X-Men

CRADLE ROBBING

Part III: Black Womb

By Dino Pollard

“So, this is a top-secret Black Womb facility?” asks Ecstacy. “Hmm… I’m not impressed.”

“What’d you expect, kid?” asks Wolverine. “Bright, neon lights?”

“Well, we are in Nevada, right?”

“Smartass…” mutters Wolverine.

“She’ll fit right in,” says Moonstar with a slight grin.

“What’s the best way inside?” asks Havok, Scanner’s body laying limp in his arms.

“There is only one entrance that can be accessed from outside,” replies Fantomex. “And that is the front.”

“Sounds like fun,” says Domino as she loads a clip into her gun. “We’ll wait for Scanner to return from her recon of the place before we move in.”

“Fantomex?” asks Dazzler.

“Yes, Miss Blaire?”

“Are you sure my daughter’s in there?”

“No,” replies Fantomex. “But the possibility of her being in this facility is quite high.”

Havok looks down at Scanner as her body begins to twitch. Her eyes open up and he sets her down on her feet. Domino looks at her and approaches.

“What’d you find out?” she asks.

“Not much,” replies Scanner. “It looks like there really is only one way inside. There are a few guards blocking the way, though.”

Domino glances at Havok.

“Looks like it’s a good idea you refused to stay behind,” she says. “You’re gonna take point, Summers. An all-out assault right on their front door. They won’t be expecting a sudden attack like that. This looks like a pretty big place, though. We’ll split up into four two-man teams. Havok sticks with Ecstacy, Wolverine goes with Dazzler, and Casper over here is with me.”

“I think it would be more prudent for me to travel with Miss Blaire,” says Fantomex. “After all, it is her daughter we are searching for.”

“Sorry pal, but I just don’t trust you,” says Domino. “And that’s why I’m keeping a close eye on you.”

“Couldn’t help but notice that you left me out,” says Moonstar.

“Same here,” adds Scanner.

“There’s a reason for that,” says Domino. “Scanner, you’re intangible in your bio-electric form, so I want you and Moonstar to go in through another entrance.”

“Umm… I don’t think I can use my bio-electric form on anyone other than myself,” says Scanner.

“Have you ever tried?” asks Domino.

“Well, no…”

“Good, get ready for a test run, then,” says Domino.

“You sure about that?” asks Moonstar.

“Dani, have I ever let you down?” asks Domino with a grin. “On second thought, don’t answer that.”

“You sure the direct approach is the best way t’go?” asks Wolverine.

“Not really,” replies Domino.

“I dunno about this…”

“Have a little faith in luck,” she says. “Moonstar, Scanner, get going. Everyone else, let’s move in.”

Scanner and Moonstar seperate from the main group and run towards the back of the complex. Domino brings her guns to the ready, and leads the rest of the team towards the front. She looks at Havok and motions for him to move forward. He nods and steps out into the open.

“Hold it!” exclaims one of the guards, aiming a gun at him. “Can’t you read the signs, buddy? Authorized personnel only, no civillians.”

“Look at what I’m wearing,” says Havok. “A leather uniform combined with high-impact kevlar covered with ‘X’ symbols. Do I look like a civillian to you?”

“Don’t care who you are, either you show us some credentials, you walk away, or we blow you to shit.”

“You want my credentials?” asks Havok. His hands and eyes begin to crackle as energy circles appear around his chest. “Here.”

He extends his arms forward, and the energy circles expand and launch foward in a powerful plasma blast. The guards move away from the blast, which allows it to punch a hole through the front entrance. The guards open fire on Havok.

“Move out!” exclaims Domino as she leaps from her hiding spot. Rubber bullets fly from the barrels of her guns and strike the guards.

Dazzler soaks in the sounds of the battle, and light energy begins to build in her hands. When her fellow X-Men take notice of this, they shield their eyes as she unleashes a blinding flash of light. The guards are dazed, which gives the X-Men more time to take them out. Combined with Wolverine’s claws, Ecstacy’s adrenaline boosts, and Fantomex’s marksmanship, the guards are dispatched in short order.

“Teamwork’s a lovely thing, huh?” asks Havok.

“Break up into your pairs,” orders Domino. “Chances are alarms are going off, so move quickly.”

“You sense anything?” asks Scanner.

