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marysuevirus2024-02-05 10:49 am
ladydeathfaerie) wrote in marysuevirus2024-02-05 10:49 am
Among the Strong
Title: Among the Strong
Chapter One: The Match is Met
Fandom: the Marvel universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic violence, language, sex, dark themes, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of Marvel. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. Haley belongs todazzledfirestar Morgan belongs toginevra Roxxy belongs tonanaeanaven Jehnna belongs to silverfox_chan and Dare belongs to me. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from dazzledfirestar .
Author's Notes: this is almost entirely Daz's fault. okay. so it really isn't. its actually almost 100% my fault. Daz just did a whole lot of encouraging. this fic is going to be kind of dark, so please keep that in mind while reading.
Among the Strong - the index
"Suit up, ladies! We have a mission!" Haley ordered as she stepped into the rec room. Morgan was playing pool with Faye. Jehnna had a chair to herself, her journal open in her lap. Dare and Roxxy were on the couch. Roxxy was attempting to do paperwork while Dare kept flipping channels on the television. She watched as five faces turned to her.
"What kind of mission?" Dare asked, already rising to her feet.
"The kind where we have to go rescue our friends," Haley responded. She didn't miss the look Dare shot her way. In the months since Dare had rescued Haley from Doom, Haley had seen a new level of maturity from the pyrokinetic. It surfaced most often when missions happened and she wasn't sure if anyone else saw it. Roxxy had probably noticed, but she hadn't said one way or the other so Haley wasn't sure. Given the monumental task they had ahead of them, Haley welcomed that new maturity. They were going to need it.
"Any mission specifics?" It was Morgan who posed the question. Haley glanced at her and shook her head. "We don't have time right now. I'll have to give you a full briefing when we're in the air. Which is in fifteen minutes. I suggest you go get into your uniforms and meet me in the hangar before time runs out."
Morgan regarded her for a moment with a curious expression, then she simply popped out of the rec room. Jehnna was the next one out the door, her journal clasped tightly in both hands. Roxxy's eyes were full of questions when she looked at Haley. Haley just shook her head and used it to motion toward the door. Roxxy nodded, then disappeared out the door on silent feet.
"What the hell is going on, Haley? You're acting like the world is ending. And considering I haven't set anything on fire in a while, I don't think that's what's going on here." Dare's voice startled Haley. Somehow, she'd forgotten the pyrokinetic hadn't left with the others. Haley turned toward her, considering.
She didn't want to get into the specifics just yet. But there was a queasy feeling in her belly. Some kind of warning or premonition. She sighed and moved closer so that she could speak without raising her voice. "Its bad, Dare."
"How bad?" There was nothing in Dare's voice. Haley wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"Bad." Haley stared at the other woman. And she saw it again, that new maturity that suggested Dare was ready to face her problems head-on. "In the past twenty-four hours, we've lost contact with both Red and Blue teams. And the New Mutants. The Professor can't find them with Cerebro. All he could detect in the area where they disappeared was an anomaly that he can't explain."
Dare frowned at that news. "They both disappeared?" Haley could imagine what she was thinking. Two of her lovers were on one team. And they were missing. "What do you need from me, Haley?"
"Call your team. I need them. We... we need them. Something is telling me we're going to need all the help we can get," Haley replied. She knew Dare had been working with her team at least twice a week since the events with Doom. Haley wasn't sure to what end because she didn't think they'd gone on any missions. But she knew that Dare had seemed more comfortable in her skin since she'd more or less gone rogue and taken on Doom.
"How long before pickup?" Dare asked, tugging her cell from a pocket in her ratty jeans.
"Tell them half an hour," Haley replied.
Dare nodded, phone already up to her ear. "Duke," Dare said before she went out the door. Haley watched the other woman go. The queasy feeling still roiled in her stomach. Something very terrible was going to happen. She was almost one hundred percent sure of it. Even with the extra help. Purple Team was going to fail.
Haley took a breath and did something she rarely ever did. Her eyes rolled up to the ceiling. "Harper. If you can hear me, I need your help. Look out for us. Help us find our missing teammates. Help us get them back. Help us all come home safe. Please."
Prayer made, Haley left the rec room and headed for the locker room
~*~
"You didn't tell us we were working with Purple Team!" The exclamation came from the young man who was the first one onto the jet. Haley didn't recognize him for a moment or two before it struck her that he'd been the big, burly, troll-looking guy who'd been holding Dare up in Doom's castle. She had to admit, his human form was much nicer to look at. Duke looked to be in his early twenties, with a shaggy head of brown hair sporting hints of gold and auburn here and there. His eyes were green and his smile was genuine. He had to stand at just around six feet tall and his muscles were toned, but not blatant.
"Find a seat, guys. Haley will explain when we're on our way," Dare responded. A glance over her shoulder showed that her team was eyeing the newcomers with some confusion.
"Be nice and introduce everyone, Dare," Haley instructed, watching as a waif of a woman wearing a whitish-grey cloak followed Duke. She remembered Ghost well, though she hadn't really gotten a good look at her past the cloak and the oval of her face. It was pale like a ghost, and her eyes were a pale, icy blue that had kind of freaked her out at first.
Dare sighed, but Haley knew she'd do it anyway. "Ladies, I want you to meet my team. They're the ones who helped me get Haley back." There was nothing in Dare's voice to let them know if she still harbored any feelings about having been chewed out for not including her friends in her rescue mission. Roxxy, in particular, had been extremely displeased and had let Dare know. "The eager beaver over there is Duke. He's my strong man."
Duke, bless his eager little heart, lifted a hand and waved at everyone. "Its an honor to meet you guys," he said.
"The quiet young woman who came in behind him is Ghost. She can make herself, and others, disappear." Ghost glanced up at everyone, offering a timid smile, before she found a seat near Duke.
The next person was someone Haley barely recalled seeing. He was kind of skinny, with a mop of dirty blonde hair and dark brown eyes that seemed to see everything. He glanced around the cabin of the jet for a moment, then nodded his head. "That's Null. If we run up against any magic users, he can nullify their magic for us. Depending on how strong their magic is determines how long he's capable of doing so. He held his own against Doom for a good while."
That surprised Haley. She watched as he moved off to join the other two members of Dare's team. He looked nervous. So did Ghost, actually. Duke was the only one who seemed to find the whole thing great.
"Last one is Fog," Dare motioned to the young man. He was of average height and average build. There wasn't much to really mark him as unique. Until a person looked into his eyes. They were grey. Not grey like Dare's. Grey like the fog rolling in off the shore of the lake on a crisp, chill morning. Grey like storm clouds on the horizon. "He is capable of creating fog as a means of cover."
The girls stared at Dare's team, and Dare, as if this was the most confusing thing they'd ever faced. Dare shot a glare their way, then started motioning toward the rest of Purple team. "The short one is Morgan. Also known as Schizoid. She has a twin that allows her to jump from place to place in a manner similar to a teleporter. Also. Faye has a mind of her own and says whatever she feels like. Don't let it get to you."
"Hey!" Faye piped up, just suddenly at Dare's elbow. "That was rude, Dare."
"Rude, but true," Dare replied. There was a soft smile on her face. "I wouldn't have you any other way, either."
"That's better." Faye said the words, then disappeared. Dare's team blinked in surprise at the sudden visit and disappearance.
"Morgan and I have been friends for nearly all our lives. Even when I moved away from her. And Faye has always been there for me. She's even saved my life a time or two." Dare's hand waved toward Jehnna next. "That's Darkness Sound sitting over there. You can call her Jehnna. And no. She hasn't decided if she's goth or not yet."
