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Angel In The Attic	By : fusedtwilight Category: X-men Comics > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 5328 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own X-men, it is the property of marvel comics and in no way do i make a profit from this fic.

Chapter List
- 23
- 24
- 25
Angel in the Attic
Chapter 24

Fusedtwilight: Happy fourth of July everyone!
Thanks to my beta Lisa and all you wonderful readers. This chapter Bastion makes his move against the X-Men and Michael looks inside himself to learn how to master his power.

Havas was not an angry man by nature, nor was he bitter.
But when Adonai Malakh stole all his research and threatened his life, Havas found himself craving revenge.
Ever since Adonai raided the ruins they found and destroyed it so they couldn't recover anything, Havas had become obsessed with finding anything and everything related to the Cheyarafim.
His quest led him to Egypt. A friend of his told him of a cave that had been found hidden within a rock formation. Skeletons had been discovered inside. Skeletons with wings.
Telling no one he immediately made his way to Egypt.
The cave had no signs of anything special. It was not a tomb, or a holy sight. The skeletons had been found hovering around an odd black crystal formation.
There were writings on the wall; they had been scratched on in a hurried fashion, as if the ones who drew them were afraid or desperate to finish them before they died.
They had already run tests on it and discovered the crystal had something inside it.
Something humanoid. Something that also had wings.
What was inside it? Why would they bury a body in such an unordinary place? Why not bury it someplace more proper? And why were there so many dead bodies carrying weapons?
Had the body inside been someone important? Were the people who hid it away trying to protect it?
Havas didn't know, but he intended to find out.
Adonai may try all he liked, but Havas swore he would reveal the secrets of the Cheyarafim to the world.
Even if it cost him his life.

Michael sat outside in a meditative pose.
Adonai walked around him in circles.
"Focus Michael, clear your mind. Let go of your emotions," Adonai said.
"Easier said than done," Michael said.
"What you are trying to achieve is no easy task. It took me many years to do this."
"All you have been having me do is meditate. How can I focus when all I have been eating is bread and water?"
"You need only what is required. The archistratege state is when we are able to tap into the full power of our potential. You tapped into that power when you faced the Juggernaut," Adonai said.
"I don't really remember what happened. I willed myself to summon as much as my power as I could and then I was drowning in light. When I came to, he was defeated."
"Your survival instincts helped you tap into it. A risky move. Had you lost control you may have attacked your friends. In order to master this you must be as emotionless and perfect as a marble statue. But you are too filled with rage right now."
"No I'm not. I am perfectly tranquil right now," Michael argued.
"No you're not. You are seething with rage. With vengeance. If you try and go into the archistratege state then you will revert to your bestial form. Where the the archistratege is about order and control, your beast form is about chaos and abandon."
"So what should I do?"
"Continue meditating. Before you can complete your training you must learn to activate your true power," Adonai said.
Michael sighed. "This is going to take a while."
"Just focus. With the archistratege you will have more than enough power to take out Bastion. The stars themselves tremble at the might of its power," Adonai explained.
"I don't get it though. What is the difference between that monster form I took and this? You turned into a monster as well when we fought. You didn't lose control."
"Because I have had a long time to learn to control that form. Until you learn to master your emotions I do not recommend it or else you might go berserk again."
"Right, so no giant monster angel form. Got it," Michael said.
"Just keep meditating. Discipline your mind, control your emotions, look deep into yourself, and find the source of your power," Adonai said.

Meanwhile back at the mansion the X-Men were preparing for their big mission.
The time had come for them to attack Bastion.
They would travel to South America and take down Bastion and his army of Sentinels and Purifiers.
All active X-Men were called in for this one; it was sure to be one of their toughest missions.
Gambit, Nightcrawler, Omega Sentinel, Thunderbird, Polaris, Karma, Colossus, Magma, Storm, Rogue, Magik, Wolverine, Cyclops, Jean, Cannonball, Sunspot, Dazzler, Bishop, Havoc, Psylock, Shadowcat and Sage would all be going.
They were the best fighters the X-Men had.
They were all in the War Room planning for the attack.
Hank had everyone's attention.
"In the past several months there have been more and more Sentinel signals. So many in fact we were unable to keep a proper count. Last I checked it was well into the thousands."
"Why didn't we attack sooner?" Sam asked.
"Because of their radar," Karima said. "I have been able to tap into their network and learn about their defenses. Bastion is using his knowledge of the future to use tech that is generations ahead of ours. Before we would even have time to land with our stealth on, we would be blasted from the sky."
"We have had our best minds working on new stealth technology to compensate. We believe we have finally added the proper upgrades to get us there and back," Hank said.
"You believe you have?" Alex asked.
"Well, when dealing with technology you can never be sure," Hank said.
"Ah, I feel so good about this mission already," Rogue said.
"X-Men, we have to make sure we defeat Bastion once and for all. He was created in a world filled with hate and ignorance, a world where mutants were killed or put in camps. A future where humans who have a dominant X-gene are sterilized. Thanks to efforts from our future selves, that future was avoided. But if Bastion has his way then all our efforts will have been for naught. Do what you must to stop this creature my X-Men, the future once again rests in your hands," Xavier said.

