psinex@yahoo.com Strange Attractors 15/20 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Everyone here is Marvel's, except for Deanna and Danny (and some folks during the precog flash), who're mine. Dawn is Joseph Michael Linsner's. Please don't sue, no money is being made off this. WARNING: Rude, RUDE language and graphic violence... but then, elder demons aren't known for politesse ... -------------------------------------------------------- Mass. Acad. Boys' Dorm: 10/31/2003: 05:00 hrs EST: -------------------------------------------------------- He opened his eyes upon hell. Lower Manhattan had been decimated; skyscrapers were broken in half, the Baxter Building was gone, and the streets were a scene from Escape from New York. The bodies were the worst, though. The boy stepped forward, tears rolling down his face, as he saw the shattered remains of the Fantastic Four and Avengers laying at the conquerors' feet. "Pleased, master ?" one of the attackers said in a surprisingly high-pitched, almost boyish voice. "Exceedingly," their leader - a tall man, wrapped in shadow, with the face of a ghost and a nightstar upon his brow - smiled wickedly. "Ah, Franklin. You dared to show up after all." "Pleased with what your spawn has done ?" Franklin Richards looked up, horror piercing his heart, to see a black-clad boy, about 5 or 6 years old with red hair and glowing green eyes regard him with an icy stare. And Rachel lay gutted at his feet. -------------------------------------------------------- ~NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!~ -------------------------------------------------------- He sat up, ignoring the psi-dampers' whine as they contained, or tried to contain, his horrified pscream, and threw back the covers. "HOLY SHIT !" Nate yelled, leaping up and kneeling beside Frank's bed with bulging eyes. "I 'heard' that - Frank, what WAS that !?" "Oh GOD ..." Frank whispered, holding his head and crying. "I don't know -" "Let me IN THERE I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT GIRLS IN THE BOYS' DORM FRANK !?" Ray cried, elbowing her way into the room in a bathrobe past Sean and Tom. She gave Nate a grateful look as he backed up, and hugged Frank. "Oh God - are you OK ?" she whispered. "No ... oh God, Ray ... did you 'see' - ?" Frank moaned. "Yeah," Ray whispered, her face twisting. "And I know who that sludge in there was. And he's NOT going to win, you hear me ? We are NOT going to give up - you've got great power control, and if we ever do have kids, WE are gonna raise them, got it ?" "I know ... but ... you were - and that maniac had - " Frank whispered. Ray just held him, looking at Sean and the others with a silent plea. "We'll leave ye - ach, NOW what !?" Sean barked, turning to see a red glow seeping out from underneath Tom and Bill's door. "Thomas ! William ! What's -" The door exploded under a billowing cloud of - SOMETHING - and a black-energy-covered figure stepped out with red eyes. They met Sean's gaze, and the Irishman - - screamed. Without his powers. "DO NOT FOLLOW," the being boomed, vanishing in a swirl of dark energies. Tom burst into the hallway, ashen, and yelled, "WE'VE GOT TO GET TO WUNDAGORE !" "Wunda - oh NO," Frank breathed, stumbling out with Ray behind him. "Bill ... it's your mom's 'taint', isn't it - ?" "Yeah," Tom said fearfully, checking Sean's vitals. Banshee was curled on the floor in a fetal position, sucking his thumb and twitching with impossibly wide eyes. "Damn you, demon," Tom whispered. He locked eyes with the others and shook his head, adding, "We've gotta get to Wundagore. "BILL'S GONE TO FREE CHTHON." -------------------------------------------------------- Biosphere: 5 minutes later: Control Center: -------------------------------------------------------- "M'husband's reverted t'a fetal state, yui're spoutin' enough arcane gibberish t' film a scene from 'Buffy th' Vampire Slayer', an' ye want t' go WHERE t' KILL WHO !?" Moira yelled. "As a woman of science, Dr. Cassidy, I strongly suggest you let me relate the evidence," Tom said darkly, calling up a holofile. "As you know, my mother was afflicted with energies from the Elder God Chthon at her birth. That's what enables her to control chaos energies in addition to her mutant energy manipulation power - and what gave Bill and I our probability-altering mutations instead of superphysical powers like our dad." "But every time agents of Chthon've tried to use the Witch to free him ..." Frank said, sitting at the conference table and clad in his training uniform like the other Mutants. "They've failed, because Mom had a support system and backup," Tom concluded. "Bill, on the other hand, was a loner - or at least he thought he was. So, Chthon was able to reach out to him, through the connection of blood, and slowly corrupt him. That's why, probably, Bill manifested negative probability control when I can make