"You should talk, Dare," Jehnna shot back. She sounded very unruffled by Dare's words. Dare grinned at her.
"I was goth before it was fashionable, Jehnna. And I was never a cheerleader."
Jehnna rolled her eyes. "Still reading my journal, huh?"
Dare made a face, like she'd just sucked on a lemon. "Fuck no. I gave that up after you hooked up with Warren. I got sick to my stomach with all the "My Angel" crap you put in there." Jehnna offered Dare a knowing grin, to which Dare responded with a single-finger salute. Then she motioned to the chair where Roxxy sat. "Roxxy Stewart. Catseye. Don't mind her if she doesn't say anything. She spends so much time in Henry's lab that I think she's starting to take after him. She's always got her nose in some paperwork."
"I'd tell you to go fuck yourself, Dare. But first, I know you'd try it. Second, at least I don't sound like Logan when I've had a few too many beers." Roxxy didn't look away from the papers in her hands. Dare grinned.
"I sound like me when I've had a few too many beers," she replied. Haley was reminded of her comment that Logan's scowls were learned at her side. Haley couldn't hold back her soft snicker. The sound brought Dare's attention to her. "Last. Definitely not least. Our fearless leader. Haley Stone before she became Haley Storm. Icon. I'm sure you guys remember Haley."
"Good to see you on your own feet, Haley," Duke said by way of greeting. She smiled at him and nodded her head.
"Good to be on my own feet," she said before turning back to the instrument panel. "Everyone get buckled in. We've got a good distance to go and we're going to get there as fast as we can."
Haley hit the switch to close the hatch while her passengers got themselves buckled in. Then she went about the task of programming into the computer the last known coordinates of her fellow teammates. By the time she'd finished that, the silence of the cabin behind her told her that everyone on board had finished strapping themselves in. She took hold of the controls, one hand pressing a handle forward while the other flipped a switch so that the jet rose up into the air., Another switch rotated the engines so that a nudge on the throttle saw the jet speeding forward into the broad expanse of blue sky.
She waited until they were over the ocean, their flight path set well above that of a commercial jet, and flipped the autopilot on. Then she turned and stared at the group of people behind her. "I know you're all wondering what's going on. I know I was kind of cryptic when I told you to suit up. I wanted to explain everything to you all at once."
"How bad is it, Haley?" Roxxy asked. One hand motioned toward the four people they'd picked up in the city. "I've never known you to rely on outside help. And certainly not on a group of people who are untried in this kind of thing. So what's going on and how bad is it?"
"The Professor called me into his office a little over an hour ago. Red and Blue teams are missing. So are the New Mutants. They have gone missing in the last twenty-four hours. He cannot contact them. He cannot find them using Cerebro. And all he was able to find at their last known location was some kind of anomaly that he could not explain."
Haley watched two faces go pale with the news. No doubt Jehnna and Morgan were thinking about their men. Roxxy was saved that because Henry hadn't gone into the field. But she saw sympathy for her friends in the shifter's face. "If he can't find them, what does he think we can do?" Jehnna asked the question. Haley could see a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Hope that they'd get to their destination and everyone would just... show up.
"Our jobs, Jehnna," Haley said gently.
"That doesn't explain why you've brought an untried team in," Roxxy persisted.
"They aren't untried, Roxxy," Dare stated. Once upon a time, there would have been anger in her words. Now, though, you couldn't even hear it. Roxxy turned to look at the pyrokinetic. "You were too busy paying attention to Haley to notice, but these are the people who helped me rescue Haley from Doom."
"You did most of the work, Dare," Null pointed out.
"No. I dealt with Doom. You stifled his magic so I could. And Duke pounded on the Doombots so I could. I did not do the bulk of the work. I just did the suicidal part," Dare replied.
Roxxy looked like she wanted to say something more, but Haley cut her off before she could. "They may not have as much experience as we do, but Dare has been training with them at least twice a week. Every week. They listen to her. We could do worse," she said.
Roxxy took a moment to consider Haley's words. Eventually, she nodded her head and let the matter rest. Silence settled over them for a few moments until Morgan broke it. "So. What's the plan, fearless leader?"
Haley frowned. How did she tell them that there was no plan because she had no clue what they were going to be up against? "There really isn't one," she said. She turned to face forward.
"No plan? Why?" This time, the question came from Jehnna.
"We don't know what we're walking into. I can't plan for anything if I don't know what to expect. All I can say is be on your guard the entire time. If we don't find anything, we're returning to the school and I'm going to consult with Professor X on our next steps."
Haley could feel their stares on the back of her head. For the first time in their career as a team, she couldn't give them a plan. Worse yet, she couldn't even tell them if they were going to go up against something.
"Your best option is to pair up," Dare said quietly. "Jehnna and I can do our usual. Roxxy should stick with you, Haley. Morgan and Faye stay together. No going off too far where we can't see you. Duke, you and Ghost pair together. Go ghost if the need arises. Don't engage anyone until I give the word because we need to see what we're going to be up against. Strength won't help if you don't know how to apply it. Null, I want you and Fog to hang back. If a magic user pops up, Fog can lay down cover so Null can get close enough to put them out of commission. I don't want any of you getting in over your heads."
The whole cabin was silent. Haley felt pretty certain the rest of her team was staring at Dare as if they'd never seen her before. That belief was proved true when she heard a throat clear itself. "Sorry, Haley." Dare's voice was gruff and she sounded uncomfortable.
"Don't apologize. Its a good plan," Haley replied. She didn't add that her brain was twisted in knots and it was more than she'd come up with. All she could think about was the queasy feeling in her stomach and how she couldn't shake the notion that something bad was going to happen.
~*~
"Jesus Christ, its fucking hot!" Dare snarled, one hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. "Why does it have to be Death Valley? Why couldn't it be Bora Bora? Or Jamaica? Or even fucking Hawaii?"
"For your information, Dare, those are all hot locations," Roxxy responded. She sounded amused. Haley let a faint smile tug one corner of her mouth up. The humor was necessary because they were standing in the middle of a big, fat nothing. Oh, the transportation the other teams had used was sitting in the middle of the desert. But there was nothing there to suggest people had been there in the past twenty-four hours.
"But they have a beach!" Dare returned.
"I have never seen you in a bathing suit," Morgan said. The look on her face said it all. "In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you in the sun in less than black jeans, a t-shirt, and your boots. Do you even own summer clothes?"
"Its called moon bathing, Morgan," Dare snapped. Her answer brought forth a few soft giggles. "And you do know that you can buy black shorts, right? You do know they come in black. Because that's totally a thing."
"I have seen you without your jeans on, Dare. Your legs are pale enough to blind someone even in the dark," Jehnna teased.
"And your ass isn't pale at all, Jehnna. Right?" Dare shot at the girl. "Don't tell me your Angel has gotten you to sunbathe in the nude. If he has, I might have to throw him a goddamn party because that would take an act of the gods."
"You're just jealous because you're in a relationship with a hairy little beaver," Jehnna replied, completely not bothered by Dare's statements.
Dare shot her a grin. "Don't let Logan hear you say that. He'll give you extra training sessions with him in the Danger Room. And I know for a fact he's been working on new programs for us to use. So I'm pretty sure he's got something heinous up his sleeve he can throw at you, Jehnna."
Dare's words saw Jehnna paling. Dare would know because she was Logan's assistant where training was concerned. Haley knew she helped him plan programs and sessions and he oftentimes had her train with students who had issues with control and their temper. Much like she'd had when she'd been younger. "Ladies. Enough. We're here to work. We can compare sunburns later. Let's just get to it."
