X-Men Fan Fiction ❯ Origins ❯ Chapter 31

I’m not sure if anyone is still waiting on this story, since it’s been a while. My apologies that it has taken so long for this chapter to come about. Real life has been hectic. And, I’ve had a hard time wanting to sit down to write. I had actually considered adding more to this chapter, but figured that the point it stops is fairly decent, perhaps slightly cliff-hangerish (though not much). There is only one chapter left to this story (the climax) – unless it tends to be too long and has to be split. I’ve already planned the scenes in my mind how to end the fic, it’s just a matter of getting it written.

See all notes, disclaimers, and warnings in chapter 1

Warnings #2: No beta for this chapter, so all mistakes are my fault and/or the fault of MS Word spellchecker.

Words between / / are thoughts or mental speak
Words between * * are flashbacks
Words between ~ ~ are lyrics to any songs that may be used in the fic

Ch 31

There was a steady drip that echoed around the underground lab, as if water droplets were falling from stalactites into a shallow pool deep within a cave. Scott roused slowly to the sound, unable to pinpoint the exact cause of the noise. As consciousness grew, so did all his body’s aches and pains. It took a minute to categorize all his injuries and recall how he received them; a head wound seemed to be the biggest and most worrisome of all the aches. It was possible he had a concussion; at least the fuzzy thoughts in his brain seemed to point to such. He groaned as he pushed himself off the floor, only to sway fiercely and drop back to his knees with his head hanging low and one hand resting on his thighs as the other came up to probe the wound at his temple. In that moment, he realized that he no longer wore his protective visor.

“Scott?” Xavier queried from where he sat against the wall.

“My…” Scott rubbed his eyes, unable to grasp the loss of the one piece of technology that gave him control over his powers.

“Yes, I know.” Xavier sympathized. “But, you don’t have to worry. We appear to be within a dampening field that has blocked our powers.” The older man’s brow drew together in concern. He couldn’t get to Scott to assess the damage. “Are you ok?”

Breathing sharply through his nose to control the nausea, Scott slowly raised his head to look at his mentor. “I’ve been better. What happened?” It was then that he gingerly turned his head to take in their surroundings. Both he and the Professor were in some kind of cell, the walls of which appeared to be energy. Beyond the barrier, there appeared to be a lab with all sorts of equipment lining walls, or adorning shelves. It was cluttered, yet organized simultaneously. “What is this place?”

Xavier was momentarily mesmerized, at the glimpse of the beautiful hazel eyes he had never known Scott had, before he answered. “I had planned to tell you all just before we were attacked. It appears things did not go as planned.” The older man’s gaze shifted in another direction.

Scott turned to look at the telepath, wincing slightly at the pain in his head. But, Xavier had his eyes fixed on something behind Scott. When the team leader managed to shift his body to see what was there, he gasped at the mutant hanging in chains from the ceiling. “Gambit!”

Gambit swung tortured eyes to blink at him before turning to stare at whatever had captured his attention. When Cyclops followed the Cajun’s line of sight and saw his wife lying on an operating table, he felt his heart clench painfully. “JEAN!” He yelled and jumped to his feet, only to cry out at the overwhelming hurt radiating from his skull.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk” A disembodied voice scolded before a demon emerged from the shadows. “You really must not overdo it, young Summers.”

Scott stifled a whimper that threatened to escape his throat and turned an angry glare in the direction of their captor. “Who the hell are you?”

Sinister stepped up to the force field and peered inside. “My name is Nathaniel Essex. I am a doctor by profession, and a scientist by choice. Some call me Sinister.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment. “Though I really don’t understand why.” Essex took another moment, then shrugged as if it mattered not.

“Why have you taken us prisoner? Why are you keeping us here, Dr. Essex?” Xavier demanded.

“All in good time, my dear professor. All in good time.” Essex looked critically at the force field before nodding as if satisfied. “As I’m sure you are already aware, this field is an inhibitor that keeps your powers curtailed for the moment.” He smiled evilly at Xavier. “Can’t have you mentally interfering with my procedures, now can I.”

He lost some of his smile when Scott suddenly rushed the electrical wall, stopping just shy of touching it. “Release us now!”

