Post by thejellyfish on Dec 30, 2015 16:36:59 GMT -5
Astonishing X-Men #12
Assault on Iron Eden Part 2
by thejellyfish
Control Room, Iron EdenEarlier
Psylocke dropped down from her perch in the vent silently and grabbed the guard by his arms. Cypher then jumped into the room and flew feet first into the man’s chest. The man passed out and Psylocke quietly lowered him to the floor.
“Really, that’s the ‘AVALANCHE’ move you hyped up to me on the way here?” asked Psylocke, her annoyance quite visible.
“Oh, c’mon, don’t act like my kick wasn’t sweet,” replied Cypher with a smile.
“What if you missed, hm? You could’ve broken your leg or made a noise, and then where would we be?”
Cypher pouted. “Whatever, it looked cool,” he muttered under his breath. He then began scanning the monitors to find any sign of the other X-Men. Upon finding them locked in what seemed to be a non-freezing freezer, he began scanning for entrances to the room. “There,” he said pointing at a map and then to another monitor. “If you go down to the hangar, there’s an entrance to the holding area.”
Psylocke made her way to the door before stopping and turning to look at her partner, “Keep radio contact to a minimum. I’ll call when I get them.”
Manhattan, New York
One Year Ago
He didn’t often do things like this, he never met people in bars. Even if a bar isn’t physically crowded, it certainly feels that way when you walk into one with blue fur and cat-like features. Hank McCoy was used to it, the stares. He continued to nurse his beer and ignore the looks and whispers from the other patrons.
“Hank?” asked a voice. Hank immediately perked up at the sound of his name, and saw an older, grizzled man before him.
“Oh, hi. You’re um… you’re here,” he stammered nervously as he motioned to the chair next to him. “Please have a seat.”
Holding Pens, Iron Eden
Present Day
Beast’s unconscious body was thrown into the pen and landed limply in front of Sunspot and Polaris. Hellion and Pixie stirred at the noise, but other than a few groans and moans escaping their lips, their unconscious condition did not change.
Gambit was then hoisted up by the arms and dragged out to where Beast was just tortured. Shadowcat bit back a sob as she heard Beast begin to stir and whisper something to himself.
“W… Woodrow,” muttered the blue furred man in a hushed tone.
The rest of the conscious X-Men in the room apparently also heard the furball, as they all looked to each other as if to ask: “Who’s Woodrow?”
Torture Room, Iron Eden
Meanwhile
“AAAARRGH,” screamed Gambit as the electric batons touched his chest and shocked him with a painfully high voltage.
“Y’know, I hear, that out of all the mutie at that there school a’ y’alls, you’re one a’ the worst of ‘em. Trickin’ young girls inta fallin’ in looove witchu,” said the Purifier agent with a spit.
“I don’ do that,” replied Gambit hoarsely.
“Really? Cuz one of them girls in the pens seemed awful broken up ‘bout you getting’ taken.”
“Ya sure it wasn’t jus’ because you threw our other friend into the pen with them?” asked Gambit, using his newfound power to make the guards feel a little more comfortable.
The guards in the room turned away to speak amongst themselves. “We might’ve been a lil off base wit’ this one,” said one of the guards.
“Yeah, this one’s actually kinda alright,” replied another.
Remy then concentrated his new charm power on the group of guards and spoke, “Ya know, y’all look like bettin’ folk. If ya get me out of this an’ take me to my cards, we can play us a little game.”
The guards turned to look at Gambit and then looked at each other. “I could use a break,” said one of the guards.
Suddenly, a purple energy wave washed over the room and flung everyone backwards, including Gambit, who started swinging back and forth like a pendulum. “I’ve never felt so powerful before,” said Psylocke as she walked into the room and approached Gambit. She then tore the handcuffs off of his wrists and smirked at him. “Hmm, reminds you of-,” she started.
“Jus’ help me find my clothes and get the others out of the pens,” replied Gambit, feeling emasculated by his ex-fiancée.
Psylocke coughed. “Oh hush,” she said before breaking into another coughing fit. Gambit put his jacket on and walked over to her.
“Ya alright?” asked Gambit as he placed a hand on her back.
“Never been better, luv,” replied Psylocke. She then placed her fingers to her temple as she walked over to the pens and opened the door. “Cypher’s going to meet us outside.”
“Wake up, you two,” said Sunspot as he swatted at Pixie and Hellion. The two woke up and looked around, looks of confusion on their faces.
“Where the hell are we?” asked Pixie.
“We’ll explain later, we’re leaving now,” replied Psylocke.
Flight Deck, Iron Eden
Later
“There you guys are! I’ve called the Blackbird, it’s alm-,” Cypher started as he ran to the rest of the group, interrupted by a missile being launched from somewhere else on the base. The missile flew in an arc until it hit its target, a black jet that was heading straight for the X-Men’s location.
“NOOO! I worked so hard on that!” cried Shadowcat.
Gambit placed a hand on her shoulder. “Calm down, there’s bound ta be some form a’ transport-,” he said as he turned around to look at the base, its orange walls an unsettling sight after the torture he and his friends underwent. Suddenly, a crash was heard and The Juggernaut stood before them.
“Well, shit,” said Gambit as the X-Men were surrounded by other Purifier soldiers as well as The Captain and Dirk Anger.
“You have nowhere to run, X-Men. You will pay for your crimes against God soon!” exclaimed Stryker over the intercom.
Suddenly, a rocket exploded against the Juggernaut’s chest and a jet uncloaked behind them, floating by the helicopter pad. A mousy, brown haired woman stood at the back entrance wielding a rocket launcher in one hand and a half empty bottle of scotch in the other. “Oi! Stop standing around and get the hell in here, you lazy pricks!” yelled the woman before taking a sip from her bottle.
Gambit looked to Hellion and pointed at the soldiers, “Hellion, get ‘em!”
Hellion looked at the ground and groaned as he held his head in one of his metal hands before Sunspot lifted him up onto shoulders.
Gambit looked to his ex-fiancée and yelled, “Psylocke, get ‘em!” and Psylocke a telekinetic wave so powerful that it knocked some soldiers into the ocean on the other side of the base. She then began another coughing fit, before Gambit grabbed her by the shoulders and led her into the jet. With everybody on board, the jet closed its door and flew off eastward bound.
“Who are you? Why did you rescue us?” asked Polaris to the woman who was now in the pilot’s seat.
“M- My name is Dr. Moira MacTaggert,” she slurred before pointing a finger in Psylocke’s direction. “And I’m the o- only one who can save that woman!”
Next Time: Fear