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| X-men 2099UG Issue #15, Volume 2 Written by Chris Lough |
| The 2099 Underground is a project whereby a group of fans are putting together a series of stories continuing from Marvel's fantastic futuristic 2099! Ignoring the ignoble and inaccurate "2099: World of Tomorrow", we're exploring what we feel is the true spirit of 2099 as envisioned by then Editor-in-Chief Joey Cavalieri. Participation is open to all. Comments about this issue should be sent to the author. Or you can visit our message board and post your thoughts on the issue. Anyone wishing to join the mailing list should do so by signing up at Yahoo! Groups. It's free and easy! Simply type in the keyword "Ghostworks" and you're good to go. |
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Xi’an Chi Xan watched the demolished square below Halo Tower as morning rush hour traffic dwindled on by. The cars crawled through a maze of makeshift roads that wound through the half-made buildings and new lots that were earmarked for future construction. It had been almost two months since Exodus had revealed the Mutant Messiah as his own design, and two months since the battle engulfed the entire city. Xi’an remembered it well, he had been there with the X-men, he had brought Exodus’ messiah to him. He remembered being awestruck by the amount of power Exodus and the stranger named Dust had wielded against each other. He could not help but be fascinated by the two, even as they brought the city down around them. They were both prime examples of the potential mutantkind had within it. And also a glimpse into what the future may hold when mutants finally outnumbered the humans…when the ascendance of homo sapien superior would truly begin. Only the dream of one man, born more than a century ago, could prevent such Armageddon. Xi’an knew his face and his name. Charles Xavier. A man who preached that unity between the two races was the only way to a brighter future. He created a band of mutants, a team of heroes that called themselves X-men. They fought for his dream. As many others eventually would. Del Ruiz, Zhao, Magnus, himself. Xi’an frowned, his faded reflection frowning back at him from the glass. Here he was, in a city that was the physical manifestation of Xavier’s dream. A city that, with luck, would serve as a mecca of tolerance and hope that would extend into the new century…and beyond. Here he was, an X-man, more than a hundred years after the fact. And one of many charged with keeping the dream alive. Here he was…and he did not know if he truly believed in it. There was no fooling himself. He was a broken man. His parents had sold him to a laboratory because having a mutant son shamed them. He had been rejected by the only ones he loved. The hate he felt for a society that would make that acceptable powered him through his youth. A youth spent stealing, killing, breaking the law wherever it suited him. A youth that ended up becoming one long battle, one long hunt, where he was always the prey. He would never let himself become close to anyone ever again. Until… Until he learned of his mutant heritage. Until he found the teachings of a man who had fought against the injustice and intolerance that had claimed Xi’an’s life. Xi’an had always fought at a world that didn’t accept him, but never had he realized that he had the power to change it. Not until Xavier. Xi’an couldn’t take it anymore. He wanted out of a life where the only currency was pain and suffering. His anger was the only thing keeping him going. And after so many years of anger, he was still in the same place he’d always been. Xi’an gave himself to the dream. He would revive the X-men, he would bring together the mutant nation, and he would reshape the world with it. This hell that was Earth could no longer be allowed to continue. Justice and equality had to be forced home to the heartless megacorps. Not just for mutants, but for everyone. Xi’an strove to better himself in mind and body. He locked away the angry youth that he had been and adopted pacifism. He would be the leader the mutant world needed him to be. He was perhaps the biggest failure in the history of mutantkind. No sooner had he formed the X-men around him, when the hate and anger that he had strived so hard to keep locked away, overtook him. His time as a mutant leader had given his anger a new, and fatal, quality. A lust for power. He became everything he had fought against, a heartless evil being who cared nothing for the people around him. Seeing them as only untapped resources to toy with. He had been lucky. The seedling of a dream he had formed refused to die. The people he betrayed refused to accept that the man they knew was dead. They destroyed the tools of his avarice and peeled back the layers of his mind to show him the truth. He was a broken man. Xi’an Chi Xan stared down at Halo City as the morning rush hour traffic continued to crawl on by. He was an X-man again, once more a caretaker of the dream that refused to die. It was a good dream, he knew, but Xi’an did not know if any part of it should be entrusted to him. He was tired. Tired and unsure of his place in the world. He held power over life in his hands. One hand that destroyed anything it touched, and another that could heal the gravest of infirmities. Such power demanded responsibility to match. Xi’an didn’t know if he wanted the responsibility anymore. Doubt wracked him as he continued to stare down at Halo City. And not for the first time, Xi’an Chi Xan wondered if he even belonged there. * * * There was no such thing as a weekend to an X-man, Krystalin was finding. The door buzzer continued to beep periodically as she sat up in bed groggily. “Computer, silence door buzzer,” she said as she rubbed the tiredness from her eyes. When the buzzer continued to chime, a puzzled look appeared on Krystalin’s face. “Oh right,” she muttered. “That only works on TV.” Her eyes caught the red numbers of the chronometer on her wall. Quarter after ten on Saturday morning. Abruptly she swung out of bed, she’d slept late enough anyways. The time still surprised her though, she was always something of an early riser. The chaotic events of the past few days must have drained her more than she thought. She hobbled out of her bedroom and into the living area wearing a nondescript grey t-shirt with a small red X on the left breast. The X-men had all been given “official” clothing and uniforms when Halo City was built. The casual shirt was something of an extra. It was kind of unsettling, having an array of insignia clothing, as if she was in the military or was advertising a clothing line. It reminded her of the dress code and traditional raiments her father had made the Panthers wear. She had grown up around that kind of stuff. The fact that she was comfortable wearing the same kind of thing unsettled her even more. Krystalin managed to get herself marginally awake as she keyed open the door. Victor Ten Eagles stood there patiently, his hand halfway from pressing the door buzzer again. He was dressed casually in a black sweater and work pants. “Victor? Victor!”, Krystalin said with a sharp yelp as she realized she had nothing on but a t-shirt and underpants. The door abruptly slid shut on Victor’s blushing face. When the door opened again, Krystalin had wool socks and green sweatpants on. “Come in, Victor, come in,” Krystalin said quietly, she was blushing herself. “I, uh, I thought you might want to go out for a nice quiet breakfast,” Victor offered. “You know, to wind down from all the excitement. I know later we have to interrogate that man we caught yesterday***, but that’s no reason we can’t enjoy the rest of the day.” ***X-men 2099UG #14 (Volume 2) “Hmm,” Krystalin hummed to herself. Victor always had such nice ideas. She tried to stifle a yawn she felt coming unsuccessfully. She hoped Victor didn’t think she thought the idea was boring. “Where at?” “Well…this Pacific breeze that’s whistling over the city today makes me want seafood…,” Victor said. “Not for breakfast,” Krystalin said adamantly. “You didn’t let me finish…,” Victor said calmly. “I was going to say that I found this really nice Oriental Tea Garden on 33rd St. between Guthrie and Graymalkin. I thought that would be a good place to relax and talk. I know you’re not into big breakfasts.” “That really does sound good, but what about you?”, Krystalin asked. Victor smirked. “Well there’s an International House of Waffles across the street.” Krystalin laughed. “Alright, but the waffle bar is coming out of your pocket.” “I wouldn’t expect anything else.” Krystalin turned towards her bedroom. “I need to get dressed and showered,” she said absently, running a hand through her hair. “Ugh, and my hair is so greasy.” Victor watched, enraptured, as Krystalin’s hair and natural curls fluttered about, framing her pristine almond-colored face. He had never seen her hair out of its ponytail, she looked so…feminine. A remarkable change of pace from the hard-edged X-man he knew. Victor had a hard time trying not to stare at it. “You should wear your hair down more often,” he blurted. “Wouldn’t that be dangerous in a combat situation?” Krystalin smiled. “I never really have any occasion to wear it down.” “You could this morni…,” Victor stopped in mid-sentence as he heard a sharp beeping coming from Krystalin’s bedroom. He have her a puzzled look. “That’s the Protectorate badge,” Krystalin said, sudden concern on her face. “It’s