From: "O'Neill" Subject: X-men YinYang 14/? Date: 23 May 1999 00:00:00 GMT Message-ID: <01bea522$0b977920$0bb077c2@cambus.u-net.com> X-Complaints-To: news@u-net.net X-Trace: newsr2.u-net.net 927466902 194.119.176.11 (Sun, 23 May 1999 14:41:42 BST) Organization: (Posted via) U-NET Internet Ltd. NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 23 May 1999 14:41:42 BST Newsgroups: alt.comics.fan-fiction 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 14/?- Old Acquaintances Morpheus, oneill@cambus.u-net.com Feedback appreciated, as is criticism, if constructive. {{blahblahbla}} is thoughts ^^blahblahbla^^ is telepathy ==blahblahbla== is computer ======== For days, miles below the surface of the Earth, a lone figure had sat, propped against a wall. He had not moved since dragging himself upright, and still held the now dulled gem against him. Occasionally, his eye twitched slightly, as if something was being adjusted behind his pale mask of skin. At the end of the thirteenth day, Essex stood up, and suddenly realised where he was. Recomposing himself, he surveyed the room briefly before placing the gem back onto its pedastal. He muttered something inaudible, then walked towards the rear of the chamber. A door slid open immediately, much to Essex's surprise. He checked himself, then walked through the door. He found himself within a cylindrical room, which was no more than eight feet high with a diamer of little under a metre. Without another word, the room suddenly jerked upwards; it was a lift of some sort. In seven minutes, Essex pushed the roof of the lift open, and pulled himself up into the cold crisp Canadian air. With a faint hint of glee lurking deep in his fiery eyes, he set out along his long path once again, his robes neatly wrapping around his still muscular body. == At the fringes of Australasia, the majestic vessel of Apocalypse was submerged some hundred feet beneath the sea. Within the very heart of the ship, Sebastian Shaw sat in his position as sole Lord Cardinal of the Hellfire Club, watching his advisors gather in front of him, around the circular table representing the free discourse they could have, with each other. The Lords Cardinal overlooked this table, but only Shaw was present today. "Comrades. I have gathered you here today as a celebration of Doctor McCoy's marvellous acheivements, and to update you on the status of our various projects. But, before we get down to that, where are Frost and da Costa?" "I believe I saw them overseeing one of the Marauder training sessions." informed Pietro Lehnsherr. "They should be here presently." "Indeed. Computer: send priority IC alert to designates; frost comma costa." ==confirmed== "Now. Doctor, I believe you have some inspiring news to impart." "Yes Sebastian. Friends, I have finally completed my extensive research into creating genetically modified soldiers for our cause. As you can see in this holograph, the nanobots I created, using Apocalypse's cyber-organic tech, successfully assimilate homo-sapien's genetic makeup, and alter it to homo-superior." "Most impressive McCoy," said Richards, "I only wish I could have aided you in your research. As you know, I've been occupied with creating the new line of we--" The human conduit was cut off by the sound of the private entrance to the conference room sliding open. Shaw, who did not expect any interruptions, barked, "Who dares?" "Well Sebastian, I do." The entire Hellfire Club gazed upwards, at the source of the voice. "Father!" shouted Quicksilver, "You've recovered." "Apparently so. The last thing I remember is entrusting my dear colleague here, Sebastian Shaw, with the care of myself and Charles, until we were fit enough to resume our positions. Not five minutes ago, I woke up." Magneto walked carefully down one set of stairs that ran around the circumference of the room, spiralling towards the centre. Dressed in simple white robes,his peaceful demeanour was eerily unsettling to the others, given the conditions of his injuries. Shaw's mind raced over the possibilities that could have led to these problematic circumstances, but was overtaken by the immediate situation. "Well Magnus, it certainly is a pleasure to see you fit and healthy again." "Indeed," replied Magneto, settling into his throne opposite Shaw. "From a quick perusal of Ship's log, it appears you have upped the ante, as it were, in our campaign." "Yes," Shaw said, trying to work out how his plans would have to change now, "I thought it an appropriate move, given the Rebellion's current state of disarray. They may have cost us some injuries, but we have stolen their organisation. They are nothing to us now." "Excellent." "Before we move on Magnus, I feel it prudent to inform you of the current predicament we find ourselves in." "Yes..?" "I don't know if you recall, but before you lost consciousness, there was a massive discharge of energy from the astral plane. The short-term effect was the nullification of all telepaths we have on record. No psis remain." "Hmm. Unfortunate, but a circumstance not without its advantages." "True. However, Xavier was severely effected by this mindstorm, as we refer to it. We believe that his defenses were down when it struck, and he has been comatose since." "As I remember, I ordered him to be implanted with a cerebral net?" "A wise move, one which has seen an expected rate of recovery. I estimate another six months before he will be fully recovered," Shaw lied. He had his own plans for Xavier. "With the good Doctor's advances in cyber-organic mutates, we believe we may be able to recreate telepathic abilities in him. Obviously, we would need extensive testing before such an operation." "Obviously," Magnus replied, a brief smile masking his suspicions about Shaw, "And how is our other colleague, pray tell?" "I confess I do not know. Ship placed Apocalypse in the regenerator before anyone was teleported back up, and I have not been able to access nor monitor the regenerative process." "That is . . . unfortunate, but the fates will deliver him to us whe the time is right." "Very . . . prophetic of you, Magnus. Now, we must tend to our business, given a boost by your welcome return." As Shaw squirmed in his seat, the master of magnetism held a hand over his bearded mouth, contemplating this situation. === Deep underground, beneath the citybase of New Pierra, Winston O'Brien shuffled nervously in his seat. Fear pherimones flooded Logan's nostrils. He inhaled deeply on the cigar he had asked for, and continued speaking. "I'm prepared to offer our