DorianVal@aol.com
3rd July 2006, 05:47 AM
Deathless
By
Jeremy Harper
Note – The Astonishing X-Men are the property of Marvel Comics and
are used without permission.
Chapter 2 – Clash
Nikolai Black Sun watched the X-Men closely, noting their shock
and consternation, but not understanding it. He could not shake the
sense of recognition holding his thought, the feeling that he knew these
heroes, met them somewhere, someplace before, despite objectively
knowing he had just only laid eyes on them scant minutes ago, while
peering out through the eyes of a doomed _zalohzniy_. With a wrench of
will he banished his déjÃ* vu to a dim corner of his mind, considering it
an irrelevancy to the task at hand. His mouth formed a cruel smile as he
dropped his mask. Like his skullcap, it vanished in a burst of flame
before touching the ground.
"You must forgive me, heroes. I have forgotten my manners. I
must introduce you to my comrades-at-arms. This," he gestured to his
right, " is Myedvyed Tsar. And here is Solovey. Solovey, say hello."
His grin growing wider, the crimson-clad man took a step forward and
screamed. A sonic assault crashed over the X-Men. They clapped their
hands over their ears and nearly doubled over from the pain. Solovey
ceased screaming and Myedvyed Tsar bellowed, dropping to all fours
and charging across the museum lobby. The Beast was the first X-Man
to recover. Through pain-bleared eyes he saw the giant bear loping
forward, jaws open and frothing. With a pained grimace he intercepted
Myedvyed Tsar with a prodigious jump, planting his heels into Tsar's
head and neck. Beast tumbled back nimbly, landing lightly on his feet,
dodged Tsar's attempted bite and struck him again in the neck with a
powerful right hook. Myedvyed Tsar staggered slightly, then rose up on
his hind legs with a roar that rivaled Solovey's scream and rained down
a barrage of swipes and slashes at the Beast. The Beast evaded the
attacks, though some by only the thickness of his fur. As he dodged and
rolled he debated the wisdom of taking on single-handedly a large,
angry, super- ursine, and quickly came to the conclusion that if he were
truly wise he would never have become a super-hero in the first place.
Having resolved the issue to his satisfaction, he grinned, sidestepped
and launched a flurry of punches and kicks into Myedvyed Tsar's side.
Tsar roared again, pivoted and tried to grapple his opponent, his dagger-
long fangs gnashing and spraying.
Solovey ran forward with leaping strides, drawing his saber as he
rushed Cyclops and Frost, grinning as he thought of cutting down the
leader of his foes, eager for the pleasure of dimming the man's eyes,
slicing open his chest and pulling out his heart, raw and beating, to
devour it with relish. Cyclops was down on one knee, shaking his head,
still stunned from the sonic attack, but Frost had recovered, her well-
disciplined mind rising over the after-wash of pain reverberating
through her body. Her lips contorted in an angry sneer, she shifted
forms, her flesh becoming living diamond, and moved to block the
bandit-troubadour. Solovey snorted and lashed his saber out
contemptuously. The blade rang as it bounced harmlessly off of Frost;
Solovey's face twisted as pain shot through his hand and arm. Frost took
advantage of his surprise and struck him across the jaw with a solid
punch. He rolled with the blow, somersaulting with cat's grace but
staggering back slightly when he regained his feet. Frost pressed her
advantage, throwing a sequence of punches at his head and chest.
Solovey evaded desperately, counterstriking with slashes to her belly,
arms and legs. Frost winced slightly with each hit; they stung, but were
not injuring her. Suddenly Solovey leapt back from the fray, his chest
heaving and his eyes wild. Frost pressed forward and Solovey
screamed, projecting a concentrated sonic blast. Frost lurched back,
reeling and tripping over her feet, her hands covering her ears. In her
agony her concentration slipped and she changed back to her human
form. Solovey stalked towards her, saber raised, his face flushed with
rage, but was forced back by Cyclops' optic blast. The bandit-
troubadour glared wrathfully at the X-Men's leader, now fully recovered
and on his feet.
Wolverine straightened up groggily, the ringing in his ears quickly
fading as his healing factor purged the pain from his body. His
enhanced hearing had made him more vulnerable to Solovey's scream
than the other X-Men. He shook his head again and growled,
determined to deliver payback ten-fold, when his eyes settled on a better
target...
Peter.
With a savage roar Wolverine closed the distance between himself
and Nikolai and swung his claws. With surprising speed Nikolai
sidestepped the attack and countered with a swift right jab that snapped
the air. Wolverine ducked the shot and back-flipped over the low,
sweeping kick that followed. He landed in a crouch several feet away,
arms held wide and his teeth bared.
"You've gotten faster, Petey, I'll give ya that much," he snarled.
"But it won't save ya from the ass kicking I'm going to give you. You
deserve a good thrashin' for the hell you put us through."
Familiarity stirred again in the back of Nikolai's mind, but he
quelled it with ease and disregarded everything save the threat.
Sneering, he made come-hither gestures with his gauntleted hands.
"Come and try, little man."
