Back to Gatefold#10 - "Children of a Lesser God - Part V"
|
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story may contain scenes of graphic violence and sexual situations. It is recommended for mature readers.
In Case You're Just Joining Us: Siena Blaze wakes from a coma and decimates Genosha's Mother of Hope medical center in her confusion, forcing Magneto to take her down himself. Sunspot leaves former teammate Karma in China after she refuses to help him strike at the Beijing abortion clinic specializing in mutant abortions. Meanwhile, Shatterstar has his loyalty tested deep below the streets of Hammer Bay and Feral has a disturbing feline episode.
Mother of Hope Medical Center. Hammer Bay, Genosha. 17 June. 2230L.
The sun was sinking toward the horizon, and the smoke had cleared enough that the people gathered around the remains of Hammer Bay's only hospital could actually see it. The lucky ones even drew comfort from the sight, watching the fiery ball turn a bright orange-red through the haze of ozone and scattered carbon ash.
The man standing on the makeshift podium was comfortably into middle age. The hair on his head and in his beard was still mostly black, except for slight graying at the temples, and white vertical lines in the beard on either side of his chin. His skin was dark, bespeaking Hispanic lineage, and his eyes within the folds of his sun-weathered face were a striking violet.
His name was Jose Del Ruiz, and as was his habit, he had come to this place today to ease the hearts of his fellow mutants.
"Yesterday," he began, his voice needing no projection equipment to be heard even at the rear of the candle-bearing congregation, "many of us -- myself included -- went off to bed secure in our belief that we were safe here, in Genosha. Some of you, I'm sure, had friends or family in the medical center. For you, its likely you didn't give a second thought to whether you would be able to see them in the morning, hold their hands, tell them about your day.
"This is not a condemnation. I share it with you because it is exactly how I approached my bed yesterday evening, secure in the knowledge that there would always be a tomorrow here in this land of plenty.
"But now, standing amid these ruins, we are shown that we can never truly take our safety for granted, even in this place our Lord Magneto has carved out for us amid the very bedrock of the world's injustice.
"Doubtless some of you are looking for the cause. A reason, some sort of justification that will allow you to at least make some sense of your loss. All of you are probably wondering who did this. Was it the magistrates? Was it an attack from somewhere outside our borders? Or was it perhaps an accident, as one of the building's patients lost control of their gift?"
Jose Del Ruiz took a breath and rubbed a hand over his eyes. His strong shoulders were sagging with weariness. The crowd, oddly enough, drew comfort from this. If such a strong spiritual leader as Del Ruiz was bending beneath this weight, surely it was okay for the common Genoshan citizen to feel likewise.
"I can answer none of these questions. All I can offer is assurance that the spirits snuffed out in this morning's conflagration are in a better place, ascended to promised Avalon. Hold this truth in your hearts as you continue with your duties to the state. Believe in it, and be true to the memories of those departed. In the end, it is all the living can do for the dead.
"We must see to it that it is enough."
The crowd didn't reply, simply guarded their candles from the wind as the sun finally dipped below the mountains to the west.
At the top of the hill that stood behind Mother of Hope, Roberto DaCosta watched the congregation dip their heads in a moment of silence, their candles seeming to glow brighter as the sun fell out of the sky. His heart was, as ever, secret to all but himself. But his eyes were troubled, and there was a quiver in the flesh around his mouth and chin that surprised his companion.
"Let's get out of here," Roberto said.
Nodding, Amelia Voght teleported both of them away.
Fa Clinic. Beijing, China. 18 June. 1400L.
<"I must thank you again for coming, Mr. Tao-Yu. We have no idea how extensive the threat to the clinic is, but just your being here has done much to set the staff at ease.">
<"It is... my duty.">
<"Of course. And none would question the unwavering loyalty of the Collective Man.">
The Collective Man wanted badly to roll his eyes, but successfully restrained himself as Dr. Fa leaned forward to speak instructions into a nearby microphone. The doctor had been nothing but sugar and light since China's 'superhero' had arrived here nearly half an hour ago. Experience had taught Tao-Yu that such men were one of three things: sycophants, salesman, or stupid. After twenty minutes in the man's presence, Tao-Yu was leaning toward 'salesman'. He seemed desperate to prove himself and his clinic.
<"Please proceed, Doctor Wong,"> Fa said into the microphone. The two men were standing in a darkened viewing area adjoining to a treatment room, a two-way mirror separating them from the procedure.
<"First, we must eliminate the fetus's x-factor potential,"> the doctor explained. <"As I'm sure you know, there's very little chance of a mutant manifesting in the womb under ordinary conditions, but there have been cases of prenatal trauma activating the mutant gene. We haven't seen any such cases as of yet at this clinic, but it's always best to err on the side of safety with these things.">
<"Of course. But how do you eliminate the x-factor?">
<"A projector -- as you can see, Dr. Wong is moving it into position even now, it looks a little like a dentist's lamp -- based on a 'mutant nullifier' developed for the US government by a man named Forge.">
The Collective Man's eyebrows went up. He didn't need to be told that the technology had been stolen from the Americans and reverse-engineered by Chinese scientists.
