Xavier's Institute For Higher Learning
"Under arrest?! For what crimes has Cain here been accused of?" Charles Xavier asked as he motioned his Sh'iar hovercraft closer towards the Alpha Flight representatives. Merely moments before, the Canadian Super team had landed on the property of the Xavier Institute, much to the surprise of its X-Men occupants.
"Professor as you’re well aware, The Juggernaut has a long list of crimes throughout North America. We're here to apprehend him for an incident which occurred in our country a couple weeks back. There is reason to believe your step-brother has information regarding it." Walter Langowski said as he kept his gaze on the Juggernaut.
Flanked by his fellow Alpha Flight companions Guardian, Vindicator, and the elusive Puck, Langowski had assumed the role of spokesman for the team.
"That's bull, I got attacked up there, an' I ain't goin' back with you chumps less it's on my terms!" Cain said as he stood his ground, his eyes had already sized up his would be captors. Cain Marko had been a man on the run for a good portion of his adult life, but in recent times he had been undergoing a much needed change. No longer did he walk the Earth, trashing about in the name of Cyttorak. Marko had retired from crime, or at least was in the process of attempting to. Yet as he had discovered the hard way, a Champion of Cyttorak never quite escaped conflicts on their own accord.
"This isn't a compromise Marko, now you can either oblige nicely out of respect for the Professor's home here, and come with us, or we can do this the normal way." Langowski said with a hint of anxiousness.
"What do you think?" Cain's fists balled up in anticipation of a pre-empted strike from one of the Flight members.
"Cain please..." As he sensed the growing animosity of his step-brother, Charles had trusted that he would be able to leash his quick temper.
In the background of the gathered parties stood Emma Frost, along with her former Generation X pupil Chamber, and Dani Moonstar.
"Why are they all so quiet? I mean their body language is screaming inevitable fight here, just look at their faces." Dani said to her companions.
Having also noticed this rather peculiar visual, Emma Frost had already begun to enlist her own abilities to the situation at hand. To no success unfortunately. In her quest for a thorough account of Walter Langowski's claims, her telepathic probing had come to an abrupt road block.
{Charles, I cannot read their minds. They have been sealed from me, and something about them, almost as if there was nothing there at all.}
As the message was received by Xavier, he simply responded to his Co-Headmaster. {Yes, I to have discovered this. Their minds have been shielded for a reason, and we will not cooperate unless we come across some truths.}
His eyes remained intact on the respected Professor Langowski. A hero in his own right as the Sasquatch of Alpha Flight, the man was someone whom Xavier held in high regard.
"Walter, I'm sorry, but until you can give us proof of any wrong doing, then I'm afraid Cain here will be staying with us."
A look of disappointment seemed to manipulate the face of Langowski. Flight member Puck had also joined in on the talks, as Xavier's hesitancy to turn the Juggernaut over seemed to have sparked a newly vested interest in the short-heighten canuck.
"Guess it's on you'se then." he said as his knuckles cracked.
No stranger to confrontation, the X-Men gathered round their mentor as well as the Juggernaut, though they retained a passive neutral stance. The former White Queen Emma Frost however had already begun forming a defensive counter if the need arose.
[Monet...}
***
Outskirts of Chicago, Illinois
After the duo of Polaris and Domino had both landed on the ground via their own distinct means, the two had quickly set out on their path. Domino had managed to disengage from her parachute fairly quickly, while Polaris elegantly glided towards the ground via her own control of magnetism. Making their way through the wooded area near the city of Chicago, the two female X-Men had been making small talk amongst themselves as they sought their target.
"I see you took this chance to show off a new outfit huh?" Domino asked as she took the lead, her eyes marking over distinct trails that had been frequented recently.
"It's a new me. Only right that I compliment the change with a look." the green haired beauty responded. She kept her hands to her side as her fingers traced over the purple form fitting body suit she wore. It was outlined in gold and had a rather odd black cloak flowing from the back.
"Although I must say I'm curious to know, considering we haven't really worked together much in the past, how you became a tracker?" Lorna asked her teammate.
Domino smiled at the question, her eyes still focused on the ground before them.
"I'm not. Far from it actually, but hanging out with Caliban and Warpath, you tend to pick up some pointers. Besides Emma gave us the lead, and I let my own lucky intuition point us in the right direction." as Domino came to a stop, she held a hand up to her face as she stood pensive.
