstar waited and stared at her phone as the sun rose on its path. She waited as the sun reached its daily climax and began its retreat from the sky. It wasn't until the last light of the day faded that the phone finally rang.
Moonstar picked it up and listened intently. She had been expecting the call obviously, but she still had no idea what would be said.
"Yeah. Yes. I see. No, I understand. We'll be there."
Hanging up quickly, Moonstar left her office, bathed and donned a clean uniform and summoned her second in command, Nova the Human Rocket. They'd just been summoned to a meeting of peers.
New York, New York
The hotel the young leaders of Force Works had been summoned to spoke highly of the influence and money at Warren Worthington the Third's disposal. The walls were lined with paintings created by gifted artists dead for decades, the rugs hand sown a continent away while the hall the two young heroes marched down defined immaculate. And none of the staff so much as batted an eye when the two leaders of Force Works checked in at the front. They were simply given keys and directions to the executive conference room, and sent on their way.
Moonstar pushed open the two great oak doors to where she knew the others would be waiting. Though she knew she shouldn't have been, she was a little surprised by the trio who were waiting for her.
Sitting behind a jet black desk that contrasted sharply with his three thousand dollar, personally tailored white business suit was Warren Worthington the Third, his elbows resting on the desk, hands together with his fingers intertwined looking very much like the executive he was. Standing to his left, as wide and imposing as a several Monday night quarterbacks in one, was Bishop of X-Force in full uniform. Standing to the Angel's side was Alex Summers, one time leader of the government strike-force X-Factor who had curiously enough chosen to wear his uniform from that period.
"Nova, Mirage, please have a seat," Angel offered.
"Is this pow-wow about what I think it is?" Asked Richard Rider as he sat down.
"Depends, what do you think it's about?" Bishop asked sharply, his arms folded across his chest in an authoritative manner and his voice like two rocks grounding together. Both Mirage and Nova could sense that the brick-house of a man was angry about something, but what they didn't quite know.
"Factor X."
"That's correct, Dani, we have some…concerns stemming from your mission and subsequent actions," Angel stated evenly.
"But we'd like to hear your side first, kids," said Havok.
Dani shot Alex Summers a dirty look when she heard 'kids' and snapped, "It's all in the report I sent you. If your brother were here, he'd have it memorized."
Havok stiffened at the comment, but it was Bishop who spoke next, "So then, as I am to understand it, Factor X investigated and routed out a terrorist by the name of Eric the Red. In the course of their mission, they were forced to destroy several factories that Eric was using so that he couldn't try his plan again. This brought you into conflict with Factor X, and why you ultimately arrested them after you helped them defeat Eric the Red."
"Yeah, umm…that's about it," answered Nova with a small trace of guilt.
"And why didn't you cover their escape with some illusions?" Havok inquired.
"Three reasons," Mirage explained evenly, "One, I was tired. I'd just fought a battle for my life and then dropped ten feet from midair. I can tough that out, but it does impair my performance. Two, there's not a person in America who couldn't find out what my powers are if they really wanted to. I would not have fooled anyone."
"And three?" Bishop growled from deep within his throat.
Mirage looked Bishop in the eyes, unimpressed, "And three, I would have lost all funding, support and equipment for my team as well as our hard earned reputation."
"Oh, that's so much more important than saving the world," Havok quipped.
"I'm more than willing to stand up in court and tell the world what Factor X did," Mirage defended angrily, "so I really don't see the problem here!"
"The problem," Angel began carefully, sounding every bit like the CEO he was, "is that you capitulated to public opinion in such a way that you permanently damaged another team's ability to operate despite the good they did. Factor X, for all intents and purposes, is over."
"Hey shit happens," Nova commented.
"We're also concerned about how the way you're letting the media spin this," Havok stepped around from behind the desk and strolled towards Mirage so that he was standing directly in front of her, "the media is making it out like you guys are suddenly the first line of defense against 'rogue mutant teams'." Havok pointed an accusing finger at the Force Works leader, "Read between the lines of that statement, and tell me we're wrong to be concerned."
"You are wrong, because it's a simple mistake," Mirage said through tightly clenched teeth, "we all make mistakes. Don't act like you haven't. Hell, I remember when a dear friend of mine was painfully bonded to your emotional state, and you couldn't so much as give her the time of day to help her."
Havok looked at the Cheyenne warrior curiously, "What's that got to do with anything?"
Alex Summers never saw the clenched fist until it slammed across his jaw and sent him spiraling into unconsciousness. Standing up and looking down at Havok, she spat, "We all make mistakes. Like you getting up in my face, and me being a little petty when people do that. I don't care what the others think Alex, the fact you once led X-Factor means nothing to me."
