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#9
AUG 11 |
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“Blooming Threat” Part Two
If Betsy Braddock had a moment to truly consider what was happening, fearful anticipation would be the emotion she felt. She was in the middle of a crowded hospital. The sick, injured and dying were only feet away from her. Back to back with her was Logan, a man who she owed her life to on more than one occasion.
And what would be the cause of all this trepidation?
Her name was Raven Darkholme, also known as the terrorist Mystique, and she was the leader of the Brotherhood.
And she had a hostage.
However, Wolverine was not a man to sit still and consider how he felt. As the Brotherhood gathered around Mystique, each with a gleeful sneer, Logan was glancing around the room and taking account of the placement of civilians, especially patients, the location of various means of communication, and where each member of the Brotherhood stood. He assessed each of the members present as well – Mystique, Reaper, Mesmero and Zero – running his mind through their powers, skills and weaknesses. His eyes locked on a picture of a map of the floor and he grinned as a plan quickly formed in his head.
“Real cute, Logan,” Mystique said, “getting that cocky grin on your face. Now stand down. All we want are the telepaths and, if you cooperate, I don’t put a bullet in the brain of this cute little girl.” She shook the teenager, the daughter of a patient, and the girl yelped as Mystique dug her gun into the girl’s temple. “What’s it going to be?” she asked.
“Logan?” Psylocke whispered urgently at his side.
“Don’t worry about a thing, Betts,” Logan muttered. “I’ve got this.” He glanced at Toad before looking back at Mystique. “How about ‘No’?”
Logan tackled her, sending her sailing through the wall behind her. He somersaulted backward, slashing Reaper across the shoulder before he could reach the hostage and tackled the girl himself. Mystique started to stand and aim her pistol at Logan but Psylocke intervened. She focused a small, short psionic blast at the woman. Mystique went flying back into the hole that Logan had just created.
Psylocke couldn’t help but to wonder how all of this had happened?
Two Hours Ago
The X-Men stood outside the hospital, assessing the amount of people they were going to have to deal with. Logan didn’t like the situation one bit and any one of these people could be an agent for the Hellfire Club. It was a very precarious mission they were about to embark on, but they couldn’t just let Shaw and his cronies walk out with Astrid Bloom; she was too powerful an entity. He had never seen Emma spooked so bad.
“You sense the telepath?” Logan asked Cable and Psylocke. Both of them shook their heads in the negative.
Betsy took a deep, sharp breath. “But I do sense something and none of its pleasant. The Brotherhood are here.”
“Great…just great,” Rogue said. “So we’re gonna have to sock us a few idiots.”
“The Brotherhood has to be connected to the Hellfire Club. They wouldn’t be here otherwise,” Cable said. “This confirms something I think all of us would rather avoid.”
Logan nodded. “We don’t have a choice now. Betsy, send Charles a message. Have him contact the CSA and start evacuating this building, now. We probably already have a hostage situation on our hands.”
Rogue started to rise off the ground. “I’ll come in through the roof.”
“I have enough weapons to take care of myself. Logan and Betsy, you two stick together and we’ll try to converge on Astrid.”
“Stand down,” Logan growled at the Brotherhood. “I just took out your leader and I can take each of you just the same.”
“Admirable bravado,” said a new voice as Stryfe walked into view, clapping slowly.
“What do you want?” Betsy said. “Why are you here?”
“You already know the answer to that, Miss Braddock,” he said. “I want the telepaths.”
The two mutants shared a small glance and Psylocke telepathically spoke to him. What does he mean ‘telepaths’? He knows something we don’t.
I know, Betts, but we can’t let him know that. We’d be putting ourselves at a disadvantage.
“The CSA is on their way with a nice little hard-on for you bastards,” Wolverine said. “You don’t have a chance.”
“Actually, I believe we do,” he said. “We took out a whole city of flatscans…a few hundred more aren’t going to hurt.”
“That’s not going to happen.” Logan reared back his teeth and took a step in front of Betsy. “I look at each and every one of you and I see at least three ways I can take each of you out. If I’m quick enough, I can enact three of those before Stryfe pops my head like a zit…five if I take Stryfe out first. Stand down, leave and I’ll forget this even happened.”