The move was meant to intimidate, and for a moment, Essex thought he might have flinched at the unexpected action. Composing himself, he stared down his nose at the other mutant that was almost the same height. “No.” he said succinctly.

There was a need to dispel some of Scott’s anger, before it got out of hand and possibly caused them both harm. Xavier called out softly to his younger charge. “Scott, help me to the cot, please.” He had been sitting on the floor since waking in this place, and the cold had seeped into his bones, chilling him. Another moment or two of tension between the men before Scott finally relented and moved to Xavier’s side. He was still dizzy and weak from his own ordeal, so it was an exercise in frustration and teamwork to maneuver the handicapped professor to the end of one of the makeshift beds that had been setup within their prison.

Essex moved away from the cell and floated by the table on which Jean lay, pausing for a moment to assess her physical condition. Amused red eyes turned towards the cell when Sinister heard the mighty Cyclops rush the front of the cell and growl in warning. “She is very lovely, as fine a specimen as you. I imagine your children will be simply stunning.”

“Get the hell away from her, you bastard.” Scott snarled, briefly touching the energy wall with his hand, but jerking back and hissing in pain at the contact.

The scientist frowned at the boy. “I wouldn’t do that too often, if I were you. It might damage you, and that would not make me very happy.” He turned to completely face the cell, standing at his full height while placing one menacing hand on Jean’s swollen belly as he warned. “And you do not want to make me unhappy.”

It didn’t take long for the implication to register, and Scott subsided. Turning, he made his way over to stand next to the professor. Xavier’s presence helped him to regain his composure, and he needed to remain calm if he hoped to find a way out of this prison for all of them. Seeing that Cyclops had settled, Essex shifted his attention to his servant, staring appreciatively at the Cajun where he hung in abject misery. “Well, Remy, I see that your mission was successful.”

Scott hissed. “What the hell are you talking about?” He turned cold, hard eyes toward Gambit, who in turned glared back at the scientist. Gambit refused to say anything; neither confirming nor denying what his master said.

“Oh come now, Summers. I know you have more intelligence that this.” Essex glided smoothly over to his servant, amusement in his tone as he watched the Cajun’s defiance. “But, of course, this boy works for me. How else do you think I was able to obtain the necessary information to infiltrate your security and whisk away three of the most powerful mutants in the world?” The smirk that appeared on that lecherous mouth was pure smugness as he regarded the boy’s reactions. What he did not expect were the soft words from the older telepath.

“I know what you are trying to do, Dr. Essex. But, it won’t work. Remy has already told us the truth.” Xavier met both Scott’s confused gaze, as well as Sinister’s incredulous one with a confidence that clearly indicated the truth and belief of his words. It took a moment for the doctor to wrap his brilliant mind around that fact. The fact that his pet had actually defied him so much was an unpleasant variable in the dynamics of their relationship. The scientist was clearly unhappy at the prospect of the boy seeking a way to escape him, though Essex couldn’t convince himself to actually be surprised by this turn of events. Still, it didn’t matter, and worked to his favor, as he now had the three X-men in his possession in addition to the return of his wayward slave. And soon, he would have the ultimate prize in the form of the two infant children he would take from the girl’s womb.

“I see that LeBeau has been busy in his time with the X-men.” Gambit couldn’t help but flinch at the evil glint in his master’s eye. He couldn’t look at the Professor or Scott, and stared helplessly straight ahead in a futile attempt to ignore the scientist. “But tell me, Xavier, how much did the boy actually tell you? Have you worked out all the pieces of the puzzle known as Gambit, I wonder?” Essex watched his captives for a moment, before he smiled and continued confidently. “No. You are no closer to the truth, than you are to your illusory dreams of mutant equality. If you were, you most definitely would have treated the boy differently.”

Essex regarded the Cajun. “Perhaps it is time I tell you what is so special about this mutant.” He moved closer to the boy as he began to speak. “As a doctor, I have the ability to access and decipher all of the medical databanks that exist. You can imagine my glee at finding readily available mutant blood samples from blood banks around the world; such an easily accessible supply.” Essex sneered at the two in their energy cage. “All of you X-men are so conveniently noble when it comes to donating blood when a crisis arises.”

