FEB 2002 - #1

Part VII: Psylocke by Chip Caroon

"Silence, girl!" Clea snapped. "I am in charge of this group, and you shall all do what I say."

Several members of the group stopped dead in their tracks.

"Uh, maybe not," Rift said.

"No one orders Aron," the Watcher added.

"Then why are you here?" Clea asked. "You are here under my guidance."

"Still, that doesn't mean that you own our free will," Rift replied.

"Whatever," Clea said. "Let's continue onward."

"Shh," Psylocke whispered. "I sense someone coming."

The six Visionaries pressed themselves against the wall of the tunnel, waiting for whoever it was to come near. They prepared themselves for anything.

The shadows drew closer, and became smaller. Soon, the Visionaries could see five other human-looking beings. However, one had wings, and was being helped along by another one who looked like an ice sculpture. One was hovering above the ground, one was a female with bright red hair, and the other appeared to have abnormally large digits.

"The X-Men!" Psylocke whispered in awe. Ever since seeing a vision of this unusual mutant group, she was fascinated by them. She tried to see visions of them in her spare time, when no one else was around. "It's okay, they're the good guys."

So are we, but I still question our 'good intentions,' Rift thought.

Clea stepped down, and caught the attention of the X-Men. The five mutants tensed up. Even Angel, who was badly injured, was wary of this new arrival.

"I mean no harm," Clea said. "I am Clea, and I lead a group of mutants and mystics known as the Visionaries . . . "

"So you're not a Marauder?" Beast asked.

"No. We just got into the tunnels ourselves, and were wondering what happened."

"What's it look like, lady?" Iceman asked. "Does the word 'massacre' mean anything to you?"

"Bobby!" Jean hissed.

"It's quite alright," Clea replied. "I'm sure you've seen some sights that you will never want to remember."

"And the winner for understatement of the year . . . " Iceman muttered.

"But there really is not much more that can be done here," Clark said. "The attack seems to be over, and there aren't many injured Morlocks to tend to."

"That sounds uplifting."

"That's because the few that aren't dead were able to hide," Clark replied bluntly.

"Oh, I see," Clea said, realizing how inappropriate her comment was.

"There is one thing that you can do to help, though," Jean replied. "We left three Marauders - they're the ones responsible - behind. They were too large for us to carry, especially with an injured teammate."

"We'd be happy to recover them." Clea turned and walked to her group.

"Just bring them to our Blackbird jet," Clark said. "It's just outside of the tunnels, if you keep following this path straight."

"Don't worry," Psylocke said. "I'm a telepath, I'll be able to find it."

He stood beside his prisoner, who was tied to a chair on the Blackbird. Random had been tied up. Wolverine had been able to find a collar on board, which the X-Men kept handy for any uncooperative "guests" they might be giving a ride to. Logan knew that Random fit this description.

Random spit at Logan's feet.

Logan grabbed Random's head and slammed it down against the table. "Look ya no-good pantywaist. I want to know two things. What the hell do you have to do with Weapon X, and how do I find them?"

"Canada. Everything's in Canada. Want more answers?"

"Of course."

"Then you'll have to ask someone else."

Wolverine slammed Random's head against the table, rendering the leader of the Marauders unconscious.

"Gather around," Clea said. "We're going to perform a spell."

"I thought we were going to take these Marauders to the X-Men," Psylocke replied.

"You thought wrong. Now, get over there and help me."

"I don't think we should be doing this," Rift said.

"You're not here to think."

"Clea, calm down," Psylocke said. "We just need to pick these guys up and take them back - OOF!"

Clea had used her power to slam Psylocke against the wall of the tunnel. "Traitor!" she exclaimed.

"That's it," Psylocke said. "I've put up with enough of your crap. I'm not going to stand back and let you send these three to some hell dimension, when they should be turned over for proper justice."

"They deserve nothing better!" Clea shouted back.

"I don't care what you think. I want nothing more to do with the Visionaries!"

"How charming," Beast said. "Looks like you know how to entertain the company."

"Name's Random. He's the so-called leader o' the Marauders. What's up with Wings?"

"Arclight got him," Clark replied as Bobby and Hank took Warren back to the medical cabin.

"Oh my stars and garters!" Beast exclaimed as he entered the cabin. "Everyone get back here!" he shouted.

Clark, Jean, and Logan rushed back.

Jean covered her mouth. Clark put his arm around her. Logan looked away.

Hank and Bobby sat Warren down. Hank squatted over Sarah's battered and shredded body. He didn't even have to reach across her neck to check her pulse. He just turned the body to a more visible position.