“You take so much fun out of it,” Mesmero said. “How about we just kill you?”
“Because I’d take you with me,” Logan said, flashing his claws at the mutant terrorist.
Nathan hurried to the nurse’s desk and was glad to see it was deserted; a call to evacuate must have gone out to everyone that was non-critical, thank goodness for that. Now he hoped that Rogue or Logan would be able to find Astrid. He took a moment to assess his opponents. Toad was tough and resourceful and really one of the biggest dangers of the group. He often played lackey to wear a person’s guard down, but was just as cunning and capable as Mystique herself. Hemingway was probably the easiest challenge, as the ‘muscle’ types usually just took finding a weakness and exploiting it. Hemingway was cocky and over confident and that would be his undoing.
Mesmero was little physical threat and he’d only be a true threat if he drug innocents into the mix. Mystique was an incredibly skilled martial artist and could be anyone he encountered along the way, but in all reality it would be down to a fist-fight with her.
The only member of the group that made him nervous though was Phantazia. The woman was a complete enigma and, although he knew her powers were related to electro-magnetism, he didn’t know how powerful she was. She could be on the level of a ham radio or she could be the next Magneto. He had no idea what he was dealing with against her.
He heard footsteps and his mind stopped for a moment. From the weight of the steps it was male and heavy-set. If it was any of the Brotherhood, it was Forearm. He tapped the visor, turning on infra-red sensors. He looked around the desk and saw a large figure behind the wall. Forearm’s size and abilities increased his natural body temperature greatly. In most cases, a person’s heat signature would be a vague blob on the wall, but with Forearm he could practically see each individual eyelash. He grinned. This would be too easy.
“Hey, jackass,” Nathan growled as he stood. Forearm turned toward the sound of his voice but, before he could act, Cable blasted him through the wall. He sprinted forward, vaulted over the nurse’s desk and jumped through the hole his telekinetic blast had left. Forearm was just starting to shake off the blast as Nathan reached him. He jumped and kicked the larger man in the chin and Cable felt Forearm’s jaw shatter as he went down hard.
“That wasn’t so hard,” he muttered.
Charles Xavier arrived with Emma and Colonel Miguel Reyes to utter chaos. Police and media everywhere and protesters from Friends of Humanity battled with pro mutant groups. There were signs everywhere and people chanting, but no one noticed the group of mutants
“Welcome to Hell,” Colonel Reyes said as he looked around the scene.
“Be cautious but alert; we don’t want any innocents hurt...or hurt any more than they already are,” Charles Xavier said as they entered the underground parking lot for staff, which was filled with Mercedes and Cadillacs.
Colonel Reyes kept a gun at his side. “My mother was right…I should have been a doctor.”
Charles laughed. “I am sure Cecelia would have loved to hear that. Are you detecting anything, Emma?”
“No more than I’m sure you are. Astrid is still keeping us out, but Betsy tells me that Stryfe said something about trying to capture three telepaths. There’s something going on here we don’t know about.”
Hemingway lunged toward Psylocke, his spines coming threateningly close to the other mutant before being having a psychic dagger shoved through his forehead. “Luv, you’ll have to do better than that if you want to get me, Steinbeck!” Betsy taunted the Morlock.
Random chose to focus on Wolverine. Stryfe’s main goal was to capture some telepaths but if he got to punch a few things and break other things apart while collecting a bounty then it was a good day. He shaped his arms into some unidentifiable weapon and grunted as his protoplasm blasts seem to be unable to hit the little man advancing toward him.
Wolverine tackled the protoplasmic mutant into a wall. The mutant’s body immediately shaped into the wall, preventing him from moving. Logan turned, smirking cockily toward Betsy. Random responded to that smirk by smacking Logan across the head, sending him into a roll and crashing into a biohazard trash can.
With dazzling speed, Psylocke ran forward and put a roundhouse kick in the mutant’s neck. Before she could plant another blow, Stryfe lifted her into the air and flung her into the roof, knocking her out cold.