<"Unfortunately, the device was never intended to be used upon fetal tissue,"> the guide continued, watching the doctor on the other side of the glass fit tinted goggles over his eyes and activate the projector. <"It negates the x-factor effectively enough, but it causes damage on a cellular level that prevents the pregnancy from coming to term in a healthy manner. If the fetus isn't aborted after being exposed to the nullifier ray, it will miscarry or be born with horrible birth defects.">
<"That is... unfortunate.">
<"Quite."> There was a flash of light as the woman under the projector was bathed in its rays. <"From here on out, the procedure is conducted like any other D&C. The uterus is scraped clean of amniotic and fetal tissue. The entire procedure takes about thirty minutes, and, once the mother wakes up, she is observed for one hour, and then released."> Fa hit a switch and the glass went opaque while the lights in the viewing room came up.
He blinked and turned his eyes up into the Collective Man's face. With the lights out, he'd forgotten how massive the man was.
Dressed smartly in an immaculate black suit that had to have been tailored specially for him, the Collective Man stood almost seven feet tall. He was not misshapen or grotesque in any aspect, just very tall and very broad. The muscles beneath his suit were neither bulging nor flaccid. He had the sturdy build of a Chinese man in his early thirties who engaged in regular workouts, not the bloated musculature of a bodybuilder. And yet he was a foot taller than the largest Chinaman in this clinic.
<"You are welcome to stay here and observe further, if you wish. Or perhaps you would like to... er... prepare for the expected attack...">
<"I am already prepared, Dr. Fa,"> the Collective Man said, turning his face back toward the glass. If he squinted, he could still see vague shapes through it. <"Just as the military troops arrayed in the surrounding buildings are prepared. I respectfully suggest that you and your staff begin making preparations of your own.">
The smile around the doctor's eyes evaporated, though he managed to maintain it on his lips. <"We are prepared, Mr. Tao-Yu. All personnel have been briefed on escape routes and contingency plans. Everyone in this clinic is prepared to cooperate with you and the military to the fullest extent. We are taking this threat very seriously.">
The Collective Man looked around and down, piercing the doctor with his eyes. <"Are you? Have you rescheduled appointments, begun looking into backup facilities, sent all but essential personnel home? I had never seen this clinic before today, Dr. Fa, but my best guess is that business is being conducted now exactly as it was a week ago.">
<"We are performing a necessary service to the Republic, Mr. Tao-Yu. Every member of my staff knows this and has accepted the risks.">
<"Risks?"> The Collective Man scoffed. <"A single Beta-class mutant could level this building in under an hour, Dr. Fa. Genosha is peopled by not one, not dozens, but hundreds of Beta-class mutants. You can't begin to fathom what the alpha-classes are capable of, but Genosha has those as well.
<"If they decide to make an example out of this clinic, it is extremely likely that anyone in here at the time of the attack is going to die. I include myself and the soldiers in that estimate. We will do our best, but we will likely have our hands full repulsing the attack. There will be no time to save lives.
<"Send your people home, Dr. Fa. Put treatments on hold. Within the hour, I want only mission essential personnel and emergency patients in this clinic.">
Dr. Fa sputtered. When finally he found his voice, all he could muster was a weak, <"How dare you?">
But the Collective Man had lost interest in him. He had turned his face back toward the viewing glass, placing a hand on its milky surface.
<"I have extended you every courtesy, Mr. Tao-Yu,"> the doctor pressed. <"I have allowed your presence to disrupt our operations and I have taken an hour out of my busy morning to personally show you around our facilities. And you repay me by issuing orders? Ignoring my authority? Perhaps I should have a talk with your superiors...">
<"Perhaps you should,"> Tao-Yu agreed.
The doctor continued to fume for another thirty seconds, completely at a loss for something with which to combat the Collective Man's self-assurance. Finally, he spun on his heels and stormed out of the room, his white coat flapping after him. The door slammed shut and Tao-Yu sighed.
Fa would now contact the Collective Man's superior -- Col. Mao Ju-Yin -- and demand satisfaction. If he knew Mao -- and the Collective Man believed he did -- the colonel would dismiss the good doctor's outrage and tell him to cooperate fully. Perhaps he would even threaten the doctor. In any case, Fa would eventually do as Tao-Yu had asked. It might take two hours instead of the allotted one, but it would be done.
Tao-Yu pressed his forehead against the glass.
