Subject: Brotherly Hate 5/14: A tale of the AOA Date: Thu, 29 Aug 1996 02:47:09 +0000 From: Snowlock Organization: Corporate Communications Newsgroups: alt.comics.fan-fiction Well, I screwed up the heading for chapter four, it is actually under the heading Brotherly Hate 3/14. I hope none of you missed it. Anyway, since we're nearing the midpoint, I'll redo this part: All characters are copywrite of marvel, used without permission. If you want to see the whole thing archived, check out AOA Sunfire's Astonishing X men page at http://www.geocities.com/paris/6435/ but all of the chapters will be posted here first. Thanks for all the feedback so far! Snowlock. ______ Brotherly Hate, Chapter 5 Before Kiev, Minsk was the final bastion of the Soviet forces before the fall. As the MLF pushed their way west toward Moscow and Leningrad, the Provisional army fell back from these two cities and gathered here. The Battle of Minsk was the greatest challenge the armed forces of Apocalypse had yet faced. Over twelve divisions of Provisional soldiers, a million men, had faced off against about one hundred thousand mutants. The day would have been carried if not for the arrival of En Sabah Nur himself. Envigored, the exhausted MLF pushed through the city defenses. Entire companies of weather manipulators destroyed the Provisional Air Force. Energy wielders destroyed column after column of APC's and tanks. Seizmic generators leveled hastily erected barricades, and Apocalypse entered the city. The principles of the MLF of those days are now among the elite in New York. Nemisis, Sinister, Bastion, Abyss, Random, Wolverine, Nicodemus, Candra, Cyber, Skinner, Cyclops, Havok, Beast, Absalom, Krule, Saul, Sabertooth, War, Death, Pyre. If there was even a hollow victory for the defenders it was the deaths of two of these devils: War and Death, original Horseman of Apocalypse, both fell in battle. Refugees from Minsk will not even discuss those final days, most of them being in a state of total mental collapse. So far, only three hundred of these shocked survivors have been found. Like every other Russian city, Minsk has what was once a central market place. With all the inhabitants dead or gone, it is deserted. crts stand broken and empty. Store fronts are smashed in. The wreckage of armored vehicles litter the square. A sphere of energy appears over the cracked brick of the side walk. Glowing violet with swirls of yellow, it quickly grows in shape until its diameter is great enough to allow the members of the insertion team to step through. They are a little disorientated at first, but it passes quickly in fear as they realize how out in the open they are. They scramble into a shattered shop front and regroup. Weapon X: Well, what now? Romanova: Minsk is a big city, we need to know specifically where Scimitar is being held and for that I will require a secure computer terminal, one where my access codes are probably not yet locked out. There are two such places, that hold that possiblity; the KGB headquarters and the Central Prison. The KGB was liquidated last year. The building is most likely empty now. The prison is most definately still occupied. Barton: If you couldn't hack into Scimitar before, what makes you think you can do it now? Romanova: We do not need to "hack" into Scimitar. We only need to know where the concentration of the security teams is the most dense. That is where we will find Scimitar. Nightcrawler, you take point. Your teleportation abilities will enable you to get back to us quickly if you see something. Weapon X, take the rear. Barton: Jeez, lady, who died and made you boss? Romanova: Nick Fury. The small company deploys, and Kraven positions himself just in front of Weapon X. Kravinoff: Comrade Weapon X, may I ask of you a question? Weapon X: Shoot. Kravinoff: If Comrade Mikhail knows before hand the ultimate destination of his portals, as he says, why drop us here, in the open where we can be spotted? Weapon X: Heck of a question, Sergei, but I got no decent answer. Just keep an eye out, huh? Kravinoff: I shall keep them both, "out", comrade. Nigtcrawler teleports out of sight of the column to scout ahead and Kravinoff takes his place at the front. They move quickly, this small company, for they know they are in the most hostile of territories. The slightest misstep, and all of the forces of En Sabah Nur will be upon them. They move through the maze of shop fronts, busting through walls when needed, otherwise simply negotiating the labyrinth of basements and upper-levels, each building joined to the one next to it by small doors. Natalia walks up to Kraven: It has been over a half hour since we have seen the X Man Nightcrawler. He was supposed to report back to us every twenty minutes. Kraven: Give him time, Romanova. If