Disclaimer:
X-Men Tales: is loosely based on the X-Men- Evolution t.v. cartoon series, as well as the comicbook produced by Marvel Comics. ____________________________________________________________________
The X-Men are mutants, unfortunate people born with an X-gene that gives them extraordinary powers and abilities which makes them outcasts to those considered "normal" in the world. _____________________________________________________________________________
X-Men cast:
(Teachers) Professor-X, Angel, Banshee, Beast, Bishop, Forge, Polaris, Storm, and Wolverine, Dr Mora MacTaggert,
(Students) Cannonball-17, Cyclops-17, Colossus-18, Gambit-17, Iceman-16, Multiple boy-13, Nightcrawler-16, Northstar-17, Spike-15, Sunspot-16, Thunderbird-18 / Amanda-16, Jubilee-13, Karma-16, Magma-15, Premonition (Jean Grey)-17, Rogue-16, Shadowcat-14, Spirit-17, Syran-16, Wolvesbane-15 _____________________________________________________________________________
SENTINELS: government sponsored robots created to capture dangerous mutant. _____________________________________________________________________________
X-Men Tales: -pt13
Title: DEATH DUEL
Manhattan, NY
Most Manhattaners go through their busy lives never thinking about the world going on right under their feet. But deep beneath the city's street, hidden in the smelly tunnels which make up the Manhattan sewer system, lives a secret society very few know about.
X-Men member: Beast, Storm, Polaris, and Wolverine went down into this underworld to look for one of their fallen companion (Angel), whom had been kidnapped the night before (cahp-10). However, in their journey they came across a group of people who didn't want to see them achieve that goal. They are Morlocks. A hidden band of mostly deformed mutants too hideous to live amongst the humans.
"STOP...!" yelled Storm, as Sunder moved in for the kill. Everyone turned and watched as Storm struggled to her wobbly feet (still feeling the ill effects of Plague's touch last chap).
From the platform Callisto could be heard laughing.
"You think you can just come down here into MY house and make demands, X-Bitch...? You're seriously mistaken! Maybe on the surface world you may be someone important, but down here in the sewers..., you ain't shit!" said the Morlock leader.
"We..., only came for our friend...!" said Storm, weakly.
"As you can see, he is in good hands!" said Callisto, touching Angel sensually, inappropriately groping his buttock.
"What would we have to do to insure freedom from this place..., along with our companion...?" asked Storm, catering to Callisto's sense of leadership.
The black man thought for a moment, as his followers looked to him for answers...
"One of you would HAVE to challenge me to a duel, and win! THAT is the only way you could be set free along with your beautiful companion!" announced Callisto.
"Then I challenge you, Callisto...!" said Storm, much to everyone's shock and amazement.
Callisto laughed, not taking the weather witch seriously.
"You do realize the duel is to the death, X-Bitch...?" he asked, staring at her with glowing eyes.
"So be it...!" said Storm, slumped over with severe pains and nausea.
Callisto jumped down from the platform, his thick heavy army boots making a loud thud noise on the ground. He tossed his tattered military coat aside to reveal a strong lean muscular athletic build. "So..." he said, narrowing his sights on his opponent. "...you want a battle to the death, wind rider..., then you've GOT ONE!"
"Ororo, don't..., you can't possibly beat him...!" advised Beast. "Let me bear the burden...!"
"No...!" shouted Storm, gathering her strength as she staggered into fighting position. "...I challenged Callisto to this duel..., I alone will see it through, win or lose!" she concluded.
"Lose most definitely!" smirked Callisto, as the Morlocks all gathered around for the show.
"No Ororo, I won't let you do this...!" said Beast, being held at bay by an angry mob of mutants bent on seeing this battle through. Someone in the crowd touched Beast, aging him considerably as his blue hair immediately turned white, and his huge muscles sagged with brittle bones.
"The battle is to be held without the use of powers, X-Man..." announced Callisto, killing any hopes of Storm winning this fight with her powers. "If we see even ONE stray lightning bolt come from your fingertips, you all will be killed instantly! Understood?"
"Perfectly!" said Storm.
