Marvel Mayhem - Generation X/Thunderbolts #2 - Incoming Vectors
Once again all characters are owned by Marvel Comics except Richard who is of course the property of RichGenX
For more Marvel Mayhem follow this link to the library
Last Issue the Generation X Students arrived in Seattle. After arriving to a ghost town, Yvette ran off followed by Richard and Clarice while the others played hide and seek with the Thunderbolts and an even deadlier foe
Checking out a lead in the infamous 'Triangle' the Thunderbolts were attacked by Emplate's thralls. Songbird was separated and MACH IV was enslaved as the others were sealed in an infested underground vault
For more information check out the last issues of Generation X and Thunderbolts as well as the first part of this crossover
Yvette ran until she saw the ocean stumbling through the heavy rain to look down the coast and see the symbol of fear that haunted her dreams. Standing almost a mile down the shoreline stood a lighthouse so similar to any other that stood sentinel on the rocky outcrops of land around the world save for the air of malice that surrounded the structure. "You followed me here." she whispered before falling to her knees in despair, "Why can't you leave me alone?"
"Because my 'dearest' Yvette I am the past and future and while you could outrun one the other will always catch you from the other direction." Emplate's voice whispered causing Yvette to look down and see Emplate's face reflected where hers should have been.
"I said leave me alone." Yvette snarled down at her twisted reflection.
"Ah but I never will be able because you and I are the same." Emplate whispered as he extended his hand out towards the surface of the water. Recoiling Yvette turned to see Richard stumbling over the rubble towards her, relief flowing from her core and filling her body, the bizarre confrontation she just had temporarily forgotten.
"Richard am I glad to see you." Yvette sighed before smiling weakly, "I'm sorry I ran off but well I could feel him reaching out and my instincts were to run, to avoid a repeat of what he did to me last time."
"I'm just glad you are okay although I'm less pleased at seeing that again." Richard answered before pointing at the lighthouse. "I guess we can assume that the majority of the mutant population is either dead or enthralled despite the limited physical evidence we have available to us."
"Emplate is here." Yvette stated coldly, "I just saw him in the water as some kind of illusion; at least I hope it was an illusion."
"Yeah well let's not tempt fate." Richard answered, "Emplate's presence in Seattle suggests that he somehow found out about our plans and unfortunately the most likely explanation of how that occurred is a mole within the school."
"A spy?" A third voice announced causing the pair of them to turn around suddenly to see Clarice heading down the same path Richard had gone down. "Listen I'm glad to have found you but Miss Frost sent me to bring you guys back. Something about the rain but I think maybe it has something to do with the shadows I saw tailing me on the way here."
"What shadows?" Yvette asked coldly, "Clarice this is important did you see their hands, was their some kind of deformity like a pit in the skin of the palm."
"I didn't look close enough but whatever they were they matched the random teleport jumps in an attempt to shake them." Clarice answered. "This is why I think we should go, get some safety in numbers."
"That's what you would like but she is there, Monet she knows more then she lets on." Yvette snarled, "Everyone else might not see it but I know what she is. Now show me your palms if they were thralls there is a chance that they could have infected you" she ordered. Shakily Clarice removed her gloves and revealed perfect palms, the satisfaction of her questioner visibly marked by a sigh of relief. "So you're not a thrall but with Monet working against us it's only a matter of time." She stated as Richard stopped and looked down at the water, watching as something moved under the surface.
"She's right it's time to…." Richard begun to say before a group of four mutant's teleported to block their way out. "go." he finished. After a quick look he realized he knew them all from the mummified Murmur to the hulking giant Bulwark and finally the diminutive DOA, a massive grin plastered on his face. Worst of all though was the last figure, his face covered in a gas mask and his eyes burning stood Emplate, cold malice running off of his body like an arctic mist.
"Wh…what are those things?" Clarice stammered as the thralls advanced slowly towards them.
"Clarice go." Yvette ordered as she extended her claws before looking at Richard, his muscle mass increasing to match Bulwark's, red bands of steel forming over his body that glowed through the falling rain. With a flash Clarice tried to escape only to reappear where she had been standing. Seconds later DOA had covered the gap and leapt up at her only for the young mutant to swat the frightful creature away. "What happened to my powers?" she gasped as Richard and Bulwark charged, the impact of their collision causing the concrete to crack as they attempted to gain an advantage over each other.