"The perks of working closely with a telepath I imagine. A trick you picked up from Cable?" Lorna asked as she tried to follow Domino's gaze to no avail.
"Something like that." the pale former mercenary responded in short.
"Umm, that way." Pointing east of the two, Domino looked as if she herself needed convincing.
"That way, how can you be sure?" Lorna questioned.
"Lucky guess. Well that, and I caught a glimpse of a bright light, possibly a flare."
"Oh, of course." The two exchanged grins before moving forward down their path.
***
Nearby the two X-Men was a mutant whom was unsure exactly where he was. All he knew was that he needed to get away, and that his mind was not as it was meant to be. Having come to a halt after rushing though the dense underbrush, the mutant in question stared at his arms. His entire body was sealed in a containment suit, as immense energy seemed to leak simply through the oxygen he exhaled through his body.
He had escaped from a facility some miles away earlier, with no memory of how he was brought there to begin with. Fueled with a desire to seize freedom, and an urge to deliver death, he rampaged through his place of imprisonment before finding himself amongst civilization.
A meeting which ended rather bitterly for the outcast. In an act of mistrust and violence, the escaped prisoner took his wrath out a gathering of innocent humans. As tragic as the action may have been, he received a sense of...satisfaction from his doings. He had even got a refreshing rush from the deaths of others, replenishing his abilities in the process. As if murder was something which he had been doing his whole life, and though he was at a lost to recollect just what type of life this may have been beforehand, it was his intention of seeking out some clues to his past. So far all he could remember was a name, or at the least, a phrase which stood out.
Nemesis.
It hinted at sinister intentions, but the amnesiac felt it had a ring to it. At the very least it gave him a sense of identity.
Paused in his own thoughts for longer than he had intended to, Nemesis heard rustlings of people headed his way. Putting himself into a state of attack, he waited for his prey to show themselves before he pounced. It was the way of the hunter.
***
Xavier's Institute
"We did not come here to fight." Langowski said as he held his hands up in a peaceful motion.
"Yes, but the battle armor tells a different story." Emma said as her eyes traced over the silent Flight members once more. It was killing her being unable to read their thoughts, and only added to her mistrust for the team. The Juggernaut was far from an X-Man, but as long as Charles Xavier welcomed him as a guest in their home, he would be rewarded the same respect as the rest of them.
"It's a precaution. You do not need me to tell you of the Juggernaut's past." Langowski responded, though his words were merely to cover the advances the woman known as Heather Hudson had been making. The female Alpha Flight member also known as Vindicator had begun to stray from her companions in the talks, her sights dead set on Cain Marko.
After assuring herself that she had a clear opening shot, she made an attempt to strike out against the Juggernaut, with the confidence that her teammates would keep her covered. She managed to get off a quick electromagnetic pulse blast, but it missed the head of Cain Marko by mere inches as Vindicator found herself being side winded by an incoming person.
"Cheap shots though? So not fair." said a newly arrived Monet St. Croix as she used her flight propelled momentum to lift Vindicator into the air, before she tossed the woman back to the ground.
Appalled at the attack from the Flight, Charles Xavier watched as the other Canadian heroes all fell in line behind their appointed leader Langowski.
"So much for the requests. Puck!"
"On it!" the dwarf man responded to Langowski as he vaulted over the tall man from behind to deliver a drop kick aimed squarely in the chest of the Juggernaut himself. Despite his obvious height disadvantage, Puck was easily one of the more heavy handed members of Alpha Flight. His super-strength and invulnerability made up for his lack of size, though the short tempered canuck rarely saw a mismatch himself.
"X-Men take them down, now." Emma ordered as Chamber and Moonstar also took offensive stances.
"Emma surely,"
"I'm sorry Charles, but I the act of inaction is not a lesson I remember teaching my students. We are not the aggressors, but we will hold our ground." Frost said in a cool, calm, and collected tone which would have made Xavier smile were there not a battle erupting on his front lawn.
The Juggernaut had staggered back from Puck's kick, and as he regained his composure to return the favor, he found himself being completely leveled this time, as the frame of Walter Langowski, now in his Sasquatch guise loomed over him.
"Stay down." he growled.
"Make me." Cain shot back as he brought himself up to tackle the Alpha Flight spokesman.
***
*Sniff.*
*Sniff.*
"Lorna and Dom, went east." Wolverine stated as he made his way through the wooded outskirts with fellow X-Men Jamie Madrox and Bobby Drake the Iceman in tow.
