WHAT’S HIS IS HIS

Part III

By Brent Lambert

“You know that Quentin is going to be pissed we came to London without him,” Warp Savant said as he followed closely behind Wisdom down the crowded metropolitan street. Savant’s leather attire and electric blue hair coupled with hundreds of tattoos made him more suited for New York than the European city.

“The lil bugger can go piss himself if he does. It’s not every day that a man gets a summons from The Shiver Man,” Pete replied as he zigzagged through the crowed with an ease that came from familiarity. Savant had to fight the urge to suck a few folks in his head to ease the hustle, but then he’d have to hear another lecture from Nightcrawler.

It was rare for Warp to see Wisdom move with such urgency. So he had to ask, “Who the hell is The Shiver Man?”

“You know how folks always worried about the men in black?” Wisdom inquired without waiting for confirmation. “The Shiver Man is the bloke they’re afraid of.”

“So he’s a bogeyman’s bogeyman?”

“Exactly, kid, and he just sent me his calling card only minutes before we left the American HQ,” Wisdom replied.

Still fighting the urge to us his abilities, Warp Savant pressed on through the masses and said, “I thought our bases were supposed to be secret? How’d he contact you?”

“There isn’t too many secrets The Shiver Man doesn’t know about or intend to find out about,” Wisdom answered.

Warp rolled his eyes, but still kept pace with Wisdom. He was getting tired of all the mystery men that the X-Corps associated with. Where were the leather clad spy chicks? Or at least the hot librarian he had seen on those Black Womb tapes. Anything would be better than another Fantomex.

“So who does he work for?” Warp asked.

Wisdom turned a corner and began to descend down a flight of subway stairs. “As far as I know…no one.”

Savant could have groaned, but held it back. Continuing to follow Wisdom, Savant asked, “Why aren’t there any trash cans down here?”

“I think any Irish person can answer that,” Wisdom replied, not really wanting to give Savant a long winded explanation. According to The Shiver Man’s directions he would be at the end of this tunnel. Thankfully, not too many people were around. It still struck Peter as strange though.

“Glad to see you’re actually capable of listening to someone Wisdom,” a gravelly, haunting voice said from behind the two mutants.

Both X-Corps operatives quickly shifted their positions in the tunnel and saw who had got the drop on them. He was black from head to toe with the exception of his red eyes. A Federo hat accented his long trench coat perfectly. Bandages were crisscrossed to make an X across his torso and hands. Seeing him, Warp Savant hesitantly asked, “Shiver Man?”

“Is it that obvious kid?” The Shiver Man replied as he walked towards the two mutants without any sound coming from his feet. “I had my doubts you would show.”

“It’s not everyday that I get to see a legend up close and personal,” Wisdom said and then added, “And if you’re not the real deal I fully intend to kick your arse upon finding out.”

“I see why they made you X-Corps’ head man.”

Warp Savant injected himself into the conversation and said, “Whoa! You been hacking into our computer systems or something?”

The Shiver Man narrowed his eyes. “I know things. Don’t concern yourself with the how.”

X-Corps America

Angelo didn’t think he would ever be back after what Ahab did to him, but here he was standing in front of Bishop and Cable like some eager soldier ready to jump right back into the lion’s den. Leyu had made the same choice, but he wasn’t going to allow her to make it alone.

“Things around here are starting to get heavy. Are you sure you’re ready to come back?” Cable asked with his intense, burning stare. Angelo knew that he was being sized up and accepted it. He had come a long way from his days in L.A. A stare like Cable was giving him would have gotten a chulo bullet holes.

But Cable’s question was a valid one. Was he ready to come back? As much as he cared about Leyu, the memories of being a Hound were still raw like an open lesion on his mind. Maybe he could take a cue from his teenage years and tackle his problem combatively. “I’m ready to be here. I need this.”

“I have no doubt you need this, but what we don’t need is someone with personal vendettas and chasing after a girl,” Bishop said in the typical asshole fashion that Angelo expected of him. He had seen clean through Angelo in at least one of his assessments. Espinosa didn’t like for people to make assumptions about him. His background and the assumptions people made about it had impeded him and too many other Hispanic youths from doing better for himself. Bishop was making the Mexican pride slip through.

“Give me a chance. Let me back in. You all owe me that much,” Skin said, hoping to get to whatever emotions were underneath their skin, maybe a little pun intended there.

“You’re in,” Cable said.

“But,” Bishop cut in. “Don’t make us regret this or I can promise that you will.”

South Africa

Maverick ignored the sound of the gun turrets wracking against Mimic’s telekinetic force field. He had planning to do, especially if The Neo were somewhere in this base like Omega reported. Yelling out to his team above the gunfire, he said, “Okay people! We have maybe another minute of this and then comes the rest of Black Womb’s security protocols. And maybe some Neo on top of that. Meltdown, be ready to dish out some heavy damage and Omega get that brain of yours amped!”