"With flamin' pleasure!" Wolverine threw himself at Nikolai. They
clashed, their arms liquid blurs. To Wolverine's surprise his opponent
evaded everything he threw, either dodging by scant inches or stepping
in and checking the strikes by blocking his inner forearms, while
executing well-placed counterattacks. Wolverine's mind rushed at a
furious rate as he defended himself, weaving and bobbing while
gauging Niklolai's abilities. He smelled like Peter and moved like Peter,
but he was faster and fought with more skill than Peter ever did. With
his great strength and endurance Colossus had never needed much
finesse, while this Nikolai was perhaps on par with Shadowcat in
fighting ability. Wolverine wondered briefly on how strong Nikolai
was. His question was answered when a howling straight punch blew
through his defense and caught him square below his mouth. His vision
darkened and stars burst behind his eyelids. He felt himself hurl through
the air as his body instinctively tumbled with the momentum of the hit.
He landed on his feet and fell over, sliding on his ass across the floor,
scattering shattered bones left and right, and crashed into the far wall. If
he hadn't managed to roll with the punch, he would have gone through
the wall and perhaps the building across the street. He forced himself
up, leaning against the wall for support. He had not been punch this
hard since the last time he tussled with the Hulk. He looked at Nikolai,
who stood in a ready stance, waiting, his golden eyes narrowed slightly
as he reassessed his foe. Wolverine cricked his neck and grinned. This
was going to be fun. "Glad ta see you're still eatin' yer Wheaties, Pete."
He charged back to the fight.
Shadowcat hovered at the outskirts of the melee, biting her lower
lip. She had not felt this indecisive and useless in a fight since her first
days as an X-Man. She scanned each combat quickly. Cyclops kept up a
constant barrage of blasts trained on Solovey, denying him the slightest
chance to pull in his breath and scream. Frost was coming around
quickly. Shadowcat looked over towards Wolverine and quickly averted
her eyes. She couldn't deal with that yet. She would have to, eventually,
but not now. She then spotted Beast flipping and rolling in a circle
around Myedvyed Tsar, trying to wear the massive ursine out. Taking a
breath, Shadowcat ran towards them, shifting into her intangible state.
On the run she snagged a heavy piece of stone debris and started to
walk on air until she hovered ten feet over the great bear's head.
Grinning mischievously, she dropped the stone, beaning Tsar on the
skull, just behind his crown of horns. He winced and looked up, his eyes
widening at the sight of the young girl floating on air, waving down at
him.
"Hey there big, tall and gruesome! Shouldn't you be lying on the
floor of a hunter's lodge up in the Catskills?" Myedvyed Tsar bellowed,
reaching up to claw at Shadowcat. Beast jumped, landing on the bear's
chest, grabbing hold of his fur with fingers and toes and punched him
square in the throat. Tsar choked and staggered. Beast punched him
again and he fell over, Beast kicking off the moment the bear hit the
floor, adding more force to the impact. Grinning, he gave Shadowcat a
jaunty salute. She waved back. Myedvyed Tsar roared furiously, rolling
onto his legs with amazing speed and charging to bite the Beast. The
Beast dodged while Shadowcat phased down and started kicking Tsar in
the hindquarters, with little effect.
Solovey twisted out of the way of an optic blast, deflected a second
with his saber and finally managed a short, sharp shout. It struck
Cyclops like a fist, rocking him back, forcing the breath out of his
lungs. Solovey rushed to finish off the X-Men, then with a startled oath
checked himself, turned to the right and slashed out with his saber. He
stood there for a second, blinking, then was knocked across the lobby
by Cyclops, his blast catching the swordsman square in the mid-section.
Solovey hit the floor hard, rolled several feet and laid still, his saber
still
clutched in his hand. Emma Frost, in her human form, smiled wickedly.
Wolverine feinted a right-handed slash at Nikolai's head, then
lashed out with his left. The adamantium claws bit deep into Nikolai's
right forearm. Golden blood sprayed the air. Grimacing violently,
Nikolai struck with blinding speed, grabbing Wolverine by the throat
with his right hand and lifting him off his feet. "Burn," Nikolai hissed.
His eyes flared and his spilled blood ignited. A blast of flame ran down
his arm and Wolverine screamed as it enveloped him. Nikolai lifted him
over his head and dashed him to the floor, the impact causing it to
crater. Still conscious, Wolverine rolled in a desperate attempt to put
himself out.
"WOLVERINE!" shouted the Beast, and he moved to go aid his
fallen friend. Myedvyed Tsar exploited his distraction and struck him
hard in the head with the flat of his paw. The Beast slammed down into
the floor, bounced once and landed on his back, unconscious. Bellowing
in triumph, Myedvyed Tsar dropped down on the Beast to finish him
off. His claws and teeth passed harmlessly through the X-Man. Tsar's
piggish eyes widened in surprise, then realized someone was clutching
at his back. He turned his head and saw Shadowcat clinging to him.
Tsar roared in outrage, rose back on his hind legs and started to reach
around, attempting to claw her off, but not quite able to reach her.
Suddenly she let go and dropped down towards the Beast, just as
Cyclops cut loose with a full-intensity optic blast. Myedvyed Tsar was
sent crashing through the wall and tumbling into the street, where he lay
in a stunned, smoldering heap.
Nikolai scowled, noting with irritation his two henchmen were
down, and started stalking towards the man who put them out of the
fight. Cyclops pivoted, aimed and fired, rocking Nikolai back a step.
Cyclops fired again, but Nikolai braced himself for the second blast. It
splashed and flared against his chest ineffectually, not even swaying
him. "Not enough gun," he sneered.