on the floor of my bedroom with my uniform.” Hurriedly Krystalin rushed into the room and scooped the badge from the floor and the rumpled, dusty uniform with it. “This is Krys,” she answered. “Krystalin Ogada?”, the gruff voice issued from the badge. “This is Chief Croix.” The Guardians? The police force of Halo City. Something weird was up. “What’s going on, Chief Croix?” * * * “You guys are so shockin’ lazy, I swear,” Sham said as she tossed a brown wool hoodie at Quiver as he sat on the couch. He let it hang on the edge of the couch where it landed. “Geez, Quiver, why’d you even come over if all you’re gonna do is watch vidtoons?” Quiver sat next to Rachel on Sham’s couch. Rachel was an old woman in her seventies, but she didn’t act like that. Her face was just as concentrated on the TV as Quiver’s was. Rachel was not really Rachel, but rather a psionic entity that used to exist solely on the Astral Plane. The real Rachel had switched places with the psionic entity. The two had been kindred spirits. One of them desperately wanting to exist in a world where there were others like it. The other wanting to live without the fear that her powers would hurt everyone around her if she ever lost control of them. In each other, the entity and Rachel had found what they had always longed for. They switched places, the entity inhabiting Rachel’s body and the Rachel being able to explore and live within the vast dimension of the mind that was the Astral Plane. This new Rachel had to be integrated into the physical world. It was like having to teach a newborn all there is to know about life. Somehow, Sham had gotten stuck with that task. She didn’t mind it, though. She enjoyed the time she spent with Rachel. She enjoyed teaching her and guiding her through the intricacies of the world. She hadn’t counted on Rachel becoming so addicted to television though. That part, at least, was threatening to drive her nuts. “Just wait until this is over, Sham,” Quiver said, not taking his eyes off the screen. “Guy Marvel is trapped in cyberspace and he’s about to find out his girlfriend’s a megacorp assassin…” Sham groaned. “And you, Rachel, you shouldn’t be watching this stuff,” Sham said as she pulled on her boots. “This stuff rots your brain.” “Yes mom,” Quiver giggled. “And stop calling me that!” “What’s going to happen when he finds out his girlfriend is going to kill him?”, Rachel asked innocently. “Well he’s obviously not going to date her anymore…,” Quiver explained. “Quiver, turn that off. Let’s go. Rachel’s class is meeting for that picnic at Munroe Memorial Park. I don’t want to be late,” Sham ordered. Sham wasn’t the sole person responsible for teaching Rachel. She attended classes almost everyday. All her classmates were younger than her, but she apparently got along with them quite well. They were meeting at the park for a special outing today. Rachel and Quiver continued to sit like lumps on the couch. Sham added a little extra boom to her voice. “NOW!” Quiver jumped, startled, he grabbed the brown hoodie. “Geez! You’re so loud now. I wish Ten Eagles hadn’t taught you how to do that.” “Well it’s a beautiful day out,” Sham said as she switched off the television. “Besides, Guy Marvel sucks.” “He does not!”, Quiver protested as he pulled on his hoodie. Halo City was surrounded by a desert and the ocean, but it was still January and January meant cold. “Whatever. Are you ready to go, Rachel?” “Yes,” Rachel answered meekly, she already had her shoes on. “Guy Marvel does NOT suck,” Quiver said. “Yes he does, let’s go,” Sham said as she walked towards the door. Quiver and Sham continued to argue as they walked out of the apartment and down the hall. Rachel walked quietly along with them, listening. The door slid shut and the ID lock enabled. On the kitchen counter, a small badge with an X on it beeped. * * * “Thanks for helping us look for apartments, Cerebra,” Shell said as he and Metalhead walked along with her on the busy avenue. Busy shoppers and early risers were out and about, walking here and there. Around and above them stood the South Gate of Halo City. One of the three mass entrances to the city. Less than a day after the massive protest in front of Halo Tower, Shakti had been wary to walk around the city. To her surprise, however, none of the citizens accosted her, Shell, or Eddie. The general mood of the passing people seemed neutral and even cheerful. When the riots and protests had first started, Shakti had thought them indicative of a general dislike of the X-men within Halo City. She was surprised to see just how much of it had truly been the doing of the agent of the Hellfire Club. The X-men had to convene this afternoon to interrogate the agent and address the problem of this “Hellfire Club”. But for now, she didn’t see why she shouldn’t spend some time with an old friend…and a new acquaintance. “Please, Dexter…you can call me Shakti,” she said to Shell. Shell was their newest recruit. A lanky black man, just over twenty, only a little older than Sham, who had requested to join them during their recent visit with the Freakshow***. Eddie had lobbied for him, as well, on the context that both him and Dexter were friends. At the time, the X-men’s numbers were so thin they had little choice but to bring him along. She did not want to disparage Eddie’s judge of character, but Dexter had been making some foolish decisions lately. ***X-men 2099UG #10 (Volume 2) “Sorry Cere…Shakti. It’s hard not to call you by your superhero name,” Shell said. Eddie laughed. Shakti closed her eyes and sighed. “I’m not a superhero, Dexter, I’m just a woman.” “Sure you are. You’re an X-man! You guys are amazing. I’m still having a hard time believing I’m one too,” Dexter said enthusiastically. Shakti tried to remain calm. Perhaps Shell would be better off with X-Nation… “Dexter, you have a picture in your head of the X-men being a gang of idolistic superheroes. This is not the reality. The X-men exist for the purpose of bringing human and mutantkind together. To create a deep-rooted mutual understanding of each other, so that we will not annihilate one another. If you cannot distinguish your fantasy from reality then perhaps you should not be an X-man.” Dexter became crestfallen. “I know, I know…it’s just…you guys, all the superheroes. You represent this fair and just way of life. Struggling against all odds. Taking on the big boys…in a way, the reality of your lives IS a fantasy. I mean, whoever heard of fighting for that kind of thing and not wanting anything in return?” “That is an excellent point, but you still see the X-men from the outside. We are just people, like everyone else. We choose to use our powers for the greater good and for ourselves. We don’t want to live in a world that sees as lab experiments or genetic defects.” “I get you, I get you…it’s just that I’ve never really experienced any kind of concentrated intolerance or racism or anything like that,” Dexter said. Shakti paused, seemingly thinking to herself. “Then maybe we CAN change the world for the better.” Suddenly the badges on all three of them began to beep. The three of them answered at once, sharing the same puzzled look. “What is it?”, Shakti asked. “This is Chief Croix,” the Guardians’ chief said, his voice sounded tiny amidst the sound of the street. “There’s something going on that I think you X-men should know about.” “What’s the situation?”, Eddie asked. Eddie had taken to wearing an official X-men’s uniform since he arrived in Halo City. It was a dark violet jumpsuit that covered him almost completely, leaving only his hands and head exposed. The jumpsuit had two thing red stripes running all the way down on each side. Eddie’s boots had rings of various metals around them, in case Eddie chose to absorb the metallic properties of one of them. “I’m in the Harbormaster’s tower right now,” the Chief spoke. “Some military boats have just formed a line in front of the harbor, closing it off. We’ve tried to reach them on the comm lines but they don’t respond. The only thing they’ve said is that any boat coming within half a mile of them will be destroyed.” “That’s certainly…odd,” Shell said to himself. “There’s no insignia or ID marks on any of the boats,” the Chief continued. “Do you think we’re about to be raided by a Corp?”, Shakti asked, her eyes alert. “My brain says maybe but my gut says no. Megacorps are usually so proud of their indy-squashing armies that they usually toot their own horns incessantly.” “Who else would have the tenacity to try and storm a city full of mutants?”, Shakti asked. “I don’t know, Ms. Haddad. That’s what’s got me worried,” the Chief answered. “I’m dispatching the Guardian’s now and I’m about to order the populace to take cover. Something bad’s about to go down.” * * * Desdemona Synge is not a woman to be underestimated at all. At all. Des smiled as she switched off the vidphone. She laid back in her office chair and allowed herself a laugh. It was so simple she didn’t know why she didn’t think of it earlier. A lot of people had lost their jobs thanks to the fall of Alchemax and the vacuum it created. A lot of people who were secretly grateful that the megacorp yoke around their neck had been taken away. A lot of people who were going to need some other source of income now. So why not set up shop in Halo City? A lot of these people had valuable skills in a number of useful and thriving fields. Desdemona had offered low-rent space to former megacorp employees who wanted a