"Thanks to Lord Emplate I have the power to lock down any teleportation in the area." Murmer hissed as he slithered towards Clarice causing her to pick up an irradiated lump of driftwood, the makeshift club held before her as a last line of defence. "But fortunately my powers still work." he added as he vanished and reappeared behind Clarice before trying to grab her as she spun round, her club blocking the blow before it disintegrated at the Thrall's very touch only to reform at the end of the dock and far from reach. "You are interesting." Murmur continued, "Maybe I will keep you as my own personal thrall if my Lord allows it."
"First you have to get past me." Yvette snarled as she slashed at Murmur from behind only for the mutant to teleport away. Seconds later purple tendrils erupted from the dock around them and constricted round her arms, as another thrall Vincente emerged from the water. "Get off me." Yvette told him as she thrashed around in his grasp whilst watching as Emplate walked slowly towards her. "And you can stay far away from me. I don't want anything more to do with you." she snapped.
"But I hunger for you, the lust I fill when I look on your beautiful form. Yet you ran from me, hid from me even attacked me but now I'm going to give you a taste of what power I have, what power you could have if we could as the lovers we should be." Emplate purred as he reached towards her cheek, the proto teeth in his palm mouth already extended ready to take a taste of her. Wincing Yvette closed her eyes before feeling a buzzing sensation on her cheek, opening her eyes she saw a massive pink sonic mitten around Emplate's hands and a confused look on his face.
"Is that your power?" She mocked as Vincente shifted his tendrils, unsure of what happened. His lack of concentration proved fatal as Richard swaped abilities, his bulky form collapsing in on itself it form a man sized figure of swirling violet gas, the commotion caused by his changing allowing Yvette to escape his grasp as Emplate extended his own claws and palm teeth and started chewing through the mitten.
"No it's mine." A voice answered causing both free mutants and thralls to look up and see the pink winged woman standing above them. "Now I'm not certain but I think there are rules about eating people in Seattle and there are defiantly laws about assault. And I want answers from all of you."
"Kill her." Emplate snarled as Bulwark got to his feet and threw DOA up at Songbird only for the creepy dwarf to bounce off a sonic shield and slam into the back of Murmur's head, the blow sending both of them flailing into the water. "Well my darling if I can't have you then I will take your rescuer and lover." Emplate hissed as he advanced on Richard, his target preoccupied with helping Clarice fend off Vincente. Turning Richard felt Emplate slam his hand down on his own arm as the teeth began to chew through his clothes. Reaching out his body shifted again, returning to normal save a pink streak through his hair as he sent a blast of sonic energy up through Emplate's palm, the force ripping a hole in the back of the attacking mutant's hand and sending him staggering back howling in pain.
"Time to go Clarice." Richard ordered only to see his comrade disappear and reappear in the same spot as Songbird landed feet first into Bulwark, knocking him away from Yvette as she slashed at Vincente only for him to dissipate around her.
"Murmur is still locking me down." Clarice moaned as she reached her club and knocked DOA away as he begun to climb out of harbour. Before anyone could reply massive sonic orbs surrounded them and begun to lift off the ground, looking up once again the young mutants saw Songbird soar higher, leaving Emplate down below them.
"Thank you Miss." Richard sighed as the orbs merged and reformed into a sonic platform.
"Don't thank me yet." Songbird told him, "I want answers because this is not normal…well it is kind of but we never had zombies before."
"We need to confront Monet and reveal that she's a spy for Emplate?" Yvette stated as Melissa touched down on the dilapidated Stark Resilient Building's helipad.
"I'd prefer something more subtle but we really have no choice." Richard answered, "We need to find out the truth one way or another."
**
Victoria winced in pain as she pulled her combat knife out of the bird headed thrall's hand before turning to slice through a second attacker's wildly waving tentacles. The battle was still in the dark, only periodically illuminated by photonic blasts thrown wildly around the structure by Meteorite. Well aware that they were fighting blind Victoria saw that her teammates were fighting as well as they could but like her they were beginning to tire. Her own individual problem was that every time she moved her bitten arm her bones ached as if they had been wrapped in flame. Soon she wouldn't be able to move it and then she would be easy fodder for the horde of monsters that called the sealed car park home.
"Orka I need another barricade between us and them." Chen yelled as his teammate slammed a pair of metallic skinned thralls together before kicking away a psychic construct shaped like a spider. "We need to keep the freaks on the left hand side stalled long enough to find an exit." he added as Orka ripped up a piece of concrete the size of a small truck and placed it in one of the open sections only to have a grey skinned woman phase through the slab before detonating in a shattering explosion.