Her shredded neck told all.

Clea's losing it. She blew up against Psylocke, and there's no reason for her to be doing this spell. I must stop it.

"Clea, maybe Psylocke was right. After all, won't the X-Men get suspicious if we don't bring these guys to them?"

"They'll get them," Clea replied. "Eventually."

"Something's not right," Matt Ryder said. "One of these Marauders is not as they should be."

"What do you mean, Ryder?" Rift asked.

"I think it's the one in the middle. Arclight, I believe?"

"You are correct," Clea replied. "Something is odd about her."

Suddenly, something started slipping.

"Oh no!" Rift cried out. "The spell isn't working!"

BOOM!

The Marauders fell to the ground. Actually, only two of them did.

Arclight had disappeared.

"So, ya met these 'Visionaries' in the tunnels, and ya trusted 'em t' bring the Marauders back?" Wolverine asked.

"Something like that," Superman replied. "We were in no shape to carry them ourselves. With Warren being injured, and the others being worn out."

"What about you?"

"I seem to have a higher threshold for fatigue. I could probably go another whole day of non-stop action. Not that I'd want to."

Just then, a purple haired young lady ran by. She stopped when she realized that Clark and Logan were standing there.

"You're one of the Visionaries, are you not?" Superman asked.

"I was. My name is Betsy, but in the field, I go by Psylocke."

"Must be mental," Wolverine muttered.

"If this wasn't so dire a situation, I would be able to enjoy your pun," Psylocke said. "As it is, I must ask you for sanctuary."

"From the Visionaries?" Superman asked.

"From Clea, in particular. I have been shunned by that group."

"Where are the Marauders?"

"Clea was trying to do some spell with them to send them to a hell dimension or something."

"No. They must stay here, and be brought to justice on the same terms as they wiped out the Morlocks," Superman said.

"Bit on the melodramatic side, eh?" Wolverine asked.

"Psylocke," Superman began, "if you keep going along this tunnel and do not turn off, you will find the exit. Our Blackbird is parked nearby. You may stay there for now."

"Thank you, Superman. But what about you?"

"Wolverine and I are going to find your old boss."
The Blackbird

Hank was taking care of Morph. Carefully making notes and comparing them to the previous injuries Morph had sustained.

"I don't think he's going to make it," he said. "I fear that whoever attacked Sarah also inflicted more damage to Morph."

"How can you tell?" Jean asked.

"These wounds are fresh," Hank replied, motioned to slashes on Morph's chest. "Not even Morph's shapeshifting abilities have been able to close them."

"This is too much," Bobby said. "Not only do a bunch of Morlocks get killed and Morph gets hurt, but then those bastards nearly rip Warren's wings off, and one of them sneaks onto our plane and kills Sarah."

There was a moment of silence before Beast added, "The most tragic part of it all is that Sarah had left us weeks ago to return to a normal life."

"Guys . . . " Morph whispered, extremely faintly.

"He's conscious?" Bobby wondered, shocked.

"Barely," Hank replied. "Jean, can you use your powers to increase the volume?"

"Sure."

"Standing around here, worrying about me and Sarah . . . " Morph began. " . . . It's not doing you . . . any good. You should be . . . out there . . . finding the one who . . . killed her . . . "

"Do you know who it was?" Jean asked.

" . . . He had claws . . . "

"Do you know his name?" Bobby asked.

" . . . Mercury . . . " With that, Morph laid his head back, falling back into unconsciousness.

"Where's Arclight?" he asked.

"Something happened," Clea replied. "In fact, you never faced Arclight."

"What do you mean? I sure as hell saw someone that looked a lot like Arclight!"

"A temporal construct."

"What th' heck are you talkin' 'bout, lady?" Logan asked as he strolled on up.

"The Arclight you fought was not the real Arclight," Clea explained. "In fact, we might have been responsible for her creation. She might have been a result of one of our visions, manifested into this reality."

"You did it?!" Superman exclaimed.

"Clark, calm down," Wolverine said, putting a hand on Clark's shoulder. "Before you start goin' off half-cocked, use yer flamin' head! Even if they hadn't made Arclight - which they're not sure of - the massacre still would have happened."

Superman calmed down. "I guess you're right."

Clea turned to Rift and Hourman. "You two, carry the Marauders up with the X-Men. Aron, Sketch, and I will return to the mansion."

"Yes, ma'am," Rift said.

"Who's there?" Jean called back, getting defensive, ready for anything.

"A friend. I am Psylocke." Betsy walked farther into the Blackbird. She saw the unconscious Random tied up, and the injured Angel. "How terrible," she whispered.