"So says everyone's favorite bloodhound." Iceman chuckled to an unimpressed Wolverine.
"Hey Drake, you tryna' take three in the chest today?" Logan asked as he continued to lead the way.
"Not particularly. Especially when you consider this is a recon mission." Drake responded a bit more humbled in his tone.
"Then shut it."
The three of them were all dressed in relatively new uniforms for all of them. The X-Men had taken to a less heroic look, as the team colors were now black and gold. All of them had placed their own unique touches to their individual costumes, but a majority had opted for the sleek new look. The most surprising would have to of been Wolverine, whom had abandoned the mask he was so closely identified with over the years.
"Think I Should start dupin' it up? Give whoever we're looking for the impression that we're here in force." Madrox asked as he followed the leader.
"Best not to play our hand just yet. See what we're up against first." Wolverine said as he suddenly stopped in his tracks, extending both arms to stop his companions.
"The girls are close, but they ain't alone."
"Caught a whiff of something familiar?" Bobby asked as his eyes looked around as if expecting to see something that wasn't there.
"I'm..not sure."
***
As Polaris and Domino continued on their trail, the two had brought an end to the small talk they had started. They found it had only increased feelings of nervousness, and both took comfort in knowing that the other was as experienced as them. Of course both had walked different paths in life, but from what they knew of each other, neither could ever be counted out of a fight.
"I think this is where I saw the light, or at least as close as I can make." Domino said as she finally broke the silence, as the pair came to yet another halt.
Deciding it best to listen and observe, Polaris looked around as she became frustrated at their find. They were walking into this blind, with only the knowledge that there was possibly some high level mutant threat in the near area. Almost at the point of resignation, a chance shimmer seen out the corner of her eye made Polaris shout in warning.
"Domino behind you!" but the warning was to late as the streak of energy roared towards the two. It was the timely intervention of Polaris erecting a magnetic barrier before them which kept the two from being burned by the ensuing blast.
Drawing the laser cannon which was mounted on her back, Domino set her sights on her would be attacker as Polaris flared up, surrounding herself with an aura of green magnetism.
"Next time I'll aim to kill!" the mutant Nemesis shouted as he charged the two X-Men firing off another bio blast at them.
Able to dodge the second attack, Domino stared down the familiar figure as it flayed it's arms about as it tried to hit the both of them.
"Holocaust?" Domino uttered with a false sense of certainty.
"Know this thing?" Polaris said as she began to fight back countering with her own concentrated blasts at their foe.
"Only by association. That Nate Grey kid had a pretty big fight with him sometime before he first met Cable. Heard this guy was tough." Domino said as she started firing consecutive blasts from her weapon. The blasts hit their mark, but the lasers seemed to only be infuriating Nemesis as he took the attacks in stride. Lorna's own efforts seemed to merely be delaying the inevitable as well.
"I don't know who the hell you people are, but I'm not going back!" Nemesis shouted, unleashing a flurry of energy which forced Domino and Polaris to fall back from their advances. Hitting the ground, Domino reached for her communicator, only to find disappointment. The comm-link had dismantled upon her landing on it on the ground.
"Aw shit, looks like we're gonna have to hold out a bit longer here Dane." Domino stated, hiding any sign of nervousness. She knew that she was out of her league here, and unless Lorna started assuming her role as the Mistress of Magnetism, this was not going to end well for them.
"No, you die now." Nemesis said before feeling a sharp pain extending across his back.
Staggering forward, three slashes could be seen on the back of Nemesis as Wolverine had left his signature on the back of the mutant.
"Nice set up, now let's knock him down." Iceman said as he was now glazed over in his ice form encasing the attacker in a block of ice thanks to Wolverine's timely opportunity.
As Madrox helped up Domino he shook his head at the sight of the immobile Holocaust.
"Way to easy." he said with an unknowing look.
"You would say that." Domino muttered as she stared at the mutant which moments ago had made a move to incinerate her.
"Whatever it was, consider this one mutant terrorist back on the shelf. Let's say we phone this home, and see if we can use the lava lamp." Iceman said as he continued to pour on the ice.
"This guy give any reason why the hell he was out here to begin with?" Wolverine asked Polaris and Domino.
"Didn't really get a chance to talk, given the whole firework display he started to put on." Polaris responded.
"We'll let the Professor decide what to do with him then. Obviously nothing that the local authorities could handle." Wolverine grunted. He had expected much more of a challenge, but the relative ease he had at this made him wonder his actual role. Was there even a challenge for him anymore, and if there wasn't, why was he still hanging around these kids?
