Pastor Kenneth Barker stood on the stage before the gathering of worshippers at his megachurch. The cameras followed the young, charismatic firebrand as he held up both hands, eyes shut and letting out cries of, “PRAISE JESUS!”

The parishoners followed his lead, repeating his cry of worship in a chorus. A few moments passed and Barker wiped the sweat from his brow and held his hand up to bring the crowd to a silence.

“Oh, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Truly this is a blessed time to be a God-fearin’ American patriot! We’ve got a true Christian in the White House again an’ we’re takin’ back our country!”

Cheers and applause erupted in response.

Barker sighed. “But sadly…not all is well in the world. Y’see, there are still threats out there. The communists. The liberals. The gays. And worst of all…the mutants!”

Boos and hisses followed. 

“The great Reverend Stryker was a true servant of God! He had so much love in his heart that he even gave those Satan-spawned genejokes a path towards salvation! Truly, is that not what Jesus himself woulda done?”

Shouts of agreement followed.

“And yet…” Barker hesitated. He lowered his head and shook it. A sniffle for effect and a dab of his eye with his handkerchief. “And yet, it wasn’t enough. They couldn’t accept salvation, so what’d they do? They killed him!”

Angry screams of protest erupted at that.

“They thought they could silence him, but they were wrong!” shouted Barker over the roar of the crowd. “Because y’see my brothers and sisters, though the great Reverend Stryker may have been killed in cold blood, his legacy lives on in us!”

Shouts of agreement. 

“They didn’t extinguish a fire, they lit the fuse on a great bomb of divine retribution!” shouted Barker. “William Stryker may be gone, but he’s a martyr to our cause! And the Church of Humanity is gonna blow them damned mutie misfits back to the bowels of Hell where they belong!”

“Interesting choice of words, Pastor!”

A new voice blared over the speakers. Barker looked down at his pin mic and tapped it a few times, but found his audio had been cut. Two figures emerged from the side doors that led backstage. One of them Barker recognized as his own producer.

“Gary, what the fuck’s goin’ on here?” asked Barker and pointed at the young, bald man with strange green eyes. “Who is this?”

“Oh, that’s not Gary,” said the young man. 

The middle-aged balding producer’s skin began to shift, becoming paler and his entire body changing. When the change was finished, Barker was shocked to find himself staring at a white-skinned woman with matching hair, pointed ears, and red eyes.

“Copycat here just took on Gary’s appearance so we could tap into your system,” said the man. “See, I wanted to give a speech first.”

The parishoners began panicking at Copycat’s reveal and rushed for the doors. But there was a flash of energy and a new figure appeared—a woman with short, blond hair and red sunglasses appeared. Another woman, this one with bluish skin and short red hair, also appeared through a portal.

“Uh-uh, flatscans. Yer not goin’ anywhere,” said Siena Blaze.

“As I was saying…” The young man’s green eyes began to glow even brighter. An emerald aura surrounded his body, slowly turning his skin transparent until he appears as a green, flaming skeleton. “The name’s Skullfire. But you can call me the man who killed William Stryker.”

“Y-you soulless monsters!” screamed Barker.

“Monster?” Skullfire stepped closer to Barker, who moved back and stumbled, tripping and falling on the steps of the dais. “You try to make mutants ashamed of what they are. Put us in camps and secret prisons. Experiment on us. And when we decide enough’s enough, when we start to fight back, then you call us monsters?”

Skullfire was completely cognizant of the cameras on him. In fact, it was more like he was speaking directly to them as opposed to Barker or any of the parishoners. 

“So yeah, I killed Stryker. And now I’m here to wipe out his legacy.”

The power within Skullfire built up to a boiling point and then he released it. The last time the cameras broadcast before they were destroyed was a flash of nuclear energy.

When the light faded, Skullfire stood amidst the rubble, with charred, smoking skeletons all around him. A portal opened and his three followers—Copycat, Siena, and U-Go-Girl—stepped out of it now that the danger was passed.

“That was easier than I thought it would be,” said Skullfire. 

“This is just the beginning, baby,” said Siena, moving up beside Skullfire and running her fingers along his body. “By the time we’re through, you’re gonna be bigger’n Magneto!”

ESCALATION

Part I

By Dino Pollard

[This is just the latest attack on a Church of Humanity sect.]

*CLICK*

[The mutant identified as Skullfire is a known associate of the terrorist organization called the X-Men.]

*CLICK*

[Skullfire was recently seen on a video from a secret mutant prison executing the Reverend William Stryker and his own teammate, the mutant defector to Stryker’s caused called Havok.]

*CLICK*

[X-Men were last seen in Detroit engaged in battle with an unidentified rival mutant group.]

