psinex@yahoo.com Blood and Iron Chapter 9 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Everyone here is Marvel's, except for Steve, who's mine, and Buffy and Co., who're 20th Century Fox's. Please don't sue. WARNING: It's bloody. Hide the kids. NOTES: A bow and apology to Alicia, who pioneered the Cable-Apocalypse deathmatch ;) -------------------------------------------------------- THE STORY SO FAR ... On an alternate Earth, Magneto was never reaged after Alpha the Ultimate Mutant deaged him, and grew up as the foster son of the X-Men. Jean herself escaped her cocoon before the Phoenix destroyed D'Bari IV, and forced the cosmic entity to discorporate, leaving Jean free to wed Scott. They moved to Sunnydale, California, and had four children - Buffy, Rachel, Nathan and Steven. Eventually, the Summers took Erik Lehnsherr on as a foster son, and he grew up a brother to their own children. Now, all five have joined many other young mutants at the Massachusetts Academy, and have survived a series of shocking revelations and attacks. But now, Apocalypse has come ... -------------------------------------------------------- 9/12/2003: Mass. Acad. Quad.: 01:10 hrs EDT: -------------------------------------------------------- #This can't happen,# Ray thought, horrified, as Nate began to glow bright gold and levitated above the reclining Apocalypse. ~It IS, sis, so get back,~ Nate sent in a commanding tone. He turned to Nur and snarled aloud, "Well, king dickhead ? Let's RUMBLE !" "YOU DARE ?" Apocalypse roared. The Infinites backed away, letting Nur and Nate have a ring of space in which to fight. The New Mutants tried to move forward, but a telekinetic bubble surrounded the ring. ~NO,~ the 11-year-young Nate demanded. ~This is what's supposed to happen ... I know it in my gut.~ And with that, he launched himself forward with a tenor cry of bloodlust. Apocalypse just manifested a shield from one of his arms - - but bellowed as Nate plowed through it, sending blue blood and chunks of technoorganic matter flying. Nate landed behind Nur and focused his TK into his right fist, kidney-punching the External with a vicious blow. Apocalypse grunted, but spun around, reforming his shattered left arm into a mace and slamming against Nate's TK shield. The boy fell, blood staining the side of his head, but grinned. His left eye flamed anew, and he launched a focused TK-blast directly into Apocalypse's chest. The External howled as the blast struck his right shoulder, splintering his armor and sending blood flying. Nate rolled away just as Apocalypse stepped where the boy had been, crushing the ground. Nate shook his head, visibly in pain, and leapt above a scythe Apocalypse manifested from his right arm. The boy concentrated, grunting, and TK-energy surrounded his left leg as he kicked upwards. The Mutants cheered as an audible crunch of bone and metal could be heard from the connection of foot to jaw. But the kids cried out when Apocalypse grabbed Nate's leg, and slammed the boy into the ground. Without a TK-shield. Ray gave a cry, and Buffy and Erik went very pale, as Nate lay on the ground. Blood was visible from his shattered left leg, and his right hand twitched at a sickening angle. "WELL FOUGHT, BOY," Apocalypse admitted, his wounds healing. "BUT YOU ARE TOO YOUNG AND TOO -" The Mutants gasped as Nate floated shakily, TK keeping him aloft in a flickering cocoon. Blood was pumping from his left temple, and his left leg and right hand were bent horribly. "You ... think y'know ... PAIN ?" Nate snarled. Apocalypse's stomach was slammed by a TK-punch, and Nate reached for the External's outstretched left arm. "Got m' face ... torn up by a dog ... when I was 3," Nate coughed, his face contorting in rage. Nur's teeth gritted when the boy yanked the External's forearm off and hurled it to the ground. "Nearly drowned when ... I was 5," Nate added, a TK-blast slicing Nur's right leg off at the knee. Apocalypse fell, and for the first time in the battle, fear flickered across his face. "Then y'r ... cocksuckin' pet ... gene-splicer ... Sinister ... MINDRAPED my twin ..." Nate hissed, reaching for Apocalypse's chest. "AND HE TORE OUT MY HEART !" The Mutants went dead silent as Apocalypse's chest exploded. And Nate held the heart of an External aloft, crushing it. "Well ... now y'v' ... lost YOURS," the boy barked beore he fell at Apocalypse's feet, unconscious. "KILL THESE FREAKS AND GET NATE TO THE MEDLAB !" Ray screamed, pyrokinetic fury consuming the remaining Infinites. She wrapped Nate in a TK-field, rushing him to the lab. "My ... GOD," Sean whispered, watching as Moira and Emma went to work on Nate's