Michael was still trying to meditate.
Adonai told him before he could fully master his powers he had to find inner peace.
Most people had an entire lifetime to achieve that. He did not have that luxury, however.
He needed to master his power so when he finally fought Bastion he would reduce him to dust.
"Come on Michael, speed it up. You need to hurry up," Adonai said.
Michael sighed.
"You know I can't just flip my emotions off like a light switch. I need time."
"I don't expect you to turn them off, smartass. I expect you to control them, there is a big difference. And time is not on our side."
"What do you mean?" Michael asked.
"Today something is about to happen. Something major."
"What?"
"Today the X-Men will cease to exist."
"What? What do you mean?" Michael asked.
"I have foreseen this day. Today the X-Men will do battle with their nemesis. But there will be no victor. Both sides will cease."
"What? Why didn't you say something?" Michael panicked.
"Because I could care less about the X-Men, they mean nothing to me," Adonai said.
"The X-Men are the only things that stand between the humans and mutants fighting!"
Adonai laughed. "Boy, you have a lot to learn. I have watched the humans for centuries. When they want to fight a war, they will find a reason. Religion, love, greed, faith, land, money, hate, vengeance, fear. It is in their nature. Mutants are no different. Magneto may like to think mutants are more evolved but the truth is they are no better than the humans. After mutants inherit the earth it will only be a matter of time before they start fighting one another for the same reason humans do."
"That's not true! Yes, humans have a tendency to fight over petty things and so do mutants. But the X-Men help prevent that! If it weren't for them there would already be a war! The X-Men exist to keep peace between humans and mutants," Michael argued.
"Yet their lives are filled with violence and fighting."
"Of course they are! Do you think peace is so easy! God, you know what your problem is, Adonai? Or Yahweh, or whatever the hell you call yourself? You think just because you have lived so long and are so powerful that you are some expert on the world and humanity! But the truth is, you're just a tired old man burned out on life, so eager for death he could care less about the world or humanity!"
Adonai wrapped his hand around Michael's throat and lifted him in the air.
"If I didn't have so much invested in you I would gut you right now!"
"Either way, you are still a shell!"
Adonai glared at him, as his eyes burned with a fiery light. He dropped Michael who struggled to catch his breath.
"Fine. You want to help the X-Men, you will. There is another way to achieve the archistratege state."
"How?"
"You must look deep within yourself, deep within your soul. You must confront your emotions and find the source of your power."
"And how do I do that?" Michael asked.
Adonai reached into his pocket and pulled out a black seed. He held it out to Michael who took it in his hand and examined it. "What is this?"
"This seed is toxic. If one ingests it they will enter a coma and possibly die."
"...And...why did you give it to me?"
"If you want to make this move along quickly, then the quickest way is to go on a spiritual journey. And the quickest way to do that is to enter a death-like sleep. By entering the border between life and death you will be able to traverse the inside of your soul, the spiritual manifestation of your essence. There you will find the source of your power."
"And possibly die," Michael said quoting him.
"Don't worry. Your healing powers will keep you from dying," Adonai said.
"You are sure?"
Eighty percent."
"What about the other twenty?"
"Always room for error."
"Right." Michael looked at the seed and set his resolve. This had to work. It had to. The future depended on it.
Michael popped the seed into his mouth and swallowed. Several seconds after he did an uncomfortable burning sensation began to form in his belly.
The world began to blur around him and he felt himself swaying. He fell backward but Adonai caught him.
"Sweet dreams kid and good luck, you will need it, believe me."
Adonai picked him up and carried him back to the mansion. He remembered long ago when he fought for the right to claim his true power.
It had not been very pleasant.

