Scanning the crowd I start noticing the major news channels are starting to arrive aswell.
"...Let's go somewhere else. We need to talk in private."
I nod my head and fire a webline as the reporters are getting braver and start to approach us.
"Yeah that sounds like a good idea. I've already had my major news interview for the month."
Kitty wraps are arms around my neck and we take to the sky leaving Rhino and the media vultures behind. The fresh air and the beautiful weather helps shake off the adrenaline from the fight and help get my head back on straight. I feel Kitty's arms tighten around my neck as we swing higher.
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere safe, but first I wanna say hi to an old friend......"
We take the corner hard and see the Daily Bugle looming ahead.
"Hang on."
I pour more speed into my swing and let go at the top of the arc catapulting myself at the window I was aiming for. With a soft thud I stick to the window and see the occupants inside: J. Jonah Jameson, Robbie Robertson, and Ben Urich. They're going through the usual arguing about a story with JJJ. The argument stops abruptly once I'm noticed. Even through the glass I can hear Jameson's voice clear as a bell.
"What the hell you doing you damn menace! I just had these windows washed!"
"Oh really? He didn't do a really good job cause theres' a smudge right here. Not to worry though chuckles I got something that could fix that easily."
I fire an armfull of webbing covering the entire window with it.
"Whoops. Sorry Jonah that ones on me!"
I swing off with the sound of Jonah's cursing ringing in my ears.
"Was that really necessary?"
"Yes it was, I haven't been able to bug JJ as often as I used to. Plus considering all the crap he gave Pete I felt alittle payback was in order."
Ten minutes later and we land gently on the small balcony leading into my apartment. Kitty lets go and follows me inside.
Minutes ago...
Kurt jumped from jet to jet, disabling each one using the incredible power of Banshee that flowed through his veins. Soon, Iceman and Storm appeared alongside him, giving the rest of the X-Men cover from the attack of these jets.
Suddenly, Winters fired a blast of flames at Kurt, who, unable to react quick enough, cried out in pain and began to plummet to the Earth. Quickly focusing on his ability, he pictured a rooftop nearby, and teleported there in a puff of purple smoke. In a second, he assessed himself. Only minor burns. Nothing that couldn't be healed back at the mansion. He stared over the scene of the battle, and as he did so anger welled up inside of him. He leapt high into the air, and quickly pictured yet another fighter pilot in his jet, and quickly teleported behind him, snapping his neck before teleporting out once again.
Now...
After what seemed like hours of ruthless fighting, the X-Men now surrounded Winters. Within each of them, a hatred brewed and festered.
Before Kurt could encourage Jean to finish the deed, Kurt felt an overwhelmingly empty feeling wash over him. It was horrible. His stomach began to tie knots around itself, and his skin began to burn. He clenched his eyes as the pain spread. "Agh!" He fell over backwards onto the ground. "Der Banshee nutzt sich ab..." His mind raced back, remembering what he had read about Banshee.
Dr. Sean Cassidy, a Scottish born genetics professor from the Royal University of London, was the first to discover the existence of the only hormone to exist exclusively in mutants. During puberty, all teenagers, human and mutant alike, have an increase in human growth hormone (H.G.H.). In mutants, as Dr. Cassidy discovered, a second growth hormone is secreted from the pituitary gland which has the ability to activate portions of the genome that were, up until now, considered "junk DNA." This mutant growth hormone, or M.G.H., is responsible for unlocking the specific ability in a mutant, causing it to manifest. This explains the long unanswered question of why mutants don't have their powers from birth....Failure for the body to produce or receive the said hormone can result in devastating effects on the body, result in severe deformation, tissue damage, or even death.
He fell to one knee, for the first time in a long time frightened. Not now. Not when they were so close. In a last desperate attempt, he thought of the one man who might be able to help him. The University of London...he would have to get this right the first time. No second chances. He pictured in his mind the man he needed to find. Within a split second, he was gone, a puff of purple and yellow smoke filling the void where he once was.
False Messiah Part XXX
Barjnov, Rumekistan
As Jean hovers above the ground holding Cable at bay, the X-men surrounding her each coerce her to do what they believe is right. Some cry for vengeance, some for mercy, some for just what they know is right. Jean tries to figure out what she will do, desperately thinking in her mind and reaching into her soul for the answers.
