Back to Gatefold
Issue #3 by Dino Pollard
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A Burning Sensation: The Pole Position Club
Over the past several months, this strip club in California has become quite the popular hot spot for the privileged and wealthy. Most of it due to the celebrity status of the club’s owner. A man who has worn many different hats in his time, from writer to terrorist to hero to businessman. He’s a man Elisabeth Braddock has had dealings with in the past, and one she had no desire to ever speak with again.
Unfortunately, she knew his skills were necessary. And try as she might, she could not argue with the fact that he was a very effective weapon. However, after her offer was turned down by both Quicksilver and Sabretooth, Psylocke was convinced he would reject her as well.
She sat at the bar, seemingly lost in thought. In reality, she concentrated on screening out the thoughts of the patrons of the establishment. Unlike Jean Grey, Psylocke put little effort into screening out the stray thoughts her telepathy picked up. She had no qualms about using her gifts to traipse about another person’s mind. But in a strip club, she found it necessary. Especially once some of the patrons began eyeballing her as well.
And when the stray thought did drift into her mind, it took a greater deal of concentration to prevent her from knocking some pervert’s teeth in.
"Ms. Braddock?"
Psylocke looked up. The man who spoke to her was a bouncer, dressed in a suit and a pair of sunglasses. "He’ll see you now," he said.
She stood from the bar and walked through the door the bouncer held open. Once she entered, the door closed behind her. The room she was in was dimly lit and clouded with smoke. And before her was a card table where a man with short, blond hair and sunglasses sat. He wore a dress shirt that was unbuttoned at the collar and he wore a leather jacket over it. Behind him stood three other individuals, all dressed in the height of fashion. One was a Latino woman with short, black hair and one was a tall African man. The third was a prominent actor who had become a frequent visitor to the club.
"Well, well, ain’t this a nice little reunion," said the blond man with a smile. He motioned to the chairs. "Have a seat, love. Let’s get reacquainted."
"Pyro," said Psylocke. She leaned against the wall and folded her arms. "And Diode and Maggott. I heard you three decided to stick together."
"We’re takin’ Hollywood by storm," said Maggott.
"We’ve been ridin’ the X-Corp wave of fame like a horny chick rides a washing machine," said Diode.
"How you been, Bets?" asked Pyro. He leaned back in his chair and placed his feet on the table. He reached for a pack of cigarettes on the table and offered it to her. Psylocke shook her head. Pyro placed one between his lips. "Been missin’ my thick Australian bacon?"
Psylocke rolled her eyes. "More like shrimp on the barbie."
Diode and Maggott stifled laughter and were met by an angry stare from their boss.
"Y’know, if the Hand isn’t paying too well, no need to worry—I think there’s room for you in my entourage," said Pyro as he lit the cigarette with a Zippo lighter.
"Entourage?" asked Psylocke.
"You haven’t heard? 20th Century Fox has optioned me book for a movie," said Pyro. "Jude Law is in talks to play me."
"Umm… but John, I thought you said…" began the actor.
"Ben, for the last time, you are not getting the part!" said Diode, turning and shouting in the actor’s face. "Now if you don’t shut up, I’m gonna take you onto the stage and do that thing you say you don’t like, but we all know you do!"
"…do I even want to know?" asked Psylocke.
"…she violated me in places I didn’t think I could be violated."
"Fuckin’ prude…" muttered Diode.
"I see you haven’t lost your charm, Roni," said Psylocke.
"Gotta get my kicks wherever I can find ‘em," said Diode. "By the way, I been meanin’ to ask you—how’s the benefits package working with the Hand? You on dental? Because Johnny’s been a cheap ass about that, an’ I got this tooth ache…"
A spark flew from Pyro’s cigarette and grew into a giant fireball inches from Diode’s face.
"What the crap?!"
"Quit bitchin’ about dental," said Pyro. "I told you, we gotta play the game for a bit. You’ll get on dental soon enough."
"…at least X-Corp had dental… maybe I should’ve stayed with Frost…"
"If you don’t mind, I’m on something of a time constraint," said Psylocke.
"What’s up? You told my boys at the front that this was important," said Pyro.
"It is," said Psylocke. "I could use your help—all of you. There’s been some massive disturbances on the Astral Plane and Moira’s Cerebro unit on Muir Isle has confirmed that there are several unusual mutant signatures popping up."
