psinex@yahoo.com Resurrection Gulch by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: They're all Marvel's. No money is being made off of this. Please don't sue. NOTE: A sequel of sorts to "Riot Watch," and something I kind of promised Luba ... :) CONTINUITY: Alternate, after X-Men 113 ... NOTE 2: What, a square full of mutants and there wasn't ONE HEALER AMONG THEM !? Magnus can't be dead, blast it ... rassum-frassum plot holes ... -------------------------------------------------------- She flicked the cigarette away from her, kneeing him in the side to wakefulness over the stench of rust and cigarette smoke. "We're almost there," the woman said, shaking out her newly-regrown brown curls and wrapping in a robe against the freighter's cold dampness. "Good. Can't stand this bluidy fourth-class shipping," the man replied, rubbing his black hair into a semblance of a hairdo. "Genoshan embargo is a pain in the arse - PRYDE !?" WRENCH "They didn't know we were aboard, remember ? Time to get off !" Kitty Pryde yelled, grabbing Pete Wisdom's arm and phasing them into the Indian Ocean. #I miss being dead,# Pete thought, before the ocean washed over them. #Next time, let the LMD walk away ...# -------------------------------------------------------- Really, the gaping holes in his chest were nothing new. #Remarkable. Charles shuts off my powers, yet I have sufficient ability left me to keep Logan's claws from completely skewering my internal organs,# Erik Magnus Lehnsherr thought with uncharacteristic wryness. #Typical.# "M'Lord ! The healer," Sven Kleinstock said in a panicked tone, dragging the terrified mutate healer into the underground complex beneath Magda Square. "You are leaking again, Lord Magnus." "Really, Sven ? I hadn't noticed the dire need to divert all of my weakened powers to keep my blood in my body," Magnus said sarcastically. He relaxed, wheezing until warmth flooded his chest from the healer's attention. After a long moment, Magnus was able to inhale, and nodded as he coughed. #Clear sputum,# he thought, shaking his head at the glob of spit. #I'd hoped the days of having to worry about blood in my lungs were over.# "Sir, the X-Men have left the island," Sven reported a few moments later. "The traitor Cargill is in custody, but we have been finding small fires set throughout the complex - they don't match any mutant or mutate power signature." "A common arsonist ? Fascinating," Magnus muttered, laying back on the medbed. "Transfer me to the palace, please. And tell the army not to do anything so foolish as seeking horrific revenge for my near-death. I want to lead them once I recover." #Small fires ... ?# -------------------------------------------------------- "They WOULDN'T !" "Kitty ..." Lorna Dane began softly, disguised thanks to an image inducer, as she sat with Kitty and Pete in one of the few refurbished coffee bars in downtown Hammer Bay. "Nobody was acting in their right minds when Logan stabbed Magneto. Magnus hasn't been sane for a very long time, but the X-Men were almost all so ... bloodthirsty. It's very odd." "Logan is one of the most self-controlled people I know," Kitty insisted, sipping her black coffee with a dour expression. "Sure, Magnus yanked out his adamantium, but Logan fought alongside Magnus as well as me. Something's very wrong here." "Kit - d'ye smell smoke ?" Pete asked, frowning at the cloud emanating from a nearby wall vent. "Bluidy 'ell -" The mutants yelled as a massive static electricity jolt struck them, and Kitty felt herself go solid. "On the floor, race-traitors," a young Acolyte girl ordered, a crowd of heavily-armed mutate soldiers aiming weapons at the powerless X-folk. "Static - !" Lorna pleaded, as she, Kitty and Pete were shackled in power-inhibitor cuffs. "Save it, you green-haired witch," Static snarled, shoving Lorna ahead of her as they headed for the palace. "Our Sacred Lord will want to question you." "Fine comment, comin' from someone who threw in with Cortez durin' his last rebellion !" Pete shot, rolling with the punch from one of the guards. "Wait - Magnus is alive !?" Kitty exclaimed, her eyebrows raising. "This is great !" "Right. Like the poster child for Xavier's is going to be happy at my Lord's miraculous survival," Static sneered. "Tell