Not one to express his own insecurities, Logan simply glanced over his teammates, as that question still lingered in his mind.
***
Xavier's Institute
As the Battle for Xavier's raged on, the assembled X-Men had no real reasons for entertaining the fight, other than the fact that this crew of Alpha Flight was not wanted on their premises.
In the air above, M was setting herself up for another confrontation with the Vindicator. As she flew in her direction, the Alpha Flight woman was more than prepared this time around.
"Not this time honey." Vindicator said as she fired an energy blast at the offensively exposed Monet forcing her to steer off course. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Vindicator followed through with a punch to M's jaw. Despite being invulnerable, M was reluctant to admit that she actually felt the punch, but countered by attacking Vindicator's mid-section.
As the more experienced of the two, Heather Hudson refused to be ousted by the girl. Activating her suit's electro-magnetic field, she expelled it outward blowing M through the air away from her.
On the ground below Vindicator's husband the Guardian had engaged the mutant Chamber in combat. Having considered this to be a mismatch on the part of the Gen X alumni, Guardian fired blast after blast at the youth. These were not the X-Men they had expected, but seemed to be far more susceptible to defeat. As he maintained the upper hand, he ignored the approaching Dani Moonstar as she decided to deploy her own powers against him. Seeking to bring to life the nightmares of one James MacDonald Hudson, it was to her dismay that her efforts were futile.
"Why aren't my powers working?" she asked herself aloud, giving her sneak attack away. Lashing out with a flick of his hand, the male Hudson fired an energy bolt into the body of Danielle Moonstar.
Seizing the chance moment, Chamber fired back at the sometime Alpha Flight leader, driving the man off his feet with a well connected bio blast which erupted from where his chest used to be.
The British mutant did not particularly enjoy that this fight was happening all on account of the Juggernaut, but as far as he was concerned none of the Flight members made any attempts at a peaceful resolution. Add that to the fact that they fired the first shot, and Chamber was officially in it to win.
{Anyone with an actual attack strategy, or this a straight free-for-all?} the telepathic Chamber asked his teammates as he continued his assault against Guardian.
{Charles, I can't touch any of their minds except for..} Emma's thoughts trail off as she looked over towards Walter Langowski. There were obvious differences between the minds of the Four Alpha Flight members, and Miss Frost wanted to know exactly why.
***
As Sasquatch and the still vulnerable Cain Marko tussled, it was obvious that Langowski had the upper hand. Marko was being pummeled across the lawn, as Sasquatch delivered blow after blow, bruising the exposed face of Marko.
Grabbing Cain by the waist, Sasquatch then proceeded to toss oversized man's body away from him with relative ease. Though Langowski was strong by his own right, this effortless display of strength was relatively new for the man.
"Could have all been easy Marko." he said as he slowly walked over to the fallen body of his victim, only to be stopped dead in his tracks. The combined might of both Emma Frost and Charles Xavier had cracked the stronghold placed in Langowski's mind, and the pressure had been applied.
{Your thoughts are still shielded, but at least we can hit you where it hurts my dear sir.} Emma told him telepathically as she searched for the pain sensors of his mind, to numb the man into submission.
A roar exhaled from the mouth of Langowski as he screamed in pain, but Emma's own efforts were soon complimented. With the pressure off of him for the merest of seconds, Cain Marko had made his own transformation, as he now bore the crimson armor of Cyttorak. At last would he exact his revenge, as The Unstoppable Juggernaut!
Making a bee line for the stunned Sasquatch, the Juggernaut easily knocked away an intervening Puck with a side swipe that sent the dwarf into the side and through the Alpha Flight jet. Cocking back his right arm, he brought it forward as his fist smashed into the face of Sasquatch, bringing the beast-man down to his knees.
"Thought you could make a joke of me did ya'!" Juggernaut shouted as he dragged his adversary up by the neck before barreling down on him once more.
"Cain, you mustn’t hurt him!" Xavier shouted to deaf ears. As far as the Juggernaut was concerned, the peace talks were over the minute he put on his armor.
With Puck temporarily down, Emma sought to the fallen Moonstar. She appeared to be well, just a bit shaken up from Guardian's attack.
