X-Men Legacy 62
X-Men Legacy
Legend: Thoughts = <>
Stray thoughts = ()
Flashback **
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Ok, guys, all the disclaimers apply, that means all thanks goes to Marvel
For the X-Men, I'm just making the story. And I do read all the other
Stories and they're great, keep up the good work. They inspire me!
The X-Men (Storm, Cyclops, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, and new recruits Connor and Raiden) stood before the police, listening to the story. A man dressed in all black had been there, had been thrown into the street, nearly being ran over by an oncoming car. Luckily, the man had been able to scamper away, but the other guy had gone.
Wolverine sniffed the air, "Yup, he's been here and not long ago." He said.
"Psss." A voice came from down and alley.
Wolverine looked down the alley, seeing nothing and walked away from the group. He walked to the end of the alley and stopped, sniffing the air.
"I'm not going to hurt you." The voice said.
"I know." Wolverine said, "You saw him."
"Scary little guy. Black eyes, tortured expression. Yeah, he was here." The man said, stepping out of the shadows.
"Who are you, bub?" Wolverine asked.
"My name is Darkness."
"Original." Wolverine said.
"That guy's unstoppable." Darkness said, his dark voice echoing in the alley.
"You don't know the half of it." Wolverine said, turning to leave.
"He's...got to be stopped." Darkness said.
"It'll take a lot more than some guy in a mask and cape to stop him." Wolverine said, turning to see an empty alley, "A lot more."
Chapter 62: Never Back Down
A little town just outside of Baton Rouge...
"Please!" A woman pleaded, trying to crawl away.
The Hollow picked the poor woman up by the neck, tilting his head to look her up and down. Without squinting or straining, just a blank expression, "This one poses no threat."
"So, you're going to let her live?" Sinister asked, reading a little machine in his hand.
The Hollow brought his head back to the center, "No." he said, causing the particles in her head to speed up and explode!
"Brilliant." Sinister snickered, shielding himself from the bits of the woman.
"We do not need the machine to find it." The Hollow said, closing his eyes and pointing to the swampland, "It is in there."
"The swamp? Interesting." Sinister said, following The Hollow into the swamp. A shadowy figure stood in the offing, watching the whole thing and followed both of them into the swamp
-
What do you mean you killed him?!
Future Pane was silent.
You did it on purpose?
"No. I would never...We would never..." Pane trailed.
How? When? Why?
"You made the biggest mistake, the only mistake that matters! You've been here before and you'll be here again, it's confusing. Time travel. Different Panes come to me, needing different answers and the trick is to figure out which Pane is from which century. From which decade. From which moment." Future Pane explained, "It's all relative. All."
Crypticity again? Why did you do it?
"We weren't me." Pane said, "We weren't you. We didn't exist."
Last thing I remember, I was on the Avengers.
Pane smiled, but quickly tried to hide it, "Have you figured it out yet? What I figure I've told you in the future?" he asked.
What is he talking about?
"I'm talking about them." Pane said.
Them?
§
Connor and Raiden stood, looking at pictures of Pane and various students at the school. He seemed so happy! It was so him, yet so unlike him. You could tell it was happier times and it was a simpler time.
"Not everybody liked him." Scott said, standing at the door.
Connor and Raiden looked up from the pictures.
"Before he was an Omega-level mutant, he was Pane. He was never just Pane." Scott continued, walking over and looking at the pictures, "Poor kid, nothing was ever simple for him."
"So, he wasn't happy?" Raiden asked.
Scott stopped and thought, "Yes, he was. Through it all, he still kept that smile. The smile that could light up any room." He said.
Raiden looked at him with realization while Connor just looked ensnared.
"He had to put up with so much: Snotty kids, overwhelming powers, people thinking he's a weapon...Through it all, he kept it. He was contagious." Scott said.
"I liked the way he talked...talks..." Connor stuttered.
"You loved him?" Raiden asked
"I love him." Scott said.
Connor now had the same looked of realization on his face.
"When people look back at him, he wanted them to see just a man. Not even a brave man, just a man, but I know better. People'll remember him as a weapon, as a mutant, as a Faggot..."
Connor and Raiden looked away at that word.
"...I remember him as the love of my life, as a strong, brave guy that stole my heart." Scott said.
"We haven't known him long." Connor said.
Scott nodded sadly.
"But everything you said was true." Connor said, "He is a good guy."
Scott smiled.
"We're going to do everything in our power to help him." Raiden smiled.
"Thank you." Scott smiled back.
"Scott." Ororo said at the door, "He's been found."
