[TWENTY YEARS AGO: The Weapon X Facility…]
“Moira, please don’t go,” Charles whispered. “I need you here.”
“Ye don’t need me, Charles. Ye’ve got yuir own army of mad scientists that will help ye make more monsters!”
“Dr. Leftwich is working on the calculations to try and figure out why-”
“Why he turned Tricia MacNaughton’s husband into a wax monstrosity and then murdered him?” Moira MacTaggert screamed. “That nyaff would inject his own mum with anti-freeze if it would get him results!”
“Which is all the more reason why you should stay, Moira. You know the work, you can help us discover why the treatments have suddenly begun to show results.”
“Ask mah replacement.”
“Leftwich was not brought in to replace you!” Charles reassured. “But Fred Duncan wanted multiple approaches being explored to enhance the chances of success.”
Moira stared at Charles, her eyes filled with tears of equal parts grief, horror, and rage. “How can ye call what’s happened success?”
Charles stiffened. “I’m sorry, Moira, but as horrific as Jack MacNaughton’s fate was, he displayed far more ability in his post treatment life than En Sabah Nur ever did.”
“Moira, please don’t go,” Charles whispered. “I need you here.”
“Ye don’t need me, Charles. Ye’ve got yuir own army of mad scientists that will help ye make more monsters!”
“Dr. Leftwich is working on the calculations to try and figure out why-”
“Why he turned Tricia MacNaughton’s husband into a wax monstrosity and then murdered him?” Moira MacTaggert screamed. “That nyaff would inject his own mum with anti-freeze if it would get him results!”
“Which is all the more reason why you should stay, Moira. You know the work, you can help us discover why the treatments have suddenly begun to show results.”
“Ask mah replacement.”
“Leftwich was not brought in to replace you!” Charles reassured. “But Fred Duncan wanted multiple approaches being explored to enhance the chances of success.”
Moira stared at Charles, her eyes filled with tears of equal parts grief, horror, and rage. “How can ye call what’s happened success?”
Charles stiffened. “I’m sorry, Moira, but as horrific as Jack MacNaughton’s fate was, he displayed far more ability in his post treatment life than En Sabah Nur ever did.”
“KNIGHT TAKES QUEEN”
[NOW: Munich…]
Jean Grey reached out with her mind and grabbed Scott Summers’ visor, lifting it up with her telekinetic ability and guiding it quickly through the air to him. Scott grabbed the visor as it floated towards his face, but he did not put it on. Instead, he merely stared at Jean, his face the portrait of betrayal.
{Cyclops!} Shiro Yoshida was beginning to black out. {Do it!}
“Jean,” he stammered, “how… why didn’t you tell me?”
{Scott,} Jean countered, {now is not the time!} No longer needing to hide her telekinetic abilities, she mentally grabbed hold of the sleazoid’s head and cast the creature across the room.
Scott raised the visor to his eyes and fired, a beam of energy slicing the sleadoid’s tentacles clear off its body. Shiro dropped to the floor, gasping for breath. Another creature dropped down and pounced on Scott, bashing him to the ground.
“SCOTT!” Jean cried. She leapt at him, reached out with her telekinesis and hoisted the creature up into the air. She slammed it into another of the monsters, and then grabbed a third. She floated as she held her hands in front of her, gesticulating as if she was conducting a violent symphony, her face contorted in a mask of rage. With every motion, another creature was ripped from the floor and hurled through the air.
Scott was able to rise up to his feet, watching in silent amazement as Jean smashed enemy after enemy into the concrete walls and hardwood floor. He went to Shiro and helped him to his feet as the two of them witnessed the fury of Jean Grey let loose upon the BrewD.
The door behind them opened up and a trio of faces peered in. Bobby, Sean and Kurt entered the gymnasium, staring in awe as Jean created a telekinetic maelstrom.
“Mein Gott,” Kurt said, “she has been practicing.”
“What? You knew she could do this?” Bobby asked.
Kurt looked surprised. “Ja, when Jean came to us, we invited her to attempt the meditation conversion. When she emerged, she had the power to move things with her mind, although her telepathic powers prevented her from controlling them very well. Apparently she has learned to overcome that hurdle.”
“We heard an explosion,” Ororo said, as she, Kitty and Piotr entered the building.
“Boshze Moi,” Piotr said breathlessly, taking in the view of Jean in her full telekinetic glory.
