THE OMEGA MUTANT

Part III: Black Air

By Dino Pollard

London; City Sewers

Once in the sewer, Dazzler creates a light orb at the tip of her finger which illuminates the sewer.

“Heh, welcome to England, I guess,” says the man.

“Who are you?” asks Dazzler.

“Name’s John Allerdyce,” he replies. “I’m the lead guitarist for the Pyros. Who are you?”

“I’m Ali and that’s Hank,” replies Dazzler.

“I noticed the trick back there with the lighter,” says Beast. “You’re a mutant.”

“Guilty as charged,” says John.

“Is that why you helped us?” asks Dazzler.

“In part,” replies John. “I also hate to see a pretty lady in distress.”

Dazzler blushes slightly at John’s compliment. Beast clears his throat.

“Anyway…” says John. “You two don’t look like the usual tourists out here. Especially not the kind who show up to punk shows.”

“What do you mean?” asks Dazzler. She glances down and then realizes that she’s dressed in her uniform. “Oh right.”

“Usually the leather-clad crowd are out at the nightclubs,” says John.

“Why the sewers?” asks Dazzler.

“The authority-types around here are really uptight,” replies John. “They refuse to set foot in a sewer. So it makes for good escapes.”

“You’ve run from people before I’m guessing,” says Beast.

“Yup,” says John. “So what are you two doing in England anyway?”

“We came here to find you,” says Beast.

“Me?” asks John. “I hadn’t realized that my music was spreading out to the States.”

“It’s not,” replies Beast. “We’re not fans, we came here because we’re recruiting.”

“Recruiting?” asks John. “Why don’t I like the sound of that?”

Muir Isle, Scotland

Pete Wisdom takes the lead of the group. Following him are five X-Men—Cyclops, Wolverine, Phoenix, Nightcrawler, and Thunderbird. Alongwith their latest companion, Magneto. He leads them into a small, underground room. Inside are a bunch of people all huddled in together.

“X-Men, welcome to Black Air,” says Wisdom.

“Peter Winston Wisdom, are yeh completely daft lad?!”

Wisdom sighs as a woman approaches him. She is young, late twenties, possibly early thirties. Her thick glasses and tied back dishwater blond hair distract from her attractive facial features.

“This is Dr. Moira MacTaggert,” says Wisdom. “One of the head scientists here at Black Air.”

“And what in th’ blue blazes are yeh doing bringing known terrorists into our base?!” demands Moira. “Bad enough we’ve already lost the main facility t’ Proteus!”

“First off, shut up,” says Wolverine. “We’re here to help you out. Way I hear it, this Proteus is one nasty threat.”

“That he is,” says Moira. “Right now, we’re tryin’ t’ find a proper defence against him.”

“How about you just let us handle him,” says Thunderbird. “This guy can’t be all that big of a threat.”

“Is that the same thing you said about the Shadow King?” asks Nightcrawler.

“Shaddup,” says Thunderbird. “What’s so scary about this guy anyway?”

“He’s an Omega-level mutant,” says Moira.

“A what mutant?” asks Cyclops.

“Omega-level,” replies Moira. “It’s a term used to describe mutants with unlimited potential. Proteus has already discovered quite a bit of his potential.”

“What can he do?” asks Magneto.

“Picture a mutant with the ability to literally warp the reality around him,” replies Moira. “Now, picture that this mutant has been isolated for his entire life, with nothing but his imagination to keep him company. Add to that a bit of a temper, and yeh come close t’ Proteus.”

“Holy shit…” mutters Cyclops.

“Exactly,” says Moira. “Currently, he’s runnin’ amok in th’ facility, killin’ off any Black Air employees he comes across. He’s also not gonna stop with ’em. We’ve also got other mutants in there as well.”

“Of course you do…” mutters Magneto under his breath.

“Is he always like this?” asks Moira.

“Yup,” replies Wolverine.

“Best bet is to split up,” says Wisdom. “I’m goin’ in with you all. I’m guessing you people should split up amongst yourselves.”

