Uncanny X-Men - Issue #2 (of 2) - Redemoinho de Vento
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Last Issue Gambit teamed up with former enemy Scalphunter to rescue the prisoners taken by the ominous Don of the Dead. After infiltrating the base and freeing the captives the mission turned more personal with Gambit promising Scalphunter he would help find the real Don. Teamed up with foes such as Kiwi Black, Andrea Strucker and Whirlwind not only do Nightcrawler and Gambit have to watch their enemies they also have to watch their backs lest they find a knife in it.
With a single tap the doors flew eighteen feet backwards off their hinges as Kiwi Black marched forward the vanguard of the mutant counter attack on the Don of the Dead and his remaining forces. The few AGM agents and Right Enforcers not fighting each other easily crumbled under the rightful fury of Gambit’s team of rouges and ruffians. After a brief search they had reached the power complex, a massive room with a central shaft heading down into the earth ringed with green tubes feeding a similar kind of liquid that had been drained from the former prisoners.
“I need to be as close to the bedrock as possible to maximize the area of effect.” Black grunted as he examined one of the ladders ringed around the shaft. “When I get to the bottom I will wait a minute before levelling this place.”
“But the weight of all the collapsing masonry will crush you!” Nightcrawler gasped, “You’d be committing suicide.”
“Hey if Mr. Face Tattoos wants to sacrifice himself that’s his business.” Whirlwind snorted. “Just as long as I’m out of here I have no problem with that.”
“Shush the Don is close.” Scalphunter whispered, “I can smell that filthy aftershave he wears.” He added as he set his weapon down on the floor. “And he’s not alone; he must have more forces then the hired mercenaries outside. Be on your guard we are almost certainly outnumbered and outflanked.”
“And outclassed too.” A Hispanic accented voice stated as a man in a ridiculous sombrero and skull make-up emerged from one of the alcoves at the back of the room flanked by a trembling man in a lab coat and a tall woman with night black hair clad in an urban camouflage print bodysuit. “I see that not all the test subjects have escaped, that will make Lady Pagon very pleased especially since AGM completed their work and have delivered a working prototype of the gene bomb we hired them to create.”
Stepping forward Scalphunter levelled his chain-gun at the Don before snarling, “Where is the real Don of the Dead, what have you done with him?”
“He is safe as are the others we replaced.” The Don stated calmly, “At least until our mission is complete and those unfortunate enough to be taken will be sacrificed in honour of the service their forms provided.” With a feral almost predatory snarl Scalphunter opened fire at the Don only to see his bodyguard pull a pair of short swords from the scabbards at her waist and spin them until they resembled silver shields in-front of her, the blades intercepting and deflecting the bullets. “As you can see I am well defended Senior Greycrow. I will offer you the location of all our prisoners if you can reach me.”
“You are still outnumbered!” Gambit called out, “It’s 3:1 in our favour.” The Don of the Dead smiled before arching his eyebrows and clicking his fingers, alcoves in the floor and walls opening at his command to reveal fully armoured men and women dressed in black and carrying a wide assortment of weapons ranging from pikes and longbows to assault rifles and rocket launchers. “My amigos you will find that los Locos Carballo are more then ready to take you on. But as a courteous gentleman I will let you have the first move.”
“As one.” Scalphunter mumbled under his breath before the mutants turned and charged into the massed ranks of hitmen and mercenaries, wild gun shots and the occasional flash of an arrow racing out to meet them, the two forces colliding like an ocean wave smashing against a stony surge. In seconds everyone in the fight was separated and trying to claw there way forward to the Don, with a grunt Gambit smashed a pair of goons armed with broadswords and emerged from the throng only to see the female bodyguard bloking his path.
“Kurt Mon Ami!” He yelled as the woman dressed in the camoflauge leapt towards him, her swords flashing in the strange half light of the chamber. With a grunt Gambit blocked the blow before parrying with his staff in an attempt to stop his opponent pushing him back into the fray. With a puff of indigo smoke Nightcrawler materialized mid kick and smashed into the woman’s face knocking her backwards.
“Noche no!” The Don yelled as he drew his revolver and fired down at the pair of X-Men, the bullets scything past them into the crowd. “I will keel you for that.” He added as ‘Noche’ stirred on the floor before thrusting up with one of her swords directly at Gambit, the mutant blocking her blow.