he is anything like his comrade at the end of our line, he is most capable. Of course, Weapon X's heightened hearing can pick up this wispered conversation at the head of the column. "The elf ain't nowhere near as capable as me," the mutant thinks. Ten hours have passed since Nightcrawler first assumed his role as forward scout for the squad. They have made their way through the center of the city, moving toward the burned out KGB building. They have encountered no patrols. They have not seen any of the MLF, even from a distance. Having successfully made their way through the web of interconnecting stores, the party spent the night in the basement of what was once a grand hotel, reserved no doubt for the upper echelon of the Communist Party and perhaps Western dignitaries. It is now morning, the first day since the party left Kiev. Natalia: The KGB headquarters is just across the street. We have covered this hotel from basement to ceiling and can find no passages to lead us safetly under the city square. We must, therefore, dash across it into the KGB building. Barton: Can't say I like the thought of that much. Natalia: Nor I, Mr. Barton, but it cannot be helped. We have not seen any indication of the presence of the forces of Apocalypse, but I know for a fact they are here. This can only mean they are protecting Scimitar in another section of the city entirely. Weapon X: Either that, or they're waitin' for us to climb outta our hole ta get a good shot at us. Natalia: Perhaps, X Man, but how would they know we are here? Weapon X: The elf. Cole: Ya know, I've 'ad just about enough'a ya n' your distrust'a Nightcrawler. Weapon X: Yeah? Then where is he? Natalia: It does not matter anymore. We are here to serve a purpose. If Nightcrawler has betrayed us there is nothing we can do about it now. Barton: Lady's right, Logan. Let's just get this over with. Natalia: Weapon X, you lead. Make sure the square is clear, that we are not being observed. When you make your move, the rest of us will follow. Logan pushes open the dead elevator's doors, and climbs the access ladder to the first floor. First sniffing for any scents that would give away an ambush, he opens the doors to the lobby and finds it empty. Moments after he keys his com-link signalling the rest of the team its all clear, he is taken. Kraven leads the team up after the X Man, uneasy because of the continuing absence of Nightcrawler. His fears are allayed somewhat when he sees Weapon X, just beyond the entrance to the hotel, motioning him forward surreptitiously. Signaling for the rest of the group to proceed, Kraven runs in a low crouch up next to the X Man. Curiously, his instincts tell him to beware, all is not what it seems. The rest of the team reach an uneasy Kraven and silent Weapon X. Gryich is hefting his M-16, a grenade in the launcher attached below the barrel. Barton has both his Tech-9's in hand. Romanova is carrying an AK-47 and Cole’s men have drawn advanced plasma rifles from their backpacks. For some reason, the fact his party has their weapons ready makes the cossack even more nervous. Weapon X, claws still retracted, silently motions the others ahead, into the square. Into the kill zone. With a snarl, Kraven pulls his massive hunting knife from the sheath at his belt and leaps for Weapon X! The X Man tumbles back and screams in pain as Kraven lodges his blade in the mutant's shoulder. The scream does not belong to Logan. The scream is feminine. The shocked party does not even have time to retreat back to the relative safety of the hotel as they watch Weapon X transform into the albino female mutant known as... Barton: Vanessa?! Gryich: Copycat?! Suddenly, fire rains down from above, bright orange flames encircle the party cutting off any means of escape. Through the rings, untouched by the scorching heat, strides a commanding figure. Natalia: Cyber! Cyber: Hiya, kiddies. What brings ya ta my neck o' the woods? Cole wirls around and blasts away at the horseman, his pulse rifle's bursts ineffectual. Cyber calmly swats the cyborg aside with adamantium claws. Kraven leaps for the Horseman, twin bowie knives in his hands. In mid air, the cossack is engulfed in a sheath of some kind of shiny metal alloy. He drops to the ground with a loud clang. Cyber: Nice shot, Chrome. The mutant known as Chrome emerges from concealment behind the broken pillars abutting the entrance to the hotel. Next to him, enchased in metal just as Kraven now is, lies Weapon X, claws extended, a snarl of rage frozen on his face. Two arrows from Barton rebound off Cyber's adamantium skin before the bowman is slammed from behind by a figure leaping through the flames. The bestial mutant slashes away at Barton's battle armor, trying to get to the tender skin underneath. Gryich: