X-Writers is a non-profit fan-fiction organisation using characters copyright to Marvel Entertainments and DC Comics. Treat us nice or we'll cry. Really we will, we're very fragile. ------------------------------------------------ Excalibur #99 A Call to Darkness part 1 "To Face the Dragon" Writer: Lady Amethyst ------------------------------------------------ "Will ye hurry up, this bloody hurts!" "Aw shut yur yap ye big jessie, ah'm just lookin' at yur blood flow. Now hold still!" Moira inserted another needle into another artery and injected the dye into his arm. On the video screen it spurted through his arm showing the blood flow spreading through the capillaries and into the muscle. "Ohya!" Moira made notes on her pad. "Ye see, that's why ye're havin' problems wi' yur strength. The muscles dinnae have enough blood supply yet, an' yer a wee bit anaemic an' all. The muscles grew pretty fast, aye?" "Aye." "Well ah expect yon capillaries will catch up wi' them if ye eat proper an' take the supplements ah' gi' ye." "So is that it then? Just the strength?" He sounded a bit disappointed. "Can't say fur sure yet," Moira answered. "If it's only been a couple o' months since ye started tae manifest then there might be more still tae come. Depends whether ye're first generation or second. The further down the line ye are the more likely there'll be more tae come, specially since it's just generic strength rather than somethin' more fancy." "Ye make it sound so ordinary." "Well, ah'm afraid it is. One o' the most common mutations is generic strength, most mutants huv it tae some extent along with their other abilities, that's one o' the things whit makes them so resilient, that an' the fast healing. Jist aboot all mutants heal faster than flatscans." "Oh." "Ah could run a genetic scan tae see if thur's anything in there that ah recognise matches other known power signatures but ah cannae really be bothered so ye'll just have tae wait an' see. Anyway, ah've got better things tae do than stand here gabbin' all mornin'." Moira began plucking the various needles from his arteries at high speed, whacking sterile bits of cotton over the wounds. "Ow! Fuck! Slow down!" ------------ "Just talk to her, find out what's going on for me. I'm worried." pleaded Kurt. "I'll try," replied Kitty. "But Amanda doesn't know me that well, why should she talk to me?" "I don't know, but she certainly won't talk to me." "Well I suppose I can try." Kitty headed into town leaving Kurt to continue the shopping Amanda had sent him to do. He had called Kitty in on the sly and asked her to pretend she just happened to be over and thought she might drop by. He had to find out what was going on. ------------- "So you have to go and stop her from doing whatever it is she's doing but you don't really know what she's doing other than the fact that it's pretty powerful and you're not even sure where she is except she's in Britain somewhere south of us?" "Well... yes. So will you keep Kurt occupied over on Muir till I leave?" "Well... I suppose," Kitty said, trying not to sound too agreeable to the plan. "After all it doesn't really involve us." "Right, that's exactly what I thought. You better go then and take Kurt back to Muir, ask him to stay for dinner or something. I'll be gone by tonight. Thanks, Kitty." ------------- "Margali has the soulsword! Oh great," was Nightcrawler's response to the news. "Margali?" Pete asked. "Amandas' mother, she raised Kurt." Kitty explained. "Wait a minute." Pete leaned forward with a smirk on his face. "You're telling me that fuzzy and the witch were raised as brother and sister?" The smirk broke into a grin as he leaned back again raising an eyebrow at Nightcrawler. "I'm sayin' nothing." Kurt growled but restrained himself, he would kill him later. "She is a very powerful sorceress." "In that case I think I know just who we need. I'll give John a buzz." Pete added. 'Oh great,' thought Kurt. 