"Try this, then," answered Cyclops, lowering his line of sight and
firing. The optic blast struck Nikolai just above the ankles, toppling him
down face-first with a thunderous crash. As he attempted to regain his
feet Cyclops fired again, this time indirectly, ricocheting his blast off a
nearby pillar and blasting Nikolai in the side of the ribs. The impact
rolled him across the floor several feet. Laying flat on his stomach,
Nikolai hissed in aggravation and struck the ground with his clenched
fist. The entire lobby trembled and Cyclops was knocked off his feet by
the shockwave directed at him. In a single push Nikolai regained his
footing and jumped, arcing through the air, determined to crush his
opponent beneath his heels. But then Frost interposed herself, shifted to
diamond form, and as Nikolai descended she punched him out of the air
with a thunderous haymaker that sent him flying across the lobby and
through the swinging doors, destroying them. He skidded on his back
down the hall a ways, sliding to a stop, his eyes flaring as his anger
grew. Frost charged the doors and was running down the hall to follow
up her attack. Nikolai tore a chunk of stone out of the floor and hurled it
at her. She halted and braced herself; the stone shattered on her crossed
arms. Nikolai kipped up, yanked the gauntlet off of his right hand, drew
his dagger and ran it across his palm. Golden blood welled from the cut.
Nikolai stretched out his arm, squeezed his palm and the blood sprayed
down the hall, splashing Frost. She started back in surprise, looking
down at herself, then at Nikolai in disgust. He grinned at her, drawing
his hand to his chest, the cut all ready closed. "My blood is venom," he
said to her. "My bile, darkness." He clenched his fist. The blood on
Frost turned black and evaporated into tendrils of smoke. She blinked,
then coughed, then started to choke. She dropped to her knees gagging,
involuntarily changing forms, trying desperately to vomit up the
strangling vapors she inhaled. Nikolai advanced on her, dagger held at
the ready. Cyclops stepped into the hallway and fired, forcing him back.
Growling, Nikolai licked his blood off the sides of the dagger. "Seek,"
he whispered to it before throwing. Cyclops jerked his head to one side,
the blade missing him by a scant inch. He fired another blast that
splashed against Nikolai with little effect, then heard Shadowcat shout
out a warning. Thinking Solovey or Myedvyed Tsar had rejoined the
fight, Cyclops spun around, ready to fire, and saw to his shock Nikolai's
dagger flying at him, aimed directly at his heart. He fired at it, missed
and was about to try to twist out of its path when Shadowcat laid hands
on him and phased. The dagger passed through him, causing no harm
but leaving him feeling strangely cold.
Nikolai caught the dagger and cocked his arm back for a second
throw. As he aimed Wolverine burst past Cyclops and Shadowcat,
howling on the top of his lungs. His wounds were healed, his costume
badly burnt, and he was firmly in the grip of a berserker rage. Nikolai
threw the dagger at him; he swatted it out of the air with a flick of his
claws and hurled himself at Nikolai. He raked twice across the big
man's chest, once across his face. Nikolai fell back, screaming in pain.
Wolverine impaled him with a thrust to the stomach, and he answered
with a double-fisted sledgehammer blow that pounded Wolverine deep
into the floor. The Canadian mutant attempted to get up, but Nikolai
stomped on the back of his head, driving him down even deeper and
knocking him out. Nikolai's blood ignited, his wounds knitting shut in
bursts of flame. His breath rushing harshly through grit teeth, he
fumbled at the hilt of his broadsword. A small form threw itself at him,
striking him in the face with a jump kick. The blow did not hurt, but it
startled him. He withdrew a step and glared at his new opponent.
Shadowcat stood in her ready stance, screening Wolverine, ready
to fight or flee in an instant. She knew she could not injure Nikolai
without resorting to drastic measures, but hoped to distract him until
Wolverine and Frost recovered. In the lobby the former White Queen
was slowly recovering from her fit, having been pulled out of the
hallway by Cyclops during Wolverine's attack, but Wolverine himself
wasn't moving, and considering the physical trauma inflicted on him
today, Shadowcat wasn't sure when he would be able to get up. She
braced herself as Nikolai took a step towards her... and stopped.
Time froze for Nikolai. He could not move, and he did not know
why. This was the first time he got a close look at this particular hero,
and the sight of her paralyzed him. The sense of familiarity screamed in
the back of his mind, overwhelming his senses. Unknown images of her
erupted onto the stage of his memory – this young woman laughing,
crying, enraged, upset, afraid, joyful, happy, loving. A strange, alien
pain throbbed in Nikolai's chest, as if a void had opened within it. More
visions manifested in his thought – other memories of the young
woman, this time with another girl, a slight athletic blond whose face
and mannerisms were also damnably familiar. The two girls had deep
affection for each other, were as close as sisters. The void within him
yawned wider. He shut his eyes, the emotional pain whelming his
resistance.
Shadowcat watched Nikolai in dumbfounded amazement. His
expression was one of absolute shock, almost fright. His all ready pale
face had turned stark white and his clenched fists were shaking. He
closed his eyes tight, fell back another step and opened them.
Shadowcat gasped and nearly fell to her knees. His eyes were no longer
solid metallic gold; they were deep blue.
"I know you," Nikolai whispered. His right fist uncurled.
Hesitantly he reached out towards her. Shadowcat watched him, her
heart thumping faster. She knew now beyond a doubt that this was
Peter. In order to function in this fight she had told herself that this
Nikolai was an imposter, some being or construct created by a past foe
of the X-Men in order to hurt them emotionally. But now, looking into
his eyes, hearing his wondering voice, this rationalization crumbled to
dust. She knew in her heart, in the very depths of her soul, that this was
Peter, her dear, dear friend. Changed, yes – and under the grasp of some
terrible compulsion, but Peter all the same, arisen anew from ashes and
dust.