The last of the BrewD slammed into the wall, its head exploding from the impact. Jean came down from where she had been levitating, a sullen look on her face. “Scott,” she began, her eyes filled with shame, “I’m sorry that-”
“Alright, let’s move people,” Scott interrupted, turning and exiting the building. “There is still one more original host left unaccounted for.”
“She’s got two powers, just like you,” Bobby said to Kitty.
“Two powers?” Kitty said, instantly regretting the interaction.
“Yes, that ghost thing you do, and supernatural hotness,” Bobby smirked.
“Why do I even talk to you?” Kitty sighed, exasperated.
“Because you’re a human female, and therefore attracted to me.”
“Oh my God,” Kitty said, turning to Piotr and rolling her eyes as she walked past him, “I need a drink.”
“Well,” Bobby chuckled, starting to follow her, “who doesn’t like their drink over a big hunk of ice?”
Piotr stepped in his way and smiled a humorless smile at him. “I prefer my ice crushed.”
The smile disappeared from Bobby’s face. “Ease back, Tin-man,” he said, “even the strongest metal gets brittle when cold.”
Piotr puffed his chest out a little and smirked at him. “And yet even a frozen chisel will still carve a block of ice down to wet shavings.”
“Enough!” Ororo seethed. “Cease your juvenile prattling, lives have been lost here!”
After the others had left, Shiro approached Jean, who stood in sad silence. “I am sorry, Jean, I did not know that you kept your emergence a secret from your lover.”
“If he still loves me after this,” Jean said, “I will be very surprised.”
[TWENTY YEARS AGO: Muir Island, Manitoba…]
“If I am alive by this time next week, I will be very surprised.”
“Your research is vital, Dr. MacTaggert,” her companion said. “Duncan and Xavier are fools if they do not see the significance of your achievement.”
“Ach,” Moira grunted, “Charles is a bigger fool than ye can ever imagine. But he is nae dangerous. Fred Duncan is the one I’m worried about. He knows about this lab, and I can’t see a reason why he wouldn’a just have some of his men come up here and just erase me.”
“What if the lab were not here?”
“Then everything would be just bonnie, wouldn’t it? But mah lab cannae just be picked up and moved like a chess piece.”
“If it could… if I possessed the technology to transport your research, your equipment, your facility- even this entire island- what would it be worth to you?”
Moira stared at him incredulously. “If ye were to move this entire island, I think they’d notice a huge hole in High Rock Falls Lake. Besides, ye don’t possess technology to do that. No one does.”
“What if I did? If it could all be saved, what would your years of hard work, volumes of research, your very life… what would that be worth?”
Moira considered the man very carefully. “It would be worth everything. Anything. But unless there have been further developments that I dinnae know about, ye don’t have that kind of power.”
“Dr. MacTaggert,” her new benefactor said, “there have been further developments.”
[NOW: Munich…]
“I have undergone several conversions,” Bishop said, firing a blast of purple energy at one of the BrewD, “one of the most useful allows me to draw ambient energy from the environment and redirect it.”
“If you can travel through time, why not just pop back a few weeks and stop this event yourself?” Logan asked, slicing through the skull of a sleazoid with his razor sharp claws. When another creature wrapped its tentacles around Logan’s wrists from behind, he made a quick swimming motion, slicing neatly through the protrusions, spilling yellow blood across the floor.
Bishop blasted another creature, sending it back into a group of three others. “That is not one of my abilities. One in my time who does possess that power sent me back here. And it is a one way journey.”
“So you’re stuck here?” Logan hacked through the neck of a sleazoid, then spun and embedded his claws in the chest of another. “Bum deal.”
“Not quite,” Bishop said, firing again. “There are more methods of traveling into the future. Suspended animation, for one.”
“Sounds kinda sciencey for a guy who lives by magic,” Logan said.
“You of all people should know,” Bishop replied, blasting another creature in the face, “that magic and science are not mutually exclusive.”
“What do you know about it?” Logan asked. He was interrupted by a sleazoid leaping at him, biting down on his left fist with its needlelike teeth. The BrewD and Logan both bellowed simultaneously as the teeth bit down into his adamantium laced bones. Logan extended his claws on that hand, skewering the back of the creature’s head.
“Even if I didn’t have history on my side, it does not take a detective to see that an indestructible set of razor claws and the ability to heal the wounds they create in your own flesh instantly are not from the same treatment. If I had to guess, I’d say Weapon X gave you the claws and The Brotherhood gave you the healing factor. Luckily, I don’t have to guess, because I do have history on my side.”
