A Week Later
The tired man reluctantly looked over his shoulder, fearing the enviable.
Terror filled the expressions of Prism and his female companion, Vertigo, as
they saw that the full moon had finally risen above the trees, sending an
eerie glow below to light up the landscape, which meant disaster for both of
them.
Darkness was no longer a luxury the two could depend on to keep them
hidden from those who were stalking them.
It had been almost forty-eight hours since they had started running for
their lives. They slept in caves or hidden places during the day and
traveled at night, hoping darkness would provide the cover they both
desperately tried to find. Deep down, Prism knew they were living on
borrowed time. Unless they reached their destination soon, neither would
live to see another day, not with the Marauders chasing them.
A couple of hours later and Vertigo fell to her knees, exhausted. "I need
to rest, please," she pleaded, trying to catch her breath. She glanced
around the territory. "I don't think they know where we are. We can relax."
"Five minutes, no more," Prism replied, knowing the hired killers were
actively hunting them. He touched her shoulder. "I know where we can go.
We're almost there."
"Just where are we going?" Vertigo asked, still staring at the woods.
"Sinister knows we have no place to go."
"Do you want to just give up? Wait here until they find us?" Prism
countered. "You know what Essex will do to us when he finds us. There's no
way he will let us live."
"You have no idea how right you are, traitor!"
Both quickly jumped to their feet, wishing for something to defend
themselves from the hired killers who had just found them. Both tried to
control their fears as two very familiar figures stepped through the
clearing with their weapons drawn.
"Janos,"
"That's Riptide to you, traitor." The Marauder glared at the man.
"Janos, you don't have to do this. Essex has gone mad, he."
"The Boss won't like you calling him mad, Prism."
Prism glared at his former associate. "Do you call what he did to Vertigo
sane?"
At the sound of her name, Vertigo broke down and started crying.
"And to think she once called herself a Marauder," Riptide sneered. He
was the most unpredictable of all the Marauders. "Both of you are going to
pay for betraying the boss." He caressed the rifle he was holding. "Better
thank what God you pray to that it was us who found you instead of Arclight
and Scalphunter."
"Arclight wants both of you carried back in body bags," Blockbuster, the
group's strength man, put in. The man could lift a ton. Unfortunately, being
slow witted like he was, he was constantly the butt of the Marauder's jokes.
"And that's only after Scalphunter is finished with you." Riptide snapped
his fingers and started laughing. "You know what? I think I'll radio him and
tell him our location." He turned to Blockbuster and issued a warning, "Keep
your eyes and rifle on these two while I call the others. If they escape,
you'll take their place."
The husky man pointed his rifle at the two prisoners, and shouted at the
retreating Marauder's back, "They ain't going anywhere."
Vertigo stepped forward, paused, and then placed her hand on the barrel
of the rifle. She gently shoved the weapon lower, hoping to reason with the
Marauder. "Michael, don't you know the real reason why Sinister keeps
cloning us? We're nothing but living, breathing organ donors."
She stepped back, watching for any sign of expression that she could use
to her advantage. When the big Marauder revealed nothing, she continued,
"Why do you think he wants me dead? It's because I refuse to donate one of
my organs to his latest experiment. If I had escaped, you were next on his
list." She glanced over his shoulder. "I'm surprised Essex isn't here to
gloat."
"You know the reason why the Boss isn't here," Blockbuster said,
worriedly. "Wonder what's gonna happen if...."
"If Essex's little pet dies?" Vertigo finished the question for the big
man. When the Marauder's worried expression froze, she knew what he was
thinking. "Come on, Michael, you know exactly what's going to happen if
LeBeau dies. Essex will use anyone in the vicinity for target practice."
The big Marauder started laughing, "You're breaking my heart,"
"AND I'M BREAKIN' YER BONES!!!" A growling, familiar voice answered from
behind them.
The three turned and were shocked to find Wolverine approaching with his
claws bared. Cyclops, Iceman, Beast, and Storm also emerged from the
darkness, following close behind the Canadian. From the angry expressions
the X-Men were wearing, they wanted an explanation of why the Marauders were
several hundred yards from the mansion grounds.
Knowing he would be a legend in the Marauder ranks if he killed
Wolverine, Blockbuster raised his weapon, and pointed it at the X-man.
Before Blockbuster had a chance to shoot, Scott fired his optic blast and
knocked the rifle out of Blockbuster's hand, sending the outnumbered
Marauder retreating into the woods. Cyclops then turned to Vertigo and
Prism.
"You two have one second to get off our property before Wolverine does
something I won't be held responsible."
"Ah, Cyke, let me have my fun." Wolverine stepped closer, a huge toothy
grin widened to reveal his violent intentions.
Storm placed a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder, "Logan, please.
Perhaps, they are here for a reason."
"Please," Prism pleaded, keeping as much distance between him and
Wolverine. He turned to the X-Men leader. "Cyclops, grant us safe haven in
your mansion and I'll make it worth your while."
"Wow! A begging Marauder." Bobby joked. "Anybody else want to make a wish
before the genie disappears."