<Brothers, are we truly prepared to go through with this?>
<What are you talking about, Han? We must! We are duty-bound to Mao and to China!>
The Collective Man turned out the lights and settled back in his seat to wait for the argument to sort itself out. Few outside Colonel Mao's circle knew the truth about the Collective Man -- that he was actually five sons of China, mutant quintuplets with the ability to merge into one man. At the beginning of his career, this had translated into five times the strength, speed, and intelligence of a normal man. He had also been able to channel the strength of everyone in China for short bursts that left him completely helpless afterwards.
Of course, at the beginning of his career, his merged self had also been the size of a normal Chinaman.
Tao-Yu's abilities were changing. He found he was now stronger than just the sum of his five parts. He was faster. And his stamina when channeling the strength of all of China (at least that was what he'd always assumed he was doing during his bursts of great strength) had increased. He could maintain the strength for longer, and it no longer left him nearly comatose afterward.
And this inner dialogue between his component parts -- this was something new too.
<No one understands our duty better than I, Chang, but where would we be if this technology had existed thirty years ago? Would mother have gone under the knife too?>
<We are soldiers, we follow orders.>
<Even, Lin, when the result is genocide for a people that are as much our own as the Chinese?>
<What do you suggest then, Sun? Shall we tell Mao we quit and simply walk away?>
<Enough! All of you! I am the oldest-->
<By one minute, Ho!>
<--and I see no other avenue open to us that doesn't betray everything we've devoted our lives to. We will protect this clinic with all the power at our disposal.>
<I don't like this. The Americans have a term for people like us. "Uncle Tom"...>
<We've done things under orders we didn't like before.>
<Ho's right. There's nothing to do except what we've been trained for. Protect the clinic. Let them keep aborting mutant babies.>
<I sense irony in your tone, Han.>
<That's because you were always the bright one, Chang...>
And so it went. While a family feud was waged in his head, the Collective Man watched the nurses dispose of a sack of tissue that might have grown to save the world one day, if not for the fear and distrust of man.
Avalon Tower. Hammer Bay, Genosha. 18 June. 0930L.
"Hello, Siena. How do you feel?"
Siena Blaze sat up and took in her surroundings. She was on a couch -- brown, fake leather -- in a cool, wood-paneled room. Framed photos of calming seascapes hung from the walls, and there was a plant of some sort on every level surface.
Sitting beside her, in a charcoal gray suit, was Rutger Hauer.
No, wait. Her memory was returning a little bit now. That wasn't Rutger Hauer, it was Magneto.
Standing behind Magneto was a tall black woman of middle-age. The woman's eyes were deeply hooded, either with boredom or regal detachment. Or maybe idiocy.
"I'm--where am I?"
"Among friends," Magneto replied. "At least for the moment."
What the hell was that supposed to mean? And why did everything seem so... calm?
"I am Magneto. The woman behind me is Nyota Chausiku, codenamed Pacemaker. Nyota is here to insure that our parlay isn't interrupted by one of your demonstrably childish and deadly tantrums."
"That--" Siena paused, reaching deep for the rage she knew should have been there. "'Tantrum' is a little... harsh, don't you think?"
"If we both survive this discussion, I will apologize. In the meantime, Nyota is using her gift to regulate the output of your adrenal gland. To keep you rational. Do you remember what happened at the medical center?"
"Yes." She swallowed, her throat clicking dryly. She remembered waking from a coma, the world snapping suddenly into focus around her, disoriented. The tearing sensation of something invading her unprepared vagina, a weight on top of her, animal grunts of pleasure. And the face of her attacker... like some bizarre spider's.
She felt humiliation at the memory, but still no anger towards Magneto, or even her rapist.
"Do you remember using your power to annihilate the building?"
"Yes."
"And do you remember threatening to do the same to the entire island when I tried to talk you down?"
"... Yes."
"And Maria Campo? Do you remember her?"
Siena's lip curled in distaste. "I was... fucked in the head. Something happened to me after the Exiles split... I--"
Magneto waved the explanation off and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "My people are in mourning for those patients you killed, Siena. But they do not know that you were their murderer. It can remain that way..."
"Are you... blackmailing me?"
"No. I no longer have any interest in coercing others unwillingly into my service. I'm simply offering you a choice."
"Let's hear it, then." Anything to avoid anymore talk of that useless cunt Maria Campo.
"I want you as a part of my field task force, Siena. I want your power working for the liberation of mutants everywhere. No more disgustingly pointless games with the Upstarts, no more frittering your life away and never doing anything of import with your gift."
"And if I'm not interested?"
Magneto pursed his lips. "I will allow you to leave Genosha. But then I will reveal your role in last night's tragedy, and I will do nothing to protect you from the wrath of my people. Let the chips fall where they may."
Siena was silent for a moment, weighing her options. "And how do I know you'll stick to your end of the bargain?"
"I want you working for mutantkind, Siena. If I didn't, I would have murdered you while you slept. I am not above such things when the situation demands it."