chance to start up their own businesses and offices, free from corporate interference. But why would they want to live in a place where powerful mutants could start fighting each other at the drop of a hat? Most of them had asked that. She had answered them all the same way. Because when the megacorp comes around to take you back, it will have to get past a city full of powerful mutants. (And besides, how much more dangerous was Halo City compared to New York, honestly?) Most of them were sold right then and there. Of course, this wasn’t a permanent solution. Most of the people she was able to attract probably wouldn’t find enough business to last more than a year. That didn’t matter, whether or not they succeeded, their initial investments would line Halo City’s pockets very nicely. Eventually she was going to need a more permanent solution to Halo’s woes. But at least now she had more breathing room. Des scooped up all the paperwork and shuffled into a neat pile in her hand as she twirled her chair around to face the large window behind her desk. It was a beautiful Saturday morning in Halo City. And even after all the riots, protests, damage, and battles that had broken out recently…she had still managed to do what she set out to do. Without opening a single casino! A solid line of clouds were formed in the sky beyond Halo City. There might be rain this afternoon, but for now, it looked as if things were going to be alright. Without warning, an explosion erupted along the outer wall of the city. Des sat up with a shock. A second explosion followed closely behind the first. She could see parts of the East Gate crumbling away. Desdemona angrily threw her papers down on the floor and let loose a primal scream of frustration. She hated this city. Shockin’ hated it. * * * “Are you sure Rachel will be fine by herself?”, Quiver asked as Sham and him strolled down the marketplace avenue. Being a Saturday morning, the shopping fronts and sidewalks were filled with activity. Older consumers who normally did their shopping early and their kids, usually grumpy for being woken so early, milled around. Various stores had holo agents pushing their latest wares or discounts. Automatons rolled up and down the sidewalks, offering flyers or coupons to anyone who wanted them. The cheaper shops had people standing outside doing the same thing. Sham preferred the automatons, herself, at least the robots didn’t yell in your ear as they followed you down the street. On the corner of each block and intersection stood tall, thick poles with vidscreens stationed on top. The vidscreens were permanently tuned to the newsnets and would also broadcast directions to the public should an emergency arise in the city. Pasted on just about every newsnet pole were various papers and flyers advertising services or music shows. Sham much preferred Halo City’s marketplace streets over other cities’. For one thing, the maglev traffic stopped for pedestrians here. “Rachel’s a big girl, Quiv,” Sham answered wryly as they walked. “And I need a break so I can hang with my bestest pal Quiver.” Sham smiled crookedly at Quiver’s red pock-marked face. It seemed like lately she had just been going non-stop from one responsibility to the next. From training with Ten Eagles to taking care of Rachel to being involved in the X-men’s various crisis’, she needed some time to relax, for half a day at least. “Awww, if I wasn’t already red I’d be blushing,” Quiver retorted flatly. “So how’s being a single mother? It seems to fit you.” Sham groaned in frustration. “It stinks! Don’t ever try it. Ever. Ever. Ever. I can’t play my music loud. I have to explain everything to Rachel all the time. And she’s allergic to my cat. I didn’t know she was allergic to cats. How can a psionic being be allergic to cats?” “Well…how can a psionic being inhabit the body of a human? I think it works better if you just don’t question it,” Quiver answered. “Taking care of Rachel can’t be as bad as you say, you seem to like her a lot.” “Oh I do, I do,” Sham said as she stuck her hands in the pockets of her dark blue pull-over. She had normal clothes on over her X-men uniform. She had ditched the fake blue army shirt with its gold tassels and piping. Instead she wore a blue plaited skirt and the thick pull-over over her red body suit. “We have fun, but it really is like raising a kid, and I’m just not ready to have my life consumed by that yet.” Quiver barked a laugh. “Going for that law degree first, huh?” Sham punched Quiver in the arm. “Dork. ‘Sides, I’d need a boyfriend before I even thought of having a kid.” “Maybe boys would like you if you had some hair,” Quiver continued. Sham raised her fist again. Quiver braced for the socking he knew he was gonna get when the sound of an explosion ripped through the air. Quiver looked, shocked, at Sham. “Was that you?!” “Of course not! Shock, that was loud…” In the distance, they could hear another explosion, the ground was rumbling in protest. Hurriedly, Sham reached inside her pull-over for her Protectorate badge. “My badge…,” she said, surprised. “Dammit, I must have left it at home.” On a vidscreen pole ahead of them, the screens all flashed red, urging the populace to take shelter. The order came from the Guardians, on a blue strip on the bottom of the screen, the news of what was happening scrolled by. The North, East, and South gates had been hit by artillery from unknown outside sources. Debris was clogging the largest exits to the city and the harbor was also closed off. “The gates…the city is being attacked,” Sham muttered to herself. “Quiv, we gotta check it out.” “We?!”, Quiver exclaimed. “I’m making you an honorary X-man,” Sham quipped quickly. “The North Gate is only a few blocks from here. People may need help. Come on!” Without waiting for a reply from Quiver, Sham ran in the direction of the North Gate. Quiver closed his eyes and shook his head before following her. How did Sham deal with this kind of junk on a daily basis? * * * “Edward, please!”, Shakti yelled over the noise as the rubble settled around them. “What’s going on?” It had all happened so fast. They were walking along with the crowd, calmly as they pleased, and then boulders of permacrete were raining from the sky. Metalhead had acted with lightning precision, shoving Shakti behind his massive metal frame as the remnants of the South Gate threatened to pummel them into paste. Eddie was surprisingly fast in both body and mind. If anything, Shakti thought, his days with the Freakshow had sharpened his combat senses. She supposed being on the run would do that for you. “I don’t know!”, Eddie answered. “The South Gate just…exploded! I guess Chief Croix was right…” Suddenly, all three of them heard a tiny voice coming from their badges. “…all three entrance gates to Halo have been assaulted…repeat, help the citizens take cover…all three entrance gates to Halo have been assaulted…,” it said. The voice from the badges sounded insignificant to the ringing in their ears. “Is he telling us what to do?”, Shell asked. “I thought Krystalin was our leader…” “There’s no time for semantics,” Shakti ordered harshly. “Do as he says, we need to help any survivors.” Shell scanned the area as the dust settled around them. Most of the crowd was still standing, though they seemed as confused and disoriented as he was. Chunks of the city wall were scattered in the streets and cars were perked in the middle of traffic, automatically stopped where they had swerved from the maglev strips. There were at least three collisions that he could see. The drivers didn’t seem to be arguing or confronting each other. No one did, they just seemed to be running. Above them, the jagged shadow of the devastated South Gate loomed. Clouds had moved in overhead. “I can’t see if anyone is hurt or not,” Shell called out. “I don’t think anyone got hit.” “I’ve got a fix on someone,” Shakti answered, staring off into the dust. “They’re trapped beneath rubble at the base of the gate. We need to get to them fast.” “Right. Eddie?”, Shell said, looking at his friend. Without a word, Eddie started running into the settling dust cloud. Shakti followed him, guiding and pointing the way through the debris. Shell tagged along close behind them. Shakti’s harsh words from before were still in his mind. This wasn’t a game. As they ran, the visibility increased greatly, but the debris got thicker and trickier to dodge. There were a few more accidents but all the people seemed to have vanished. All except for a few who stood and stared upward at the wall, dumbfounded. “Get to shelter! Now! It’s dangerous out here!”, Shell screamed at them. He didn’t think Shakti would have a problem with him yelling that. It’s what the Chief wanted them to do. “Here, Eddie,” Shakti pointed at a tall pile of rubble that was haphazardly stacked against the base of the wall. The three of them stopped short. “I don’t see anyone…,” Eddie said. “I can sense them. Hurry,” Shakti said calmly but urgently. Her face displayed a concentrated worry as she stared eagerly at the mountain of rubble. Gritting his teeth, Eddie immediately started grabbing enormous rocks, some of them half as big as he was, and tossed them aside. Shell looked behind himself to see if any innocents were still around. It would be a terrible irony if Eddie accidentally crushed someone while freeing the trapped victim. Eddie grunted as he worked, waving away small hand-sized chunks of stone that kept toppling down around him. “Have your