Stryfe sighed as he felt each member of the Brotherhood fall into unconsciousness. Cable and Rogue were both taking out operatives he had throughout the building and it was immensely frustrating. The only conscious one was Locus. He would need to train them better next time. It seemed Mystique and Toad were the only competent members of the organization.
“Mesmero,” he said. “It’s time to g–” Suddenly, he sensed Mesmero’s synapses fire all at once. Stryfe spun to face the newcomer and smiled. Cable pulled his psimitar from Mesmero’s back and looked up at Stryfe as he lifted a large blaster and leveled it at his clone’s head.
“Hello, Stryfe,” he said. “It’s been a while. Good to see you’ve ditched the armor.”
“Armor’s a Doctor Doom thing,” he said. “You look better without the shoulder pads.”
“We’ve got you beat,” Nathan said. “You’re outclassed and outnumbered.”
“You’d think so,” he said. He threw his arm forward and slammed Nate with his telekinesis. Cable spun with the blow and dropped, firing twice. Stryfe deflected the first shot but the second grazed his calf and he screamed in pain.
“Locus has already made sure I have what I came for,” he said. “So you’re just not worth my time.” A familiar aura of energy enveloped him and Mesmero both.
Nate tried to fire again, but they were gone. “Locus,” he grunted. He raised his hand to his head and tapped his earpiece. “Cable to the X-Men, convene in the hospital. It looks like we may be done here.”
The Next Day
Trish Trilby, outfitted in a very smart looking navy blue suit, shuffled the papers in front of her nervously. This was not going to go well. Smiling at the people across the table from her that included three beautiful women and one man from SHIELD who all looked like they'd rather be in front of a firing squad than meeting with her. "Thank you all for coming at such short notice. I know you all are very busy," Trish said, smiling brightly.
The woman closest to Trish, a striking blond in a silver suit and gold jewelry that spoke of wealth and power, smiled and spoke in the voice Charles Xavier knew so well. "It is my pleasure to come today,” Emma Frost said, “to set the record straight regarding mutant rights. We are not a danger." She looked over to Sigrid Trask, whose severe suit and hairstyle belied her youth. "Except to extremely frigid bitches, that is."
Sigrid Trask didn’t smile, in fact she gave not one indication she’d heard. Her taupe suit had a small button on its lapel which read ‘Humans First!’. “I am surprised, Trish, that you would allow a mutant to discuss the actions of others of her kind.”
Crystallia Amaquelin Maximoff, the First of Lady of Genosha and Ambassador to the UN, looking positively regal in a purple suit, snorted in a ladylike way. “Surely, Ms. Trask, you are smart enough to realize that journalists must be fair and balanced. Or do you enjoy making others look like idiots?”
“Ladies, please, the interview will start shortly. I’ll be asking you some general questions first, with most of those questions will be going to Ms. Frost and Ambassador Maximoff,” Trish said as her producer counted down. Turning to the camera she pasted on her smile and said, “Welcome back to our continuing coverage of the mutant attack on Boston General Hospital. With us for the next few minutes are Emma Frost of X-Corps International, Ambassador Crystallia Amaquelin Maximoff of Genosha, Sigrid Trask of Humans First! and Jasper Sitwell of SHIELD.”
“Now, Ms. Frost, first can you tell us why your people were at the hospital this morning? As I recall from your promotional materials, X-Corps has a very solid medical branch...”
Emma nodded and smiled, turning her gorgeous face to the camera like a well trained spokes model. “First of all, Trish, I’d like to say that we at X-Corps do not condone or fund any of the actions by the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants or Weapon X. In fact, our X teams, of which there are several, were formed precisely for this reason, to help our wonderful law enforcement officers to better do their jobs. However, to answer your question, there was a potentially dangerous person being housed in the clinic so our team moved to extract that person without any potential harm involved to civilians. We feel anyone would want us to do the same thing.” She paused and smiled at Sigrid Trask. “Except, of course for you, dear Sigrid, who can’t relate to anything with actual feelings.”
Sigrid straightened the coat of her jacket. “The X-Men are targets, not heroes. People want to see them dead! This Brotherhood certainly had its guns pointed in their direction and in the direction of hundreds of innocent doctors and nurses, not to mention the sick and infirm. This is why mutants are a threat, Trish…one that needs to be neutralized immediately.”