Siena smiled. She had to admit, even though he was obviously nutty for letting her live, she liked the man's style. And she had to respect him just a little. He'd been kicking ass and causing mayhem when she'd still been making poopy in her Pampers.
"Okay... yeah, why not? You just bought yourself another little mutant terrorist."
Magneto frowned in distaste over the word, but nodded and rose. "Very well. Nyota will get you some food and see you to your quarters. Stay there and await further instruction. Oh, and Siena..." He paused and turned back, one hand on the open door. "Do not consider playing me for a fool. If I ever sense treason in anything you do, I will end you. Without hesitation." He smiled.
"Good day to you both."
Xavier Institute. Greenwich, Upstate New York. 18 June. 0200L.
Sam Guthrie set the phone back in its cradle and sighed deeply as he looked at the clock over the mantle. It was late, he'd been roused out of a deep sleep by the call, and even though he'd been waiting for information on just this subject for days now, he was sorry now that he had it.
You just keep throwin' your chances away, Bobby. Pretty soon, there ain't gonna be no comin' back...
"Sam?" The voice of Danielle Moonstar behind him. Old friend, one of the best people he'd ever had the privilege of knowing... and Sam Guthrie had known a lot of good people during his time at Xavier's. Apparently the phone had wakened her too.
"That was Shan, Dani," he said without turning to face her.
"Something about Bobby and Tabitha?"
"We know where they're going to hit next."
He could almost feel Dani's face tightening. She didn't like this situation anymore than he did, but it wasn't like Bobby and the others had given them any kind of choice.
And besides, if there was one thing Dani Moonstar and he shared in common, it was an ability to make the tough choices.
He turned and faced her, a manufactured grin stretched across his mouth like a grimace. "So whattaya say, Dani? X-Force rides again, just one more time?"
Beijing Capital International Airport. Beijing, China. 18 June. 1500L
Xi'an Coy Manh hung up the pay phone and slipped out of the berth so the next person in line could take their turn. The crowd at Beijing Capital International Airport surged around her, and she allowed herself to be carried for just a moment.
Had she done the right thing? She didn't know... probably, she never would. But she had spent too many years taking responsibility for her actions. She couldn't turn her back on this after causing it. She couldn't just turn away and let Bobby bring his power to bear on a bunch of doctors and nurses who were just doing their jobs.
She reached in her jacket and pulled out the ticket that would allow her to flee this country. Just a couple hours in the air, and she'd be back in Madripoor. All of this -- Bobby, the clinic, and most of all, Mei -- far behind her.
She reached her gate, and saw the plane was being boarded already. A little early... but early always beat late in the world of air travel.
She stood there, gripping her ticket tightly in one hand, her carry-on slung over one shoulder, buffeted by the endless flow of bodies on either side.
All she had to do was get on the plane.
Avalon Tower. Hammer Bay, Genosha. 18 June. 1200L.
"That's it. Does everybody understand what our objective is?"
The conference room was small, cramped. Roberto DaCosta had chosen it for just that reason. He wanted these people uncomfortable, because he'd found it was a state that encouraged honesty. And he needed them to be honest just now. He had taken most of this crew out before, but in a lot of ways, this was beginning to feel like their first 'real' mission. He hoped they were up to it.
No. None of that bullshit. He knew they were up to it.
Clustered around the tiny table were Meltdown, Rictor, Feral, Chance, Ariel, and Gomi. Bill the Lobster was perched on Gomi's shoulder, his bulging eyes narrowed -- Sunspot had never seen anything so consistently pissed-off. Standing in a corner was Amelia Voght.
Chance's hand went up, while the other hand socked a cigarette between her lips. "Yeah, I got a question."
"Go ahead Chance."
She took her time, first lighting her cigarette then making a point to blow smoke across the table in the general direction of Feral. "I can see why you're taking your X-Force buddies, but why do you need me and the rest of the Beat Street Gang? You want somebody to cause mayhem, you'd be better off recruiting some of those hard-asses who used to be Acolytes."
Roberto nodded. He was impatient to get going, but it was a fair question. "Two reasons: First, I need yours and Ariel's powers there. Gomi is just a bonus and an ace-in-the-hole. Second: I've known you three -- four, sorry Bill -- longer than anyone else in this room, and I know I can at least count on you not shooting me in the back. I can't say as much for any of the Acolytes."
Chance smiled, the cigarette still pinched between her lips, smoke billowing out on either side. Feral sneezed and muttered something that was probably a threat in the girl's direction.
"That it? Last chance, I want anybody who has any doubts about this to step up right now. We're going to have to do this lightning-quick, and I don't want anybody dragging ass."
Nobody replied. Ariel clenched her hands together tightly -- obviously nervous as hell, Roberto knew the willowy girl wasn't a fighter -- but everyone seemed devoted to this course. Whether that was due to Roberto's own passionate exhortations or the fact that everyone currently in Genosha wanted to hit something -- anything -- after what happened at the hospital, he couldn't be sure. And he didn't really care, if he was going to be honest with himself.