The idea of having to face The Neo ran a chill down everyone’s back. They were as far as conventional science was concerned, immortal and extremely skilled fighters. When X-Corps first encountered them, there were only about a dozen known Neo. Now it was confirmed that Domina, their brutal leader, had literally hundreds of Neo at her beck and call. They were Neo that X-Corps had absolutely no familiarity with. There was no telling what they could be up against.

“So is it safe to declare that the shit has hit the fan?” Omega asked.

“More than safe,” Meltdown replied.

The creatures that Black Womb had ready for any intruders made their way up the hallway. They were all six feet tall and above. Green carapaces covered their backs and long, jagged black claws hung from their twenty fingers on each deformed yellow hand. One blue gelatinous eyeball started at the X-Corps members with murderous lust. Meltdown swallowed dryly and said, “Crap.”

“Mimic!” Maverick yelled. “Ice them!”

Calvin nodded and his arms turned icy white. From them issued forth a stream of zero degree cold that slammed into the creatures and sent them crashing into another before they were trapped in ice. As it happened, Maverick fired off shots that hit each creature square in the head, causing it to explode and send green blood splattering onto the ice. Meltdown looked over to North and gave a weak applause as she said, “Bravo el captain.”

“Idiots!” a man shouted from behind the X-Corps members.

All of them dreading what it was turned around to see their fears confirmed because before them were four Neo. Three of them were familiar to the mutants. Rax, Junction, and Kilmer were flanking an unfamiliar Neo dressed in a black trench coat accessorized with matching combat boots and gloves. The trench coat had a hood that was concealing The Neo’s face. Strapped to his back was a glowing red broadsword. It was him that had called out to X-Corps.

“You guys have to have the sorest asses on the planet,” Omega teased.

“Killing those creatures by conventional means won’t work,” the mystery Neo said.

Rax grabbed his shoulder and said, “Morpheus! You need explain nothing to the spikes! Simply leave and allow us to do our work.”

Kilmer kept his eyes on Omega and added, “Before we finish old tasks.”

Nightcrawler stepped forward and mustering up his best voice of compassion, he said, “We are not your enemies. We need to work together and achieve what we both desire. The destruction of Black Womb’s evil.”

Junction harshly chided Kurt as she said, “You play too nice demon! The Neo desire every ounce of that organization be squeezed from the earth. Including some of those that stand with you.”

“We won’t make the offer again. Leave now and have your lives or we’ll cut you down like wheat from the chaff,” Morpheus declared.

Maverick ran the options and priorities through his mind. This base didn’t have their object and was starting to get a bit too crowded with enemies. A single Neo could easily give three well-trained X-Men a hard time. His team was looking at four. The decision was an obvious one.

“Get us out of here Kurt,” Maverick ordered and then he said to The Neo, “You can’t take all of this on alone. You’re going to need help.”

Rax’s face reddened as if he had just been slapped and replied, “The help of a spike? I’d rather have my head adorned in Mueller’s abode than suffer that.”

No use replying. They’re completely unshakeable.

Maverick grunted, but knew that Quentin was right. The Neo weren’t going to budge from their position of supposed superiority. Nothing but a disaster or miracle was going to make that happen.

London

Pete took a drag from his cancer stick and said, “So what have you to tell me?”

Savant didn’t really much care to hear what The Shiver Man had to say. The jerk had the nerve to try and shut him down. Still, he was a creepy bastard and Warp wasn’t exactly in love with the idea of pissing him off. The guy could probably pump him full of lead before he blinked.

“Mother Matrix is the key. Sinister, The Neo, and Black Womb are all gunning for her right now. She’s the first former BW scientist on their list. Everyone is aware of the other and hoping to come out on top,” The Shiver Man said.

Warp Savant smiled mischievously, saying, “Hell yea! It’s time to go crack open some heads.”

“Don’t be so eager to walk into that standoff,” The Shiver Man replied.

Walking forward, he handed a disc to Wisdom and said, “this contains a good chunk of Black Womb and Sinister base entry points. If you decide not to go to Pakistan, one of those groups may be useful to you.”

“I couldn’t imagine it not being useful under any circumstance,” Wisdom said as he took the disc from The Shiver Man’s fingers. The X-Corps had just been handed a gold mine and Peter did not intend to sit on it. At the first opportunity he was going to cash it in. This was the big break his organization had been waiting for. It gave them a further gain against Black Womb and a chance to strike at Sinister effectively. Information like that didn’t just happen to fall into your lap.

That prompted Wisdom to ask, “So what’s the catch?”

“No catch,” The Shiver Man answered as if expecting the question, “You’re not alone in your struggle Wisdom. There are others who see the coming genetic cold war. We want to stop it from exploding as much as you do.”

“Who’s we?” Warp Savant asked with no intention of being shut down again. He had watched the exchange between the two trench coats and refused to be made into a sideline player. Savant was getting sick and tired of the “mysterious men” interchange.

“That’s a question I can’t answer yet. There are things at work preventing me from doing that.”