probabilities perform any way I want." "And when he started studying the Darkhold ... oh God," Gail moaned. "And I drove him away ..." "Not your fault, Gail," Tom added, shutting down the holodisplay of the Witch fighting Chthon. "Whatever Chthon did to Bill was happening a long time before you two ever met - he's been a rude bastard for years." "Well, that's all well and good - but how the HECK do we take out an Elder God !?" Joe yelled. "WE don't," Emma frowned. "You're children - capable, powerful and willing, I agree, but -" "There's a way," Naomi whispered. The others turned to see her in the doorway, tears rolling down her face, as she sat down beside Lew. "Th' plants tol' me that th' Mother Goddess, Gaia, bound Chthon 'way millions o'years ago," Naomi continued. "Th' only way t' stop him, outside o' usin' th' Darkhold an' gettin' corrupted, is t' call on th' Goddess ..." "Great. So what do we do, go pagan ?" Leech muttered. "No," Naomi sighed. "One o us girls has t'die t'summon her." "WHAT !?" "No way !" "ExCUSE me !?" "QUIET !" Emma demanded. "I'm not about to allow some virgin sacrifice to start taking place here, even if it DOES mean the end of the world." "Too little, too late," Gail whispered. She grabbed Sarah's back, yanking a bone dagger free - - and plunged it into her stomach. "GAIL !" Joe, Nate and Ray screamed. Gail shook her head, falling over, and whispered, "You'd ... better be ... listening ... had to be me ... my fault ... Bill found Darkhold ..." "Gail - OH MY GOD," Joe gasped. Gail twitched, then stood amd removed the dagger from her stomach without any blood. She grew, taller and fuller, her body transforming to that of a woman, and three black tears ran down from her left eye. A rose was bound by thorn-covered stems upon her left wrist, and a chain was wrapped around her right. Green eyes met those of the shocked mutants, and the woman smiled faintly as the dagger grew into a green-glowing sword. "Well met, scions of the atom," she said, bowing. "I am Dawn - the avatar of the Goddess, and her warrior form. We have little time - let us away." She swung her blade, opeing a portal, and leapt through it. Joe squeaked, still shocked, but ran after her. "Well ? And WE'RE gonna miss this ? I don't THINK so !" Ray yelled, the Phoenix surrounding her. She followed, with Frank and Nate close behind, and the rest of the Mutants bringing up the rear. "Oh hell - Moira, call the Avengers and the X-Men - and Reed Richards if he's in - tell them to bring some Elder God repellant or something !" Emma yelled, following the kids as the portal snapped shut. -------------------------------------------------------- Wundagore Mountain: 18:00 hrs local: -------------------------------------------------------- #What'm I doing !?# Bill - quite naked except for some strategically-placed energy fields - thought, horrified, as he floated above Wundagore. #SILENCE, CHATTEL,# a dark, booming voice in his mind replied. #SHATTER THE SUMMIT -# "FOR OUR LORD AND OUR HOMELAND ! SMITE THE INTRUDER !" Bill felt himself turning, and looked with horror as a series of animal-men approached on small hovercraft with energy lances. #The Knights of Wundagore !? That means -# "DIE," he heard himself boom. #NoNOpleaseNO-# The boy sobbed inwardly as black energies leapt from his hands and slammed into the Knights, disintegrating them and their craft. He tried to stop himself, but felt sharp razors of darkness violate his mind. #CEASE THIS ! YOU WERE MINE BEFORE BIRTH,# the presence demanded. #NOW -# "MONSTER !" Bill felt his head snap back under a fist, and looked up to see a pink-and-silver-armored figure floating nearby with a hateful look. "You MURDERED my people," the man shouted. "NOW YOU WILL DIE !" #NoohNO - NOT THE HIGH EVOLUTIONARY,# Bill thought. He SAID, "BOASTFUL WORDS, TRESPASSER. THIS IS MY PRISON - AND NOW, MY FREEDOM !" Bill screamed mentally as black fire lanced from him into the Evolutionary, and he launched himself at the geneticist. "Have at thee then, demon !" Herbert Edgar Wyndham cried, fighting back. -------------------------------------------------------- "M-my friends ... and that boy, it can't be Billy, it can't !" Bova knelt outside her home, crying, as a green flash of light deposited a crowd of yellow-and-black-clad figures beside her. "Little Luna ... ? And Tommy !" the cow-woman gasped, rising to hug them. "Bova, thank Agon you're all right," Luna said. "Where are the Knights ?" "They're dead," Bova sobbed. Luna gave a cry and hugged her, while Tom clenched his fists and snarled wordlessly. "This has to end," he said. "Dawn - can you fly at all ?" "All the powers which were Gailyn's are mine," Dawn nodded, rising and brandishing her sword. "T'is better if the Chthon-Host is defeated in air - if he were to set foot on Wundagore proper, t'would amplify his power." ""WERE' Gailyn's !?" Joe cried. "She's not - you didn't - " "She departed