psinex@yahoo.com Running with Devils Conclusion by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Everyone here is Marvel's, except for Mulder, Scully and Skinner, who're 20th Century Fox's, and Steven, who's mine. Please don't sue. WARNING: It's the Marauders ... you can guess the rest. NOTES 2: Yeah, it's been an interesting story, but I've got limits to how much angst I can crank out. No, really >) -------------------------------------------------------- 9/10/2003: FBI Headquarters, Quantico, Va.: 09:00 hrs EDT: -------------------------------------------------------- "Agent Mulder, this is really a case for the X-Men, or the Avengers, or any of a dozen other sanctioned superhuman crimefighting teams," Assistant Director Walter Skinner said across his desk. Mulder and Scully traded concerned looks, and Mulder turned to Skinner. "Sir, this is a kidnapping, and it's been over 48 hours," Mulder began. "We also have evidence connecting these assassins to the murder of two policemen in Trenton, New Jersey. I've also gotten leads on his location - " "And we've been getting nowhere fast," a voice called from the doorway. The agents looked over their shoulders, and Skinner asked, "You are ... ?" "Scott and Jean Summers, Assistant Director," Scott said, entering with a tired Jean. "We have conclusive evidence that these Marauders were involved in the murder of a former X-Man who was trying to help a possessed mutant." #'Possessed mutant' ? Why me, Lord ?# Skinner thought, rubbing his face. "You're Steven's parents ?" Skinner asked. "Yes," Jean said, sitting beside Scully with an odd expression. "We can trace Steve wherever he is, Assistant Director. And I can assure you, this Mr. Sinister is involved in illegal medical experiments stretching back at least 30 years." "And you're just now coming forward with this ?" Skinner asked. "We didn't realize the extent to which Sinister has been manipulating people until our son was kidnapped," Scott frowned. "We've been away from the X-Men for nearly 15 years, raising our family. The X-Men are trying to help, but if we can get federal support in stopping Sinister ..." "... we can use whatever support we can get in finding these copkillers, sir," Scully added. Jean looked at her oddly again, but just smiled and mouthed, "Thank you." #She's so familiar,# Scully thought. The Summers, Mulder and Scully looked at Skinner, who looked at the desk. Finally, he punched a few buttons on his phone and said, "Nancy, get me Marquez in Special Ops." -------------------------------------------------------- Somewhere else ... -------------------------------------------------------- "Mmm..." "He's coming around," a middle-aged female voice said. "Remy ?" a slightly Germanic-accented voice asked. Remy LeBeau opened his eyes and found himself in a bed in his boxers. "Where ... ? Dis not 'xactly heaven," he mumbled. "Taking care of you hasn't been great either," the woman - blonde, with a leather bodysuit - frowned. "Fontanelle, please," the second, male voice called from the corner. "Remy was lucky to survive the impact and the shock of teleportation after the slayspear struck him." "Dat ... what happ'ned ... Rogue ! Proteus - an' dat kid !" Remy gasped, trying to rise. An invisible "hand" gently held him down, and blue eyes locked with Remy's from the corner. "I know everything," the voice said. "I traded you with an LMD at the last second - albeit one which had been uploaded with your entire mnemonic matrix beforehand. It was a calculated risk. We have Sinister's location ... ... and now, we go to war." Fontanelle gasped, and Remy's jaw dropped as the figure in the corner rose. "YOU ... ?" the Cajun mumbled. "You de New Son ?" The figure smiled and said, "Trust me, Remy. Things are falling into place. Proteus is dead, and Rogue will soon be free ..." "... as will Steven." -------------------------------------------------------- Sinister's base: noon: -------------------------------------------------------- #This,# Steve thought, hiding from the other Marauders, #is a bad idea ... but I gotta know ...# The boy had snuck into Sinister's office, and plugged a neural probe into his interface jack. ~Come on ... hope I c'n figure this out,~ he sent, trying to make his thoughts affect cybernetic systems. Steve gasped as he connected with his file, and data flowed through his mind. Finally, he disengaged, and fell back into a chair with tears rolling down his face. "I ... know ..." #Can't sit here - if he finds out I snuck a peek ...# the boy thought, shivering. #But how c'n I find my fam'ly if I don't even know how t'talk t'em ...?