X-men 2099UG #46

Halo City--
Halo Tower --

Thirty minutes ago…..

Morphine Somers looks over Timothy's desk with sternness. "Morphine, do you want to say something, or not? I've got some work do to here."

Giving into his reserves, "I know who is the Mutant Messiah." Timothy just stares at Morphine. "I guess I have your attention."

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Halo City--
Halo Tower --

Now…..

"I've gotten all of you together because we'd discovered something that all of you need to be aware." Timothy stands in front of his teammates- the X-Men. This is a moment they've all been waiting for, and a day they've all feared would come. " Morphine has returned from a classified mission I sent him on, and has returned with the identity of the so called Mutant Messiah."

"WHAT?!" They all gasp.

"How is it that Morphine discovered this?", Shakti asks.

"Morphine has disclosed to me how he has discovered this, and I believe him in his findings. That is all you need to know."

"Tim, why should you believe him? Morphine has done nothing but lie and manipulate us since we've met him."

"Krys, you must trust me. I know Morphine has been a thorn in our sides, but you must trust in me if nothing else. And you must help me in keeping the Messiah's identity secret until the time is…." Timothy spins around to hear loud speakers from outside his office window.

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Outside in the city's Halo Square--

"Come one, come all, the Messiah is here! I have discovered his identity and he is one of us here in the city!"

The X-Men rush down to the square where Morphine has set up a stage so that all the people may see and hear him. "Is this how we keep things a secret, Tim?"

"Krys, I don't know what he's doing. Shock him. Shut this thing down, Morphine!"

Morphine looks over the crowd toward the running X-Men, "See! Do you see?! Your protectors know who the Messiah is and they don't want me to tell you! They want to keep him all to their selves!"

"Shock you, Morphine! This is going to do nothing!" Timothy screams at Morphine, a man standing in Timothy's path turns and punches him in the stomach reeling him to the ground. "Let him speak. We should have never let Doom talk us into letting you be our protectors. You're as selfish as that egotistical dictator ever was."

Shakti kneels down trying to help Timothy back to his feet, and he begins to glow. "Damn you, Morphine, we're just trying to keep the people from…"

"From what, oh great and powerful Oz? Keep the masses form knowing their true protector? Typical, X-Man, just wanting the glory all to yourself." And building on that, the crowd that has been quietly listening abrupts in screams of anger and they all rush Timothy, Shakti, Krystalin, and Luna.

"Shock it, Tim. What do you want us to do now?!"

Tim shakes his head, and then blasts beams of green energy from his fingertips over the heads of the rioters. "Damn. Run back into the tower. We need to regroup." Tim turns around and looks behind him at a grinning Morphine, "Morphine, this isn't over by a long shot!"

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Alaska--

Alexander Shaw turns back toward his comrades, "As you can see, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Somers is very co-operative when given the correct influence. Even now, he has the citizens of Halo city up and in arms against their sworn protectors, the X-Men."

Aloria Craven, the Hellfire Club's new Black Queen looks back at the holo monitor, "True, Alexander, but for how long? Morphine does really want any of this to happen. How are we sure he won't betray us?"

"We have his wife, what more do we need, my dear? Are you afraid even the life of his wife won't keep him in line?"

Aloria nods, "Yes. He is more cunning than I feel you are giving him credit of having."

Alexander walks around the large oak conference table, and stands next to the reinforced window overlooking the Alaskan landscape. "My, dear Aloria, Morphine is under our influence till the end. He will risk nothing to insure his wife remains safe and unharmed. I intend on keeping my word as long as he does, but at the moment he decides to betray me-- she dies."

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Halo City--
Halo Tower--

"Tim, this is not going good at all. Morphine's out of control and the masses are listening to him. We've got to get to who ever the messiah is and get him out of here. Morphine's made sure who ever it is won't be safe."

Tim nods, "I know, Shakti. I know. I just hope we can get to them."

"Umm, Tim, you're gonna want to see this."

"What is it, Luna?"

"Forget protecting the messiah. Morphine's got him on display!"

Tim rushes to the window overlooking the square. Peering over all the masses and locating Morphine in the center. Standing beside him is the one Morphine tells the masses is the messiah….

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Outside in the city's Halo Square--

"I present to all of you-- the mutant messiah-- the young Uproar!", Morphine yells into the crowd with a suave grin. The people crowd around trying to touch Uproar, trying to get a glimpse at the one who would be their salvation. "Don't crowd him, folks. Our new protector, our new 'messiah' is here to lead us to a new era of mutant freedom and salvation. No more will you feel oppressed outside these city walls. No more will you fear those who have grown and fueled the hatred of mutants. Look now unto the face of the one who will lead you unto a new Mutant Golden Age."