*CLICK*

[Dr. Valerie Cooper of the Commission on Superhuman Activities had no comment when asked about the X-Men.]

*CLICK*

[The X-Corporation has released a statement condemning the actions of the terrorist organization, claiming that this terrorist organization is composed of imposters who undermine Charles Xavier’s teachings.]

*CLICK*

[The official death toll has not been released yet, but it is believed that over two thousand worshippers, including women and children, were among the victims.]

“It’s like this on every news channel,” said Tessa. 

Pete Wisdom lit a cigarette as he turned away from the TV and walked over to the balcony window. After their battle with X-Factor, the X-Men retreated. It had been two weeks since then. Two weeks of Tessa using stolen credit card numbers to book them into random hotel suites and hiding out. All while Skullfire and his new followers went on a reign of terror.

“Turn it off,” said Wisdom.

“Why’s everyone look so down?” asked Avalanche. “Way I see it, kid’s doin’ what we should be out there doin’.”

“There were women and children in that church, Petros,” said Psylocke. 

“They were bloody fascists who would do the same t’us, sweetheart,” added Pyro.

“I have no lost love for Barker, but Elizabeth does make a good point,” said Tessa. “If we let ourselves behave exactly as the worst of humanity, then how are we any better?”

“Because we’re actin’ in self-defense,” said Pyro.

“‘An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind,’” said Xorn. “Surely even if we go by more extreme methods than the Institute’s team, we should still have some lines that we do not cross.”

“Barker had it comin’, that much I agree with. So do any of the other tossers running the Church of Humanity now that Stryker’s dead.” Wisdom blew out a puff of smoke from his nostrils. “But massacring women and children isn’t gonna do mutants any favors.”

“This is the first time he did something this big,” said Psylocke.

“Killing’s become easy for him now.” There was a knowing tone in Wisdom’s voice. “Skullfire may not have been part of this new outfit I’ve brought together, but he’s still associated with us. That means he’s our responsibility.”

“And how do you propose we do that?” asked Fantomex. “That footage from Sandstorm has now somehow made its way onto the internet. Our faces are in the hands of every law enforcement agency from SHIELD all the way down to the local constabulary.”

“Furthermore, the Church has hundreds of chapters all over the nation,” added Tessa. “I’ve been analyzing the ones they’ve chosen to strike so far and there doesn’t appear to be any discernable pattern. And without Cerebro technology, we don’t really have a way to locate or track him.”

“Perhaps we should return to Genosha,” said Xorn. “Prior to the incident in DC, Skullfire had an encounter with a creature called the Dark Beast.”

“Who’s that?” asked Fantomex.

“A twisted version of Henry McCoy from a hellish alternate reality,” said Psylocke. “What happened, Xorn?”

“I was not involved, so most of what I know I heard from the others after,” said Xorn. “But my understanding is that the Dark Beast had some connection with Stryker. And he seemed to have plans for Skullfire, too.”

“Sounds pretty thin if y’ask me,” said Avalanche.

“Maybe. But it’s also the only real lead we’ve got,” said Wisdom. “Betsy, dear, if you wouldn’t mind opening up a portal for us.”

Genosha

Xorn and Avalanche’s memories of the abandoned airfield served as the perfect reference for Psylocke to create a shadow portal with her Crimson Dawn abilities. They emerged on the airstrip. Wisdom took a good, long look at the hangars and control tower that had fallen into disrepair. 

“And you lot criticized that Detroit safehouse, look at where Summers had the last group,” he muttered. “I’ll accept apologies in the form of scotch and cigarettes.”

“I’m not picking up any thought patterns,” said Psylocke. “It seems this place truly has been abandoned since Havok and the others left for DC.”

“Good, last thing I want is any surprises,” said Wisdom. “First thing’s first. Petros and Xorn, you used to live here. So you lead the way, show us where we can sleep and where we can work. Once we’re settled in, I want Tess and Fantomex try an’ find out where they’re keeping McCoy prisoner. Gonna need prison layouts, guard shifts, the whole nine.”

“Forgive me for playing the role of dissenter, Peter. But why not simply approach Jean Grey or Magneto for assistance?” asked Xorn.

“Whatever their arrangement with Havok, we’ve no way of knowing if that remains true with us. Especially not after everything that’s happened,” said Wisdom. “And as for Magneto, I don’t give a toss what the X-Men say about him turning over a new leaf. He’s still the last person I want to run into on this godforsaken island.”

The airfield had a small cafeteria where the team took their meals. There was little in the cabinets beyond some non-perishable items like pasta, rice, and instant ramen. The refrigerator and freezer had other food, but the vegetables had pretty much gone bad. Pyro picked up a pack of chicken from inside the freezer and sniffed it a few times, then dropped it back in.