“No,” replies Moonstar. “But that doesn’t mean anything. The building or the soldiers, or both, could be shielded.”

“Hold on,” says Scanner as her eyes go blank and her body falls limp. Moonstar catches her before she hits the ground. An instant later, Scanner snaps back to life.

“Well?” asks Moonstar.

“We’re good to go,” replies Scanner. “Take my hand.”

Moonstar wraps her fingers around Scanner’s open palm. Scanner’s own hand tightens around Danielle’s as she closes her eyes. In the past, Scanner shifted into bio-electric form without a second thought. But this is the first time she attempts to try the process with someone else.

For Moonstar, it is an altogether new experience as she feels small amounts of electricity coursing through her body. Her hairs stand on end, and she notices that it is a sensation not unlike that of a back massaging unit. Moonstar feels the tug of Scanner pulling her forward slowly, and she moves as well. Scanner almost hesitates a moment before walking through the wall. Moonstar follows right behind her, and once inside, Scanner instantly releases her hand and like that, the sensation vanishes.

“Oh wow…” says Scanner as she gasps for air. “I’ve never tried that before.”

“Domino was right,” says Moonstar. “First time for everything.”

“Yeah,” says Scanner. “So now what?”

Moonstar closes her eyes, and psionic energy surrounds her hands, forming itself into a psionic bow and arrow.

“We start looking for answers.”

The force of Havok’s plasma blast dispatches a security team as both he and Ecstacy continue their exploration of the Black Womb facility.

“You ever hear of this place before?” asks Ecstacy.

“No, this is something new,” replies Havok. “Every single time we think we’ve destroyed a Weapon X, a Black Air pops up.”

“Huh?”

“It means that there’s always more cockroaches,” says Havok. “There always seems to be some sort of organization trying to exploit mutants.”

“And despite all that, you guys still hold onto hope that we’ll all live peacefully…” says Ecstacy.

“Not really,” says Havok. “Humans can’t even live peacefully with themselves, so how can we expect them to live peacefully with another species? No, I’m holding onto hope that we’ll simply be integrated into society, much the way other minorities have been.”

“You’re still an idealist,” says Ecstacy.

“You seem bitter,” says Havok.

“No, I’m just a realist,” she says. “Before I was captured by the Theatre of Pain, I grew up on the streets. It’s a dog eat dog world out there, man.”

“So if you think we’re all dreamers, then why did you hook up with the program?”

“Anything’s better than being a slave,” she replies. “Not only do you guys give me food and shelter, but you give me shelter in a mansion. For me, this X-Men thing is a job. I may not agree with it, but it’s better than going back to whoring myself out.”

“Can’t argue with that,” he says. “I guess I’ve just been so used to everyone who joins up with us because they believe in the cause that I never considered that someone would help us just for the benefits.”

“I’m surprised it hasn’t happened yet,” she says. “So… what’s with you and that blonde chick?”

“You mean Dazzler?” asks Havok. “We go back, we were both on the team at the same time.”

“No, not her, the other one.”

“Other one?” asks Havok. “Wait, are you talking about Scanner?”

“Yeah, that’s her,” replies Ecstacy. “Sorry, I’m not used to all these names yet.”

“You think there’s something going on with me and Scanner?”

“Isn’t there?”

“No, why would you think that?”

“Honey, my powers are pheromone-based,” she says. “Not only can I control them, but I can detect them. And there’s a pretty high amount coming from the two of you whenever you look at each other.”

“Oh please,” says Havok.

“Hey, you can try and deny it all you like…”

“Quiet.”

“There’s no need to be embarass-”

Havok clamps his hand over Ecstacy’s mouth and pulls her behind a corner.

“I think I hear something,” he whispers. He releases her mouth and slowly looks over the corner. He blinks his eyes, unsure of what he saw, and then turns back to Ecstacy.

“What is it?” she asks.

“I dunno…” he replies. “But… I think I just saw a ghost.”

“What?”

“Stay here,” he says. He slowly turns the corner and walks forward. At the end of the corridor stands a young child. A boy. With blonde hair much like his own.

“It can’t be…” he says.

“Daddy…?” asks the young boy.

“No… it’s not true,” says Havok. “It’s not…”

“Daddy, I’m scared…”

“Hey, what’s going on?” asks Ecstacy.