Both Bishop and Angel spared Havok a glance, though for both it was far from sympathetic; "I wish you hadn't done that, but I suppose it makes what I do next a little easier. Danielle, we've discussed it with some others, and we agree. We'd like you… to disband Force Works."
A look of pure disgust came over Mirage's face, though in truth this wasn't entirely unexpected. Nova however was completely stunned.
"Just where the hell do you guys get off!" Nova said as he stood up, a righteous fury beating in his chest, "what gives you the right to judge us!"
"We're the ones who've been fighting this war the longest," Warren Worthington the Third explained, "we've taken a long hard look at your methods, and feel it would be best for the cause if your team stepped down."
"Or what?" Dani snarled, "you'll kick us out of the club? Hell, last time I checked, we weren't even considered on the fringes of the X teams! You and every other X team all but disavowed us long before now," Mirage spared a glance at Nova, "I wonder why that is?"
"Because your methods leave a lot to be desired. For instance because of your heavy handed methods in Metro City, mere drug kingpins have turned to terrorism," Bishop countered.
"Not like they were law biding, productive citizens to begin with," Nova defended.
"And don't blame us for being so effective at keeping our house in order," Mirage countered, "when we do a job, we make sure to do it right the first time so we don't keep coming back. And that's what we did in Metro City."
"That's still up for debate," Angel observed.
"Oh, because the almighty X-Men and friends have done so well these past ten years!" Mirage snapped, "Mark Rogers might not have happened if he knew he was talking to the X-Men! Maybe if Factor X actually tried explaining themselves just a little bit, we wouldn't have had to cross this bridge! They let themselves be cast as terrorists! Tell me Angel, when Pyro joined your team, did he actually reform, or just find a better gang? Spirits, we're fighting a battle for acceptance and we're acting like public opinion doesn't matter!"
"Now wait just one damn minute…!" Angel demanded, "X-Corp…"
"Steps and fetches for public opinion quite well," Dani countered sarcastically, "you fired highly educated, experienced board members and replaced them with your field team. Not a lot of actual co-existence there I feel compelled to note."
"That's enough!" Bishop roared, "considering your team's record of making questionable decisions is as long as your team's existence, I fail to see where you have the right to lecture anyone."
"And given your rampage in a dance club, I don't see where you get to lecture us about our methods," Mirage spat, "Nova, we're leaving. And since you guys do it already, stay the hell out of our way!"
Mirage, followed closely by her teammate, then turned on her heel and left without so much as another word.
Resting his chin on his hands, Angel sighed, "That could have gone much better."
"We just have to hope, that when it hits the fan," Said Bishop, "it doesn't hit us all."
"Those damn bastards!" Danielle Moonstar waited she was some distance down the long hall and out of earshot before putting her fist through the plaster walls, "how dare they pull me up in front of some damn kangaroo court!"
"That Angel guy did have a point," Nova countered with a heavy sigh, "we did bring down people on our side, even if most people don't know it."
Moonstar turned so that she was facing the Human Rocket, emotion seemingly and suddenly drained from her body.
"I know, and that's what kills me Rich. They had a valid point," Moonstar said flatly, "but Factor X was finished the minute they were dropped in the middle of New York. It wasn't us or them. It would have been us and them. I'm Cheyenne through and through, Rich. Believe me, no one knows better than us the lesser of two evils…is still evil."
Canada
Arsenal and Tarene descended from the sky into the heart of a burned out city that was still smoldering, with backpacks slung over their backs containing specially designed instruments vital to their current mission. The buildings that still stood were an odd combination of ancient architecture that to Tarene found somewhat familiar on a wholly personal level overlain with advanced technology grafted here and there.
"So this is where we escaped from? Tarene asked as she looked over the devastation.
"Sure looks like it," Arsenal stated.
"It is," Wiz Kid said in an electronic voice over their communicators. He was sitting comfortably in his customized chair in his private lab back at the Work Place, observing various monitors. The green glow they produced bathed him in the only light that was to be found in the expansive room, "global positioning readings conform to those I took during our battle."
"How'd a city pop up suddenly in the middle of nowhere?" Tarene asked as she crooked her head to take in the entirety of the once wondrous city. Even half destroyed, its appearance was utterly breath taking.
"I've done some cross referencing with some old files," Wiz Kid explained over the comm., "according to a report from the X-Men, the trickster god known as Loki created a sort of magical wellspring that absorbed the world's magic and funneled in through the heart of the city. Alpha Flight and the X-Men eventually stopped him, but in all likelihood, this location was chosen by Loki because of it's placement along earth's ley lines. Eric likely exploited the existing energy patterns created during Loki's first gambit for his own plan."