"Where are the Marauders?" Iceman asked.

"Marauders? I don't have them. You see, I kinda got into a little disagreement with Clea, and left the group."

"So you don't have the Marauders," Iceman concluded.

Psylocke shook her head. She then noticed Sarah's body, and Morph laying on the table.

"Are they two of your own?"

Jean nodded solemnly. "Sarah was killed by the Marauder named Mercury. Morph was injured earlier today."

"Will he make it?"

Jean and Bobby looked over at Hank for the answer.

"I honestly have no idea," Hank replied. "He could go either way."

"We're back!" Wolverine shouted from the front. "And we got company!"

Wolverine, Superman, Rift, and Hourman boarded with the remaining two Marauders in tow.

"Where's Arclight?" Jean asked.

"Long story. Let's just say that we don't have to worry about her for now," Clark replied. "I promise we'll tell you everything later."

"What do we do now?" Bobby asked.

"I think it's pretty clear," Jean replied. "We go after Mercury."

"Mercury?" Clark asked. "I take it that's the one that murdered Sarah?"

"Excellent deduction, astute leader," Hank said. "Will our new friends be helping us against Mercury?"

"If they are willing, and able," Clark said.

"Of course," Rift said. "Hourman and I would be happy to help you."

"As am I," Psylocke added.

"If that is the case then," Hank began, "then I would like Bobby to stay here with me to take care of the injured."

"For once, I won't argue about not seeing the action," Bobby said.

"And if Random wakes up," Wolverine said, "put 'im back to sleep."

"Okay, X-Men and Visionaries, let's roll," Clark said.

Again, everything led back to the tunnels. The seven combatants stood facing each other in the tunnels.

On one side: Superman, Jean Grey, Wolverine, Rift, Hourman, and Psylocke.

On the other side: Mercury.

"Looks like a short fight," Wolverine growled.

"Funny," Mercury said, his fingers extending, and becoming sharper. "I was about to say the same thing."

"Be warned, Mercury," Superman announced. "We've been in these tunnels all day. We're sick, we're tired, and we're mad as hell."

"I faced worse odds."

Enough of this melodrama, Rift thought. He jumped forward and grabbed the air. As he came down, he opened a large rift in front of Mercury.

"What's that supposed to do?" Mercury asked, taunting the Visionary.

"It's called a diversion, sucker!" Wolverine exclaimed as he leapt forward, claws out, slashed everything that got in his way. Of course, the only thing there was Mercury.

Mercury flung Wolverine to the side. The little Canadian hit the wall hard. "Your little claws can't harm me! I'm invincible!"

"Maybe against the normal laws of the universe," Hourman spoke up. "But I don't deal within the limits of the laws of time. Let's see how well you fare against me."

Using his own power, he tapped into the energy of the rift and created a mini vortex. The energy rippled around the large Marauder for a few seconds.

"What's happening?" Mercury cried out.

"Don't worry about it," Hourman replied. "This won't take long." He turned to the X-Men. "Use your powers to pour as much energy into this vortex as possible. I'll take care of the rest."

Clark used his heat rays, while the two women used their powers of telekinesis. The vortex grew slightly larger, and then began to shrink. As it closed, Mercury looked dazed for a second, and then fell down, face first.

Wolverine stood up. "Is it over?"

Superman looked around. "I think so, Logan. At least, I hope so."

"What's wrong?" Jean asked. "How is everyone?"

"Well, Warren . . . except for the wings, he's okay. He's awake, but highly sedated. Bobby's looking after him. I still have no clue what will happen with the wings."

"And Morph?" Superman asked.

Beast looked down and sighed. Looking back up, he said, "I'm sorry, big guy. There was nothing I could do."

Jean turned around and walked out off the jet. Clark followed her. He found her standing by the rear wheels. She was holding her jacket around her tightly. Clark came up and embraced her.

"It's okay, hon," he said.

And then Jean lost it. She cried like a baby.

"I . . . I just can't believe it . . . " she managed to get out between sobs. "I tried holding it in . . . but Warren, then Sarah . . . and now Morph . . . "

"Shh. It's okay," Clark said. "We're still here. We stopped the Marauders."

"But they still killed scores of others."

"There was nothing we could do. We just have to keep on living and remember our departed friends. Come on, it's been a long day . . . one that I'd like to put as far behind me as possible. Let's go home."

"Okay." She started walking back to the Blackbird, holding on to Clark.

All of the X-Men knew that the sights they had seen that day would remain with them and haunt them for the rest of their lives. They just had to persevere, and keep living, thankful that they were still alive.