“It’s my son…” replies Havok. “It’s Scottie.”

“Huh?” asks Ecstacy. “What are you talking about, there’s nothing there.”

“No, he’s there,” replies Havok. He slowly approaches his son, a child of an alternate universe, and kneels down before him. “Scottie… it’s you, isn’t it?”

He lightly touches his son’s cheek, cautiously. Almost as if he expects the boy to vanish. For that same reason, he never takes his eyes off the child.

“Hoookay…” says Ecstacy. “Thanks a lot, Domino. Stick me with the crazy dude.”

“Daddy… why did you do it?” asks Scottie.

“Do what?” asks Havok.

“Why did you leave me?”

“I couldn’t help it,” replies Havok. “It wasn’t my choice, I…”

“Why did you let me die, daddy?” asks Scottie.

“No…” mutters Havok as the skin begins to melt off his son’s bones.

“Why did you leave me to die, daddy?!” demands Scottie as the skin melts from his body. Havok watches in shock. The boy’s skeleton is robotic, complete with a glowing eye. “You see what you did to me, daddy?!”

“No… this isn’t real…”

“You always thought you’d be a better father than your brother, didn’t you, daddy?” asks Scottie. He grabs Havok’s throat with his hands, which have now increased in size. “But you weren’t, were you, Alex? You abandoned your son just like Scott, didn’t you? Just like your father abandoned you. Maybe it’s a Summers thing, eh? It’s probably genetic, we can call it the deadbeat dad gene!”

“I… I didn’t mean to…” says Havok.

Without warning, he feels a calm come over him.

“Take it easy, pal,” says Ecstacy, her fingers on his cheek. “I’m releasing endorphins into your body to calm you.”

“Stacy… it’s my son…” says Havok. “I left him… I’ve become my father. No… I’ve become Scott.”

“Alex, look at me,” says Ecstacy. “There’s nothing there.”

“Huh?” asks Havok.

“There’s nothing there, buddy,” she repeats. “No one, we’ve been alone the entire time. You just started freaking out for some reason.”

“I saw something, I know I did,” says Havok. “It must’ve been an illusion, your pheromones probably cancelled out the effect it had on me somehow.”

“But if it’s an illusion, then how come I wasn’t affected?” asks Ecstacy. “And where did it come from?”

“Your pheromones, maybe,” replies Havok. “Or maybe you weren’t the target. As for the second part of your question…”

He raises his hand and unleashes a plasma blast against the wall, blowing a hole through it.

“Let’s see what’s behind door number one,” he says.

He steps through the hole with Ecstacy following behind. They stand in a laboratory of some sort, with two tubes in the center of it. The tubes are filled with a green liquid, and inside are two sleeping children. A boy and a girl, both with odd markins on their face.

“Oh my God…” says Ecstacy. “What are they doing to these kids?”

“I dunno,” says Havok. He approaches the tubes and places his fingers on it. He notices a plaque at the base of the tube and bends down to read it. He runs his fingers over the engraved letters as he reads them.

“Tartarus,” he says aloud. “Project: Neo. And the girl is Elysia.”

“Neo?” asks Ecstacy. “What’s that?”

“It means ‘new’,” replies Havok.

“Project: New?” asks Ecstacy. “That sounds pretty lame.”

“I think whatever happened back there in the corridor was caused by these two,” says Havok.

“Summers, you read me?”

Havok lifts his wrist to his mouth so he can speak into his wrist communicator.

“Loud and clear, Logan,” he replies.

“Good, then how about you and the rookie get yer asses over here? Alison an’ I could use a little assistance.”

“Oh my God…” mutters Domino as she looks around the large room surrounded by tubes. Each of the tubes are small, and there is a small embryo in each one.

“Welcome to the Garden,” says Fantomex. “This is where mutants are grown.”

“Grown?” asks Domino.

“Yes,” replies Fantomex. “The genetic material of two ‘parents’ is combined, and then a child is created from that.”

“You said you were born here,” says Domino. “What the hell was that all about? There’s something you’re not telling us.”

“I was created by Black Womb,” says Fantomex. “I believe I’m the first one to escape.”

“So that’s why you’re going after them now?” asks Domino. “Revenge?”

