"FireFly" By Jorge Martinez

SAN FRANCISCO

The Blackbird quietly hovers over Alcartraz the former island prison. The occupants are Gambit, Magneto, the Angel, and a transformed Rogue.

Rogue has been hurt bad in a battle with Binary the former Ms. Marvel. They seemed to have switched powers. Rogue now has the power of human sized star. Her hair has been mostly burnt off or it was cut off by Moira Mactaggart. It also changed colors to a bright red with her trademark white streak down the middle. She still has powers of super strength and invulnerability but much weaker than before. The stellar energy within her are great! As is the change her mind has suffered.

ROGUE: Ahhh! What happened? I feel so weird!

GAMBIT: Oui cheri! You have gone through much.

MAGNETO: Rogue, there was another exchange between you and Carol Danvers. Through sheer willpower she stole back the powers you originally took from her. In return she left you a part of her binary stellar powers.

ROGUE: My hair is gone and it's red!

ANGEL: Rogue we're sorry...

ROGUE: Nooooo!

She begins to glow and flies straight through the ship causing it to crumble upon itself.

GAMBIT: Rogue!

ANGEL: We're going down! Gambit stay loose I will grab you! Magneto...

MAGNETO: Angel, please no orders. I know what to do.

Magneto magnetically collects the pieces of the Blackbird before they reach the water below. Angel takes ahold of Gambit.

GAMBIT: My thanks saint! For if you weren't here Magneto would have let me drop to me death!

ANGEL:(to self) This is not good. Rogue needs to be contained. Magneto still has the cold look to him. What are we doing?

The Angel lands on Alcatraz behind a kneeling Rogue.

ROGUE: I'm different. I did have Carol's personality all this time. It explains much. Now I'm back to my old self. I don't know if that is a good thing.

ANGEL: Hey, it what you always asked for.

ROGUE: That's what I'm afraid of!

MAGNETO: Do not worry Rogue we will help you.

ANGEL:(to self) Where is SHIELD? What do we do now?

A dark alley in San Francisco. A bum looks up and he sees a man. A tall man with gray hairs and a beard. The man wears a trench coat with a blue and white costume under. His name is Graviton.

BUM: Hey man can I help you?

GRAVITON: Ah, a vagrant. Why yes good sir do you believe California will ever sink?

BUM: Sure! I'm sure it will one day. I mean just the other day Phil and I were...

GRAVITON: That day is today! Have a nice day!

BUM: Hey should I stand under a doorway? Cause I don't even have a house! Ha....was he serious?

MOTEL 6 SAN FRANCISCO

GAMBIT: One room for the four of us? Well I sleep with Rogue! You and Magneto can share a bed.

MAGNETO: This will suffice for now.

ANGEL: Look I say we stay here the night atleast. Then tomorrow we figure what we are going to do.

ROGUE: Why are we on the run anyway?

ANGEL: Well Magneto is wanted man. He stole a bunch of warheads a few years ago.

MAGNETO: I only meant to...

ANGEL: I don't care. SHIELD wanted him to turn himself in. He would accept their kind offer if it would lead to the release of Professor X. Ofcourse, they refused and decided to use force. We protected him which puts us in the same boat as him. Gambit a former thief and accessory to the mutant massacre.

MAGNETO: What?

GAMBIT: Don't go there Magneto.

ANGEL: Rogue former member of Brotherhood of Evil Mutants who beat Carol Danvers the former Ms. Marvel and stole her powers. Then decided to try to kill the Avengers! And I tried to take over Manhattan once under the influence of Apocalypse. We are not role models. So we are all wanted now!

ROGUE: Oh.

MAGNETO: We are not on the run. We are merely avoiding a confrontation with SHIELD. A confrontation we would win.

ROGUE: Ah don't want a fight but if they come they'll get one.

ANGEL:(to self) Rogue seems to be slipping into her old ways. I need a break from all of this.

ANGEL: Hey I'm going to fly around a bit to get some air. I'll be back later.

GAMBIT: Good idea mon ami! I will hit the local coffee shop. Rogue?

ROGUE: I will stay here.

MAGNETO: As will I.

GAMBIT: Fine!

Gambit slams the door behind him.

ROGUE: So Magneto? Finally alone!

HIGH ABOVE THE STREETS

The original X-man known as the Angel finds peace among the clouds.

ANGEL: (to self) I don't know what to do. I think if Magneto turns himself in the others will be let go. Fury just wants Magneto and isn't interested in the rest of us. But how can I talk Magneto to turn himself in? With all this going on I keep forgetting about my skin condition. My skin seems to be turning back to normal. Can't say that I mind! My wings have grown back and now my skin isn't going to be blue any more.

ANGEL: What's that down below? Whoa, I'm dropping! Like a force pulling me down?

The Angel is brought down to the street in front of Graviton.

GRAVITON: You will not interfere with my plans hero!

ANGEL: What? ugh!(to self) This guy is that gravity guy that fought the Avengers. He's way out of my league! Where's Magneto when you need him!

THE HAPPY WINDS BAR

Gambit sits down at the bar. He lights a cigarette and admires the pretty bartender. Her name is Brandy.

BRANDY: What will you have?