'That's really going to put Amanda in a good mood.' Pete left to phone John and Kurt spoke to the rest of the room. "I don't think we should all go." "Doug an' me'll stay an' look after Moira," volunteered Rahne. "Now hold on a moment," interrupted Moira. "Ah think ah c'n look after muhself just fine. Ah've managed so far haven't ah?" "But there are the prisoners to think about," noted Brian. "If they were to break out there wouldn't be much the staff could do. You need some of us here just in case. Meggan and I will stay with Rahne and Douglock." "Meggan and I certainly will not! I'm going with them." Meggan said pointedly. "She is right Brian," added Nightcrawler. "We need Meggan with us." Brian scowled but didn't complain. "Whit about me?" asked Captain Scotland, now better known as Fergus. "You'll stay here," said Kurt quickly. "This will be no place for amateurs. You can help Brian." Brian and Fergus exchanged unpleasant looks at the suggestion. ------------- Amanda finished her packing, thankful to Kitty for distracting Kurt while she made her escape. But as she stepped out the door she found herself faced down by Kitty, Kurt, Pete and Meggan. "What?" "We're going too," Kurt informed her. Amanda turned to Kitty. "You said you wouldn't tell anyone! You said you'd cover for me!" Amanda accused her. "Well... I had my fingers crossed." "I did not want you involved, any of you. This is my problem." "If the soul sword is involved then it is certainly not just your problem" Kitty retorted. "Illyana gave it to me not you, I should never have trusted anyone else with it. I'm sure I could have learned to cope with it. And Margali is as good as Kurt's mother, so this is his business too." "And what about them?" "What is the point in having friends," said Meggan. "If you can't rely on them to help you out every now and then?" ------------- Brian approached Exodus' cell with a scowl, as usual, "What is it now?" "Something is happening, tell me what it is!" "It's none of your business." "I have powers beyond your understanding, I can sense the spell building. You need me, you must let me accompany you." "Listen to me you lunatic! You are a prisoner not a team member. You are dangerous and probably insane and a murderer to boot. Why the hell should I let you out? Why the hell would any of us want your help? You. Are. Not. Needed." Brian spun and stalked away leaving Exodus staring after him angrily. 'I do not need your permission, Captain Britain, to fight for good,' he thought. 'You do not have a fraction of the strength necessary to stop me. I will be present in this debacle and I shall be the one to prevent that which is about to occur.' ------------- The sirens sounded as soon as they detected the empty cell and Brian arrived there to find several of the non-mutant staff surrounding the still locked room. "What happened? Where is he?" "Gone," answered one of the guards. "I don't get it though. The cell should have circumvented his mutant powers but it looks like he teleported out. He could be anywhere now." "No," said Brian. "Not anywhere, in fact I know exactly where he's headed. Well sort of." Moira came down the corridor followed by Fergus. "Not another one! At this rate we're no goin' tae have any prisoners left. Ah'm goin' ta ship Frenzy and the Kleinstocks tae America before we lose them an' all." "We'd still have Skids as well if you hadn't let her out," Brian noted. "Well... aye. But it wis in a good cause," Moira answered defensively. "But youse two better get off after Exodus." "What do you mean?" Brian asked then realised what she meant. "Oh no, no way. I am not going anywhere with him!" "Oh yes ye are, much as I hate tae do it ah'm no lettin' ye go after Exodus on ye're own. He'd rip ye tae shreds an spit on the pieces." "And he's supposed to help? I can't fight Exodus and baby him at the same time. He has no experience and can't even control his powers." "Hey!" protested Fergus. "He'll be fine as long as he doesnae over exert himself an' you don't huv eyes in the back of yur head ye know. Fergus is goin' an' that's final!" Moira headed back to her lab. Fergus grinned, "Ah'll just go an' get ma costume then." "Oh for Gods sake. At least leave the broadsword behind." "No way! Ah'm pretty good wi' that ah'll have ye know." -------------- Amara knocked unconvincingly on Ferons' door hoping he would ignore it. Beside her, glancing in an unsettled manner at the decor, was Xian Coy Mahn. Karma, the oldest of the original New Mutants. "Come in." She sighed and opened the door. Feron was hovering in mid air in the centre of the