The State Home For Foundlings
Sage, Nebraska

Giant robots painted purple and red stood before the unassuming orphanage, as well as dozens of armed guards. Right before the gates of the orphanage were Havok, Avalanche and Skullfire, three of the terrorist X-Men. The fourth mutant, dressed in a brown trench coat and wielding a metal staff in one hand with several playing cards held in his other was Gambit.

Also present was a woman in an egg-shaped suit of armor, currently being helped to her feet by a man in a much larger suit adorned with weapons—Nanny and the Orphan-Maker.

“See what happens when we take side gigs?” asked Avalanche. “We get Sentinels on our asses.”

The ground erupted beneath him, a plateau rising up. The X-Men’s former enemy raised his hands, sending vibrational shockwaves through the air, disrupting the internal mechanisms operating on one of the Sentinels. A few moments later, several gears shot free from the Sentinel’s body.

Havok, the X-Men’s leader, held his hands out, circular rings emitting from his chest and flowing down his arms. Those rings exploded free from his fingertips in the form of destructive plasma energy, blowing a hole through a Sentinel’s knee. The robot fell to the ground, but looked up once it landed, optic bursts firing from its eyes. Havok unleashed another plasma burst, disrupting the optic blast just before it struck him, but the force from the two divergent energies meeting caused a backlash that sent him flying.

Gambit dodged and leaped around the Sentinels, avoiding their blasts when he could or deflecting them with his staff. He landed on the fallen Sentinel and placed his fingers on its head. “Skullfire! Cover me!”

Alex Roberts hurled bursts of nuclear energy around the Sentinels, drawing their attention away from the Cajun thief. As the Sentinels began to surround the man who resembled a glowing green skeleton, he started to get nervous. “You done needing that cover, yet?”

“Patience, mon ami,” said Gambit. Charging a large object took more time than a small and more concentration. Within a few moments, though, the fallen Sentinel began to crackle with kinetic energy. “FIRE IN THE HOLE!” shouted Gambit as he leaped away from the Sentinel and the rest of the X-Men sought cover.

The converted kinetic energy in the Sentinel’s body kept building up until it needed a release and then an explosion lit the night sky, taking at least one other Sentinel with it.

“Avalanche, concentrate on those soldiers,” said Havok.

“Aye, Captain,” responded the terrorist, moving towards them on a mountain of rock and dirt. They opened fire, but the bullets simply bounded off the armor he wore and he smiled. He clapped his hands together, sending powerful vibrations that tossed the soldiers like bowling pins.

As others who weren’t affected opened fire, Avalanche raised a hand and each time he did, the ground beneath the soldiers shot up, knocking them several feet back. He heard the click of a gun and turned and saw a soldier pointing a handgun at the exposed part of his face—his jaw.

“With that helmet, this bullet would probably ricochet all around and leave nothing left of your head,” said the soldier.

“Yeah, maybe,” said Avalanche. He grabbed the gun and concentrated his vibrations into it until it turned to dust. The soldier’s mouth fell open in shock and Avalanche grabbed his head. “Now what do you think those vibrations would do to that pea-sized, flatscan brain of yours?”

“Mon deiu…” muttered Gambit, watching the scene unfold. He threw his charged staff at the Sentinel he had been sparring with and it flew into the robot’s eye, exploding on contact. Remy drew a single card and hurled it at the ground where Avalanche and the soldier were, separating the two. The former X-Man then placed himself between the terrorist and his prey.

“Y’know…you’re really starting to piss me off, Frenchie…” muttered Avalanche, slowly getting to his feet and shaking off the attack.

“I’m Cajun, you couyon,” replied Gambit. “An’ just what are you doing?”

“My job,” growled the Greek mutant.

“X-Men don’t kill, mon ami.”

Avalanche chuckled. “The hell you think you’re running with, pretty boy? We’re the only X-Men that matter anymore. We don’t answer to Cyclops or his boy scout tactics.”

“Gambit!”

Remy looked over his shoulder and saw Havok approaching him. Skullfire was behind him, holding back the remainder of the Sentinels. Havok first looked to Avalanche. “I think Skullfire could use a hand.”