"What’s so unusual ‘bout ‘em?" asked Maggott.
"For starters, the signatures all belong to dead mutants," said Psylocke. "Specifically, mutants who were killed in the Hecatomb. Second, the signatures only flash briefly and all in bursts in the same area. So much so that we still haven’t been able to get a lock."
"Why are you telling us instead of Cyclops? This sounds like X-Men business, and we’re not X-Men anymore," said Pyro.
"I have my reasons for not going to Cyclops. Instead, I’m assembling some of our former teammates to tackle the problem. You’re the last ones I’ve contacted."
"Oooooh, a reunion! Who’s coming? Who’s bringing the chips? Who’s bringing the dip? Who’s bringing Pin-The-Nipple-On-The-Hooker?" asked Diode.
All eyes in the room regarded her with confusion.
"What? Don’t tell me you guys never played…"
Psylocke shook her head before she spoke. "To answer your first question, so far Rogue, Gambit, Bishop, Blink, Joseph and Vargas are onboard."
"Vargas? Oh bollocks…" muttered Pyro.
"He’s loyal and he’s provided me with a great deal of help in reaching all of you," said Psylocke. "He’s a changed man, trust me."
"Well, I’m not one to judge, not like I’ve got a rosy past myself," said Pyro. "This thing, how big are we talking?"
"The kind of ‘big’ that would make a great summer blockbuster," said Psylocke. This caused Pyro to lower his sunglasses, his interest obviously grabbed.
"Count me in," he said. "But with the team you got so far, doesn’t sound like you need all three of us."
"Wait, you mean I can’t go? Why can’t I go?" asked Diode.
"Because we’ve got that meeting with the producers tomorrow morning and if I can’t be there, I need you two to go in my place," said Pyro. "And remember, I don’t care what they say, I do not want Michael Bay setting foot near my movie!"
Over the past several months, this strip club in California has become quite the popular hot spot for the privileged and wealthy. Most of it due to the celebrity status of the club’s owner. A man who has worn many different hats in his time, from writer to terrorist to hero to businessman. He’s a man Elisabeth Braddock has had dealings with in the past, and one she had no desire to ever speak with again.
Unfortunately, she knew his skills were necessary. And try as she might, she could not argue with the fact that he was a very effective weapon. However, after her offer was turned down by both Quicksilver and Sabretooth, Psylocke was convinced he would reject her as well.
She sat at the bar, seemingly lost in thought. In reality, she concentrated on screening out the thoughts of the patrons of the establishment. Unlike Jean Grey, Psylocke put little effort into screening out the stray thoughts her telepathy picked up. She had no qualms about using her gifts to traipse about another person’s mind. But in a strip club, she found it necessary. Especially once some of the patrons began eyeballing her as well.
And when the stray thought did drift into her mind, it took a greater deal of concentration to prevent her from knocking some pervert’s teeth in.
"Ms. Braddock?"
Psylocke looked up. The man who spoke to her was a bouncer, dressed in a suit and a pair of sunglasses. "He’ll see you now," he said.
She stood from the bar and walked through the door the bouncer held open. Once she entered, the door closed behind her. The room she was in was dimly lit and clouded with smoke. And before her was a card table where a man with short, blond hair and sunglasses sat. He wore a dress shirt that was unbuttoned at the collar and he wore a leather jacket over it. Behind him stood three other individuals, all dressed in the height of fashion. One was a Latino woman with short, black hair and one was a tall African man. The third was a prominent actor who had become a frequent visitor to the club.
"Well, well, ain’t this a nice little reunion," said the blond man with a smile. He motioned to the chairs. "Have a seat, love. Let’s get reacquainted."
"Pyro," said Psylocke. She leaned against the wall and folded her arms. "And Diode and Maggott. I heard you three decided to stick together."
"We’re takin’ Hollywood by storm," said Maggott.
"We’ve been ridin’ the X-Corp wave of fame like a horny chick rides a washing machine," said Diode.
"How you been, Bets?" asked Pyro. He leaned back in his chair and placed his feet on the table. He reached for a pack of cigarettes on the table and offered it to her. Psylocke shook her head. Pyro placed one between his lips. "Been missin’ my thick Australian bacon?"
