Disclaimer: As usual the characters are Marvels copyrights and we decided to
tell a story the way they should be told. Unfortunatly we aren't making any
money off of this so please to be inclined to press charges.
Recap: Creed has been assassinated by Havok and Cyclops and Cable are on the
way to stop him. The FOH have also begun planning to retaliate.
For those of you knew to this story (We're sorry for the long delay. My
e-mail has been down for a long time and will be again after today) all the
parts can be found on the internet at:
www.geocities.com/SoHo/6329.htm
www.ici.net/cust_pages/darqstar/direct.html
web2.spydernet.com/lori/index.html
if you haven't been to any of them: go there. There's plenty of really good
fan-fic archieved there. You won't be disappointed.
Side note: This is the second half of part 5 but decided against making it
5b because it will just be confusing later on.
Part VI
Although the trip from the X-Mansion to Boston took only fifteen
minutes in the supersonic Blackbird, Cyclops knew that he and Cable would
never arrive before Polaris. Riding the magnetic currents, Lorna Dane could
be more than half way there before the jet was prepped for flight. The only
hope they had to locate Havok first was if Polaris had difficulty finding
him among the throng of college students and Bostonians that flocked to
Harvard Square daily.
Opting for maximum stealth, Scott chose to land in nearby Logan airport
and take a cab into the vicinity of the buildings Cerebro had pinpointed
Havok at. He and Cable were dressed in nondescript civilian attire with two
noticeable characteristics-Scott's ruby quartz visor glasses and Nathan's
bionic eye. Among the bustling people of Boston, Scott doubted anyone would
even notice.
"We should be able to blend in well enough with the crowds to walk up
to the door. Once we get there we'll need to rely on optimum speed to take
him down," Cable whispered to Cyclops, in the back seat of the cab. The two
oversized men barely fit in the undersized cab, but expediency took the
place of comfort.
"I've brought along a Genoshian restraining collar," Cyclops said
regretfully. "Since our powers negate each other, I'll need you to place it
on him. I'd rather not have another battle like the one in Genoshia we had
when he believed he was a magistrate there. We nearly destroyed a several
city blocks with no real effect on one another. Therefore, I'll take care of
any backup he may have."
"I just hope my powers aren't nullified by the shared blood line. And
what do you mean by backup. I thought Havok had gone rogue?"
"When I was attacked on the airplane, there was a mutant I had never
seen before standing at Havok's side. I have no clue to what power he may
possess. I just hope I'll be able to deal with him. Make a left here, please."
Before her husband left, Jean had returned to monitoring Havok's where
whereabouts. Using the psychic bond they shared, she was able to guide
Cyclops' progress through the city, narrowing down the distance slowly but
steadily. After several more turns Jean informed them to stop.
"This will be fine, sir," Scott told the cab driver. He quickly read
the meter and tossed the man a twenty for the much cheaper trip. The cabbie
completely forgot about the two bizarre passengers in lieu of thoughts the
prosperous tip he had received.
The building before them stood well over fifteen stories. The once
bright red bricks were in serious need of restoration. Grime, soot and
dirty, the signs of passing time to a city building, had caked on, covering
nearly the entire surface.
Without warning, the paved street exploded, scattering debris in every
direction. Years of battle training and experience was the only thing that
saved them from bearing the brunt of the blast. Jagged pieces of concrete
and black top took their toll on the two X-Men's bodies. One fairly large
fragment struck Cyclops' forehead, opening a long laceration across his
brow. Before lapsing into unconsciousness, Scott saw his brother standing on
the roof of the building across the street from them, preparing to send
another deadly plasma burst in their direction. The plasma itself wouldn't
harm him but the side effects of the blast could easily kill him. He
couldn't believe over the short span of time, his brother could lose all
sensibility and concern for innocents.
Seeing Cyclops on the ground, Cable rolled to his feet and leveled the
gun hidden beneath the folds of his clothing in one fluid motion. He took
barely the length of time to blink to aim the pistol and fired. The bullet
was aimed at the lip of the roof, meant to startle Havok, as opposed to
doing actual harm, never reached it's intended target. A green pulse of
energy deflected it's course harmlessly overhead.