Avalanche nodded and the ground carried him over to the youngest X-Man, leaving Havok and Gambit alone.

“You see what he almost did?” asked Gambit.

“Nanny and Orphan-Maker are gone,” said Havok. “They must’ve gone inside.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Remy, I don’t have time for this. Go after Nanny and we can talk when we’re back in Genosha.”

Havok went back to assist his X-Men, leaving Gambit to stand alone, dumbfounded. “Genosha…?”

TASTES LIKE CHILDREN

Part III

By Chris Munn and Dino Pollard

{Just what did you think you were doing?} Rachel asked telepathically.

{Saving our lives, stopping a madman from committing his atrocities,} said Xorn. Emplate stood, shaking off the sudden restoration of normal gravity. Moments ago, Xorn created a miniature black hole, threatening to suck Emplate and—had it grown unstable—anything else in the vicinity.

{It’s no good if we’re dead. Besides, how are we supposed to get information from Emplate if he’s in a black hole?}

{I apologize, Rachel. You’re right, I shouldn’t have—excuse me.}

Emplate charged at Xorn but the Chinese man simply raised up his hand and Emplate froze in mid-air. Xorn had altered the gravity in a contained area around the mutant vampire, holding him in position, floating.

“That is quite unacceptable,” said Xorn.

{Keep him still. Jono, given his power, I’m going to need your help with this.}

{And just what do you expect me to do?} asked Chamber.

{Concentrate your psionic energies on Emplate.}

The raging furnace of psionic energy that comprised Jonothon Starsmore’s chest and jaw began to crackle and glow brightly. His eyes matched the hue of his namesake as he concentrated on Emplate, beginning to peel back the layers within his mind.

Phoenix added her abilities to his, the vision of a fiery bird appearing over her right eye. The landscape around her changed, at least in her mind it did, and suddenly she was floating through a wasteland lined with dead bodies.

{This is just the entrance, Marius. Why don’t you show me what you’re really hiding? What is your connection to Sinister?}

{My dear child, who said anything about Sinister?}

From beneath the pile of dead bodies, infants clawed their way to the top. Their eyes were bright yellow, their skin was a sickly gray, and their palms possessed the same jagged mouths as Emplate.

{Say hello to my children.}

The little creatures each leaped towards the X-Man, snarling as they fought for a piece of her flesh. She kept a few away with punches and kicks, yet they continued to come at her. A few were able to grip onto her, the teeth burrowing into her flesh and beginning to suck out her energy. She felt herself growing weaker as more and more of the children attacked her, giving her no quarter.

{ENOUGH!}

A fiery explosion in the form of a bird emitted from Phoenix, washing over the infant Emplates. The flames quickly retreated back into Rachel’s right eye. The babies Emplate’s mind had created were now nothing more than charred skeletons with smoking embers falling off.

Phoenix raised her arm and a brightly-glowing edge appeared along the underside. She swiped twice in quick succession, carving a glowing X into the air that then peeled open to reveal a new scene—Emplate sitting in a room with high-ranking uniformed men and the female scientist she witnessed earlier.

“We’re trying to discover a way to detect the X-gene before birth, to control the ever-expanding mutant population,” said one of the generals. “But to get to that stage, we need test subjects. And for that, we need someone who can detect mutantcy from birth.”

“What possible interest is your project to me?” asked Emplate.

“It’s quite simple, Mr. St. Croix,” said one of the generals. “You require mutant genes to sustain yourself. This project will give you a virtual buffet to satiate even yourmassive hunger.”

“And once your goals are realized…?”

“You’ll be kept on to continue assisting me with my research,” said Dr. Whitt. “And in that capacity, you will remain well-fed.”

“A tempting offer,” said Emplate. He offered his hand as a gesture of good faith.

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t shake hands, Marius,” said Whitt. “Welcome to Project: WIDEAWAKE.”

Rachel blinked and suddenly, she was back in the Nebraska. “Oh my god…”

{You figured it out?}

“Yeah…this is bigger than Sinister,” said Phoenix.