Psylocke rolled her eyes. "More like shrimp on the barbie."
Diode and Maggott stifled laughter and were met by an angry stare from their boss.
"Y’know, if the Hand isn’t paying too well, no need to worry—I think there’s room for you in my entourage," said Pyro as he lit the cigarette with a Zippo lighter.
"Entourage?" asked Psylocke.
"You haven’t heard? 20th Century Fox has optioned me book for a movie," said Pyro. "Jude Law is in talks to play me."
"Umm… but John, I thought you said…" began the actor.
"Ben, for the last time, you are not getting the part!" said Diode, turning and shouting in the actor’s face. "Now if you don’t shut up, I’m gonna take you onto the stage and do that thing you say you don’t like, but we all know you do!"
"…do I even want to know?" asked Psylocke.
"…she violated me in places I didn’t think I could be violated."
"Fuckin’ prude…" muttered Diode.
"I see you haven’t lost your charm, Roni," said Psylocke.
"Gotta get my kicks wherever I can find ‘em," said Diode. "By the way, I been meanin’ to ask you—how’s the benefits package working with the Hand? You on dental? Because Johnny’s been a cheap ass about that, an’ I got this tooth ache…"
A spark flew from Pyro’s cigarette and grew into a giant fireball inches from Diode’s face.
"What the crap?!"
"Quit bitchin’ about dental," said Pyro. "I told you, we gotta play the game for a bit. You’ll get on dental soon enough."
"…at least X-Corp had dental… maybe I should’ve stayed with Frost…"
"If you don’t mind, I’m on something of a time constraint," said Psylocke.
"What’s up? You told my boys at the front that this was important," said Pyro.
"It is," said Psylocke. "I could use your help—all of you. There’s been some massive disturbances on the Astral Plane and Moira’s Cerebro unit on Muir Isle has confirmed that there are several unusual mutant signatures popping up."
"What’s so unusual ‘bout ‘em?" asked Maggott.
"For starters, the signatures all belong to dead mutants," said Psylocke. "Specifically, mutants who were killed in the Hecatomb. Second, the signatures only flash briefly and all in bursts in the same area. So much so that we still haven’t been able to get a lock."
"Why are you telling us instead of Cyclops? This sounds like X-Men business, and we’re not X-Men anymore," said Pyro.
"I have my reasons for not going to Cyclops. Instead, I’m assembling some of our former teammates to tackle the problem. You’re the last ones I’ve contacted."
"Oooooh, a reunion! Who’s coming? Who’s bringing the chips? Who’s bringing the dip? Who’s bringing Pin-The-Nipple-On-The-Hooker?" asked Diode.
All eyes in the room regarded her with confusion.
"What? Don’t tell me you guys never played…"
Psylocke shook her head before she spoke. "To answer your first question, so far Rogue, Gambit, Bishop, Blink, Joseph and Vargas are onboard."
"Vargas? Oh bollocks…" muttered Pyro.
"He’s loyal and he’s provided me with a great deal of help in reaching all of you," said Psylocke. "He’s a changed man, trust me."
"Well, I’m not one to judge, not like I’ve got a rosy past myself," said Pyro. "This thing, how big are we talking?"
"The kind of ‘big’ that would make a great summer blockbuster," said Psylocke. This caused Pyro to lower his sunglasses, his interest obviously grabbed.
"Count me in," he said. "But with the team you got so far, doesn’t sound like you need all three of us."
"Wait, you mean I can’t go? Why can’t I go?" asked Diode.
"Because we’ve got that meeting with the producers tomorrow morning and if I can’t be there, I need you two to go in my place," said Pyro. "And remember, I don’t care what they say, I do not want Michael Bay setting foot near my movie!"
ECHOES OF THE PAST
Muir Isle
None of them expected to be among this particular grouping. But there they all were—Bishop, Gambit, Rogue, Blink, Vargas, Pyro, Proteus, and Psylocke herself. A motley crew to be sure, yet it was something that worked in the past for the team once called X-Men Omega. All of them seated at a round table, and in the table’s center, a holographic projection of the Earth rotated slowly. Several glowing dots were clearly visible.
