20 - Mutations
Saturday, October 1, 2012 Empire State University - college of Biology 10:41 AM
Doctor Connors led the group through the exhibits, occasionally stopping to explain one specimen or another. Peter was hooked. The physics hall with its incredible wonders. The chemistry hall with teams of staff and students rushing back and forth, discarding what didn't work, and retesting what did. And now this. The wonders of genetic manipulation. He, Gwen and Ned walked in a close knit group. Flash smacked Peter in the shoulder, laughing as he barged past. "Be careful where you walk there, puny Parker! We wouldn't wanna end up in the eel cage". Peter rolled his eyes even as he rubbed his sure shoulder and glared at the bigger boy's back. Doctor Connors continued his speech unabated. "And here, as you can see, we have these fifteen genetically engineered spiders. Each of these spiders has been enhanced with doses of radiation. Would anyone like to hazard a guess as to why we would do this?" A few of the others put their hands up, though most kept their hands down. Connors pointed at Harry Osborn a few steps ahead of the trio. Harry glanced back at Peter nervously. Peter shot him a discrete thumbs up.
"Ahh, well, I guess maybe…for - webs?" Connors nodded with a faint reassuring smile.
"That's right. Super strong silk. We could use it for a number of purposes. Non-violent crime prevention. Adhesive for wound care. Potentially even aiding in construction and other industries. As I hope you've seen throughout the course of my fun little talk, the potential results are endless". There was faint clapping from the students, led by Peter and Gwen.
Harry beamed at Peter, who in turn smiled at the other boy. Since Peter had begun tutoring the Osborn heir, Harry's grades had markedly improved. An acquaintanceship had also slowly blossomed between the pair. Connors took a little bow before stepping back and making his way out through a side entrance. The other scientist stepped forward, clearing her throat. "Now you'll have a chance to take a look around the hall. Once you've done with that, you will meet your teachers and I back here. If you have any questions, feel free to ask". Gwen's hand was already in the air as the others made off in small groups. The brunette doctor grinned at her.
"Yes, Miss Stacy?"
"Doctor Connors said there were fifteen spiders?" The doctor nodded. "Well there's only fourteen". Peter frowned, narrowing his eyes and readjusting his glasses. Scanning the enclosures, Peter's eyes widened. Gwen was right. One of the small cases was empty, except for an already breaking down web. The doctor frowned.
"Huh. I guess one of them was taken out to conduct more testing". Gwen nodded thoughtfully. She made her way away from the spiders, Ned following after her. Peter promised his friends he would catch up with them, making his way over to the spiders. He held up his camera to show it to the scientist, gesturing to the spiders.
"Mind if I get some photos for the school journalism club?" She nodded with a faint smile. Peter snapped a half dozen shots, making sure to get each of the spiders and the empty enclosure at least once each. As he was making his way over to Ned and Gwen, a sharp pain radiated out from his wrist. Peter gasped, glancing down at his hand. Rubbing his uninjured hand over the slight red growth on his wrist, he glanced around the room. Had he been bitten by something? Should he tell someone? His head was spinning. He could feel sweat running down his forehead. Removing his glasses, he rubbed at his face.
–AoS–
Muir Island research facility, Five miles north of the Scottish Mainland
3:49 PM (10:49 AM New York)
The blackbird touched down on the small runway. Storm and Wolverine completed the process of switching the engines off. The former rotated her seat around to regard the students. "You will remember that you are representatives of the Xavier institute. Most of you are also representing the future of mutant kind as a whole. You will each show the best of us. I expect you to acquit yourselves with honour and act appropriately". The others nodded. As the top of their classes, they'd been selected for the private excursion to see a longtime friend of the professor. Nate stood up, rolling his shoulders and arching his back. If Storm, Summers and Worthington had been aware of his identity, he might have opted to fly on his own, following the jet to their destination. Anything to avoid sitting in one of their awful faux leather seats.
Bobby and Kitty both glanced at him amusedly as Worthington snorted softly from across the aisle. Jean smiled goodnaturedly, and Kurt sympathetically as the former held a hand to her mouth to suppress a giggle. Finally, the redhead broke. "So adorable," she cooed. "I'm half expecting you to scratch behind your ear with your foot". Scott summers chuckled, sending Jean a grin.
"He does look rather like a cat, doesn't he?" The other boy replied. Jean nodded, also smiling as the pair's eyes met across the aisle. Nate sighed and rolled his eyes.
"See if I fly off to France for more pastries for you" he mouthed to his redhead friend. Jean snorted, linking her arm with his.
"Yeah right. You don't scare me Nathaniel Thomas. We both know you'll take any excuse for the flight". Storm gestured for the pair to lead the group off the blackbird and onto the airfield below. Behind them Bobby was still laughing, a sound cut off abruptly by Logan's growl of "Get a move on, Icicle" followed by the other boy's yelp.