"You got it, fearless leader," Morgan said with a nod. A second later, Faye was at her side and the two of them disappeared.
"Jehnna, we're going to inspect the Blackbird," Dare said, nodding toward the sleek lines of the jet. Then she turned and looked at the members of her team. "Duke, keep an eye out for trouble. Something about his whole tableau doesn't sit right with me. Fog, be ready with that cover. Null and Ghost, stay close to Fog."
"You got it, Dare." The response came from Duke. A glance over her shoulder showed Haley that the four of them had already moved into position. Dare and Jehnna disappeared into the Blackbird without another word. Haley motioned to the second jet with one hand.
"Rox, looks like you and I got that one."
Roxxy nodded her head. "I always knew Dare was a size queen," Roxxy said. There was a snort from somewhere near where Haley knew Duke had positioned himself. Then she heard a grunt of pain and spun to see what was happening.
Null was on his knees, head in his hands. Ghost was leaning over him, one hand on his back. "Duke, what's going on?" Dare's voice flooded the comm unit. Haley could hear concern in it.
"Nulls having some kind of fit," Duke responded, his attention split between checking on his teammate and keeping an eye on the miles of sand around them. And as soon as he finished speaking, Null's obvious pain faded. He lifted his head to stare around him with milky eyes. "And now he's not."
"Null. Report."
"I sensed something," Null responded. His voice sounded rough, suggesting to Haley that he'd been slammed with pain. The man slowly got to his feet. Haley watched as he took a look around the area. His eyes were still milky and he looked a little pale to her. "Its gone now."
Haley let her gaze slide around the endless expanse of sand and frowned. She didn't see anything. But she was sure that whatever it was Null had sensed, it was definitely not gone. "Everybody report back," Haley ordered. The queasiness in her stomach was kicking up. Something was about to happen. She wanted her team at her back. She wanted them there yesterday.
Roxxy was the first to join her. Somewhere between entering and exiting the second jet, Roxxy had shifted into Catseye. The cat joined her where she stood, settling onto her haunches just barely a finger's width from touching her leg. Morgan and Faye were next. They popped into being halfway between where Haley stood and where Duke stood. As soon as Morgan was solid, Faye disappeared.
"Why are you like this, Dare?" Jehnna asked, a touch of laughter in her voice, as she stepped back out into the sun. Dare was behind her, grinning at the other girl as if she was enjoying herself. It was likely she was. She'd always taken great joy in teasing Jehnna. Any other time, Haley wouldn't have issues with it. Now, though, Haley was having a lot of issues with it.
"Dare! Now!" she snapped.
She watched the pyrokinetic come to a halt and regard her with a hard stare. Then she shook her head and offered up a grimace. "Jesus Christ, Haley. You need to take a fucking chill pill and get rid of that stick up your ass. You're starting to sound just like Summers."
There was no time for Haley to take offense. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something shimmer and swirl against the desert sands not more than ten feet in front of her. And it damn sure wasn't heat waves because she'd barely had time to register the swirl when four figures stepped out of the swirl. That queasy feeling in her belly turned into a block of ice.
"What the fucking fuck?" Null asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Holy shit! Did you see that? They appeared out of nowhere!" There was a new deepness to Duke's voice which Haley took to mean he'd gone troll already. She didn't check to make sure. She didn't want to take her eyes off the nightmare that was threatening her and her team.
A second after that, a hand touched Haley's arm. She glanced out of the corner of her eye to find Roxxy staring at her with worry in her eyes. "Haley. Am I seeing things? Is that who I think it is?"
"It is," Haley confirmed.
As one, the four figures started moving forward. It was no thought for Haley to armor up as she watched them come closer and closer. She felt more than saw Jehnna and Dare move up to stand with them. Dare took her right side, while Jehnna was on Roxxy's left. Morgan drifted closer and eventually moved around to stand next to Dare.
"What the fuck is this happy horseshit?" Dare demanded, though Haley didn't think she was searching for an answer. The figures moved closer, giving them a good look at what they'd be facing. Haley didn't like what she saw at all.
The four of them moved with purpose, in perfect sync with one another. Each one was a woman and they looked like they were not much younger than Purple Team. It was easy to figure out who was who. Death came with black hair. She wore black leather pants and a black leather jacket. Under the jacket was a black tank top. She wore no jewelry nor did she have any makeup on her face. That allowed them to see skin that was pale as death. And her eyes... Haley blinked. She couldn't be looking at Remy's eyes, could she?
Beside Death was War. She was tall, with red hair and brown eyes. She, like the woman at her side, wore leather. It was blood red, a pair of leather pants and a red bustier that left her shoulders bare. If Haley didn't know better, her gaze was pinned to where Haley stood. And there was something about her that niggled at the back of Haley's brain. Something that was obviously important.
Pestilence was the shortest of the four, petite and delicate looking. She also sported a pair of wings that glowed green. Haley could see the desert behind her through them, though the image was slightly distorted. Haley felt certain that the wings were some kind of psychic projection because the feathers looked like they came with sharp edges and they glowed a poisonous green even in the bright sun. Pestilence had curly blonde hair and bright green eyes that damn near glowed like her wings.
Famine was the last one, her blonde hair glowing in the sun. Blue eyes stared out of a face that Haley found familiar. In fact, Famine's build was just as familiar. The problem was Haley couldn't place who it reminded her of.
"Bow down before the Horsemen of Apocalypse," War ordered. Haley frowned. Like that was going to happen. If the way her team shifted forward was any indication, Haley thought that was a big 'Like hell!' from everyone. War's eyes scanned the scene, seeming to linger on Dare, Morgan, Jehnna, and Haley longest. Haley did not like that at all. That impassive gaze returned once more to Haley. "You who are chosen, rejoice and surrender yourselves to us. You who are not chosen, do not interfere. You who chose to fight, know that you gaze upon your destruction."
"Is this bitch for real?" Morgan asked. Her voice carried, but it didn't seem to make an impact with the women across from them.
"Just who the fuck is chosen? What the hell is all this shit?" Dare demanded. Haley could sense that she was powering up, which meant things were going to get sticky really damn fast. "Why don't you go fuck yourselves, because fuck this shit."
A wall of fire sprang to life between the horsemen and Purple Team. Haley watched as it rose high, then began moving until it had circled around the four women. None of them looked terribly put out. In fact, none of them had moved. Haley was starting to wish they'd stayed in New York.
War's gaze shifted to where Dare stood. "I see you have chosen." Her head turned until she looked at the woman on her left. "Death."
There was a sound like a freight train, then a fireball flew through the wall and slammed into Dare's chest. The pyrokinetic staggered with the blow and her wall of flames was gone. "Oh, so that's how we're going to play this game," Dare snarled, baring her teeth across the distance at Death. "Come on, then. Bring it!"
Her words echoed across the clearing before fading into silence. For a moment, it almost seemed like the horsemen weren't going to do anything. Then the area exploded with activity and power as the four of them broke into a run. Haley had a moment to think that she needed to remind Dare to keep her mouth shut, then she was charging forward to meet War head-on.
It was a surreal battle. She saw flames out of the corner of her eye on one side, while blasts of heat seared past her on the other side. Those were accompanied by glowing green feathers that cut the air as they flew toward their target. There was a meaty sound on her right, then a grunt. "Just fucking great. I get to face down Death. What the fuck?" Dare's words were filled with feeling. There was a rush of hot air and then more grunting.
