DAMOCLES RISING!

Part III

By Shawn Gauthier

“Damn it!” cried Bobby standing over Tabitha’s hospital bed. “How did things go so wrong so fast?”

Streams of tears rolled down Bobby’s cheeks as he recalls the events of the last several hours. He and his friends were finally enjoying a few moments of relaxation together when they were suddenly ambushed by Damocles and his henchmen called The Sword. At the end of the battle, only Bobby and his newly returned friend, Rictor, were left standing. Hopelessly outnumbered, they were forced to retreat with Tabitha, Bobby’s girlfriend, who was badly burned by one of the members of the Sword.

“How did things go so wrong?” he repeated to the unconscious Tabitha.

Early on in his life, things came so easy to Roberto DaCosta. When he was in school he was successful and popular. But then he left that world behind to enroll in Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters and to follow Xavier’s dream. Since then, however, Xavier’s dream has only brought him sadness and pain. He was ashamed to have such thoughts in his head. He knew it was a noble dream and that all of his friends believed in it whole heartedly. But deep inside he knew that he no longer felt the same.

It is a valiant dream and it’s followers were true heroes. In a perfect world, it might have stood a chance of becoming reality. But this is not a perfect world and the dream was failing. Perhaps it was time to abandon it. But that would mean leaving his friends, and they were all that he had left in this world.

Bobby was startled out of his thoughts as Rictor entered the hospital room.

“How’s she doing?” asked Rictor.

“The doctors say that her brain couldn’t take the pain from the damage done to her nervous system, so it shut itself down. She’s unconscious right now, but could slip into a coma at any time…” answered Bobby, choking back the tears.

Silence was all the reply he got, until…

“So what do we do now boss?” pressed Rictor.

“How should I know?” snapped Bobby, as he started to stroke Tabitha’s bald scalp. All of her hair and eyebrows had been burned away.

“Ohhhh… calm down Bobby, I’m on your side remember! All I meant was, when are we going to get some payback on Damocles and rescue the team?” replied Rictor, trying to keep his hot temper in check.

“Why are you asking me, I’m not the leader of this group!” Bobby retorted.

“I’m not sure what group you’re talking about, Bobby! As it stands, there is just me and you – and maybe Tabitha when she recovers. And being half of this ‘group,’ I nominate you as its leader.”

Before Bobby could get a word in, Rictor continued, “You have the experience and financial backing that we are going to need to get the job done. You’re the man for the job Bobby. Or at least, you used to be, before you and X-Force started going soft. The Bobby I used to know would have already been at Damocles’ throat getting revenge for what he did to his girl. So I guess what I should be asking you if you are up to the job, Bobby?”

Rictor’s words struck a nerve in Bobby. Could he be right? Has he gone soft? Immediately all the guilt and sorrow within him turned to rage. Everybody has a breaking point, and Roberto DeCosta has just reached his.

Rictor was also right about X-Force going soft. Sometime back, the group decided to follow Cable’s path over Xavier’s vision. They became an elite strike force of solders. They were a force to be reckoned with. But since Cable’s departure as leader of the team, X-Force has been wandering around in circles aimlessly. It was time for X-Force to make a difference again. It was time for somebody to step forward as leader and continue the work that Cable started.

Sunspot calmly turned towards Rictor. “Come on… we have work to do…”

Bobby kissed Tabitha lightly on the forehead, and then left the hospital room with Rictor. A few minutes later, some of the machines hooked up to Tabitha start to record some higher levels of brain activity, as a small smile spreads across her face…

Gentulio Villa-Lobos quickly rattles his key into the lock and opens the front door of his enormous house. He shuts the door behind him and turns on the lights, then makes his way over to the bar and pours himself a drink. There is a extra bounce in his step, and he is grinning widely.

Today was a great day for DaCosta International. They have just reported their highest profits to their shareholders in ten years! In addition, they received news today that the buy-out of one of their former competitors had been approved. Today was indeed a historical day for the company.

Still smiling, he grabs a cigar from the humidor on the bar and sits himself in one of the room’s large leather chairs.

“Let me light that for you,” comes a voice from one of the dark corners of the room, as a stream of bright blue flames shoots across the room and lights the tip of his cigar. Roberto DaCosta, now in his Sunspot persona, steps out of the shadows.

“Reignfire!” yells Lobos, cowering behind his chair.

“We have been over this already, Mister Lobos. I’m not Reignfire, I’m Bobby DaCosta. I would like to think that the man running my family’s company would be a little quicker on the take.” replied Bobby, powering down and taking a seat in one of the leather chairs on the opposite side of the room.

Trying to reestablish his superiority, Lobos stands, adjusts his suit and calmly picks up his lit cigar and spilt drink before sitting back into his chair. “What can I do for you young Mister DaCosta?”