“You already finished digging in his head? That was like, five seconds,” said Lila.

“Trust me, I found out everything I need to know. We need to get these kids out of here immediately.”

The lifeless body of Dr. Whitt flew against the wall. The X-Men looked to the source and saw Orphan-Maker standing there with his guns aimed at them. Nanny was by his side.

“Me an’ Nanny will take care of that!” shouted the Orphan-Maker.

“Nanny and I, sweetie,” spoke the egg-shaped woman. “Remember to speak correctly, dear Peter. Otherwise, it’s the mark of poor upbringing and we certainly would not want people thinking that Nanny raised you improperly.”

“I’m sorry, Nanny…” said the Orphan-Maker, the tone of his voice like a scolded child.

“That’s all right, my sweet boy,” said Nanny. She looked at the X-Men. “We would like to thank you for your assistence in occupying this lurid individual.” She gestured to Emplate. “Unfortunately, your services are no longer required and those children shall come with—”

Emplate vanished from this plane of existence and when he rematerialized, he was behind Nanny. His claws dug into her armor from above, tearing it to pieces. The woman inside screamed as blood spurted from the giant egg that had been her home.

“NANNY!” shouted the Orphan-Maker. “You…you…you BAD MAN!”

His cannons began firing at Emplate, who vanished again. This time when he reappeared, he grabbed the Orphan-Maker and the two of them phased from this plane of reality as Gambit entered the room.

“Merde…” he muttered. “Listen up, mes amis, we got problems.”

A massive purple fist shattered the ceiling and the X-Men all ducked for cover before Phoenix held the debris with her telekinesis. Gambit rose to his feet as two Sentinels towered over the new skylight.

“And these problems…they be big.”

The Sentinels held out their hands and bursts of energy exploded from their palms, striking the cribs housing the mutant infants. Rachel watched in horror, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

“NO!”

She turned to the Sentinels, the flaming avatar of the Phoenix surrounding her body as she rose into the air. Her body seemed to darken to black, save for the Phoenix avatar over her right eye. She curled into a ball and then rapidly extended her body, stretching it out as the flames burst forth, waves of fiery, telekinetic energy destroying the Sentinels to their very core.

She turned to the remaining soldiers, sneering at them. Lila saw what was going on and began creating portals that sucked each of the X-Men inside, sweeping them back to Genosha. “I think we’ve had enough drama for one day, folks. Time to make like trees and leave.”

She generated one final portal over Rachel, taking the timelost X-Man away before she had the opportunity to do something she may regret later.

Avalon
Genosha

Back at their abandoned airfield, the X-Men gathered together in a room. They were rejoined by Ecstasy as well as Magneto.

“Children…they’re experimenting on mutant children…” growled Havok, slamming his fist on the table. The cosmic energy inside his body was beginning to build.

“They’re trying to find a way to detect the X-gene from birth. So mutant babies can be aborted,” said Rachel.

“Or stolen for other purposes,” said Avalanche. “Easier to get a mutant guinea pig when the parents think it was a miscarriage.”

“Why would the Sentinels kill all those kids, though?” asked Ecstasy. She ran a finger under Havok’s chin, feeling his increased rage and generating some calming hormones to help him relax. “Won’t that set the government’s plans back?”

“Sentinel programming is incredibly simplistic,” said Magneto. “They can only distinguish between humans and mutants. One they kill, the other they don’t unless provoked.”

Gambit leaned against the wall, shuffling cards as he spoke. “What’s all dis got to do with Sinister?”

“Nothing as far as I can tell,” said Rachel. “Sinister’s still dead, Emplate was just using his databanks.”

“What else did you learn inside Emplate’s mind?” asked Magneto.

“Other than Whitt, who’s dead thanks to the Orphan-Maker, I couldn’t discern the identities of any of the military brass Emplate was working with. Something tells me even he didn’t know who they were,” said Rachel. “But I did get the name of the project—Project: WIDEAWAKE.”

Several of the X-Men, notably Gambit and Havok, stiffened at those words. Skullfire looked at everyone curiously. “Could someone tell me what Project: WIDEAWAKE is so I can shit myself, too? I’m feeling left out.”