Cable knew Polaris had managed to find them and intervene. Before he
could respond again, he lost complete control of his bionic parts. His much
heavier bionic arm flung to the side, knocking him off balance.
Havok, sensing that an opportunity had arisen, he sent his next blast
directly at his ex-lover and savior, Lorna Dane.
Polaris reflexively waved her arm and drew up a magnetic shield that
managed to withstand the force of Havok's mutant power. Though she wasn't
harmed physically but emotional, she was torn apart. She finally realized
the man she loved had truly turned evil. It was with a heavy heart and a
troubled mind that she managed to knock her beloved Alex unconscious by
temporarily cutting off the iron nutrients to his brain.
She turned to Cable, simultaneously raising Havok into the air behind
her. "Alex is my problem now. You and your fellow X-Teams have interfered
with the two of us leading a normal life for too long. This ends now. I will
no longer allow it again."
With a hurt look, Polaris, former member of X-Factor, turned her back
on the makeshift 'family' she had been a part of for years. She just hoped
that she could help Alex solve whatever problems he was going through and
bring the Alex she loved back
Scott regained consciousness a minute later. His head throbbed and he
could barely lift himself off the ground. Cable extended his hand to his
father and easily lifted him upright. "The X-Men have just lost two more
allies," Cable said.
"Let's go home," was Cyclops's only response.
Grim faced, Cable agreed and hailed a cab to take them tho the Blackbird.
Lucius had no idea he was being followed by three men dressed in jeans
and t-shirts. He was too excited about his purchase. Signed and autographed
Blasterman #2. Hector would be so jealous.
He stood for a minute and breathed in deeply. His own spice scent mixed
in with the pollutants of New York, almost making the air tolerable.
A bench, only ten feet away beckoned to him. Plopping himself on it, he
opened the comic and read it cover to cover, twice. The men trailing him
walked past him as he read, trying not to be observed, even though they were
only following a twelve year old boy.
Above, the sky was going grey with the setting sun and expanse of
clouds developing. The cool brisk breeze reminded Lucius he should be
getting back to his family again. Carefully, being sure not to ruin his new
prize, he put the comic away and bounded down the street towards Central Park.
"Finally," on of his pursuers said. "I thought he'd never leave." Of
the three men, he had been delegated as the leader. The other two wanted to
grab the boy right off the bench and play off any commotion as if he was
their runaway nephew, but he had disagreed. If anything was true in the
world, where one mutant went, there were bound to be more.
Lucius took his time walking. It wasn't too often that his trips to the
surface were for his own enjoyment. Besides, no matter what time he entered
the tunnels, it was sure to be dark. By the time Lucius reached Central
Park, night had fallen and only a few stars could be seen through the cloud
covering. The moon was almost half full and it's light didn't dispel any of
the darkness. More than half the street lamps in the park were out from
either lack of maintenance or thrown rocks.
He had no trouble finding the hidden entrance to the Morlock tunnels.
Custom dictated that he should look around before entering but in his
excitement, he completely forgot. Taking several artificial branches in his
hands, he lift and pulled until the bush shifted and opened, revealing the
hidden passage below.
"GRAB HIM."
Lucius quickly spun, frantically searching for whoever had yelled.
Three men were charging straight for him. His pores leaked the skunk scent
associated with fear. Without thinking, he back peddled, hoping his feet
would find purchase on the steel rung ladder. They were so close he thought
he could hear their labored breathing. Where was the hole, he mental
screamed, dragging his foot back and forth across the ground until it
slipped into the hole and managed to catch the edge of the first rung.
Sweat began to form at his brow and run into his eyes blurring his
vision. Not wanting to waste any time wiping them clean he back peddled down
the ladder. Through a blurry haze, Lucius tried to see how close the men had
gotten but he couldn't make anything out.