Her heart feels what her brain does not, and the power surrounding her, a power she never controlled before, is full of corruption. She knows what it feels like to be corrupted by it, and she can feel that same sensation now. She tries to override it, tries to feel what she truly knows is the right path. As she concentrates, a weak laugh suddenly sounds. She opens her eyes and sees Cable laughing in front of her.
"What's so funny, Nathan?" She asks with a snarl.
"Oh...it's nothing, mother." He says, a sly grin showing on his face despite the burned disfigured skin. "Except that...you're holding me with telekinesis. And we all know what that's controlled by." Nathan's eyes squint and his body tenses. His shirt tears as his muscles buldge through the burned and ripped garbs. With out warning, the dictator suddenly pushes forward, moving through Jean's hold on him and approaching her fast.
"THE MIND, MOTHER!" He says with a terrifying smile. He flies above her and holds his position as he lifts his hands into the air. He balls them into a fist above him and laughs heinously. "Something your 'friends' have distracted with their pleas!" Nathan swings his arms down like a hammer toward Jean. She screams, and falls backward, evading the blow. She holds up her hands and creates a barrier around her body as she lies on the ground. Nathan assaults her forcefield, punching, kicking, and slamming every inch of his body into it as he moves to make his killing stroke. "You wasted your chance, Jean!" He says, laughing manically as he continues to barrage the invisible shield. "Now you die!"
As Nathan punches with all his might, the X-men watch in terror as the villain they believed defeated fights stronger than ever to eradicate their most powerful member. They see the terror in Jean's eyes, the fear and hate that corrupts her mind. They know she can't hold it for long, and they know Cable will win.
"NO!" Scott yells as his eyes stay fixed on the assault. He growls beneath his breath as he watches his 'son' attack his love, his only one. He places his hand to his visor, and he runs forward toward the battle. "Hey, CABLE!" He shouts, gaining the villain's attention. "GO TO HELL!"
With one shot, Scot unleashes every bit of energy his body holds. In a concentrated beam of red, the blast strikes Nathan, hitting his body like a freighttrain. Still, Nathan resists, using his mind to hold himself in place over his mother. As the blast wears at his skin, it begins to break away, revealing his muscle and tissue. Parts of the man's bones protrude through the waning flesh, and slowly, his body is rubbed away. Despite the pain he feels, despite the power he faces, Nathan stays in place. Surprisingly, a smile still lies on his burned face, his white teeth showing through the chaos.
"IS THAT IT?!" Nathan scoffs, continuing to take the brunt of the blast as if it were nothing. "I CAN WITHSTAND THAT, DAD! HIT ME WITH SOMETHING REALLY POWERFUL!"
"You got it." Jean says under her breath. Nathan looks down to see a sneer on her face as she holds her hands up toward him. Her eyes glaze over in a fiery ember, and her hair ignites like leaves to fire. Her forcefield suddenly kills out, and is soon replaced by a swirling fire. The flames envelop Cable's body in a vortex, working with Cyclops blast instead of against.
All watch as the red streak of light feeds into an orange and yellow blaze, and all that can be heard is the sound of screams. As holes in the fire open up, those who watch can see Nathan's body as it chars, burns, and falls away in ash. His skin melts away, his flesh scorches, and his bones blacken. The finishing sound of a demonic growl sounds, and all is quiet.
Jean's eyes shut, and she falls on her back, unconscious. Scott's arm falls from his temple, ending the beam of light. His eyes shut from their strain, and he holds them tight to ease the pain. He lets out two heavy breaths before he collapses, falling to one knee as he tries to stay awake. In front of them, the fire vortex suddenly burns out into a swirling array of black smoke. In the middle of it, an object drops to the ground like a limp rag doll.
As Scott breathes heavily he tries to rise to his feet. He collapses once more to the ground, and he lets out a frustrated moan. He slams his fist into the ground in anger and growls at his own body. Suddenly, he feels a tap at his shoulder. He looks up, his eyes still shut, and asks "Who?" Next to him, Captain Britain kneels at his side. "You've done well, soldier." The man says proudly. "Come on."