One pale white hand moved tenderly, almost reverently, over the swells and valleys of the Cajun’s chest; sharp nails scraping thin red lines at various points as he purposely drew his captives’ attention to the prize hanging before him. “It was a testament to my brilliance that I achieved my ultimate goal. By combining the DNA strands of two of the world’s greatest telepaths – one, I might add, having the abilities of telekinesis as well...” he briefly glanced in Jean’s direction before turning his burning red eyes back to the creation before him. “…adding in the elements of an energy wielder as powerful as the mighty Cyclops, and my own glorious genes, I have produced the rarest creature of all.” He continued to stare lovingly at the boy. Remy could only squeeze his eyes together tightly and turn his face into his arm, unable to avoid his master’s touch from his confined position.

“An empath.” Xavier stated as he watched the doctor’s fingers trail over the boy’s ribs.

Essex turned toward Xavier and blinked once before throwing his head back to emit a guttural laugh full of amusement. Sharp, pointed teeth gleamed in the overhead lights of the lab as his hearty guffaws filled the room, sending a shiver down Xavier’s spine as his lips pressed together in a thin line. It was obvious the scientist was insane, and mocking them. Finally, the laughter ceased and Sinister turned his jagged teeth smile towards the telepath. “Well, there is that, too. The world of an empath is a vicious cycle where emotion fuels even greater emotion, the flames fanning higher exponentially until the weight of it all crushes the source of that fuel, killing the one yielding the talent. Yes, an empath is quite rare.” His smile turned cruel before he made his next statement. “And of no use to anyone. They are weak, dying or turning insane before they reach puberty. Most of them commit suicide.” He turned back to the Cajun and grabbed the auburn hair in one fist, yanking the boy’s head so that he once again faced his master. “As intriguing as that is, I have no interest in such a mutant power. It serves nothing in my purpose and deserves to be culled from the mutant populace. No, if that was Remy’s only gift, I would not have wasted my time helping him block it. Instead, I would have observed his demise much as I observe the reactions of one of my test animals to a new chemical.”

Running a cold tongue along the side of Remy’s face, Sinister smirked at the disgust in his pet’s eyes. He didn’t bother to give any attention to the other three captives though his words were directed at the Professor. “Ah, Xavier. How poignant that you would fail to see the true potential of this boy. He is more powerful that all of your children combined.”

“And what makes him so rare and powerful, Essex?” Scott hissed, ready for the man to get to the point he obviously wanted to make.

Sinister turned his gaze on the energy wielder standing next to the Professor, noting the possessive hand Scott held on the older man’s shoulder. Eerie red eyes glowed brilliantly for a moment as Essex dropped all pretense of good nature and bared his teeth at them. “It’s quite simple, young Summers. At full power, Remy can destroy the world with but a thought.” With that, he released his hold on the Cajun, sending the boy’s body swinging as he turned and left the lab.

There was nothing but silence in the wake of Essex’s departure. The three men regarded each other as their faces reflected varying degrees of emotion; one with anger and betrayal, one with regret and resignation, one with understanding and sadness. But it was the soft words from the mutant lying on the examining table that startled them all to look in her direction with concern. “All my life,” she began, “I have hated this gift that made me different. I just wanted it to be gone, so I could live normally like everyone else.” Her eyes fluttered open to stare at the ceiling, as one hand slowly rose to gently touch the collar around her neck. “And now that my powers are denied me, I have never missed something more in my life.” She turned her verdant eyes toward the Cajun, challenging him to answer her earnestly. “Did you betray us, Gambit? Did you betray my children?”

Devil red is what his eyes had always been called. The white devil was the name given to him in his youth; a name deserving of a lying thief. Those same red eyes, that always caused him grief, now begged for Jean to see the truth of his words. “In de beginning.” he rasped, throat gone dry and harsh from hours of screaming, “Mas de longer I stay wit’ you, de more I see you not what Remy been told. You bien folk.” Ruby eyes glittered with emotion. “Didn’ know mon maître was after you and de babies. Never wanted to hurt anyone, especially de bebs, chere.”

While she studied him, her head groggy from the receding effects of the drugs, she heard the Professor. “He told me his mission was to steal genetic data from our databanks, and that was all. When he told me this, our plan was to have Remy given him falsified information.”