Uproar just stands their with a dumbfounded look on his face. When Morphine told him he was the one true messiah that the legends told about. He was the one Dust had said would lead the mutants of the world to a new era of enlightenment and safety, he never dreamed he was that one. Now he must forgo his lifestyles of jokes and immaturity and be something he never dreamed- never wanted to be. All he can do at this time is smile in uncertainty and hope he an live up to their expectations.

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Halo Tower--

Tim stands staring at Uproar through his office's window. "Damn, Morphine, why him? Of any of the kids, why did it have to be Uproar?" Tim walks around in his office alone now. The others have gone to assess the situation. With Eddie now gone, and no word from Henri. "Henri, we need you now more than ever. Where are you?" (See Gary Miller's Tensen 2099UG series to find out where Meanstreak has been.)

The door hisses open, and Luna walks into the room holding a data-pad. "Tim, things are not good. We're low on allies right now, and there's no way we can get to Uproar. This whole city is going crazy."

Tim nods slightly, "I know. With this shocking "Messiah Quest" going on there's nothing we can do. With Uproar in the open now, whoever was killing those Wild Boys is going to set their sights on him. We need to get him out of the city. Damn."

"If you hadn't noticed, there's no way of getting to him. Unless we can get the masses to see us as only trying to help out, we might as well sit here and do nothing."

"I know this, Luna. I can't take this shocking mess. I need Xi'an, he was always good in these situations."

"Tim, Xi'an is gone and to Hel with him and his soul searching mission. We need you and we need you to tell us what to do. We're all behind you in whatever you do, but you have to be sure its what you want to do."

Tim turns back to the window and looks down as the crowd pushes closer to Uproar, "For his sake, I hope it’s the right thing."

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Doom's Facilities under Halo Square--

He sits and stares at the monitors. He has been sitting and waiting for weeks now, and his waiting has finally ended. His eyes gleam with excitement. "Oh, how I've longed for this moment, for the messiah to show his ugly face. When I heard that he has surfaced I grew excited to finally see who I must kill, but I will have to wait longer now."

The one known only as the 'Evil One' walks through the caverns that link hundreds of secret rooms that Doom had developed to keep him safe in his hiding from SHEILD. He has found most of these corridors and rooms, and has lived beneath Halo City for weeks now. He thinks to himself of his arrival so long ago in this era. Why was he brought to this place-- why Halo City? After a few short days he discovered an old enemy of his was still in this year, and that he was on a quest to atone for his past sins. "Ah, the years have been tolling on you, my friend. You are tired of the struggle and the searching for the one who you can pass on the burden."

He walks from room to room seeming to just wander below the streets of Halo City. "Poor child, that one is. A poor one indeed. I would have expected someone from a more superior upbringing than that beast of a child, but none-the-less, I'll kill him anyway."

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Outside in the city's Halo Square--

"Ladies and gentlemen, one at a time. The awe inspired Messiah must have his room if he is to speak to the masses." Morphine looks up to Uproar and whispers, "This is your moment in the spotlight, child, don't blow it."

Uproar smiles nervously and steps forward toward the crowd. "Citizens of Halo City, I am your Messiah!" The crowd screams in excitement and joy. They rush the stage to touch him, to hear him, to just be near the one that will save them from their suffering. Uproar steps back and increase in size three times that of his normal stature. "Please, do not be afraid. My ability is to grow to meet any challenge."

Morphine smiles to himself wearily. He looks upward to the highest floor of Halo Tower hoping to avoid the chance he makes eye contact with his fellow X-Men. Outwardly he is the image of confidence and power, but inside he feels himself slipped closer to damnation.

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Halo Tower--

Tim looks down toward the crowd and slams his fist against the plexi-glass incasing him inside the tower's penthouse floor. "Damn, Somers. Why couldn't you wait? Why?"

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Outside in the city's Halo Square--

In the midst of the crowd applauding and screaming to the new messiah, the ground erupts in a violent explosion. The crowd scatters and screams in terror. Morphine and Uproar jump off the stage and survey the situation as a thin, robed figure hovers from the hole in the Square's street. The figure hovers about eight feet from the ground and stops-- smiling.

Uproar steps forward in his new found confidence, "What do you think you're doing? This is a public gathering. You could have injured innocents."

The figure smiles and hovers toward Uproar, "So, you are the Mutant Messiah of the legends told and past down? Hmmm…. Not very impressive as I had imagined. You're nothing more than a oversized, scared child wanting nothing more than to forget this was ever brought onto your head. I can remedy that." Without warning Uproar is thrown through the air by an unseen hand. He crashes through the lobby walls of Halo Tower. "So much for the messiah. Hear me people of Halo City, I am your true messiah." He grins and laughs as all innocent eyes stare at the bruised and bloodied body of who was to be their savior, and then they look unto the one that killed him-- the Evil One-- and the are so afraid.

NEXT ISSUE: Is that it? Is Uproar dead after being the messiah for only a few hours? Who is the Evil One, and why does he want the Mutant Messiah dead? Be here for #47 for the prologue of the final X-Men storyline as you know it.