“No, I’ve accepted what’s been done to me, and I’ve moved on,” replies Fantomex. “I was being truthful when I told you they have my son.”

“Then where is he?” asks Domino.

“Truthfully, I don’t know,” replies Fantomex. “Actually, I’m not even sure what he looks like – or if he is even a he.”

“Huh?”

“He… she… was created with my genetic material,” says Fantomex. “Wait…”

“What is it?” asks Domino.

“The air pressure in the room just dropped slightly,” he replies. “A door was opened.”

Fantomex’s hands extend, and pistols slid via mechanical arms hidden in his sleeves into his waiting palms. He spins on the ball of his foot and brings the guns forward. What he sees there causes his eyes to grow wide.

“Holy shit…”

A man with blue hair, red facepaint, and gattling guns for arms stands before the two of them. He points his arms at the two mutants and opens fire. Fantomex and Domino each dodge in seperate directions away from the hail of bullets.

“Friend of yours?” asks Domino.

“I’ll explain later,” replies Fantomex.

The strange mutant moves his arms and directs them at the mutant embryos.

“NO!” exclaims Fantomex.

His cry comes too late, for the mutant has already unleashed a hail of bullets which shatter the glass tubes. The embryos all fall dead, years of research and work gone. As well as possibly the child of Fantomex.

“Murderer!” exclaims Fantomex as he leaps out and fires bullets from his gun at the mutant.

“Better they die here than live a lifetime under the watch of Black Womb,” replies the mystery mutant.

Bullets fly from Fantomex’s guns, each one striking a deadly kill spot, yet the mutant appears unaffected.

“Are you quite finished?” he asks.

Fantomex looks down at his guns in surprise.

“Good,” he says with a grin. “Now it’s my turn…”

Before the mutant can open fire, a woman appears behind him in a flash of energy. She has similar marks on her face as he does.

“Salvo!” she exclaims.

“Leave, Junction,” says Salvo. “This is my kill.”

“We don’t have time,” says Junction. “I have the children, it’s time for us to go as well.”

“Another time, then,” says Salvo as he tips an imaginary hat to Fantomex. A beam of energy extends from Junction’s hand and engulfs him. The two then vanish in a flash of light.

“I don’t like this…” mutters Domino. “Who the hell were those guys?”

“Neo,” replies Fantomex.

“Come, spike,” says a woman with white skin, red facepaint, and purple hair.

“With pleasure, babe,” says Wolverine. Dazzler stands behind him, trying to hold him back.

“Logan, no,” she says.

“Go find yer kid,” says Wolverine. “I can handle this bitch.”

With a thought, three razor-sharp claws composed of bone extend from between Logan’s knuckles. The ivory claws are stained red with Logan’s blood.

“Claws, eh?” asks the woman. “Good, it will make this interesting.”

Energy claws similar to Wolverine’s appear at the ends of her hands.

“Nice trick,” he says. “Let’s see which ones are sharper.”

“I’ll kill you slowly and defile your corpse,” she says.

“Oh gross…” mutters Dazzler.

“Dazz, go now!” exclaims Wolverine as he leaps forward and slashes at the woman. Dazzler takes her cue and runs past the two combatants.

“She’s a pretty little spike,” says the woman as she takes mark with her own claws. She moves forward with lightning speed and cuts into Wolverine’s side. Her claws draw blood.

“Dammit… gettin’ slow…” mutters Wolverine under his breath.

She brings her claws down and he grabs her wrist before they can go further. Then he thrusts forward with his free hand, burying his claws in her chest. He pulls them out and leaps over her head. Once behind her, he drives both sets of claws into her back, puncturing her lungs. He retracts his claws and stands above her as she slumps to the ground in a pool of blood.

“Rule number one, darlin’,” he says as he turns around. “Give it yer all in a fight.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, spike.”

Wolverine turns in shock to see the woman standing up. She smiles and spits blood from her mouth. She extends her arms, and the energy claws attached to her fists fly out and impale Wolverine.

“The hell are you?” he asks.

“Dominia,” she replies. A sickle composed of energy appears in her hands. “Time for round two.”

In the next room, Dazzler stands over a computer terminal, feverishly hitting keys. She’s searching Black Womb’s files, trying to find some record of her daughter. Hoping that, somehow, she’ll find a location for her child.