telepathic abilities grown?”, Eddie spoke, quickly lifting another large piece away. “You weren’t able to precisely detect humans from so far away before…” “Yes,” Shakti answered succinctly. “But the point is moot right now, old friend. And anyway, the person trapped is a mutant. His powers are the only thing keeping him alive.” Shakti’s eyes narrowed as she concentrated further. “He’s activated some kind of personal force-shield, but he’s injured severely and I don’t know how long he’ll…there!” From the pile of rubble, Shell could spot a beaten hand stretching out. “Hold on!”, Eddie yelled. “We’re almost there.” Eddie’s efforts seemed redoubled. Shell’s eyes went wide. He had no idea Eddie was this strong. It was brief seconds until more of the mutant was revealed. The arm, the head, the shoulders, the torso, the waist, part of a leg. The victim was laying face down on the ground, his shirt was scratched and stained with blood. Shell could see the victim breathing, but it seemed like the victim was having more and more trouble with each breath. Abruptly, it dawned on him to call the Guardian medics. Shell tapped his badge. “This is Shell…one of the X-men,” he added quickly. He wasn’t sure all the officials of Halo had been briefed on the new X-men. “We need an ambulance by the South Gate immediately.” “We’re already en route. Standby,” a flat voice came from the badge, cutting off immediately. The mutant on the ground looked weakly up at Shakti as she knelt down next to him. “Can you move? Can you turn over? I can help you with the pain. Just hold on, an ambulance is coming.” Shell walked up to the three of them. His mouth fell open as he got a closer look at the victim. “Sweet shockin’ Thor…,” he swore under his breath. It looked infinitely worse up close, it was amazing the man was alive. Shakti helped the man turn over gently. There was an enormous gash on his forehead. “I’m going to shut down your pain receptors but that won’t take it away completely,” she said. “What’s your name?” “Mm…,” the man’s weak voice stuttered hoarsely. “…Mario. You’re…X-man,” he continued. “Don’t talk. Just concentrate on breathing. Save your energy,” Shakti said softly, squeezing the man’s hand. Abruptly, Shell heard Shakti’s voice in his head. From the surprised look on Eddie’s face, it seemed he was hearing it, too. “I need you two to look around and see if anyone else is hurt,” she spoke to them telepathically. “I have to stay with Mario. His kidneys are crushed and one of his lungs has collapsed. He won’t survive without me. Go.” Shell bit back a swear. It was worse than he thought. For a moment he hesitated. What if he found others like Mario in the rubble? Worse, what if all he found were dead bodies? He didn’t want to… What if he found someone alive? He didn’t know how to keep someone alive until the ambulance came. “C’mon, Dex,” Eddie said to him softly as he began to turn around. He seemed to understand what Shell was going through. “We’re not done he…” Suddenly, Shell heard the whine of a laser rifle and the flash of a bolt. Eddie lurched as the crimson column of energy pinged off his metallic hide. In the distance, Shell could hear the familiar siren of the ambulance coming. He didn’t bother to look up the street for it. There was plenty to occupy his attention here. A large group of soldiers, twenty in all, covered completely in grey-white body armor that looked like one solid suit, trained their wrist-cannons at the trio. Shell and Eddie quickly moved to cover Shakti and Mario. “The two metal men are unfamiliars but the one behind them is one of the targets,” one of the…were they robots? Were there humans inside the armor? He couldn’t tell. “Activate inhibitors. Shift to full prejudice mode. Exterminate all three.” * * * “Reports are coming in now,” Lt. Markson mentioned to Xi’an and the Guardian officers inside the transport. They were currently speeding their way towards the East Gate. “All three gates are rubble. We’ve got a sizable armada outside the city. They’ve blocked all the access roads and are shooting anything that comes near their line. They’ve got plenty of anti-aircraft artillery but they don’t have any aerial forces.” The lieutenant looked gravely at Xi’an. “It looks like we’re under siege.” “They want to prevent the populace from escaping…,” Xi’an mulled over the situation. “But they haven’t sent in any troops?” “Hold on,” Lt. Markson said as he listened intently to his headset. “Air surveillance detects armored shock troopers entering the city in small groups. They’re coming in piece by piece but there’s a lot of them lined up outside. It won’t be long until we’re overrun.” “We must hold our defense at the gates, then. If they escape the bottleneck and into the city then we are surely lost,” Xi’an said. “Yeah…,” Lt. Markson said absently as he listened to the reports coming in endlessly on his headset. “Sir, we’re about twenty seconds until East Gate,” the driver of the transport called out. “Everybody in position!”, the lieutenant barked out. The Guardians lined up neatly by the back door of the transport. They looked taut and eager. “Here, Xi’an,” Lt. Markson said as he tossed Xi’an a disruptor rifle. “You’ll need this.” Xi’an took the weapon silently and fastened his desert cowl around his face as the transport swung around to deposit the Guardians at the scene of the impending battle. The back door fell open with a loud clang and the Guardians quickly exited and scattered. In the clutter beyond, Xi’an could make out armored troops marching in. Silently, he darted out of the transport. It seemed that the Desert Ghost was needed once more. * * * “You…” A solid wall of sound rippled transparently through the air. “Have…” It tore the debris and stone in its path to pieces. “Ruined…” The windows of cars blew completely out. “My…” Shards of rock and glass flew through the air, whistling and slicing as they rocketed along at unbelievable speeds. “DAY!”, Sham screamed as she unleashed a sonic boom at the armored troops in front of her. It created a whirlwind front of havoc and destruction as it sped along. Most of the troops ducked to avoid it, hoping their armor could weather the force. The ones who weren’t quite fast enough were bowled over. The pressure between the wave and the ground cracked open their armor as they bounced along. Their laser blasts went wide. Off to the side, Quiver worked feverishly to shake the rubble in front of him to pieces. A little girl was screaming in pain as she called out to her mother, her father, anyone, to free her from underneath the rocks. Behind Quiver, the girl’s mother sobbed uncontrollably. The girl would live, but her leg was trapped, it was most likely crushed beyond repair. Quiver tried to phase out the noise around him, concentrating his powers to move the rubble without further harming the girl. It seemed to be working. He was shifting the vibratory fields he could create upward, hoping to create a makeshift telekinetic effect from it. He wished the mother and her daughter would be quieter. They were all sitting targets where they were. Sham was making an enormous amount of noise and flash to draw the troops towards her. And it was working. But Quiver wasn’t sure how long that would last. “Yes!”, Quiver cried out as the pile of rubble finally toppled over and away from the girl. The mother’s grateful sob quickly turned to an anguished cry as she saw her daughter’s mangled leg. “Take her and find some cover!”, Quiver yelled over the din. “The Guardians will be here soon! I’ll cover your escape!” The mom looked silently at Quiver, the tears streaming down her face. She looked back at her daughter. Finally, she looked back at Quiver. “Thank you!”, she croaked out. “Bless you!” Quickly, the mother scooped up her child and ran back away from the rubble and the Gate. Quiver sighed in relief and looked back at the advancing troops. Quiver gulped. It was a madhouse here. He could be killed. He was GOING to be killed, he was sure of it. He should run as far away as he could. He didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t an X-man. He should run. He knew that was out of the question. He had been running all his life. Chased from one home to the next. He couldn’t do that anymore. Halo City was more than just a city, it was everything. “YOU JERKS PICKED THE WRONG CITY TO CITY TO INVADE,” Sham’s voice could be heard miles away, Quiver thought. Abruptly he realized she was growing in size. One of her illusions. It sure looked effective though. Sham continued to grow as she spoke. “IN CASE YOU DIDN’T KNOW, THE X-MEN LIVE HERE. AND WE’RE MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE.” As Sham grew, sonic waves rippled around here, making everything look like it was shaking. Her eyes glowed an incandescent gold, energy streamed from her eyes. Thick swirls and ribbons of green and red energy flittered around her glowing fists. The air was literally crackling with small lightning bolts. The armored troops fired laser bolt after laser bolt in a panic up at her. The bolts appeared to explode into nothing before they hit “her”. Quiver smiled, the fools, she was probably hiding off to the side, laughing and having a great time playing the super-powered drama queen. “YOU ANGER ME!”, Sham’s voice was low and full of thrumming bass. It shook the ground below her. “I WILL WIPE YOUR TINY LIVES FROM THIS EXISTENCE!” The giant Sham raised her hand fired a solid white beam at the armored soldiers. The beam, as thick and