Clint! Roll clear, I'll blast the beastie! Gryich never gets a chance as a harpoon of energy plunges into his unportected back. His overloaded nervous system cannot even register the fact he has collapsed. As Barton struggles to free himself of the feral mutant's attack and at the same time get a shot off at the mutant who dropped Gryich, yet another mutant, apparently the one who created the ring of fire, swoops down from the air over Natalia. Flying mutant: Traitorous flatscan! Feel the flames of the Apocalypse! Before Romanova can raise her assualt rifle to the airborne attacker, she is engulfed in fire. Chrome: Firestar! As soon as Natalia Romanova is apparently turned to ash, Reese and Macomb turn their blasters from Cyber to Firestar. Chrome's warning comes too late as the cyborgs' weapons find their marks, Firestar drops lifeless to the payment right on top of where Natalia would have lain, had she not been disintegrated by the now-dead mutant's blast. Cyber: Bad move, kids, now you've made me mad! With a roar, Cyber slams into the cyborgs. His adamantium claws easily penetrate armor and Reese is thrown, his throat ripped out, lifeless into the nearby fountain. Macomb's fate is similar. He crumples to his knees and dies, his heart in Cyber's hand. Cyber: Feral! End your battle with tha flat! We got stuff ta do! Feral: Ju got it, boss. With her claws at his throat, Feral prepares to tear out Barton's larnyx. However, she is soon busy screaming in pain after the archer managed to pull one of his explosive arrows from his quiver and plunge it into the back his attacker's knee. The resulting explosion sends the bottom half of Feral's leg spiraling into the air. Two grenades fired from a partially-conscience Cole into Cyber's back sends the prelate onto his face. He gets up, slowly, and walks over to the cyborg as Cole blasts away at the prelate, his rifle on full auto. A kick from the prelate snaps the rifle in two. The discharge of energy from the small explosion stuns Cole momentarily. The Australian doesn't even struggle as Cyber raises him over his head and slams the cyborg through the wall of the fountain. Dirty water spills onto Cole's broken skull as the cyborg's feet twitch for a few seconds before he dies. A choked cry causes Cyber to whirl around, and his sees his man, Harpoon fall from his second story perch in the empty KGB building's window, what can only be the feathered shaft of an arrow protruding from his eye. The prelate searches the hotel front for signs of a sniper, for surely none of the humans he just attacked could've made that shot from such an impossible angle. He finds none, and surveys the scene in front of him. Kravinoff and Weapon X encased in chrome, Firestar dead, Romanova's ashes swirling in the light breeze, the broken bodies of the three cyborgs scattered around the square. Chrome's standing near Weapon X at the entrance to the hotel, Harpoon's broken body at the base of the KGB building, the human victim of Harpoon's attack shaking in nervous seizures, Feral's shock-induced unconscience form, and her opponent... Gone! Cyber: Noooooooooo! High above the snow covered ground, Piotr Rasputin, the X Man Colossus, hardly feels the swift wind buffeting his organic metal skin, standing as he is on the tall battlements of the newly erected wall. Like in mideival times, surrounding villagers flock to this city, this fortress, of Kiev now that the word of war has spread. All yesterday evening and through the night, the Ukrainian peasants have hurried for Kiev's high walls to shelter the upcoming storm. Rasputin can only hope their faith in their protectors holds up over the next few days. Advanced scouts have reported at least ten divisions of Provisional Army troops heading down the Caucuses Mountains toward the city, accompanied by no less then ten full brigades of MLF troops. At least ten thousand mutants of Apocalypse and a million human soldiers are on their way to throw down Kiev's walls and slaughter its citizens. Colossus turns around to gaze at the interior of the city and wishes it were an inspiring sight. It is not. Even though the mutant Gateway has worked all through the night, the reinfocements he has brought from around the globe seem pitifully inadequate. Less than two companies of the Mandarin's vaunted Imperial Guard have come, led by an old man in a golf hat named Chen Hsu. Von Strucker's Hydra, Rasputin writes off as fanatics. Though almost a full ten thousand of them arrived early this morning, the X Man feels they will simply throw themselves at the MLF as cannon fodder at their master's bidding. The Hand are very small in number, less than two thousand. Tsuryaba said he would not give more for fear of degrading the security of Japan. Still, the leader of this