Logan eviscerated another BrewD and snarled at Bishop. “If we don’t find an end to this crowd soon, we’ll both be history!”
A sudden flash of energy pulsed through the room, and Shiro burst in, blasting away at the BrewD from the stairs as the rest of the team flowed into the room. Reinforcements had arrived.
“Nice of you to join us, Slim,” Logan said, pulling a cigar out of his utility pouch and lighting it up. “We were getting bored.”
“I see you’ve been busy,” Scott replied, assessing the situation.
“So have the sleazoids,” he replied. “I’m catching the scent of something big down the tunnel. If these guys are like bugs, I think I smell the queen.”
Scott nodded as Banshee dispatched the last few BrewD with a pulse of sonic energy.
“Okay, X-Men, we go in for the kill.”
[TWENTY YEARS AGO: Muir Island, Now Off the Coast of Scotland…]
“I cannae believe what ye’ve done!” Moira gasped. “How… how could ye have moved mah island?”
“After I completed my… service… I wandered. I spent years seeking some sort of enlightenment, in temples, valleys, mountains, jungles. What I found defies explanation to the mortal human mind. The closest that even the most brilliant of minds could come to understanding this discovery would be calling it a ship. But this ship was so much more. It was power. It was a gateway. It was alive.”
“This ship transformed me. It awakened power within me, more than Weapon X could have ever hoped to, more than the Brotherhood of Mutants has ever dreamed of. It has given me power over time and space. It has given me power over life and death. It has given me the power to awaken power in others. It has given me power to change the world. Moving your lab and its contents is like an ant moving a grain of sand.”
Moira eyed him carefully. “The important thing is how ye use that power. Ye used it to help me, and for that I’m grateful.”
“Your gratitude is unnecessary, Dr. MacTaggart. What is necessary is a reminder that you are now in my debt.”
Moira nodded. “I figured as much. I owe ye mah life, mah freedom.”
“And one day, I will come for both.”
[NOW: Munich…]
“That is one ugly bitch,” Logan sneered.
The X-Men stood in the mouth of the abandoned access tunnel looking at the creature as it writhed and contorted in the center of the cavernous space. Its legs were almost purely vestigial by now, rendered useless by the distended abdominal pouch that swelled beneath her. Her arms had split into several tentacles each, and they slashed wildly around the tunnel, spraying ropy tendrils of slime across the walls. Her eyes, seated in a head easily twice the size of the abdomen that could barely support it, glared maniacally at them.
Jean buckled at the knees, slumping down into Scott’s arms.
“Marvel Girl,” Scott said, “what is it?”
“Agony,” Jean replied. “She’s in agony. She scared and confused. Her mind has very little control over her body.”
“Is this patient zero?” Bishop queried.
As the creature caught sight of Bishop it let out an otherworldly howl, its eyes growing wider in recognition.
Jean screamed as the creature flailed out two tentacles at them. “You!” she seethed, “You did this to me!”
“What?” Bishop replied, staring at Jean.
“The creature!” Scott replied, “Its anger is overloading Jean’s shields!”
“I knew it!” Logan bellowed, popping his claws.
“Scott,” Jean whimpered, “she can’t control herself. In her mind, I see images… it was Bishop… only… different.”
The creature screamed again, and the X-Men turned to see her tear away at the flesh of her abdomen.
“Sainted Jesus,” Sean exclaimed, and Kurt crossed himself.
“She is disemboweling herself!” Shiro yelled.
“She’s tearing her egg sac off. She’s not trying to kill herself,” Logan said, “she’s mobilizing.”
As he uttered the last word, the creature pistoned down with her legs, and a wet ripping sound tore through the tunnels as her body separated from the bloody mass on the floor. With a cat-like hiss, the creature leapt straight at Bishop.
Its head exploded just as its tentacles reached his throat, the body collapsing onto the floor of the dark subway tunnel. A deafening thunderclap of a gunshot echoed off the walls. As one, the X-Men turned to face the new threat, and froze.
“My God,” the new arrival said, “it really is you! The X-Men!” He stepped out of the shadows and smiled. “Thank God I was in time.”
“It cannot be!” Kurt shook his head.
“Lower your weapon!” Scott demanded, putting his hand to his visor.
“Whoa!” the stranger said, lowering his rifle and putting his other hand in the air. “My name is Cable. I know this is going to be hard to believe, but I’m here from the future…” he trailed off as he caught sight of Bishop. “What the Hell is going on?”
Kurt looked back and forth between the two and shook his head in disbelief. “They are the same man!”