it to the Master, Pryde." -------------------------------------------------------- He followed the prisoners closely, flitting from shadow to shadow, anger and fear and joy mingling in his mind. Sure, the Stinky One was here - but his Kit was here too ! Finally, the signal fires had paid off. He rubbed his chest, and winced at the still-sore energy blast scar. That hadn't been fun, but his Kit had come back for him. He huffed with grim determination as he flew after his Kit, The Lorna, and the Stinky One. -------------------------------------------------------- "Oh, give me a break. She's the sanest one of Xavier's students, and Wisdom was playing dead for months," Magnus groused, making the prisoners' power-shackles fall off with an absent gesture. "If you want to take out your anger on someone, outlaw mullets." "It shall be done, Lord Magnus !" Sven exclaimed, storming off to the Ministry of Haircuts. "Well, thanks for letting us off the hook, Magnus," Kitty said, accepting a chair and sitting beside the relieved-looking Pete. "What about Lorna ?" "I can forgive her for humanitarian efforts," Magnus said, nodding politely at Lorna as she pulled up a chair magnetically. "There is a difference between protecting humans and outright treason." "That's the problem, Bucket-Head," Pete grumbled. "This ruler o' the world thing's gone t'y'r head again." For a moment, Kitty's heart clenched as Magnus' eyes flickered with blue fire. Finally, he nodded and said, "You are right - for once - Wisdom. Something strange afflicted both the X-Men and I here in Genosha, mentally - something which exascerbated our anger." "FOOL !" "Oh great. Predictable plot device," Lorna groaned, turning around as a tall figure tore open a curtain behind Magnus and glowered at Magnus and the ex-X-ers. "Exodus ! I thought y'were tryin' t'usher in a new age o' 60's love here in Genosha !" Pete exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "That failed - as did my plan to unleash devastation by coercing Magnus and the X-Men to destroy each other !" Paris Bennett shouted, his eyes rolling madly. "Now, I will - YEEEOUCH !!!" He screamed, his backside burning, as he ran out onto the balcony. "What the bluidy hell - ?" Pete muttered, watching as Kitty pulled aside the remains of the curtain and gave a joyful cry. "LOCKHEED !!!!!" "CooOoOoO !!" Lockheed cheered, hugging Kitty. "Oh Lord. Th' bluidy flyin' rat is alive," Pete groaned, watching Kitty and Lockheed dance together for a moment. "I'll just go now ..." Lockheed snorted flame, and Kitty glared at Pete as she said, "You two can co-exist, you know. I'm not letting either of you go again." Pete and Lockheed coughed, then gingerly shook hands or paws, as Kitty grinned. "Well, that's great," Lorna said, smiling weakly. She watched Magnus step outside onto the balcony, then kick something which made loud "OW !" noises. "Lorna ... come with us. We'll find something to do, somewhere - maybe we can form a new X-team, or work for mutant rights somehow," Kitty suggested. The ceiling flickered, and something in black and gold landed with a THUD at Lorna's feet with a groan. "Uhhh ... did someone get the number of that transdimensional nexus ?" a familiar voice mumbled, until Lorna hauled the figure up by his lapels with a huge grin. "ALEX !?!!?!?!?!" Lorna shrieked, kissing him. Pete and Kitty traded a look, and Pete shrugged as he said, "I'll book five seats on Air Genosh." -------------------------------------------------------- tbc ... ? ;) -------------------------------------------------------- __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/ ============================================================ www.Imagine-Your-Name-Here.com Wouldn’t it be great to have your own personalized Domain Name? New Domains & Transfers $8.95/yr & lower. GoDaddy.com is an ICANN ACCREDITED registrar. ACT NOW! http://click.topica.com/caaab3KaVxiJRaVz48Jf/GoDaddy ============================================================ ***** Are you frustrated dealing with your computer problems? Have you ever called tech support, only to hang-up after being on hold for hours? ASK DR. TECH! With ASK DR. TECH, get 24/7/365 toll-free tech support! The professionals at ASK DR. 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