In Case You're Just Joining Us: Siena Blaze wakes from a coma and decimates Genosha's Mother of Hope medical center in her confusion, forcing Magneto to take her down himself. Sunspot leaves former teammate Karma in China after she refuses to help him strike at the Beijing abortion clinic specializing in mutant abortions. Meanwhile, Shatterstar has his loyalty tested deep below the streets of Hammer Bay and Feral has a disturbing feline episode.
Mother of Hope Medical Center. Hammer Bay, Genosha. 17 June. 2230L.
The sun was sinking toward the horizon, and the smoke had cleared enough that the people gathered around the remains of Hammer Bay's only hospital could actually see it. The lucky ones even drew comfort from the sight, watching the fiery ball turn a bright orange-red through the haze of ozone and scattered carbon ash.
The man standing on the makeshift podium was comfortably into middle age. The hair on his head and in his beard was still mostly black, except for slight graying at the temples, and white vertical lines in the beard on either side of his chin. His skin was dark, bespeaking Hispanic lineage, and his eyes within the folds of his sun-weathered face were a striking violet.
His name was Jose Del Ruiz, and as was his habit, he had come to this place today to ease the hearts of his fellow mutants.
"Yesterday," he began, his voice needing no projection equipment to be heard even at the rear of the candle-bearing congregation, "many of us -- myself included -- went off to bed secure in our belief that we were safe here, in Genosha. Some of you, I'm sure, had friends or family in the medical center. For you, its likely you didn't give a second thought to whether you would be able to see them in the morning, hold their hands, tell them about your day.
"This is not a condemnation. I share it with you because it is exactly how I approached my bed yesterday evening, secure in the knowledge that there would always be a tomorrow here in this land of plenty.
"But now, standing amid these ruins, we are shown that we can never truly take our safety for granted, even in this place our Lord Magneto has carved out for us amid the very bedrock of the world's injustice.
"Doubtless some of you are looking for the cause. A reason, some sort of justification that will allow you to at least make some sense of your loss. All of you are probably wondering who did this. Was it the magistrates? Was it an attack from somewhere outside our borders? Or was it perhaps an accident, as one of the building's patients lost control of their gift?"
Jose Del Ruiz took a breath and rubbed a hand over his eyes. His strong shoulders were sagging with weariness. The crowd, oddly enough, drew comfort from this. If such a strong spiritual leader as Del Ruiz was bending beneath this weight, surely it was okay for the common Genoshan citizen to feel likewise.
"I can answer none of these questions. All I can offer is assurance that the spirits snuffed out in this morning's conflagration are in a better place, ascended to promised Avalon. Hold this truth in your hearts as you continue with your duties to the state. Believe in it, and be true to the memories of those departed. In the end, it is all the living can do for the dead.
"We must see to it that it is enough."
The crowd didn't reply, simply guarded their candles from the wind as the sun finally dipped below the mountains to the west.
At the top of the hill that stood behind Mother of Hope, Roberto DaCosta watched the congregation dip their heads in a moment of silence, their candles seeming to glow brighter as the sun fell out of the sky. His heart was, as ever, secret to all but himself. But his eyes were troubled, and there was a quiver in the flesh around his mouth and chin that surprised his companion.
"Let's get out of here," Roberto said.
Nodding, Amelia Voght teleported both of them away.
Fa Clinic. Beijing, China. 18 June. 1400L.
<"I must thank you again for coming, Mr. Tao-Yu. We have no idea how extensive the threat to the clinic is, but just your being here has done much to set the staff at ease.">
<"It is... my duty.">
<"Of course. And none would question the unwavering loyalty of the Collective Man.">
The Collective Man wanted badly to roll his eyes, but successfully restrained himself as Dr. Fa leaned forward to speak instructions into a nearby microphone. The doctor had been nothing but sugar and light since China's 'superhero' had arrived here nearly half an hour ago. Experience had taught Tao-Yu that such men were one of three things: sycophants, salesman, or stupid. After twenty minutes in the man's presence, Tao-Yu was leaning toward 'salesman'. He seemed desperate to prove himself and his clinic.
<"Please proceed, Doctor Wong,"> Fa said into the microphone. The two men were standing in a darkened viewing area adjoining to a treatment room, a two-way mirror separating them from the procedure.
<"First, we must eliminate the fetus's x-factor potential,"> the doctor explained. <"As I'm sure you know, there's very little chance of a mutant manifesting in the womb under ordinary conditions, but there have been cases of prenatal trauma activating the mutant gene. We haven't seen any such cases as of yet at this clinic, but it's always best to err on the side of safety with these things.">
<"Of course. But how do you eliminate the x-factor?">
<"A projector -- as you can see, Dr. Wong is moving it into position even now, it looks a little like a dentist's lamp -- based on a 'mutant nullifier' developed for the US government by a man named Forge.">
The Collective Man's eyebrows went up. He didn't need to be told that the technology had been stolen from the Americans and reverse-engineered by Chinese scientists.