solid as a bus, appeared to tear and vaporize the ground before the soldiers. The Sham illusion laughed a booming laugh that echoed in the air. Something was wrong, though. The soldiers weren’t backing away. Cautiously the began to step up the enormous beam of energy. The breath caught in Quiver’s throat. They must have switched to infra-red vision or something. Some field of vision where Sham’s illusion would have no effect. Before Quiver could shout out a warning, the troops fired what looked like small darts out at the foot of the giant Sham. The illusion and the booming sound vanished as quickly as it had come, leaving only a ringing in Quiver’s ears. Sham was in the middle of the street, knocked down but still moving. She was hastily plucking darts from her skin. The troops advanced on her. * * * Shell heard a sickening crunch as a human-sized chunk of masonry tore into the armored soldier. Anger and outrage painted Metalhead’s face. The momentum of the impact sent the lead soldier plowing into the three behind him. The masonry broke open the lead soldier’s armor. It fizzled and popped. Shell could see thin trickles of blood leaking from the armor. There were people inside those suits! A flurry of laser bolts flashed out from the cannons of the armored soldiers. Shell put his arms up to shield his eyes. The laser bolts bounced off both him and Eddie. He was surprised to find that it didn’t hurt at all. It just tickled a little. A few of the bolts impacted around them, kicking up sprays of vaporized permacrete. With a triumphant yell, Shell charged towards the armored soldiers. Their weapons couldn’t hurt him. He was going to pry those damnable armored shells off the soldiers if it took him all day. “No! Shell! We can’t fight here!”, Shakti yelled out as Shell charged forward. Her words were lost in the din. “Eddie, we have to get Mario here into the ambulance. I need you two to cover our escape.” “I don’t think I can cover you both with my body,” Eddie responded, picking up another broken chunk of the wall to hurl at the soldiers. “I can carry Mario, but that would leave you open.” “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be careful,” Shakti said. “Dexter’s going to get himself killed, though.” Shell plowed into the soldiers, his metallic shell adding to the force of his charge. He knocked two down and staggered a third. One of them pointed a small barrel straight at his chest and fired before he could react. A small dart impacted limply against him and fell useless to the ground. “What was that supposed to be?”, Shell yelled as he landed a quick right and left against the man’s armor. The result was disappointing, he barely made a dent. A soldier behind him landed a powerful blow to Shell’s back. Dexter staggered forward. “Switching to sonics,” one of the soldiers said, a mere moment before being bowled over by a large stone. Shell looked over at Metalhead and Shakti. Eddie was tossing the masonry at them again. It occurred to him that he wasn’t going to be able to take on all the soldiers without help. Shell scrambled to break free of the soldiers that had now surrounded him. “Sonics activated,” one of them said. A piercing high pitched tone shot through Shell’s brain. He covered his eyes, his eyes clenched in pain. It felt like they were melting his head… A massive shadow was their only warning. Eddie barreled into the soldiers around Shell. The sonics cut off with a screech as Eddie pounded his enormous metal fists into the armored goons around him. Eddie had come to rescue him. But that left Shakti… Shakti ran towards the waiting ambulance slowly as she carried a limp and bleeding Mario. Mario was heavier than he looked, but she was going as fast as she could. Half of her was concentrating on keeping Mario’s heart beating and keeping him conscious while the other half was watching out for the soldiers and any laser bolts that might come her way. She was stretched to her limit. She could not spare a single bit of energy to psionically fell one or two of the soldiers. She wasn’t certain she would be able to even if Mario didn’t depend on her. Their armor most likely carried built in psi-shields. “Hold on, Mario…hold on,” she said in between pants. Sweat was forming on her brow and strands of hair were plastered to her head. Above her, dark cumulus clouds stretched out all over the city. She felt the familiar splatter of a raindrop on her skin. Another followed and another followed until the storm broke open completely. A driving rain fell over Halo City. Eddie and Shell worked in unison, drawing their attention away from Shakti. Metalhead was tossing armored soldiers around like rag dolls. Shell attacked armored soldiers on the fringes of the small group, drawing their gaze in the opposite direction of Shakti and the ambulance. Most of the soldiers were concentrated on Edward, though. Shell wondered what they would think if he told them Eddie was a pacifist. She could see the men in the ambulance prepping and waving her on through the rain. She was almost there. Only a few more yards. A few more feet. One of the soldiers broke off from the fray and noticed Shakti staggering towards the ambulance. A small gun barrel extended from his arm as he took careful aim. Shakti was dead in his sights. He fired. She felt a small prick in her leg. Suddenly her legs buckled under her. Mario fell to the ground with a yelp of pain. Shakti found a dart sticking out of her right calf. She quickly plucked it and threw it aside. Off in the distance, she could see Eddie piledriving the soldier who shot her into the ground. “Mario, I’m sorry. Please hold on. We’re almost there. Hold…,” Shakti cut off in mid-sentence. Her psionic connection with Mario. It was fading away. “No…,” she whispered as she realized what was in the dart. Quickly she concentrated her psionic power on herself. She could tell her body to flush the inhibitor from her system. She had to. She had…her power slipped away from her quietly. She scrambled for it, trying vainly to get a grip on it again. “No!”, she yelled. Her power faded completely. “Shock it! No!” Anger burst from her in waves. By the wall, the last of the soldiers fell to Eddie and Shell. Breathing hard, Metalhead sat down on the ground, nursing his knuckles. “I’ve never fought that hard in my life,” he exclaimed to Shell between pants. Abruptly, he looked over to Shakti. “Come on Shell, we have to help her.” Rage fueling her, Shakti picked up Mario again. “You’re going to make it,” she said adamantly. The ambulance was RIGHT THERE. There was no way Mario was going to die on her. Off in the distance, Shakti could make out Guardian transports zooming towards them. Fighting reinforcements were arriving. Everything was going to be alright. “Eddie!”, Shell exclaimed as a fresh wave of troops tromped into the area. Before either man, they opened fire. Laser bolts tore through the ambulance like hot knives through butter. Shakti could see the looks on the faces of the drivers inside as they saw death coming for them. One bolt caught the fuel tank and fire exploded from the vehicle. Shakti dropped to her knees and shielded herself from the flaming, blackened chunks of the ambulance flew past her. Enormous columns of black smoke poured from the flaming wreck. Shakti choked back a sob as she slumped to the wet ground. Mario had stopped breathing. His face was white as a sheet and his lips were blue. His heart had immediately stopped beating. He had lost too much blood. Shakti beat uselessly on Mario’s chest as Guardian forces met the armored soldiers. Shell and Metalhead moved to guard Shakti from the stray bolts. “Shakti,” Shell asked as he came up. “Is…” “He’s gone…,” Shakti said weakly, her clothes were drenched, her hair was slicked to her head. “…I couldn’t save him.” * * * The Guardians were losing inch by inch. Firepower met firepower, but there were only so many places to hide, and the Guardians had no armor to protect them. “Send assault tanks to East Gate, repeat…send assault tanks to East Gate…,” Lt. Markson yelled into his headset. His officers were getting torn to bits out here. They needed heavy artillery to counter the ground forces. “Negative Lt. Markson, all assault tanks dispatched to North Gate. Hold the line there, Lt. Markson,” a voice came back over the headset. “We need them here. We can’t hold the line without them,” Markson explained urgently. Outside the transport the laser bolts lit up the dark rainy afternoon. He could barely make out his own officers. “North Gate is completely undefended. Assault tanks are needed there. Hold the line. Fall back if you have to. Transmission out,” the voice over the headset cut off with a squawk. Lt. Markson threw down the headset in disgust and shouldered his assault rifle. An order was an order, though. If he had to hold the line. He would hold the line. The rain was a welcome distraction to Xi’an. It softened his steps and extended the shadows he could hide in. He crouched between a particularly large boulder and the Halo City wall. The glove on his left hand was long since gone, revealing the pebbly green skin of his left hand. The disruptor rifle in his right hand was set to stun. Xi’an crouched and waited for his moment. A little closer, just a little closer. There. Xi’an ran up behind an armored soldier that backed his way. Making contact with his left hand, his corrosive touch ate through the thick metal of the soldiers armor. He had learned quickly that there were humans inside