this vessel when she gave herself to me, Joseph," Dawn said softly. "Her sacrifice will not have been in vain, I promise thee." She rocketed into the air, while Joe hit his knees and cried silently. "She can't be gone ... Gail ..." he moaned. Ray and Nate hugged him, tears rolling down their faces, as they watched Dawn approach the battling figures overhead. -------------------------------------------------------- #This isn't quite sporting,# the Evolutionary thought, ducking another black-energy-wrapped fist. "COWARD," the boy facing him snarled, darkling light pouring from his eyes. "YOU WILL NOT WIN, EVOLUTIONARY. THERE WILL BE NO HUMAN RACE TO EVOLVE ONCE I AM - GNYAARRH !" The Evolutionary gaped as a red-haired woman in armor struck the Chthon-Host from behind with a green-glowing blade. "DEMON ! Leave this boy at ONCE !" she demanded. "YOU ... YES, I SUSPECTED YOU WOULD COME, DEAR DAWN," the boy sneered. "THAT WOULD HAVE KILLED THE BOY, BUT I AM NEARLY DOMINANT OF THIS FLESH. IT IS YOUNG, AND WILL SATISFY MY NEEDS WELL - ESPECIALLY WHEN I TAKE YOU AND RAVAGE THIS PLANET IN THE PROCESS !" "You wil NOT win, hellspawn," Dawn hissed. The boy created a black blade of energy and struck at her, but roared with frustration as she easily parried his blows. "Problems, demon-lord ?" Dawn taunted. "I am not the one hampered by lack of experience. Has the Outer Dark truly sapped your strength ?" "CURSE YOU, HARLOT ! I WILL SLAY THEE - GRMMPH -" Chthon grunted as a psi-flash leapt between him and Dawn. Wyndham looked on, mystified - - and then stunned, as Dawn flew behind the boy, slamming her sword through him. Green energies consumed them both, and they fell, blazing, towards Wundagore. "My GOD - if they hit -" the Evolutionary whispered. ~Anyone down on Wundagore, GET OFF NOW !~ he psicried. -------------------------------------------------------- The razors and the darkness were gone from Bill. ~Wh-where am I ... ?~ he called, finding himself naked and floating in a white void. ~Shhh,~ a familiar voice called. Bill blushed, turning as he saw Gail floating naked nearby. ~Gail - oh GOD - I'm sorry, I was a jerk -~ he sent, his eyes widening as she kissed him. ~It's over now,~ she said, smiling sadly. ~I was mean too ... but maybe we can deal with that after we get to where we're going.~ ~Hell ?~ Bill sighed. ~Gail, I let Chthon loose ...~ ~But don't you remember taking control that last time, so Dawn and I could kill your physical body ? One decent act is all it takes,~ Gail said softly. ~Now come on ... we've got an appointment.~ They linked hands, and walked along a golden path which lead upwards. -------------------------------------------------------- Hell was in reality. The Mutants, Bova and Emma floated, horrified, inside a Phoenix-generated force bubble as the combatants slammed into Wundagore with a massive blow. The entire mountain began to glow with struggling black and green energies - - and vanished. "GAILLLLL !" Joe cried, struggling to get free of Frank and Leech as they landed. The Evolutionary landed beside them, agape at the devastation, as Joe ran to two still bodies at the center of the crater. "Gail ... oh Christ no Gail ..." Joe sobbed, kneeling down and holding her head to his chest. He leaned over her, breaking into loud hacking sobs, and ignored Nate and Ray's arms around him. Nate looked over, hearing Luna's own cry, and Tom's gasp of horror as he held Bill to him. ~Tommy ... God, man, I'm so sorry ...~ ~Th-thanks,~ Tom thought. ~Thanks.~ -------------------------------------------------------- Annandale-On-Hudson, NY: 11/1/2003: 11:00 hrs EST: -------------------------------------------------------- "... ashes to ashes, dust to dust ..." Sara sobbed, leaning on John Grey's shoulder, while Scott and Jean held their own kids. Joe and Tom stood apart from the other mutants and other heroes surrounding the two coffins, and Tom held the crying Wanda's hand. "I ... I don't think he was evil, at the end," Tom tried to comfort the Witch. His mother just hugged him and whispered, "Don't ever - I mean it, SWEAR it, Tommy - don't ever study magic. Please ..." "I won't, Mom. I swear," Tom nodded, wiping his eyes. The gravediggers began to cover the coffins, and Joe turned to see an ashen Sean and Emma at the entrance to the graveyard. "Joe ... lad ..." Sean whispered. Joe shook his head and said, "I'm comin' back, as soon as Mom's OK, Mr. Cassidy. Gail'd want me t'keep workin', and I will." "Thomas ... ?" Emma asked. Wanda looked at her with pure hatred, but Tom met his mother's gaze with a pleading look. "I just need some time, Ms. Frost," Tom nodded. "We just need to heal ..." -------------------------------------------------------- NEXT: They won't get the chance ... -------------------------------------------------------- end _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? 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