shattered body. "Th' lad ... he ..." "I knew he was always the toughest, the angriest," Ray whispered, leaning on Banshee as he walked her to the waiting room, Buffy and Erik running in with Frank. "But ..." "Uhm, Uncle Sean ... ? Ray ?" Ray looked up, a smile flashing across her face as Steve walked to her. "Is - I felt Nate doing SOMETHING -" Steve asked, fear in his eyes. "He took out Apocalypse," Ray said, hugging her brother. "Thank God you're awake ... you OK ?" "I - THE IMPLANT'S GONE !" Steve grinned. "I feel GREAT !" He immediately relaxed and looked at Ray fearfully, adding, "Nate needs me - he was there for me when I was hurt -" "All we can do now is pray," Moira said, ashen-faced as she stepped out of the medlab. Emma followed her out and looked at the Summers kids with a sorrowful gaze. "He's in stasis," Emma said. "His internal injuries ... and the bloodloss ... he'd die if he was brought out of it." "Not a chance," Frank muttered, standing. "Let me at him - I've got a healing power ..." "Frank, thank you," Ray said, hugging him. He held her, and looked at Moira with concern. "Lad ... I cannae authorize this," Moira said, shaking her head. "We ken yuir powers work on levels we cannae imagine - if ye lost control -" "AT LEAST LET HIM TRY !" Ray shouted, rage and loss digging at her tone. "Leong and Nga saved Steve, why can't Frank try to help Nate !?" "She's ... got a point, Red," Frank whispered. "My powers're ... unstable, at best." "Problem 2, folks," Erik said, looking outside at the carnage on the lawn. "The cops might write this off as a bonfire, but what about that ship floating overhead ?" "CRAP !" Sean barked, looking into the sky. "We're in trouble as long as that thing -" The ship vanished, taking the ruined Infinites - but not the remains of Apocalypse - with it. "Oh crud ..." Buffy whispered. "Who's got THAT now ...?" -------------------------------------------------------- Pain. It's been part of my life for a while. The scars ache when the weather changes. I felt like shit when Steve got taken and twisted. This ? Like I told Nur, I'm not impressed. God ... I'm 11 ... I don't wanna die ... I didn't MEAN to kill Apocalypse ... but he just pushed me ... ... OK, so I did mean it. He was a bastard ! He made Sinister, and Sinister hurt Steve - I guess I just wanted to pay somebody back for hurtin' my twinner. Funny, Steve's always been the quiet one. Now I'm alone ... ~Nate ? Nate, man, come on, please - live ...~ ~STEVE !~ ~Nate ! YES ! You're not gonna die !~ ~Not if I can HELP it ...~ -------------------------------------------------------- Medlab: 9/13/2003: 07:00 hrs: -------------------------------------------------------- "I still cannae believe Shi'ar medtech's this good," Moira said, sipping her coffee as she watched Nate float in a regen tank. ~SUUUURE,~ Nate sent, blushing as he floated in the tank's bioregenerative gel. A loincloth with a tube running from it to the tank floor was his only garb, besides a breath mask. ~It's not that bad if you're not bein' brainwashed,~ Steve smirked from the medlab floor. ~Thanks, chumpweed. YOU try floating in here for a week !~ Nate replied, giggling mentally. ~I did that already,~ Steve replied with a sigh. ~Sorry, man,~ Nate replied, putting one hand on the tank wall. Steve held his palm to Nate's and smiled gently. "It's OK, bro," Steve nodded. "I was lucky - it was just my mind that got slammed. You've got a few more weeks in there - I can't believe your LIVER ruptured." ~And a kidney, my spleen, a lung, my left leg, my right hand, and my left optic nerve,~ Nate psighed. ~At least I get outta my classes.~ "Weasel," Steve grinned. "I'll see ya later, OK ?" ~Thanks, bro,~ Nate sent, waving as Steve left. He looked at Moira, who grinned, "Ye're nae gettin' out o'yuir schoolwork, laddie." ~Great. I save tomorrow and I get stuck in a giant shampoo bottle wearing less than Frank does to a swim meet,~ Nate griped. ~Oh well ...~ He looked up and waved gently as Gwen Parker walked in with a sad look. She waved back and smiled weakly, calling, "We're thinking of you, Nate." ~Thanks, Gwen,~ Nate sent. His eyes widened, and he added, ~Gwen - you've got two - THREE~ "I know," Gwen whispered, turning to Moira. The doctor ran a bioscanner over the girl and nodded, her expression going grim. "Aye," Moira said. "Yui're int' yuir second month already, an' th' twins're doin' fine." -------------------------------------------------------- NEXT: A visit from your NOT-so-friendly neighborhood Spider-Man ... and RED SONJA !? -------------------------------------------------------- end _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com