–AoS–
Her phone buzzed in her back pocket. Tearing her gaze away from the monitor lizard sunbaking in the case before them, Gwen quickly retrieved the device, smiling as she spotted the top message.
'Okay, the school's amazing, and they apparently have the funding for this monstrosity, but that doesn't mean I'm not missing you and Pete like mad!
XO, Nate'
Her smile widened. Tapping the attachment at the bottom of the message downloaded a photo of Nate standing in front of a large black jet plane, wearing a red jacket, blue shirt, and Black jeans. On either side of him stood two of his new classmates, each of the three
beaming at her, though the smile of the redhead on the left didn't seem to quite reach her eyes. 'The Telepath. Jean Grey'. Gwen thought. Between Peter, Ned, and now the mutant girl other mutants feared, Nate had a habit of picking up outsiders. Even me, she mused, grinning to herself as she considered how to reply. Pete glanced at her curiously. "Nate?" he asked. She could hear the amusement in his voice. Absentmindedly, she nodded as she hummed to herself. "Well, say hello to him for me then".
N,
You have no idea how good it is to hear from you! I've noticed you-know-who hasn't been very active lately? At least tell me you've been rescuing kittens out of trees to stay in practice :). Pete says hi, by the way.
XOXO, G
Tapping the send button with her thumb, she grinned and dropped the phone into her jacket pocket. Beside her, Peter removed his glasses, rubbing his eyes and forehead. She frowned worriedly as she glanced at her best friend. "Are you alright?" she murmured softly. Peter shot her a small smile and nodded, though the expression looked more like a grimace.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good. I just haven't gotten a lot of sleep lately, I guess". Gwen nodded, rubbing soothing circles on his back. Peter's cheeks dusted pink, and he shot her a grateful smile.
–AoS–
The group made their way towards the main entrance. Standing in front of the thick metal doors was a brunette who looked to be in her late thirties, hair tied back in a bun and wearing a plain lab coat over a black shirt and pants. Storm approached the woman, who pulled her in for a hug. "I'm sorry the professor couldn't join us, Moira. He wanted to come, yet events at the institute forced him to remain behind". The other woman - Moira - smiled as she released the X-Men's field leader.
"It is of no concern. Charles and I are well aware of one another's responsibilities, Ororo. Our relationship has often been this way. One must find time when they can. It will doubtless be the same for you, one day." she rubbed the dark-skinned woman's arm, before making
her way around to the students. "Jean," she beamed, shaking hands with his friend. "The last time I saw you, you still insisted Pigtails were the only worthwhile hairstyle." Nate smirked to himself, trying to picture the red headed mutant half as tall with pigtails. Moira glanced at him and their linked arms. "And who is this dear?" She asked, smiling faintly.
"This is Nathaniel Thomas. My best friend."
The doctor extended a hand, which Nate took. She cast an appraising glance at him, from head to toe before nodding to herself. "You're the new student Charles mentioned, then? The non-mutant?" Nate nodded, feeling subconscious. "Hmm. Red and blue suits you". With that, she moved on to the next student in line. Nate glanced warilly at his friend, who grinned. She laughed at the wince he shot her.
"Don't worry". Jean whispered. "She doesn't bite. Usually. Moira's always been a little intense. But the others and I can keep you safe".
"My heroes", he replied, grinning.
"Sentinels even".
–AoS–
Peter slowly opened the front door, May and Ben sat talking in the kitchen. His aunt grinned at him as he shut the door, attempting to run upstairs to his room. "How was the trip, kiddo?" Peter glanced down at her, leaning over the bannister. He nodded, smiling and rubbing his sweating forehead as casually as he could whilst trying to keep his mother figure at ease. Uncle Ben made his way over, standing beside his wife.
"Well, how did it go, bud? Come down and tell us about it!" Pete winced slightly.
"Sorry guys, I just think I ate something bad at lunch. My stomach feels a bit off, so I was just going to go and lay down in my room for a little while, if that's okay?"
"Of course, kiddo," May replied, smiling sympathetically. His aunt and uncle returned to the kitchen, leaving Peter to continue upstairs. Closing the door to his bedroom, Peter ran a hand through his hair. Plopping down onto the bed, Peter let out a faint groan. His head and hand were killing him. Normally, he would just go to the hospital, but with his uncle in danger of being let go at work, and their finances already stretched, he knew it was best to just sleep it off. Shutting his eyes tightly, Peter Parker tried desperately to block out the light as he rolled into a fetal position, light filtering in through the window.