“Come on… come on… come on…” she says to herself as she continues to search through the files. As she concentrates, she fails to take notice of the figure crouched above in the shadows. The figure drops from the shadows and lands behind Dazzler, putting a dagger to her throat.

“Jaeger smells spike,” says the man. “Is it a spike?”

“What is this spike business you all keep talking about?” asks Dazzler. “It’s starting to get on my nerves.”

“It is a spike,” says Jaeger. “Jaeger hates spikes.”

“Okay, referring to me as ‘it’ is pretty damn annoying,” says Dazzler. She channels the sound into her eyes and looks down at the knife, then fires an optic blast that knocks it away. She then drives her elbow into Jaeger’s abdomen and pulls away from him.

“It has a spark,” he says. “It has earned Jaeger’s respect.”

“Respect this, asshole,” she says as she generates a huge solid light burst in her hand and hurls it at him. The result sends him flying, and she slowly walks up to him, still keeping her distance.

“I’m only going to ask you this once,” she says. “Where’s my daughter?”

“It has no right to question the Jaeger,” he says. “Jaeger is superior to spike.”

“I don’t care who you are or what you think,” she says. “I’m just here for my daughter. Tell me where she is, or I swear to God, I’ll kill you right now.”

“The Jaeger doesn’t fear death,” he says. “No Neo fears death. Least of all from a spike.”

Jaeger moves fast and tackles Dazzler to the ground. He reaches to his belt and draws another dagger. Before he can bring it down, a plasma blast knocks him off. Dazzler cranes her head to see Havok and Ecstacy standing in one of the doorways.

“You called?” asks Havok.

“You’re late,” says Dazzler.

“Give me a break, it’s hard to navigate through this place, even with a tracking device,” he says.

“Who’s that joker?” asks Ecstacy.

“Calls himself Jaeger,” replies Dazzler. “He’s annoying, keeps referring to himself in the third person.”

“God I hate that,” says Havok as he powers up for another plasma blast. Jaeger gets to his feet and sniffs the air.

“More spikes,” he says. “Jaeger hates spikes.”

“Tell it to someone who cares,” says Havok as he unleashes a massive plasma blast. The blast sends Jaeger careening against a wall.

“Where’s the old guy?” asks Ecstacy.

“He’s in the other room fighting some bitch with a white face and purple hair,” replies Dazzler.

“Let’s just see what’s going on in there, then,” says Havok as he walks through the door. As he steps into the room, Wolverine flies against the wall. His uniform is in shreds, and his body is covered with bruises.

“Logan, you okay?” asks Havok. He kneels down beside his teammate.

“Get offa me, Summers,” replies Wolverine. He brings his claws up and faces Dominia. “She’s mine.”

“Logan, you don’t have a healing factor anymore,” says Havok.

“T’hell with the healing factor,” says Wolverine as he rushes forward again.

“Come on, spike,” says Dominia as Wolverine launches himself into her. She grabs his wrist and throws him over her body. “I haven’t even broken a sweat.”

Dominia is knocked off her feet by Ecstacy, who has boosted the adrenaline levels in her body.

“Step off, bitch,” she says.

Dominia extends her hand, and an energy blade flies forward, slashing the newest X-Man.

“Quiet,” says Dominia. She stands up, and Havok and Dazzler both move forward, their hands glowing with energy.

“Don’t make me do something that you’ll regret,” says Havok.

“Do your worst,” she says.

“RRRARGH!!”

That is the sound that comes from Wolverine as he leaps upon Dominia’s back. The look in his eyes is that of a wild animal unleashed. For some time, he has kept his rage in check. In his old age, he has come to realize that sometimes, charging into battle and throwing caution to the wind is not always the best solution. Now, he cuts loose.

Literally.

For this moment, Logan is a young man again, in the prime of his life. He moves like lightning, blocking Domina’s blows with ease and countering them with his own. His claws pierce skin and vital organs. His teammates watch in shock as Wolverine moves about. Some have never seen him like this. Others have thought he was above this. Blood flows freely from wounds, both his own and Dominia’s. Until finally, one falls, and the victor stands… barely.

The Wolverine has another win under his belt.

He looks at his fellow teammates, his claws dripping with blood, his body wracked with injuries. Slowly, he approaches them. His claws retract, and he collapses to the ground.