Crystal raised one eyebrow, restraining anger. “Isn’t ‘neutralized’ a bit extreme? Sounds vaguely genocidal if you ask me. The X-Men and the related groups have put their own lives on the line to save innocents hundreds of thousands of times and they deserve our thanks. I know we in Genosha enjoy the presence of a supermutant group.”
“My group, Humans First...” Sigrid Trask carried on as though she hadn't heard, “demands that Charles Xavier publicly admit that his dream cannot happen and disband the X-Men. We then demand that all mutants be asked to register. Like all freaks, child molesters, murderers and their ilk, mutants must be monitored. That is why Senator Jane Simons is working to force the CSA and other government agencies to dispel all mutant staff.”
“SHIELD contends....” Jasper said only to be interrupted by Emma Frost.
“Any act that requires mutants to register is dangerous and discriminatory. It would be similar to asking any other minority to register on a list. It opens up mutants to attack, derision and scorn,” Emma Frost shot back.
“And what about the humans who live amongst these potential terrorists? The danger is everywhere. What’s to stop someone with telekinetic mutations from flinging a bus full of humans at a building? Can we really afford another incident? Another loss of innocent lives? The humans of the world must have their safety–”
“And what about Genosha?” Crystal asked as she turned to face Sigrid. “Our entire population is mutants! Surely you can’t expect Genosha to stand for something like this, not after all we have been through.”
“The freaks of your little island are of no concern to me.” Sigrid retorted. “As you know, Trask Industries does no business with any mutant owned or mutant controlled businesses or countries. We are, of course, upset that the UN has allowed Genosha a seat in its assembly, but even terrorists must be tolerated, I suppose.”
“SHIELD would like to make clear...” Jasper said again before being interrupted, once again, by Emma.
“You disgust me, Sigrid. It’s one thing to harbor hatred and disdain for those which you do not understand, I have been dealing with that my entire life, but it’s another to use the tragedies of others to further your own personal battles. Charles Xavier grieves over every loss of innocent life, human and mutant both. Every mutant with telepathic or empathic gifts felt those people die. Have you ever felt an entire city die, Sigrid?” Emma raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow. Sigrid Trask said nothing. “I thought not. So, before you smear the name of Charles Xavier any further, let me assure you that he is just as upset about the Brotherhood as you are, only he’s not going on television to turn it to a PR opportunity and smear campaign...and he looks much better in a suit.”
Trish Trilby turned back to the camera. “And now we break for commercial. We will return to Real Talk right after this.
The War Room
Professor X watched the show come to an end alongside Cable and Rogue. “That could have gone a lot better. We will need to watch this Sigrid Trask; I see far too much of Bolivar in her.”
Cable nodded. “She’s not as serious a threat currently as Stryfe and the Brotherhood. He has to be tracked down and stopped, and I can’t do that here, Charles.”
Professor X looked back and eyed Cable curiously. “Are you going to leave?”
“I don’t think I have a choice. Stryfe and me have history, and I can’t let him keep doing what he’s doing. He has to be stopped and I think being alone I can do things I wouldn’t be able to do amongst all of you.”
Charles sighed. “Once, I would have stopped you, but things have changed far too much. You do what you feel that you have to do, Nathan, I won’t stop you.”
Cable nodded to both Professor X and Rogue, walking out of the War Room. Rogue watched him leave and said, “Well that sure wasn’t what ah was expecting.”
Xavier folded his hands together. “Some things cannot be helped. Nathan has always been a man that has followed his own path…and there is a path I have for you, Rogue.”
“Professor?”
“I want you and Hank to head up a new squad. Problems are continuing to grow on the horizon and we have to do our part. I think you have proven yourself as a very capable leader. This new squad is going to have a very scientific bent, which is where Hank comes into play.”
Rogue folded her arms across her chest. “You really think ah can do this, Professor?”
“I would never ask you to do something that you couldn’t. You have the skills, just believe in yourself.”
Rogue smiled. “All right, Professor, ah’ll do it. Ah’m your gal.”
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To Be Continued...
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