Haley had to trust that Dare could handle Death. She had her hands full with War. Because that bitch had armored up for their clash. And Haley had never seen anything like it. Her body had turned into bloody red crystals. Haley was reminded of Emma's diamond form. But this was something else. Especially when blasts of red started popping out of her hands. And her legs. And every part of her facing forward.
Haley brought her arms up and crossed them before her, hoping they would act as a shield for her. The blasts slammed into her and drove her back. Haley groaned at the power behind them. At the same time, she couldn't help but wonder why it all felt familiar.
"Morgan!" Jehnna's cry cut across the chaos. It was followed by one of Darkness Sound's blasts. A blast that didn't seem to do anything to anyone. Which made Haley wonder if Jehnna had thrown her powers out blindly.
"Son of a bitch!" Dare spat on Haley's right. She sounded winded, which wasn't good. "Why won't this fucking bitch burn? Go down, you piece of shit!"
Haley snarled and added a little power to her armor. "You wanna trade?" she growled at War. "Fine by me. Let's trade." She surged forward, arms still crossed before her These bitches were intent on taking her friends. Haley was going to do everything in her power to keep that from happening.
"Fog!" Dare bellowed. "Give us cover!"
It didn't take long for Fog's cover to roll out over the area of the fight. The fog was dense, almost impossible to see through, and it flowed forward as if it had a mind of its own. In less than a minute, she couldn't see anything. Even sound was muffled around them. Haley let go a breath and took a step back. Maybe they'd pull a miracle out of their asses.
A blast of sound and heat tore past Haley. It ate the fog as it barreled through. There was a grunt of pain, then a muffled thump. "What was that?" Haley demanded, head turning this way and that in an attempt to see what was going on. Another blast rolled through the fog. And another. And another. Each one ate up more of the fog, until there were only small patches of it left here and there.
"Dare! Fog's down!" Ghost's voice was above its usual whisper and Haley thought she heard a touch of panic in it.
"Fuck! Get him on the jet. And then stay there." Dare barked out her orders, flames once again rising up before her. This time, they shot forward in a straight line. They were high and bright, sporting a massive amount of power. Haley could see they were headed in Death's direction. She watched as the woman held a hand out and just... sucked the flames into it. "What the ever-loving fuck? Just fucking die, you piece of shit!"
"Put her down! You put Morgan down right now! Put her down or I'll --" The words trailed off into silence. Haley couldn't stop herself from looking. Both Pestilence and Famine had moved in close. Famine was carrying Morgan, her petite frame tossed over the other woman's shoulder. Pestilence had taken hold of Jehnna's foot and was dragging her through the dirt. Both of them were on their way back to the portal they'd come through. It still shimmered in the distance, as if waiting for them to finish their business.
"Haley!" Dare yelled a moment before she barreled into Haley from the side. Haley staggered several steps to the left. One of War's blasts caught Dare dead in the chest and she dropped to the ground.
"Dare?" Haley nudged the woman with her foot, her gaze locked on War. "Dare!" Haley nudged her with her toe again.There was no response. Deadly calm settled over her. Haley raised her fists and took up a fighting stance. "You picked the wrong person to piss off, bitch," she said. Her voice was low and even and carried a threat.
War offered her a smile that was all teeth, then lifted her hand and made a 'come and get it' motion. Haley grit her teeth and charged forward.
~*~
Henry and Professor Xavier were waiting in the hangar when the Blackbird landed. Roxxy was the first off the jet, barely waiting for the hatch to lower before she exited. Piotr was only a step behind her. She hurried toward the two men, occasionally wobbling on her feet. Based on the stares she was getting, she could imagine that she gave the appearance of being a mad woman. "Professor! You have to do something!" she demanded loudly.
"About what, Rosemary? What has you so upset?" he asked in return. His voice, as it always was, was calm and it soothed her battered senses ever so slightly.
Roxxy came to a halt just before his chair and wobbled again. Piotr put a hand on her arm to keep her from going over on her face. She didn't miss the way the professor watched them. Nor did she miss the frown Henry was wearing. No doubt because she looked like she'd gotten the snot beat out of her. Oh, wait. She had.
"The rest of my team," she began. Her voice trailed off when a throb of pain rolled up her side. Teeth clenched against the pain, she waited until it subsided before continuing. "He has the rest of my team. You need to get them back."
"Who has the rest of your team?"
"Charles, can't this wait? Rosemary is injured and needs attending," Henry asked, one big blue hand already reaching for her. She swatted his hand away, her attention fully on the professor.
"Not yet, Henry. We have to talk about what just happened," Roxxy told him without taking her eyes off the professor. By that time, they'd been joined by several of the people who had flown back with them.
"Rosemary, please," Henry begged. She heard the worry in his voice.
"I'm fine." She knew she wasn't fine, but she needed to tell Xavier now. Before she gave in and let Henry put her in one of his beds in the infirmary. Xavier had to know. He had to know now. So he could do something.
"You're very clearly agitated, Rosemary. Tell me what happened," Xavier encouraged. Henry made a noise that suggested he wanted to strangle the professor then and there.
"When we got to the coordinates, There was no one there. The jets were there. But no one else was. For a few minutes, we were alone. Then a portal opened and we were faced with four women," Roxxy felt like she wasn't making sense. She must have bumped her head or something when that blast or whatever it was hit her and knocked her down. She wobbled again and, again, Piotr's hand was there to hold her up. "You should have seen them. It was so fucked up and then the fight started and it was a confusing mess."
"Rosemary," Henry said gently. "Please, my dear. You obviously need medical attention. Let me tend to your injuries before you fall over."
"I said I'm fine," she snapped. The anger in her voice, the volume of it, saw Henry blinking in confusion. Then he sighed and shook his head. She heard him mutter to himself something about stubborn women. But he said nothing else, letting Roxxy know he wasn't going to interrupt again.
"These women, Rosemary. Tell me about them," Xavier encouraged.
"They had powers I've never seen before. Wings that were a psychic projection. They glowed green, even in the brightness of the desert sun. Fiery sound waves that moved so fast. Red crystal armor and energy blasts that came from everywhere on her body. And fire that exploded. They were..." She paused a moment, shook her head to try and clear it. "Horsemen. They were Horsemen, Professor. But..."
Her knees gave out. Piotr took hold of her and picked her up. Roxxy wanted to tell him to put her down, but she knew she didn't have the strength to remain standing. So she ignored the look Henry sent her way and continued to stare at the professor. "They came through the portal. And they fought. And they took Haley. Dare. Morgan. Jehnna. They took them back through the portal."
Roxxy paused there, her mind turning over what the horsemen taking her friends could mean. Big, fat tears fell. "You have to get them back, Professor. You have to."
"I must insist that you allow me to take Rosemary to the infirmary at once, Charles," Henry said. There was a touch of a growl in his words. Xavier nodded his head.
"Of course, Henry," he agreed. "Thank you, Rosemary, for telling me this."
"The men came out of the portal a couple seconds after the Horsemen went back through it," she added.
"Not all of us," Piotr replied. His words made his chest rumble against Roxxy's side and the feeling helped settle her nerves a little.
"What do you mean, Piotr?"
"He returned most of us to this world. But not all." Piotr began walking. The rocking motion made Roxxy's side throb again. She could see that he was moving for the door. Both Xavier and Henry followed after them. "He kept Scott. Remy. Warren. And Sam. "
"Who kept them?" Henry asked. There might have been a hint of concern there, but Roxxy couldn't hear it. She was having a hard time holding onto consciousness. She needed to stay awake. She needed to hear this. She needed to know just who had taken her team. Because she needed to know who she was going to rip to shreds.
"Sinister." The name fell off Piotr's lips like a lead weight. Roxxy swore she could smell the fear that came with it.
