psinex@yahoo.com Fires of Tomorrow 12/60 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Everyone here is Marvel's, except for Danny, Deanna, Mel, Dave and Aidan, who're mine (as is the rugrat at the end ...). Please don't sue. -------------------------------------------------------- The Vault: 3/8/2004: 06:04 hrs MDT: -------------------------------------------------------- "Move quickly," Sinister told the tiny Prism who had snuck into the Vault and freed him. The miniscule crystal Marauder kept watch as Sinister deftly wired the door to the main security chamber, two unconscious Guardsmen at the geneticist's feet. "There," Sinister nodded as the door slid open. He blasted the room with a psi-bolt, felling the Vault personnel within, and began checking the prisoner logs. "Perfect," Sinister said, typing in a series of commands at the main control desk. "Not enough time to attempt a 'villain massacre' and save ourselves the trouble of fighting them later - but I will be able to recover the Marauders imprisoned here." "Why not enough time, boss ?" the mini-Prism asked, crawling up Sinister's jumpsuit and sitting on his shoulder. "The Guardsmen's armor possesses a limited weapons adaptability," Sinister said as they moved quickly into the fifth sub-basement. "Should we attempt to face them directly, they could, given time, actually harm us." He entered the Pit area, blasting one Guardsman aside and psi-blasting another, and blasted the control panel for the Pit entrance. "Marauders, we are LEEEEAAAVVVVVIINNNGGG," Sinister ... yodeled. #Yodeled ?# Prism thought. #He never yodels.# The energy-redirecting Marauder noticed his master's eyes slide over and look at him, and he repressed his thoughts. "It's a hobby when I'm between experiments," Sinister chuckled evilly. "Be careful of your thoughts, Prism." "Yes, boss," Prism gulped again, watching as Scalphunter, Scrambler, Blockbuster, Vertigo, Arclight, Harpoon and Riptide left the darkened hallway of the Pit. "Alright, boss !" Scrambler grinned. "We gone or what ?" "In a moment," Sinister frowned. "Where is Creed ?" "No clue, boss," Scalphunter shrugged as Sinister opened a teleportal. "That gonna work here with this shielding ?" "Human shielding conceived by human minds, Grey Crow," Sinister smiled wickedly. The Marauders jumped through the portal, followed by Sinister, and grinned at their new surroundings while Prism slid down from Sinister's shoulder. "The Swiss Alps are always a lovely sight this time of year," Sinister said, closing the portal. "Now, get cleaned up while I check on my contingency plan." "Contingency plan ... ?" Riptide mused aloud. Sinister's expression made him close his mouth with a snap. "After you were all DEFEATED BY CHILDREN (see Chapter 3), and we were incarcerated," Sinister muttered, "I lost my chance at Magneto. And Malice has not reported in from her mission (see Chapter 8), so I can safely assume -" The sensor array went berzerk, drawing Sinister's attention to it. After a moment, he smiled widely. And began to chortle. And finally, giggled. "Nathan ... and of course, the Twelve," Sinister said softly, wiping his eyes. "At LAST - "APOCALYPSE IS DEAD !!!" (See Destiny's Call for details ...) He threw open a trap door and descended into the chalet's basement, leaving the wide-eyed Marauders to look at each other. "Y'know, if Apocalypse's dead, what'll the boss do now ?" Scrambler asked as they headed for their marked rooms to change. "I dunno. But the way he's acting, something big is up," Scalphunter called. #Something REALLY big ...# -------------------------------------------------------- X-Mansion: Noon, EST: Kitchen: -------------------------------------------------------- "NATE ! NATE ! NATE ! NATE !" The New Mutants' chant made Nate blush and hide his still-scarred face in his hands. "Guys, c'mon," the boy smiled. "I was just doin' what I had t' do ..." "Aye, right," Bea smiled as she sat beside him. "Yui're a hero, Nathan Summers. Dinnae be playin' that down." "Say, Bea, what were you doing on Muir ?" Joe asked curiously. "I'd been dared t' go there by m' old gang," Bea shrugged. "E'er since th' isle exploded, t'is ben rumored t'be haunted." "T'isnae wrong," Kevin MacTaggart frowned from the back of the room. "I was there ..." "Look, Kev," Erik smiled good-naturedly, "you're not a monster -" "Like ye'd ken ?" Kevin growled, standing and leaving. "Yui're th' son Mum always WANTED ..." "Oh, let him go blow off some steam," Alexa told Erik. "Spending 14 years in stasis can't've done anything for his temper." "I guess," Erik said, making himself a sandwich. #But we better keep an eye on him ...# "You're proud of your Unca Nate, aren'cha ?" Ray asked Aidan as she gave him a bottle. ~Yay,~ the baby sent, psmiling. ~Nate OK ?~ ~I'm doin' better, pal,~ Nate replied, looking at Bea with a goofy smile. She just met his gaze and smiled back, ignoring a knowing grin on Ray and Frank's faces. ~My hero brother is in LOVE !?~ Ray thought with a mental giggle. ~Yay !~ Aidan thought, burbling. -------------------------------------------------------- Switzerland: 22:00 hrs local: -------------------------------------------------------- "Yes," Sinister - once-more dressed in his leather and "shredded" cape - nodded, examining the readouts on the genetank before him. He adjusted a few monitors, then said, "Open." The tank drained, and the top slid open to reveal a tiny, chubby hand reaching upwards. Sinister reached in with a towel, lifting the tank's occupant into his arms. "They thought I only used Rachel as a 'natural' gestator - never suspecting I'd taken DNA from her and Franklin as a backup plan," Sinister chuckled, cleaning off the child. He dressed her in a diaper and a pink sleeper, cradling her gently. ~?~ the baby thought, looking at him with wide green eyes. "Hello, Aislinn Richards," Sinister smiled. -------------------------------------------------------- NEXT: 25 New Mutants !? STOP THE MADNESS ! -------------------------------------------------------- end _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com