"We all know why we’re here," said Psylocke. "Each of these dots represents a mutant signature recently catalogued by Cerebro. Every day, an x-gene activates in someone, but why these signatures are significant is because each of them belongs to a dead mutant."
"We got that part, chere. Let’s cut to the chase, n’cest pas?" said Gambit.
"This is causing a massive disturbance on the astral plane. I’ve had… premonitions. Something big is coming. And it’s up to us to stop it at the source. That’s why you originally brought us together, wasn’t it Bishop? Stopping threats before they turned into a full-blown crisis."
"Indeed," said Bishop. "It didn’t quite turn out that way, however."
"Now it can," said Psylocke. "We have to locate this source and stop it dead in its tracks."
"How do we know what the source is?" asked Blink.
"The signatures appear and then vanish just as quickly, barely giving Cerebro enough time to catalogue them," said Psylocke. "But if I’m linked to Cerebro, it will boost my telepathy and I just might be able to pinpoint the source before it vanishes again."
"So we charge in, kick some arse, and get back in time for Entertainment Tonight," said Pyro.
"Somethin’ tells me it won’t be that easy," said Rogue.
"Says you, love," said Pyro.
"Rogue’s right, whatever this is, it’s causing a disturbance not only in the astral plane, but also the Earth’s magnetosphere," said Proteus. "I can sense it. It’s not clear, but there’s definitely something not quite right."
"What about the Crimson Dawn?" asked Blink, glancing over her shoulder to Vargas.
The bodyguard shrugged. "Nothing."
"Which means it isn’t mystical," said Bishop.
"Good, I can’t stand that D&D shite," said Pyro. "
"Cerebro is still our best method," said Psylocke. "Clarice, I’m going to link my mind to you and Vargas. The instant I pinpoint something, the two of you will work in conjunction to transport us to the source." She stood and looked at the team she gathered. "Shall we?"
Pyro leaned back in his chair and began to rub his nipples through his red, button-down shirt. "To me, my X-Men!"
# # # # #
Seattle
The young woman who called herself Wicked awoke in an alley. She sat up and rubbed her throbbing head. Her memory was sketchy on recent events. Her body was exhausted, but she had no clue why.
It was night and near her was a homeless man warming himself by a fire in a trashcan. She stood, stumbling as she walked towards the street. Where was she? Who was she? It was getting difficult for her to remember even the simplest of things.
Instead, memories she never experienced washed over her mind. Bloodcurdling screams echoed in her head, the smell of charred and burning flesh stung her nostrils. It overwhelmed her and she collapsed in the middle of the street, crying out as she watched Phalanx-Sentinels swarm over other mutants, killing without mercy or quarter.
"’Scuse us, love."
She turned her head upwards and saw a man kneeling beside her. He wore a pair of black jeans and a leather jacket over a button-down, red shirt. His orange-tinted sunglasses were perched on the tip of his nose. Behind him were several other men and women. "We were wondering if you’ve seen any dead mutants around here?" he asked.
"Pyro…" said Psylocke.
"Relax Bets, it’s just some strung-out chick," said Pyro. "Hey, maybe I should offer her a part in my movie."
"No Pyro… she’s the source of the disturbance!"
"Eh?" Pyro looked back at Wicked and saw her eyes glowing brightly. Her body now hovered a few feet above the ground and she was surrounded with energy. "Oh rot…" he muttered as Wicked sent him flying.
"Watch yourselves, she’s a psionic!" said Bishop. He held a pump-action shotgun in his hands and opened fire. The shells flattened harmlessly against the psionic shield Wicked encased herself in.
"So are some of us," said Rogue. Some time ago, Apocalypse captured Rogue and transformed her into one of his Horsemen. And though his influence ended with his death, his manipulation of her genetic code left an imprint. Since that time, Rogue found herself able to summon the powers of anyone she previously absorbed in the past. The limitation was she could only manifest one person’s power set at a time. At this moment, she manifested the powerful psionic abilities of Rachel Summers.
A massive Phoenix avatar surrounded the Southern X-Man as she hovered in the air. She charged at Wicked, slashing with the avatars fiery talons, scarring the young woman’s already-damaged psyche.
"Back!" Wicked cried out and Rogue instantly found herself forced away. The psionic backlash caused by Wicked interrupted Rogue’s concentration, causing her to depower momentarily. When she tried to access Rachel’s powers once more, she made a startling discovery.