“No,” says Magneto. “If you want our assistance, you’ll follow our lead. And I don’t want you running around on your own.”

“Why’s that?” asks Wisdom. “I can take care of myself.”

“I’m not worried about your health, Mr. Wisdom,” replies Magneto. “I just don’t trust you.”

“I’ll go with him,” says Wolverine.

“Fine,” says Magneto. “Then the rest of the teams will be Cyclops and Phoenix, and Thunderbird and Nightcrawler.”

“Nuh-uh,” says Wisdom. “I don’t trust you running around on your own inside Black Air, either.”

“Then Thunderbird sticks with Magneto and Nightcrawler goes solo,” says Wolverine.

“Why me?” asks Nightcrawler.

“Because you move faster if yer the only one teleportin’,” replies Wolverine. “No one else around t’ slow you down, which means you can perform a faster recon. That okay with everyone?”

“Works for me,” says Wisdom. “How about you, buckethead?”

“Watch your mouth,” says Magneto. “Unless you have some desire to feel what it’s like to have all the iron ripped from your bloodstream.”

“Enough,” says Moira. “Just get in there an’ find out what’s happenin’. I want this resolved quickly an’ quietly, I have no desire tae bring any other outsiders into this mess.”

“Right, wouldn’t want anyone finding out about your dirty little secret…” mutters Phoenix. “Let’s move in, I’ve only been here for a few minutes and already I need a shower.”

London

“X-Men?” asks John. “I heard about you guys… aren’t you those mutant terrorists who attacked the States or something?”

“Not quite,” replies Beast. “In fact, we were working for the American government. Then, we outlived our usefulness.”

“It wasn’t really their fault, though,” interjects Dazzler. “They were being controlled like puppets.”

“So what?” asks John. “Honestly luv, when haven’t the Americans been controlled like puppets?”

“You’re one to talk,” replies Beast. “Isn’t your grinning idiot busy getting a pearl necklace from our daddy’s boy?”

“Touché,” says John.

“What’s your story anyway?” asks Dazzler.

“Well, like you know, I’m a mutant,” replies John. “Been living on my own for quite some time. Did the orphanage thing, all that shite. Basically spent most of my time livin’ on the streets. Been chased by the bobby a few times for crashing where I wasn’t wanted. Then I started this band, an’ been doing that ever since.”

“And you can create fire?” asks Dazzler.

“Not create, just control,” replies John. “That’s why I carry this lighter with me. If I ever need t’ spark something up, I’m prepared.”

“Interesting,” says Beast.

“So, you want me to join you yanks?” asks John. “That’s why you’re here, right?”

“Pretty much,” replies Beast. “What do you think, John? Feel like becoming a terrorist?”

“Why not?” asks John. “Not like I had something better to do.”

“Good,” replies Beast. “Think we can find a way out of here?”

“Yeah, follow me,” says John. He takes point at the front of the group, with Beast and Dazzler following.

None of them notice a figure from the shadows who watches them with great intent.

Muir Isle

Flashes of bright light illuminated the darkness of the Black Air facility, as Kurt Darkholme teleports from spot to spot.

“Still haven’t found anything,” he says into his earpiece. “No bodies—either living or dead. And no sign of Proteus whatsoever.”

{{ Must not have gotten to that part of the facility yet. Keep yer eyes open. }}

“Right,” says Nightcrawler. “Damn, I don’t like this…”

In addition to his teleportation and agility, Nightcrawler is also blessed with incredible vision—even in darkness. For him, there is no obvious difference between light and day, he can see fine in either. But it does not slow his rapidly-beating heart, nor does it provide him with any sense of additional security.

He peers around the corner and sees no sign of life, so he teleports a few feet ahead into the next corridor. He keeps his eyes focused straight ahead, so much that he doesn’t see the body lying on the ground until he trips over it. It startles him, and he gasps in shock, teleporting an instant before he hits the ground. A part of him wants to scream, but he holds that part under control.

Then, he hears a sound.