Michael opened his eyes.
There were dark clouds in the sky. Storm clouds.
The air had that smell that comes with rainfall, the ground felt moist and damn. He sat up and looked around, he was in a vast field littered with hills and spotted with flowers.
Despite the gloomy clouds and the bitter chill in the air, it was all rather beautiful.
Michael stood up, he was shirtless now and only had on a pair of white cotton pants with a yellow sash.
"So this is my soul? Now I have to find the source of my power. Wherever that is."
Michael saw a hill taller than the rest, there was a beam of sunlight that fell on top of that hill. He decided to climb up it, figuring the sunlight was some kind of sign. And if it wasn't he could still climb it and see if he could see anything in the distance. It was so tall, almost mountain-like.
It took a while, it was a large hill, not to mention wet, so every once in a while he would slip and almost fall to the ground.
When he finally did reach the top of the hill, he found something most odd.
It was a tree. Its bark was white like snowand the sunlight that managed to fall from the sky caused it to sparkle slightly. Its leaves were a luscious green and twenty types of fruit grew from its limbs, each of the fruit was a rich color like precious jewels. In front of it was a small pond with several lily pads on its surface.
"Okay, I think I found something."
Michael looked around. He had a good view of the area, for as far as he could see it was nothing but an open field with smaller hills. He could not see any other trees or anything else that might be a clue.
"Alright, a tree with fruit...obvious where this is going."
Michael walked to the tree, wandering around the pond until he was at its base. He reached up and was about to pick one of the fruits.
"'But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it. For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die," Michael quoted.
Just as he was about to grab an apple something shot out from one of the branches and wrapped around his wrist. It was crimson colored, and had the feel of something scaly that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
A second appendage slithered down and Michael realized it was the head of a very large and nasty looking snake. It had yellow eyes and it appeared to be grinning, which Michael was sure snakes didn't do.
"Hey," the snake said.
"Um...hi," Michael said uncertainly.
"How you doing?"
"Good...you?"
"Pretty good."
"So...nice weather."
"Not really, place looked all bright and sunny until a few months ago. We had a serious storm of anger and pain that almost drowned the whole place," the snake said.
"Okay...so...can I have a fruit?"
"No, that would be bad."
"How bad?"
"I'd have to kill you." The snake opened its mouth in a grin and Michael saw some very nasty looking fangs that were dripping venom.
"That would be bad," Michael said.
"For you."
Michael pulled his hand away and the serpent let him go.
"I mean, I can't just let you eat from the tree without passing some tests."
"Wait...isn't that the exact opposite of what happened in the Bible?" Michael asked.
"This isn't Eden and I am not that serpent. I guard this tree. You want to eat from it then you must pass the tests."
"Okay. How many are there?" Michael asked.
"Seven, one for each sin," the snake said.
"Of course. So if I pass I can eat from the tree?"
"Yes."
"And you won't stop me?"
"Nope."
"Nope as in you won't stop me, or nope as in you will try and stop me?"
The snake just grinned.
Michael sighed. "Alright, what must I do?"
"First you must face each sin, in the order in which they have a sway over you. From the lease powerful sin to the strongest."
"Okay, so which sin am I facing first?" Michael asked.
"Sloth."
"And where is sloth?"
"Behind you."
Michael turned around. He didn't know what he was expecting, maybe some kind of demon. thatever he did not expect. A bed was not one of them.
"A bed?" he asked.
"I did say weakest to strongest. You are not slothful at all, you are a very hard worker so this sin is very weak and manifests in a weak form," the snake explained.
"So what do I do with it?"
"Beds serve a number of functions, though sleeping is a common use. Why don't you try it out, it looks comfortable."
"Doesn't that defeat the purpose of the trial?"
"Indeed. Congratulations, you pass the first test."
"Yay...I guess."
The bed vanished.
"Alright, now onto greed."

The X-Men had been expecting many things when they arrived at the Master Mold facility.
They had managed to land without being detected and made their way to Bastion's hideout without being discovered.
Once they got inside they found dozens of Sentinels waiting for them. After several minutes they were all taken down.
"Something is not right," Bishop said.
"What do you mean, we just kicked some serious ass!" Sunspot exclaimed.
"No, Bishop is right. There should be thousands of Omega types here. These things look like they were taken from random parts that were lying around," Sage said.
"Where are Bastion and the Purifiers?" Cyclops asked.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Storm said.
Just then all the TV screens in the room turned on, revealing a sneering Bastion.
"Ah, X-Men. Sorry I could not be there to welcome you to my home."
"Bastion!" Cyclops yelled.
"Ironically enough, I am on my way to your school. Had you stayed there I would have come to you. But don't worry, I left you a little surprise, to make sure you don't get away this time."
A missile suddenly launched from a hidden panel in the wall. It shot out and exploded in a shower of blood that hit Magik. White runes began to glow all over her body.
"Oh fu-"
Before she could finish a white portal appeared, tentacles and clawed hands shot out and grabbed her pulling her in.
"Illyana no!" Colossus yelled.
"What did you do to her, Bastion?!" Cyclops demanded.
"Just some well-paid money to some dark wizards to banish her. Don't know where and don't care. Couldn't let you teleport away before I gave you my gift," Bastion said.
"What gift?"
"The same give I have to offer all mutants. Death," he said with a sinister smile.
Jean had a sudden realization then.
"It's a bomb!"

Bastion watched as the screen showed the outside of the facility.
There was a flash of light and a massive explosion, for several miles there was nothing but destruction. Where once there had been beautiful trees there, now there was nothing but ash and a black stain on the earth.
"I was going to say death, but it's the same damn thing I guess," Bastion said with a smile.

Xavier's eyes snapped open.
"No!"
He quickly took off Cerebro and left the chamber. Hank was outside waiting for him.
"Charles, wh-"
Before he could finish Xavier cut him off.
"Hank, red alert. Lock the school down. Bastion is on his way."
"But what about the others? What happened to them?"
Xavier was silent.
'Oh my stars and garters."

In Westchester, the humans went about their day, soon to learn that they were about to be caught in a battle that would have a great impact on them all.
Anna was in her room; she was still grounded because of her stunt at the dance.
She noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She looked out her window and saw something odd.
A dark dome had begun to form on the outskirts of town. She stood up and looked out her window, she could see people peeking out their windows or walking out of their houses to see this phenomena.
"What the hell? That's where...the school is!"
She instantly ran outside, ignoring her parents who demanded she get back in. She grabbed one of her brother's bicycles and began to peddle toward the dome.