Brian Braddock lifts Scott up, and he holds the mutant upright with one arm. On his other side, he stabilizes Captain France, the soldier recovering from his neck wound as he puts pressure on the injury. Braddock's chest still bleeds, but strangely, he feels alive and well. He ignores the pain he feels, and instead moves forward with Hugo and Scott at his sides.
They don't walk far, a few meters through the smoke and dirt. As they walk closer to the figure on the hill a head of them, they all stare and watch. They know. They know.
"Keep your eyes closed, Scott." Captain Britain says compassionately.
"W-Why?" He asks, struggling to speak.
"Cause he's not dead."
Braddock stops in his tracks, and holds his position with his comrades. Scott listens as Hugo and Brian watch. They see Cable slowly pulling himself across the dirt toward them. He crawls with one arm, dragging a dead body behind him. His legs are now only bone, held together by strained charred tendons and ligaments. Nathan sneers as he moves in pain, trying with every bit of energy he has to move toward them.
He opens his mouth to speak, to try and curse them and their effort, but no noise comes out. A crackled wheese hisses, Nathan's only sound to make. His neck is open, burnt to a crisp along with his throat and windpipe. His vocal cords are gone, burned away by the fire.
He holds up his hand and claws at the sky, trying to reach them so he can finish them. Braddock frowns as he watches, and in his mind he asks why a beast like this could still endure.
Suddenly, a noise breaks the silence of the field. A sound of walking, stepping through rubble and dirt. They hear the sound of a gun being loaded, and Braddock looks around in a panic to find the source. On the hill, above Nathan, a figure arises in the shadows. As it comes more into the light, the identity is revealed. A female holding a long rifle walks to the top, her fingers slipping bullets into the weapon carefully. As the X-men all look, they suddenly realize who it is.
"Neena!" Wolverine growls, his teeth barring like a dog. He goes to release his claws, but then he remembers; their gone. Braddock turns to Logan and sees the expression on his face. He sees the anger and betrayal on his face, and Braddock knows the alliegance of the woman.
"Oh ****..." He says with a breath. Neena loads the last bullet into the chamber, and she clicks it into place. She raises the gun slowly and tactfully, and Braddock fears the worst. He positions his feet in the dirt and prepares to spring forward into action. He is tired, weakened, and exhausted. But he is a super soldier; he is not dead yet. As he readies his body, his eyes keep still on the rifle's barrel. Watching it like a hawk.
Nathan continues to crawl forward, unknowing of the figure behind him. His auditory receptors are gone, his body devoid of any sensations or senses besides vision. He grins evily, his face having no lips or skin, like a maniacal skeleton, moving forward for his only goal.
Neena raises the rifle, and aims the barrel at Nathan's head. Braddock watches in confusion as she takes aim, her finger sliding over the gun's edge and onto the trigger. Brian listens closely as Neena's mouth opens, and her lips form a few short words. "Goodbye."
She pulls back on the trigger, and a loud bang resonates throughout the land. A bullet flies through the air straight and swiftly. Nathan's mind and body was unaware until the end, the bullet breaking through the crisped skull and into his broken brusied brain. His eyes open wide for one last second, realizing what has happened. His head falls to the ground lifelessly, and his body finally goes limp. He is dead.
Neena lowers the gun, and looks up from the cadaver in front of her. She stares at Braddock, at Scott, at Logan, at everyone. With a tired and weary sigh, she lowers her head and whispers. "It's over. Finally over."
The urge to charge Neena and snap her neck is very strong but I manage to hold it off as I stare down at the charred and motionless corpse of Nathan Winters. For everything he had done to Ali and what he did to my son watching him die hasn't done anything. Winters has finally succeeded in doing the one thing every other psycho we've fought failed to do: he hurt us. Looking around at my teammates, my family, I can see just how badly he hurt us. Ali hasn't said anything sense those few words to Winters, Logan is searching the area for his forcefully removed claws, Jean has wandered over to Scott and collapsed into his arms, Kurt is......
"Where the hell is Kurt?"
Scott scans the area around us just as I did than hits the commlink on his chest.