contingent seems quite impressive. They call him the Silver Samauri; hopefully he has the fighting ability to back up such an ostentatious title. The Magistrates of Genosha seem the most capable, and have the most numbers of the reinforcements, about twenty-five thousand. Their weaponry is quite impressive, and thanks to the additional help of their man, Pipeline, more of the Magistrates have been transported here than any other contingent. The last group Gateway teleported within Kiev was his own comrades from Australia led by two rather unsavory individuals, Skullbuster and Bonebreaker. They seem more criminals than rebels. About three thousand of the cyborgs are camped below a section of battlement across from the one Rasputin stands upon. The man who made all of this possible, the mutant Gateway, is in a coma, his mutant abilities taxed beyond their limits. Adding to these groups the various rebel factions from around the conquered Soviet Union as well as the Black Sea fleet and the Ukrainians, there are about one hundred thousand men and women defending Kiev. Two hundred thousand against a million is a dangerous situation anytime. Adding the ten thousand soldiers of the MLF and the situation seems impossible. A voice, lighter than the wind breaks Colossus from his ruminations. Voice: Piotr? Piotr: Snowflake?! How did you get up here?!! Illyana: I don't know. I just missed you and was worried, so here I am. Piotr takes his sister into his arms. Piotr: Well, don't come up here again, Snowflake. It is very dangerous, Okay? Illyana: Yes, Piotr. Uhm, where's Mikhi? Piotr: I do not know where your brother is, 'Yana. He is no doubt where he should be, unlike you. Illyana giggles a little and hugs her brother tighter. Illyana: Do you think he seems any happier now that you are here, Piotr? He doesn't to me. Piotr: No, Mikhi is very sad right now, Snowflake. The times are becoming very dangerous and he worries; most of all, for you. Illyana: He worries about En Sabah Nur? Piotr: How do you know that name? Illyana: I heard Mikhi talking to himself right after Father died one night. He was sleep-walking right outside my bedroom. He was said that name. He woke up when I called to him and put me back to bed. Since then, he says that name sometimes in his sleep. He seems very troubled, Piotr. Piotr: He said that name the night you were attacked? Illyana: What do you mean, attacked? We were never attacked? Colossus was told by his brother of the Soul Skinner's attack and the attempt on Illyana's life. Perhaps she has blocked the event out, or perhaps the event has been blocked. But if that is the case, how could she know the true name of Apocalypse? Mikhail must be spoken to. Piotr: Come with me, Snowflake. Let's get down from here. The two Rasputins climp down the lattice work of ladders and platforms which stretch from the snowy ground to the top of the battlements. Genoshan Magistrates manning the walls see the armored Colossus coming and hastily step out of his way, usually with a snarl or an ill look. Disconcerted, once Colossus returns to the ground, he and his sister search out the Magistrates' commander, Colonel Majcomb. Colossus: Colonel, do you have a momnet. Majcomb sighs with obvious, what, disgust? Majcomb: What is it, X Man? Colossus: Your men, Colonel. They seem rather, unfriendly? I do not wish to offend them, is there something I can do? After all, I shall be in charge of this section of the wall once the attack comes. Majcomb: Yes, mutant, we know who's in charge. That is what the problem is. Colossus: I do not understand. Majcomb: You don't, do you? Tell me, Colossus, right, do you know anything about Genosha? Colossus: It is a small island nation of the western coast of Africa. Before Apocalypse it was a very prosperous nation. It was also the first place Apocalypse attacked. You capital, Hammer Bay, was bombed by nuclear weapons. Your fields were salted, the outlying cities razed. Eventually, the base of the island was ringed with so many explosives by Apocalypse and then detonated, the entire island-nation sunk back into the sea. Survivors of Genosha now shelter in Pan Africa. I understand why you and your men would hate Apocalypse, but why me? I have fought and lost nearly as much as you in this war. Majcomb: Do you know why Genosha was hit so hard? No other conquered country was utterly destoryed. Why was that, Rasputin? Colossus: I do not know. Majcomb: Because of the mutants on our island! Our scientists were on the verge of devising a way for our mutants to increase their power, to better serve their nation. Genosha was so advanced because we embraced our genetic differences, unlike so many other countries. When Apocalypse came, the offers made toward Genosha's mutant population were viewed as