"Well that was pointless." Orka moaned as Blizzard sent a wave of hailstorms along the right hand side before slamming a woman dressed in traditional Russian costume back, the blow causing her to fragment into several smaller identical bodies. "What we need to do is get out of here." He stated as an African American man leapt at him, his hands sparking with purple lightning.
"Easier said then done." Meteorite grunted as she elbowed a man with the features of a snake in the face, "Since you seem to be playing leader Radioactive Man how do you suggest we escape." She added snidely as Chen let loose a microwave pulse that sent seven mutants of various types convulsing backwards.
"Blackheath am I right in assuming that plants before they germinate react to gravitational stimulus?" Chen asked as Sam threw bundles of bioluminescent fungi into the crowd of thralls, their light giving the area an eerie otherworldly effect. Turning to face Chen he threw a vine net at an impossibly tall and skinny thrall as Chen threw it backwards into the crowd as the Thunderbolts gathered round into a defensive ring.
"Yes with Meteorite's help I may be able to overcome the problems of limited plant life and the high levels of pollution." Sam answered as Blizzard froze a mutant that appeared to be a living prickly beach-ball before sending it sliding away on an ice slide. Next to him Meteorite sat down next to Blackheath and the pair of them closed their eyes and concentrated as the four remaining Thunderbolts each took an avenue of attack and got ready to fight off the still approaching horde. With a scream the Thralls charged in at once, their collective intelligence pushing them to move forward and overpower their prey. As they covered the distance the concrete began to crack and the majority began to back off as the silver armoured figure of Avalanche pushed through the crowd, seismic vibrations radiating off his fists, the mouths on his palms open ready to take the first bite. With a horse roar he charged up the line, the car-park fracturing and debris falling all around, the majority crushing cars although a few thralls were also caught in his ruthless attack which cumulated with the infected mutant grabbing hold of Orka and sending a sonic pulse through the Atlantean's body.
"Orka." Victoria gasped as another thrall broke through the ranks, this one consisting of the green armoured form of the Dragoness, her whole body blazing with energy as her mechanical wings pivoted and she swooped down on the former SHIELD agent before pining her under a metal boot and summoning up a blade of bio-electric energy, the tip sparking as she readied it to thrust through the Thunderbolts heart. Turning Blizzard fired a wave of icicles at the Mandipoorian warrior only for his projectiles to melt before they reached her as the burning figure of Pyro emerged, flames dancing across his hands before leaping forward and encircling Donnie as the Thunderbolt valiantly tried to fight the living flame that was keeping him pinned. With an angry yell Chen slammed a fist into Pyro only to see his hand revert back to flesh as the lithe form of Arc Light leapt onto his back and drained him of his nuclear energies.
Looking up Meteorite gasped only to feel Blackheath clutch her hands even harder. "If we can finish the summoning then it will save them." He told her as he caught sight of a tiny seed mummified in the concrete, one that had laid dormant for decades and was just waiting for the right push. "Now concentrate." he ordered as the remaining thralls charged in. The ground shook again and Avalanche dropped Orka as he and the other slaves of Emplate stopped and screamed in confusion before being caught by woody boughs as a fully grown Redwood tree smashed through the roof of the car-park and into the gloomy surface, rain already sliding down its trunk and into the chamber below.
"Everyone go now." Sam ordered as he slammed his fist into the redwood, the bark morphing into a spiral staircase.
"Orka grab Victoria." Chen ordered as he hit the stairs before turning and firing a volley of shots at the support columns of the car-park. "Blizzard ice the tree, it won't stop these things but it might slow them down." he added as Meteorite soared past and hit Pyro with an energy blast as he started to incinerate the tree. With a scream the Thralls surged forward towards the hole with some climbing the trunk, a few flying under their own power or if unable following up the retreating Thunderbolts up the staircase, the majority of the later sliding away from the rapidly freezing steps. Reaching the top Chen let lose a radioactive beam at the one remaining pillar on each side of the Redwood before watching as the structure collapsed sealing a good portion of the Thralls inside. Those that had escaped hissed and snarled before as one they headed north towards the Arnan Koral building.
"What now?" Blizzard wheezed as Orka helped steady Victoria, her body pallid and sweaty. "Songbird is missing, Victoria is injured, Abe is being evil and between us we could be taken by that woman who arrested Cyclops let alone the Masters of Evil or this Emplate thing."