“Then how did Sinister know the coordinates to penetrate our security. He had to have gotten that from Gambit, just as he said.” Scott fumed, angry beyond words at their current predicament and the perceived betrayal by a fellow team mate.

But again, it was Jean who spoke, turning her head to try and see her husband. The attempt was futile, as he was out of her line of sight. “Look at him, Scott. Really see him. Does Remy look like he gave up that kind of information so willingly?” She turned back to regard the bruised and battered Cajun. “You called him your master, yet you chose to try and defy him by giving him false data. And then you obviously fought him when he tried to gain the information that allowed him to break into the mansion. No one is truly a slave, whose will is free.” Sighing heavily, Jean finally closed her eyes and began to drift towards unconsciousness once again.

*********

Logan prowled back and forth across the room while Hank fiddled with the computer system. They had played the tape many times since their team mates had been kidnapped, and were no closer to learning where they might have been taken. It was enough to make his eyes flash yellow as his feral nature threatened to take over. “Why the hell can’t you find the location? And where the hell are the others? They should be here by now.”

Hank frowned, pinching the bridge of his nose through two massive fingers. “I told you, Logan. Storm, Bobby, and Rogue are still with the children, moving them to the secondary safe house. They should return once some of the other instructors have arrived to take over the watch, along with Betsy and Warren who are coming in from the city. As for our missing comrades, the computer was not capable of calculating the starting point of the vortex. It’s not something our systems have ever seen before, and…”

But the older man cut him off. “Then what good is the damn thing?” He stopped and proceeded to punch another hole in the wall beside the larger opening that he and the big blue doctor had created when they were blasted. “Shit!”

All the good doctor could do was sigh heavily. “That’s not really helping, my friend.” Henry completely missed the scowl that the older man cast his way as he began muttering to himself once again. “Now, where was I? Oh yes. If I can calculate the diameter of the maw, extrapolate the amount of energy produced, hmmm…then the force needed to sustain it for the length of time that they were here. Let’s see, the equation…” The doctor was in his own little world of calculations and theories as Logan ran an impatient hand through his hair. The feral was just on the verge of quipping another sarcastic remark, when the warning systems began to shrill.

- Intruder alert -
- Intruder alert -

“Where, goddammit!? Where?” Logan shouted at the machine, his eyes glowing with the need to kill something.

“Just a moment” Hank called out frantically, big burly fingers flying over the keyboards. “The front lawn. It’s…oh my stars and..” But he never finished his statement as Logan took off like a bat out of hell. “LOGAN! WAIT!” Hank bounded after his teammate, anxious to reach him before he confronted the mutant that the computer had identified.

Logan barreled through the front door, onto the lawn, and froze. Hovering not more than thirty yards away from him was one of the few mutants in the world that actually terrified him; one of the few in the world who could kill him in moments with simply a wave of his hand. “Magneto” he growled low in his throat, “This day just keeps gettin’ better n’ better.” He extended both claws as he yelled “What the hell d’ya want, ya mangy bastard?”

Erik simply arched a brow at the feral. “Well, if it isn’t Xavier’s pet pit bull. I hoped you might be dead after our last encounter.” With those taunting words, Logan launched himself at the man, desperate to reach him before Magneto could take control of the metal in his bones. But, he wasn’t quick enough, and Magneto caught him in an invisible grip half-way in the air. Erik squeezed one hand into a fist and grit his teeth. “I shall finish what I started at our last battle.”

“NOOOOO!!!!” Hank cried as he, too, came charging out of the house and straight at the master of magnetism. But Lensherr reached his free hand towards the metal railings of the porch and yanked them towards the doctor, enclosing them around the big blue mutant, like a straight jacket, to effectively stop the man in his tracks. Logan gurgled in agony as he felt the metal beginning to seep from his body. A cold sweat covered his body from the overwhelming fear and anger of dying such a painful, useless death; one where he didn’t get to, at least, exert just as much damage on the enemy before the end. He couldn’t die! Not now, not when they still needed him; when Remy still needed him. It wasn’t fair that he would be leaving this plane of existence just when he had found his soul mate.