"She… she shut me down!" said Rogue. "I can’t access my powers!"
"Can’t have that," said Gambit. He held his bo-staff in one hand and several playing cards in the other. He charged them with kinetic energy, effectively transforming them into miniature bombs. "Whaddaya say, Bishop, mon frere? Ready to bust heads like we used to back in the good ol’ days?"
"Those days weren’t as good as you remember, LeBeau," said Bishop.
"I missed you too, bumpkin," said Gambit.
"Gambit wait!" said Rogue.
He ignored her, leaping towards Wicked. He hurled his cards but they had no effect. Bishop tackled her as hard as he could, absorbing the energy of her shield, weakening it so Gambit could move in, driving his staff into her solar plexus. She fell limp in Bishop’s arms.
"An’ that, mes amis, is how it’s done," said Gambit, twirling his staff before bringing it to rest across his shoulders.
"Dammit Cajun, y’ never listen!" said Rogue.
"Tell me somethin’ I don’t know, cherie," said Gambit with his ever-present smirk.
Bishop released Wicked and drew one of his handguns, taking aim at Gambit. Rogue pulled the Cajun away an instant before Bishop pulled the trigger. Wicked’s eyes opened, her psi-shield back up and her eyes crackling once more with raw energy.
"I tried to tell you, she’s too powerful!" said Rogue. "When I attacked her, I linked my mind with hers… an’ it’s like bein’ inside my mind, only ten times worse!"
Bishop rushed Vargas, who vanished into the shadows. He reemerged behind the SHIELD agent, driving the hilt of his sword against Bishop’s neck. Pyro surrounded Bishop in a ring of fire while Blink, Proteus and Psylocke focused their efforts on Wicked.
"You cannot stop me from completing my task," said Wicked, her voice far deeper than any would suspect.
"Who are you? What do you want?" asked Psylocke. A psionic butterfly appeared over her eyes as she tried to pierce through Wicked’s mind. Instead, psionic feedback assaulted her mind.
"I am Legion, for we are many."
Proteus extended his magnetic field, encasing both himself and Wicked in it, and in the process, he felt a pull. Wicked seemed to be drawing his true essence out of the body he inhabited. It was all Kevin MacTaggart could do to keep himself grounded.
Wicked pulled free from Proteus’ magnetic grip, and rocketed off into the distance. Proteus watched her leave in silence before he heard Blink’s voice calling out to him. He lowered himself to the ground where Blink helped Psylocke to her feet.
"What happened?" asked Blink.
"Psionic feedback," said Psylocke. "Whoever she is, she’s extremely powerful."
"Anyone else catch what she said?" asked Rogue. "’I am Legion, for we are many.’"
"It’s a Biblical verse," said Vargas.
"More than that," said Bishop. "Professor Xavier’s son called himself Legion because of his multiple personalities. He also came close to causing irreparable damage to the timestream."
"Thought he died?" asked Gambit.
"He did, but remember the readings Cerebro showed us," said Psylocke. "If this is David, we have to stop him before he makes things worse."
Blink noticed Proteus standing off to the side, seemingly staring off into space. She walked up to him and waved a hand in front of his face. "You okay?" she asked.
Proteus shook it off and smiled at her. "Something’s not right… When she left, she caused some sort of rupture… leaving a trail…"
"A trail to where?" asked Blink.
Proteus’ entire body flickered with energy and he shot off into space.
"Jose—!" she started to say the name she knew him by, but quickly caught herself. He couldn’t hear her anyway. At the speed he was traveling, he was already well out of earshot.
"He leave the oven on or something?" asked Pyro.
"He… he said something about the girl leaving some sort of trail… and then he just left," said Blink.
Psylocke closed her eyes, the butterfly appearing over her face. The avatar appeared over the other X-Men as well. "I think I have him. Vargas, can you latch onto his trail?"
Vargas nodded and the entire team melted into the shadows.
# # # # #
Proteus felt entranced. Once he snapped out of it, he took a moment to take stock of his new surroundings. Nothing but frigid tundra as far as the eye could see. Here, he felt a strong link to Earth’s magnetosphere, a connection he only felt once before.
"Antarctica…" he muttered. The place where Kevin MacTaggart was reborn into a cloned body of Magneto. "Why here? What is this?"