conscessions. The mutants wern't content to simply live as equals. They wanted to be masters. Genosha was destroyed because the mutant citizens wanted it that way. They wanted Genosha, my home, to be an example that co-existance, what they thought of as a milk-sop, was a lie. The anniliation of Genosha was a message sent by its former mutant residence to any human who believed the mutants would take anything less than total rule. That is why we hate you, Rasputin. We hate the fact we must put our faith once again in a mutant. Renee Majcomb turns and walks away from the startled Rasputins. Piotr and Illyana say nothing for a time, merely standing in the snow, watching the magistrates watching them, and for the first time since coming to Kiev, both Illyana and Piotr wish they had not. A few blocks down the street is the new Ukrainian capital. A few days ago it held the delegates of the Free Conference. Now, most of those delegates are gone from its chambers. Most are back carrying on the struggle in their own parts of the world, some are organizing their forces in this city. The Mandarin and General Bezokhov are still in the building, though now in a much larger audience hall. Looming high above them, their giant helmets scraping the ceiling, are two of the prototypes of Braddock Industries' Sentinal Project. The man briefing the two rebel leaders is now an employee of BI, though at one time he called himself boss. His assistant, Simon Williams, his scurring about on a high platform making last minute adjustments to the interior workings of the mechanoid via the open front chest plate. Bezokhov: Tell me again, Comrade Stark, will we be able to put these two behemoths to use here in Kiev? Stark: We should, General. Their require a large power source to charge their batteries, but since you plan to cut electricty to the civilian sectors once the attack begins anyway, we should have juice to spare. Mandarin: These, things seem rather primitive, Anthony. Will they be of any use to us? Stark: Don't push my buttons, Mandarin. We'll finish up our business once we've taken down Apocalypse. As to what these “things” can do, they got on-board surface to air and air to air missle systems, anti-tank capablity, four independently controlled gatlin guns capable of firing one hundred armor-piercing shells per second, air maneuverability packages which should be proof against the most adverse of flying conditions, and mutiple motar packs which can dispence fragmentation or white-phosferous grenades. They're also equiped with enhanced sonic projectors, retractable adamantium battle scythes, a napalm dispensor, and tow cables Mandarin: Your toys are nothing compared to the my rings. Stark: And you're nothing without your rings. Bezokhov: Gentlemen, please! The war is coming. We need not begin it in here. This brewing battle, possible not just of words, is effectively halted by the loud pinging sound of a dropped wrench. Simon Williams, gripping the rail of the scaffold for balance, calls down to them. Simon: Sorry! Dizzy spell! The Mandarin looks up in annoyance and Stark looks up in concern. Simon is obviously not well. The Mandarin continues. Mandarin: Our particular war was begun long before we ever came to Kiev. Stark: And it will end long after we've left. Clint Barton can't belive two things. First, he's alive. Second, the others are dead. Not that he ain't soon ta be. The mutant Feral ripped him up pretty good. He'll need at least a million stitches and six quarts of blood. Not that he's gonna get it. He's about ta die, again, and he just got that killer shot off at the sniper in the KGB building, too. At the moment, Clint is lying on his face in the lobby of the hotel his team had taken refuge in. If it weren't for the foot on his back pressing his nose into the floor, and what feels like the points of a couple of swords pressed to the base of his skull, he'd be smiling right now. He hears Cyber's yells of frustration that the bowman has escaped. Although he can't see behind him, he hears what can only a Shhhhh. The next thing he knows, he's in the basement of the hotel. No, he wasn't unconscience and then awoke down here, he was instantly transported. Teleported. Nightcrawler. Clint: Hiya, Kurt. Miss me? The X Man smiles in response as Clint hears a dead person's voice behind him. "And Me?" He turns around and attempts to conceal the shock on his face at seeing Natalia Romanova standing before him. She's a little singed around the edges, but on the whole, lookin' pretty good. Clint: How? Natalia: Nightcrawler teleported in just as Firestar struck and teleported away again before the flames reached me. She gingerly touches her reddened skin. Natalia: For the most part. Clint: Huh. The roundhouse kick is so fast Nightcrawler cannot teleport