"Shut yer hole, Drake," Wolverine snarled at the younger X-man. Turning
to Prism, he smiled threateningly. "I wanna kick some Marauder ass, namely
yours."
"I can name Sinister's bases. Give you his contacts. Anything you want,
it's yours." Prism kept looking behind him as he spoke. Fears of the
returning Marauders were evident in his features, "Just give us sanctuary."
Scott glanced at Storm, wanting her opinion. She nodded and he sighed,
reluctantly. "Alright, come on."
"You can't be serious, Scott. They're Marauders!" Bobby shouted. "This
could be an ambush."
Storm glanced around the area, knowing Bobby's statement could be
correct. She turned to the only member of the group who could reassure
everyone. "Logan, are they the only Marauders in the area?"
"Yeah," Wolverine said, sniffing the air. "Th' stink is gone."
"I suggest we welcome our new guests with an array of company that
will..."
"I ain't baby sittin' no damn Marauders, Beast." Logan was quick to
express his opinion.
"Nobody's asking you, Wolverine," Scott muttered as he waved Prism and
Vertigo in front of him, directing them towards the mansion. His tone
increased in volume as he eyed the suspicious visitors. "You two make one
wrong move the deal is off."
Wolverine leaned forward, the same grin still plastered on his face as he
leered at the two. "Yea, I dare ya,"
---------------------------------
Inside the Mansion
Angel tossed down the financial section of the newspaper he was reading
and glanced at closed door of Xavier's study. "How long have they been in
there?"
"What business is it of yours, Warren?" Jean eyed him suspiciously. "Do
you have an interest in what Rogue is telling the professor?"
"Come on, Jean, don't tell me you're not the least bit interested in
knowing what's going on in that room," the X-Man, Angel muttered as he got
to his feet and started to pace the large room. "They've been in there for
over two hours."
"Warren, even if I did, and I don't," Jean paused, her eyes sparkling
with absolute sincerity, "I could easily eavesdrop."
Before Angel could comment, the door to Professor Xavier's office opened.
Rogue and Xavier quietly exited to meet the other X-Men waiting for them.
"Rogue has something to tell everyone and I want no interruptions until
she is finished." Xavier stared at everyone in the room present until each
one responded by giving him a nod. "Rogue, would you like to begin now?"
"Sure, professor, but ‘fore Ah began, Ah wanna say something ‘bout Remy,"
she started.
"Look, Rogue, I don't know what that Cajun ever had over you," Angel
interrupted, ignoring Xavier's earlier instructions. He raised his hand,
spreading his fingers wide before him. "But if I ever lay eyes on that
traitor again, I'll do to him what his Marauder friends did to me.
"Ah'm sick ta death of hearing ‘bout you an' what you're gonna do,
Angel." Rogue's voice shook with emotion as she stood in front of Warren,
glaring angrily at him as both stood face to face. "Seems ta me, you're th'
expert on being a traitor. You were an X-man when ya joined Apocalypse. Does
anybody still nag ya ‘bout your past? No, ‘cause tha X-Men believe in second
chances an' forgivin' past sins. Why can't ya do tha same foh Remy?"
"I never considered Gambit an X-Men." Angel said, gritting his teeth as
he spoke, anger causing him to hiss his words in spite. "If you hadn't been
so blind to LeBeau's charms, you would have noticed a lot of us never
considered him one of team."
Cecilia entered the room, her arms folded, and her eyes indicative of her
fury. "In other words, as long as Gambit was willing to sacrifice his life
for the X-Men, he was allowed to stay. Is that what you're trying to tell
us, Warren?"
She was spitting mad and didn't care if her words cut into Worthington's
arrogant demeanor or not. "I have never met Gambit, but from what Dr. McCoy
has told me, he saved the X-Men's butts more than once. If Gambit isn't the
kind of man worthy to be an X-man, then none of us are. None of us! That
includes you, Warren."
Jean glanced at Angel, waiting for the winged X-man to speak. Finally,
she said, "You can't argue with her logic, Warren."
"I'm sorry, Jean, but I can speak for myself. Besides, I'm not finished,"
Warren's face screwed up, seething in anger. Cecelia ignored him, continuing
with her observation of the people before her. "If you X-Men proclaim
yourselves to be a family, if you can turn on one of your own as easily as
that, then what makes you any better than those you consider to be a threat
to humanity?"
"No offense, Cecilia, but you don't know what went on in Antarctica.
LeBeau deceived the X-Men while he was a member. He never told us about
leading the Marauders down to the Morlock tunnels. He withheld the fact he
knew Blockbuster and Harpoon, the same killers who destroyed my wings, he--"
"Gawd Almighty!! Talk ‘bout calling tha kettle black." Rogue pointed an
accusing finger in his face. "Just ‘cause your code name's Angel, doesn't
mean yer one, Mr. High-an'-Mighty Warren Worthington tha Third."
Rogue turned to the others in the room, clearly exhausted by the
emotional content of the past few hours. There was a sadness seeping through
her movements as she lowered her gaze and softened her tone. "As far as Ah
can see, there's only one traitor in this room," she paused and stared into
a nearby mirror before adding. "An' Ah'm looking at them."