room, his eyes closed. But there was a cast of concentration over his face, not the usual calm of meditation. "What are you doing?" He answered slowly, his voice detached and eyes still closed. "Something is going on. There's this woman in Wales casting a spell. A big one. I'm trying to figure out what it's supposed to do." "What if she notices you?" asked Magma nervously. "The spell is complex, it takes up all of her concentration. She won't notice me. She's trying to summon something..." he frowned. "Wait, she has something. A sword of some sort. She's going to use the sword to open a gate... but to where?" Amara stepped closer. "Can I see?" He opened an eye and glanced at her, "I suppose. Go get a bowl of water." "What?" "Water. Bowl. Fetch." She pursed her lips in annoyance but went to fetch the water. "Not from the tap," he called after her. "Get it from the waterfall." "Oh for Zeus's sake," she muttered. He turned his open eye to Karma, "Who are you?" "Xian," she answered. "Karma." "Oh..." he closed his eye again. ---------- Amanda was sulking in the back of the midnight runner. Besides, if she went up front with he others they might ask her if she had a plan. It wasn't that she didn't have one, it was must that it wasn't exactly a great plan. In fact as plans went it was down there with "why don't I give the soulsword to my mother". Her plan was this. She was going to sneak up on her mother, possible with the rest of the team distracting her since they were there, and grab the soul sword. End of plan. There was a reason Amanda was an air stewardess and it wasn't that she really loved flying. Kitty came back to speak to her. "Hey." "Hey." "Pete says that John said that Margali was definitely to the north-west of him but not as far away as Ireland, he figures somewhere around mid- Wales, Shropshire or Hereford and Worcester. Where do you think?" "John? John as in John Constantine?" Kitty nodded. "That's it, if he's going then I'm not. If that arrogant know-it-all prat knows so damn much about magic thren I'm sure he doesn't need us." Kurt joined Kitty, the Runner was on autopilot as they headed south. "Amanda!" "Well..." she subsided. "Oh bloody fine then, see if I care anyway." Kurt and Kitty exchanged exasperated glances. "Where do you think?" repeated Kitty. Amanda glowered and closed her eyes. "Wales I think, England is too far west of us. I sense her south. Somewhere in the mountain range, what's it called?" "The Cambrian Mountains." ----------- Amara returned with the bowl, "Now what?" "Put it on the floor, sit down and look into it. Try and clear your mind. You shouldn't find that too difficult." He instructed. She thought about tipping it over his head, little-snot. But she was too curious so she did as he said. Karma remained quiet against the wall, it was strange to be back among these people after where she had been for the past year. Amara gazed into the water and after a few moments an image began to form. Hazy and silent but clear enough that she could make out one familiar object. "Magiks' soulsword!" she exclaimed. "What?" Feron broke out of his trance and stared at her. "You recognise the sword?" "Yes, it belonged to one of the New Mutants. Illyana Rasputin. I heard that something happened to her after I had left but I'm not sure what. But that's definitely her sword, we have to go and find out what's going on!" "Now hold on a minute..." "No! Magik and I may not have been friends but she was one of my team- mates and if somethings happened to her then I want to know what. Karma agrees, don't you Karma?" Xian looked surprised at being asked. "Oui, of course. I suppose." "Fine then, let's go." "Are you sure we shouldn't call Excalibur or something?" asked Feron, uncertainty colouring his features. "I thought we were a super-hero team?" "Well..." "So let's go be superheroes then." ------------- continued in Angels and Demons #4 ------------- -- Amethyst BSc -- Keeper of the Labyrinth Flame | "The best way to stay hidden is to paint and Editor of X-Writers | yourself green and lie down in a field." http://minuteman.com/x-writers/ | Charlie Ball. "I always wear Armani when http://www.eskimo.com/~ash/ | I kill in cold blood." Andrew Wheeler http://gwis2.circ.gwu.edu/~hawk | Today Amethyst is: tired