After a long moment of silence, Scott turned to Logan. “Well?”
Logan subtly sniffed the air. “Baseline scent is the same, but there’s worlds of difference between the two. One smells like an old library, the other smells like an auto factory. But deep down… they sweat the same.”
“Now that these creatures are dealt with, we should clear out,” Scott said. “Everybody to the jet. We’ll discuss this in the air.”
[TWENTY YEARS AGO: Muir Island, Now Off the Coast of Scotland…]
“For now, you will continue your research,” Moira’s benefactor said. “I will provide you with the equipment and technology you need. I did not choose this location at random. Far beneath us is a technological hub from my ship that has already begun merging with the equipment in your lab. I am going to teach you how to blend the science of your Weapon X treatments with arcane energy that the Brotherhood is able to manipulate. You will use that energy to create specimens far beyond the ken of modern science.”
“To what end?”
“To make the world a better place, Moira. A stronger place. Do not ask questions. For now, you get to keep working. Be thankful that Duncan’s dogs did not get you.”
“Thank you,” Moira said. She turned as she saw a bright flash behind her.
“Your first subject just arrived. A young boy kept in the care of one of my associates for the past six years. One of a set of twins, separated at infancy. He will be the first one to undergo the treatment I will teach you.”
“A child?” Moira said, her voice hitching.
“Is he any younger than some of the children you’ve been keeping track of for Weapon X?”
Moira’s gaze dropped, her cheeks reddening. “No.”
“Of course not. This one is even related to one of your former potential subjects, so you’ll be very familiar with his genetic makeup. Moira McTaggart, meet Alex Summers.”
“Hullo, Alex. Welcome to Muir Island.”
The boy merely stared straight ahead.
“Don’t get too attached, Moira. Alex has been rendered quite… unresponsive by trauma in his young life. You are to remember your place is as his doctor, not his nanny.”
“Of course, Nur.”
“No. The man known as En Sabah Nur is dead. I am evolved. I am the herald of the end times, the shining star that ushers in the apocalypse. I am Wormwood!”
[NOW: The Sky Above Munich…]
Bobby looked at Kitty disbelievingly. “This is out of this world, right Kitten?”
Kitty merely stared intently at the men, her eyes narrowed.
“Shadowcat?” Bobby asked tentatively. “Kitty?”
Kitty nodded quickly. “I’ve got it.”
“Got what?” Piotr asked.
Kitty smiled a knowing smile. “They’re from parallel continuities,” she began. “Each man represents the result of the same events that have different outcomes.”
“Like, rich Biff and poor Biff?” Bobby asked.
Kitty shook her head. “You are so dumb. But yeah.” She pointed at Bishop. “We know that Bishop comes from a world where magic is prevalent. He told Logan about the enchantments that give him his abilities, they are akin to the conversions that the Brotherhood undergo, and he’s got sigils tattooed all over. Control glyphs. Colossus has almost the same ink on his arms.”
“Bozshe Moi, she is right!” Piotr exclaimed, holding up his arms. “The sigils Erik gave me help control the vibrations that would rattle my metallic form otherwise!”
“Meanwhile,” Kitty said, pointing to Cable, “this guy is covered head to toe in gadgets. That weapon is far advanced of anything our military is even working on right now, and that arm moves more like a machine than a flesh and bone one covered in a metal sheathe. I’m guessing this guy… Cable, you said your name was? Yeah, Cable… is from a future where technology is the mainstream.”
Kurt nodded slightly. “These men may each represent different outcomes of the conflict between Weapon X and the Brotherhood.”
“No,” Kitty shook her head. “I don’t think either of them will be a factor as far forward as these guys are from.”
“You always were the smart one, Kate,” Cable smiled. “There never was a conflict between Weapon X and the Brotherhood. Weapon X is off the grid by the time 2015 rolls around. And none of you are with the Brotherhood for very long.” He looked at them all gravely. “There is something worse than the Brotherhood, however, and it’s coming. Very soon. And it’s closer than any of you could possibly imagine.”
“So what you’re telling us is that we both lose?” Piotr said.
“No, you’ve got to stop thinking in terms of black and white,” Cable said. “I know you, Piotr Rasputin, also known as Colossus. None of you are tied to the future of your respective organizations. What you’re doing now… the X-Men… this is what lives on.”
“So it is in my timeline as well,” Bishop added. “It seems as though the X-Men are a constant, at least, even if everything else changes.”