His head lowered beneath ground level when his new prize possession
slipped out of his hand and fluttered into the stagnant water below. He
almost cried but something inside him made him realize his life could be on
the line here. I have to warn the others he thought, thankful that once he
was down in the tunnels he could easily elude the men that were chasing him.
He passed the fourth, fifth, sixth rung, regaining his composure in
order to descend the ladder safely. The others could take care of them.
Maybe I'll even find my comic. It was in plast- the lid. I forgot to close
it. He cursed for the first time in his twelve years.
Lucius scrambled up the ladder again and reached for the handle to pull
the artificial bush over his head. As he grabbed hold of it, a strong hand
surrounded his fore arm, painfully. With a grunt, he was lifted out of the
tunnel and lost his grip on the seal's handle.
"So gene trash. You and your fellow muties want to play hard ball. Well
we're glad you guys made a move. Creed was right," the man holding him up by
his arm said. His face inched closer and Lucius thought he could smell
alcohol on the man's breath. The same stuff some of the Morlocks used to
'drown out their problems.'
"I say gut him. Right here," another said.
"No make him lead us to his friends. Do you know how much money we
could get. (Sinister name) would be so pleased if we brought more of his
kind to true justice."
A sharp point dug into Lucius's back, not braking the skin but hard
enough to cause pain. Tears lined his eyes and sobs shook his body. He
wanted to plead with them not to hurt him but nothing would come out of his
heaving lungs.
"Well mutie. What should we do with you? You wanna lead us to your pals
in exchange for your life," the man holding him said, smiling maliciously.
"Maybe we should cut our losses and just cut you." His face managed to inch
even closer. He was about to speak again but stopped. His head jerked back
in disgust as the skunk odor from Lucius's pores was overwhelming.
Sensing possibly his only chance for survival, Lucius bite down on the
arm holding him suspended, as hard as he could. Instantly he was dropped to
the ground. The other two men closed in on him from opposite sides, each
brandishing a knife that caught the small light that broke through the
overcast. Willing his power to work a hundredfold instead of trying to
suppress it, Lucius closed his eyes and strained.
The advancing men jumped back, not knowing what kind of mutie power
would manifest itself. Even though they readied themselves to react, by not
running away when they had the chance, they experienced the full brunt of
Lucius's curse. Each inhaled enough fetid gases to churn their stomachs.
Both leaned over, holding their abdomens and swore.
Lucius wasted no time to watch the results. It was enough that it
worked. He rose to his feet and ran in no particular direction. Anywhere
just to get away.
He ran until his body begged him to stop. Hesitantly, he looked behind
him, expecting three men to be right there reaching for him, but the park
was devoid of life. Why did those men take a sudden interest in him? He
didn't think he'd done something wrong? Did he? Then it dawned on him. He
led them to the entrance of the Morlock tunnels, betraying his family's most
important secret. Now who would help him?
One word come to mind. She was once their leader and a goddess among
men. Rumors to where she lived now seemed to agree with one another. He just
had to figure out how to get to Xavier's School For Gifted Youngsters and
find Storm.
In a room, where vapors hissed from vents and pipes, hundreds of
soundless video monitors displayed scenes across the globe. To describe the
source of the transmission would be akin to explaining the theory of
relativity to a child. Satellite were intercepted, surgically implanted
relays from unknowing people, and mystic methods were but a few of the means
the man who sat upon the throne used. He was a man who was more than a man.
More akin to godly than human and he knew it.
Four particular screens held a certain interest for him. The first
showed a being of pulsating light assaulting an airplane in mid-flight. The
second followed a renegade band of heroes. The third was the death of a
rising politician. The fourth contained a ????
He sat and waited, as he had for centuries, during which he had become
a master of manipulation. Human reactions were so pliable. His age was
coming and he knew that too. It was only a matter of time. His pieces were
finally in place and with just a few more strings left to pull. He smiled
and laughed at the irony of his proclaimed name: Apocalypse.
End Part VI
Next: The first new member of X-Factor joins. More FOH and now X-Force.
(
geocities.com/soho)