Well, shit.
Chapter One: The Match is Met
Fandom: the Marvel universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic violence, language, sex, dark themes, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of Marvel. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. Haley belongs to
dazzledfirestar Morgan belongs toginevra Roxxy belongs tonanaeanaven Jehnna belongs to silverfox_chan and Dare belongs to me. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from dazzledfirestar . Author's Notes: this is almost entirely Daz's fault. okay. so it really isn't. its actually almost 100% my fault. Daz just did a whole lot of encouraging. this fic is going to be kind of dark, so please keep that in mind while reading.
Among the Strong - the index
"Suit up, ladies! We have a mission!" Haley ordered as she stepped into the rec room. Morgan was playing pool with Faye. Jehnna had a chair to herself, her journal open in her lap. Dare and Roxxy were on the couch. Roxxy was attempting to do paperwork while Dare kept flipping channels on the television. She watched as five faces turned to her.
"What kind of mission?" Dare asked, already rising to her feet.
"The kind where we have to go rescue our friends," Haley responded. She didn't miss the look Dare shot her way. In the months since Dare had rescued Haley from Doom, Haley had seen a new level of maturity from the pyrokinetic. It surfaced most often when missions happened and she wasn't sure if anyone else saw it. Roxxy had probably noticed, but she hadn't said one way or the other so Haley wasn't sure. Given the monumental task they had ahead of them, Haley welcomed that new maturity. They were going to need it.
"Any mission specifics?" It was Morgan who posed the question. Haley glanced at her and shook her head. "We don't have time right now. I'll have to give you a full briefing when we're in the air. Which is in fifteen minutes. I suggest you go get into your uniforms and meet me in the hangar before time runs out."
Morgan regarded her for a moment with a curious expression, then she simply popped out of the rec room. Jehnna was the next one out the door, her journal clasped tightly in both hands. Roxxy's eyes were full of questions when she looked at Haley. Haley just shook her head and used it to motion toward the door. Roxxy nodded, then disappeared out the door on silent feet.
"What the hell is going on, Haley? You're acting like the world is ending. And considering I haven't set anything on fire in a while, I don't think that's what's going on here." Dare's voice startled Haley. Somehow, she'd forgotten the pyrokinetic hadn't left with the others. Haley turned toward her, considering.
She didn't want to get into the specifics just yet. But there was a queasy feeling in her belly. Some kind of warning or premonition. She sighed and moved closer so that she could speak without raising her voice. "Its bad, Dare."
"How bad?" There was nothing in Dare's voice. Haley wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"Bad." Haley stared at the other woman. And she saw it again, that new maturity that suggested Dare was ready to face her problems head-on. "In the past twenty-four hours, we've lost contact with both Red and Blue teams. And the New Mutants. The Professor can't find them with Cerebro. All he could detect in the area where they disappeared was an anomaly that he can't explain."
Dare frowned at that news. "They both disappeared?" Haley could imagine what she was thinking. Two of her lovers were on one team. And they were missing. "What do you need from me, Haley?"
"Call your team. I need them. We... we need them. Something is telling me we're going to need all the help we can get," Haley replied. She knew Dare had been working with her team at least twice a week since the events with Doom. Haley wasn't sure to what end because she didn't think they'd gone on any missions. But she knew that Dare had seemed more comfortable in her skin since she'd more or less gone rogue and taken on Doom.
"How long before pickup?" Dare asked, tugging her cell from a pocket in her ratty jeans.
"Tell them half an hour," Haley replied.
Dare nodded, phone already up to her ear. "Duke," Dare said before she went out the door. Haley watched the other woman go. The queasy feeling still roiled in her stomach. Something very terrible was going to happen. She was almost one hundred percent sure of it. Even with the extra help. Purple Team was going to fail.
Haley took a breath and did something she rarely ever did. Her eyes rolled up to the ceiling. "Harper. If you can hear me, I need your help. Look out for us. Help us find our missing teammates. Help us get them back. Help us all come home safe. Please."
Prayer made, Haley left the rec room and headed for the locker room
~*~
"You didn't tell us we were working with Purple Team!" The exclamation came from the young man who was the first one onto the jet. Haley didn't recognize him for a moment or two before it struck her that he'd been the big, burly, troll-looking guy who'd been holding Dare up in Doom's castle. She had to admit, his human form was much nicer to look at. Duke looked to be in his early twenties, with a shaggy head of brown hair sporting hints of gold and auburn here and there. His eyes were green and his smile was genuine. He had to stand at just around six feet tall and his muscles were toned, but not blatant.
"Find a seat, guys. Haley will explain when we're on our way," Dare responded. A glance over her shoulder showed that her team was eyeing the newcomers with some confusion.
"Be nice and introduce everyone, Dare," Haley instructed, watching as a waif of a woman wearing a whitish-grey cloak followed Duke. She remembered Ghost well, though she hadn't really gotten a good look at her past the cloak and the oval of her face. It was pale like a ghost, and her eyes were a pale, icy blue that had kind of freaked her out at first.
Dare sighed, but Haley knew she'd do it anyway. "Ladies, I want you to meet my team. They're the ones who helped me get Haley back." There was nothing in Dare's voice to let them know if she still harbored any feelings about having been chewed out for not including her friends in her rescue mission. Roxxy, in particular, had been extremely displeased and had let Dare know. "The eager beaver over there is Duke. He's my strong man."
Duke, bless his eager little heart, lifted a hand and waved at everyone. "Its an honor to meet you guys," he said.
"The quiet young woman who came in behind him is Ghost. She can make herself, and others, disappear." Ghost glanced up at everyone, offering a timid smile, before she found a seat near Duke.
The next person was someone Haley barely recalled seeing. He was kind of skinny, with a mop of dirty blonde hair and dark brown eyes that seemed to see everything. He glanced around the cabin of the jet for a moment, then nodded his head. "That's Null. If we run up against any magic users, he can nullify their magic for us. Depending on how strong their magic is determines how long he's capable of doing so. He held his own against Doom for a good while."
That surprised Haley. She watched as he moved off to join the other two members of Dare's team. He looked nervous. So did Ghost, actually. Duke was the only one who seemed to find the whole thing great.
"Last one is Fog," Dare motioned to the young man. He was of average height and average build. There wasn't much to really mark him as unique. Until a person looked into his eyes. They were grey. Not grey like Dare's. Grey like the fog rolling in off the shore of the lake on a crisp, chill morning. Grey like storm clouds on the horizon. "He is capable of creating fog as a means of cover."
The girls stared at Dare's team, and Dare, as if this was the most confusing thing they'd ever faced. Dare shot a glare their way, then started motioning toward the rest of Purple team. "The short one is Morgan. Also known as Schizoid. She has a twin that allows her to jump from place to place in a manner similar to a teleporter. Also. Faye has a mind of her own and says whatever she feels like. Don't let it get to you."
"Hey!" Faye piped up, just suddenly at Dare's elbow. "That was rude, Dare."
"Rude, but true," Dare replied. There was a soft smile on her face. "I wouldn't have you any other way, either."
"That's better." Faye said the words, then disappeared. Dare's team blinked in surprise at the sudden visit and disappearance.
"Morgan and I have been friends for nearly all our lives. Even when I moved away from her. And Faye has always been there for me. She's even saved my life a time or two." Dare's hand waved toward Jehnna next. "That's Darkness Sound sitting over there. You can call her Jehnna. And no. She hasn't decided if she's goth or not yet."
"You should talk, Dare," Jehnna shot back. She sounded very unruffled by Dare's words. Dare grinned at her.