away in time. Barton's boot smashes into the mutant's face, hurling him into the wall. Clint: Freakin' traitor!! He grabbed Nightcrawler and smashed his forehead into the blue-furred face. Once. Twice. Thri... The third blow is caught in a powerful three fingered grip. Blood mixes with needle sharp teeth and blue lips giving Nightcrawler's visage an even more hellish appearance. Nightcrawler: My turn. Before he can strike, Natalia grabs them both, hauling them apart. Natalia: No! No one's turn. How many times have you to be told, the fight's out there. Clint: He left us to die! Nightcrawler: What choice did I have? Cyber was on to us from the start. Yes, I saw them coming, but if I had attacked, or 'ported back to warn you, we would all have died then and there. My only hope was to stay hidden and pray I could rescue the survivors. Clint: You knew some of us would die, didn't you!! Natalia: Yes, he did, bowman. But I agree with his decision. The mission is all. We all came here to give up our lives to discover the secret behind Scimitar. Clint: Don't seem like the elf was ready to give up his li... Barton is interrupted by a sword blade tucked under his chin. Nightcrawler: Call me elf again, and not even all the hordes of Apocalypse could stop me from killing you. Barton is remarkably calm with the sword under his chin. Barton: They got most of us already, thanks to you. Gryich may've been a feeb, but he was my friend. The word elf is not mentioned again, despite Barton's bravado. The sword is lowered. Natalia: He's not dead. The man who shot him is called Harpoon. He's one of Cyber's lackeys. His power is limited to briefly scrambling his victim's nervous system. Gryich's alive, as is Weapon X and Kraven. Clint: Then we gotta go after 'em!! Natalia: No. Clint: What do ya mean no? Nightcrawler: What part of “no” don't you understand, American? Why have to find Scimitar. We do not have time to go knocking on the prison fortress of Apocalypse. That's suicide. Clint: We did it for you. Nightcrawler: And I am eternally gratefull, not suicidal. Natalia: Look, they're on their way to prison right now, to be questioned by Cyber or perhaps Nicodemus himself. Even if we followed them, they'd be long dead by the time we even reached the outside walls. They're gone, Clint. I'm sorry. Clint: Your _sorry_?! Nightcrawler: We have all suffered losses, bowman. Should we dishonor their memories by abandoning the cause they fought and died for? Would Gryich respect you for turning way from our mission. Clint: Gryich never respected me. Natalia: Look, Clint. We need you. You can lead Cyber away from the KGB building and Nightcrawler and I can get to the computers. Clint: Oh sure, now you're sacrificing me! Nightcrawler: No! Cyber thinks Natalia is dead and knows nothing about me. He'll follow you. Once Natalia and I are inside, I'll teleport to you and then bring us both back to Natalia. We're not sacrificing anybody, not anymore. Clint: If you can help it. Natalia: We all knew the risks involved. Clint: I seem to be the only one taking them though. Nightcrawler: Enough of this!! Cower in the cellar with the rest of the rats, Barton. I'll announce my presence to the prelate and run your interference, Natalia. We don't need this coward. Clint: No! You're right, both of you. I'll go. Just let me get some bandages around the deeper of these cuts. Minutes pass slowly as Clint tends to his wounds. Once the majority of his arms are wrapped in gause, he stands, gathers his bow and quiver and slams a fresh clip in his sub-machine gun, and nods. Clint: I'm ready. Natalia: Clint, once we get Scimiatar, we'll go after our friends. I promise. Clint: Okay. Nightcrawler grabs his comrade's arms and with a *bamf* they are gone. Seconds later they reappear on a third story balconey overlooking the square, which is now packed with MLF troops. The balconey has a three foot cement wall ringing it and the X Man and Barton quickly duck out of sight behind it. Nightcrawler draws one of his swords and hands it the bowman. Nightcrawler: Here, take this. It is very sharp and well balanced. Perfect for close quarter fighting. Clint hefts it, takes a couple practice swings and then expertly slides it into his battle harness. At Nightcrawlers questioning glance as to the bowman's expertise with a sword, Barton only shrugs. Clint: Bows and sword kinda go together. Thanks. Nightcrawler: I shall come for you as soon as I can. Take care. Clint: You too... elf. The X Man shakes his head and smiles. He disappears with a flash of light and puff of smoke. The troops in the square below notice Kurt's display and shout and point at the balcony. Clint: Well, here we go again. The bowman rises from cover and waves rediculously. Clint: Hey Cyyyyyberrrr! Know how many mini