the armor. In some ways it made his job easier. The soldier hadn’t even noticed the back of his armor was eaten through when Xi’an fired a stun bolt into the man’s exposed back. The armored soldier fell with a loud clatter as another armored soldier popped up from over a pile of rubble nearby. Xi’an jumped away from a laser bolt, acting before he could even think, and fired a disruptor bolt into the armor’s head component, temporarily blinding it for a second. Xi’an needed two seconds to do his job, really, but he charged in anyway. Xi’an’s corrosive touch grabbed the right arm of the armored soldier, melting the armaments on that side. The soldier swung his free left arm at Xi’an’s head and hit only air. Xi’an had backed off suddenly, pitching his armored foe off balance. The soldier fell and Xi’an fired a disruptor bolt into his exposed arm. Abruptly, Xi’an heard the familiar click of a gun barrel behind him. Xi’an was in plain sight on top of a pile of rubble, not a tactically safe place to be. The soldier below aimed as Xi’an turned his head. A small rock clanged against the side of the armored soldier’s head. The soldier turned his head to see where the projectile had come from. Suddenly, a stray bolt from a Guardian’s weapon tore into the armored soldier, leaving it a smoking husk. Xi’an looked over at his savior, a thin but well-toned man dressed in all black. He was smirking. It was Alex Moss, the mutant precog the X-men had met just the day before. Confusion was on Xi’an’s face as he jumped off the pile of rubble and took cover with Alex. “What are you doing here?”, he asked. The smirk never went away. “Would you believe I had a vision about this?” “You need to take shelter, this is not a playground,” Xi’an chided him. “Don’t worry, I’m out of here. Just be thankful I was here,” Alex Moss said, darting off into the rain. Xi’an shook his head in wonder. Mutant precogs were strange, strange people. * * * Quiver screamed as he poured all the power he could into the ground below the soldiers. His vibratory waves were running full bore into the environment around him. Loose mortar and material from the buildings around them was raining down onto the street. It seemed like he would shake the entire city apart. Quiver poured all he could into the soldiers. Maybe he could somehow liquefy the ground below them and send them tumbling into a subway tunnel or a sewer duct. He needed to give Sham time to escape. Time to hide. Quiver frowned, this wasn’t going to work. She couldn’t get to her feet. He would have to take them out himself. He couldn’t do that. He didn’t know how. He didn’t have the power or the ingenuity Sham did. He could already feel his energy starting to ebb. In the shaking environment around him, he could make out the armored soldiers firing tiny projectiles all over the place. The inhibitor darts. They were firing everywhere, hoping one would hit him. That gave him a little hope. If they were that desperate… The blood drained from Quiver’s face as he felt a prick in his right shoulder. He screamed as he saw the dart sticking in his skin. He pulled it out right away. Maybe if he had been quick enough the inhibitor serum wouldn’t be able to take effect… Determined to burn the inhibitor from his system, he pushed his vibrations as hard as he could. To his dismay, they dropped in power immediately. Whatever was in the dart acted quickly, he could practically feel his power slipping from between his fingers. The localized quakes faded quickly, making stray debris from the buildings around them come down with the rain. The soldiers marched toward Sham and him. Sham scrambled up and ran towards Quiver. The soldiers trained their guns on them both. An explosion in the middle of the soldiers temporarily blinded Quiver. What was that? His eyesight recovered enough for him to see that all the soldiers were on the ground. “Sham! Come on!”, Quiver yelled as Sham reached him. Another blinding explosion engulfed the armored soldiers as Quiver and Sham backed away from the scene. “What is that?”, Sham asked frightfully as Quiver turned around. A blood red streak was darting through the air towards them. Quiver instinctively ducked… “Run, you fools!”, Bloodhawk’s gravelly voice cried out as he stopped abruptly and landed with a skid before them. “I’m out of omni grenades.” “Bloodhawk? Nice of you to finally help out,” Sham said as the three of them ran to the end of the block. Laser bolts dogged their path. Bloodhawk had his wings folded back as far as they could go. He was covered in soot and looked incredibly tired. Maybe she shouldn’t have said that retort, Sham thought. “I have been occupied elsewhere,” he explained sharply. “I am fortunate to have gotten past the siege line outside.” The group turned the block and both Quiver and Bloodhawk stopped to catch their breath. “Guys, we have to GO,” Sham emphasized. “We should get underground and lose ourselves in the transit system. Our powers are gone and you’re too tired to even stand, ‘Hawk.” “Just a moment,” Bloodhawk panted. “I saw things you could not while I was in the air.” As if Bloodhawk’s voice had been the cue, Guardian assault tanks rumbled into the street they had just left behind. Sham’s eyes widened, she had never seen the Guardian’s use THAT kind of firepower. She didn’t even know they had that sort of thing. The Guardian’s armored vehicles let loose salvo after salvo of energy. She imagined the armored soldiers were getting a good workout. “Now, child,” Bloodhawk said, straightening. “We may run.” * * * “Fall back! Fall back! Repeat, fall back!”, Lt. Markson screamed over the comm line. “Rear flank, covering fire!” A hailstorm of firepower peppered the air in front of the Guardian’s as they retreated from the East Gate. Xi’an ran with them. Attempting anything else was suicide. Hopelessness sat in the air around them as the Guardian’s retreated. The armored soldiers were coming in the gate in wave after wave. A group of twenty, a left flank of thirty, a right wing of twenty-five. And so many more behind them. Lt. Markson’s group would be surrounded before long. And he with them. Xi’an ran as the armored soldiers cut into the Guardian’s that were holding the line. Laser bolts vaporized the ground in front of them and sonics pierced through the air, making concentration a supreme effort. The Guardian’s were falling around him. But Xi’an ran, he had to. Dying under some ridiculous pretense of “going down fighting” would not do anyone any good. In a last ditch effort to help cover the Guardian’s retreat, Xi’an set his disruptor rifle on overload and flung it with all his might at the rows of armored soldiers advancing up the street. The rifle swung wildly in the air as it arced over the front line. A few of the soldiers spotted him and trained their weapons towards Xi’an. The disruptor rifle landed in the midst of the soldiers. Two events seemed to happen at once. An enormous crystalline dome completely covered the advancing soldiers, entrapping them. Inside, a brilliant flash rang out. The rifle had detonated mere nanoseconds after the dome had went up. Xi’an looked on in shock. “Sorry we didn’t get here sooner,” Krystalin said, panting. She leaned on herself, catching her breath, her hands planted on her knees. Victor Ten Eagles was with her. He was similarly catching his breath, though he was a little less obvious about it. “We had to run practically the length of half the city,” Victor explained. “How thick is the dome?”, Xi’an asked. He was uncertain how long a crystal dome would hold the men. Just then, Xi’an noticed something new. Behind the dome, the east wall was completely sealed with crystal. He couldn’t imagine how much energy that had sapped Krys of. “Nine feet all around. The wall is even thicker,” Krystalin responded. “Ms. Ogada! Boy am I glad to see you,” Lt. Markson said as he ran up to them. “Next time, try not to cut your entrance that close, though.” Lt. Markson glanced at the stone-faced Ten Eagles. “Not that I’m ungrateful.” “Thank you, Lieutenant,” Krystalin said, still panting. “This isn’t a permanent solution though. We need to get to the other gates.” “They’re already taken care of,” Markson replied. “A large contingent of Guardians is pushing back the invaders from the South Gate, apparently the soldiers numbers there are much smaller. And the North Gate is protected with our assault tanks.” “We need to find and regroup with the other X-men,” Xi’an said. Krystalin nodded her assent. “While we still have the time.” Faintly, the sound of retro engines filled the air. Victor and Lt. Markson looked around for the source of the noise. “Do you hear that?”, Victor asked Xi’an. “Hear wha…?” The sound of the engines became louder and louder, as if the sound was being added on to. Krystalin looked up. “Sweet mother of Thor,” Krystalin exclaimed as she saw a phalanx of armored soldiers wearing flight assault harnesses zoom over the wall. “We’re out of time.” * * * The heavens rained fire down on Halo City. Soldiers in flight harnesses swarmed over the mutant metropolis like a cloud of angry bees. The sky grew black with their numbers. Red laser bolts lanced downward from the harnesses and covered the ravaged city. To the devout, it seemed as if judgment had come. Fires sprang up all over as the soldiers strafed the city, casting a ghastly red glow on the dark storm clouds overhead. Surely today was the day Halo City would die. The sky wept openly. * * * Even down in the Danger Room, the