Coming from a door on the wall.

He slowly moves towards the door, and presses a button on the side. The door slides open, revealing a small cell. And inside the cell is a man he never expected to see again.

“Holy shit…” he mutters. “…Colossus?”

“I don’t like this…” mutters Cyclops as he and Phoenix continue their trek through the facility.

“Yeah, like it’s a walk in the park for me,” says Phoenix. “From what MacTaggert told us about this Proteus guy, it’s all I can do to stop myself from wetting my panties—and I’m not talking about the fun way, either.”

“Heh,” says Cyclops. “Don’t think I ever heard a girl talk like that before.”

“You need to get out more, Scottie,” says Phoenix with a smile. “By the way, you have a chance to talk to Maggie yet?”

“Nah, not yet,” he says. “Truthfully, I’m not even sure if we can be considered a couple anymore. It’s not exactly easy maintaining a relationship with someone when you’re living in a tropical paradise in the middle of Antarctica.”

“What are we doing, Scott?” she asks. “I mean, working with Magneto and all.”

“He was under the Shadow King’s control when we first met him, you know that,” he replies. “You weren’t with us, but he saved our asses from Weapon X. And I don’t think anyone was more scared of him than I was when we saw him then.”

“I know, I know,” she says. “But… I can’t read his mind, Scott. His helmet, combined with the electromagnetic waves he’s always emitting makes him completely invisible to any type of scan I do.”

“So what?” he asks. “The man’s a little cautious, and after being controlled by the Shadow King, I can’t say I blame him.”

“No… there’s more,” she replies. “I can’t read his mind, but I also can’t really read Logan’s mind for that matter. That’s not what bothers me. What bothers me is this… feeling I get whenever I look at him.”

“Feeling?”

“Yeah…” she replies. “It’s like… whenever I look at Magneto, I get this… I dunno, I guess you could say it’s more women’s intuition than psychic power. But I’m just afraid that something bad’s going to happen.”

“Oh come on,” says Cyclops. “Relax Jean, you worry too much.”

“No, I think that’s my problem,” she says. “I mean, I’ve been taking all this stuff with a grain of salt up until now. But then I’ve got this Phoenix thing inside me and…”

“Yeah, why’d you decide to change your name anyway?” asks Cyclops.

“I… dunno,” replies Phoenix. “It just felt right. And I’m not sure where these new powers came from all of a sudden. I mean, logically, they’re probably just my own powers growing, right?”

“Right.”

“But… I don’t get that feeling,” she says. “I feel like they might be something… more than that. Almost as if I’m sharing my body with someone else.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Okay, I haven’t told anyone this, but sometimes I wake up at night… and I’m somewhere completely different.”

“So you sleepwalk, big deal.”

“Avalon’s in Antarctica.”

“Yeah, and?”

“Last time I woke up in Japan.”

“Oh…”

“That’s a bit far for just a simple sleepwalk, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but you can fly and shit,” says Cyclops. “That’s probably just your version of sleepwalking.”

“I also have strange dreams.”

“Of what?”

“Of… fire,” she says. “And bondage. And… a lot of other stuff I can’t put into words. But the really weird thing about them?”

“What?”

“The weird thing about them is that they don’t feel like dreams,” she says. “They feel more like… I dunno… memories.”

“Hooookay…” says Cyclops. “That’s just a bit too weird.”

“I’m serious… I…”

She stops midsentence.

“What’s wrong?” asks Cyclops.

“I… I don’t know,” she replies. “But y’know those bad feelings I was talking about?”

“Yeah, what about them?”

“…I just got one now.”

“Oh…” says Cyclops.

He moves forward towards the door blocking their access to the next corridor. With a push of a button, the door opens, and once he sees the scene before him, he feels almost like throwing up.

“Oh my god…” mutters Phoenix.

Before the two X-Men lay a pile of dead, mutilated bodies. The scent of stale blood lingers in the air.

“Cyclops here,” he says into his earpiece. “I… I think we’re on the right track…”