"The towers are online, sir."
"Obviously," Bastion said.
"And our troops have already begun to converge on the institute."
"Perfect. Tell them to wait for our signal, it is best to gather our forces before we strike. That way we need not drag this out any more then need be," Bastion said.
"It was genius to plant that bomb there, sir."
"I know. I was hoping to use Seraph. It would have been wonderfully ironic. But a hydrogen bomb does the same trick. And to think they actually thought we didn't notice that Karima wasn't hacking into our system. She didn't know we hacked her operating systems to make her think we were still there."
"With the majority of the senior members dead, taking down the rest should be child's play."
Bastion gave the Purifier a stern look. "Do not underestimate them. They may be children, but they have been trained by the X-Men. They have fought the same foes as their teachers, so do not think just because they are children they will go down easily."
The Purifier bowed his head. "Of course, sir."

Anna finally arrived at the base of the dome.
Police and ambulances were on the scene. Apparently the dome had cut into some buildings, cutting them in half or destroying them completely.
Some brave people walked up to the dome, some were throwing rocks at it, others were touching it and many were taking pictures with their cell phones.
Anna walked up to the dome and touched it, it didn't have a temperature, and in fact if it wasn't for the physical force she felt when she touched it, she would think there was nothing there.
Just then something landed next to her. She jumped in shock and looked down, seeing a dead bird.
"They do that."
Anna looked up to see a boy no older then twelve looking at the bird. "They fly right into it. You'd think they would try to avoid it. Maybe they can't sense it or something."
"What happened?" she asked nodding to the dome.
"I don't know. One minute everything is cool, then this black veil comes down from the sky and then things are getting destroyed and people are freaking out."
The kid walked up to the dome. He looked at it fearfully.
"I heard someone saying it was mutants. That school is on the inside. You think the X-Men are in trouble?"
"Maybe. But I know one thing. If anyone is fucking with them they are in deep shit. I date one of the students there and I have seen them in action. They are not to be messed with."

The people outside the dome were scared.
But the people inside were positively terrified.
Everyone was in a panic; it didn't help when random people on the streets or in gas stations and grocery stores turned into black and purple colored robots.
Some people fled inside their homes, some took refuge in a church, or in the police station.
The police were doing their best to keep order. Luckily none of them had anything to fear, they were not the ones under attack.
Outside the gates of the Xavier Institute, hundreds upon hundreds of Sentinels gathered. The Purifiers were with them, or what was left of the ones who had not been transformed.
Bastion stood amongst them all, his hands behind him as he stared at the school with a hungry predatory look.
"Today, humanity fights back. Send in the first wave," Bastion instructed.
"First wave!" one of the Purifiers yelled.
Twenty Sentinels flew toward the school, crashing through the gates. The school was under lockdown. All the windows had been covered by metal glass shields making it seem like a prison.
The Sentinels flew forward, and they were about to fire when all of a sudden there was an explosion of pink smoke.
When it cleared they saw several teams of young X-Men and among them were the Champions.
"Who's ready to fuck shit up?" Devin asked.

Down in the sub-basement, Xavier was being helped by Hank.
The students were being guarded by some of the remaining X-Men in the shelter. Over the years the mansion had been attacked numerous times (and destroyed numerous times), so when they finally began to become an official school and students began to pour in they decided it would be wise to build a shelter to keep them in, in case of another attack.
It had been a very wise move.
Xavier could sense the fight outside, he could sense the student's fears inside the shelter and even sense what little mind the Sentinels had left.
"I've scanned the dome and I saw that it covers half the is made by three towers built at certain points. The only way we can get out is if we take out those towers," Hank said.
"But of course they are guarded," Xavier said.
"Of that I am sure."
"We'll have Megan teleport the students to safety. After they are all gone then we can work on the towers."
"I am afraid that won't work."
"Why not?"
"The towers keep the area locked on a quantum level. In effect, we are now in our own little form of sub-space. Megan can teleport anywhere in the dome, but not out of it."
"Damn. Then we must go for the towers," Xavier said.
"The problem is there are so many of them and so few of us; I don't think we can spare anyone."
"Henry, I think that plan of ours we discussed would come in handy now."
Hank looked at Xavier, his face serious. "You mean the exoskeleton?"
"Yes."
"Charles, you are of course aware of the dangers of using that."
"I know. But my students are in danger, Hank. I won't lose any more of them," Xavier said firmly.