“I miss Mystique and her five-star hotels,” he said.

“Give us a break, man. We haven’t been back here in a while and even then, we had a lot goin’ on,” said Avalanche.

Xorn floated near the two former Brotherhood members, his legs folded under his body in the lotus position. He was looking around the room at different angles.

“What’s with Iron Mask?” Pyro whispered to Avalanche.

Avalanche shrugged and whispered back, “Hell if I know. Dude’s been the weirdest one in the group since the beginning. And when we started out, we had a chick who was nothing more than a flaming skeleton.”

“Hot,” said Pyro.

“Yo, Zen Master. Your head on a swivel or something?” asked Avalanche.

“We are not alone…” muttered Xorn.

Xorn followed up that statement with a scream and he collapsed. Avalanche and Pyro both exchanged confused glances with each other. Pyro went over to Xorn to check on him. Avalanche had started to move, too, but that was before he felt his helmet begin to crush his head.

When Pyro heard Avalanche’s cry, he looked up. And then he saw who Xorn was talking about.

“You—!”

Tessa examined the computer systems that had been set up in the control tower. “Not the most sophisticated equipment. But hopefully it can give us a start. There’s at least an internet connection, so hopefully I can hack into the prison system and determine where McCoy is being held.”

“And what should I be doing?” asked Fantomex. 

“Waiting until I tell you what to do,” said Tessa. “At the moment, I have no need for your infiltration skills. I will let you know once that changes.”

Fantomex took a seat in a chair and leaned back. But then he perked up. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

Fantomex got up from the chair and drew his guns. “I’ll be back.”

Tessa watched him leave and then turned back to the computers. But then all of a sudden, the monitors began flickering. There was some kind of interference and then all of a sudden, they went completely black. She tried to reboot but now the screen simply read, “CANNOT FIND OPERATING SYSTEM.”

“What…? But—”

Her speech was cut off when she was struck from behind.

Fantomex held his guns drawn and creeped down the stairs. He moved into the cafeteria and saw the unconscious bodies of Avalanche, Pyro, and Xorn. Just as he was about to go examine them closer, his guns were pulled from his hands.

“What the—?”

He turned towards where the guns flew and saw them hovering in front of his face, held by nothing. Fantomex raised his hands.

“Parlay…?”

“Perhaps this wasn’t the best idea,” said Psylocke as she and Wisdom walked around the outside of the airfield, exploring what remained of it.

“Wasn’t too keen on Genosha myself, if you’ll recall. But Xorn had a point and not like we’ve much in the way of leads,” said Wisdom.

“Not what I meant, Pete. I’m talking about this team.”

Wisdom removed his cigarette from his mouth and turned to look at his sometime-lover. “Come again?”

“Thousands of people are now dead and the US government is hounding us,” said Psylocke. “The Institute’s team was quiet for a time, but now that Sean and the others have taken up the fight, perhaps it’s best if we explain the situation to them and go our separate ways.”

“Look, maybe Havok didn’t have the best idea when he created this outfit. But he wasn’t entirely wrong,” said Wisdom. “Skullfire has to be stopped and there’s still a lot of bad bein’ done to mutants in the dark corners. Places like Iron Hell aren’t the only ones that have their own mutant prisons. And Cassidy’s team is too bright and shiny to do what needs doing. Someone’s got to stand up for these people.”

Psylocke gave a sigh. Wisdom was correct, someone needed to fight for those people. And if not them, then who would do it?

Before she could offer any further statements, an invisible force pulled her into the air. Metals bars quickly wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her side. She struggled against the restraints, but it was useless.

“Peter!” she shouted.

Wisdom turned to see Psylocke’s state. And then he saw the man responsible.

“Hello, Elizabeth. The use of restraints aside, it is good to see you. And don’t bother trying any telepathic tricks, they won’t have any effect on me while I’m wearing this helmet.

“Oh bollocks…” Wisdom muttered, his fingers growing into blade-like appendages that glowed with white-hot plasma. Holding out his hands, the ex-spy fired the hot knives at the attacker. “Let her go, Magneto!”

The hot knives harmlessly struck the magnetic force bubble Genosha’s vice-president had formed around himself. He hovered before them, a variation of his classic red and purple uniform. This one had a kind of trench coat over the and combined with the cape and his classic helmet gave him a regal appearance not unlike that of a king. No doubt that was precisely the effect Erik Lehnsherr was going for.

“Really, Wisdom?” asked Magneto. “Did you expect such a pathetic attack to work on one such as me?”

With a gesture of his hand, Magneto latched onto the metal in Wisdom’s clothes and the iron in his blood, raising him off the ground.

“I’ve been following your recent activities,” said Magneto. “And I am not amused.”

To be continued…