§
Pane from the future hovered high above the darkened city. His mind was racing. He was not worried about dying, he hadn't been for decades. But this world, it wasn't his anymore. The only one that could stop this all was him. He had tried to prevent this all from happening, by working with Masters, Ultron, and whomever else he could manipulate. But he failed. The monster had been unleashed!
"Don't move!" A dark, penetrating voice said.
"Ah!" Pane smiled, "You."
"I'm surprised you remember me, you threw me away so fast..." Darkness said, holding something to the back of Pane's head.
"And you're thinking you're going to scare me with a sharp weapon?" Pane asked, whirling around, "Nice costume, a lot smaller than I remember."
"It was just yesterday." His husky voice said.
Pane didn't say a word, he levitated the knife into his hand, "It all seems like yesterday." He said.
"You're different." Darkness said, stumbling back.
"That's what my mommy told me. I miss her." Pane said sadly.
"Your friends are looking for you." Darkness said, "They were here."
"I know you. You're a fighter. Why aren't you fighting me?" Pane asked.
"I'm just buying time." Darkness said.
Pane looked down at Darkness's hands and shocked to see a bomb-like object! Darkness threw the object at him and it exploded causing him to spiral from his dissent into a trashcan at the bottom of the alley. Pane sat up in the trashcan, pulling trash out of his short hair, "Yuck, this is nasty." He said, disgusted.
-
"Good thing we marry rich. The last few times" Future Pane said, not bothering to look at me, "They are a vital part of our life."
I still don't quite understand. We got married?
"Of course." He stopped and turned, "We had kids."
Kids? What?!
"Mind-blowing isn't it?" Pane said, "Scary."
Mind reader? I get powerful?
"We're already powerful." Pane said, "I lived it."
It's weird to know you were here. You were me.
"I was naïve." Pane said, "Innocent."
I smiled.
"Dumb." Pane ended.
I lost my smile.
"But we get over it." Pane said, "One of the many drawbacks of living so long, you actually have time to think."
Thinking is so overrated.
"I used to think that too." Pane said, "Obviously."
Any reason why I'm here?
"Questions deserve answers." Pane said, "You want to know why you. Why are you destined to bear this load?"
True. Why do I have to live forever?
"Destiny." Pane said, "It's all about Destiny."
I looked at him oddly.
"And power, don't forget power." He added.
-
"The Power." The Hollow said, holding his hand over the bayou, "I can feel it."
Sinister watched as the Hollow walked on the water, more like levitated over it and smiled to himself. He was all that Apocalypse said he would! Death and power rolled into one colossal, ultimate package!
"You watch as I open this portal. I am ancient power, raw and untouched, ready to bring about the dawn of a new existence!" The Hollow said, "This host, his memories of you are less than flattering. You are nothing more than a common witch doctor."
"I am much more." Sinister smirked, "So much more."
"Perhaps." The Hollow said, "Someone has been following us and he conveniently enough lies a few paces back."
Sinister looked over his shoulder to see a familiar face, "Gambit, my old friend." He smiled.
"Gambit?" The Hollow echoed, "There are memories..."
"Pane, what ya doin chere" Gambit said, brandishing his staff and a deck of cards.
The Hollow tilted his head, "Your vernacular offends me." He said.
"I saw what ya did." Gambit said, "I cain't let ya go."
"I don't think you letting us go will be the problem." Sinister said, brandishing a gun.
Gambit raised his hands and threw the cards, taking Mr. Sinister off his feet. The Hollow just stared, head still titled as he landed on the shore of bayou and walked over to Gambit, who wacked him with the staff! The Hollow's face never changed, yet he grabbed the staff and threw it away, causing it to fly through a nearby tree and out the other side! Gambit stumbled back, still holding the cards.
"They will not affect me." The Hollow said.
Sinister chuckled, "We're unbeatable!" he said.
The Hollow grabbed a few cards out of Gambit's hand and threw them at Sinister! They lodged in his chest and exploded, "He was beginning to annoy me." He said.
"Know da feelin." Gambit said, surprised by the sudden change.
Ahead, the X-Jet was visible now and The Hollow immediately knew and returned to what he was doing before Gambit interrupted. Gambit took a step forward.
"Another step and I will rip your heart from your chest." The Hollow said, not bothering to open his eyes.
"Not if I rip ya to pieces first, bub." Wolverine said, jumping from out of the bushes just in time to tackle the Hollow through the newly opened portal!
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Well, if you liked it please tell me so I can start work on the next one. I really need feedback, especially if you like it. If you don't, I need advice and suggestions, please.