DISCLAIMER: All characters in this story are property of Marvel Inc., and I'm not making a profit from this, so don't sue me. Barring Helios and Glow, who are my own exclusive property. They may not be used without my expressed permission. X-Men: Yin Yang Part 13/?- Like a Rolling Stone Morpheus, oneill@cambus.u-net.com Feedback appreciated, as is criticism, if constructive. {{blahblahbla}} is thoughts ^^blahblahbla^^ is telepathy ==blahblahbla== is computer ======== Miles beneath the earth's surface, Essex was curled in the foetal position, and had remained unconscious for several hours now. Clutched tightly to his chest was the white gem, its light dimmed severely. Several hundred miles away, a disturbance in the tectonic plates of the American continent sent tremors through the entire land mass. Woken slightly from his deep sleep, Essex's eyes cracked open, and a brief glow crackled in his eyes before fading as suddenly as it appeared. == On the West Coast of America, Logan stood pressed against the walls of the EarthGov citybase of New Pierra. He watched the tankdrones' scanning beams, still unsure if they were using infra-red scanning as well as optical. Whatever, he did his best to avoid their searching gaze, and waited til there was an opening. When he was sure there were no tankdrones nearby, he unsheated his right claws, and slashed deep into the armour of the citybase. Then, he ran as fast as he could go roughly one hundred meters around the perimeter. He knew the workings of citybases; they were protected by a sensor forcefield, which would despatch tankdrones to the exact position of any disturbances. He hid from the scanning beams again, and then took a small metal ball from his napsack. Pressing a button, he rolled it into the path of the tankdrone, and began running to his next position. After two further tankdrones were destroyed, his enhanced senses heard the hiss of one of the throughways being raised. Then, the crunch of gravel as an armed patrol emerged. Logan walked slowly in that direction, being careful to appear unarmed. He activated a small kinetic powered light on his belt, that helped illuminate his position. As he walked towards the EarthGov guards, bathed in light, he hoped his ideas on how humans acted would prove misguided. === Enveloped within a dark, overbearing stormcloud, Ship was stationary above Australasia, one of the minor nations within EarthGov. Sebastian Shaw gazed out of the vast viewing screen at Ship's helm, and watched lolling clouds overtop a vast continent, one which had been relatively barren since the cold fusion experiments conducted by EarthGov went awry. Some aboriginal tribes still thrived on the land though, as well as a skeleton team of scientists that worked where Canberra used to be. Shaw turned his attention back to his holographs, and watched Charles Xavier's laboured breathing. He called up a command screen via his keypad, then changed to voice command. "Computer: engage sound buffer zone; radius three meters." ==confirmed. sound buffer zone activated in specified range== "Access cerebral net; passcode: peekaboo." ==confirmed. cerebral net online== "Query: what is the rate of progress on algorithm Apocalypse-Shaw-Alpha?" ==32% specified data successfully assimilate into cerebral net== "Query: estimate time needed to complete algorithm Apocalypse-Shaw-Alpha." ==estimate: extrapolation of current data suggests 48 days and six hours== {{Excellent. Soon, I'll be able to move my plans into full action.}} "Query: status report; Project Odyssey." ==specified project has completed phase one== "Move on to phase two, and when complete, move to phase three progressively. Passcode - three words - earth-final-stage." ==confirmed. phase two engaged== === Thousands of miles away, Deadpool, Gambit and Pete Wisdom were conversing quietly with Daredevil, asking him about the mission they were about to be sent on. "There will be no opportunity to communicate with us during this mission," said Daredevil, "so you're taking the lead on this one Wade." Deadpool nodded silently beneath his mask of red and black. "Has Forge got my teleporter online yet?" asked Wilson. "Not yet, I'm afraid. But I know you can all get in and out without it. Hopefully, you won't even need to get out. If you can take down the Hellfire Club's control, we'll follow you in and we can take up base there." "What about all them slaves that runbout for the Club?" Wisdom asked. His eyes had sank deep into his face in recent weeks, after the trauma of losing one of his friends, Spiderman, and the sleepless nights spent wary for his other friends safety. "Forge and Tony have the E-M pulse generator ready, and we'll be using it just before you're deployed. We don't expect it to disable all of the foot soldiers, so we'll be providing some cover fire while you slip into the base. Don't concern yourself with being merciful to the soldiers. They're as good as dead, with their minds erased. Everything clear? Good. The pulse goes off in five." == Logan sat in his harshly lit cell, his eyes hurting slightly from the glare and the never-ending pulsating of the thin strips that glowed on the ceiling. And yet, he stared right down the lens of where he knew the camera was. He could smell infra-red beams criss-cross around his body, ready to detect the slightest movement. He was having doubts as to whether his plan would play out as hoped. The cold, thick steel of the walls was reinforced by energy barriers. He could hear the hum of molecular displacement. The door was sealed with titanium, and three feet of solid concrete. The locks were computer controlled. There were no windows. No air vents. And yet he could escape, if he so desired. He was still staring at the camera lens when he heard the gentle click of the locks tumbling open. Without looking round, he knew he was being visited by not the guards, but a government official. The smell of cologne, layered around the neck; hair gel, applied too thickly; the crisp smell of a freshly washed suit; the faint hint of sweat underarm. "Mr Logan. My name is Winston O'Brien. I am EarthGov's military governer in this citybase. I have been informed you have a proposition for me." == Somewhere lost in the American continent, a thin, hairy waste of a man wandered blindly