Cable looked at Ororo. “And I know you as well, Ororo Munroe.”
“Lemme guess, she’s your mom?” Bobby smirked.
“Yes,” Cable nodded. “She is. And you’re still a smug prick in the future, Uncle Bobby.”
Kitty laughed.
“You two are so alike,” Shiro marveled. “From such different worlds, yet so identical.”
“Jet’s on auto-pilot,’ Scott said, emerging from the cockpit. “Now, I think it would be best if you gave us some background.”
“I’m not supposed to tell you anything,” Cable said. “It might change the future.”
“Ye’ve already changed it, lad, merely by being here. The divergence has been born. Jean gleaned it from that poor woman’s mind before ye perforated it; ye’re the one responsible for the outbreak at Vermicom. So we need to hear what ye know, so we can see what’s changed and set about making it right. And laddie,” he said, shifting in his seat, “We’re nae asking ye. We’re telling ye.”
“I will tell you everything,” Bishop said. “Because the universe will unfold the way it is meant to unfold, regardless of what actions we think will change it. But be warned, X-Men… what I am telling you now, will be the end of the world as you know it!”
TO BE CONTINUED...
Jean Grey reached out with her mind and grabbed Scott Summers’ visor, lifting it up with her telekinetic ability and guiding it quickly through the air to him. Scott grabbed the visor as it floated towards his face, but he did not put it on. Instead, he merely stared at Jean, his face the portrait of betrayal.
{Cyclops!} Shiro Yoshida was beginning to black out. {Do it!}
“Jean,” he stammered, “how… why didn’t you tell me?”
{Scott,} Jean countered, {now is not the time!} No longer needing to hide her telekinetic abilities, she mentally grabbed hold of the sleazoid’s head and cast the creature across the room.
Scott raised the visor to his eyes and fired, a beam of energy slicing the sleadoid’s tentacles clear off its body. Shiro dropped to the floor, gasping for breath. Another creature dropped down and pounced on Scott, bashing him to the ground.
“SCOTT!” Jean cried. She leapt at him, reached out with her telekinesis and hoisted the creature up into the air. She slammed it into another of the monsters, and then grabbed a third. She floated as she held her hands in front of her, gesticulating as if she was conducting a violent symphony, her face contorted in a mask of rage. With every motion, another creature was ripped from the floor and hurled through the air.
Scott was able to rise up to his feet, watching in silent amazement as Jean smashed enemy after enemy into the concrete walls and hardwood floor. He went to Shiro and helped him to his feet as the two of them witnessed the fury of Jean Grey let loose upon the BrewD.
The door behind them opened up and a trio of faces peered in. Bobby, Sean and Kurt entered the gymnasium, staring in awe as Jean created a telekinetic maelstrom.
“Mein Gott,” Kurt said, “she has been practicing.”
“What? You knew she could do this?” Bobby asked.
Kurt looked surprised. “Ja, when Jean came to us, we invited her to attempt the meditation conversion. When she emerged, she had the power to move things with her mind, although her telepathic powers prevented her from controlling them very well. Apparently she has learned to overcome that hurdle.”
“We heard an explosion,” Ororo said, as she, Kitty and Piotr entered the building.
“Boshze Moi,” Piotr said breathlessly, taking in the view of Jean in her full telekinetic glory.
The last of the BrewD slammed into the wall, its head exploding from the impact. Jean came down from where she had been levitating, a sullen look on her face. “Scott,” she began, her eyes filled with shame, “I’m sorry that-”
“Alright, let’s move people,” Scott interrupted, turning and exiting the building. “There is still one more original host left unaccounted for.”
“She’s got two powers, just like you,” Bobby said to Kitty.
“Two powers?” Kitty said, instantly regretting the interaction.
“Yes, that ghost thing you do, and supernatural hotness,” Bobby smirked.
“Why do I even talk to you?” Kitty sighed, exasperated.
“Because you’re a human female, and therefore attracted to me.”
“Oh my God,” Kitty said, turning to Piotr and rolling her eyes as she walked past him, “I need a drink.”
“Well,” Bobby chuckled, starting to follow her, “who doesn’t like their drink over a big hunk of ice?”
Piotr stepped in his way and smiled a humorless smile at him. “I prefer my ice crushed.”
The smile disappeared from Bobby’s face. “Ease back, Tin-man,” he said, “even the strongest metal gets brittle when cold.”
Piotr puffed his chest out a little and smirked at him. “And yet even a frozen chisel will still carve a block of ice down to wet shavings.”