"Piotr," she murmured, waiting to see what he would do. At the
sound of his name he flinched, drawing back his hand. His eyes snapped
closed and he reeled back, venting out an ear-splitting scream - a
booming cry of raging, uncomprehending sorrow. He opened his eyes
and they were gold again. He ran past her, moving so fast that he was
almost a blur, fleeing towards the lobby. Shadowcat hesitated for a
second before chasing after him.
In the lobby Cyclops fired a short blast at Nikolai, who dived and
rolled underneath it. Solovey was reviving, gingerly getting to his feet
and glaring murderously at Cyclops. Myedvyed Tsar re-entered the Met
with a roar, clambering through the hole in the wall he had made. Both
were angry and eager to kill, but were checked by a command from
Nikolai. "Time to go." He gestured at the smashed front doors and a
pillar of golden fire erupted before them, spiraling to the ceiling.
Myedvyed Tsar lumbered to it, vanishing instantly the moment he
stepped within it. Solovey let loose a scream to keep the X-Men at bay,
then retreated into the pillar. Nikolai blocked an optic blast with his
arms and paused for a moment, looking back at the X-Men, focusing on
Shadowcat. Her face was pale and she was trembling. For a moment
Nikolai's eyes flashed blue, and then with a hiss he strode imperiously
into the fire. He and the pillar vanished.
Cyclops dropped his hand from his visor and let out his breath in a
big gust. Shadowcat stood next to him, visibly shaken, her hands
clenched tight and her lips pursed in a tight line. The Beast had sat up
and was holding his head between his hands, taking in deep, rhythmic
breaths. Frost was leaning against the lobby's back wall with both
hands, taking in deep, gulping breaths of air. Cyclops walked to her,
laying a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right, Emma?"
Frost nodded. She turned to face Cyclops, wrapping her arms
around his neck and brushing her lips against his. "Why did he retreat?
He had us all but defeated."
"I don't know. Kitty confronted him after he knocked out
Wolverine and while I was getting you out of harm's way."
"Interesting... It's disconcerting that his mind was so completely
closed to me. Do you think that it is really Colossus?"
Cyclops sighed. "It's possible."
"More than possible, Cyke. It's a fact." Cyclops turned at the sound
of Wolverine's voice. The Canadian mutant's costume was badly
damaged, his mask and shirt burnt, his trouser and boots charred. Half-
healed burns marred his exposed flesh, smoking in the air, but they were
shrinking and fading quickly. "That was Peter." He scanned the
destroyed lobby and grinned a feral smile. "Damn, this is one for the
record books. What a hellacious fight."
"I can't believe you enjoyed this," said Frost. Wolverine shrugged.
"No sin in enjoying a good brawl. Coulda done without my ass
being kicked, though." His smiled faltered when he looked at
Shadowcat. "How you feelin', Pun'kin?"
"I'm fine," she lied, deceiving no one. "How about yourself?"
"I feel like I was lit on fire and used as a handball by someone who
could give the Hulk a run for his money. Nothin' a few dozen six-packs
of brew and a weeklong nap won't fix. How about you, Hank?" The
Beast by then had joined them, still shaking his head.
"I want the number of the truck that ran me over," he grumbled.
"I've been a super-hero most of my life. I've been an X-Man, an
Avenger and a Defender and I've fought every sort of villain you can
imagine, but this is the first time I've been cold-cocked by an over-sized
refugee from Jellystone." He fingered the side of his head and winced.
"At least he didn't tear my face off."
"Small favors are the best," commented Wolverine.
Cyclops frowned. "I'm afraid we haven't covered ourselves in glory
this time. This place is in shambles and the people responsible for this
fiasco escaped with whatever it was they were after."
"We saved the hostages, Scott," said Frost. "We got them out
unharmed. That counts for something."
"I know, but I'm getting tired of the bad guys managing to get
away from us." He sighed. "Or maybe I'm just tired in general. Let's
clear out."
Fifth Avenue was swarming with activity. The police had cordoned
off the area and held back the public, who invariably, with an instinct
for self-preservation similar to lemmings, were attracted to super-
powered clashes. EMTs were examining the hostages and shuttling
those who wanted more thorough medical attention to the nearest
hospital. Off in the distance a unit of Damage Control repair crews was
making their way down the street to begin initial assessments of the
destruction inflicted on the Metropolitan Museum. Local news crews
had set up their cameras. The moment the X-Men stepped outside
reporters started shouting questions. After Cyclops gave the officer-in-
charge a brief synopsis of what happened in the museum, the X-Men
left the cordon and the reporters swarmed them, demanding Cyclops
and Shadowcat's attention.
Cyclops felt a tug on his arm and looked over at Shadowcat. Her
mouth was trembling and her large golden-brown eyes were bright with
un-shed tears. "I can't do this, Scott. Not now. Not-" She ran, phasing
through the crush of the press, disrupting cameras, microphones and
tape recorders, crossing Fifth Avenue and into Central Park. Cyclops
watched her go, his express hard and stoic. Frost and Wolverine's words
echoed in his mind. He felt ill, and he could not begin to imagine what
Kitty was feeling. _Peter, what happened to you_?
"No questions today!" he shouted at the press. He continued to do
so as he and the X-Men made their way through the reporters, following
Shadowcat to the refuge of the Blackbird.