–AoS–
As a group, they made their way into the facility. Guards stood on either side of the rolling metal doors. Jean frowned slightly, wondering what sort of research facility required such heavy security. She stretched her consciousness out to brush against those of the guards, only to feel nothing. Her frown deepened, turning into a scowl. How often had she wished for this? How many times had she asked - begged - the professor to design some sort of device to limit her powers? Each time he had insisted it couldn't be done. Beside her, Nate staggered. His hand fell on her shoulder as he dropped to his knees. She knelt to the floor with him, wincing as his hand dug into her sleeve. Stunned, Kurt, Kitty, and Bobby all called his name, the latter shouting for Moira and Storm. The two women rushed back towards the group. Nate fell into a lying position, head bouncing against the concrete floor. "What is it?" She whispered, trying desperately to help him up.
"Nuh-not sure", he whispered. "Suh-suh-something is wrong. I can't…can't hear or see as far. My…my senses. Something's interfering with my senses". Of course! Jean realised, panicked. If her powers were affected by the facility, the others' would be as well. Nate was used to his enhanced senses. The sudden and drastic change in information input must have disoriented him. Moira dropped to a crouch beside her, checking her friend's pulse.
"What happened?" Demanded the brunette. "Jean?! What's wrong with him?" Jean shook her head.
"I'm sorry, I'm not sure!" Lying to the other woman felt horrible, but it was something she felt obliged to do. Neither Storm or Moira were aware of Nate's identity, and she felt sure he
wanted it to remain that way. She would not betray his trust. Moira sighed, before standing and turning to the security personnel.
"Fetch some of the medical personnel. Find an empty room for Mr Thomas. I'll come and check on him myself, after the tour is complete". The two men nodded, rushing off to complete their assigned tasks. Moira turned to the rest of the class. "Come on. I know you must be alarmed, but this is no reason not to finish what you started". Bobby wrapped an arm comfortingly around Kitty's shoulders as she stared at the floor. Jean glanced at Kurt who met her gaze. She could see her own concern reflected in his face. Scott stood up, clearing his throat.
"She's right, you guys. We were sent here because the professor trusts us. Respects us. We owe it to him. To Nate. And to ourselves. We'll meet up with Nate when this is finished, and we'll have one hell of a story to give him". Bobby nodded, followed by Kitty and Kurt. Scott met her gaze, waiting patiently. Blushing faintly, she smiled at him.
"Yeah, let's do it". Logan spoke up.
"Something feels off. Maybe I'll wait here, at least till those two guys get back." Jean glanced at the man. He knew about Nate, she remembered. Logan was suspicious at the best of times. He especially didn't like or trust people who ran facilities like this one. He probably thought whatever happened to Nate was Moira's idea.
–AoS–
Getting into Muir island had been surprisingly easy, even for her. She'd been paid well, but with the incentive of potentially helping all mutant kind, she'd have done it far cheaper. No need to tell them that though. It wouldn't do for people to think she was some sort of not for profit after all. She stood in front of the door, bored out of her mind. Her co-worker was nattering on, trying his best to engage 'Harvey Whitehead' in conversation. Raven did her best to ignore him, wondering when something interesting would come up. The brotherhood had told her that they intended to go in today, that she would know when to act. MacTaggert made her way past them, nodding to the other guard whilst offering the newcomer an awkward smile. Raven smiled back, doing her best to keep the other woman at ease.
Almost ten minutes passed before the scientist returned, with a group led by two painfully familiar figures. Ororo Munroe was as well turned out as ever, an image intensified by the contrast between the dark skinned woman and the man beside her; the man known to most as Wolverine had made as little effort as ever to clean his appearance, with wild brown hair and facial hair, with his usual civilian clothes of a dirty white tank top, brown leather pants, and combat boots. He stopped briefly, sniffing the air. Raven winced, before recalling he'd never detected her before. As she regarded the small group of Xavier's students behind them, she had to keep herself from gasping. There he was. The boy. Nathaniel Thomas. That friend of George Stacy's daughter that Doom had been so invested in.
Raven's heart sped up as she spotted Kurt standing next to a brunette girl a few steps behind the blonde boy. If Nathaniel Thomas was the picture of poise and almost cold confidence, Kurt was the opposite. The boy was fidgeting with his jeans, one hand slid subconsciously into his pocket. The blue skinned mutant did his best to keep his head down. The thought enraged Raven. How dare Xavier allow her boy - Sweet natured and kind, so unlike her - to feel ashamed? Her son was meant to be happy, free from her reputation. Yet here he was, acting as though he were somehow lesser than the humans. Her blood boiled. Instinctively, she almost started walking towards the group, halting as the boy in front of her son staggered, dropping to his knees.