“Go get to the Don.” Gambit ordered as Noche hooked her feet round his staff and used the momentum of its owners swing to right herself before counterattacking with a brutal cross cut. “We’ve got the others covered.” He added as several black suited goons went flying. With a nod Nightcrawler vanished in another puff of smoke just as the Don drew his second pistol and fired a pair of shots just as the mutant reappeared, the bullets slamming into Kurt’s left arm and leg, the force of the shots sending him skidding to the floor at the Don’s feet.
“Nice try Diablo.” The Don muttered as the man in the lab coat shifted, “But I learned to listen out for the sound your powers make when you travel. By the way I believe you are already acquainted with Senior Lykos, this facilities power source, already are you not?” He asked as Lykos slammed his hand into Nightcrawler’s scalp and begun to drain the energy from him, his body shifting and groaning as it lost it’s humanity and transformed into the hideous visage of a humanoid pterodactyl.
“Such power.” Sauron hissed as he turned his gaze on the Don, “I will end these mutants and get your facility back on line. Just remember my price when Earth is the property of the Skrull Empire.”
“I will; now keel all of them.” The Don ordered as Gambit finally knocked down Noche just as Sauron took to the air.
“Skrulls?! Like the one that helped Krunn attack the Shi'ar Empire?” Gambit spluttered as Sauron fired a concussive blast into the crowd of thugs, knocking them down the shaft as if they weighed nothing at all. “You can’t be serious?” He asked as the Don pulled out a syringe from his belt and spun it though his fingers.”
“Oh Senior I am and soon eighty percent of the population will join our empire as willing conscripts thanks to the hard work of AGM.” The Don sneered. “Allow me to demonstrate.” He added as he ran towards Gambit his body shifting to reveal his true form. Bracing himself Gambit struck a defensive pose ready to push back only to see the Don skid to a stop and throw the syringe he was holding right at Noche, the female enforcer staggering to her feet as the needle embedded in her neck. With a scream of pain her body begun to change colour to a dark green and her ears elongated to elfin points. “And she is the first of many hybrids, all destined to serve the Skrull Empire in the fight against the Kree and Shi’ar.”
“You’re crazy.” Gambit spat as Sauron spat a pair of fireballs at Andrea Strucker, the blast knocking her to the floor. “And you Sauron are even crazier for thinking these aliens will give a dam about you when they own this world.”
“Not crazy, not at all.” Sauron hissed as he flew threw a hail of gunfire as Scalphunter tried to shoot him out of the sky. “I help them, they give me everything I need, give me the whole country of India to rule over, a nation of mutants all for my own appeasement. Tell me you don’t agree.” He added, his eyes glowing amber as he fixed his gaze onto Gambit. “Bow X-Man, bow at the feet of your betters.” He added.
With a groan of pain Gambit sunk to his knees in-front of the Don as Kiwi Black helped Andrea to her feet. “LeBeau snap out of it!” Scalphunter bellowed as he rifle butted one of the few remaining thugs left standing, his body reverting to his true Skrull form as he fell. “Don’t let him control you.”
“Maim them.” Sauron hissed menacingly, “Maim them and then feed me their broken bodies.” Gambit nodded before producing a deck of cards and energizing them before releasing them at his former allies, the blast scattering them.
“Black go level this place. We’ll hold them off.” Scalphunter ordered as he, Whirlwind and Andrea formed up into a loose ‘V’ ready to face off against Gambit and Sauron.
“Stop him!” The Don roared at Noche, the hit-woman still taking in her new form. With a foul look she turned and threw one of her swords at the Don, the blade sticking him through his shoulder. “So you chose to die with the mutants.” The Don snarled, “That can be arranged.” He growled before shooting Noche in the gut, the force causing her to collapse to the floor. “Sauron drain the one know as Black before he can bring down this facility.”
“I do as I please.” Sauron snarled before turning his eyes on the Don. “You are no longer needed. Kill yourself.” He ordered. Shakily the Don reached for the sword embedded in his shoulder and poised the blade over his heart. With a sudden puff of smoke Nightcrawler leapt at the Don and slammed into him, the pair rolling across the floor towards the central shaft. “Kill him as well.” With a hiss the Don elbowed Nightcrawler in the face before holding his blade over the mutant’s heart.