"He said as if that made any sense," Bobby mumbled as he unzipped the backpacks he and Tarene had brought with them. He pulled out a devise that resembled a railroad spike, and depressed the only button that was on its face. The spike shot out and formed a sleek silver spear, "Taki, I've got one of the remote sensors ready. Any preferred pattern?"
"Hold on," Wiz Kid pulled up a screen and read the information it was receiving, "the area's clear Bobby, no one's around. Place the spikes randomly, but make sure to conceal them."
"I almost hope Eric tries to pull this stunt again," Arsenal groused, "I wouldn't mind another shot at him."
With that said, he and Tarene quietly went about their work, placing the sensor spikes all throughout the dilapidated city. Once they were finished, Wiz Kid activated them by remote, their sensors casting a web over the once wondrous and thriving city.
"Taki, I've been thinking, I've got a question," Tarene stated as she rejoined Arsenal.
"Great," Wiz Kid rubbed the bridge of his nose in pre-irritation.
"How did Eric know about this place? Only Alpha Flight and X-Men were involved, right?"
Wiz Kid, Force Works' resident genius, paused. He'd never thought of that, actually. Knowledge of Loki's plan was restricted to a handful of heroes and civilians. Quickly evaluating each and everyone mentally with his computer like brain, none of them remotely resembled being a suspect for Eric the Red, or even condoning his actions.
"I think," he said finally, "that's a question that may prove key in discovering who exactly Eric the Red is. You two head home, we should have dinner waiting."
Arsenal looked at Tarene, shrugged and took to the air. Neither hero so much as looked down, both eager to be in the warmth of their home, even if the cold didn't affect them overly much.
Had they chosen to look down however, they might have seen the single pair of tracks leading away from the city and towards civilization.
Seagate Prison
As Mirage walked down the long halls of Seagate Prison, a relatively new prison designed to hold criminals endowed with superhuman powers and abilities, she felt an odd experience of déjà vu. The stench, stifling humidity and general disposition of the heavily armed guards all reminded her of Tartarus, a prison sitting not that far from the border of Metro City. Thankfully, arranging an audience with a prisoner wasn't that much more difficult than it had been back home. Force Works had been careful from the start to generate good will and Mirage wasn't the least bit hesitant to cash in some of that currency when need be.
The guards, covered in the most pitch black armor she'd ever seen and carrying rifles that looked like they were taken straight out of 'Starship Troopers', escorted her to the visiting area. Danielle took her seat on one side a panel of bullet proof glass in the woman's wing of the prison, and waited.
The future mutant known as Fixx, dressed in prison grays and wearing a high tech head band that nullified her mutant powers, was led in a few moments later on the other side of the glass. The guard cuffed her wrists to the chair, and gave the two women their privacy to the casual observer.
"Mirage, are we free to speak?" Fixx asked.
Danielle tapped a secret button on her belt buckle, "We are now."
The listening devises of three different intelligence agencies began recording a squealing static that was like nails on a chalk board to anyone listening. But all that the two women cared about was that no one would be privy to their conversation.
"I wanted you to know we'll be backing you up all the way," Mirage began, "it's giving our public relations manager Hearte a heart attack, no pun intended, but…"
"It won't be necessary," Fixx interrupted, "in fact, that is a very poor idea."
"…what?"
"If you supported us publicly, I'm afraid that it would lead to compromising our many confidential sources within the MUSE system," Fixx explained in a business like manner, "Blackwood was always ready to sacrifice himself rather than compromise the MUSE system, and I can do no less."
"That'd be fine if we were just talking about you," Mirage growled, "but I'm not about to let the rest of Factor X fall on their sword for saving the world!"
"I know you wouldn't, but you needn't worry," Fixx replied, "The members of Factor X were being controlled telepathically as SHIELD will vouch, and will be released on their own recognizance. As for us, you needn't worry."
Mirage knew better than to ask about the exact implications of that last sentence, but the plurality confused her, "Us…?"
"There are…were two telepaths on Factor X, remember?"
Mirage felt her chest tighten and barely louder than a whisper breathed, "Brandon…"
"There is no way to get him out with legal trickery or outright lies," Fixx sighed, "there are those in government who would love to have him in their employ again."
"No…"
"Danielle, there is nothing you can do…"
"The hell there isn't!" Mirage slammed her fist down, "I won't let them victimize him again! If I have to move heaven and hell…!"