MacTaggert was quick to take command of the situation, demanding them to find medical staff and bring the boy somewhere safe. Raven made her way off with her fellow guard, rushing to seem as concerned as the rest. "I'll set up one of the rooms," the other guard replied, "You find a nurse!" Raven nodded. 'Good idea' she thought to herself. Rushing off towards the nurse's offices, she shouted into the main room that someone was needed at the entrance before making her way downstairs. With all the chaos, no one would miss a single guard. Once more she silently thanked fate for the short range scrambler to keep the power dampeners in the facility from interfering with her abilities as she descended into the bowels of the faculty, stepping off the elevator as she hurried down the hall.
–AoS–
Erik touched down on the surface of the island, casting an imperious gaze around at the facility. His eyes narrowed as he spotted Charles' jet. Lorna and the rest of the brotherhood
formed rank Around the master of magnetism as he started striding purposefully towards the main structure. Guards came rushing towards them, carrying plastic clubs and riot shields. He smirked; it seemed as though MacTaggart and his old friend had prepared for the possibility of his arrival. The mutant revolutionary snapped his fingers. Gunther, Jason, and Frederick moved forward immediately, already anticipating what he wanted. Within a few moments, the three mutants had disposed of the guards. Jason's illusions sent two of the men clobbering one another with their own weapons, allowing Frederick to throw them across the yard. Gunther easily disposed of three more, leaving the last five to the blob to ball over. Beside him, Lorna snorted. He smirked down at his daughter, who rolled her eyes. "Not much fun," the green haired teenager muttered. Erik chuckled, gesturing to the jet.
"You'll get more of a workout inside, my dear". She grinned mischievously, wrapping her arm through his as the pair floated through the air towards the main bunker.
"I just hope this mercenary you hired comes through".
–AoS–
He lay in the cot they had placed him in, gritting his teeth as his head felt as though it were being ripped in two. Deep coughs racked his body, arching his back forward as he heaved for breath. The nurse forced him back into a lying position, although she propped the pillows up for him. His friends winced sympathetically from beside the bed, and he felt someone squeeze his hand, though with his senses going wild, he was uncertain who it was. It felt as though all the energy the suit had absorbed had been ripped violently from his body. His arms and legs burned, fingers and toes twitching. He felt a light shine in one eye then the next, and let out a soft groan as he weakly tried to shoo it away. "Can't you give him something for the pain?!" he heard a voice shout urgently, though he couldn't place it.
Mercifully, almost as suddenly as it had begun, the pain subsided. His eyes blinked as he readjusted to the light and his enhanced senses. He could hear Jean's breath as she sat beside his bed, holding his hand, hear Kitty's teeth chattering nervously. Beyond them he could see Bobby and Kurt standing guard on the other side of the door. Slowly, he carefully sat up once more, rubbing his eyes as he brushed the sweat off his forehead. The nurse attempted to push him back onto the bed, but he deftly dodged her hand, listening intently. There was something off. Sounds of battle coming from outside the room, somewhere else in the facility. "Can you hear that?" He asked the others in the room.
–AoS–
Raven grinned to herself as she switched off the power nullification devices MacTaggert and her associates had developed. That had been easy enough to deal with. Now, she just had to find her way out of here.
-AoS–
A quick pulse of Unus's psionic field through the gap between the door and the wall was enough to tear open the door, exposing the bunker within. Erik and the others moved through the open doorway with purpose, stepping past the 6'1" Korean-American. Unus fell into step at the rear of their group. Erik sneered at the guards, lifting them into the air by the metal in their belt buckles and slamming them into the ceiling several times, snapping their necks. The two men crumpled the ground lifelessly. A guttural shout sounded from the other end of the narrow corridor. Erik snorted, rolling his eyes. Wolverine came lunging at the group, claws extended and wearing his yellow and blue suit as he shot towards Erik like a cannonball. Blob moved between the pair, the Canadian bouncing off of the larger man's stomach and skidding along the concrete floor. The dark haired man lunged forward, claws thrashing wildly. Erik turned to Lorna. "Enjoy playing with this fool, my dear." he glanced at the others. "With me". The two men nodded, trailing behind him.
–AoS–
She, Kurt, Jean, and Bobby rushed through the bunker, following the sounds of combat as they went. If the facility was under attack, the only X-men available to help were Storm and Wolverine. Their teachers would need help. Briefly, she wondered where Summers and Worthington were. Three figures rounded the corridor at the same time as them. In the center of the group stood a tall imposing figure wearing a familiar red open hoplite's helmet and cape. On his left stood a handsome man with asian features and cold dark brown eyes. The dark haired man on the other side was the shortest of the three, wearing a brown trench coat over a black long sleeved shirt and long pants and dress shoes. The man in the middle narrowed his eyes at them.
"You are Charles' children, I presume," it was not a question. Kitty glared at him.