Savant’s brow furrowed. “Bullshit.”

The Shiver Man leveled a gun at Warp’s face. “Excuse me?”

Unflinchingly, Savant replied, “If you’re half the guy Pete claims you are then you don’t answer to anyone. So go play that conspiracy card with someone who’ll buy it.”

Wisdom was ready to throw a hot knife when The Shiver Man lowered his gun and turned to Peter, asking, “Where did you find this kid?”

“He was a special interest project,” Wisdom laughed.

“Keep him. He’s got spunk,” The Shiver Man said as he dissipated into thin air.

After the departure, Wisdom’s head snapped to the side and his face was flushed red. “What the bloody hell was that?!! Trying to piss off The Shiver Man! You Americans and your damn cowboy mentality!”

Savant shrugged. “Better a cowboy than to be someone’s bitch. You might as well have bent over and told The Shiver Man how you wanted it.”

Peter pointed a finger in Savant’s face and a hot knife slowly extended from it. “You’re pushing it. Keep that attitude of yours in check or I’ll do it for you.”

Satisfied, Warp smiled and said, “So we going to Pakistan?”

“You damn skippy.”

Pakistan

Mother Matrix and Professor Harkins were seated in front of a large computer “green screen.” The room containing the computer was a circular one and isolated in this base’s second basement floor. Upon her arrival, mother Matrix made it a point to find Harkins and give him the 411 on some important matters. Secrets did not breed a good friendship. Friends were something Matrix was going to need in the near future.

This future friend was a white man in his late forties with long snow-colored hair tied into a ponytail. He had a pointy goatee and his lab coat was the last piece of white on his body. Underneath the coat was a blue shirt and black slacks. It was typical scientific attire. He just couldn’t fathom having a get-up like his partner.

Harkin’s leaned back in his chair and said, “You called me here in a hurry. Is there a problem?”

“Yes. We’re going to have some very nasty company very shortly. I want all of our Rapture experiments uploaded and for you to take them to The Facility outpost in Berlin,” Matrix commanded.

“What about you? Surely you’re coming with me?”

Gruber shook her head and said, “I can’t. It’ll all work out for the best. Trust me.”

“Never doubt you,” Harkins replied and then he paused slightly before asking, “He’s coming for it isn’t he?”

“Yes. I knew he would eventually, but I also know he doesn’t want the blueprints for The Rapture floating around. So he’ll want to not only erase my computer systems, but—”

“Eliminate you,” Harkins finished. “And you intend to stay anyway? You must be crazy woman.”

“Crazy as a fox,” Matrix smiled.

X-Corps Base (Europe)

It had only been moments since the various members of X-Corps had exchanged their information with each other. Wisdom had assembled the entirety of the team to retell his encounter with Shiver Man. Maverick proceeded to tell the team of how he encountered The Neo and the empty Black Womb base they found. After all the information was processed, it was Psylocke who made the first statement by saying, “I think we have ourselves a problem here.”

Shatterstar shrugged. “I don’t see it. We go in full force to Pakistan and take care of everyone.”

“Negative,” Bishop said. “We don’t have any idea what any side is going in with. We play all our cards at the beginning and we end shit up a creek.”

“Agreed,” Cable said. “We need a small team to go in and extract Mother Matrix. If that’s who they all want, then they can negotiate for her.”

“And it’ll allow us to interrogate her for information,” Omega added. He was still curious as to exactly how Black Womb had found him and what his connection was with the other mutants The Neo had tried to eliminate.

Wisdom held up a finger to get attention and said, “It’s also a chance for us to strike at Sinister. He’s going to be distracted with his attack in Pakistan. We can take information from his database to find Shaw’s mutants.”

“A double offensive might work in this matter because I don’t think they’ll be too many more times when we know Sinister will be busy,” Mimic said.

“Then I say we go for it,” Omega said. “Take out two birds with one stone.”

The time had come for Wisdom to step into his leadership role. “Okay we’ll do this with two teams of five. Anyone left behind will serve as emergency back up. Team A will be going to Pakistan and will consist of Omega, Spyke, Fantomex, Cable, and myself. Team B will be Psylocke, Mimic, Northstar, Shatterstar, and Bedlam.”

“Aww come on!” Meltdown exclaimed. “This is big and you want me to sit on my ass!”

“Da,” Nightcrawler replied. “If things go wrong we’re the rescue team.”

Wisdom nodded. “Exactly. Nightcrawler will pilot the extraction plane for Team A and Bishop the plane for Team B. I’ll let you two pick who you want with among who’s left. Let’s get to work people. This is what this team was made for!”

Peter felt Psylocke in his head. You think we’re ready for this?

We damn well better be luv. Otherwise we’re looking at a lot of dead bodies.

NEXT ISSUE: It’s a standoff between four opposing forces. Not hard to imagine what could go wrong. And who is it that Psylocke’s team runs into that’s going to leave two of her fellows broken?