"I was goth before it was fashionable, Jehnna. And I was never a cheerleader."
Jehnna rolled her eyes. "Still reading my journal, huh?"
Dare made a face, like she'd just sucked on a lemon. "Fuck no. I gave that up after you hooked up with Warren. I got sick to my stomach with all the "My Angel" crap you put in there." Jehnna offered Dare a knowing grin, to which Dare responded with a single-finger salute. Then she motioned to the chair where Roxxy sat. "Roxxy Stewart. Catseye. Don't mind her if she doesn't say anything. She spends so much time in Henry's lab that I think she's starting to take after him. She's always got her nose in some paperwork."
"I'd tell you to go fuck yourself, Dare. But first, I know you'd try it. Second, at least I don't sound like Logan when I've had a few too many beers." Roxxy didn't look away from the papers in her hands. Dare grinned.
"I sound like me when I've had a few too many beers," she replied. Haley was reminded of her comment that Logan's scowls were learned at her side. Haley couldn't hold back her soft snicker. The sound brought Dare's attention to her. "Last. Definitely not least. Our fearless leader. Haley Stone before she became Haley Storm. Icon. I'm sure you guys remember Haley."
"Good to see you on your own feet, Haley," Duke said by way of greeting. She smiled at him and nodded her head.
"Good to be on my own feet," she said before turning back to the instrument panel. "Everyone get buckled in. We've got a good distance to go and we're going to get there as fast as we can."
Haley hit the switch to close the hatch while her passengers got themselves buckled in. Then she went about the task of programming into the computer the last known coordinates of her fellow teammates. By the time she'd finished that, the silence of the cabin behind her told her that everyone on board had finished strapping themselves in. She took hold of the controls, one hand pressing a handle forward while the other flipped a switch so that the jet rose up into the air., Another switch rotated the engines so that a nudge on the throttle saw the jet speeding forward into the broad expanse of blue sky.
She waited until they were over the ocean, their flight path set well above that of a commercial jet, and flipped the autopilot on. Then she turned and stared at the group of people behind her. "I know you're all wondering what's going on. I know I was kind of cryptic when I told you to suit up. I wanted to explain everything to you all at once."
"How bad is it, Haley?" Roxxy asked. One hand motioned toward the four people they'd picked up in the city. "I've never known you to rely on outside help. And certainly not on a group of people who are untried in this kind of thing. So what's going on and how bad is it?"
"The Professor called me into his office a little over an hour ago. Red and Blue teams are missing. So are the New Mutants. They have gone missing in the last twenty-four hours. He cannot contact them. He cannot find them using Cerebro. And all he was able to find at their last known location was some kind of anomaly that he could not explain."
Haley watched two faces go pale with the news. No doubt Jehnna and Morgan were thinking about their men. Roxxy was saved that because Henry hadn't gone into the field. But she saw sympathy for her friends in the shifter's face. "If he can't find them, what does he think we can do?" Jehnna asked the question. Haley could see a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Hope that they'd get to their destination and everyone would just... show up.
"Our jobs, Jehnna," Haley said gently.
"That doesn't explain why you've brought an untried team in," Roxxy persisted.
"They aren't untried, Roxxy," Dare stated. Once upon a time, there would have been anger in her words. Now, though, you couldn't even hear it. Roxxy turned to look at the pyrokinetic. "You were too busy paying attention to Haley to notice, but these are the people who helped me rescue Haley from Doom."
"You did most of the work, Dare," Null pointed out.
"No. I dealt with Doom. You stifled his magic so I could. And Duke pounded on the Doombots so I could. I did not do the bulk of the work. I just did the suicidal part," Dare replied.
Roxxy looked like she wanted to say something more, but Haley cut her off before she could. "They may not have as much experience as we do, but Dare has been training with them at least twice a week. Every week. They listen to her. We could do worse," she said.
Roxxy took a moment to consider Haley's words. Eventually, she nodded her head and let the matter rest. Silence settled over them for a few moments until Morgan broke it. "So. What's the plan, fearless leader?"
Haley frowned. How did she tell them that there was no plan because she had no clue what they were going to be up against? "There really isn't one," she said. She turned to face forward.
"No plan? Why?" This time, the question came from Jehnna.
"We don't know what we're walking into. I can't plan for anything if I don't know what to expect. All I can say is be on your guard the entire time. If we don't find anything, we're returning to the school and I'm going to consult with Professor X on our next steps."
Haley could feel their stares on the back of her head. For the first time in their career as a team, she couldn't give them a plan. Worse yet, she couldn't even tell them if they were going to go up against something.
"Your best option is to pair up," Dare said quietly. "Jehnna and I can do our usual. Roxxy should stick with you, Haley. Morgan and Faye stay together. No going off too far where we can't see you. Duke, you and Ghost pair together. Go ghost if the need arises. Don't engage anyone until I give the word because we need to see what we're going to be up against. Strength won't help if you don't know how to apply it. Null, I want you and Fog to hang back. If a magic user pops up, Fog can lay down cover so Null can get close enough to put them out of commission. I don't want any of you getting in over your heads."
The whole cabin was silent. Haley felt pretty certain the rest of her team was staring at Dare as if they'd never seen her before. That belief was proved true when she heard a throat clear itself. "Sorry, Haley." Dare's voice was gruff and she sounded uncomfortable.
"Don't apologize. Its a good plan," Haley replied. She didn't add that her brain was twisted in knots and it was more than she'd come up with. All she could think about was the queasy feeling in her stomach and how she couldn't shake the notion that something bad was going to happen.
~*~
"Jesus Christ, its fucking hot!" Dare snarled, one hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. "Why does it have to be Death Valley? Why couldn't it be Bora Bora? Or Jamaica? Or even fucking Hawaii?"
"For your information, Dare, those are all hot locations," Roxxy responded. She sounded amused. Haley let a faint smile tug one corner of her mouth up. The humor was necessary because they were standing in the middle of a big, fat nothing. Oh, the transportation the other teams had used was sitting in the middle of the desert. But there was nothing there to suggest people had been there in the past twenty-four hours.
"But they have a beach!" Dare returned.
"I have never seen you in a bathing suit," Morgan said. The look on her face said it all. "In fact, I don't think I've ever seen you in the sun in less than black jeans, a t-shirt, and your boots. Do you even own summer clothes?"
"Its called moon bathing, Morgan," Dare snapped. Her answer brought forth a few soft giggles. "And you do know that you can buy black shorts, right? You do know they come in black. Because that's totally a thing."
"I have seen you without your jeans on, Dare. Your legs are pale enough to blind someone even in the dark," Jehnna teased.
"And your ass isn't pale at all, Jehnna. Right?" Dare shot at the girl. "Don't tell me your Angel has gotten you to sunbathe in the nude. If he has, I might have to throw him a goddamn party because that would take an act of the gods."
"You're just jealous because you're in a relationship with a hairy little beaver," Jehnna replied, completely not bothered by Dare's statements.
Dare shot her a grin. "Don't let Logan hear you say that. He'll give you extra training sessions with him in the Danger Room. And I know for a fact he's been working on new programs for us to use. So I'm pretty sure he's got something heinous up his sleeve he can throw at you, Jehnna."
Dare's words saw Jehnna paling. Dare would know because she was Logan's assistant where training was concerned. Haley knew she helped him plan programs and sessions and he oftentimes had her train with students who had issues with control and their temper. Much like she'd had when she'd been younger. "Ladies. Enough. We're here to work. We can compare sunburns later. Let's just get to it."