“Enough!” Ororo seethed. “Cease your juvenile prattling, lives have been lost here!”
After the others had left, Shiro approached Jean, who stood in sad silence. “I am sorry, Jean, I did not know that you kept your emergence a secret from your lover.”
“If he still loves me after this,” Jean said, “I will be very surprised.”
[TWENTY YEARS AGO: Muir Island, Manitoba…]
“If I am alive by this time next week, I will be very surprised.”
“Your research is vital, Dr. MacTaggert,” her companion said. “Duncan and Xavier are fools if they do not see the significance of your achievement.”
“Ach,” Moira grunted, “Charles is a bigger fool than ye can ever imagine. But he is nae dangerous. Fred Duncan is the one I’m worried about. He knows about this lab, and I can’t see a reason why he wouldn’a just have some of his men come up here and just erase me.”
“What if the lab were not here?”
“Then everything would be just bonnie, wouldn’t it? But mah lab cannae just be picked up and moved like a chess piece.”
“If it could… if I possessed the technology to transport your research, your equipment, your facility- even this entire island- what would it be worth to you?”
Moira stared at him incredulously. “If ye were to move this entire island, I think they’d notice a huge hole in High Rock Falls Lake. Besides, ye don’t possess technology to do that. No one does.”
“What if I did? If it could all be saved, what would your years of hard work, volumes of research, your very life… what would that be worth?”
Moira considered the man very carefully. “It would be worth everything. Anything. But unless there have been further developments that I dinnae know about, ye don’t have that kind of power.”
“Dr. MacTaggert,” her new benefactor said, “there have been further developments.”
[NOW: Munich…]
“I have undergone several conversions,” Bishop said, firing a blast of purple energy at one of the BrewD, “one of the most useful allows me to draw ambient energy from the environment and redirect it.”
“If you can travel through time, why not just pop back a few weeks and stop this event yourself?” Logan asked, slicing through the skull of a sleazoid with his razor sharp claws. When another creature wrapped its tentacles around Logan’s wrists from behind, he made a quick swimming motion, slicing neatly through the protrusions, spilling yellow blood across the floor.
Bishop blasted another creature, sending it back into a group of three others. “That is not one of my abilities. One in my time who does possess that power sent me back here. And it is a one way journey.”
“So you’re stuck here?” Logan hacked through the neck of a sleazoid, then spun and embedded his claws in the chest of another. “Bum deal.”
“Not quite,” Bishop said, firing again. “There are more methods of traveling into the future. Suspended animation, for one.”
“Sounds kinda sciencey for a guy who lives by magic,” Logan said.
“You of all people should know,” Bishop replied, blasting another creature in the face, “that magic and science are not mutually exclusive.”
“What do you know about it?” Logan asked. He was interrupted by a sleazoid leaping at him, biting down on his left fist with its needlelike teeth. The BrewD and Logan both bellowed simultaneously as the teeth bit down into his adamantium laced bones. Logan extended his claws on that hand, skewering the back of the creature’s head.
“Even if I didn’t have history on my side, it does not take a detective to see that an indestructible set of razor claws and the ability to heal the wounds they create in your own flesh instantly are not from the same treatment. If I had to guess, I’d say Weapon X gave you the claws and The Brotherhood gave you the healing factor. Luckily, I don’t have to guess, because I do have history on my side.”
Logan eviscerated another BrewD and snarled at Bishop. “If we don’t find an end to this crowd soon, we’ll both be history!”
A sudden flash of energy pulsed through the room, and Shiro burst in, blasting away at the BrewD from the stairs as the rest of the team flowed into the room. Reinforcements had arrived.
“Nice of you to join us, Slim,” Logan said, pulling a cigar out of his utility pouch and lighting it up. “We were getting bored.”
“I see you’ve been busy,” Scott replied, assessing the situation.
“So have the sleazoids,” he replied. “I’m catching the scent of something big down the tunnel. If these guys are like bugs, I think I smell the queen.”
Scott nodded as Banshee dispatched the last few BrewD with a pulse of sonic energy.
“Okay, X-Men, we go in for the kill.”
[TWENTY YEARS AGO: Muir Island, Now Off the Coast of Scotland…]
“I cannae believe what ye’ve done!” Moira gasped. “How… how could ye have moved mah island?”
“After I completed my… service… I wandered. I spent years seeking some sort of enlightenment, in temples, valleys, mountains, jungles. What I found defies explanation to the mortal human mind. The closest that even the most brilliant of minds could come to understanding this discovery would be calling it a ship. But this ship was so much more. It was power. It was a gateway. It was alive.”