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By
Jeremy Harper
Note – The Astonishing X-Men are the property of Marvel Comics and
are used without permission.
Chapter 2 – Clash
Nikolai Black Sun watched the X-Men closely, noting their shock
and consternation, but not understanding it. He could not shake the
sense of recognition holding his thought, the feeling that he knew these
heroes, met them somewhere, someplace before, despite objectively
knowing he had just only laid eyes on them scant minutes ago, while
peering out through the eyes of a doomed _zalohzniy_. With a wrench of
will he banished his déjÃ* vu to a dim corner of his mind, considering it
an irrelevancy to the task at hand. His mouth formed a cruel smile as he
dropped his mask. Like his skullcap, it vanished in a burst of flame
before touching the ground.
"You must forgive me, heroes. I have forgotten my manners. I
must introduce you to my comrades-at-arms. This," he gestured to his
right, " is Myedvyed Tsar. And here is Solovey. Solovey, say hello."
His grin growing wider, the crimson-clad man took a step forward and
screamed. A sonic assault crashed over the X-Men. They clapped their
hands over their ears and nearly doubled over from the pain. Solovey
ceased screaming and Myedvyed Tsar bellowed, dropping to all fours
and charging across the museum lobby. The Beast was the first X-Man
to recover. Through pain-bleared eyes he saw the giant bear loping
forward, jaws open and frothing. With a pained grimace he intercepted
Myedvyed Tsar with a prodigious jump, planting his heels into Tsar's
head and neck. Beast tumbled back nimbly, landing lightly on his feet,
dodged Tsar's attempted bite and struck him again in the neck with a
powerful right hook. Myedvyed Tsar staggered slightly, then rose up on
his hind legs with a roar that rivaled Solovey's scream and rained down
a barrage of swipes and slashes at the Beast. The Beast evaded the
attacks, though some by only the thickness of his fur. As he dodged and
rolled he debated the wisdom of taking on single-handedly a large,
angry, super- ursine, and quickly came to the conclusion that if he were
truly wise he would never have become a super-hero in the first place.
Having resolved the issue to his satisfaction, he grinned, sidestepped
and launched a flurry of punches and kicks into Myedvyed Tsar's side.
Tsar roared again, pivoted and tried to grapple his opponent, his dagger-
long fangs gnashing and spraying.
Solovey ran forward with leaping strides, drawing his saber as he
rushed Cyclops and Frost, grinning as he thought of cutting down the
leader of his foes, eager for the pleasure of dimming the man's eyes,
slicing open his chest and pulling out his heart, raw and beating, to
devour it with relish. Cyclops was down on one knee, shaking his head,
still stunned from the sonic attack, but Frost had recovered, her well-
disciplined mind rising over the after-wash of pain reverberating
through her body. Her lips contorted in an angry sneer, she shifted
forms, her flesh becoming living diamond, and moved to block the
bandit-troubadour. Solovey snorted and lashed his saber out
contemptuously. The blade rang as it bounced harmlessly off of Frost;
Solovey's face twisted as pain shot through his hand and arm. Frost took
advantage of his surprise and struck him across the jaw with a solid
punch. He rolled with the blow, somersaulting with cat's grace but
staggering back slightly when he regained his feet. Frost pressed her
advantage, throwing a sequence of punches at his head and chest.
Solovey evaded desperately, counterstriking with slashes to her belly,
arms and legs. Frost winced slightly with each hit; they stung, but were
not injuring her. Suddenly Solovey leapt back from the fray, his chest
heaving and his eyes wild. Frost pressed forward and Solovey
screamed, projecting a concentrated sonic blast. Frost lurched back,
reeling and tripping over her feet, her hands covering her ears. In her
agony her concentration slipped and she changed back to her human
form. Solovey stalked towards her, saber raised, his face flushed with
rage, but was forced back by Cyclops' optic blast. The bandit-
troubadour glared wrathfully at the X-Men's leader, now fully recovered
and on his feet.
Wolverine straightened up groggily, the ringing in his ears quickly
fading as his healing factor purged the pain from his body. His
enhanced hearing had made him more vulnerable to Solovey's scream
than the other X-Men. He shook his head again and growled,
determined to deliver payback ten-fold, when his eyes settled on a better
target...
Peter.
With a savage roar Wolverine closed the distance between himself
and Nikolai and swung his claws. With surprising speed Nikolai
sidestepped the attack and countered with a swift right jab that snapped
the air. Wolverine ducked the shot and back-flipped over the low,
sweeping kick that followed. He landed in a crouch several feet away,
arms held wide and his teeth bared.
"You've gotten faster, Petey, I'll give ya that much," he snarled.
"But it won't save ya from the ass kicking I'm going to give you. You
deserve a good thrashin' for the hell you put us through."
Familiarity stirred again in the back of Nikolai's mind, but he
quelled it with ease and disregarded everything save the threat.
Sneering, he made come-hither gestures with his gauntleted hands.
"Come and try, little man."