<"Unfortunately, the device was never intended to be used upon fetal tissue,"> the guide continued, watching the doctor on the other side of the glass fit tinted goggles over his eyes and activate the projector. <"It negates the x-factor effectively enough, but it causes damage on a cellular level that prevents the pregnancy from coming to term in a healthy manner. If the fetus isn't aborted after being exposed to the nullifier ray, it will miscarry or be born with horrible birth defects.">
<"That is... unfortunate.">
<"Quite."> There was a flash of light as the woman under the projector was bathed in its rays. <"From here on out, the procedure is conducted like any other D&C. The uterus is scraped clean of amniotic and fetal tissue. The entire procedure takes about thirty minutes, and, once the mother wakes up, she is observed for one hour, and then released."> Fa hit a switch and the glass went opaque while the lights in the viewing room came up.
He blinked and turned his eyes up into the Collective Man's face. With the lights out, he'd forgotten how massive the man was.
Dressed smartly in an immaculate black suit that had to have been tailored specially for him, the Collective Man stood almost seven feet tall. He was not misshapen or grotesque in any aspect, just very tall and very broad. The muscles beneath his suit were neither bulging nor flaccid. He had the sturdy build of a Chinese man in his early thirties who engaged in regular workouts, not the bloated musculature of a bodybuilder. And yet he was a foot taller than the largest Chinaman in this clinic.
<"You are welcome to stay here and observe further, if you wish. Or perhaps you would like to... er... prepare for the expected attack...">
<"I am already prepared, Dr. Fa,"> the Collective Man said, turning his face back toward the glass. If he squinted, he could still see vague shapes through it. <"Just as the military troops arrayed in the surrounding buildings are prepared. I respectfully suggest that you and your staff begin making preparations of your own.">
The smile around the doctor's eyes evaporated, though he managed to maintain it on his lips. <"We are prepared, Mr. Tao-Yu. All personnel have been briefed on escape routes and contingency plans. Everyone in this clinic is prepared to cooperate with you and the military to the fullest extent. We are taking this threat very seriously.">
The Collective Man looked around and down, piercing the doctor with his eyes. <"Are you? Have you rescheduled appointments, begun looking into backup facilities, sent all but essential personnel home? I had never seen this clinic before today, Dr. Fa, but my best guess is that business is being conducted now exactly as it was a week ago.">
<"We are performing a necessary service to the Republic, Mr. Tao-Yu. Every member of my staff knows this and has accepted the risks.">
<"Risks?"> The Collective Man scoffed. <"A single Beta-class mutant could level this building in under an hour, Dr. Fa. Genosha is peopled by not one, not dozens, but hundreds of Beta-class mutants. You can't begin to fathom what the alpha-classes are capable of, but Genosha has those as well.
<"If they decide to make an example out of this clinic, it is extremely likely that anyone in here at the time of the attack is going to die. I include myself and the soldiers in that estimate. We will do our best, but we will likely have our hands full repulsing the attack. There will be no time to save lives.
<"Send your people home, Dr. Fa. Put treatments on hold. Within the hour, I want only mission essential personnel and emergency patients in this clinic.">
Dr. Fa sputtered. When finally he found his voice, all he could muster was a weak, <"How dare you?">
But the Collective Man had lost interest in him. He had turned his face back toward the viewing glass, placing a hand on its milky surface.
<"I have extended you every courtesy, Mr. Tao-Yu,"> the doctor pressed. <"I have allowed your presence to disrupt our operations and I have taken an hour out of my busy morning to personally show you around our facilities. And you repay me by issuing orders? Ignoring my authority? Perhaps I should have a talk with your superiors...">
<"Perhaps you should,"> Tao-Yu agreed.
The doctor continued to fume for another thirty seconds, completely at a loss for something with which to combat the Collective Man's self-assurance. Finally, he spun on his heels and stormed out of the room, his white coat flapping after him. The door slammed shut and Tao-Yu sighed.
Fa would now contact the Collective Man's superior -- Col. Mao Ju-Yin -- and demand satisfaction. If he knew Mao -- and the Collective Man believed he did -- the colonel would dismiss the good doctor's outrage and tell him to cooperate fully. Perhaps he would even threaten the doctor. In any case, Fa would eventually do as Tao-Yu had asked. It might take two hours instead of the allotted one, but it would be done.
Tao-Yu pressed his forehead against the glass.
<Brothers, are we truly prepared to go through with this?>
<What are you talking about, Han? We must! We are duty-bound to Mao and to China!>
The Collective Man turned out the lights and settled back in his seat to wait for the argument to sort itself out. Few outside Colonel Mao's circle knew the truth about the Collective Man -- that he was actually five sons of China, mutant quintuplets with the ability to merge into one man. At the beginning of his career, this had translated into five times the strength, speed, and intelligence of a normal man. He had also been able to channel the strength of everyone in China for short bursts that left him completely helpless afterwards.
