IRRATIONAL CHOICES

Part VII: Help on the Way

By Brent Lambert

Susan pushed her hair back and said, “Like we said. It’s a long story.”

Lorna groaned. “Yeah, the two of you keep saying that. I get it. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”

Dane was beginning to feel like she was being controlled and she did not like being controlled. It had happened to her too many times in her life. First it was Mesmero and then Eric the Red. Worst of all had been Malice. She had nearly killed the man she loved while possessed by that ghost and was leader of one of the most despicable groups in history. The Shadow King had tried to use her as some nexus of hate. It had been the story of Lorna’s life—people trying to exploit her. She didn’t intend to let it happen today.

Sensing the frustration, Jacob said, “I’m sorry if we’re taking our time, but we figured this would be a lot for you to handle all in one sitting.”

Lorna wasn’t buying the concerned parent routine. “I have handled a lot in my life. I don’t need to be babied.”

“It’s your life that has made bringing you back to us so difficult,” Susan said. “We never knew who would be after you next and Durklan simply didn’t want that risk on their heads.”

“Whether it was Magneto, Dark Beast, or Malice,” Jacob added.

Dane found a hole she was looking for. “I thought you said McCoy had no recollection of his work with Durklan. If he never knew you then he never knew me?”

“So we thought, but I think there was a bit of subconscious at work. Why would Dark Beast improve Random and let him go on loan to the US government to test your abilities?” Jacob asked. “We pondered that question for ourselves quite a well and even feared Dark Beast had started to remember.”

“Part of the reason we created Regalo del Ferro. If it looked like another mutant not connected to us had taken you captive then we wouldn’t have to worry about anything being traced back to Durklan,” Susan said.

Lorna’s urge to attack the two grew. “Do you know how many innocent people they slaughtered? They killed one of my friends!”

Susan was firm. “We’re sorry about that, but we would move Heaven and Earth to get you back to us.”

Jacob offered up his form of apology. “It would have been much easier if the rest of our associates weren’t so interested in your team.”

“What do they have to do with any of this?”

Jacob sighed. “That in itself is another long story. Do you want to hear it?”

“These are my friends,” Lorna said through gritted teeth. “Start talking. Now.”

“There was a time when Durklan was trying to have a great deal of influence over the start of a government mutant team. Back when you first joined X-Factor they were trying to make sure they had complete influence on who made up the team. Durklan wanted control, but Cooper didn’t allow that to happen. The woman proved incorruptible,” Jacob said.

“So this is all about some old grudge with Valerie?” Lorna asked.

Susan shook her head. “It’s about far more than that. X-Factor is the gateway to something much larger than you think and our organization wants to be on the ground floor of it. We’ve been pushing events to make that happen and to get you away from it all.”

“Perhaps she shouldn’t be told everything until we can be sure she’s loyal to us,” Dr. Osman said as he walked up to the pseudo-family reunion with a clipboard in hand.

Susan looked clearly agitated. “She’s my daughter! I trust her.”

“Because of that fact alone. I, on the other hand, don’t have that bias. I am trying to keep the best interests of Durklan at heart here. We have all of X-Factor in custody except for Forge and at this juncture we won’t really need him,” Dr. Osman said as he stared blankly at his clipboard.

Lorna stood up and said, “What are you going to do to my friends?”

“If you’re going to stay with your parents then that’s really none of your concern.”

“Fuck this,” Lorna said as green magnetic energy exploded from her body knocking her parents into the walls behind them and Dr. Osman flat on his back. The power she unleashed had twisted and bent her room like it had been nothing.

With the magnetic energy still around her, Lorna exploded forward at subsonic speeds through every obstacle that was in her way. She was going to find her friends and they were going to get out of his hellhole by whatever means necessary.

“Guess the government has upped the X-Factor budget,” Guido said as he sat down behind Gorge and strapped himself in. One side of his body was being held down tighter by the seat belt than the other. Most people would have been annoyed by the inconsistency, but it was a part of daily life for Guido. His powers had deformed him so much that his body was a distorted visage of a human.

From the pilot’s seat, Forge asked, “What would make you say that? I think we could stand a bigger cut from the government.”

“When was the last time X-Factor had two stealth jets for their own personal use?” Guido asked. “Someone on your team must be sleeping with Valerie.”

“Yeah right! We all know she’s got a crush on Polaris,” Madrox said as he strapped himself into the seat across from Guido. He figured that if Valerie couldn’t pay attention to a man like him then she was obviously gay.