"With flamin' pleasure!" Wolverine threw himself at Nikolai. They
clashed, their arms liquid blurs. To Wolverine's surprise his opponent
evaded everything he threw, either dodging by scant inches or stepping
in and checking the strikes by blocking his inner forearms, while
executing well-placed counterattacks. Wolverine's mind rushed at a
furious rate as he defended himself, weaving and bobbing while
gauging Niklolai's abilities. He smelled like Peter and moved like Peter,
but he was faster and fought with more skill than Peter ever did. With
his great strength and endurance Colossus had never needed much
finesse, while this Nikolai was perhaps on par with Shadowcat in
fighting ability. Wolverine wondered briefly on how strong Nikolai
was. His question was answered when a howling straight punch blew
through his defense and caught him square below his mouth. His vision
darkened and stars burst behind his eyelids. He felt himself hurl through
the air as his body instinctively tumbled with the momentum of the hit.
He landed on his feet and fell over, sliding on his ass across the floor,
scattering shattered bones left and right, and crashed into the far wall. If
he hadn't managed to roll with the punch, he would have gone through
the wall and perhaps the building across the street. He forced himself
up, leaning against the wall for support. He had not been punch this
hard since the last time he tussled with the Hulk. He looked at Nikolai,
who stood in a ready stance, waiting, his golden eyes narrowed slightly
as he reassessed his foe. Wolverine cricked his neck and grinned. This
was going to be fun. "Glad ta see you're still eatin' yer Wheaties, Pete."
He charged back to the fight.
Shadowcat hovered at the outskirts of the melee, biting her lower
lip. She had not felt this indecisive and useless in a fight since her first
days as an X-Man. She scanned each combat quickly. Cyclops kept up a
constant barrage of blasts trained on Solovey, denying him the slightest
chance to pull in his breath and scream. Frost was coming around
quickly. Shadowcat looked over towards Wolverine and quickly averted
her eyes. She couldn't deal with that yet. She would have to, eventually,
but not now. She then spotted Beast flipping and rolling in a circle
around Myedvyed Tsar, trying to wear the massive ursine out. Taking a
breath, Shadowcat ran towards them, shifting into her intangible state.
On the run she snagged a heavy piece of stone debris and started to
walk on air until she hovered ten feet over the great bear's head.
Grinning mischievously, she dropped the stone, beaning Tsar on the
skull, just behind his crown of horns. He winced and looked up, his eyes
widening at the sight of the young girl floating on air, waving down at
him.
"Hey there big, tall and gruesome! Shouldn't you be lying on the
floor of a hunter's lodge up in the Catskills?" Myedvyed Tsar bellowed,
reaching up to claw at Shadowcat. Beast jumped, landing on the bear's
chest, grabbing hold of his fur with fingers and toes and punched him
square in the throat. Tsar choked and staggered. Beast punched him
again and he fell over, Beast kicking off the moment the bear hit the
floor, adding more force to the impact. Grinning, he gave Shadowcat a
jaunty salute. She waved back. Myedvyed Tsar roared furiously, rolling
onto his legs with amazing speed and charging to bite the Beast. The
Beast dodged while Shadowcat phased down and started kicking Tsar in
the hindquarters, with little effect.
Solovey twisted out of the way of an optic blast, deflected a second
with his saber and finally managed a short, sharp shout. It struck
Cyclops like a fist, rocking him back, forcing the breath out of his
lungs. Solovey rushed to finish off the X-Men, then with a startled oath
checked himself, turned to the right and slashed out with his saber. He
stood there for a second, blinking, then was knocked across the lobby
by Cyclops, his blast catching the swordsman square in the mid-section.
Solovey hit the floor hard, rolled several feet and laid still, his saber
still
clutched in his hand. Emma Frost, in her human form, smiled wickedly.
Wolverine feinted a right-handed slash at Nikolai's head, then
lashed out with his left. The adamantium claws bit deep into Nikolai's
right forearm. Golden blood sprayed the air. Grimacing violently,
Nikolai struck with blinding speed, grabbing Wolverine by the throat
with his right hand and lifting him off his feet. "Burn," Nikolai hissed.
His eyes flared and his spilled blood ignited. A blast of flame ran down
his arm and Wolverine screamed as it enveloped him. Nikolai lifted him
over his head and dashed him to the floor, the impact causing it to
crater. Still conscious, Wolverine rolled in a desperate attempt to put
himself out.
"WOLVERINE!" shouted the Beast, and he moved to go aid his
fallen friend. Myedvyed Tsar exploited his distraction and struck him
hard in the head with the flat of his paw. The Beast slammed down into
the floor, bounced once and landed on his back, unconscious. Bellowing
in triumph, Myedvyed Tsar dropped down on the Beast to finish him
off. His claws and teeth passed harmlessly through the X-Man. Tsar's
piggish eyes widened in surprise, then realized someone was clutching
at his back. He turned his head and saw Shadowcat clinging to him.
Tsar roared in outrage, rose back on his hind legs and started to reach
around, attempting to claw her off, but not quite able to reach her.
Suddenly she let go and dropped down towards the Beast, just as
Cyclops cut loose with a full-intensity optic blast. Myedvyed Tsar was
sent crashing through the wall and tumbling into the street, where he lay
in a stunned, smoldering heap.
Nikolai scowled, noting with irritation his two henchmen were
down, and started stalking towards the man who put them out of the
fight. Cyclops pivoted, aimed and fired, rocking Nikolai back a step.
Cyclops fired again, but Nikolai braced himself for the second blast. It
splashed and flared against his chest ineffectually, not even swaying
him. "Not enough gun," he sneered.