"We know who you are," she snapped at him, "and we're not going to let you hurt anyone today!" Magneto smiled and let out an amused huff.
"I have no interest in harming children. Most assuredly, my dear, not mutant children. Stand aside and let us go about our business".
Bobby let out a shout, launching a blast of ice at the trio. Magneto lowered his head, seemingly disappointed, before snapping his fingers. His companions moved forward, though the taller of the two seemed briefly to hesitate. Kurt glanced at her briefly, before moving in front of her and jean. Bobby considered firing blasts of ice at the advancing mutants, refusing to let up. The shorter of the pair began to wave his hands in a complicated pattern, yellow light shimmering between his fingers. Fire erupted around Bobby in a circle. Her friend threw his hands into the air, instinctually curling up into a ball. She could smell smoke in the air, hear the flames crackling, and feel the heat against her skin. The taller man thrust out his own hands, and she let out a stunned yelp as Kurt went flying into her, knocking the pair into a tangle of limbs. Her friend hastily spluttered out an embarrassed apology. As he flashed back to her feet and shot him a faint smile, she waved off his concern. He nodded pulling her to her feet. Jean stood between them and the advancing mutants, generating a telekinetic barrier between the two groups.
–AoS–
Bobby was curled up on the floor, screaming in a terrifying mixture of agony and horror. The dark haired man raised his hands, and without warning, Kurt was sent flying into Kitty, sending them both sprawling. Jean grit her teeth. She needed to do something she knew. But what could she do? She'd spent years refusing to use her abilities, actively trying to run from what she was. Spent years avoiding other people so she wouldn't have to hear the intrusive noise of their thoughts. She had actively avoided using her telekinetic abilities for anything, going out of her way to retrieve or move anything she wanted through normal means. She felt goosebumps run down the back of her neck, and took a deep calming breath. She could no longer stand by, Jean knew. These people - whether she was willing to admit it aloud yet or not - were her friends. They had taken her in, made her a member of their group. She had to protect them; she would protect them. Jean Grey stepped forward, eyes awash with a glowing red energy as she raised her palms in front of herself, pink energy emanating from her hands.
–AoS–
The room was now empty, the nurse having left on an errand. He waited long enough to be sure she was gone and not coming back before swinging his leg over the bed. Letting out a sigh, he rolled his shoulders back before slipping out of the room. The sounds of combat were closer than they had been. Hurrying down the hall, he came to a stairwell door halfway down. Checking the hall for security cameras and finding none, he pulled the door open. Hurrying upstairs, he tapped the face of his watch as he went. Dashing through the facility using his superspeed, he soon found himself standing behind Jean, Kurt, Kitty, and Bobby. The latter was curled up in a foetal position, whilst Jean had her hands thrust out in front of her, beams of pink psionic energy flowing from her palms. A pink barrier had split the hallway in two. On the other side of the barrier stood three men, two of which seemed to be trying to break through the psychic energy.
"Drop the barrier" he told his redheaded friend. She glanced at him over her shoulder, before giving a hesitant nod. The energy dissipated as she rushed over to Kitty and Kurt. "Get them somewhere safe, then come back". He told the girl. She nodded, grabbing the brunette by the shoulder. Kurt pulled Bobby to his feet, before the two girls made their way to his side. In an instant, the four teenagers disappeared, leaving Nate alone with the three adult mutants. He glanced at the man at the back. "I'm going to guess that you're the one who's calling the shots here".
"Sentinel. You are a mutant?" Nate shook his head.
"No. Sorry to disappoint you, but I wasn't born with my abilities". The man raised an eyebrow. "You two. Deal with him". The two men hesitated, glancing at one another briefly before turning their attention back to Nate.
"I'll let you surrender if you want to," he told them. The taller of the two men glared, whilst the shorter man laughed.
"I'm scared of you." the shorter man stated simply. "I'm terrified of him," he gestured towards the helmeted mutant. Nate sighed slightly, before nodding resignedly. The other mutant snorted as he glanced briefly at his fellow beside him. He lunged at the taller mutant first, fist cocked back. In response, the other man raised his hand. Nate blinked as his hand slammed into an invisible wall of force, unable to strike the other man. He frowned, flying back and firing a blast of heat vision towards the shorter mutant. The blue energy beams cut off an inch from the mutant's chest. Nate grit his teeth. Great. He can protect the other guy, too. The brown eyed mutant raised his hand, and Nate felt himself being struck in the stomach, followed by blows to his face and knees. The other man grit his teeth as he realized the blows seemed to have no effect. Nate took in a deep breath, before unleashing a gust of wind which ripped the cape off the man at the back and pushed him back, throwing him onto his back. The tall mutant in red was able to generate another force barrier in time to protect himself and the mutant stood beside him, leaving the two unmolested. Raising his head, Nate launched a blast of heat vision at the mutant at the other end of the hall, the two beams of energy streaking towards him. The tall mutant leaped in the way, the barrier of force sending his heat vision streaking back towards him without warning. His stomach leaped into the back of his throat as the burst of energy lurched him back through the air and into a nearby wall.
