Post by thejellyfish on Oct 23, 2015 21:09:26 GMT -5
Astonishing X-Men #10
Hate
by thejellyfish
The Study, Xavier’s MansionPresent Day
“I want you two to join X-Factor,” said Charles Xavier as he got up out of his seat and walked – with the aid of his cane – over to Kurt Wagner and Ororo Monroe. “They need to realize that the world isn’t out to get them the way they think it is.”
“Vhy? Vhat makes us ze best choice for zhis?” asked Kurt.
“Why, because you’ve already established a rapport with them, that’s why. Out of everyone here, they trust you the most.”
“Professor, are you asking us to spy for you?” asked Ororo, tilting her head. “Charles, I cannot agree to this.”
“I’m not asking you to spy on them or their bosses, just remind them that the world can be reasoned with. They shouldn’t shut themselves in so much.”
“I accept,” said Kurt. Ororo looked at him pointedly, causing him to shrug. “Vhat? I’ve got ze circus in my veins, I like seeing new things.”
Ororo sighed and shook her head before smiling. “Then I accept, as well.”
The Library, Xavier’s Mansion
Meanwhile
“Uh, hi. Anna, is it?” asked Remy LeBeau as he walked up to the girl with the white streak in her hair. She looked up from the book she was holding in her hands.
“The name’s Rogue. Whatadya want?” she asked in reply. Her head went back down to her book.
“Okay then, Rogue. I’m Remy. Remy LeBeau. Jean said ya was from the Big Easy-”
Rogue interrupted him with a gloved finger to his face. “Wait, ya wouldn’ happen ta be related to a Jean-Luc LeBeau, woul’ ya?” she asked excitedly. Her eyes were on his and she marked her spot in the book and closed it.
“He’s ma dad,” said Remy quietly. ‘Damn it, dad. Stop being a creep. She’s younger than me,’ he thought with a tinge of disgust.
Rogue smiled and put the book on the table beside her. “Well, he was real nice ta me. He gave me a job an’ everythin’. Jean-Luc’s always lookin’ out for the strays, he even takes some of ‘em in, Ah hear. He’d always tell those a’ us wit’ powers that we should never go out an’ play at bein’ superheroes like his good for nothin’ son.”
Remy simply looked at the young woman and smirked. “Well, good ta know he’s still talkin’ ‘bout me,” he said.
“Oh ma god, Ah’m so sorry! Ah should’ve put two an’ two together when ya tol’ me ya name.”
“Enh, no harm given. Ya didn’ know.”
Rogue suddenly looked away from him with a sullen look on her face. “Can Ah ask ya somethin’ that might be a tad bit personal?” she asked.
“Go ‘head,” said Remy with a motion of the hand.
“Ah didn’ get ta New Orleans ‘til after Katrina,” she said. Remy shuddered at the mention of the storm. “Ah lost ma parents. See, we was in Mississippi, where it was extra bad, an’ they didn’ make it out. Ah did, and Ah’m tired of walkin’ ‘round feelin’ this weight on ma back. Like the pain from those few days won’ eva go away. H- How’d you get past the storm?”
“I lost ma Tante Mattie during Katrina. She was like ma grandmother, but I was adopted, so not really. She used ta kill water moccasins out in her backyard wit’ a rusty spade, all folksy an’ whatnot. We’d managed to get ma family out of town, but she was stubborn. Said, ‘Ah been bit by an alligator an’ stung by an entire hive a’ wasps, an’ none a’ dat dun killed me. What a few measly inches a’ water gonna do?’” Remy mimed his deceased Great Aunt perfectly, briefly going back to his original Cajun accent.
“Our entire… um, neighborhood was destroyed, includin’ her lil ole’ house. It hurts, seein’ ya home an’ family broken like that, but ya gotta jus’ keep movin’ an’ hope some things get better. I kept hopin’ an’ I wound up here,” he finished, motioning to the school surrounding him and Rogue.
When Rogue still looked unsure, Remy stood up and leaned against one of the bookshelves. “You got a good group surroundin’ ya, Rogue. Ya lost your family, let X-Factor be your new one. They won’ fill that hole in ya heart where your actual family went, but they coul’ be a good substitute,” Remy added.
“Thanks, that helps a lot. Ah’ll think about what ya said,” replied Rogue.
“That’s all I ask.”
Rogue chuckled quietly to herself. “Ya know, if ya eva wanna spend more time wit’ me, sugah, all ya gotta do is ask,” she said winking at Remy. She then got up and exited the library leaving Remy with a bewildered look on his face.
It was then that Remy looked over to an open window and saw someone on the other side. When he moved closer he saw a female student with antlers on the other side, smoking a cigarette. “Hey! No smokin’ on school property, you know that,” he said as he knocked on the glass.
“Aw c’mon, you used to smoke. Why don’t you come out here and join me for a bit?” asked the student in a sultry voice.
“What?” he asked. It was then that someone tapped him on the back and he turned around to see Kitty right behind him.
“Uh, hey Remy! Um, so I- well, actually Doug. Okay, Doug and I. We were, um… wondering if-“
“Kitty,” said Remy worryingly, causing Kitty to blush lightly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine!” she squeaked. “I’m fine, I’ll just go ask, uh… Roberto?” Kitty then hastily walked away from Remy.
As he replayed the words and actions of the three young women in his head, he reached a startling conclusion. ‘I’ll just lay low for awhile,’ he thought as he made his way towards his room.
Med Room, Subbasement
Some Time Later
‘It seems I was correct in my hypothesis, Professor. Miss Lorna Dane is in fact Magneto’s third child,’ thought Hank McCoy, who was in a telepathic conversation with the Professor. ‘I take it that your silence on the matter means that you did not know of her existence.’