"Your choice of weapons...?" offered Callisto, giving his opponent the choice of which weapon to die from. An arsenal of knives, daggers, and hatchets were displayed for her visual choice.
"The knife will do..!" said Storm.
Two exact knives were taken from the bunch, and handed to the Morlock's leader. Callisto weighed both knives, selecting one for himself and tossing the other through the air towards Storm. Storm stood her ground as the knife swirled through the air, twisting and turning in her direction. Without batting an eyelash, she swiftly reached out and grabbed the wooden handle in midair, much to the crowd's shock and delight.
Callisto didn't like being made a fool of, and quickly went into the offensive mode as he rushed across the battlefield with catlike speed. Before Storm could even figure out her next move, she felt a sharp slice cut across her ribcage. "AAARRRHHH...!" she screamed as blood gush from her wound.
"First blood to Callisto!" cried the crowd in cheer.
"Ororo...!" yelled Beast, helpless to help her.
Storm clutched her bleeding ribs as she held the knife forward in defense. Callisto did a series of acrobatic flips and summersaults, keeping Storm disoriented as he reached out and cut her again about the arm. "No fair..., you said no powers!" yelled Polaris. "It's obvious that your powers are physical enhancement!"
"Actually, my mutant powers are keen animal hearing, smell, taste, and sight in dark places..., my physical traits are all mine!" smiled Callisto, making another athletic pass.
But this time Storm was ready as she easily side stepped the assault, then removed her cape. Callisto grinned as he made another pass, kicking Storm in the stomach before slapping her playfully across the face with his backhand. Storm could taste her own blood as her mouth quickly filled it the red liquid. "You wanted to play with the big dogs, X-Bitch...!" warned the Morlock as he began yet another strike. "...now's where you learn how dangerous is my bite!"
Storm spun around, using her cape as a cloak. When Callisto sliced through the cape, Storm appeared right before him out of nowhere, surprising him with a lethal stab through the heart.
"Who's the Bitch, now...?" she whispered as Callisto's eyes widened in surprise, before rolled up into his head as he slowly fell over dying from the fatal wound.
Beast saw the shocked look on the Morlocks' faces turn to anger as they started to scream for revenge. But before they could organize an attack, a burst of lightning erupted from Storm's fingertips, electrifying the entire station and shocking a few Morlocks standing anywhere near metal rods.
"Here me Morlocks..., I, Strom, am now your new ruler...! Anyone who dares oppose me as such is welcomed to face me in another death duel!" she offered as the crowd grew silent. "No more will you hunt upon the surface world, attacking innocent humans for your own amusements and pleasures! If you wish to remain here in the sewers, you may do so, but anyone seeking shelter and refuge from the cold is welcomed to accompany us to the X-Men Mansion where you will be given free food and shelter. There you will learn to live together with humanity in peace!"
"The humans have never shown us peace!" yelled someone in the crowd.
"This is not open to debate! I have spoken!" shouted Storm, stepping over Callisto's body. She ordered the Morlocks to cut Angle down from the cables, then ordered them to return Beast and Polaris back to normal. Polaris touched her own face, happy to recognize herself again as Beast (now young and revitalized) rushed over to Warren as he was lowered to the station floor. "How is he, Hank...?" asked Storm, concerned.
"He'll live, unlike Callisto!" said Beast. "I'm not sure I approve of what you did, Ororo...!" said the blue ball of fur.
"Like I said, Hank..., it's not open to debate!" said Storm, watching Wolverine slowly start to come to "Let's leave this place...!" she said, leading the X-Men home.
SCENE-2<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Salam Center, NY Xavier Institute Of High Learning
((("Attentions my students, this is not a drill! I need everyone to quickly run to the nearest safety exit and take refuge in the mansion's lower sub-levels! The school is under siege! I repeat, we're being attacked!!"))) said Professor Charles Xavier, mentally communicating telepathically with every student in his school simultaneously [Professor Xavier is the world's strongest telepath].
Students of the school [ranging in average from 13 to 18 years of age] ran from the classes and dorm rooms in a panic, running towards the nearest exits to get to the lower levels of the mansion beneath the school. In the hall Scott Summer [Cyclops] caught a glimpse of Bobby Blake [Iceman] heading for one of the exits.