"Pyro is Kurt in the compound with you three?"
Silence follows for a second until John's voice breaks it.
(Um no we haven't seen him inna while. We're done here tell us your local and we'll meet up.)
"Don't bother, it's over Winters is dead. Just head to the X-Jet and we'll meet you there shortly."
(You got it Scott)
Scott clicks off the comm and turns to Jean who has her eyes clamped shut in deep concentration.
"I can't sense him in the immediate area."
"Is he alive Jean?"
"I....I can't tell."
NAMOR - THE SUB-MARINER
The Last Atlantean - XI
Namor and Sue walked into a large laboratory. "This is Reed's lab. Well, it was before..."
Namor cut her off, not interested in being the nice guy. "Does he have any deep sea resonance equipment?"
Sue looked at him in confusion. "This is his lab, not mine."
Namor nodded, turning to the central computer. "You know his password?"
She nodded. "Lets search his files for something on deep sea exploration."
******************************
Namor smiled. "I have to give you credit, Susan. You are very skilled at conversing with this obsolete piece of machinery."
Susan frowned. "This is the most powerful computer on the eastern seaboard."
Namor smirked. "A matter of relativity I suppose." He stopped for a moment. "This program will find the prison?"
Sue nodded. "There's a sattelite that will be sending signals to the ocean floor searching for anything suspicious, and with your coordinates of Atlantis, it's only a matter of time."
Namor smiled. "Thank you, Sue."
Suddenly, an alarm started blaring and a voice came over the intercom. "This building is under complete lock down under SHIELD jurisdiction. Repeat..."
"Damn it, they know you're here."
Namor shook his head. "When will your ape-friends learn that they cannot defeat me?" Suddenly, a loud bang rocked the lab doors and seven soldiers poured into the room. "Gentlemen, how lovely to see you! Its been so long since you last tried to contain me. This should be quite entertaining."
I can't tear my eyes away from Winters as he is beaten, burned and finally, shot. A splatter of brain matter hits my cheek but I don't flinch. It soaks into my skin becoming a part of me deep deep inside dried on the surface.
In the moments after his death everyone is occupied with some concern. Their worried voices tired so tired now buzz like flies I can feel the sound in my bones. Sore bones...
I sway, my burst of hatred and adreniline gone now, weakness returning. I drop to my knees in the dirt. It's damp with blood and it sticks to my skin, feels strange. I feel my eyes droop as my brain hovers somewhere between awake and blackness. So tired now...
Susan watched in shock as SHEILD agents poured into the room. "What are you doing!?" She shouted over the blaring alarm.
"Apprehending a known terrorist Dr Storm." Came a voice from behind the soldiers. As the group parted to let their boss through Susan felt a great wave of hatred come over her.
"Fury..." She growled through gritted teeth. "You had this place under survelliance all along."
"Of course I did, now... Step away from Namor or we'll be forced to remove you. I don't want this to go any further than it has to." Fury warned, gun held in his hand by his side.
"You're not taking him, he's not done anything!"
"Miss Storm may I remind you of the giant water creature suspened above Manhattan a few hours ago?" Fury said, almost in disbelief at Susan's defence of the Atlantean. "Besides... If you continue to be less than cooperative something very bad might happen to this little guy."
Susan held back a scream as Fury pointed to a SHIELD agent with a silver-coated baby in his arms.
"Franklin!" She shouted not taking her eyes of the boy as Fury continued to talk.
"Namor, you're under arrest, come quietly. Now." The director of SHIELD threatened as the agents cocked their weapons and aimed them at the Atlantean's chest.
Sue tore her eyes away from the child, tears begining to form, and turned to Namor. "Help me get him back... and I'll help you." She managed to mumble.
ALEX SUMMERS - HAVOK
Hellions - XII
"Need a hand?" That was all she said before the forced Omega Red to choke himself. He clawed desperately at his own tentacles.
Alex narrowed his vision before blasting the monstrosity with his concussion blast, sending him reeling across the lawn. He then fired a concussive blast from his hands, sending him flying through the air towards Omega Red. Now from a higher level, he shot downwards on top of him, eventually landing square in his chest. "Come on, Lot! Is that the best you've got?!"