"Hmm more of those plant spores and they are heading in the same direction the creatures retreated in." Blackheath stated, "They could be uninfected forces besides us in the area."
"Well screw them." Meteorite announced, "We have our own problems."
"No we need to help them." Chen said quietly, "Anyone who wants to retreat can."
"Abe and Mel would want us to fight." Donnie added, "I'm almost out of Freon in my main tank but if it comes to it I'll fight with my fists."
"These creatures are fell creations of an evil beyond what the Green has ever seen." Sam said, "We would do well to rid it of this Emplate creature."
"I'll die before I let these things out of Seattle." Victoria coughed as Orka rubbed his forehead, "I will die on my feet fighting." She added.
"You just might." Meteorite sighed, "Okay I'm in as well. If we could beat Biohazard and the Cobalt Man we can defeat these monstrosities."
"Then Thunderbolts move out." Chen ordered, "Let's stop this disease once and for all."
**
Paige screamed as the canine fanged mutant leapt at her, all three of his mouths open ready to take a bite out of her, his hands latching onto her skin before being to chew into her flesh. Moments later she wriggled and slipped to the floor, her human flesh and clothing to reveal a metallic skin underneath. Surprised the thrall hesitated before being slammed in the face, the blow flooring the creature as the other students begun to find their feet in combat. "Jonathan be careful" Emma lectured as she telepathically reflected a bolt of lightning back at Sirocco, the energy discharge sending him plummeting to the floor. "Be careful those pressurized water jets are deflecting your psychic fire. And Angelo you may want to be less aggressive when fighting a foe that uses ice or radiation or in this case a mixture of both." She finished as Skin staggered backwards with burn marks across his long bladed fingers.
"What do you recommend Miss Frost?" Angelo asked as Jonathan sent his psychic spiral of fire around the water jets, the flames causing his foe to redirect her attack in a futile attempt to extinguish the blaze.
"Try being defensive, using the environment to aid you especially against foes you can't touch." Emma told him as Monet traded fist strikes with a four armed thrall. "For example focusing your powers on one spot of your body will negate the worst effects and allow you to advance to that hydrant." she added. "Oh and duck." she warned as the moth winged woman flew overhead.
"Got it." Skin said with a nod before creating a shield of flesh and advancing to the hydrant before kicking it and sending a spray of water that washed away moth woman's toxins and cooled the isotope throwing thrall down so he could be touched. Turning Emma watched as Everett, his head supporting a crown of horns, used the borrowed geokinetic powers on the Jellyfish woman, the vibrations and clods of dirt passing straight through the bell as she snaked a tentacle towards him.
"Everett that mutant has bio-electric powers and intangible abilities not to mention matter changing venom." Emma yelled as Monet finished her four armed opponent with a thunderclap and swiftly turned to the revolving metallic mutant and the tide of debris that was heading towards her. "The powers you have can be used to hem her in temporarily but earth moving won't affect her. And while you are at it earth Monet's foe as well would you"
"Got it." Synch answered before summoning up blocks of soil and trapping the woman inside before turning to the spinning mutant and creating a wall of dirt between Monet and the debris with only a few items getting through his earthen shield. Dropping the walls he watched as Paige was pulled towards the spinning thrall, her metal skin glowing as he caught her in his magnetic field.
"Jonathan heat denatures magnetic abilities." Emma instructed as she caged the blind bladed tongue mutant that was fighting Angelo alongside the horned geo-kinetic. She stopped and smiled as a wave of fire spun around the spinning thrall, his hold on Husk dissipating and letting her regain her footing.
"Miss Frost watch out." Monet yelled as Litterbug pounced on Emma pushing her to the floor and slashing through her diamond skin, his claws leaving slash marks on her pale flesh. With a simple nod Emma sent her attacker levitating into the air before flinging him into a nearby skip, the receptacle cracking as he landed.
"Thank you Monet, now all of you regroup in front of the tower." Emma ordered as the Thrall's regrouped. "Now remember what I told you and look to your class mates for help if you…" She paused and smiled, "Ah looks like we have security forces incoming. And while I hoped to avoid them I think there help will be invulnerable at forcing these 'creatures' back especially if we work in defence. As such the attacker will need an advantage of three to one in order to breach our line, numbers they currently don't have." she added as Sirocco summoned a cloud of fog to cover the Emplate Thrall's advance although the snarls and hissing easily announced that they were about to attack. Running in the majority stopped short and turned as a wall of radiation headed towards them sending them scattering away from the plaza save the few already unconscious.
