RECRUITMENT DRIVE

Part III: Talent Search

By Dino Pollard

X-Corps HQ; Muir Isle

“Fixx,” says a tall man with short, blonde hair. “What’s our status?”

“We’ve just extracted the intel compiled by Maverick from X-Corps Australia’s last mission,” replies Fixx. She sits inside a Cerebra chamber, her psionic faeries flittering about the helmet.

“Patch it through to all X-Corps locations,” he says.

“Consider it done, Havok,” she says.

“Wisdom, Cable, you getting this?” asks Havok, turning to the monitor which projects a split-screen image, showing the other three leaders of X-Corps—Pete Wisdom, Maverick, and Cable.

“Loud and clear, Havok old son,” replies Wisdom through the video link. “Looks like Black Womb has some prospects they’re trying to locate.”

“They’re recruiting,” says Havok. “The intel extracted from Maverick’s short-term memory shows seven x-gene positives—eight if you count the one Proudstar rescued.”

“Different locales across the globe,” says Wisdom. “I want two-man teams dispatched to each location, you read me, people?”

“Loud and clear, Wisdom,” says Cable.

“Ditto,” says Havok. “I vote for Australia to be left out of this op.”

“No doing, Summers,” says Maverick. “I’m a part of this.”

“We only have seven mutants to secure and your team just got back from a pretty big op,” says Havok. “Not only that, but you lost Wildchild. Take a break, North. We have more than enough agents on hand to tackle this one.”

“I’m siding with Summers on this one,” says Wisdom.

“The question is, where are we going to keep them?” asks Maverick.

“Once all the targets are secured, we can transfer them here to Muir Isle,” replies Havok. “The facility is large enough to accomodate everyone, and it’s ideal for training.”

“How ideal are the people on hand to train them, though?” asks Cable. “Your team consists of three relative novices and a former Black Womb weapon.”

“I can handle that,” replies Fixx. “Don’t forget where I grew up, Cable. In the future I come from, it’s the equivalent to growing up in a Danger Room that never shuts off. I came to X-Corps out of respect for Havok and because I was promised I could serve in a non-combatant role.”

“Right then, let’s work on divvying up the teams,” says Wisdom.

London, England

A young man with a small, crop of purple hair at the top of his head and wearing glasses with thick, black rims steps out of a local Starbucks. A cup of coffee is held in one hand, and in the other he holds several books. As he walks down the street, he stops for a moment and looks up.

“Come out,” he says. “I don’t have time for this.”

Two men dressed in black uniforms step forth from the shadows.

“Quentin Quire,” one of them says. “Come with us.”

“What’s this about?” asks Quentin.

“We would like to have a word with you,” replies one of the men.

“No… somehow I don’t think you will,” says Quentin. “Not if these thoughts I’m picking up are any indication.”

*CHK*

“Black Womb,” comes the voice from behind the two men. They slowly turn and see a man dressed in a steel colored uniform complete with a trenchcoat and mask concealing his face. There is an X symbol on both his shoulders as well as the backs of his gloves, and he holds two handguns pointed at each of them.

“Shit…” mutters one of the men. “Fantomex.”

“Give Amanda my regards,” says Fantomex. He pulls the triggers on his guns.

“You…” says Quentin, looking at Fantomex as the two Black Womb officers slump over. “No… it wasn’t you I sensed. There’s just static where your mind should be.”

Fantomex taps on the plates of his mask.

“Hey, thanks for saving some for me!”

“That’s who it was,” says Quentin. A woman wearing a similar uniform to Fantomex’s, just black and with a shorter jacket and little more than a sports bra underneath it. She has a very snake-like appearence.

“They were easy enough,” says Fantomex.

“I’m Ecstacy, this is Fantomex,” she says. “Quentin Quire, I presume?”

“Yes,” says Quentin. “X-Corps?”

“Do me a favor, kid—don’t read my mind,” says Ecstacy. “Those guys were Black Womb, they’re bad news if you’re a mutant. We’re the good guys.”