"Bobby...!" he called, stopping in the hallway as other students ran around him. "Bobby...!!"
"Scott...!" yelled back Bobby, making his way through the onslaught of rushing teens.
"You seen Jean or Rogue or any of the others...?!" asked Scott, shouting over all of the yelling and screaming from excited students in the halls.
"I think they cut class today with Spike, Kitty, and Gambit! None of them were in class today!" informed Bobby.
"Yeah, Jean and Rogue weren't in class either...!" surmised Scott, scanning the student's faces to see if he saw any of them. Down the hall he saw Forge helping escort some of the kids to the nearest exit. "Come on...!" he said to Bobby, running towards Forge. "What's going on? Who's attacking the school?!" he asked, as Forge shoved students into the emergency exits and pushed the down button on the elevator shaft.
"Don't worry about that right now, Scott..., get to safety!" advised Forge, directing a few kids to another available exit down the hall.
"Wolverine, Storm, Beast, and Polaris are gone on a mission..., you're going to need all the help you can get fighting whatever this is attacking the school!" argued Scott.
"Professor X, Banshee, Bishop, and I can handle whatever may come knocking on our door, son! Get to safety!" countered Forge.
"You've trained us in the danger room specifically for combat missions, why not use us?! Me, Bobby, Colossus, Thunderbird, Northstar, Psychic, Karma..., we're all ready!" insisted Scott.
Forge thought for a moment...
"Okay..., gather up whoever you can, I'm going to the War Room to fire up the school's defense systems!" informed Forge.
"Okay!" yelled Scott as he and Bobby taking off down the hall.
Meanwhile in Salem City At the mall...
Professor Xavier sent one of his fastest X-Men to the mall right after receiving a psychic distress call from one of his most promising students, Jean Grey. The X-Man Banshee soared through the air using his sonic scream to propel him. From the air he had an aerial view of the police and fire departments as they evacuated the mall and fought a fire blazing out of control in the movie section. Banshee cut his sonic scream as he coasted towards the ground for a safe landing in some nearby trees out of sight.
He ran over to a cluster of emergency vehicles and checked the ambulances for any of his students. ("Professor...") he said mentally, keeping in psychic contact with Xavier back at the school. ("...I'm at the mall..., there's a large fire blazing out of control, probably started by Magma! But I see no sign of the students!").
((("I've been scanning the city with the use of Cerebro..."))) said Professor Xavier, using the highly sophisticated computer Cerebro [deep below the school's surface in the underground levels of the mansion] to detect mutant activity. ((("...but I haven't been able to pick up any of their thought patterns! I fear they may have been abducted, much like Multipleboy and Nightcrawler!"))) [chaps-6 & 7]. ((("And Sean..., I believe Syran was with Jean and the others when they were abducted...!"))) informed Xavier, sensitively.
("No...") thought Banshee, fearing for his daughter.
"Hey, you there...!" called a police officer, noticing Banshee lurking around the ambulances. But before the officer could get closer, Banshee took off to the air, leaving the officer staring up at the heavens...
("I was made by the cops, Professor! I'm returning to base...") informed Banshee, cutting off the last part of his sentence when a large air craft suddenly dropped out of the sky beside him. ("Professor...") he said, trying to peer in through the metal craft's windows. ("...something just dropped out of the sky on me! I can't quite see who it is or what they want...!")
((("Be careful, Banshee..., it may be connected to the abductions...!))) warned Xavier.
("I think they're trying to communicate...!") said Banshee, flying closer to the craft. He noticed a small hatch open, then something small, human sized, ejected and came barreling his way.
((("Get out of there, Banshee..., I can detect NO human thoughts or emission coming from anyone on that craft!"))) warned Xavier.
("Professor, I'm under attack!") informed Banshee, making evasive maneuvers as he tried avoiding his attacker.