across the barren wastelands of cities destroyed. == As Ship submerged into the ocean surrounding Australasia, Henry McCoy was making some last minute adjustments to his gene virus, watching the holographic process of the genome assimilating human DNA. His own designs always fascinated him, as the virus, which used tiny nanobots to alter vital parts of homo-sapiens' genetic makup to homo-superior. Areas of the brain; organs used to generate powers; certain bodily functions that would benefit from being mutated. The plan was to collect some Australasian natives, and test the technology in separate cases, to reduce the scope for error. Once they were perfected, they would be fitted with a full upgrade to homo-superior, and left to survive for a month before being collected as part of the Hellfire Club's army. Shaw had had the idea to try and alter their internal systems so that the solar power source they used would also provide nourishment. Essentially, a mobile army that has no need for a base of operations, commanding officer, or supplies. McCoy was adjusting the homing device that would be planted within the test subjects, when a holograph appeared directly in front of his eyes. "McCoy," barked Sebastian Shaw, before proceeding straight into his business. "Are you ready to begin our tests?" McCoy, still slightly shaken, but more annoyed that anything, replied, "Of course." "Good. The Marauders have already collected some test subjects, and five groups are on their way back in on the transport shuttles. The subjects will be delivered to your gene pool within the next half-hour. Status report by 2300. Shaw out." == For a second, every member of the Rebellion felt a shiver pulse down their spine. As they watched, the few lights that lit this city under Hellfire rule were extinguished. All but four of the Rebellion attacked; Glow, Blink and Callisto were gravely injured, and Sabra had elected herself to stay and guard them. The rest of the small Rebellion charged, as a light shower of laser fire rained over their heads. The slave-soldiers were still operational, but they were malfunctioning; some could not aim their weapons; some were aiming at each other, and some could not even grasp their weapons. Juggernaut plowed through several dozen of the policing force, and, grabbing a handful of laser rifles, he threw them to the rear of the Rebellion; some of the psis were fearful of attacking without the protection of their powers, but now they had a means. As the telepaths provided cover fire, the rest charged towards the boundaries of the city, enveloped by a half-mile belt of forest. Gambit, Wisdom and Deadpool dove into the forest on the flanks of the massed army, as Clear Cut used an enormous blade to cut into their opponents. He somersaulted through the air, producing a series of curved blades and sending them spinning into the hearts of his foes. Banshee, high above the battlefield, emitted a sonic scream that felled ten foot soldiers in one swoop. He watched the three man strike team slip into the forest, and remained there til he saw them emerge on the other side. Seeing them level more opponents with ease, he dove down to ground level, using ultra-high frequency sound to unbalance the chemicals within the slave's control system. Another dozen fell, as Hawkeye fired an explosive arrow into a mass of soldiers converging on the psis. In a few minutes, the entire army of slaves was decimated, as Banshee rose once again above the trees, and saw Gambit prowl through the deserted streets, heading towards the most advanced building there; a mesh of adamantium shielding and cybernetic defense systems, all currently disabled. Deadpool and Pete were also advancing on that building, but going via a radius of three streets on either side of Gambit. He watched Gambit reach the building, and scan for an entrance. A few seconds later, Deadpool and Wisdom appeared, after disappearing round the opposite sides of the massive structure. A brief conference later and Deadpool was taking something from his backpack. He fired a grappling hook up to the roof of the building, and handed his companions a length of titanium wire. The three men immediately began scaling the walls, using the offline weapons as holds in the jagged surface. Banshee whirled around in the air, and saw the Rebellion retreat back to a safe distance, waiting for the strike team to complete their mission. As he turned back for one final look, he saw Deadpool reach the roof of the building, and swing up deftly, landing on his feet and scouting the area for signs of defense. By the time Wisdom and le Beau were on the roof, Deadpool was already burning a hole into a weak spot in the shielding of the building. By the time Deadpool had burned a hole into the roof, Gambit had disabled the satellite that was used, most likely, for Hellfire Club transmissions. By the time Banshee began his descent, Deadpool, Gambit, and Wisdom were already slipping into the hole in the roof, about to capture a home for the Rebellion. ================ That's it for this issue. Any comments? Next time I plan to try and highlight the Marauders and the Externals if possible Roll call Rebellion: Forge, Jean Grey, Deadpool, Daredevil, Hawkeye, Banshee, Clear-Cut, Blink[INJ], M, Iron Man[INJ], Shang-Chi, Callisto [INJ], Glow (original)[INJ], Legion, Gambit, Marrow, Juggernaut, Wisdom, Sabra, Speed Demon, Essex, Wolverine, Maverick, Havok, Iceman, Chrome, Doom, Sunfire, Boost, Maggot, Chamber, Abyss, Landscape, Helios (original), Storm Hellfire Club: Angel, Hank McCoy, Shinobi Shaw, Quicksilver, Scarlett Witch, Reed Richards, Emma Frost, Roberto daCosta, Mikhail Rasputin. Paige Guthrie as slave Inner Circle: Ennur Sabah (Apocalypse), Erik Magnus Lehnsherr (Magneto), Charles Francis Xavier (Mutant X), Sebastian Shaw. Marauders: Warpath, Thunderbird, Moonstar, Colossus, Jubilee, Polaris, Wildchild, Omega Red, Scratch, Deflector (Reyes), Fenris, Sack, Vessel, Skin, Nightcrawler, Unuscionne, Caliban, Aurora, Pyro, Avalanche, Spoor, Rictor, Dazzler, Meltdown, Siryn, Black Tom, Shadowcat, Multiple Man, Random, Strong Guy, Firestar, Tusk, Wolfsbane, Feral, Magma. There's loads more, but far too many to go into here. Externals: Gideon, Mimic, Cannonball, Nemesis, Exodus, Candra, Selene, Crule, Absalom.