"This is ridiculous!" Michael said with disgust.
"What?" the serpent asked.
"These tests! Sloth was a bed, gluttony was an all-you-can-eat buffet, greed was a box full of gold, and envy was just papers to have me adopted by a family! These trials suck!"
The serpent shrugged, or did something that must have been a shrug seeing how he didn't have any shoulders. It was more like it bobbed its head. "The stronger the sin the stronger the trial, but it is always the final three that are the most interesting."
Before Michael could ask what he meant, someone called his name.
"Michael!"
He turned and saw Anna, much to his surprise. He ran to her, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend.
"Anna? What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Adonai brought me here, he said you needed me."
She kissed him then, his grip around her waist grew tighter. He hadn't seen her in so long, how he missed the feel of her lips, the scent of her skin.
He then noticed she was wearing a white summer gown that clung to her body perfectly, showing off all her curves.
"Michael, please take me," she whispered.
"Home?" he asked.
"No. Me, know me as a man can know a woman."
A jolt of shock and lust washed over him. Was she asking him to have sex with her?
There had been times when they had made out heavily. Anna always told him she was on the pill and that she wanted to have sex. But Michael always turned her down, much to both of their frustrations. Michael had sworn to God he would remain pure until marriage, and Michael was raised to honor his oaths to God.
But after all this time away from her, after seeing her in such a provocative dress, maybe...maybe.
He kissed her with great passion, his hands moved to cup her buttocks firmly.
"Stay with me here, forever, in this place where we will both be safe. Safe from humans, mutants, Purifiers, Sentinels, and our own family. We can live in bliss and joy for all time. You and me, as Adam and Eve did in their Eden," she whispered
Michael and Anna continued to kiss. The serpent smiled, he knew the child would pass the first four trials easily. He was annoyingly pure like that. He was a hard worker, he did not overindulge himself, he did not desire material things, and he had little to feel jealous of others.
His family's love and rough treatment helped mold him and kept him pure.
But the final three?
He was still a young man, and like all young humans, the temptations of the flesh were especially powerful and his desire only built and built inside of him.
Even if he did somehow beat this test, which, judging by where the illusion's hand is right now, he won't. The next one is sure to do him in.
Michael felt like he was on fire. He wasn't glowing white so he wasn't covered in angel fire. Anna's offer was tempting, so tempting. But...he...couldn't!
"Anna, stop!"
"Why, don't you want me?" she asked, her eyes wide.
"I do, but not like this. We can't stay here. We have friends and family who need our help. We have a bright and shining future waiting for us. A family of our own, I won't abandon that."
Anna faded away. Michael began to panic, fearing something had happened to her. "Anna? Anna!" he called her name.
"Congratulations child, you passed the fifth test," the serpent said.
Michael turned to look at him. "Test?"
"Of course. Lust. The one person who makes your blood burn and your flesh tingle in all the right places. Anna. The girl you love."
He said love like it was something dirty.
"So...was she not here?"
"No, just an illusion based on your desires for her. Only two more to go."
"Two? You mean wrath and pride, right?"
"Indeed. Next you will face the sin of wrath which will take the form of the person you hate the most."
The water in the pond began to bubble and foam. Michael took a stance, thinking he was about to face Bastion. But the figure that rose from the pond was not the bastard robot.
But it was someone Michael was all too familiar with.
Himself.
"What is this?" Michael asked.
"The one you hate the most," the serpent said.
"That's right," the other Michael said. He stepped out of the pond, spreading his wings. He was a mirror of Michael, even wearing the same clothes. "And I am going to enjoy this immensely."