The strange looking man flew after Banshee at speeds surpassing his own. Banshee knew he wouldn't be able to outrun the man, so he doubled back for a head on confrontation. Banshee noticed the man's bright red eyes beginning to glow, just before eye beams shot from his sockets. Banshee just managed to avoid being hit as he focused a sonic scream directly in the man's flight path. The man made a funny face as his ears popped, and some electrical components went flying out the sides of his head. Smoke came out of his ears as he started to rapidly descend and lose altitude. Banshee watched as the man crashed head first into the mansion's estate. Two other strange looking men ejected from the craft's hatch, and quickly approached. Banshee tried to out fly them, but they closed in rather quickly. He was just about to assault them with another sonic scream, when Northstar speed through their path, hitting both men with the momentum of his fast moving fists. The men fell off, disorientated but not out.
"Boy-o..., what're ye doing here...?!" asked Banshee, surprised to see the 17 year old student.
"I'm here to help! Scott and the others are on the ground, and Forge is manning his personal air-suit!" informed Northstar, flying in closely beside Banshee as they spoke.
"Go back to the mansion! I don't want any of you kids getting hurt...!" ordered Banshee.
"Look out!" shouted Northstar, pushing Banshee out of the way as an energy net was fire in their direction. Northstar got caught in the net as his body was shocked with electros. He screamed out in agony as he began to tumble towards the ground and to his death. Banshee rushed to his aid, but was captured when one of the strange men hit him with a liquid vale, which quickly solidified about his entire body, in casing him in a pillar of solid amber.
As both Northstar and Banshee tumbled towards the ground, their bodies was caught in mid air, and taken back aboard the large air craft.
((("I am afraid Banshee and Northstar has also been taken hostage...!"))) informed Xavier, telepathically connected to the rest of his defense team.
"They won't be taking anymore...!" yelled Forge, blasting through the air in his specially built personal battle-suit. He locked and loaded his defense systems on the enemy in his sights, and began firing projectiles. More strange men ejected from the hatch, shooting eye beam rays during high speed maneuvers which looked like an aerial battle star air fight.
"Incoming...!" yelled Bishop, aiming an oversized high powered laser rifle at an incoming target. He fired rapidly on the man as he sped inward like a dive bomber. Bishop wasn't sure if he hit the target or not, but barely jumped away to safety before the man swooped in and tried to nab him.
The man flew low along the surface of the ground, reaching speeds of over 100mph as he scanned for any mutants in his path. Suddenly a solid ice wall appeared directly in front of him. Unable to avoid the collision, the man ran straight into the ice wall with the impact of a missile. The ice wall exploded into large chucks, burying the man under a ton of ice. Iceman descended on the spot, riding one of his ice sleds as he reached in to examine the fallen man.
"MUTANT!" yelled the man as he burst up through the heavy ice, much to Iceman's surprise. Tasers shot out of the man's red pupils, as electricity quickly flowed through Iceman a 1000 bolts per second. The strain nearly caused his ice form to explode, but the man recoiled the tasers just in time. Iceman reverted back to human form just as the man scooped him up and took off into the air.
"Bobby...!" yelled Cyclops, aiming his eye beams skyward but missing the target as the man and Bobby disappeared from sight.
""We're being slaughtered out here!" yelled Bishop, holding off another attacking man with rapid laser fire.
Colossus and Thunderbird came running out of the Mansion's front entrance as Bishop fired 50 rounds into the oncoming assailant. The man slapped Bishop's gun away, then gripped him by his throat as he stared into the black man's white pupiless eyes. "You fucker...!" choked Bishop, trying to wrench the man's hand from around his neck as his grip tightened. Bishop was losing consciousness when a big black bear suddenly appeared, and clawed the man across his back. The man turned around, dropping Bishop as he fought the bear. The Grizzly latched onto the man's arm and accidently ripped it from it's socket. Mechanical parts hit the ground as the man's eyes began to glow, ready to fire its eyebeams directly into the bear. Bishop grabbed his rifle, then stuffed it up the man's ass and pulled the trigger. The laser entered through the man's rear, destroying all of his internal components as he fell to the ground, his glowing red eyes slowly going blackened.
"THAT was gross!" said the bear, shape-shifting back into the Indian Thunderbird.