"You got it, fearless leader," Morgan said with a nod. A second later, Faye was at her side and the two of them disappeared.
"Jehnna, we're going to inspect the Blackbird," Dare said, nodding toward the sleek lines of the jet. Then she turned and looked at the members of her team. "Duke, keep an eye out for trouble. Something about his whole tableau doesn't sit right with me. Fog, be ready with that cover. Null and Ghost, stay close to Fog."
"You got it, Dare." The response came from Duke. A glance over her shoulder showed Haley that the four of them had already moved into position. Dare and Jehnna disappeared into the Blackbird without another word. Haley motioned to the second jet with one hand.
"Rox, looks like you and I got that one."
Roxxy nodded her head. "I always knew Dare was a size queen," Roxxy said. There was a snort from somewhere near where Haley knew Duke had positioned himself. Then she heard a grunt of pain and spun to see what was happening.
Null was on his knees, head in his hands. Ghost was leaning over him, one hand on his back. "Duke, what's going on?" Dare's voice flooded the comm unit. Haley could hear concern in it.
"Nulls having some kind of fit," Duke responded, his attention split between checking on his teammate and keeping an eye on the miles of sand around them. And as soon as he finished speaking, Null's obvious pain faded. He lifted his head to stare around him with milky eyes. "And now he's not."
"Null. Report."
"I sensed something," Null responded. His voice sounded rough, suggesting to Haley that he'd been slammed with pain. The man slowly got to his feet. Haley watched as he took a look around the area. His eyes were still milky and he looked a little pale to her. "Its gone now."
Haley let her gaze slide around the endless expanse of sand and frowned. She didn't see anything. But she was sure that whatever it was Null had sensed, it was definitely not gone. "Everybody report back," Haley ordered. The queasiness in her stomach was kicking up. Something was about to happen. She wanted her team at her back. She wanted them there yesterday.
Roxxy was the first to join her. Somewhere between entering and exiting the second jet, Roxxy had shifted into Catseye. The cat joined her where she stood, settling onto her haunches just barely a finger's width from touching her leg. Morgan and Faye were next. They popped into being halfway between where Haley stood and where Duke stood. As soon as Morgan was solid, Faye disappeared.
"Why are you like this, Dare?" Jehnna asked, a touch of laughter in her voice, as she stepped back out into the sun. Dare was behind her, grinning at the other girl as if she was enjoying herself. It was likely she was. She'd always taken great joy in teasing Jehnna. Any other time, Haley wouldn't have issues with it. Now, though, Haley was having a lot of issues with it.
"Dare! Now!" she snapped.
She watched the pyrokinetic come to a halt and regard her with a hard stare. Then she shook her head and offered up a grimace. "Jesus Christ, Haley. You need to take a fucking chill pill and get rid of that stick up your ass. You're starting to sound just like Summers."
There was no time for Haley to take offense. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something shimmer and swirl against the desert sands not more than ten feet in front of her. And it damn sure wasn't heat waves because she'd barely had time to register the swirl when four figures stepped out of the swirl. That queasy feeling in her belly turned into a block of ice.
"What the fucking fuck?" Null asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Holy shit! Did you see that? They appeared out of nowhere!" There was a new deepness to Duke's voice which Haley took to mean he'd gone troll already. She didn't check to make sure. She didn't want to take her eyes off the nightmare that was threatening her and her team.
A second after that, a hand touched Haley's arm. She glanced out of the corner of her eye to find Roxxy staring at her with worry in her eyes. "Haley. Am I seeing things? Is that who I think it is?"
"It is," Haley confirmed.
As one, the four figures started moving forward. It was no thought for Haley to armor up as she watched them come closer and closer. She felt more than saw Jehnna and Dare move up to stand with them. Dare took her right side, while Jehnna was on Roxxy's left. Morgan drifted closer and eventually moved around to stand next to Dare.
"What the fuck is this happy horseshit?" Dare demanded, though Haley didn't think she was searching for an answer. The figures moved closer, giving them a good look at what they'd be facing. Haley didn't like what she saw at all.
The four of them moved with purpose, in perfect sync with one another. Each one was a woman and they looked like they were not much younger than Purple Team. It was easy to figure out who was who. Death came with black hair. She wore black leather pants and a black leather jacket. Under the jacket was a black tank top. She wore no jewelry nor did she have any makeup on her face. That allowed them to see skin that was pale as death. And her eyes... Haley blinked. She couldn't be looking at Remy's eyes, could she?
Beside Death was War. She was tall, with red hair and brown eyes. She, like the woman at her side, wore leather. It was blood red, a pair of leather pants and a red bustier that left her shoulders bare. If Haley didn't know better, her gaze was pinned to where Haley stood. And there was something about her that niggled at the back of Haley's brain. Something that was obviously important.
Pestilence was the shortest of the four, petite and delicate looking. She also sported a pair of wings that glowed green. Haley could see the desert behind her through them, though the image was slightly distorted. Haley felt certain that the wings were some kind of psychic projection because the feathers looked like they came with sharp edges and they glowed a poisonous green even in the bright sun. Pestilence had curly blonde hair and bright green eyes that damn near glowed like her wings.
Famine was the last one, her blonde hair glowing in the sun. Blue eyes stared out of a face that Haley found familiar. In fact, Famine's build was just as familiar. The problem was Haley couldn't place who it reminded her of.
"Bow down before the Horsemen of Apocalypse," War ordered. Haley frowned. Like that was going to happen. If the way her team shifted forward was any indication, Haley thought that was a big 'Like hell!' from everyone. War's eyes scanned the scene, seeming to linger on Dare, Morgan, Jehnna, and Haley longest. Haley did not like that at all. That impassive gaze returned once more to Haley. "You who are chosen, rejoice and surrender yourselves to us. You who are not chosen, do not interfere. You who chose to fight, know that you gaze upon your destruction."
"Is this bitch for real?" Morgan asked. Her voice carried, but it didn't seem to make an impact with the women across from them.
"Just who the fuck is chosen? What the hell is all this shit?" Dare demanded. Haley could sense that she was powering up, which meant things were going to get sticky really damn fast. "Why don't you go fuck yourselves, because fuck this shit."
A wall of fire sprang to life between the horsemen and Purple Team. Haley watched as it rose high, then began moving until it had circled around the four women. None of them looked terribly put out. In fact, none of them had moved. Haley was starting to wish they'd stayed in New York.
War's gaze shifted to where Dare stood. "I see you have chosen." Her head turned until she looked at the woman on her left. "Death."
There was a sound like a freight train, then a fireball flew through the wall and slammed into Dare's chest. The pyrokinetic staggered with the blow and her wall of flames was gone. "Oh, so that's how we're going to play this game," Dare snarled, baring her teeth across the distance at Death. "Come on, then. Bring it!"
Her words echoed across the clearing before fading into silence. For a moment, it almost seemed like the horsemen weren't going to do anything. Then the area exploded with activity and power as the four of them broke into a run. Haley had a moment to think that she needed to remind Dare to keep her mouth shut, then she was charging forward to meet War head-on.
It was a surreal battle. She saw flames out of the corner of her eye on one side, while blasts of heat seared past her on the other side. Those were accompanied by glowing green feathers that cut the air as they flew toward their target. There was a meaty sound on her right, then a grunt. "Just fucking great. I get to face down Death. What the fuck?" Dare's words were filled with feeling. There was a rush of hot air and then more grunting.
Haley had to trust that Dare could handle Death. She had her hands full with War. Because that bitch had armored up for their clash. And Haley had never seen anything like it. Her body had turned into bloody red crystals. Haley was reminded of Emma's diamond form. But this was something else. Especially when blasts of red started popping out of her hands. And her legs. And every part of her facing forward.