Before Lensherr could gloat at his captive, a wave of needle-like ice particles flew at him from the side, slicing into any exposed skin as well as some of his clothing. It diverted his attention from pulling the metal from the feral’s body as he sent more power into the bubble shield surrounding him in an attempt to deflect the tiny shards. Once the barrage ended, Magneto glared at the new player on the field, momentarily awed at the pristine, limpid ice sculpture the other mutant’s body presented.

“You dare challenge me, little boy?” Magneto smirked at Bobby, irritation and amusement warring in his eyes. “I could manipulate all of the iron in your blood in mere moments, killing you instantly.”

But, Bobby was not about to back down. He was an intimidating sight in his ice form as he answered. “And I can freeze all the liquid in yours just as quickly. So, tell me Magneto, do you really wanna see who the fastest draw is?” The Ice Man’s crystalline orbs flashed brilliantly in the sun as he stared down the older mutant.

For his part, Erik was fuming internally. Who did this insolent whelp think he is? Obviously, Xavier was failing to teach his children proper respect for authority. Still, Erik knew all about the boy’s capabilities. The question then became just how powerful had the boy become in his time at Xavier’s academy? Had this mere child truly learned to harness his powers to such a degree that he could freeze the very blood in a human’s body? Ironically, it was a thought that made him shiver. He had not come here to wage war with the X-men, at least not at this time. Rather, he was repaying a debt to the very mutants that Sinister so callously destroyed. He would see the scientist punished for his transgression. And if it helped his one-time friend, Xavier, in the process, then it was more the better. He released his hold on the feral, sending the mutant crashing to the ground and writhing in agony as the quick-healing body repaired itself. “I did not come here to fight with you. I merely wish to impart some information that you may find useful in regards to your search for your missing team mates.”

From his position on the ground, metal still binding him, Hank gave the man a sardonic look. “I think your case for trust would be easier made under a few concessions.” He pointedly looked at the metal wrapping his torso. A corner of Lensherr’s mouth twitched up in the shadow of a smile, before he flicked one hand towards the good doctor and effectively released him from his makeshift prison.

Logan had recovered quickly, the damage this time not nearly as vast as the last time, and lay on the ground alternately panting and growling. “Why should we believe anything you have to say?”

The master of magnetism simply shrugged. “It matters not, whether you believe me. I am here for my own interests primarily, not yours.”

“And just what are those interests?” Hank queried as he hauled himself to a standing position and dusted off his clothes.

“To see justice done.” Came the adamant remark from the man.

“Justice?” Logan spat, head bent as one hand came up to wipe blood from the edge of his mouth. He rolled his eyes upwards to glare at the other mutant through the fringe of his lashes. “Or revenge?”

Lensherr waved a hand absently, as if to disregard such a ridiculous notion. “Semantics, Wolverine. Purely semantics. After all, justice and revenge are simply two sides of the same coin.” He leveled a stern gaze at the blue haired mutant, as he considered the doctor to be the most intelligent one of the three, and therefore the only one worth consideration in this conversation. “Essex and I may both be your enemy, but we are not the same, no matter your opinion. I strive for a world where mutants – ALL mutants – are in control, not subjected to the petty prejudices of mundane humans. As such, I can not tolerate one, such as he, who would flagrantly dispatch an entire mutant community simply because they did not live up to his idea of a perfect specimen.” Magneto sighed, suddenly tired of it all. It seemed such an endless battle sometimes, and he realized he had turned bitter in his old age. With each passing year, he seemed to lose more and more of himself to the rage within, until he didn’t recognize himself anymore. And then there was the matter of Charles. They had been friends and colleagues, once upon time. “It would be unfortunate to lose Charles to Sinister, when his final battle should be with me.”

“You’re a real piece of work, you know that?” Bobby jeered, then threw up an impromptu ice shield to block the metal railing that Magneto sent flying his way.

Erik glared at the ice mutant. “You are many decades too young to disrespect me, boy.”

Bobby was about to retort, Logan altering his stance for attack as well, when Hank roared “ENOUGH!” The doctor turned his attention toward his younger team mate. “Bobby, back off.” He whipped back towards the feral and pointed his finger. “Logan, stand down.” When he was satisfied that they were complying for the moment, he shifted his interest to the final mutant in this particular game. “Alright, Magneto. We’re listening.”

End ch 31
*********

on to part 32

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