"Try this, then," answered Cyclops, lowering his line of sight and
firing. The optic blast struck Nikolai just above the ankles, toppling him
down face-first with a thunderous crash. As he attempted to regain his
feet Cyclops fired again, this time indirectly, ricocheting his blast off a
nearby pillar and blasting Nikolai in the side of the ribs. The impact
rolled him across the floor several feet. Laying flat on his stomach,
Nikolai hissed in aggravation and struck the ground with his clenched
fist. The entire lobby trembled and Cyclops was knocked off his feet by
the shockwave directed at him. In a single push Nikolai regained his
footing and jumped, arcing through the air, determined to crush his
opponent beneath his heels. But then Frost interposed herself, shifted to
diamond form, and as Nikolai descended she punched him out of the air
with a thunderous haymaker that sent him flying across the lobby and
through the swinging doors, destroying them. He skidded on his back
down the hall a ways, sliding to a stop, his eyes flaring as his anger
grew. Frost charged the doors and was running down the hall to follow
up her attack. Nikolai tore a chunk of stone out of the floor and hurled it
at her. She halted and braced herself; the stone shattered on her crossed
arms. Nikolai kipped up, yanked the gauntlet off of his right hand, drew
his dagger and ran it across his palm. Golden blood welled from the cut.
Nikolai stretched out his arm, squeezed his palm and the blood sprayed
down the hall, splashing Frost. She started back in surprise, looking
down at herself, then at Nikolai in disgust. He grinned at her, drawing
his hand to his chest, the cut all ready closed. "My blood is venom," he
said to her. "My bile, darkness." He clenched his fist. The blood on
Frost turned black and evaporated into tendrils of smoke. She blinked,
then coughed, then started to choke. She dropped to her knees gagging,
involuntarily changing forms, trying desperately to vomit up the
strangling vapors she inhaled. Nikolai advanced on her, dagger held at
the ready. Cyclops stepped into the hallway and fired, forcing him back.
Growling, Nikolai licked his blood off the sides of the dagger. "Seek,"
he whispered to it before throwing. Cyclops jerked his head to one side,
the blade missing him by a scant inch. He fired another blast that
splashed against Nikolai with little effect, then heard Shadowcat shout
out a warning. Thinking Solovey or Myedvyed Tsar had rejoined the
fight, Cyclops spun around, ready to fire, and saw to his shock Nikolai's
dagger flying at him, aimed directly at his heart. He fired at it, missed
and was about to try to twist out of its path when Shadowcat laid hands
on him and phased. The dagger passed through him, causing no harm
but leaving him feeling strangely cold.
Nikolai caught the dagger and cocked his arm back for a second
throw. As he aimed Wolverine burst past Cyclops and Shadowcat,
howling on the top of his lungs. His wounds were healed, his costume
badly burnt, and he was firmly in the grip of a berserker rage. Nikolai
threw the dagger at him; he swatted it out of the air with a flick of his
claws and hurled himself at Nikolai. He raked twice across the big
man's chest, once across his face. Nikolai fell back, screaming in pain.
Wolverine impaled him with a thrust to the stomach, and he answered
with a double-fisted sledgehammer blow that pounded Wolverine deep
into the floor. The Canadian mutant attempted to get up, but Nikolai
stomped on the back of his head, driving him down even deeper and
knocking him out. Nikolai's blood ignited, his wounds knitting shut in
bursts of flame. His breath rushing harshly through grit teeth, he
fumbled at the hilt of his broadsword. A small form threw itself at him,
striking him in the face with a jump kick. The blow did not hurt, but it
startled him. He withdrew a step and glared at his new opponent.
Shadowcat stood in her ready stance, screening Wolverine, ready
to fight or flee in an instant. She knew she could not injure Nikolai
without resorting to drastic measures, but hoped to distract him until
Wolverine and Frost recovered. In the lobby the former White Queen
was slowly recovering from her fit, having been pulled out of the
hallway by Cyclops during Wolverine's attack, but Wolverine himself
wasn't moving, and considering the physical trauma inflicted on him
today, Shadowcat wasn't sure when he would be able to get up. She
braced herself as Nikolai took a step towards her... and stopped.
Time froze for Nikolai. He could not move, and he did not know
why. This was the first time he got a close look at this particular hero,
and the sight of her paralyzed him. The sense of familiarity screamed in
the back of his mind, overwhelming his senses. Unknown images of her
erupted onto the stage of his memory – this young woman laughing,
crying, enraged, upset, afraid, joyful, happy, loving. A strange, alien
pain throbbed in Nikolai's chest, as if a void had opened within it. More
visions manifested in his thought – other memories of the young
woman, this time with another girl, a slight athletic blond whose face
and mannerisms were also damnably familiar. The two girls had deep
affection for each other, were as close as sisters. The void within him
yawned wider. He shut his eyes, the emotional pain whelming his
resistance.
Shadowcat watched Nikolai in dumbfounded amazement. His
expression was one of absolute shock, almost fright. His all ready pale
face had turned stark white and his clenched fists were shaking. He
closed his eyes tight, fell back another step and opened them.
Shadowcat gasped and nearly fell to her knees. His eyes were no longer
solid metallic gold; they were deep blue.
"I know you," Nikolai whispered. His right fist uncurled.
Hesitantly he reached out towards her. Shadowcat watched him, her
heart thumping faster. She knew now beyond a doubt that this was
Peter. In order to function in this fight she had told herself that this
Nikolai was an imposter, some being or construct created by a past foe
of the X-Men in order to hurt them emotionally. But now, looking into
his eyes, hearing his wondering voice, this rationalization crumbled to
dust. She knew in her heart, in the very depths of her soul, that this was
Peter, her dear, dear friend. Changed, yes – and under the grasp of some
terrible compulsion, but Peter all the same, arisen anew from ashes and
dust.