Dazed and confused, he slowly pushed himself up the wall. Rubbing his eyes, he shook his head sharply in an effort to put an end to the ringing in his ears. A roar sounded through the hall. Nate snapped his head up, instantly alert. Taking great loping strides towards him from behind was a horrendous creature vaguely reminiscent of the hulk; unlike his teammate, its skin was a slick black with grey and white rocky protrusions running down its chest, spine, and arms. Brown rocky armour-like scutes covered its legs. The beast had no hair but a short white ring around the neck and the back of the skull. Bone-white stony protrusions jutted out of the creature's hands like the sharpened points of a set of knuckle dusters. Standing at least eight feet tall, the monster was a menacing sight. It smirked coldly as it laid eyes upon him, lunging forth with a speed that belied its massive size. Nate slid his foot into the floor, digging it in as he raised his hands in an attempt to halt the momentum of the hulking beast. They skidded along the floor as it drove him into the ground. Kicking it in the chest, he delivered a sharp punch to the side of its skull, followed by a second. The creature went sailing through the air, slamming through the wall. Wasting no time, he soared through the hole in pursuit. He needed to stop the beast, get it away from the facility if he could. It was the only way to ensure the safety of everyone else on the island.
They collided once more as the creature charged towards him. He caught its punch in one hand, swinging his leg up to strike it on the chin with the toes of his foot. It staggered back slightly, and he shot forward, both fists extended out in front of him. Flying into the beast's chest, he sent it careening through the air once again.
–AoS–
Jason shot his hand out towards the downed superhero, a sickly yellow light surrounding his head as he slowly staggered to his feet. Erik watched, fascinated as ever by the effects of his compatriot's illusions, as the hero dug his feet into the floor and proceeded to fly backwards slowly, digging trenches through the metal as he went, before swinging his fist
wildly through the air twice, the second blow slamming into the wall, instantly tearing a massive hole through the material. Despite himself, Erik winced slightly even as the hero shot off like a jet, flying through the hole.
"What did you show him?" he enquired. What sort of horror could invoke a reaction like that. Jason shrugged.
"Just gave him something else to deal with for a while".
Gunther shuddered.
–AoS–
He sat at the desk, humming softly to himself. Running thin fingers through his hair, the boy stared at the pages of the notebook his mother had gifted him, absentmindedly counting the scratch marks on the page. There no longer seemed much point in the earlier sketches; inside the cell, time blended together like so much soup. Art seemed to have little meaning in an existence such as his. Without any clock or devices in the room, the lines scratched into the yellowed paper were the only way he had of guessing how long he'd been in the pristine white room. He wouldn't be here forever, he knew. His mother and her researchers constantly assured him the cell was for his own protection, to keep his powers from destroying his body. Once they found a way to control the effects of his abilities, he would be free once more. If not for the near translucent pallor of his skin, and the vibrant veins beneath, he wouldn't believe her assertions.
The room shuddered violently, his desk sliding away and shattering into shards of timber as it collided with the wall. Instinctively, Kevin leaped away from his seat. Thin cracks appeared in the wall, shattering apart in an instant. A strange figure floated into the room, fists cocked and eyes glowing, a wild look in its face. Kevin stepped away from the man, gripping his spasming arm as the power dampeners throughout the cell shortened out. He could feel the bottomless well of his power bubbling up in his stomach once again, and felt cold terror grip his chest. Without the dampeners, the power would destroy his body. A sudden fear overtook him as the figure advanced, eyes glowing blue and the pain racking his body sent him to his knees. He didn't want to die.
Acting on instinct, Kevin thrust his consciousness outwards, reaching for the other man in the room. Their minds merged, and for a few horrifying moments, the other man resisted the possession. Kevin pushed harder against the other mind, shoving the consciousness of the stranger - Nathaniel Thomas, according to the flashes of memory - deep within their shared mind. Through his new eyes, he watched, fascinated, as his former host body collapsed to the ground. Calling on his new power, he incinerated the empty husk with a burst of heat vision, enhanced by his own telekinesis. As he stood in the shattered cell that had once been his home, Kevin MacTaggert gazed transfixed down at his new body and the strange suit he now wore. For the first time in years, he could no longer feel the pain of his breaking body. The incessant tug of his powers drawing energy from his physical husk was gone, as well. Excitement filled him, before being replaced with cold rage.