"Then you'll fail everyone in between!" Fixx snapped, "For bamf's sake, Mirage, wake up! The world we live in, the battles we face, this is a world of gray! If you or Force Works take public action against the government, then everyone loses!"
Mirage felt the righteous anger burning in her chest evaporate like morning dew and struggled for words "…"
"You simply have to trust us."
"Like you trusted us?" Mirage asked venomously.
"That was our mistake," Fixx countered, "Force Works has prided itself on learning from the mistakes of their older predecessors. If you turn your back on that, what little we've lost now with pale compared to what we all will lose!"
"It's not in my nature to leave anyone twisting in the wind that doesn't deserve it."
"Guard's, I'd like to return to my cell," Fixx shouted just loud enough for the sentries posted outside could hear her. As they unshackled her, Fixx looked towards Mirage, "Compromise is the way of the world, Danielle. All we can try to do is make it on our terms."
As much as Danielle hated the thought of facing Fixx after what she and her team had done, she feared what she had to do next like nothing else. The short walk to the high security section of the men's wing lasted an eternity of five minutes; Danielle was in a familiar position, sitting in a plastic chair bolted to the floor, staring through bullet proof glass out the other side.
The only difference was that this time the person sitting on the other side wasn't just a fellow follower of Xavier. A fellow member of the X who despite all their good intentions wasn't much more to Moonstar personally than a fellow professional in the same field.
This time, sitting opposite of her in heavy chains and watched by former Navy Seals, was the young man now known as Weapon X. She only knew his first name, Brandon. They'd forged a close warrior's bond when they fought side by side to free him of the secret government program aptly named Weapon X and fought against her most hated enemy in the process, Donald Pierce. And even though he possessed the most penetrating gaze she'd ever known, he chose instead to look away. When she spoke, he never reacted, never so much as blinked as she tried to explain her actions. Finally, twenty minutes of one sided silence past, and the guards decided to return the human weapon to his cell.
Just as he passed out the door, Mirage slammed her fist into the glass and made one last plea. Whether it fell on deaf ears or not, she would never know.
Interlude One
In Washington D.C., a senator of prestige and power sat alone in his darkened office. He had just been informed that his nephew is likely dead, his body impossible to recover and he simply cannot stop the anger welling up in his chest. This senator knows, in his heart, somehow, Force Works is responsible.
He picke3d up a folder on his desk stamped both with 'Top Secret' and 'Defense Force'. He began to read it, and the anger beating in his chest lessened. At the moment, he knows there is little he can do against Force Works overtly, but covertly…? That's another story completely.
Interlude Two
The transport that carried the two reported telepathic ring leaders of pulled into a non-descript country side twenty four hour grocery store. The man at the cashier seemed not to care a wit about the jade armor of the guardsmen who entered his humble store. As the men searched for junk food to sustain them on the long haul to the Vault, the cashier busied himself with matters behind the counter, his back turned to the federal officers. One guardsman began making polite conversation with the cashier as his fellows grabbed as many treats as their hand-baskets would carry. The cashier spoke in the oddest accent the Mississippi born guardsman had ever heard. When his fellows were finished and began to approach to pay for their sugary treats, the man politely asked the cashier where he hailed from.
His back still turned, the man explained that he came from a very special county that had possessed a wonderfully diverse culture that had eventually come to create an accent all its own. The county's name, nothing nearly as special as the town itself. Turning around to face the men, the man named his supposed once home.
"Blackwood," the man said with a smile of blackened, charred lips.
Were there anyone outside to see it, the small grocery store came alive with exotic lights and painful sounds for violence for a period of twenty seconds. Then, a single unarmored man casually strolled towards the large transport that held his quarry.
The next day, buried in page five, the escape of the two telepathic leaders of Factor X was reported. Evidence suggested an accomplice assisted in the escape. It was both feared and suspected that they would form another terrorist group to prey upon humanity.
However, nothing could be farther from the truth. The two who were granted their freedom awoke in the woods and decided to go underground until such time they lost national attention. They knew that the American public was fickle with a short attention span. Wherever life took them, their time in Factor X would be lost to history.
The third, his work now done, went his own way. He began down a path that took him so very far away from Metro City and it's protectors Force Works, but would in time would lead him back into their very midst. And then…then the devil himself would weep at the punishment he would reign down on them.
Never the End…
Next Issue: They've been waiting, plotting and training for months now, but King Bedlam's Cabal is finally ready to strike! And waiting in the wings is a dangerous foe, returning stronger and more powerful than ever! It's the end of an era, and we're going out with a bang!