“Adios Diablo.” The Don wheezed as he got ready to finish his opponent. Across the room Sauron chuckled as he looked down at the carnage below him before locking onto Whirlwind as he sliced through Gambit’s staff before being sent reeling by a swift punch in the face. “You, watch as the Skrull kills your friend.” Turning Gambit watched glassy eyed as the Don took one deep breath and stabbed down into his victim. Blinking Gambit shook his head before realising what he was watching before bringing out a card, the ace of spades, and throwing it, the energized projectile slicing through the blade before it could pierce Nightcrawler’s skin.
“No. I’m in control here.” Sauron snarled as he locked eyes on Andrea as she elbowed a hit-man in the jaw. “You, you will kill all of them now.” Andrea cocked her head before smiling, her hands glowing before she released a beam of energy that struck Sauron in the chest sending him flailing into the main energy pylon, green fluid leaking over him as he struggled to free himself. “You how did you resist?”
“Easy my father’s idea of love involved him brainwashing me and my brother every night to ensure loyalty. Because of that I know how to overcome any indoctrination attempt before it can even attempt to control me.” Andrea answered. “Few survive my first salvo, none last two.” She added as her hands begun to glow again. “As for my powers, my brother and I fought clones of ourselves a few years back, in the end we decided to use their skin and bones to overcome the limitations of our powers. These gloves are created from the bones of my brother’s clone.”
“Stop all of you.” The Don ordered causing the remaining parties to turn and see him armed with a sword held against Noche’s throat. “Surrender or she dies. All of you now!”
“What do we care?” Whirlwind snorted, “Kill her, she’s little use to you as a hostage.”
“No, no one dies today.” Nightcrawler ordered as he got to his feet. “Everyone stand…whoa.” He stopped mid speech as Whirlwind spun up to full speed and threw his knives, the blades stabbing into the Don’s eyes causing him to collapse backwards onto the floor.
“God dam it Whirlwind!” Scalphunter swore, “Now we will never find out where the prisoners are.”
“Not my concern.” Whirlwind grunted as he expanded the wall of wind through the entire chamber, the speed of the gusts causing all the remaining combatants to stagger before being picked up in the massive tornado. “I’m the big boss now. Avengers pah they are just pathetic wannabes, let’s see them stop me. I’ll make sure to mail your skulls back to the X-Freaks with a message. Nobody c^&>s on Whirlwind. NOT ANY MORE YOU HERE ME?!?!”
“I hear you.” Sauron hissed as he folded his wings against his body and used the speed of the wind to propel himself straight at Whirlwind, the pair colliding with the reptilian villain draining his still spinning victim of energy as they both rolled down the shaft and out of sight.
Groaning Scalphunter crawled to the edge of the platform and yelled “Black are you in position?”
“Almost, I just need a few more seconds.” Black answered.
“It’s time to go then.” Scalphunter stated as he got to his feet. “You okay to teleport us out of here?” He asked Nightcrawler.
“What about the prisoners?” Gambit asked as Nightcrawler nodded.
“There out of our reach now.” Scalphunter sighed. “But I am a man of my word LeBeau, you owe me nothing.”
“Wait the Don mentioned something about prisoners and a staff in Seattle.” Noche groaned from her position on the floor.
“It’s a lead.” Gambit stated as he bent down and picked Noche up. “And maybe we can get a doctor to look at you.” He added as Andrea slipped past the Don of the Dead’s corpse to help him support her.
“I’m ready.” Black stated grimly from below them. “I do this for the safety of mutant kind.”
“Ari voir Mon Ami” Gambit whispered as Nightcrawler took hold of him and Scalphunter before disappearing in a puff of indigo smoke, dragging his ‘allies’ with him.
**
Down below Kiwi Black took one last breath before staggering to the floor, his head separated from his shoulders as Whirlwind pulled the knife from out between his shoulders. With a smile he turned to the prone bleeding form of Sauron and collapsed onto his knees next to the pterodactyl mutate. “So about the partnership you proposed.” He wheezed. “What if I don’t accept your terms?”
“Oh you will.” Sauron hissed his eyes glowing amber. “You’re going to help me kill the X-Men.”
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