"Look out!"
The students dodged as one of the Sentinels fired off a rocket from its arm.
Elixir stayed behind the battle, guarded by Rockslide and Jubilee. He wanted to fight with the others but he was a healer; his job was to heal anyone who was badly injured.
He noticed Wallflower using her pheromone powers to keep some of the Sentinels at bay; they were human enough to be affected by her power.
For a moment Elixir felt pride that she was doing well all by herself, only for the pride to turn to horror as a Purifier snuck up behind her and shot her in the head.
"Laurie! NO!" he yelled.
He ran as fast as he could, the Purifier had a sick smile on his face as he shot her several more times for the sadistic pleasure of it. Elixir rammed into him, causing them both to tumble to the ground.
But the Purifier was soon on top of him, a knife in his hand, he slashed at Elixir, cutting his face. He felt the blood slide down his cheek but it quickly healed.
The Purifier tried to stab him again, but Elixir brought his hands up and caught his arm.
"Die, you mutant filth!" the Purifier seethed.
Elixir glanced to the side and saw Wallflower's body. Rage exploded inside him, red as blood and black as night. All he wanted to do was kill! To make this man pay for taking her from him!
Jubilee and Rockslide were just about to save him when they saw something both amazing and horrific. Elixer's normally metallic gold skin turned black as ink. He let out a roar of anger and the Purifier screamed as sores, blisters, and boils began to appear on his face. His eyes rolled up in his head and foam gushed from his mouth and he fell to the side, dead.
Elixer got up and went to Wallflower's body, cradling her. "It's okay, I can bring her back, I can save her like I saved David!"
He placed his hands on her but nothing happened. "Why won't it work? WHY WON'T IT WORK?!" he yelled.
"Josh, you should-" Jubilee placed a hand on his shoulder, only to pull it back as painful sores grew on it.
"Don't touch him, Jubes," Rockslide said.
"What the hell is going on?" she asked.
"I think something in him snapped. Look at his skin, look how he killed that guy. His power has changed."
"But we need him to heal us!"
"Yeah, don't think that is going to happen now," Rockslide said.
The fight raged on, no one took notice of what happened with Elixir or Wallflower.
Hellion had a telekinetic hold of four Sentinels, but a nearby Sentinel saw this and shot a laser that cut off his forearms.
He let out a terrible scream of pain, and the barriers he used to keep the Sentinels restrained vanished. They aimed their weapons on him and began to blast him.
Wind Dancer saw this and used her power to blow them away, she then picked up Hellion and carried him away. She took the scarf she wore around her waist and ripped it, wrapping it around his wounds to stop the bleeding.
Kid Wendigo and Wolf Cub were fighting together. "Bet I can kill more then you!" Wolf Cub challenged.
"You're not an apex predator yet, pup," Kid Wendigo said with a smile.
He picked him up and tossed him and a Sentinel that was flying through the air. He watched with pride as Wolf Cub tore the Sentinel apart, ripping out its throat before decapitating it.
Kid Wendigo began to wrestle with a large Sentinel. Its chest opened up revealing a glowing core. It blasted him, knocking him to the ground.
The Sentinel morphed its hand into a blade and was about to bring it down on him, when a smaller shape jumped in front of him. Blood hit Kid Wendigo in the face, its scent frighteningly familiar.
When his eyes healed from the attack he saw Wolf Cub on the ground, a deep and profusely bleeding wound on his chest.
"NICK!"
Kid Wendigo shoved his fist into the Sentinel's chest and ripped out its glowing core and shoved it into its mouth, when it exploded more than half of its body.
Kid Wendigo turned into his human form and knelt by Wolf Cub's body.
"Nick, oh God, you stupid boy!"
Wolf Cub just grinned. "So...much for...being...an...apex...huh?"
He went still. Kid Wendigo let out a howl of grief and turned back to his monster form, eager for blood.
Ice Man, Karma, Guardian, Match, Chamber, and Tazmin were working together to herd a large group of Sentinels together. Once Ice Man gave the signal they all got out of the way as Rickard focused every sound and multiplied it into a single concussive blast focused on the Sentinels, the whole area was muted but the battle raged on.
The sound beam tore through the air, like a torrent of wind. It tore the Sentinels to pieces, completely atomizing them.
"Way to go, Skald!" Speed Demon exclaimed. He noticed Skald was breathing heavily. "Are you okay?"
"That took a lot out of me, I can only use an attack like that three more times," Skald panted.
Tazmin whirled around, her vortex had a pink look to it as Pixe had doused it with her dust, its effects didn't have much effect on the Sentinels, but the Purifiers were soon hallucinating.
They were soon taken down by Monet, Surge, and Specter.
Guardian and Kid Devil were fighting a Sentinel, she froze it with her telekinesis and Kid Devil used his sharp claws to rip off its head. He scowled at the smell of the black fluid that leaked out of its severed head. Like rotten blood.
"Wayne, look out!" Franziska yelled.
A Sentinel had flown behind him and shot a laser that blew a hole in his left wing. Kid Devil fell to the ground, using his good wing to float and crash to the soil, while Guardian used her power to crush the Sentinel's insides and toss it away.
She flew down to help Kid Devil. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, it will heal I-look out!"
He pushed her out of the way, because another Sentinel had appeared behind her and had been about to attack, but Kid Devil shoved his claws through its chest, then sliced off its head.
Guardian was surprised to see this side of him. To her, he had always been funny and goofy Wayne. But now she was seeing a darker side, a side that was dark and lethal.
Kid Devil was feeling pretty dark, lots of Sentinels had been destroyed, but a lot of young X-Men had been killed as well: Wallflower, Wolf Cub, Quill, DJ, Rubber Maid, Tag, Boreas, Skin, Synch, and so many more.
A Sentinel stood over Trance's body, Quill had been protecting her but then he was killed by the Sentinel. It was about to kill her when a concentrated plasma beam hit it in the head and caused its head to explode.
Xavier stood holding a rifle. He wore a pale blue suit that allowed him to walk.
-To my students!- he said telepathically.
All the students grabbed the wounded and the deceased. It broke Xavier's heart to see so many of his precious students dead.
"Pixie, take them inside the school."
"But, professor!"
"Do it! They have spent too much time around the Sentinels. Their mutant damping fields have weakened them. Trust me."
Xavier loaded up his rifle and began to walk forward.
"Bastion! Come face me, you wretched pile of filth and hate!"
"Wow, Xavier is a real badass," Rockslide said.
Pixie teleported the students back into the school to be treated.
Xavier waited, holding his rifle. None of the Sentinels attacked, they merely waited.
Then Xavier saw him. He flew through the sky, and a pair of metal wings grew from his back. He landed twenty feet from Xavier.
"Charles Francis Xavier. The heart and soul of the X-Men. You are brave to call me out, brave and stupid," Bastion said.
"You won't claim any more of my students lives, Bastion!" Xavier shouted.
Bastion smiled. "Oh, really?"
Two Sentinels walked out carrying a figure between them.
"Jay!" Xavier gasped.
Jay was held by the Sentinels, his wings had been ripped off and he was badly beaten.
"Let him go, Bastion!" Xavier demanded pointing his rifle at the Sentinel.
"Of course," Bastion said.
He snapped his fingers and the Sentinels let Jay fall to the ground. Jay looked at Xavier. He could feel the winged teen reach out to him with his mind.
-Sir, tell my family I love them, and tell Michael I-"
He never got to finish, one of the Sentinels morphed his hand into a gun and shot Jay right in the head.
Xavier stared in shock. Then he gripped his rifle in his hand.
"You will pay for that!" he promised.
"Like I haven't heard that before," Bastion said