"We did it." Jonathan announced smiling as the Thunderbolts emerged limping from the fog, "We scared them off."
"Quiet kid these things don't quit that easily besides there are hundreds behind us. We managed to block the path but it won't take them long before they break through." Chen stated as Orka placed a barley conscious Victoria down on the ground.
"How do we know that you guys are not Thralls?" Monet snapped, "Show us your palms." Emma noticed one of the Thunderbolts tense up but watched as the Radioactive Man showed his bruised and bleeding hands to her, the others quickly following suit
.
"So what are you doing here?" Blizzard asked as he froze the few knocked out thralls. "Not a place for children to be or even adults."
"Our business is our own." Emma answered politely, "But discovering this infestation was not planed."
"We know what you are up to," Blackheath hissed, "Your mission is the same as ours, to protect and serve the mutants trapped here. Unfortunately we both were too late."
"But unlike you we are doing it without getting a pay check." Monet said snidely before watching as the Indian woman dressed in amber armour slammed a fist into her face, knocking her to the floor.
"We are not paid mercenaries b!+%h" Meteorite spat, "We are not fighting for a reward just another chance and we don't have to take your slurs."
"Sara enough." Chen snapped before bending down and helping Monet up. "I apologize for her, she like the rest of us are on edge just like you."
"Apology accepted." Emma answered, "Monet can be a little hot headed but like your girl she has a strong conviction in her own beliefs. If what you say about the thralls then I fear for my missing students."
"We have already lost a friend; he was taken by something calling itself Emplate." Orka grunted as Blackheath wrapped Victoria's arm in organic bandages.
"Then they might be lost already." Emma sighed as the canine thrall twitched behind her before leaping at her exposed back. Before it could reach her a flash of light arched out and hit the Thrall in the chest sending it sliding away. With a wry smile Emma cleared her throat, "Or they may be right above us with one of your lost teammates." she added as Songbird landed the sonic platform and Yvette and the others stepped off none the worse for wear. "Yvette I am so sorry, I made a grave tactical error by bringing you here and now we are all in danger. At least it's simple to rectify, Clarice if you would teleport us back to the manor the danger should leave."
"Not that simple." Clarice answered, "Murmur has locked my teleportation ability and I don't know how long it will remain like that."
"And we still have to rescue Abe." Blizzard added, "You guys are partially responsible for him as well."
"He made his own choice." Everett suggested, "Plus once you become one of those things your doomed to stay one until you die. At least that's what I heard."
"Can I punch him?" Meteorite asked Songbird, "Because now he's getting on my mind."
"I'm sorry for your loss but my student's welfare comes first." Emma lamented, "If we can't teleport out then we will have to walk back to the truck and take that instead."
"Or you could stay and except your fate." A mechanical voice announced over the whirring of thrusters as MACH IV landed, his arrival causing everyone to tense up. "You are all food for the Emplate collective. The Security Agents will die and my thralls will feast on your marrow. And when you arise as my slaves I will march my army on your precious school with you leading the charge Miss Frost."
"Your alone." Yvette snapped, "You assemble others around you but they are slaves not friends. And by fighting alone you will always lose."
"But my homogeny is never alone." MACH IV announced as he discharged purple smoke from his personal defence network, the gas solidifying into Vincente as Thralls appeared along every street around the Arnan Koral building. "Soon you will understand." He added as he took off and headed back towards the coast.
"Everyone do a headcount." Emma ordered as she mentally searched for her students minds. "Wait where's Paige."
"She's gone?" Yvette asked, "This isn't the time to run off."
"Said the pot to the kettle." Monet mumbled under her breath.
"Emma I can find her, my powers allow me to stay safe, if she is still in the area then I can find her." Richard announced.
"Not by foot you can't." Melissa told him, "You would run into hundreds of those thralls before you got more then fifty meters and that would result in one more body in the throng. Consider me your pilot, from the air we can spot her more easily and I can track her acoustic signature."
"Fine, both of you go." Chen told them, "Miss Frost and I will keep this area secure for as long as we can. I'll shoot up a blast of radiation every minute we're still standing."
"Just be careful." Yvette told Richard as he stepped onto a hastily summoned sonic platform. "You find Paige and I'll confront Monet. Whatever happens this is the day it ends, here and now."
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