GAMBIT: Ah, cheri give me a sweet Madris.

BRANDY: A bit early for that don't you think?

GAMBIT: No. It has been a long night.

BRANDY: Halloween isn't for a few weeks what's that get up.

GAMBIT: Your a nosy one aren't you?

BRANDY: It's my bar!

GAMBIT: Fair enough. I'm part of those mutants known as the Xmen.

BRANDY: Really?

GAMBIT: Does that scare you?

BRANDY: Nope as long as you don't trash my bar!

GAMBIT: What is your name sweet...

BRANDY: Brandy and lay off the charm Romeo! Hey isn't that one of your friends on the tv. Oh yeah he's the Angel! Always had a crush on him when I was younger! He's cute!

GAMBIT: Just for that I think I will let the saint die!!!

BRANDY: You better hurry because that bad guy says he's going to sink California! You did say you were an X-man right?!

GAMBIT: Actually I was cheri was!

Gambit runs out of the bar and hops on a bicycle parked outside.

GAMBIT:(to self) Now I just have to find the Angel! I guess I will just follow the speeding cops!

MOTEL 6

Magneto and Rogue are embraced in a long kiss.

MAGNETO: Rogue I do not think that...

ROGUE: Shhh....

MAGNETO: Wait did you feel that?

ROGUE: Ah sure did!

MAGNETO: No, there is something affecting the gravitational forces in the proximity.

ROGUE: What do you mean?

The television sets turns on with but a thought by Magneto.

ROGUE: Graviton? Who is he?

MAGNETO: A little man that commands great power. A waste!

ROGUE: That waste plans to sink the state!

MAGNETO: No he won't. Do you feel comfortable with your new powers.

ROGUE: Ah think so!

MAGNETO: Let's go then!

Everything in a square block is feeling the pressure of extra gravity upon them. Cars are destroyed. People have died. Building are crumbling. This is only the beginning.

ANGEL: Please....stop...please...

GRAVITON: I am killing an angel! Ha, I am the devil himself.

Off in the shadows...

GAMBIT: (to self) The cops have taken aim at him but there bullets fall short with the added gravity and explode once hitting the ground! I must climb the buildings and jump off hopefully landing on the fool! My aim must be precise despite the force that will affect me!

Gambit runs up a fire escape and runs across the roof of a building. Halfway across the roof he feels the weight and he sprints faster. All in one motion he jumps off the roof and falls towards Graviton.

GAMBIT:(to self) He doesn't see me coming! If I miss I'm going to die and the Angel appears to be near death himself!

Gambit indeed lands on Graviton with amazing force! Knocking down Graviton.

GAMBIT: Angel are you all right, saint?

ANGEL: No....my bones...they are hollow...I think...they all are crushed..

GAMBIT:(to self) Good Lord mon ami! He might die...

Gambit gets hit in the back of the neck by a fist.

GRAVITON: Before a hit like that might have killed me! But I have conditioned my body with my gravity powers to be more resilient!

Gambit falls to the ground as the gravity increases again.

GAMBIT: No, the Angel is going to die and so will I unless....

Magneto and Rogue appear. Graviton takes a look at Magneto and they both begin their confrontation.

MAGNETO: Rogue take Angel and Gambit to a hospital!

ROGUE: And let you have all the fun no way!

GAMBIT: Rogue! The Angel is going to die!

ROGUE: Oh, all right!

She flies and picks up the Angel.

ROGUE:(to self) Oh my God! Warren!

Rogue flies off.

Magneto and Graviton are having what is best described as a arm wrestling match. They are equals.

GAMBIT:(to self) The gravity effects wore off when Graviton decided to convert his attention to Magneto! This is my chance!

Gambit runs at Graviton from behind and grabs on to the villains clothes. He begins to charge them with his kinetic energy.

GRAVITON: What are you doing fool?

GAMBIT: Good-bye!

Gambit leaps off and Graviton explodes with kinetic energy.

GRAVITON: How dare you?

MAGNETO: Be quiet!

Magneto finishes him off with a blast.

LATER......THE SHIELD HELI-CARRIER

REPORTER: The villain Graviton tried to sink the city with his awesome powers. Many were killed or injured until four individuals reported to be X-Men and the villain Magneto saved the city by defeating Graviton. Here comes Magneto now.

REPORTER: Magneto sir? First off we'd like to thank you for saving our city with your fellow X-men. You are an X-man aren't you?

MAGNETO: No, I'm not.

REPORTER: Are you a still a villain?

MAGNETO: Would a villain save your city?

REPORTER: No, I guess not! Then what are you?

MAGNETO: I am a mutant! My ...friends are and I are called the Brotherhood.....

REPORTER: Of Evil Mutants? Weren't you the founder...

MAGNETO: We are here to defend mutants from evil humans and humans from evil mutants! San Francisco has labeled us heroes after today despite are checkered past! Of that I am glad and impressed by the citizens of this city. We think we shall stay!

REPORTER: You heard it here first! The Brotherhood are the new protectors of San Francisco!

-<CLICK>-

AGENT 013: Sir?

NICK FURY: It's time!

NEXT ISSUE: Freedom Force!!!