# He wiped his eyes and snuck away - - running into a mountain of leather. "Steven, Steven, Steven," Sinister frowned. "I had such hopes that you would - eh ?" The entire base began to shake, and Essex dropped Steve with a curse. "NOW what ?" he growled, activating an external video feed. For the first time since Steve had seen him, Sinister looked ... ... afraid. "This is NOT POSSIBLE !" Sinister barked. He punched an intercom button, ignoring Steve as the boy ran for the teleport platform, and yelled, "Scalphunter ! Get out there and DO something against that - WHOEVER it is !?" "Boss, we - " Scalphunter's reply was cut off as the power went out throughout the complex. #Yikes,# Steve thought, opening a ventilation shaft and starting to climb. #Hope this - # ~STEVIE !?~ Steve gasped to see a red-haired woman appear in his mind, and psqueaked, ~Malice !? Lemme 'lone !~ ~Oh no - sweetie, it's not Malice, it's your mom, your real mom - what did they DO to you !?~ the woman cried. Steve's face lit up, and he whispered mentally, ~ ...Mom ?~ ~YES ! Hold on, baby - we're coming - ~ the woman cried for joy. Steve yelled as a hand punched through the floor of the shaft, grabbing his skinsuit shirt and dragging him out into the hallway. He whimpered as Rogue glared at him with hateful green eyes. "Th' boss sent me t'make sure y'ain't gonna get 'way," Rogue snarled. "An' ah ain't too pleased wit' y'r 'tude." ~NOOO !~ Steve mindcried, telepathic energies leaping from him into Rogue. They both screamed, and the room lit up with psionics ... -------------------------------------------------------- Rural Virginia: 12:03 hrs EDT: -------------------------------------------------------- "Holy shit." Scalphunter took careful aim at the red and purple-garbed man floating high above Sinister's fortress, which had begun to edge its' way aboveground under some kind of energy field. The man - his face was hidden by a full helmet - looked at the Marauders with an undiscernable expression and called, "Don't bother." Malice leapt back as another energy bolt slammed into the earth, incinerating the Marauders where they stood. "Yeah, it's time to go," she gulped, leaving the clone of Jean Grey - - but dying under a psi-blade. Mulder and Scully winced as Jean finished shredding Malice and snarled, "THAT'S for twisting my baby, BITCH ! Scott, who's the third party ?" "No idea," Scott said, looking up at the floating man. A powerful telepathic voice rang out, sending, ~How ... interesting. You seek the Summers boy, I assume ?~ ~Yes !~ Jean cried. ~I propose an exchange,~ the man sent, bemusement entering his tone. ~Steven for Rogue. The FBI cannot be involved - I promise, you will get Rogue and Gambit back once my business is complete with them. And yes, Gambit is alive.~ The Summers traded stunned looks, while Mulder and Scully looked just plain stunned. Finally, Jean nodded and said, "Give me my son, please." ~At once,~ the man nodded. Another energy field slammed into the base, dragging a bloodied Sinister free. "Who - GNRAARGH ! - ARE you !?" Sinister roared. The man took Sinister by the throat and said, "Your end, demon. Through you, I will begin the end of the Morning Fire ..." The Summers winced as Sinister ... bubbled. And exploded. "DEAR GOD !" Scully cried, dodging bits of Sinister which fell to the ground. The mystery man reached into the base one last time, and nodded as Steve stumbled out, trying to pull an unconscious Rogue out by himself. "I-is he ... I felt him ... ?" Steve gulped, looking at Jean and Scott hopefully. Jean just nodded silently, and hugged the slowly smiling boy to her while the red and purple man descended. "Hello, Adelaida," he whispered, taking Rogue in his arms. He turned, his face still hidden by the helmet, and nodded once to the Summers and the FBI agents. "We WILL meet again before the Reckoning," he said, vanishing. "Who ... ?" Mulder asked. "All your answers are in there," the man's voice rang out, fading with the light from his teleportation. "Well, if Steven's all right ... ," Scully asked, looking at the Summers. "I ... guess," Steve slowly smiled, looking at his parents. "I'm sorry I don't remember you, but ... you're kinda familiar," the boy continued. Scott hugged him, while Jean whispered, "We'll get there. "We'll get there." -------------------------------------------------------- EPILOGUE: -------------------------------------------------------- "So, it worked," Fontanelle said, watching the New Son remove his helmet and set Rogue on an operating table. "It worked," the man - barely 25, if that, with piercing blue eyes - said, barely breathing. "But this is just the first phase, Gloria." He pushed strands of white and brown hair out of his face, letting Rogue begin to stir as he looked out over the mountains. "The next step lies, ironically, with Steven ... or one of his kin," New Son smiled faintly. He conjured up a photokinetic image, and Gloria stifled a gasp of how much the image looked like a younger version of her employer. "Yes, Erik," New Son nodded. "MY FATHER." -------------------------------------------------------- TBC in Blood and Iron ! -------------------------------------------------------- end _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com