kids could hear the chaos and destruction above. “We should be out there helping. Fighting the bad people who are doing this,” Twilight said, her face awash in concern. “I don’t think there’s anything we can do, Twi,” Metalsmith said in a consoling tone. “This is bigger than anything I’ve ever seen.” “Hey guys,” Uproar interrupted quietly. “What if things get really bad? I mean, what if the X-men can’t totally paste these twerps?” Clarion spoke up. “Maybe that’s why the Sisters are keeping us safe down here.” Clarion looked up at the ceiling, where the muffled sounds of the onslaught were coming from. “In case the X-men don’t make it…” Clarion thought he could feel everyone in the room shudder. * * * A bright red hue flickered across Desdemona Synge’s face. She was still in her high-rise office. She had refused to leave. She stood in front of her window, her eyes transfixed on the chaos below and above. Halo City was falling right in front of her. Harsh memories of the past came unbidden to her. The chaos that was Virtual Unreality engulfing Las Vegas. The sadistic grins of that madman Halloween Jack. Dying in the harsh desert night, miles away from anything. Desdemona could only watch helplessly as she lost another city. Another home. * * * Where were they supposed to be going? Shell pondered that question over and over as he, Eddie, and Shakti sped away with the Guardians in one of their transports. With the arrival of the flying soldiers, the ground forces had overwhelmed them. They were fleeing. All of them. But where could they go in a city that wasn’t theirs any longer? Not that it mattered to him, it supposed. He hadn’t even had a week to get settled in. To get comfortable with being an X-man. After today, Dexter wasn’t sure he’d ever be comfortable with it. The devastation and death, the hopelessness, not to mention the fact that he did everything wrong. Now that he’d had a taste of their life, a taste of this “dream” of theirs, he wasn’t sure he wanted it. Being an X-man, Shell thought to himself, what a bad idea that is. * * * “What’s happening?!”, Rachel cried out in a fevered, panicked tone. “What are they doing? Why are they burning things?” Rachel’s teacher made gentle shushing sounds to Rachel as they huddled with the rest of the class, and the other people who’d been in the park today, in a shelter below the city. Rachel kept asking the same question over and over again. And she just didn’t have an answer for her. “I can feel them out there, Mrs. Kidman. All of them. There are so many of them. All they want to do is destroy things. Why?” “Rachel, shushhh, stay calm. I don’t know why they want to do these things,” Mrs. Kidman responded. She had to keep the children calm, she wished Sham were here to help Rachel. Sometimes she didn’t know what to do with the old woman. “I know why. Because they’re mean,” one of the children offered. Rachel’s face seemed to light up at the comment. “I know about mean,” Rachel said. “I’ve been around mean people. There are so many mean people out there right now.” “That’s right, Rachel. We just have to wait down here until they stop,” Mrs. Kidman cooed. “No! We don’t! I can tell. They’re not going to stop. I want them to stop though.” Rachel was staring into space as she ranted, she seemed to be looking at something else. “Do you hear me? STOP!” * * * In the sky above Halo City, the red laser bolts abruptly quit firing. The soldiers simply flew on towards the ocean. Most of them were looking down, their gazes frozen. In the streets of Halo City and outside its walls, the armored soldiers suddenly froze in their tracks. Tanks and artillery vehicles kept rolling on, but they were no longer firing salvos. Eventually, the tanks and vehicles collided with buildings. Soldiers were frozen in mid-stance. In the harbor of Halo City, no outward change could be seen. But a look in the cabins and holds of the blockading ships would reveal people frozen in their duties. Grins or scowls affixed to their faces, their eyes glazed over. Every single one of them heard the same thing over and over in their head. A single word, repeating constantly. Stop. * * * Mrs. Kidman looked at Rachel, stunned, and more than a little concerned. “Rachel, what did you do?” Rachel smiled innocently. “I told them to stop doing all those bad things they were doing.” Abruptly, Rachel’s face became concerned as well. “Did I do something wrong?” Mrs. Kidman sat back with a look of perplexed wonder on her face. “No, no…I…no, I guess.” “Now tell ‘em to go away!”, one of the kids suggested. “Yeah, forever!”, another one chimed in. “Alright,” Rachel answered. * * * “GO AWAY. FOREVER.” Rachel’s voice chimed in the soldier’s heads. Slowly, they came back to life. Quietly, and without any comment or battle, they left the city and began walked towards the horizon. The flying soldiers simply kept drifting out to the ocean. The boats that were blockading the harbor slowly began to break their line and set sail for the outer reaches of the Pacific and beyond. Wherever they were going, they were never coming back to Halo City. * * * The rain had stopped by the time they had all reached the briefing room in Halo Tower. All that was left was the dismal grey of the storm and the clouds of black smoke lingering above the dozens of doused fires in the city. Emergency crews were still trawling the city. They would be for days, they thought. Halo City was a mess. The X-men and their various acquaintances were gathered in the briefing room to assess the damage and run through who they all thought was behind the attack. Bloodhawk’s presence, in particular, was interesting. He hadn’t been seen in or around the city in weeks. And apparently, he had urgent news for all of them. There were a lot of people in the briefing room at the moment. Some of them sitting, some of them standing. Sham, Quiver, and Rachel sat together at the table. Shakti, Metalhead, and Shell also chose to sit. Xi’an and Krystalin stood together. Lt. Markson and Desdemona Synge stood by the panoramic window that bordered the room. Victor Ten Eagles and Chief Croix were down at the holding cells, interrogating the Hellfire Club agent they captured yesterday. Alex Moss stood alone, looking more than a little nervous surrounded by the authority figures of Halo City. There were fourteen of them, altogether, and every one of them looked beaten and battle-weary. “Bloodhawk, you first,” Krystalin said, staring calmly yet tiredly at Bloodhawk. “I have some urgent news about Huang that you all need to know. News that I believe may be connected to today’s attack,” Bloodhawk said bluntly. Pausing, he added. “Where is Fitzgerald?” “He and Luna left in search of Avalon,” Shakti answered. Bloodhawk grunted. Krystalin ignored the question completely, instead focusing on what really interested her. “What about Henri? He’s in New York, isn’t he? Was it Alchemax who invaded us today? Were they looking to establish a new power base here?” Bloodhawk was caught off guard with the unusual questions. “No. Henri is in Alaska at the Hellfire…” “What the shock is one of the X-men doing in the Alaska Complex?”, Alex Moss blurted out, surprised. Moss had showed up back up at the East Gate after the aerial soldiers had appeared, claiming to know where the soldiers had come from. Krystalin brought him along to the briefing. “Sorry,” Alex said, apologizing for the interruption. “Almost two months ago, Huang went undercover there with Morphine Somers…” Bloodhawk could hear Shakti groaning in dismay. He was inclined to agree with her. “So both of them could learn enough about this Hellfire Club and its plans for Halo City. Henri’s mission was two-fold, cripple the Hellfire from within with Somers’ help, and make sure Somers’ did not switch sides.” “So that’s why we haven’t heard from him,” Krystalin said to herself. “Indeed. I was his only contact with the outside world. We met weekly at a pit stop near the Complex. If ever he did not appear for one of the meetings, I was to come back to Halo City immediately and summon you to his aid.” “Oh man, how did Henri manage to con you into going to Alaska of all places, ‘Hawk?”, Metalhead asked. “I was the best suitable candidate. If I left Halo City for a month or two, the Hellfire Club would not have noticed my absence.” “So Henri’s in trouble, right? We have to free him,” Krystalin said adamantly. She paused. “Wait…so it was them who attacked us today?” Alex Moss spoke up. “As far as I can tell, it was Martin Rentaro’s private forces that laid siege to you today…” Quiver’s eyes went wide. “That was my FATHER’s army? Shock…” Moss narrowed his eyes. “Your father? Oh…you’re the lost son Rentaro and Gavin have been trying to capture all these years. You must be pretty clever to evade Rentaro’s troops for so long.” “He’s more lucky than he is clever,” Sham responded dryly. “I didn’t even recognize the soldiers and tech he was using,” Quiver said. “Are you sure those guys were my father’s mercenaries?” Alex nodded affirmatively. “As near as I can tell, the plan probably was for Rentaro to lay siege and then for Alexander Shaw to use his army to move in and ‘wipe out’ Rentaro’s forces. Rentaro eliminates you guys and the Guardians, Shaw comes in to save the day, so to speak. Halo City is his, lock and key.” “Where did this Shaw and Rentaro get entire armies?”, Shell asked. “They’re both the heads of enormous mercenary army companies. Instead of being competitors though, they work in tandem in secret and