With her secure, the attention returned back to Chamber and Guardian himself. The two went at each other head on, as the Alpha Flight leader showed signs of vulnerability. As Chamber had begun firing a mix of blasts and well aimed hits, Guardian was much more sluggish in his response. Almost as if his next action was no longer certain, yet refused to relent in his attacks.
{It's obvious neither of us wants this mate, so let's call it a truce before it escalates huh?} Chamber asked despite knowing the answer. Strangely enough, Guardian remained silent, as spear-tackled the British mutant to the ground. With nothing but his own kinetic energy separating the two as his back was on the ground, Chamber saw no other option than to let loose.
{Biggest bloody mistake of your life.} The air between the two was disappeared as Chamber
fired a fully charged bio kinetic blast into the face of the Canadian hero, knocking him off the young mutant, clutching at his scarred face.
The blast had burned through the mask of James Hudson, but the intensity of the attack had done even more. As Chamber brought himself up, his eyes ignited in shock at the aftermath of his decision. The face of James Hudson had not only been partially burned through, but beneath the singed flesh there was revealed metal composing his skeletal structure.
{The bloody hell, they're not even human!}
***
Chicago Outskirts
The X-Men had become complacent, as they relished in the fact that their opponent had been so easily subdued. Angered at the arrogance of the mutants, Nemesis sought to make them pay. Despite the ice barrier Iceman had erected around him, with a single act of his will Nemesis exploded from the frozen cage, sending the debris flying all around.
"You fools mock me!" Nemesis spat as he lit up the ground before him, forcing some of the X-Men to pull back.
"Hit him hard!" Wolverine commanded as he leaped across the blast claws extended and out. Nemesis had felt pain from the last attack, so once he caught sight of Wolverine's weapons he hesitated in attacking him hands on. Opting to keep a safe distance between him, he caught the feral mutant in his crossfire as his attacks burned him from the inside out.
A rare scream escaped the mouth of Wolverine as he doubled back in pain, before being relieved by a volley of shots that hit Nemesis. Polaris had taken to the skies surrounding Nemesis in a magnetic flare, while Iceman sent a flurry of ice blasts into the body of the mutant. Domino resumed her own cannon strikes, hitting precise weak points hoping to draw a crack in the armor which protected him.
Unable to contribute much aside from a support system, Madrox had created two dupes to help attack the cut back of Nemesis.
"So much for early celebrations." the original said as he wondered what it would take to down this thing.
"Enough!"
The command came from nowhere, as the unexpected voice caused all to pause in their moves.
Lunging into the open area, a white garbed man with a ski mask took the element of surprise to shoot at his designated targets. Iceman caught large dart in the chest, which pierced into his chest effortlessly. Acting quickly, the mystery stranger repeated by shooting the airborne Polaris.
Taking the brief pain the oversized dart had caused, Polaris was shocked to discover that she was now falling back towards the ground as her powers gave out on her.
"Lorna!" Madrox rushed to her as he passed by Iceman whose own abilities seemed to have disappeared, as he was now back in his human appearance.
"Hey, what gives!" Bobby said in shock. The stranger then aimed at Nemesis, before stopping dead in his tracks. A familiar click had sounded in the back of his head, as Domino had managed to evade any attention and now had her gun set on the new combatant. A quick glimpse at Wolverine told her that he was healing up, probably waiting for his next opportunity, but Nemesis had paused, almost as if the white masked man intrigued him.
"Who the hell are you, and what the fuck did you do to them?" Domino demanded to know.
"Well luv, the name is,"
"Fantomex!" Nemesis spoke. His eyes rested on the man as if he was in reflection.
"I remember now, you..abducted me. Placed me in that program, and tried to enslave me." Nemesis said as if he was still piecing things together.
"Oh great, now he's starting to remember, thanks for holding me up luv'." Fantomex spat at the still threatening Domino.
"Yes, I remember now. I remember everything you did to me. And for that, you will die for I am the son of Apocalypse!"
"Here he goes, we've done it now." Fantomex sighed at the sudden revelation.
"So says, the Holocaust!" Nemesis declared as his containment suit glowed with energy, as he charged up to attack.
Though in a rather awkward position, Fantomex failed to acknowledge the urgency of this situation.
"Ouch, this might hurt."
***
To Be Continued...
Next Issue- A faux Alpha Flight? While the Xavier Institute deals with the results of that revelation, the rest of the X-Men are at the mercy of a recovered Holocaust? And what does any of this have to do with the guy called Fantomex? The answer to this, only in Part 3 of 'Wanted'.