His mother had said it was his powers that were broken, not his body. She'd claimed that the cell had been to keep him safe. And yet, here he was. In a body that housed his immense power without issue. She had lied to him; she must have. What else could it mean? His mother had betrayed him, made him only to benefit Xavier and the mutants. Her genetics, and those of the father who had abandoned him, had cursed him to live with immense, even god-like power, wasted in a broken body that had been defective from the very beginning. She must have known, Kevin now understood. Had to have known that it was the worthless form she had given birth to that was defective. Had she allowed him to possess one of her fellow researchers like this years ago, he could have been free. First, he would take his revenge on her for her treason, then, he would find his worthless father and deal with his infidelities.
–AoS–
With Kurt teleporting them from room to room, they had finally managed to track down Scott and Warren. The two boys were busily barricading the mess hall, professor MacTaggert and miss Munroe stood to one side, quietly discussing the attack of the brotherhood. MacTaggert was clearly distraught. Jean bit her lip, resisting the urge to reach out to the other woman's mind to see what was bothering her. As the two boys spotted their group, they rushed over. Summers flung his arms around her. Jean stiffened and blinked. The tall boy blushed, leaping back as though he'd placed his hand on a hot stovetop. "I am so sorry," he shot out. "It's just that we were so worried about you all. I guess I just overreacted. I didn't mean to overreach." Jean smiled softly.
"It's alright, Scott." she assured him. The doors barged open. Logan came stalking into the room, blood on his knuckles. He snorted as he glanced at them.
"Four eyes, either tell red you like her, or someone else will. Besides, I'm getting sick and tired of you kids tiptoeing around it. Can smell you from the other side of the school most days." they glanced at one another, both scarlet. Wolverine stalked over to join his fellow X-Man, joining the two women in their conversation. Warren glanced at her friends.
"Where's twinkle toes?"
Kitty rolled her eyes. "Nate is lying down, where we left him. Whatever's going on here, he's not feeling well. He should be safe where he is though". The other girl glanced at doctor MacTaggert briefly. "He will be, won't he? I mean, the brotherhood won't do anything dangerous, will they?" MacTaggert made her way over to their group, smiling reassuringly.
"Don't worry. I'll send someone for your friend".
"We'll go," Scott offered instantly. Warren stared at his best friend, Jean glanced up as well, just as surprised.
"You will?" she muttered. He beamed.
"We will. All of us. We're mutants, unlike the scientists and security, so we have a better chance if it comes down to a fight". Wolverine snorted as he made his way over.
"Well, you aren't going alone. You lot are just kids, no matter how powerful some of you might be". Scott groaned, before glancing at her and the others and nodding.
–AoS–
Wolverine had taken his chance and fled. Lorna frowned to herself, glancing down at the blob in disgust. "Come on," she told him, peering down at the man. "We need to catch up with my father. Badger boy is gone. You can get up now." Frederick sat up, pushing himself into a standing position. High speed winds shot through the room, throwing them both backwards. Blob bounced off the wall, letting out a shocked shout as he pinwheeled from one side of the room to the other and back. A streak of black and red collided with the huge man, sending him careening into the ground. 'What now?!' Lorna wondered with growing horror. The black streak came to a halt, revealing Sentinel stood over the prone mutant. The hero raised his hand, sending it careening into Dukes' face. Again and again, the superhero rained blows down upon the head of her father's subordinate, who, whimpering, tried desperately to crawl away from the relentless assault. Lorna glared, picking herself up from where she had slid down the wall. "Hey! I can't stand him either, but you don't need to pummel him like a grape!"
The newcomer snapped his head up, eyes growing crimson as he stared at her. Reacting as quickly as possible, Lorna raised a sheet of metal into the air between them. Beams of light blue energy slammed into the metal, melting it in instants, which she hastily used to make her mistake, pulling Dukes along on a metal sled. With nowhere else to go, she fled through the doors of the bunker and out into the main island, bringing the now unconscious Dukes with her. Without a moment's hesitation, she lifted herself and Dukes into the air, riding on the Magnetic field. Her father would be angry she knew, but they could argue with one another from the safety of the compound after he returned. Their safety was more important than his instructions. She hadn't signed on to fight someone - something - like that thing. Heroes weren't…weren't supposed to do that.
–AoS–
The bunker rumbled as they rushed through the halls. Skidding along the lines of ice at his feet, he rushed ahead of the rest of the group. They needed to stop the brotherhood. Keep them from getting to their friend. Nate was the most powerful person Bobby knew, yet he couldn't do everything himself. So they would help do it for him. The others had always seen Bobby as a jokester at best, and a joke at worst. A liability. Someone to slow them down. Jean and Nate had had to save him, all because some mutant had made him think he was surrounded by fire. This was his chance; the chance to show what he could do. To prove it to himself, that he wasn't worthless. And so, he kept skating, flinging blasts of ice onto the floor in front of his feet.