"Piotr," she murmured, waiting to see what he would do. At the
sound of his name he flinched, drawing back his hand. His eyes snapped
closed and he reeled back, venting out an ear-splitting scream - a
booming cry of raging, uncomprehending sorrow. He opened his eyes
and they were gold again. He ran past her, moving so fast that he was
almost a blur, fleeing towards the lobby. Shadowcat hesitated for a
second before chasing after him.
In the lobby Cyclops fired a short blast at Nikolai, who dived and
rolled underneath it. Solovey was reviving, gingerly getting to his feet
and glaring murderously at Cyclops. Myedvyed Tsar re-entered the Met
with a roar, clambering through the hole in the wall he had made. Both
were angry and eager to kill, but were checked by a command from
Nikolai. "Time to go." He gestured at the smashed front doors and a
pillar of golden fire erupted before them, spiraling to the ceiling.
Myedvyed Tsar lumbered to it, vanishing instantly the moment he
stepped within it. Solovey let loose a scream to keep the X-Men at bay,
then retreated into the pillar. Nikolai blocked an optic blast with his
arms and paused for a moment, looking back at the X-Men, focusing on
Shadowcat. Her face was pale and she was trembling. For a moment
Nikolai's eyes flashed blue, and then with a hiss he strode imperiously
into the fire. He and the pillar vanished.
Cyclops dropped his hand from his visor and let out his breath in a
big gust. Shadowcat stood next to him, visibly shaken, her hands
clenched tight and her lips pursed in a tight line. The Beast had sat up
and was holding his head between his hands, taking in deep, rhythmic
breaths. Frost was leaning against the lobby's back wall with both
hands, taking in deep, gulping breaths of air. Cyclops walked to her,
laying a hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right, Emma?"
Frost nodded. She turned to face Cyclops, wrapping her arms
around his neck and brushing her lips against his. "Why did he retreat?
He had us all but defeated."
"I don't know. Kitty confronted him after he knocked out
Wolverine and while I was getting you out of harm's way."
"Interesting... It's disconcerting that his mind was so completely
closed to me. Do you think that it is really Colossus?"
Cyclops sighed. "It's possible."
"More than possible, Cyke. It's a fact." Cyclops turned at the sound
of Wolverine's voice. The Canadian mutant's costume was badly
damaged, his mask and shirt burnt, his trouser and boots charred. Half-
healed burns marred his exposed flesh, smoking in the air, but they were
shrinking and fading quickly. "That was Peter." He scanned the
destroyed lobby and grinned a feral smile. "Damn, this is one for the
record books. What a hellacious fight."
"I can't believe you enjoyed this," said Frost. Wolverine shrugged.
"No sin in enjoying a good brawl. Coulda done without my ass
being kicked, though." His smiled faltered when he looked at
Shadowcat. "How you feelin', Pun'kin?"
"I'm fine," she lied, deceiving no one. "How about yourself?"
"I feel like I was lit on fire and used as a handball by someone who
could give the Hulk a run for his money. Nothin' a few dozen six-packs
of brew and a weeklong nap won't fix. How about you, Hank?" The
Beast by then had joined them, still shaking his head.
"I want the number of the truck that ran me over," he grumbled.
"I've been a super-hero most of my life. I've been an X-Man, an
Avenger and a Defender and I've fought every sort of villain you can
imagine, but this is the first time I've been cold-cocked by an over-sized
refugee from Jellystone." He fingered the side of his head and winced.
"At least he didn't tear my face off."
"Small favors are the best," commented Wolverine.
Cyclops frowned. "I'm afraid we haven't covered ourselves in glory
this time. This place is in shambles and the people responsible for this
fiasco escaped with whatever it was they were after."
"We saved the hostages, Scott," said Frost. "We got them out
unharmed. That counts for something."
"I know, but I'm getting tired of the bad guys managing to get
away from us." He sighed. "Or maybe I'm just tired in general. Let's
clear out."
Fifth Avenue was swarming with activity. The police had cordoned
off the area and held back the public, who invariably, with an instinct
for self-preservation similar to lemmings, were attracted to super-
powered clashes. EMTs were examining the hostages and shuttling
those who wanted more thorough medical attention to the nearest
hospital. Off in the distance a unit of Damage Control repair crews was
making their way down the street to begin initial assessments of the
destruction inflicted on the Metropolitan Museum. Local news crews
had set up their cameras. The moment the X-Men stepped outside
reporters started shouting questions. After Cyclops gave the officer-in-
charge a brief synopsis of what happened in the museum, the X-Men
left the cordon and the reporters swarmed them, demanding Cyclops
and Shadowcat's attention.
Cyclops felt a tug on his arm and looked over at Shadowcat. Her
mouth was trembling and her large golden-brown eyes were bright with
un-shed tears. "I can't do this, Scott. Not now. Not-" She ran, phasing
through the crush of the press, disrupting cameras, microphones and
tape recorders, crossing Fifth Avenue and into Central Park. Cyclops
watched her go, his express hard and stoic. Frost and Wolverine's words
echoed in his mind. He felt ill, and he could not begin to imagine what
Kitty was feeling. _Peter, what happened to you_?
"No questions today!" he shouted at the press. He continued to do
so as he and the X-Men made their way through the reporters, following
Shadowcat to the refuge of the Blackbird.
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