“…Whoa,” says Ecstacy.

“Is he okay?” asks Dazzler.

“I dunno,” replies Ecstacy as she kneels down to Wolverine and places her hand on his. “I’m releasing pheromones into his body to block out the pain. But we should probably get him medical attention.”

“He shouldn’t need medical attention,” says Dazzler.

“He does now,” says Havok. He brings his wrist up to his mouth and speaks into the communicator. “Domino, we’re in a bit of a tight spot. Logan needs medical attention.”

“We’re coming up to your location right now, Alex. Just hang tight.”

“Will do,” he says. He switches frequencies and speaks again. “Scanner, you read me?”

“Loud and clear.”

“How are things going on your end?” he asks.

“We found the girl.”

“You did?!” asks Dazzler. “How is she?”

“She’s fine, she’s sleeping. I don’t think anything’s been done to her.”

“Thank God…” mutters Dazzler.

“You and Danielle head out to the Blackbird,” orders Alex. “Wait for us there.”

“What about you, don’t you need help?”

“No, just protect the kid.”

“Understood. Scanner out.”

Havok switches off the comm unit and then turns his attention back to the situation at hand. He pulls his jacket off and wraps it around Logan’s body, trying to keep him warm as well as putting down pressure to stop some of the bleeding.

“Sorry we took so long,” says Domino as she and Fantomex enter the room. “We got held up and what the shit happened to Wolverine?!”

“He went nuts,” replies Havok. He stands and picks up Wolverine with a grunt. “Damn, he’s really heavy, even for a short guy. We gotta get him to the Blackbird.”

“What about the kid?” asks Domino.

“Scanner and Moonstar have her,” he replies. “They’re gonna meet us back in the Blackbird. And judging from the welcome reception we’ve received so far, I don’t want to wait around and see what else is gonna happen.”

“Good point,” says Domino. “Move out, then. Fantomex and I will cover you if you need it.”

The Xavier Institute; War Room

“How’s he doing?” asks Jean Grey-Summers as she stands before a monitor. On the monitor is the image of Domino.

“He’ll be okay,” replies Domino. “Even without his healing factor, Logan’s still a tough guy to kill.”

“Good,” says Jean. “I was afraid this might happen.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. If you told Logan to stay behind, he would’ve just gone along anyway. He’s stubborn as hell and set in his ways.”

“I know,” says Jean. “What’s your current status now?”

“We’re heading home to the mansion, we’ll be there as soon as possible.”

“Good, we’ll talk once you return,” she says.

“Gotcha. Blackbird out.”

The monitor goes black, and Jean sighs as her thoughts drift to Wolverine.

“The idiot… he’s going to get himself killed if he keeps this up.”

The Blackbird

“What were those guys?” asks Dazzler.

“Ecstacy and I stumbled across some others as well,” replies Havok. “They were children, though, but they had the same types of marks on their face. They were able to cast illusions or something. And they have something to do with something called Project: Neo.”

“It’s Black Womb’s latest development,” says Fantomex. “They’re trying to kick-start evolution. That’s why the Neo we faced were so hard to put down. They have very advanced healing capabilities.”

“How did they get out?” asks Scanner.

“I’m guessing that when we attacked, we accidentally released a few of them,” replies Domino.

“Let’s just hope they were recaptured, then,” says Dazzler.

“We know there are at least two who are still out there somewhere,” says Fantomex. “When Domino and I faced Salvo, he was teleported away by someone called Junction.”

“Maybe it was just the two of them,” says Ecstacy.

“With our luck, I doubt it,” says Havok.

Location undisclosed

The eyes of Dominia slowly open. She looks around to see her fellow Neo gathered around. Jaeger moves forward and helps her up.

“Neo are now free, Dominia,” he says.

“Where are we?” asks Dominia.

“After you fall in battle, Junction come,” replies Jaeger. “Take us away from Black Womb. We free now.”

“For now,” says Dominia. “Black Womb won’t sit by and let us live freely. We have to take our rightful place at the top of the foodchain.”

“Does Dominia say what Jaeger hopes she says?”

“Yes,” replies Dominia. She gets to her feet and stands in the center of the Neo. “The hunt begins.”

NEXT: The action continues in Into The Light in Uncanny X-Men #32, then be back here next issue for part two!

 

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