“This ship transformed me. It awakened power within me, more than Weapon X could have ever hoped to, more than the Brotherhood of Mutants has ever dreamed of. It has given me power over time and space. It has given me power over life and death. It has given me the power to awaken power in others. It has given me power to change the world. Moving your lab and its contents is like an ant moving a grain of sand.”
Moira eyed him carefully. “The important thing is how ye use that power. Ye used it to help me, and for that I’m grateful.”
“Your gratitude is unnecessary, Dr. MacTaggart. What is necessary is a reminder that you are now in my debt.”
Moira nodded. “I figured as much. I owe ye mah life, mah freedom.”
“And one day, I will come for both.”
[NOW: Munich…]
“That is one ugly bitch,” Logan sneered.
The X-Men stood in the mouth of the abandoned access tunnel looking at the creature as it writhed and contorted in the center of the cavernous space. Its legs were almost purely vestigial by now, rendered useless by the distended abdominal pouch that swelled beneath her. Her arms had split into several tentacles each, and they slashed wildly around the tunnel, spraying ropy tendrils of slime across the walls. Her eyes, seated in a head easily twice the size of the abdomen that could barely support it, glared maniacally at them.
Jean buckled at the knees, slumping down into Scott’s arms.
“Marvel Girl,” Scott said, “what is it?”
“Agony,” Jean replied. “She’s in agony. She scared and confused. Her mind has very little control over her body.”
“Is this patient zero?” Bishop queried.
As the creature caught sight of Bishop it let out an otherworldly howl, its eyes growing wider in recognition.
Jean screamed as the creature flailed out two tentacles at them. “You!” she seethed, “You did this to me!”
“What?” Bishop replied, staring at Jean.
“The creature!” Scott replied, “Its anger is overloading Jean’s shields!”
“I knew it!” Logan bellowed, popping his claws.
“Scott,” Jean whimpered, “she can’t control herself. In her mind, I see images… it was Bishop… only… different.”
The creature screamed again, and the X-Men turned to see her tear away at the flesh of her abdomen.
“Sainted Jesus,” Sean exclaimed, and Kurt crossed himself.
“She is disemboweling herself!” Shiro yelled.
“She’s tearing her egg sac off. She’s not trying to kill herself,” Logan said, “she’s mobilizing.”
As he uttered the last word, the creature pistoned down with her legs, and a wet ripping sound tore through the tunnels as her body separated from the bloody mass on the floor. With a cat-like hiss, the creature leapt straight at Bishop.
Its head exploded just as its tentacles reached his throat, the body collapsing onto the floor of the dark subway tunnel. A deafening thunderclap of a gunshot echoed off the walls. As one, the X-Men turned to face the new threat, and froze.
“My God,” the new arrival said, “it really is you! The X-Men!” He stepped out of the shadows and smiled. “Thank God I was in time.”
“It cannot be!” Kurt shook his head.
“Lower your weapon!” Scott demanded, putting his hand to his visor.
“Whoa!” the stranger said, lowering his rifle and putting his other hand in the air. “My name is Cable. I know this is going to be hard to believe, but I’m here from the future…” he trailed off as he caught sight of Bishop. “What the Hell is going on?”
Kurt looked back and forth between the two and shook his head in disbelief. “They are the same man!”
After a long moment of silence, Scott turned to Logan. “Well?”
Logan subtly sniffed the air. “Baseline scent is the same, but there’s worlds of difference between the two. One smells like an old library, the other smells like an auto factory. But deep down… they sweat the same.”
“Now that these creatures are dealt with, we should clear out,” Scott said. “Everybody to the jet. We’ll discuss this in the air.”
[TWENTY YEARS AGO: Muir Island, Now Off the Coast of Scotland…]
“For now, you will continue your research,” Moira’s benefactor said. “I will provide you with the equipment and technology you need. I did not choose this location at random. Far beneath us is a technological hub from my ship that has already begun merging with the equipment in your lab. I am going to teach you how to blend the science of your Weapon X treatments with arcane energy that the Brotherhood is able to manipulate. You will use that energy to create specimens far beyond the ken of modern science.”
“To what end?”
“To make the world a better place, Moira. A stronger place. Do not ask questions. For now, you get to keep working. Be thankful that Duncan’s dogs did not get you.”
“Thank you,” Moira said. She turned as she saw a bright flash behind her.