Of course, at the beginning of his career, his merged self had also been the size of a normal Chinaman.
Tao-Yu's abilities were changing. He found he was now stronger than just the sum of his five parts. He was faster. And his stamina when channeling the strength of all of China (at least that was what he'd always assumed he was doing during his bursts of great strength) had increased. He could maintain the strength for longer, and it no longer left him nearly comatose afterward.
And this inner dialogue between his component parts -- this was something new too.
<No one understands our duty better than I, Chang, but where would we be if this technology had existed thirty years ago? Would mother have gone under the knife too?>
<We are soldiers, we follow orders.>
<Even, Lin, when the result is genocide for a people that are as much our own as the Chinese?>
<What do you suggest then, Sun? Shall we tell Mao we quit and simply walk away?>
<Enough! All of you! I am the oldest-->
<By one minute, Ho!>
<--and I see no other avenue open to us that doesn't betray everything we've devoted our lives to. We will protect this clinic with all the power at our disposal.>
<I don't like this. The Americans have a term for people like us. "Uncle Tom"...>
<We've done things under orders we didn't like before.>
<Ho's right. There's nothing to do except what we've been trained for. Protect the clinic. Let them keep aborting mutant babies.>
<I sense irony in your tone, Han.>
<That's because you were always the bright one, Chang...>
And so it went. While a family feud was waged in his head, the Collective Man watched the nurses dispose of a sack of tissue that might have grown to save the world one day, if not for the fear and distrust of man.
Avalon Tower. Hammer Bay, Genosha. 18 June. 0930L.
"Hello, Siena. How do you feel?"
Siena Blaze sat up and took in her surroundings. She was on a couch -- brown, fake leather -- in a cool, wood-paneled room. Framed photos of calming seascapes hung from the walls, and there was a plant of some sort on every level surface.
Sitting beside her, in a charcoal gray suit, was Rutger Hauer.
No, wait. Her memory was returning a little bit now. That wasn't Rutger Hauer, it was Magneto.
Standing behind Magneto was a tall black woman of middle-age. The woman's eyes were deeply hooded, either with boredom or regal detachment. Or maybe idiocy.
"I'm--where am I?"
"Among friends," Magneto replied. "At least for the moment."
What the hell was that supposed to mean? And why did everything seem so... calm?
"I am Magneto. The woman behind me is Nyota Chausiku, codenamed Pacemaker. Nyota is here to insure that our parlay isn't interrupted by one of your demonstrably childish and deadly tantrums."
"That--" Siena paused, reaching deep for the rage she knew should have been there. "'Tantrum' is a little... harsh, don't you think?"
"If we both survive this discussion, I will apologize. In the meantime, Nyota is using her gift to regulate the output of your adrenal gland. To keep you rational. Do you remember what happened at the medical center?"
"Yes." She swallowed, her throat clicking dryly. She remembered waking from a coma, the world snapping suddenly into focus around her, disoriented. The tearing sensation of something invading her unprepared vagina, a weight on top of her, animal grunts of pleasure. And the face of her attacker... like some bizarre spider's.
She felt humiliation at the memory, but still no anger towards Magneto, or even her rapist.
"Do you remember using your power to annihilate the building?"
"Yes."
"And do you remember threatening to do the same to the entire island when I tried to talk you down?"
"... Yes."
"And Maria Campo? Do you remember her?"
Siena's lip curled in distaste. "I was... fucked in the head. Something happened to me after the Exiles split... I--"
Magneto waved the explanation off and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "My people are in mourning for those patients you killed, Siena. But they do not know that you were their murderer. It can remain that way..."
"Are you... blackmailing me?"
"No. I no longer have any interest in coercing others unwillingly into my service. I'm simply offering you a choice."
"Let's hear it, then." Anything to avoid anymore talk of that useless cunt Maria Campo.
"I want you as a part of my field task force, Siena. I want your power working for the liberation of mutants everywhere. No more disgustingly pointless games with the Upstarts, no more frittering your life away and never doing anything of import with your gift."
"And if I'm not interested?"
Magneto pursed his lips. "I will allow you to leave Genosha. But then I will reveal your role in last night's tragedy, and I will do nothing to protect you from the wrath of my people. Let the chips fall where they may."
Siena was silent for a moment, weighing her options. "And how do I know you'll stick to your end of the bargain?"
"I want you working for mutantkind, Siena. If I didn't, I would have murdered you while you slept. I am not above such things when the situation demands it."
Siena smiled. She had to admit, even though he was obviously nutty for letting her live, she liked the man's style. And she had to respect him just a little. He'd been kicking ass and causing mayhem when she'd still been making poopy in her Pampers.