“No…” says Fantomex, kneeling close to the ground over the bodies of the Black Womb officers.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?” asks Ecstacy. “Are we not the good guys?”

“That’s not it,” replies Fantomex. “There’s something… off.”

“What are you talking about?” asks Ecstacy.

Fantomex practically leaps to his feet, his guns in his hands in a flash. He looks around, and without turning to face his teammate, he says to Ecstacy, “get the boy out of here.”

“What’s going on?” asks Ecstacy.

“Can’t you sense the presence of another body chemistry?” asks Fantomex.

“…no,” replies Ecstacy.

“Perfect, that means you’re useless,” says Fantomex. “Neo.”

“Neo, where?” asks Ecstacy.

“Neo?” asks Quentin.

“DOWN!” exclaims Fantomex. He leaps back and forces both Ecstacy and Quentin to the ground as a flail of arrows soars over their heads.

“What the…” asks Ecstacy, but then she looks up to see a man with short, blonde hair and red markings on his face leaping from a building. He’s slender, and holds a crossbow in each hand.

“Fantomex,” he says. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“Leave the boy, Rax,” says Fantomex. “He has nothing to do with this.”

“He’s been targeted by Black Womb,” says Rax. “Better he die now than suffer under them.”

“Sorry, that’s not how we do things,” says Ecstacy.

“Spikes should not speak unless spoken to,” says Rax.

“Y’know, all this ‘spike’ talk gets really old,” says Ecstacy. “Don’t you guys say anything else?”

“Walk away, Rax,” says Fantomex. “While you still have your legs.”

Rax lifts his crossbow and fires off a few arrows. Fantomex moves quickly, dodging them as fast as possible. With each aversion, he moves closer to Rax. He leaps over the Neo’s head and lands behind him. Fantomex slams the gun hilts against the back of Rax’s head.

Rax stumbles forward, but recovers quickly. He fires off more arrows. Fantomex lifts up his guns and starts firing. Each arrow is struck by a bullet, destroying its path. Rax tosses the crossbows to the side and reaches down for throwing knives attached to his belt. Each one he throws is struck down by a bullet from Fantomex’s gun.

Rax lifts one blade up, but then stops before he throws it. He spins it around, and then jams it into his own throat.

“I’m not amused by people who try to kill me,” says Quentin to a Rax who begins gagging and coughing up blood. Rax reaches for more blades and begins shoving them into his body. Fantomex steps forward and fires off two bullets from his gun into Rax’s head.

“Very impressive,” says Fantomex. “The Neo have difficult minds to read, let alone take control of. I can see why Black Womb wanted you.”

Cape Town, South Africa

Jared Cox is new to this area. He grew up in Brooklyn, but his parents thought it would be a good idea to return to Africa. As a way to rediscover their roots. He is having a bit of trouble adjusting. He prefers America to South Africa. Unfortunately for him, he has little choice in the matter placed before him.

Jared notices that the wind is beginning to pick up. But, as quickly as it starts, it vanishes again. Until something grips him and pulls him away at superhuman speeds. In the blink of an eye, Jared is now standing somewhere else, and a man with salt and pepper colored hair and dressed all in black stands before him. The man wears a badge of sorts that seems to have an X in the center of it.

“What is this?” asks Jared. “Who are you?”

“Northstar,” replies the stranger. “Of X-Corps.”

“X-Corps?” asks Jared.

“Just keep your head down and don’t do anything without my permission,” says Northstar. “I just saved your life and my partner is dealing with the man trying to kill you.”

“Wait, who’s trying to…”

Jared’s words die in his throat and his eyes go wide. He sees a man with blue hair and red facepaint with large gattling guns for arms. Another man, dressed in a similar uniform to Northstar, ducks behind a car for cover. He’s dark-skinned, and he has an X bleached into his hair.

“Who…?” asks Jared.

“The man trying to kill you is Salvo, my partner is Bedlam,” replies Northstar. “I think you can figure out which one is which.”

Bedlam stays crouched behind the car, and Jared watches as his hands begin to crackle with electricity. Bedlam closes his eyes in concentration, sensing out the various energy fields in the area. Once he finds the source he is searching for, his eyes snap open and begin to glow.

