AN: This chapter is dedicated to @hwendulka for voting on the stories so far :D Thank you!
"We've covered our floors. Heading up to the second one now," Storm announced over communications. She quietly stalked down the corridor up to the stair case with Bobby right behind her flowing cape. She felt a spark of lightning between her fingers, ready to jump at someone who attacks first.
Bobby added in, "We found some agents that are willing to help us. They were hiding in one of the secure rooms waiting to hear from others. They wouldn't leave the building knowing there were still people inside." He flexed his arm and stretched his tense muscles as his skin frosted over in ice. In a few seconds, his whole body formed into a hard, blue ice, but he didn't feel odd. He felt free. The human body seemed to case him up in a box, and now he could finally break out in the real world for a little bit.
"We haven't heard from Cap and Spider-Man yet. Do you mind checking on them? Steve would've reported in by now," I responded over comms.
"We'll find them," Storm opened the door to the second floor, greeting some of the newly joined agents along the way. They had come up here to meet the other two heroes earlier. She nodded to them and they returned the gesture and waited there to secure the stairwell. Nothing was getting out of the building on their watch.
Iceman was about to say something to Storm until a scream came from one of the other halls, becoming louder and louder until the man's back collided with the wall and fell to the floor unconscious. Both of them ran down to the wide, open room area, and they stopped in their tracks in utter confusion.
Captain America and Spider-Man fought against some of the FBI agents. Cap bashed one in the face with his shield and knocked them down. Another came up behind him and he flipped them over in one quick move. Spider-Man aimed his webbing at some agent's feet and dragged him down to the ground. He threw web at a few others and stuck them to the wall. The agents didn't want to hurt them, but they also had to protect themselves. Captain America's veins were outlined in black, showing through the cheeks of his face. Spider-Man must've been the same way, but there was no way to tell from outside the mask.
"Uhhh....I think we found our missing members," Bobby informed me. He glanced over at Storm, who returned a concerned glance his way. Bobby put his hand to his ear to adjust his communications device. "They're fighting FBI agents. Something black is running through their veins."
The Professor chimed in before I could, "Get them under control. Whoever is here must've gotten to them first. Be on the lookout."
Storm focused her eyes on the two heroes, but then rolled up and turned white. Small clouds hung above them, and a strong wind blew in from the broken windows. Her focus was distracting them long enough for the agents to get away from them. Thunder roared over the hallway and boomed off of the walls. The two heroes' attention was taken off of the agents and they headed right towards Storm and Iceman. Storm threw lightning at Cap, but he shielded himself, sending the lightning bolt into the wall.
Iceman threw ice at Spider-Man's feet, but he jumped up and dodged them. Spidey launched webbing at Bobby's hands and succeeded. Bobby froze the webbing and tore it apart just in time to dodge one of Peter's punches. Peter scoffed and kicked him in the stomach, but quickly retracted his damaged leg. Hitting pure hard ice wasn't the best idea. Bobby's fist met his jaw and threw Peter backwards.
Storm made the wind die down and a mist swam through the air vents and into the room. Her white hair was the first to blend in until the mist thickened into a deep fog. Storm and Bobby completely disappeared from the other two's sight, causing them to search around them. Captain America and Spider-Man stood back-to-back, waiting patiently for their enemies to strike.
Iceman knocked Cap in the jaw and quickly iced his arm together with Peter's. Steve used his shield to break it, but was sent flying into the wall not soon after by ice. It glued him to the wall for a short period of time, allowing Storm and Bobby to focus on Peter.
Spider-Man sensed their moves incoming with his spidey senses, so he rapidly dashed to the side or defended himself from their attacks. He attempted to kick Storm to distract her in order to drop the fog, but she quickly noticed and moved. He punched several times, but the only contact he had was with the air. Kick, punch, swing, web, punch, move, everything he tried came up empty. She knew his moves, but that was impossible. His fighting was freestyle, hardly anyone could predict it.
That's where Storm had the upper hand. Her eyes blinked and tuned into the energy sources around her. Peter's human nervous system lit up like a shining light, allowing her to see through the thick, musty fog. Storm created a whirlwind that knocked Peter around from side-to-side. She went for his legs, but only managed to grab one of his feet. She dragged him to the ground and got his arms behind his back. Peter flipped her over into the wall and got free.
Then, the fight began.
I held my hand behind me and levitated Professor X up the stairs using my metal powers to manipulate his chair. Logan separated with us a little while ago, and after hearing confirmation on Cap and Spidey not being in their right minds, we began to worry when he didn't report back. I opened the door to the top floor and allowed the Professor to go in first.