"Saved YOUR ass, didn't it?" asked Bishop, getting up off the ground.
A few yards away they saw Forge's battle-suit rocket into the ground with two of the strange men. Forge's battle-suit was heavily damaged, but was still operational [at the moment] as a powerful cannon blast sent one of the two men reeling backwards. Colossus [turning into organic steel] took advantage of the man's moment of vulnerability and slapped in both sides of his head with his huge metal hands, crushing it like a beer can. The man fell to the ground in a heap. The other man ripped off Forge's protective helmet, and prepared to fire its eyebeams. He was interrupted however when Bishop tackled him, knocking him over onto the ground.
The two men tumbled along the school's grassy grounds before breaking apart. Before Bishop could get his footing, the man shot him with his eyebeams. Bishop yelled out loud as the beams hit him head on. But instead of rendering him unconscious like the others, his mutant abilities were able to manipulate and reform the beam into energy. The man stared on, waiting for Bishop to fall, when the black mutant suddenly re-fired the beam back at the man, knocking him back off his feet.
((("Bishop..., YOU know what these creatures are...!"))) said Professor Xavier, coming off the elevators as he read Bishop's mind.
("Yes Professor..., they are called Sentinels! In MY timeline they were responsible for the murders of thousands of innocent mutants! THEY were the ones that killed the X-Men in my timeline!") [Bishop is from a possible X-Men future]. ("What I don't understand..., is if they exist here in the past, then THIS must be the beginning of the X-Men's fall...!") continued Bishop, prophesying the deaths of the X-Men.
"ANOTHER MUTANT HAS BEEN DETECTED...!" said one of the flying men, heading straight for the Mansion.
("Professor, watch out...!") warned Bishop, seeing one of the Sentinels crash through the Mansion's front entrance. As Cyclops, Thunderbird, and Colossus ran to help the Professor, more Sentinels swooped in. Cyclops fought off several of them using his optic eyebeam.
Inside the mansion Professor Xavier saw a man come crashing through the oak front from his wheelchair. The man landed on his feet only a few yards away. Professor X attempted a brain probe to cease the man's mind, but found nothing to cease. He sat helpless as the man quickly walked towards him, extending his hand...
Seconds later Cyclops and the others saw the Sentinel leaving the school with the unconscious Professor in his arms. With the capture of the X-Men's mentor, the other Sentinels followed suit, all boarding the large air craft before swiftly exiting the area.
"He's gone...! The Professor's gone...!" cried Bishop, falling to his knees in despair as the craft soared out of sight. --All of the surviving X-men gasping for breath, wondering if they'd ever see their friends again...?
A different place and time, in an undisclosed location...
"Fuck..!" growled a deep husky voice, lustfully. The springs of a well worn mattress squeak loudly against the powerful thrusts of the bodies atop it.
"Is that all you got old man...?" asked the woman, looking back over his shoulder into the evil eyes of her lover. "...Wolverine could fuck harder with one hand tied behind his back...!"
"You dare mention that runt's name while I'm ridin' you, bitch...?!" growled the manimal, grabbing a fistful of the woman's hair as he yanked it back hard and began to thrust into her even harder.
The woman groaned and grunted loudly, feeling the rough impacts of her lover's strokes double as the big strong muscled man fucked her from the back. "Don't hear you complaining now, do I...?" he grinned, showing his sharp white teeth.
"That's because..." responded the woman, reaching back to grab a handful of the man's lush mane before flipping his naked body up over her back. The man soared through the air unexpectedly, slamming hard into the nearby wall, knocking over pieces of furniture before falling to the ground in an angry heap. But before he could rebuttal, the woman somersaulted through the air, landing atop the man straddling his midsection as she reinserted his erect organ and began riding him ferociously. "...I know I can do it better...!" she smiled, grabbing the man's huge hands as she held him to the ground as her prisoner.
"Wolverine was a fool to leave you, Lady Deathstrike...!" smiled the man, looking up into her face as he surrendered to her womanhood.
"That he was, Sabretooth..., and when I'm finished with him, he's gonna regret making that decision...!"
Continued...
___________________________ Written by NPhillydogg@aol.com