For a moment, Salvo’s eyes go completely blank and he stops firing his guns. Almost as if he is in a trance of some sort. Northstar takes this opportunity to rush at him at superspeed. He grips Salvo and pulls him along, moving to his top speed, and then hurling him into a building. The resulting momentum sends Salvo flying through the building.

“That should stun him for a bit,” says Northstar.

“Then let’s move,” says Bedlam. “There’s no way the two of us alone can defeat a Neo.”

Miami, Florida

A light explosion of smoke, light, and brimstone signals the arrival of Nightcrawler. His foot strikes the temple of the Neo known as Kilmer, and then he teleports again. Kilmer is prepared for this next teleport. His hands are in the shape of razor-edged blades. He spins on his heel and brings one of these blades down. Nightcrawler instantly brings his sword up in defense. Nightcrawler teleports once more and Kilmer stumbles forward slightly.

Another form materializes behind Kilmer, this of the X-Corps operative called Warp Savant. He slams his elbow against the back of Kilmer’s head and looks down on it in surprise.

“Ow…” says Warp Savant. “What the hell is this guy made of?”

“Where’s the girl?” asks Nightcrawler.

“Relax, she’s ridin’ shotgun in my mind,” replies Warp Savant.

“Good,” says Nightcrawler. He swings his sword and Kilmer defends once more with his arm-blades. “These Neo aren’t big on conversation, ja?”

Nightcrawler delivers a swift kick to Kilmer’s crotch and grits his teeth in pain.

“Mein Gott… its like he’s made of metal…”

“Balls of steel I guess,” says Warp Savant.

“Why not talk?” asks Nightcrawler. Kilmer makes no reply, just rushes towards the former X-Man. Nightcrawler teleports away and rematerializes beside Warp Savant. “Kids these days. I blame myself, I must be getting out of touch with the young, hip crowd.”

“Nah, you’re cool in a weird uncle kinda way, elf,” says Warp Savant.

“Weird uncle, hmm?” asks Nightcrawler. “I could do worse.”

Nightcrawler vanishes and appears a few feet above Kilmer. He brings his sword down on Kilmer’s shoulder and it strikes it with a loud CLANG.

“Well… looks like he is made of metal…” says Nightcrawler. “I’m out of ideas—you?”

“Just one,” says Warp Savant. His eyes begin to glow and Kilmer watches in shock as his arms seem to disintegrate. Kilmer cries out in pain and blood begins to shoot forth from the spot where his arms once connected to his body.

“Let’s split,” says Warp Savant. He concentrates, and both he and Nightcrawler disintegrate as well. Unlike Kilmer’s arms, however, they rematerialize in an X-Corps safehouse several miles away. In addition, a young woman with a bald head appears as well.

“What are you doing?!” exclaims Nightcrawler.

“What?” asks Warp Savant. “I thought I was saving the day.”

“That’s not how we work!” exclaims Nightcrawler.

“Wrong there, Kurt,” comes the voice of Pete Wisdom. He sits in a chair at a monitor. “That’s not how the X-Men work. You’re not an X-Man, not anymore.”

“Wisdom, that man may die because of Savant’s actions,” says Nightcrawler. “This is not what I signed up for!”

“Oh yes it is,” says Wisdom. “You signed on because you wanted to make a difference in a way that the X-Men couldn’t. And that means, on occassion, we have to get our hands dirty.”

“You didn’t see what happened,” says Nightcrawler. “Savant teleported Kilmer’s arms off!”

“And Kilmer is one of the Neo, which means he’s above Omega-level,” says Wisdom. “The Neo will kill us if we give them a chance. So we have to strike while the iron’s hot. Savant saw an opening and he took it.”

“Either way, target acquired,” says Warp Savant. He motions to the young woman with them. “Say hello to Michelle Rodriguez.”

“Umm… what is this?” she asks.

“X-Corps,” says Wisdom. “Sit down, we have some things to discuss.”