Michael ducked as his other self tried to punch him.
He brought his leg up to knee him in the gut but his doppelganger blocked it.
"Figures you can't fight worth shit!" the doppelganger said with a sneer.
"Shut up!" Michael yelled.
"Or what are you going to do?" it asked. "We both know you are useless. Always getting kidnapped and almost dying. You couldn't even save your own family!"
"Shut up!" Michael yelled. He threw a ball of angel fire at the doppelganger but it just got absorbed by him.
"Like I said, useless."
He brought his fist back and punched Michael right in the face.
They continued to fight, all the while the doppelganger made his snide comments.
"You never should have left the attic; it's where you belonged, no one got hurt until after you left!"
"I said shut up!" Michael screamed.
"Make me!" the doppelganger roared.
He threw himself at Michael. Pinning him to the ground he began to repeatedly punch him in the face.
"This is what you deserve!" the doppelganger seethed. "All the pain and death is your fault!" Michael saw white light every time a fist connected with his face. "You are weak! Pathetic! A loser! You should be dead! You will be dead! No one will die because of you ever again!"
The doppelganger began the strangle him, its eyes filled with such rage and hate.
The world began to blacken. Michael tried to burn him with angel fire but it did not work.
The serpent smiled, pleased it was about to end.
Michael refused to give up, he could not! The X-Men needed him! His friends needed him! The future he went to, his family, none of it would happen if he gave up.
"Soon you are going to be tested Michael, you must learn to forgive yourself if you are to pass. And remember, never trust a snake."
The words of his future-self rang in his head. Ever since then Michael had tried to understand what he had meant. His future-self had obviously been trying to tell him something, a very important answer to a very important question.
Forgiveness? Snake?
Michael felt something pass over his eyes, like a second pair of eyelids opening up. They then flashed a luminescent gold and the world changed.
Michael could see inside of the doppelganger now; it was a raw bubbling mass of hate. But it was connected to Michael through a string. Michael glanced out of the corner of his eye, and the serpent watched them with a smile.
But the stuff inside it was...darkness, pure darkness of the void. But there were colors inside the dark, they were muddy and sickly like a poison that would eat at your soul. The snake was...evil, it was the only word in Michael's mind that seemed to make sense.
"Enough!"
Michael caught the doppelganger's fist and pushed him off. His face was filled with pain but he got back up.
"It's true, it's all true!" Michael cried. "I hate myself more than anything in the world! I hate myself for not being strong! I hate myself for not saving them! I hate myself for never standing up to my father! I hate myself for always being kidnapped! I hate myself because I am supposed to be some badass omega-level mutant and I am so fucking pitiful!"
He glared at the doppelganger.
"But I am tired of hating myself. I am tired of blaming myself for things beyond my control. I am tired of letting my hate turn me into something I am not." Michael threw his hands up in the air. "I will not fail! I promised to avenge my family! If I fail then I will be failing them as well! I know they would want me to move on! The one good thing about me moving out of the attic was I was finally able to bond with them! We were finally a family, I finally earned their love and I will never regret that!"
The doppelganger began to fade, a smile on its face.
"So this is what peace feels like?" it asked, sounding relieved.
The doppelganger vanished and Michael healed his own face. He turned to face the serpent who did not look pleased. "Last test. It's time for pride."

Back in the mansion the X-Men were treating their wounded. Elixir was still in shock and the Cuckoo sisters tried to telepathically snap him out of it but he was too far gone in grief and rage.
He stayed by Laurie's side, holding her hand, whispering how sorry he was.
Guardian, who had experience working with people who suffered severe emotional trauma, said trying to force him out of his funk would only harm him. He needed to overcome his pain in his own way in his own time.
Beast was giving vials of Warren's blood to the injured.
Beak and Angel were helping them, their children were in the shelter while their parents helped the X-Men.
Several of them were studying monitors watching Xavier fight.
"Damn it, we should be out there helping him!" Ice Man said.
"No, this is part of the plan," Hank said.
"What plan?" Warren asked.
"We knew there was a possibility Bastion would bring the fight to us. We also knew that we would not stand a chance against the forces Bastion made. Our only choice was to find a way to take down as many of the Sentinels as fast as we could. Bastion may have been able to make an army of cyborgs. But a cyborg can never be fully machine, just as they can never fully be human."
"What do you mean?" Ice Man asked.
"Their human minds. Charles Xavier, the most powerful telepath to have ever existed. Nature has blessed him with a mind that can overcome the mind of any living creature. But even he could not take out thousands of minds. At least not alone."
"Cerebro," Emma said with realization.
"With Forges help we designed a suit that would not only allow Xavier the ability to walk, but also had a built-in cerebro in it."
"So now he can take out all the Sentinels!" Bobby said with excitement.
"Not quite. The best way to destroy Bastion's army is through Bastion himself. He is connected to every Sentinel unit. As you know, psychic energy is capable of disrupting electronics. So if you take Xavier's power, multiplied by ten with cerebro, then poured into Bastion, Charles could very well take them all out. But the only problem is Charles has to get close enough to Bastion to do that," Hank said grimly.
"But that's suicide!" Emma said.
"He knows that."