pretend to compete in the outside world. A struggling rebellion pays one of them money for portions of their army. And then a fascist dictatorship pays the other one a ton of money to repress the struggling rebellion. These two play with nations on a weekly basis.” Desdemona’s face lit up. “I didn’t remember this until now, but Mr. Shaw paid me a visit not too long ago.” “What? Really?”, Krystalin asked. “Yeah, he wanted to open a chapter of what he termed a ‘gentleman’s club’ called The Hellfire Club in Halo City.” “Wow, there’s a lot of loose ends flying around here,” Moss exclaimed. “That sounds like Shaw though. Probably one of the many footholds he tried to establish here before his attempted takeover.” “How do you know so much about this Hellfire Club anyway?”, Lt. Markson asked Moss. “I used to be one of their little mutant soldiers,” Alex explained. “Like that Random guy and the She-Hulk you have chained up somewhere around here. I’m a mutant precog, and that’s obviously a very useful talent to have under your control. I escaped two and a half months ago and made my way here.” “Why? For the X-men’s protection?” “No, just because my visions told me to. I knew Shaw wouldn’t find me here. O’course I didn’t know he’d probably stopped looking either.” Just then, the door to the briefing room slid open and Victor and Chief Croix stepped in. “Well…we have some interesting news for you,” Victor said. “Ditto,” Krystalin responded. “You first though.” “Okay, the agent we captured yesterday is just as Alex Moss said, an agent of the Hellfire Club. A guy named Alexander Shaw sent him to rile up the negative emotion in this city. Shaw would send mutant bruisers like the She-Hulk to rack up lots of property damage and ruin lives while the X-men fought them. Then this guy would amplify the negative emotion people felt over those fights. The plan was to turn the very citizens of this city against you. Then, of course, you were to be killed.” “Oh geez. You know what this means, don’t you? We’ve been in one big net this entire time. Tim and Luna, our most powerful members, left because of this, too,” Sham pointed out. “What?”, Victor gave Sham a puzzled look. “I’ll fill you in,” Krystalin said, telling Victor and Chief Croix about Shaw’s other plans and the people behind the day’s attack. When the explanation was over, Victor looked angry. “In a way, it’s a relief that all that can be traced back to one person’s machinations,” Victor said, unconsciously clenching his fists. “That doesn’t make me want to hurt him any less though.” “I agree,” Krystalin said. “It’s time we got a little proactive. Halo City is hurting worst than it ever has right now. Shaw won’t be expecting us to piece this all together so quickly. And he certainly won’t be expecting an assault on his little secret base in Alaska. We have to rescue Henri.” “Rescue him? He’s probably dead by now. Especially so if Rentaro got a hold of him,” Alex mentioned. Krystalin gave Alex a flat, stony stare. “Your optimism burns brighter than the sun, Mr. Moss.” Alex fidgeted uncomfortably. “I’m just warning you, is all…” Krystalin turned to face the room. “X-men…friends, one of our own is in trouble. We have to save him, just like he would save us if we were in his position. Are you with me?” Shakti, Sham, Xi’an, Metalhead, and Shell all voiced their approval. “Bloodhawk? Will you come with us? We could use your help.” “I will assist you. If only to see that parasite Somers’ get what he deserves,” Bloodhawk said with a grimace. “Count me in, too, Krys,” Victor said. “With all that’s gone on recently, I might as well be an X-man.” Krystalin turned to him and blushed slightly. “I didn’t want to speak for you, Victor. But you’re more than welcome to join us.” “I guess I’m involved in this fracas, too, huh?”, Alex Moss spoke up. “Someone has to tell you where to go and where to hit ‘em where it hurts. I wouldn’t mind seeing Shaw defeated before my own eyes, either.” “Thank you, Alex,” Victor said, nodding his approval. Alex tried to keep a casual air about himself. He was aware that everyone was probably seeing right through the act. “Hey, no prob.” “This briefing is over, then,” Krystalin said. “Everybody go home. We all need rest. Today was a big day. But tomorrow’s going to be even bigger.” * * * What does one do when he finds out the certainties he has based his life on, the faith that has driven him all these years, are nothing but lies? That they are simply strings that someone in the shadows are using to jerk you this way and that? What do you do? For the Driver, you do the only thing you can do. You seek solace with the people you know you did save. The ones who are still alive. You seek out your final reward. You request access to Eden so you can while away your final days in peace and atonement. You go to Avalon. More than a hundred years ago, Mount St. Helens erupted with a volcanic blast that was so powerful it leveled the mountain itself. Plumes of gray ash and smoke, bigger than whole cities, floated upwards into the sky. Shockwaves and plumes of heat demolished any life around it. Ash fell like rain for months. In one brief half of a second, the Earth had decided to turn one little spot on its surface into a living hell. Today, the volcano was long dormant. Quiet for years, and geologists suspected, would be so for many, many years to come. The land, however, has never quite recovered from the blow the Earth struck all that time ago. Life has returned to the mountain, surely, but human habitation never graced the surrounding again. And so it was decided that here the last link to Avalon would be constructed. “This isn’t Avalon,” Tim muttered to himself as he looked around the small brown room. It was almost entirely featureless metal, except for a small circular pit in the floor in the far corner, only one foot deep. A small console was stationed on the wall next to the pit. That, and the Nitroburn which rested at the other end of the room, were the only pieces of machinery in the place. “No, this is not Avalon,” the Driver said. “This is the last step. The final boundary between Avalon and the world outside. This is the Final Jump.” The grandeur of the Driver’s tone was lost on Tim. “Well, let’s jump then.” “Patience, a code must be entered in the wall here. One that only I would ever know.” The Driver’s back was to them as he appeared to be punching a code into the console near the pit. As Tim, Luna, and Katrina neared the pit, they heard a soft warbling beep. The Driver stepped back from the pit reverentially. “He is coming.” “Who?”, Luna asked. In the pit before them, two thick but transparent blue ribbons floated and fluxed in time with each other. The ribbons got wider and taller, they began to go faster and faster. A white light appeared in between them, also growing in size. Suddenly, there was a flash. A tall man with sharp features and strange clothes appeared before them. He wore a metallic-looking skullcap on his head. It was smooth and featureless and covered his entire head except for his face. The skullcap continued downward and completely covered his shoulders. In the back, a flowing white cape was fastened to the material. The rest of his clothes were thick and almost black, they were almost as featureless as the headdress. “I am the Ferry Master,” the man said in a sonorous voice. “Driver,” he spoke. “You wish to reap the final reward?” The Driver nodded. “Yes, Ferry Master. I wish passage into Avalon to live out the rest of my days in harmony. With me I bring three lost souls.” The Driver hesitated before smiling. “My children.” To their credit, none of the three showed their surprise at the Driver’s obvious lie. “Driver, you know the doors of Avalon are closed to all but you,” the Ferry Master chimed. The Driver cocked his head. “Ferry Master. I cannot believe for a moment that one so kind as to offer shelter to mutants during the Purge would deny me the presence of my children in Avalon.” The Ferry Master smiled. “Of course not, Driver. I merely wished to make the rules clear to all here.” “Our father told us about this,” Tim said. “So…you know, no offense or anything.” The Ferry Master smiled and nodded. “Indeed. Well then,” the Ferry Master gathered his cape around him. “If you would all join me here in the pit?” The four of them walked into the pit with the Ferry Master. Tim could hardly contain his excitement. This was it! Avalon! It was real and soon they would be a part of it. “Next stop, Avalon,” the Ferry Master announced. The blue ribbons began to appear around them. “Don’t blink,” he warned. The ribbons grew and the white light appeared. “It’s a very short trip.” With a simple flash, they were gone. NEXT ISSUE: What could possibly top this issue? How about Avalon in all its glory and splendor? Find out where it is, what it is, and how it is next issue. ______________________________________________ The 2099 UnderGround is a project whereby a group of fans are putting together continuing stories based on Marvel's fantastic futuristic 2099! Ignoring the ignoble and inaccurate 2099: WoT, we're exploring what we feel is the true spirit of 2099 as envisioned by then Editor in Chief Joey Cavalieri. Participation is open to all. For more information, visit the Ghostworks at http://www.oocities.org/ug2099. We love getting letters and feedback. Questions/comments/hurrahs/etc. should be sent to the author (linus4000@yahoo.com). Or you can visit the message board at www.comicboards.com/2099ug. |