Omega Red desperately tried to pick himself up, but Polaris continued to move closer until he finally fell over, unconscious.
Meanwhile, Franklin Storm and Shaun Lot faced off. The incredible telekinetic forces of the two seemed to cancel each other out. Franklin was grateful that he was not facing the Shaun Lot from his time; this one seemed to have no unlocked the near limitless potential of telekinesis that the other had. They exchanged blasts of energy back and forth until Lot caught Franklin off guard, sending him skidding across the lawn.
Lot landed on the ground softly, chuckling to himself. "Impressive, boy. Its a shame you have been lead astray by these idealists."
Franklin picked himself up off the ground, looking at Lot. "You're the one who is astray, Xavier."
Lot ignored the boy's remarks. "Let me guess. They had their team, but needed someone powerful enough to take me on one-on-one. You were the only one they could find that I hadn't already killed, so they sweet talked you into it."
Franklin glared at Lot. "Shut up!" He lunged at him, but Lot swatted his hand backward, sending Franklin once again tumbling across the grass.
Nearby, Agent Rodriguez saw what was happening. "Franklin!" He fired a webline at a nearby light, swinging over and knocking Lot off his feet. He landed on his feet and swung around to see Franklin picking himself.
However, before he could turn back to see where Lot was, the man known as Tarantula was lifted off the ground and flung into the air. "You must be that Spider-Man clone who died not too long ago!" Lot held his hand up and in one swift movement launched him twenty feet into the air, then slammed him hard into the ground. "Lets see if we can have keep you dead this time!" He lifted him up again, but a voice stopped him before he could slam him down a second time.
"Charles! Stop this right now!"
Meanwhile, Alex and Lorna turned to see Emma in full uniform. He hadn't seen her in it since the incident on the steps of the capitol building when the New Mutants were formed. That day the sentinels had showed up, and a man had died.
Charles Xavier turned to face Emma, and for the first time since he had arrived, a sense of humanity entered his face. "Emma..."
She moved toward him, now fully in her diamond form. "Charles, you're sick. You need to stop this! Listen, to me...you need to get control."
Charles looked at her, confusion and disorientation filling his mind. "Emma...I..." He slowly let Rodriguez down to the ground. "Emma..."
Emma smiled softly. "I know, Charles. Its okay." Her voice quivered, signifying her unsurity. Her fear.
Suddenly, Xavier's voice changed again, anger once again filling his eyes. "I don't need you! You are nothing!" Suddenly, an enormous blast emitted from his body, knocking everyone backwards. "I WILL BRING UPON YOU AN ONSLAUGHT OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS!"
Emma picked herself up. "Charles, no! Stop!"
Another enormous blast rocked the grounds of the Academy of Tomorrow, shattering every window within 100 yards.
Rodriguez shouted as load as he could. "Storm! Stop him before he takes us all out!"
Franklin launched toward him, giving every bit of energy possible, focusing on Xavier. "Time to settle down, old man!" Xavier held out his hand, stopping Storm in midair. The two stood face to face, using every bit of telekinesis they could muster in attempt to disable the other.
Rodriguez turned to Emma. "Get every student that you can out of here, now!"
Emma nodded nervously. "Ok..." She turned to Doug. "Come on, its time to go!"
NAMOR - THE SUB-MARINER
The Last Atlantean - XII
"Namor, you're under arrest, come quietly. Now." Fury held out a pistol high.
Something about this strange silver child upset Sue. "Help me get him back... and I'll help you."
Namor looked at the baby, then back at Fury. He shook his head. "Come now, Fury. Do you really think that you can stand a chance against me? You saw what I did earlier to all those people. Who's to say that I won't do the same to you?"
Fury scowled. "Hulkbusters, attack!" Suddenly, the men in the room fired their large rifles, pounding Namor with a sickening blast of plasma, launching him across the room.
Namor landed with a thud on the hard metallic floor. He turned to Sue, furious. "Get the kid. I'll handle the toy guns." He quickly grabbed a very large desk and hurled it at the group of soldiers, sending them sprawling across the lab. "You primitive fools! I am stronger than you all!"