Wolfsbane blistered. “Ye oaf! Why do ye think all strong women must be homosexual!”

“The same reason you’ve told me I’m going to hell multiple times. I’m convinced,” Madrox laughed and then his face scrunched up. “Damn that was a bad pun.”

“Glad you caught it before I did,” Forge said.

It felt like old times all over again and Forge was glad for it. Given all the craziness X-Factor had been immersed in lately, it was nice to have a bit of nostalgia to hold on to. He just hoped the reunion wouldn’t be short-lived. The first team had gotten into the desert complex with relative ease. Forge wasn’t sure if they would be afforded the same benefit.

“Everyone make sure you’re strapped in,” Forge said as he began the march down the runway. “This thing gets off to a bumpy start.

Valerie Cooper buttoned up her blouse and sat straight up in her chair right before Colonels Wilson and Cole entered into her office. She smiled and said, “Nice to see you two again. So I was told this meeting was extremely important.”

The middle-aged officers sat down in front of her desk. Cole, the more handsome of the two, spoke first. “It is. We have come to lay out the details of the X-Factor Initiative to you.”

Valerie began flipping through daily procedural papers she had to sign off on and without even looking up said, “I’ve heard of it. I’m assuming it involves my team and I don’t like things involving my team being conducted without me gentlemen.”

“That’s why we’re here Ms. Cooper,” Colonel Wilson said as he slid a manila folder onto Valerie’s desk right over the papers she was looking over. “We’re trying to get you involved. So you could stand not to be so much of a cold ass bitch.”

Cooper angrily pointed a finger at Wilson. “Don’t start with me, Colonel. I’m this close to blowing the whistle on the two of you. You both had a heavy relationship with Director Nero and its been proven he’s a spy. Why should I trust the two of you?”

Cole gave a coy smile. “Because we knew he was a spy the entire time. From Durklan Incorporated.”

The revelation upset Valerie even more. “You knew and you didn’t tell me?! You allowed my team to be put at risk.”

Colonel Cole personally got a kick out of Valerie’s anger. The trait was attractive on her, but not to mention he felt like he had the upper hand for once. Despite being higher up on the hierarchal tree than Cooper, she had more connections. She had spent so many years dealing with the super community that her expertise was highly regarded. That allowed her to easily go above her superior’s head if she wanted to get something accomplished. The fact that she could do that and get away with it was infuriating enough for Cole. It was only compounded by the fact that she was just a civilian. The woman possessed no credentials to hold the position she was in. Cole felt that the mutant problem was best left in the hands of the U.S. military and no one else. Seeing Valerie frustrated about something that was out of her hands was a small fraction of vindication for Cole.

“We had to play our cards close to our chest. Durklan has a lot of political and military connections. We didn’t need them to know we were on to them,” Cole said. He was telling the truth, but even if he could have brought Cooper in the loop he wouldn’t have. She was just a pretty face thrown into matters she had no business being in.

“So when will charges be brought against Durklan?”

Colonel Wilson laughed and leaned back in his seat as he did to exaggerate. It was a sour laughter that only stirred Valerie’s anger. “Charges? We’re not even going down that road. Weren’t you listening? Any charges we put together would be thrown out right now.”

“So what? We let them have free reign?”

“No, we build up our evidence,” Cole said. “That’s going to take time. You let us worry about nailing Durklan. Plenty of other responsibilities are about to be yours.”

“That’s if you’re ready for them,” Wilson said.

“Lets cut the bullshit and get to what you two came here for. I have a busy schedule,” Valerie said. She knew her face was red, but she wasn’t going to give these men any more satisfaction than they already had. Her whole career she had to deal with men who thought her inadequate for her position. Colonels Wilson and Cole were nothing new, but she had enough stress on her plate. She didn’t need two sexist pigs to add onto it.

“The Commander in Chief has personally asked you to head up the X-Factor Initiative,” Cole said. He added with as much venom as he could muster, “Despite it being a wide-scale military operation.”

Valerie smugly smiled. “Well, I’m sure you two fine officers would be just as capable of handling the position.”

“The XI is a new branch of the military expressly for mutants. Your job would be to head up this branch. You would essentially be the equivalent for a four-star general and part of the Joint Chiefs,” Colonel Wilson explained. Every word burned him to say because this woman was completely unworthy of the power being given to her. Being a mutant sympathizer did not make someone capable of directing them militarily. They might as well have called up the X-Men and see if they had any candidates they wanted to be considered for the job.