A black portal formed out of nothing in front of him. It grew wide, and slowly the X-Men came into the form as the darkness vanished into Vargas’ sword.
"What the hell was that all about?" asked Blink. "Why did you just run off?"
"I… don’t know," said Proteus. "For some reason, I was drawn here. I can’t explain it."
"Where exactly is here?" asked Pyro. He shivered and snapped his fingers, igniting the oxygen molecules around his body to keep him warm.
"Antarctica," said Bishop. His last memories of this place were far from pleasant. Gambit glanced at Rogue. His memories of Antarctica were even less pleasant. Rogue simply avoided the gaze of her former lover.
"So where is she?" asked Pyro. "An’ the first bloke who says we took a wrong turn at Albuquerque becomes the wood for me bonfire."
"She’s here," said Proteus. "I can sense her."
"How?" asked Psylocke. "I can’t sense anything. Rogue?"
"Every time I try to use any of the psychic powers I absorbed, I just keep gettin’ feedback," said Rogue.
"You’re connected to this somehow," said Blink, her eyes focused on Proteus. "Aren’t you?"
Proteus shook his head. "I don’t know…"
The ground quaked, causing the X-Men to brace themselves for any other tremors. A few aftershocks followed, light at first, then rising in frequency and intensity until they became full-blown tremors once more.
"What’s happening?" asked Bishop.
"Just a hunch, but I think that may have somethin’ t’ do with it," said Gambit. He pointed in the distance where Wicked hovered above the ground and rose her arms upward. As she did, something rose from beneath the snow-covered fields, a large structure none of the X-Men expected to see again.
"Bets, next time you need my help, you can get stuffed," said Pyro.
"Seconded," said Gambit.
"That citadel… it can’t be…" said Bishop. "It was destroyed…"
"No…" said Proteus. "We were wrong… it’s not Legion…"
None of them expected to be among this particular grouping. But there they all were—Bishop, Gambit, Rogue, Blink, Vargas, Pyro, Proteus, and Psylocke herself. A motley crew to be sure, yet it was something that worked in the past for the team once called X-Men Omega. All of them seated at a round table, and in the table’s center, a holographic projection of the Earth rotated slowly. Several glowing dots were clearly visible.
"We all know why we’re here," said Psylocke. "Each of these dots represents a mutant signature recently catalogued by Cerebro. Every day, an x-gene activates in someone, but why these signatures are significant is because each of them belongs to a dead mutant."
"We got that part, chere. Let’s cut to the chase, n’cest pas?" said Gambit.
"This is causing a massive disturbance on the astral plane. I’ve had… premonitions. Something big is coming. And it’s up to us to stop it at the source. That’s why you originally brought us together, wasn’t it Bishop? Stopping threats before they turned into a full-blown crisis."
"Indeed," said Bishop. "It didn’t quite turn out that way, however."
"Now it can," said Psylocke. "We have to locate this source and stop it dead in its tracks."
"How do we know what the source is?" asked Blink.
"The signatures appear and then vanish just as quickly, barely giving Cerebro enough time to catalogue them," said Psylocke. "But if I’m linked to Cerebro, it will boost my telepathy and I just might be able to pinpoint the source before it vanishes again."
"So we charge in, kick some arse, and get back in time for Entertainment Tonight," said Pyro.
"Somethin’ tells me it won’t be that easy," said Rogue.
"Says you, love," said Pyro.
"Rogue’s right, whatever this is, it’s causing a disturbance not only in the astral plane, but also the Earth’s magnetosphere," said Proteus. "I can sense it. It’s not clear, but there’s definitely something not quite right."
"What about the Crimson Dawn?" asked Blink, glancing over her shoulder to Vargas.
The bodyguard shrugged. "Nothing."
"Which means it isn’t mystical," said Bishop.
"Good, I can’t stand that D&D shite," said Pyro. "
"Cerebro is still our best method," said Psylocke. "Clarice, I’m going to link my mind to you and Vargas. The instant I pinpoint something, the two of you will work in conjunction to transport us to the source." She stood and looked at the team she gathered. "Shall we?"
Pyro leaned back in his chair and began to rub his nipples through his red, button-down shirt. "To me, my X-Men!"