–AoS–
They rounded a corner, headed towards the holding cell. Wolverine slammed into Gunther from the other direction, followed by a group of children, including the ones from before. Erik glared harshly. "Hiding behind children now, Wolverine?" the other man glared back, claws shooting out with a snickt.
"They insisted, bub. I didn't want to bring them."
"So you wanted to attack a master of magnetism, with a skeleton composed entirely of metal. Never change, Logan. I adore your optimism". The other mutant snarled, lunging at Gunther. The pair went rolling down the corridor, rolling away from the rest of the mutants. Erik regarded his old friend's pupils shrewdly. "I offer you this chance once more, children. You are misguided, yet I have no desire to harm young mutants. I cannot allow you to hinder our progress however. Stand aside". The brunette in front responded by firing a blast of crimson energy from behind his sunglasses. The sudden burst of energy tossed him backwards, careening into the brawling Wolverine and Unus. He lifted himself off the floor, flying away from the pair before raising Wolverine off the ground, snapping his metallic neck with a twist. One of the little girls let out a gasp, covering her eyes. Straightening his cape, he advanced slowly towards the children, coming to a halt as the facility around them rumbled violently.
–AoS–
Kevin slammed down into the hallway. Standing between him and his mother were two men and a group of teenagers. The taller of the two men rolled his eyes under his red helmet. "Sentinel." The other man spoke chillily. "I'm surprised to see you. Here". He glared at the man beside him.
"I don't know who you are. But I need to get to my mother. Stand aside". The redhead stared at him.
"Your mother?" Kevin glanced at her stunned. She knew this Sentinel's true identity. He briefly searched through his host's memories, looking for the girl. Friends. And she's a telepath as well. He would need to remove her from the board quickly. He had no idea if her psychic abilities would allow her to force him from her friend's body, yet he had no intention of finding out. Flicking out his hands in either direction, he unleashed crimson bursts of Telekinetic energy, throwing the other mutants back. The redhead pushed back against his psionic attack with her own, though after a few moments' resistance, she too was sent flying. He shot off down the hall, using his newly enhanced senses to pursue his mother.
Moments later, he crashed through a concrete wall. His mother gaped at him, a dark skinned woman stepping between the two of them, obviously confused. "Sentinel? It's good of you to help, but I'm surprised to see you". She grinned, gesturing to the door behind him. "Plus, there are other ways to enter a room". Kevin narrowed his eyes, firing a blast of heat vision to drop a section of the roof down on top of the woman. As she hit the ground, he made his way towards his mother.
"I'm rather tired of all your friends coming between us. Mother" he spat. She gasped, taking a step back and staring at him.
"Kevin?"
"You lied to me".
"No". she shook her head, stepping back once more.
"You knew if I took another body my powers wouldn't destroy it! You must have known! Did you want me to die?!" he shouted, enraged. He staggered forward as he felt a pair of feet slam into him from behind. Spinning around, Kevin found the yellow and blue clad mutant from before crouched low behind him, metallic claws jutting out of his wrists.
"MacTaggert. Run." the mutant growled. His mother nodded, turning and sprinting away. The other mutant glared at him.
"I don't know who you really are, but you aren't the kid. I can smell it. You better give that body back, bub. Some kids I care a lot about really like the guy it belongs to". Kevin laughed.
"Do you actually think you can stop me? I am a GOD!" the other mutant shrugged.
"Can't say I didn't give you the option". With that, he rushed towards Kevin, arm snapped back. Kevin dodged his first few strikes before delivering a sharp kick to his chest. To his shock, the other mutant merely skidded along the floor, keeping his footing. The spandex wearing man leaped onto a nearby table, using it as leverage to throw himself forward. Kevin quickly moved to one side, the claws catching him on the side of the arm. Hot shearing pain radiated down his side. Drops of blood fell on the floor. He staggered back, falling onto one knee. The other mutant smirked. "Adamantium, bub. It hurts the body you stole. Now, stand still so I can kick your ass". Kevin let loose a burst of telekinetic energy, breaking the other man's legs. Pushing off the ground, he flew out of the bunker through the roof.
A/N: Took longer than I intended, and was supposed to be a lot longer, but I ended up cutting it into two chapters. This felt like a good place to stop the chapter.
As for the new Actors/face claims
Erik Lehnsherr / Max Eisenhardt / Magneto – Viggo Mortensen
Gunther Bain / Unus the Untouchable - Takayuki Suzuki
Jason Wyngarde / Mastermind – Aidan Gillen
Moira MacTaggert – Keira Knightley
Kevin MacTaggert – Asa Butterfield
Lorna Dane / Polaris – Thomasin McKenzie
Frederick Dukes / Blob – Devin Ratray