"Okay... yeah, why not? You just bought yourself another little mutant terrorist."
Magneto frowned in distaste over the word, but nodded and rose. "Very well. Nyota will get you some food and see you to your quarters. Stay there and await further instruction. Oh, and Siena..." He paused and turned back, one hand on the open door. "Do not consider playing me for a fool. If I ever sense treason in anything you do, I will end you. Without hesitation." He smiled.
"Good day to you both."
Xavier Institute. Greenwich, Upstate New York. 18 June. 0200L.
Sam Guthrie set the phone back in its cradle and sighed deeply as he looked at the clock over the mantle. It was late, he'd been roused out of a deep sleep by the call, and even though he'd been waiting for information on just this subject for days now, he was sorry now that he had it.
You just keep throwin' your chances away, Bobby. Pretty soon, there ain't gonna be no comin' back...
"Sam?" The voice of Danielle Moonstar behind him. Old friend, one of the best people he'd ever had the privilege of knowing... and Sam Guthrie had known a lot of good people during his time at Xavier's. Apparently the phone had wakened her too.
"That was Shan, Dani," he said without turning to face her.
"Something about Bobby and Tabitha?"
"We know where they're going to hit next."
He could almost feel Dani's face tightening. She didn't like this situation anymore than he did, but it wasn't like Bobby and the others had given them any kind of choice.
And besides, if there was one thing Dani Moonstar and he shared in common, it was an ability to make the tough choices.
He turned and faced her, a manufactured grin stretched across his mouth like a grimace. "So whattaya say, Dani? X-Force rides again, just one more time?"
Beijing Capital International Airport. Beijing, China. 18 June. 1500L
Xi'an Coy Manh hung up the pay phone and slipped out of the berth so the next person in line could take their turn. The crowd at Beijing Capital International Airport surged around her, and she allowed herself to be carried for just a moment.
Had she done the right thing? She didn't know... probably, she never would. But she had spent too many years taking responsibility for her actions. She couldn't turn her back on this after causing it. She couldn't just turn away and let Bobby bring his power to bear on a bunch of doctors and nurses who were just doing their jobs.
She reached in her jacket and pulled out the ticket that would allow her to flee this country. Just a couple hours in the air, and she'd be back in Madripoor. All of this -- Bobby, the clinic, and most of all, Mei -- far behind her.
She reached her gate, and saw the plane was being boarded already. A little early... but early always beat late in the world of air travel.
She stood there, gripping her ticket tightly in one hand, her carry-on slung over one shoulder, buffeted by the endless flow of bodies on either side.
All she had to do was get on the plane.
Avalon Tower. Hammer Bay, Genosha. 18 June. 1200L.
"That's it. Does everybody understand what our objective is?"
The conference room was small, cramped. Roberto DaCosta had chosen it for just that reason. He wanted these people uncomfortable, because he'd found it was a state that encouraged honesty. And he needed them to be honest just now. He had taken most of this crew out before, but in a lot of ways, this was beginning to feel like their first 'real' mission. He hoped they were up to it.
No. None of that bullshit. He knew they were up to it.
Clustered around the tiny table were Meltdown, Rictor, Feral, Chance, Ariel, and Gomi. Bill the Lobster was perched on Gomi's shoulder, his bulging eyes narrowed -- Sunspot had never seen anything so consistently pissed-off. Standing in a corner was Amelia Voght.
Chance's hand went up, while the other hand socked a cigarette between her lips. "Yeah, I got a question."
"Go ahead Chance."
She took her time, first lighting her cigarette then making a point to blow smoke across the table in the general direction of Feral. "I can see why you're taking your X-Force buddies, but why do you need me and the rest of the Beat Street Gang? You want somebody to cause mayhem, you'd be better off recruiting some of those hard-asses who used to be Acolytes."
Roberto nodded. He was impatient to get going, but it was a fair question. "Two reasons: First, I need yours and Ariel's powers there. Gomi is just a bonus and an ace-in-the-hole. Second: I've known you three -- four, sorry Bill -- longer than anyone else in this room, and I know I can at least count on you not shooting me in the back. I can't say as much for any of the Acolytes."
Chance smiled, the cigarette still pinched between her lips, smoke billowing out on either side. Feral sneezed and muttered something that was probably a threat in the girl's direction.
"That it? Last chance, I want anybody who has any doubts about this to step up right now. We're going to have to do this lightning-quick, and I don't want anybody dragging ass."
Nobody replied. Ariel clenched her hands together tightly -- obviously nervous as hell, Roberto knew the willowy girl wasn't a fighter -- but everyone seemed devoted to this course. Whether that was due to Roberto's own passionate exhortations or the fact that everyone currently in Genosha wanted to hit something -- anything -- after what happened at the hospital, he couldn't be sure. And he didn't really care, if he was going to be honest with himself.