“I’ll be happy to let the President know that I’ll be accepting his offer,” Valerie said with a clear face and glowing smile. “Is there anything else Colonels?”

“Only a word of advice,” Cole said as he rose up from his chair. “Don’t think things are going to get easier. The whole world is going to be watching the XI.”

The expanse in front of Ch’Vayre easily had to be the size of three football fields. It was littered with computer screens of varying sizes; nutrient tanks filled with bubbling liquid, and cold examination tables. Ch’Vayre was in awe of the massive laboratory as he descended the stairs that branched down from the terrasect portal entrance. He had no idea how Sinister managed to assemble all of this and he wondered how many more like it did he have. Perhaps there would be some true benefit to being allied with the protégé of Apocalypse.

“Do not look so shocked, Prelate. Your master wasn’t the only mutant capable of assembling power,” Sinister said as he mentally reached out and turned on every device in the facility.

“He was once your master, too,” Ch’Vayre said as he looked upward to see that the roof did not extend as high up as he expected. With what he saw in front of him, Ch’Vayre was sure that Apocalypse and Sinister would be ruling the world if they had worked together.

“No one is my father’s master,” Vulcan said from behind the two men. There was no one who was his father’s equal so there was absolutely no way he would ever bow to anyone. This Ch’Vayre’s disrespect was blatant and it was obvious he lacked true understanding of Sinister’s greatness. Vulcan was more than ready to teach him.

“My son is right. I serve no one, Ch’Vayre, but I am always willing to extend my hand to help,” Sinister said.

Ch’Vayre was suspicious. “And what would this help entail?”

“You want to honor and glorify Apocalypse. I can help you do that. You will lead The Clan Akabba,” Sinister said as he walked over to one of the nutrient tanks and wiped away condensation on it. “They will be your personal army and they will help me push events the way I need them to go.”

“Which way is that?”

“A war is coming. Tensions are high and the puppet masters are beginning to reveal their hands. I want to make sure that I survive the fall out,” Sinister said as he looked lovingly at the half-formed mutant in the nutrient tank. “And since I was dead, imposters have engaged in scientific buffoonery. I cannot and will not tolerate their behavior.”

Ch’Vayre knew that there were those at Durklan that felt like the world was at a tipping point. “I’ll stand with you Sinister in whatever way you need me to.”

“Excellent,” Sinister said clapping his hands together in victory. “Our work shall begin with Durklan. I will not let them so easily have Polaris. She has always been precious to me.”

Vehemently, Vulcan said, “And they stink of McCoy!”

“Yes, that as well. I want his influence burned from this earth, but I know how hard it is to remove a weed,” Sinister said. Of all those he intended to eliminate, Essex knew that The Dark Beast would be the hardest. The man was like a rat scurrying to and fro.

“So you want to rescue X-Factor?” Ch’Vayre asked barely able to stomach the idea. He hated them with a passion, especially Lorna and her defiant nature.

Sinister’s orders were simple. “Free the mutants, capture Polaris and deliver me a sample of the M-Core Virus. Don’t return without having done all three.”

“Do you intend to send just me and your offspring?” Ch’Vayre asked hoping that he would not be alone with the obviously imbalanced brat.

“No. Vulcan will be staying with myself. You will be accompanied by three of my Marauders.”

Ch’Vayre bowed more out of habit than respect. “Then you shall have what you desire.”

“Spynal, Bugout, and Bloodhack will be accompanying you,” Sinister said as a terrasect portal opened behind him. “We will retrieve them and launch the mission.”

Shard looked around her and paid witness to her teammates all being strapped down onto long, metal tables with IV’s having been interested into all of their arms. She wasn’t sure how she was being contained precisely, but beeping silver bars were wrapped around her head and wrists. If she had to guess she would say something that kept her photonic form in flux just based off her lightheadedness.

Twenty armed guards were in various parts of the laboratory. They didn’t look to be heavily armored but all of them were carrying enough equipment to blow a small country away. She knew that if they were going to escape they were going to have to be clever. First, she needed to get them all up.

“Move the hell out of my way!” a voice roared from Shard’s left. She looked over to see what was going on and paid witness to a massive burst of green energy slam through the metal doors.

The guns of the guards were instantly ripped away from them and broken in half. A haggard, but angry Polaris had been the source. She didn’t look anything like the woman that Shard had just been nearly killed by. Either something very wrong or very right was occurring. Shard hoped for the right.

Looking over to Shard, a still glowing Lorna said, “We’re getting the hell out of here!”

NEXT: All comes to an end