# # # # #
Seattle
The young woman who called herself Wicked awoke in an alley. She sat up and rubbed her throbbing head. Her memory was sketchy on recent events. Her body was exhausted, but she had no clue why.
It was night and near her was a homeless man warming himself by a fire in a trashcan. She stood, stumbling as she walked towards the street. Where was she? Who was she? It was getting difficult for her to remember even the simplest of things.
Instead, memories she never experienced washed over her mind. Bloodcurdling screams echoed in her head, the smell of charred and burning flesh stung her nostrils. It overwhelmed her and she collapsed in the middle of the street, crying out as she watched Phalanx-Sentinels swarm over other mutants, killing without mercy or quarter.
"’Scuse us, love."
She turned her head upwards and saw a man kneeling beside her. He wore a pair of black jeans and a leather jacket over a button-down, red shirt. His orange-tinted sunglasses were perched on the tip of his nose. Behind him were several other men and women. "We were wondering if you’ve seen any dead mutants around here?" he asked.
"Pyro…" said Psylocke.
"Relax Bets, it’s just some strung-out chick," said Pyro. "Hey, maybe I should offer her a part in my movie."
"No Pyro… she’s the source of the disturbance!"
"Eh?" Pyro looked back at Wicked and saw her eyes glowing brightly. Her body now hovered a few feet above the ground and she was surrounded with energy. "Oh rot…" he muttered as Wicked sent him flying.
"Watch yourselves, she’s a psionic!" said Bishop. He held a pump-action shotgun in his hands and opened fire. The shells flattened harmlessly against the psionic shield Wicked encased herself in.
"So are some of us," said Rogue. Some time ago, Apocalypse captured Rogue and transformed her into one of his Horsemen. And though his influence ended with his death, his manipulation of her genetic code left an imprint. Since that time, Rogue found herself able to summon the powers of anyone she previously absorbed in the past. The limitation was she could only manifest one person’s power set at a time. At this moment, she manifested the powerful psionic abilities of Rachel Summers.
A massive Phoenix avatar surrounded the Southern X-Man as she hovered in the air. She charged at Wicked, slashing with the avatars fiery talons, scarring the young woman’s already-damaged psyche.
"Back!" Wicked cried out and Rogue instantly found herself forced away. The psionic backlash caused by Wicked interrupted Rogue’s concentration, causing her to depower momentarily. When she tried to access Rachel’s powers once more, she made a startling discovery.
"She… she shut me down!" said Rogue. "I can’t access my powers!"
"Can’t have that," said Gambit. He held his bo-staff in one hand and several playing cards in the other. He charged them with kinetic energy, effectively transforming them into miniature bombs. "Whaddaya say, Bishop, mon frere? Ready to bust heads like we used to back in the good ol’ days?"
"Those days weren’t as good as you remember, LeBeau," said Bishop.
"I missed you too, bumpkin," said Gambit.
"Gambit wait!" said Rogue.
He ignored her, leaping towards Wicked. He hurled his cards but they had no effect. Bishop tackled her as hard as he could, absorbing the energy of her shield, weakening it so Gambit could move in, driving his staff into her solar plexus. She fell limp in Bishop’s arms.
"An’ that, mes amis, is how it’s done," said Gambit, twirling his staff before bringing it to rest across his shoulders.
"Dammit Cajun, y’ never listen!" said Rogue.
"Tell me somethin’ I don’t know, cherie," said Gambit with his ever-present smirk.
Bishop released Wicked and drew one of his handguns, taking aim at Gambit. Rogue pulled the Cajun away an instant before Bishop pulled the trigger. Wicked’s eyes opened, her psi-shield back up and her eyes crackling once more with raw energy.
"I tried to tell you, she’s too powerful!" said Rogue. "When I attacked her, I linked my mind with hers… an’ it’s like bein’ inside my mind, only ten times worse!"
Bishop rushed Vargas, who vanished into the shadows. He reemerged behind the SHIELD agent, driving the hilt of his sword against Bishop’s neck. Pyro surrounded Bishop in a ring of fire while Blink, Proteus and Psylocke focused their efforts on Wicked.
"You cannot stop me from completing my task," said Wicked, her voice far deeper than any would suspect.