Haley brought her arms up and crossed them before her, hoping they would act as a shield for her. The blasts slammed into her and drove her back. Haley groaned at the power behind them. At the same time, she couldn't help but wonder why it all felt familiar.
"Morgan!" Jehnna's cry cut across the chaos. It was followed by one of Darkness Sound's blasts. A blast that didn't seem to do anything to anyone. Which made Haley wonder if Jehnna had thrown her powers out blindly.
"Son of a bitch!" Dare spat on Haley's right. She sounded winded, which wasn't good. "Why won't this fucking bitch burn? Go down, you piece of shit!"
Haley snarled and added a little power to her armor. "You wanna trade?" she growled at War. "Fine by me. Let's trade." She surged forward, arms still crossed before her These bitches were intent on taking her friends. Haley was going to do everything in her power to keep that from happening.
"Fog!" Dare bellowed. "Give us cover!"
It didn't take long for Fog's cover to roll out over the area of the fight. The fog was dense, almost impossible to see through, and it flowed forward as if it had a mind of its own. In less than a minute, she couldn't see anything. Even sound was muffled around them. Haley let go a breath and took a step back. Maybe they'd pull a miracle out of their asses.
A blast of sound and heat tore past Haley. It ate the fog as it barreled through. There was a grunt of pain, then a muffled thump. "What was that?" Haley demanded, head turning this way and that in an attempt to see what was going on. Another blast rolled through the fog. And another. And another. Each one ate up more of the fog, until there were only small patches of it left here and there.
"Dare! Fog's down!" Ghost's voice was above its usual whisper and Haley thought she heard a touch of panic in it.
"Fuck! Get him on the jet. And then stay there." Dare barked out her orders, flames once again rising up before her. This time, they shot forward in a straight line. They were high and bright, sporting a massive amount of power. Haley could see they were headed in Death's direction. She watched as the woman held a hand out and just... sucked the flames into it. "What the ever-loving fuck? Just fucking die, you piece of shit!"
"Put her down! You put Morgan down right now! Put her down or I'll --" The words trailed off into silence. Haley couldn't stop herself from looking. Both Pestilence and Famine had moved in close. Famine was carrying Morgan, her petite frame tossed over the other woman's shoulder. Pestilence had taken hold of Jehnna's foot and was dragging her through the dirt. Both of them were on their way back to the portal they'd come through. It still shimmered in the distance, as if waiting for them to finish their business.
"Haley!" Dare yelled a moment before she barreled into Haley from the side. Haley staggered several steps to the left. One of War's blasts caught Dare dead in the chest and she dropped to the ground.
"Dare?" Haley nudged the woman with her foot, her gaze locked on War. "Dare!" Haley nudged her with her toe again.There was no response. Deadly calm settled over her. Haley raised her fists and took up a fighting stance. "You picked the wrong person to piss off, bitch," she said. Her voice was low and even and carried a threat.
War offered her a smile that was all teeth, then lifted her hand and made a 'come and get it' motion. Haley grit her teeth and charged forward.
~*~
Henry and Professor Xavier were waiting in the hangar when the Blackbird landed. Roxxy was the first off the jet, barely waiting for the hatch to lower before she exited. Piotr was only a step behind her. She hurried toward the two men, occasionally wobbling on her feet. Based on the stares she was getting, she could imagine that she gave the appearance of being a mad woman. "Professor! You have to do something!" she demanded loudly.
"About what, Rosemary? What has you so upset?" he asked in return. His voice, as it always was, was calm and it soothed her battered senses ever so slightly.
Roxxy came to a halt just before his chair and wobbled again. Piotr put a hand on her arm to keep her from going over on her face. She didn't miss the way the professor watched them. Nor did she miss the frown Henry was wearing. No doubt because she looked like she'd gotten the snot beat out of her. Oh, wait. She had.
"The rest of my team," she began. Her voice trailed off when a throb of pain rolled up her side. Teeth clenched against the pain, she waited until it subsided before continuing. "He has the rest of my team. You need to get them back."
"Who has the rest of your team?"
"Charles, can't this wait? Rosemary is injured and needs attending," Henry asked, one big blue hand already reaching for her. She swatted his hand away, her attention fully on the professor.
"Not yet, Henry. We have to talk about what just happened," Roxxy told him without taking her eyes off the professor. By that time, they'd been joined by several of the people who had flown back with them.
"Rosemary, please," Henry begged. She heard the worry in his voice.
"I'm fine." She knew she wasn't fine, but she needed to tell Xavier now. Before she gave in and let Henry put her in one of his beds in the infirmary. Xavier had to know. He had to know now. So he could do something.
"You're very clearly agitated, Rosemary. Tell me what happened," Xavier encouraged. Henry made a noise that suggested he wanted to strangle the professor then and there.
"When we got to the coordinates, There was no one there. The jets were there. But no one else was. For a few minutes, we were alone. Then a portal opened and we were faced with four women," Roxxy felt like she wasn't making sense. She must have bumped her head or something when that blast or whatever it was hit her and knocked her down. She wobbled again and, again, Piotr's hand was there to hold her up. "You should have seen them. It was so fucked up and then the fight started and it was a confusing mess."
"Rosemary," Henry said gently. "Please, my dear. You obviously need medical attention. Let me tend to your injuries before you fall over."
"I said I'm fine," she snapped. The anger in her voice, the volume of it, saw Henry blinking in confusion. Then he sighed and shook his head. She heard him mutter to himself something about stubborn women. But he said nothing else, letting Roxxy know he wasn't going to interrupt again.
"These women, Rosemary. Tell me about them," Xavier encouraged.
"They had powers I've never seen before. Wings that were a psychic projection. They glowed green, even in the brightness of the desert sun. Fiery sound waves that moved so fast. Red crystal armor and energy blasts that came from everywhere on her body. And fire that exploded. They were..." She paused a moment, shook her head to try and clear it. "Horsemen. They were Horsemen, Professor. But..."
Her knees gave out. Piotr took hold of her and picked her up. Roxxy wanted to tell him to put her down, but she knew she didn't have the strength to remain standing. So she ignored the look Henry sent her way and continued to stare at the professor. "They came through the portal. And they fought. And they took Haley. Dare. Morgan. Jehnna. They took them back through the portal."
Roxxy paused there, her mind turning over what the horsemen taking her friends could mean. Big, fat tears fell. "You have to get them back, Professor. You have to."
"I must insist that you allow me to take Rosemary to the infirmary at once, Charles," Henry said. There was a touch of a growl in his words. Xavier nodded his head.
"Of course, Henry," he agreed. "Thank you, Rosemary, for telling me this."
"The men came out of the portal a couple seconds after the Horsemen went back through it," she added.
"Not all of us," Piotr replied. His words made his chest rumble against Roxxy's side and the feeling helped settle her nerves a little.
"What do you mean, Piotr?"
"He returned most of us to this world. But not all." Piotr began walking. The rocking motion made Roxxy's side throb again. She could see that he was moving for the door. Both Xavier and Henry followed after them. "He kept Scott. Remy. Warren. And Sam. "
"Who kept them?" Henry asked. There might have been a hint of concern there, but Roxxy couldn't hear it. She was having a hard time holding onto consciousness. She needed to stay awake. She needed to hear this. She needed to know just who had taken her team. Because she needed to know who she was going to rip to shreds.
"Sinister." The name fell off Piotr's lips like a lead weight. Roxxy swore she could smell the fear that came with it.
Well, shit.