“Your first subject just arrived. A young boy kept in the care of one of my associates for the past six years. One of a set of twins, separated at infancy. He will be the first one to undergo the treatment I will teach you.”
“A child?” Moira said, her voice hitching.
“Is he any younger than some of the children you’ve been keeping track of for Weapon X?”
Moira’s gaze dropped, her cheeks reddening. “No.”
“Of course not. This one is even related to one of your former potential subjects, so you’ll be very familiar with his genetic makeup. Moira McTaggart, meet Alex Summers.”
“Hullo, Alex. Welcome to Muir Island.”
The boy merely stared straight ahead.
“Don’t get too attached, Moira. Alex has been rendered quite… unresponsive by trauma in his young life. You are to remember your place is as his doctor, not his nanny.”
“Of course, Nur.”
“No. The man known as En Sabah Nur is dead. I am evolved. I am the herald of the end times, the shining star that ushers in the apocalypse. I am Wormwood!”
[NOW: The Sky Above Munich…]
Bobby looked at Kitty disbelievingly. “This is out of this world, right Kitten?”
Kitty merely stared intently at the men, her eyes narrowed.
“Shadowcat?” Bobby asked tentatively. “Kitty?”
Kitty nodded quickly. “I’ve got it.”
“Got what?” Piotr asked.
Kitty smiled a knowing smile. “They’re from parallel continuities,” she began. “Each man represents the result of the same events that have different outcomes.”
“Like, rich Biff and poor Biff?” Bobby asked.
Kitty shook her head. “You are so dumb. But yeah.” She pointed at Bishop. “We know that Bishop comes from a world where magic is prevalent. He told Logan about the enchantments that give him his abilities, they are akin to the conversions that the Brotherhood undergo, and he’s got sigils tattooed all over. Control glyphs. Colossus has almost the same ink on his arms.”
“Bozshe Moi, she is right!” Piotr exclaimed, holding up his arms. “The sigils Erik gave me help control the vibrations that would rattle my metallic form otherwise!”
“Meanwhile,” Kitty said, pointing to Cable, “this guy is covered head to toe in gadgets. That weapon is far advanced of anything our military is even working on right now, and that arm moves more like a machine than a flesh and bone one covered in a metal sheathe. I’m guessing this guy… Cable, you said your name was? Yeah, Cable… is from a future where technology is the mainstream.”
Kurt nodded slightly. “These men may each represent different outcomes of the conflict between Weapon X and the Brotherhood.”
“No,” Kitty shook her head. “I don’t think either of them will be a factor as far forward as these guys are from.”
“You always were the smart one, Kate,” Cable smiled. “There never was a conflict between Weapon X and the Brotherhood. Weapon X is off the grid by the time 2015 rolls around. And none of you are with the Brotherhood for very long.” He looked at them all gravely. “There is something worse than the Brotherhood, however, and it’s coming. Very soon. And it’s closer than any of you could possibly imagine.”
“So what you’re telling us is that we both lose?” Piotr said.
“No, you’ve got to stop thinking in terms of black and white,” Cable said. “I know you, Piotr Rasputin, also known as Colossus. None of you are tied to the future of your respective organizations. What you’re doing now… the X-Men… this is what lives on.”
“So it is in my timeline as well,” Bishop added. “It seems as though the X-Men are a constant, at least, even if everything else changes.”
Cable looked at Ororo. “And I know you as well, Ororo Munroe.”
“Lemme guess, she’s your mom?” Bobby smirked.
“Yes,” Cable nodded. “She is. And you’re still a smug prick in the future, Uncle Bobby.”
Kitty laughed.
“You two are so alike,” Shiro marveled. “From such different worlds, yet so identical.”
“Jet’s on auto-pilot,’ Scott said, emerging from the cockpit. “Now, I think it would be best if you gave us some background.”
“I’m not supposed to tell you anything,” Cable said. “It might change the future.”
“Ye’ve already changed it, lad, merely by being here. The divergence has been born. Jean gleaned it from that poor woman’s mind before ye perforated it; ye’re the one responsible for the outbreak at Vermicom. So we need to hear what ye know, so we can see what’s changed and set about making it right. And laddie,” he said, shifting in his seat, “We’re nae asking ye. We’re telling ye.”
“I will tell you everything,” Bishop said. “Because the universe will unfold the way it is meant to unfold, regardless of what actions we think will change it. But be warned, X-Men… what I am telling you now, will be the end of the world as you know it!”
TO BE CONTINUED...