"Who are you? What do you want?" asked Psylocke. A psionic butterfly appeared over her eyes as she tried to pierce through Wicked’s mind. Instead, psionic feedback assaulted her mind.
"I am Legion, for we are many."
Proteus extended his magnetic field, encasing both himself and Wicked in it, and in the process, he felt a pull. Wicked seemed to be drawing his true essence out of the body he inhabited. It was all Kevin MacTaggart could do to keep himself grounded.
Wicked pulled free from Proteus’ magnetic grip, and rocketed off into the distance. Proteus watched her leave in silence before he heard Blink’s voice calling out to him. He lowered himself to the ground where Blink helped Psylocke to her feet.
"What happened?" asked Blink.
"Psionic feedback," said Psylocke. "Whoever she is, she’s extremely powerful."
"Anyone else catch what she said?" asked Rogue. "’I am Legion, for we are many.’"
"It’s a Biblical verse," said Vargas.
"More than that," said Bishop. "Professor Xavier’s son called himself Legion because of his multiple personalities. He also came close to causing irreparable damage to the timestream."
"Thought he died?" asked Gambit.
"He did, but remember the readings Cerebro showed us," said Psylocke. "If this is David, we have to stop him before he makes things worse."
Blink noticed Proteus standing off to the side, seemingly staring off into space. She walked up to him and waved a hand in front of his face. "You okay?" she asked.
Proteus shook it off and smiled at her. "Something’s not right… When she left, she caused some sort of rupture… leaving a trail…"
"A trail to where?" asked Blink.
Proteus’ entire body flickered with energy and he shot off into space.
"Jose—!" she started to say the name she knew him by, but quickly caught herself. He couldn’t hear her anyway. At the speed he was traveling, he was already well out of earshot.
"He leave the oven on or something?" asked Pyro.
"He… he said something about the girl leaving some sort of trail… and then he just left," said Blink.
Psylocke closed her eyes, the butterfly appearing over her face. The avatar appeared over the other X-Men as well. "I think I have him. Vargas, can you latch onto his trail?"
Vargas nodded and the entire team melted into the shadows.
# # # # #
Proteus felt entranced. Once he snapped out of it, he took a moment to take stock of his new surroundings. Nothing but frigid tundra as far as the eye could see. Here, he felt a strong link to Earth’s magnetosphere, a connection he only felt once before.
"Antarctica…" he muttered. The place where Kevin MacTaggart was reborn into a cloned body of Magneto. "Why here? What is this?"
A black portal formed out of nothing in front of him. It grew wide, and slowly the X-Men came into the form as the darkness vanished into Vargas’ sword.
"What the hell was that all about?" asked Blink. "Why did you just run off?"
"I… don’t know," said Proteus. "For some reason, I was drawn here. I can’t explain it."
"Where exactly is here?" asked Pyro. He shivered and snapped his fingers, igniting the oxygen molecules around his body to keep him warm.
"Antarctica," said Bishop. His last memories of this place were far from pleasant. Gambit glanced at Rogue. His memories of Antarctica were even less pleasant. Rogue simply avoided the gaze of her former lover.
"So where is she?" asked Pyro. "An’ the first bloke who says we took a wrong turn at Albuquerque becomes the wood for me bonfire."
"She’s here," said Proteus. "I can sense her."
"How?" asked Psylocke. "I can’t sense anything. Rogue?"
"Every time I try to use any of the psychic powers I absorbed, I just keep gettin’ feedback," said Rogue.
"You’re connected to this somehow," said Blink, her eyes focused on Proteus. "Aren’t you?"
Proteus shook his head. "I don’t know…"
The ground quaked, causing the X-Men to brace themselves for any other tremors. A few aftershocks followed, light at first, then rising in frequency and intensity until they became full-blown tremors once more.
"What’s happening?" asked Bishop.
"Just a hunch, but I think that may have somethin’ t’ do with it," said Gambit. He pointed in the distance where Wicked hovered above the ground and rose her arms upward. As she did, something rose from beneath the snow-covered fields, a large structure none of the X-Men expected to see again.
"Bets, next time you need my help, you can get stuffed," said Pyro.
"Seconded," said Gambit.
"That citadel… it can’t be…" said Bishop. "It was destroyed…"
"No…" said Proteus. "We were wrong… it’s not Legion…"