He steered his wheelchair down one end of the hall. I motioned to him that I was heading the other direction to clear more ground. He nodded in agreement and went on his way. There were so many rooms on the top floor and the endless hallways only made it worse. I checked each room down one hall and only found dead agents with black liquid pooled around them. This was same MO Bobby mentioned a few minutes ago.
Worry built up in my system. This villain was powerful enough to control people. We haven't met him on the battlefield before. I retraced my memories back to the fight a week ago, trying to remember who was all there. I dragged my finger along the blood-stained wall in thought. Loki. Ira. Omega Red. Carnage. Dr. Soul. Saturna. Venom. Juggernaut. My mind cranked its gears; I stopped in the middle of the hallway. There was someone else there. He was observing from afar. His face was like a toy magicians used to put people in a trance. It's gotta be him.
A sharp ting sounded off behind me.
I was pulled out of my thoughts and I turned around to face Logan. A black substance outlined his veins. He breathed heavily and his muscles flexed with every moment. An angry look settled in his bright eyes, focusing on me intensely. He waited patiently with his adamantium claws out, watching my every move.
"Logan, you aren't thinking straight. I know you can hear me in there," I calmly stated as I put my hand out. He tilted his head and squinted his eyes, almost as if he was trying to intimidate me. I wasn't going to hurt him. I couldn't. He was family. He's still there on the inside, watching this unfold. Or...at least I thought he was. I didn't make another move, but continued to talk, "You don't have to do this."
Logan growled and launched forward, moving his claws down in one swift move. I yanked out my claws and used them to shield myself. The metal scraped together, creating a loud noise that rang in our ears. He swung and swung again. I dodged and kicked his shin. He didn't go down, and used his height opportunity to slash down and hit my arm. I cringed and aimed at him, missing four times in a row.
He kicked me in the abdomen. I hit the wall, but I headbutted him when he got close. Logan stumbled for a second, but gained his footing back in a second's notice.
He attacked first. Swing. Swing.
Miss. Miss.
I took my turn next. Kick. Kick. Punch.
Miss. Miss. Success.
His adamantium claws scratched against my face, missing the chance to dig into my skin, and I cried out in pain. I swept his legs right out from underneath him and made him fall to the ground.
My breathing staggered and I tried to get it back on track. "Professor, I found Logan. The guy got to him too." I put my fingers against my cuts, accidentally smearing blood on my skin in the process. The cuts healed in the next few seconds, but the pain didn't fade away that quickly.
Xavier responded immediately, "Do you need help calming him down?"
Before I could tell him to just search for the guy, Logan yanked on my ankle. I hit the ground with a loud thud and screamed when his claw cut into my leg. I pulled my leg away and pushed myself up before he could swing again. He tackled me and put me into a headlock.
"Logan," I choked and cut into his leg. He only winced and held onto my neck tighter. I patted his arm and felt my skin turning redder by the second. You forced me to do this. I opened a portal near my hand and another one formed at his back. I sunk my claws into his back, causing him to release me and I sprawled out on the ground, choking for air.
Xavier came around the corner and I motioned him to leave as I coughed up a storm. He didn't listen and kept coming closer.
Logan realized what I had done and pulled my black hair back. I elbowed him in the shoulder while I scratched one side of his face. He hissed and pushed me against the wall harshly. I punched him and kicked him in the groin, but it didn't work much. Logan aimed at my face, but I moved and he got his fist stuck in the wall instead. I jumped up and elbowed his arm. He aimed with his other fist, but I created a small portal in front of me and the exit portal behind him. He stabbed himself in the leg, causing him to kneel on the ground.
"Go find the guy! I can handle this," I ushered him to leave. I quickly dodged a strike and rolled off to the side. If anyone could fight off this villain, it was the Professor. Three of us have tried, and failed. It was time to fight fire with fire, telepath vs. telepath.
Xavier left me to fight off Logan and rolled down the other hallway. The perpetrator had to be on this level. It's not like he could walk through walls or disappear. He was here. The Professor searched room after room, each result coming up negative. With each empty room, he only grew more anxious. This guy seemed to be posing a real threat to everyone here, and if that was possible, then the whole world was in even more danger. Such strong power like that could be chaotic in the wrong hands. Xavier sat in his chair for a moment in silence and waited. There had to be something. Some definite sound to indicate where he was.
Nothing.
The hall seemed to go cold and silent. A chill swept through the Professor's body and he sensed something behind him. Xavier sucked in a breath and his face fell emotionless. This battle wasn't going to be easy, and he knew that. He gathered confidence and turned his chair around to face the villain.
That's when he saw him.