services in exchange for certain . . . accomodations." he said gruffly. "And what these accomodations be?" asked Winston, wiping his brow clean of sweat once again. Stretching back in his tube-metal chair, Logan gazed up across the cold, flat steel table, then looked down again and replied, "A few obvious things. Food, shelter, healthcare. And I'll want a few other things, like access to your communications system, amnesty for any crimes we may have committed, an--" "I can't do that." Logan stared straight at Winston now, his weathered eyes scraping away any bravado left in the now-feeble man. "What?" "I-I mean, I don't have the power to do that. The President maybe, b-but the Cou--" Logan sat up straight, hands flat on the table. "I don't care how you do it, you will. The crimes we'll be down for are only those we did helping those that Kelly didn't see worthy." "B-but I can't justify--" "You can and you will, bub. I know yer metahuman forces are sparse. A group like us and ya'll have protection against anything. You saw how I got past yer defenses." He breathed out in a long haze of smoke. "You could always use a little back-up from the Rebellion." == On the opposite coast, three men stalked the silent halls of the Hellfire Club's technologically advanced base with alarming ease. Deadpool, his gun held vertical at his chest, was checking a computer terminal for a map of the base. "I don't like this," said Pete Wisdom. The former thief had one hand already primed with hotknives, awaiting the first sign of trouble. "Yea," said Gambit, "It's quiet." "Yeees, Too quiet." whispered Deadpool. After a moment, he added, "Ya jumped inta that one 'mate'." Wisdom silenced his leader with one of his trademark scowls, and walked to the end of the corridor and back. "We've not seen anyone since we got into this joint. There should be someone." "Calm down Petey." Wade Wilson removed his black mask, and, adjusting a strand of blond hair, resumed his hacking into the computer. "I think this baby's gonna let me in in a minute." He typed in another code dramatically, punching the keys slowly, and pronounced, "Ay voyla!" "Y'got it Wilson?" "Sure do Cajun. Ya don't work for the Hellfire Club for five years without learning something. Check it out. Full spec of this place. Tech readout says the defenses shorted out with our E-M wave, and the computer system only came online after you took out the satellite dish." "Are the defenses still on?" "Outside ones are, but internally we're snug as a bug in a rug." Wilson looked up from the display, then said, "Wait, that doesn't make sense." As Wisdom gently pulled him away from the terminal, he muttered, "If the defenses are off, then we're safe, not warm. Or is that the same thing. Oh bugger." Pete cycled through the databanks of the computer, trying to absorb as much as he could, then called up the map of the base. "Right. We're on the tenth level. There are twelve above ground, and five below. We'll find the control centre on the fifth below." "Any shortcuts we can take?" asked Gambit. "I think so. There's a maintenance duct that runs all the way down the building. There'll be some handholds in there. From what I gather, the drones perform all the basic functions, and the mutants run the place from the control centre." "Mutants?" asked Deadpool, regaining his faculties. "Ya mean Forge was right?" "I'm not sure. I can't access the personnel files, but there are only four quarters fit for civilised people. So, a maximum of four mutants, probably less. They might keep one or two vacant, and change the task force when necessary. As far as I can tell, there would usually be a patrol around here, so I assume they were all sent out to fight us. We just need to find the mutants." "So. What are we waiting for? The Three Musketeers to the rescue!" Pete and Gambit watched Deadpool run down the corridor, and Pete said, "The Three Musketeers? I tell ye, he's losing it." == High above the Earth, Ship was in a geosynchronous orbit, staying above Australasia, casting a patient electronic eye over McCoy's test subjects. Sebastian Shaw sat in his sanctum, his thoughts in disarray. In his field of vision there hovered several holographs, each one representing the strands of his problem, as he attempted to pool them into one. He watched as Magneto made his return to active duty, when Shaw believed he was still in an induced comatose state. Someone had managed, not only to access the medicomm, but to deceive Shaw by altering the records. He had tried to call up Ship's record from Magneto's chamber, but they were simply blank. He had several viewers documenting the progress of McCoy's experiments, and he closed them, not caring anymore. He knew that with Magneto back, his plans would have to be hatched in secret, or not at all. He called up the final part of his plan; the one element that could save him. "Computer: engage monitor sequence Xavier." ==confirmed== == Magnus sat in silence, his eyes scrolling delicately over the records he saw before him. "These are all true?" he asked. "Of course." said a male voice from the darkness. "I took the records from Shaw's database myself. His defensive techniques were very primitive. As you asked me to, I took care of you." "And you will be rewarded, when the time is right." Magneto deactived the holograph, and turned in his chair to face the voice. "Now, I have some worrying news." Over steepled hands, he said, "My rehabilitation has not gone as well as expected. When I was attacked, I feared that I had lost my powers. I could not feel the control I once had, and the rest period I took did not aid me much." "How badly were you affected?" asked a female voice. "My control over the E-M field is weak. That stripling who attacked me stole some of my power. I fear that now, I pose less of a threat to Shaw's command. However, you tell me that Charles will soon recover." "It would appear so. It has been difficult to access the cerebral net, but we were able to scan him before Shaw activated the regen process. His mind was intact, but, for lack of a better term, offline." Magnus frowned. "I only hope that, even powerless, we still hold influence over the Hellfire Club." His face broke into a brief smile, and he added. "But, this is not the time for contemplation. We have much work ahead of us. Before we go on, I want to thank you, Roberto and Emma. I owe you my life." ==== Dum-dum-dum. Not too dramatic, but decent I thought. Comment's on Magnus' return anyone? ********* 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.