“I’ve come for what is mine.” answered Bobby, simply.

“You know better than this, Bobby. You cannot take over this company until you are of age. Until then, you will have to make do with the allowance you are given from your father’s estate. Maybe we can raise your allowance slightly if you…” started Lobos, before he is cut off by Bobby, who stood and powered up again – his blue flames flared, lighting the room in an eerie light.

“Don’t insult me! I do not want my father’s company! At least, not at this time. But I will take you up on your offer on the increase in my personal funds. I require at least fifty thousand now, and will expect my payment amounts to increase by at least two hundred percent.”

“I can’t do that…” whined Lobos, losing his composure again.

“You can and will. I also have one other task for you to perform. I want the DaCosta Corporation to perform a hostile takeover of the Damocles Foundation!”

“Who do you think you are…?”

“I am Bobby DaCosta, the rightful owner of DaCosta International. So, in a way, I am your boss – and you will start showing me the respect I deserve. Make no mistake Lobos, if you try to move against me within the company I will take action. And I will use all of the weapons I have at hand.”

With that, the flames on top of Bobby’s head began to flare up, giving him the appearance of Reignfire.

“I will not be threatened…”

“I am not threatening you Lobos, I’m merely telling you how things are going to be from now on. I’m no longer some little boy you can order around. If you will support and assist me financially in my personal endeavors, then I will continue to mind my own business and you can run this one. Do we have an agreement, or do you need some more incentive to see things my way?”

“No… no!” whimpered Lobos, “I understand, Mister DaCosta…”

“Good. I’m sorry that I had to come here like this, but my friends are in trouble and they’re relying on me – I won’t fail them. Good night, Mister Lobos.” said Bobby, as he stood up and left the room.

For the second time tonight since coming home, Gentulio Villa-Lobos lets out a sigh, but this time he was not smiling.

On the floor of a run down old hotel room just off the highway lays Shatterstar, one of the former members of X-Force. His shirt is off, revealing several scars on his abdomen, a parting gift from a Brood Queen and his recent run in with the Mutant Liberation Front.

For the last hour, he has laid on the floor motionless trying to figure out what his next move should be. He wished that his friend Rictor was around for him. Rictor was one of the few people that he felt comfortable around, one of the few people he felt truly understood him.

Suddenly, the room is filled with a clattering noise. In a heartbeat, Shatterstar is on his feet with both of his trademark swords in his hands. After a quick survey of the room, he realizes that it is just the bed vibrating. The quarter-eating machine that was supposed to vibrate the bed must be malfunctioning.

Shatterstar walks across the room, his muscles begin to relax. He starts banging on the machine, hoping for a moments rest before checkout time.

His muscles become taut as he hears the cackle coming from underneath the bed. Shatterstar leaps clear just as the bed explodes into a shower of kindling and splinters, revealing the prankster underneath.

“What’s shaking friend?” asks a grinning Rictor.

“Rictor!” cries Shatterstar, crossing the room to greet his former teammate. “I am so glad to see you again my friend!”

“I’m glad to see you too, but now is not the time for reunions. We have work to do.” states Rictor, the grin replaced by a serious look.

“Work? What kind of work?” asks Shatterstar.

“The kind of work that we do best my friend.” responds Rictor, as the grin returns.

“Then by all means, let’s go!”

In the lobby of a small regional hospital three friends are reunited. They are extremely happy to see the familiar faces of their friends, but the joyous occasion is shadowed by the grim circumstances that has brought them together. Bobby quickly lays out his plans for revenge on Damocles and the Sword for his two friends to see. Both Shatterstar and Rictor are impressed with Bobby’s strategy.

Before the final details can be worked out however, the hospital is rocked by an explosion on its second floor. Fearing the worst, the three friends sprint to Tabitha’s room on the second floor only to have their fears confirmed. Her room is turned upside down and charred.

Frantically they begin shifting through the rubble in the room looking for any sign of Tabitha.

The door to the small personal bathroom opens, and to the relief of all those in the room out walks Tabitha – a third of her skin still shows signs of being burned.

“Hiya Shatter-Buns! Welcome back!” says Tabitha, as she heads to the small cupboard in the room to retrieve her uniform.

“Tab, are you okay?” asks a concerned Bobby.

“No Bobby,” replies Tabitha as she casually removes her hospital gown and gingerly dons her uniform in front of her three teammates, “I am not okay! I won’t be okay until I get some payback!”

“But are you sure you’re ready… I mean, your burns…”

The look Tabitha gives Bobby is enough to silence him, and for a moment, noone else says a word.

Finally, Rictor breaks the silence, “I think I’m going to like being a part of this new team!”

NEXT ISSUE: The final showdown between X-Force and the Sword! Meltdown unleashed! And will Shatterstar rejoin the team?