“Project: WIDEAWAKE is a government program, stockpiling thousands of Sentinels, all prepared to be activated at a moment’s notice should the mutant population need sudden and drastic containment and destruction,” said Magneto.

“Except it shouldn’t exist, not anymore,” said Havok. “After Onslaught corrupted the program, it became ZERO Tolerance under Bastion.”

“But Senator Kelly and SHIELD ended all of that, c’est pais?” asked Gambit.

“What, you thought Nick Fury was gonna blink his eye an’ the government would stop building Sentinels?” asked Avalanche. “The hell kinda fantasy world you living in, LeBeau? ‘Cause I’d like a time share in it.”

“WIDEAWAKE had a Sentinel plant in the Colorado Rockies,” said Havok. “Xorn and Avalanche, you’ve got two hours to rest, shower, and eat. Then we move out.”

Alex Summers left the room. Gambit followed him. Out in the hall, alone he caught up with the X-Man. “Summers!”

Alex sighed and looked at the thief. “What is it, Remy?”

“What you plannin’ to do?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to take that Sentinel plant and level it, sending the government a message that we’re not playing with kid gloves anymore.”

“Gambit, he not sure he likes what he sees.”

“Then you’re welcome to leave. I’m sure Lila can transport you back to New Orleans or Westchester or wherever the hell you want to be,” said Alex.

“What you think you doin’ anyway?” asked Gambit. “Tossin’ reporters out of windows, blowin’ up government plants, dis is a bit like Brotherhood territory.”

Alex crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m really not okay with being lectured on morality by a thief who once ran with Sinister and the Marauders.”

Remy frowned, his red pupils seeming to flash. “You don’ wanna go there.”

“It’s a new world, Remy. A dark world. Someone needs to stand up for the mutants who need our help and everyone else either can’t or won’t. So yes, we play dirty and yes, people will get hurt. I’ve buried too many people to put up with this bullshit of a better world. Xavier’s dream died with him and I find it ironic that someone who barely followed his code is so adament about everyone else sticking to it.”

“…been practicin’ that speech, non?”

“A little bit, yeah,” said Alex. “How’d it go?”

Gambit lit a cigarette and shrugged. “T’ink it did the trick. I’m onboard for now, Summers. Gambit just hopes you know what you got you’self in.”

Colorado Rockies

A portal opened inside the Sentinel storage facility of Project: WIDEAWAKE. Havok, Xorn and Avalanche emerged, setting foot onto a catwalk. The X-Men’s leader scanned the area, seeing hundreds, possibly thousands, of Sentinel units all below him, ready to be launched at a moment’s notice.

“Level it,” he said. “I want no traces this place ever existed.”

Avalanche cracked his knuckles with a smile. “Now you’re speakin’ my language, boss.”

The Greek terrorist jumped off the catwalk, using his vibrations to slow his descent as he decimated several Sentinels in the process. Havok watched Dominic Petros perform his job with a strange glee, one that left Summers slightly worried. He looked at Xorn, whose back was now to him.

“Stay where you are, Alex,” said the former prisoner. “This is something you don’t want to see.”

From behind, Alex saw the faceplate of Xorn’s metal mask flip open, exposing the inactive Sentinels to the bright star that served as the man’s brain, surrounded by bits of skull that were held in his gravitational field. A burst of bright, blue energy emerged from that mask, and Havok had to close his eyes because of the brightness. When he looked again, Xorn’s faceplate was back in its position and the Sentinels were sparking hunks of metal.

“Good work.” The rings of cosmic energy flowed all along Havok’s body, converging in the center of his chest. His eyes crackled. “Now it’s my turn.”

Havok leapt in the midst of several Sentinels. As he descended, his body almost exploded with plasma energy, vaporizing the robots caught in his blast radius. When the dust cleared, Havok knelt amidst a pile of rubble, bits of metal still falling to the ground as he rose to his feet.

“We’re finished here,” he spoke into the communicator. “Bring us home, Lila.”