‘I only over knew of two children. Twins. I, however, do not know their names, powers, or what they look like. I only know that they are a boy and a girl,’ replied Xavier. ‘Miss Dane has his powers, and she knows how to use them. I find that most interesting about her.’
‘Possible sleeper agent?’
'No, Erik is a terrible parent, but he wouldn’t involve his children in his games. However, if he were a worse parent, we would’ve heard from the twins by now. Nonetheless, monitor Miss Dane, Hank.’
‘I will, Charles,’ replied Hank when all of a sudden, Remy stormed through the doors and sat down on one of the beds and began taking off his shirt, revealing his toned, athletic body.
‘Oh my stars & garters,’ thought Hank as Remy pulled his shirt over his head and threw it onto the ground. Remy then snapped his fingers.
“Hank, hey. Wake up, nutty professor,” said Remy as he continued to snap his fingers. Hank collected himself and grabbed Remy’s arm, moving it away from his face. “Gotcha all worked up, I see.”
Hank shook his head and groaned. “What seems to be the problem, dear friend?”
“Well, ya reaction ta me jus’ now is the problem.” Hank growled softly in offence. “Not yours specifically. I mean, everyone is havin’ that reaction ta me.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Kitty, that Rogue girl that’s wit’ X-Factor,” he said as he counted on his fingers. “Hell, Betsy kinda follows me aroun’, but that migh’ jus’ be her way of copin’ wit’ the break up.”
“Speaking of Betsy, you do know that have to talk to her eventually, yes?”
“I know, I know. Look, jus’ take the blood sample so I can figure out what the hell is wrong with me, this ain’t my natural charisma,” said Remy as Hank grabbed his arm and injected a needle into his veins. He then pulled back on the syringe, extracting a sample of blood.
Hank moved over to the device they used on new students to document their powers and placed the sample in a translucent cylinder and pressed a button. “So, what’s the deal, doc?” asked Remy.
Hank looked over at a screen and viewed the early results. “Well, we won’t know for sure for a few hours, but just going by the preliminary results, it looks like you have a charm power! Congrats, secondary mutations only happen to two percent of the mutant population.”
“Great.”
“Heh, you know all these reactions you’re getting from people are technically due to your ‘natural charisma.’” Remy simply sighed in response and Hank chuckled.
Breep Breep
Remy put his shirt back on and ran alongside Hank to the War Room, where the massive display showed a group of four assaulting the headquarters of Da Costa International. The rest of the X-Men - Kitty Pryde, Julian Keller, Megan Gwynn, Amara Aquila, Roberto da Costa, and Lorna Dane - gathered in the room. Roberto, owner of the building in question, wore an expression of shock mixed with rage on his face. “We have to stop them, that’s my building!” he said angrily as he ran to the locker rooms to get dressed.
After everyone was dressed, Pixie began to prepare the portal to the location and within seconds they were gone.
Skies Over Manhattan, New York
A Short While Earlier
“So Mr. Anger, you mind telling me who your boys are?” asked Matthew Risman, one of the leaders of the Purifiers, over the comms.
“Well, the big guy with the dumb helmet-“
“Hey, it’s a cool look!” shouted the man in question.
“Shut up, ya stupid lout! Anyway, he’s Cain Marko, the Juggernaut. If I tell you where he got his powers from, you’ll get offended. I hear you Purifiers don’t take kindly to other gods,” he said as he pointed to the next person in line, a man wearing a red and black jumpsuit with guns and blades galore strapped to him. “That one there is Wade Wilson, also known as Deadpool,” said Dirk as he waved his finger around his ear in a circular motion. “Former Canadian special ops. And yeah, I didn’t know the Canucks had Special Forces either ‘til I met this jackass.” Despite also wearing a mask, Deadpool also had earbuds in his ears and was currently rapping along to an old nineties rap hit from NWA.
Dirk then pointed at the final member of the team, a balding man wearing a t-shirt, cargo pants, and a trenchcoat. “That there is The Captain.”
“Just ‘The Captain?” asked Risman.
“I used to be called Captain ****,” replied The Captain with a smirk. Dirk and the Juggernaut looked at the man in horror. Deadpool pulled his headphones out of his ears.
“Man, I can’t believe you used to be called Captain Cunt.” The other occupants of the helicopter looked even more horrified that The Captain’s former name was repeated. That’s when a red light shined and everyone began preparing to jump. “What? You can’t censor me,” said Deadpool with a laugh.
The Captain was the first to jump and he hesitated in the air while waiting for the Juggernaut to drop. The Juggernaut dropped from the helicopter without a parachute and the other two followed shortly after.
Once making landfall, Dirk and Deadpool began firing off shots from their weapons into the crowd, while the Juggernaut and The Captain repeatedly pounded the ground and sent shockwaves across the immediate area, knocking people to their feet.
Suddenly, a bright flash of light appeared and the X-Men were left in its wake. Deadpool fired a shot at a man wearing a light gray suit.
The rubber bullet stung the man, but he was relatively unharmed as he pulled his own gun out from under his coat and pointed it at the X-Men. Countless others did the same. Hellion and Pixie, the team’s two tickets out of the hotzone, were tased, causing them to go unconscious.
The X-Men were shortly outgunned and outmanned by men and women in business clothes and the four people that attacked Da Costa International. The rest of the X-Men knelt onto the ground and put their hands behind their backs.
The man walked up to Gambit and looked him in his devilish eyes. “The Purifiers say ‘hello,’” he said before knocking him out with a pistol whip.
Next Time: Assault on Iron Eden