Xavier dodged Bastion's blast, the suit helped give him speed and agility above normal.
He fired his rifle at Bastion, but Bastion summoned a barrier to block the blasts.
"Do you feel like a young man, Xavier? I imagine all those years spent in that chair of yours must have left you feeling quite useless. But now you must feel like a god!"
"I admit, I am quite delighted to be walking again, but it will be nothing compared to how I feel when I defeat you!" Xavier yelled.
Xavier grabbed a knife that hung from his side. He charged at Bastion and tried to stab him. Bastion dodged the knife, his sensors told him it was made from vibranium and would easily cut through him.
Bastion transformed his arm into a blade and right when Xavier was about to stab him in the head, Bastion pierced his chest.
Xavier dropped his knife and Bastion smiled.
"I cannot tell you how...happy I am. An emotion I never thought I would feel. But I have evolved, Charles Xavier. Evolved to the point where I can feel joy in killing you mutants! So killing you, the good shepherd, the man who unites mutants, and the man who would be remembered by millions for generations, a beacon of hope...well, I dare say it is arousing. Too bad I don't have those parts."
Xavier grabbed his head with his hands. "You're not my type."
Xavier began to pour his power into Bastion. Had he been a human mind this would be much easier, luckily his machine mind was similar enough to a human's where Xavier knew what to do.
"You think if I die this will end? I am but a man, Bastion! A man who dreamed of a world where mutants and humans live in peace! A dream that now fills the minds and hearts of millions! Kill me if you must! But know this: my dream will never die! It will be fought for and defended! If I must die, I will die knowing my legacy will endure! And I will die knowing I took you with me!"
"What...what...are you doing?!" Bastion demanded.
His systems were going haywire. Xavier was somehow accessing his files! His connection to the other Sentinels!
"Something I will hate myself for doing. I know many of the Sentinels are victims of yours. That they did not ask for this! You made them forget who they are, and you tried to erase their humanity! Perhaps that is a blessing, so what I am doing now could be considered a curse."
"You're...what?!" Bastion demanded.
"Making them remember."
Blood began to pour down Xavier's nose. But he did not stop. Not even when the screams started.
One by one the Sentinels began to scream. Xavier's plan was working. One by one the Sentinels began to remember. And they remembered the pain of their memories. The pain of what they lost, who they were, and the inhuman transformation they endured flooded back and to escape it, they began to self-destruct.
The sounds of explosions filled the air, almost drowning out the screams.
"No! NO!" Bastion yelled.
He began to activate the fail-safe programs and the screams stopped. But much to his anger, more than half of his Sentinels were gone.
Xavier could do it no more. The stress of his attack and the injury he suffered took too much out of him. He stopped his attack. Blood leaked from his nose, mouth and eyes.
"Tell me Bastion, how many did I kill?"
Bastion pushed him off his blade. Xavier closed his eyes and lay on the ground motionless.
"Not enough ,old man!"

The X-Men were scrambling to get ready to leave.
They knew they had to strike now while Bastion was recovering.
Beak was going with them, and he already had his aluminum baseball bat ready.
"Beak, get back here now or else I will country-fry your ass!" Angel yelled.
"I have to go! They need my help!" he exclaimed.
"I need you! Your kids need you!" she screamed, tears ran down her face. Angel had endured many hardships in her life. It left her very cynical and jaded.
But now here she was terrified she was going to lose the one good thing that had happened to her, the guy who made her happier then she cared to admit.
Beak took her hands in his. "I love you, Angel Salvador. I promise you I will come back. Then I will take you and the kids, and I will marry you and give you the life you deserve!"
He placed his beak on the side of her face, it was his way of kissing her.
"Beak, let's go!" Hank yelled.
Beak turned and ran to the X-Men who were going out to fight. He turned his head back to yell to her.
"I promise I will make an honest woman out of you, Angel!"
"Beak! Get back here you retard!" she yelled. She watched as the X-Men vanished in a cloud of smoke. "I love you," she whispered.

Back outside, Bastion stood over Xavier's body.
"Clever move, Xavier. Very clever. You destroyed more than half my Sentinels and you even managed to disable the mutant dampening fields. Clever." He held his blade over Xavier's head, preparing to sever it from its body.
He was about to attack when his scans detected a ripple in the fabric of space.
He looked up to see Pixie had teleported the X-Men above Bastion.
"X-Men! Take them down!" Beast roared.

Michael stared at the serpent, a victorious look on his face.
"Sloth, gluttony, greed, envy, lust, wrath. I beat them all! So bring on pride and I will beat it too!" Michael yelled.
The serpent was silent, just watching.
"I am Michael Bronson! I am Seraph! I am the greatest warrior ever! I am the one who will destroy Bastion! There is nothing I can't do! I am the heir of Adonai! I am the legacy of a once-proud people! So bring on the next test, you ugly snake!"
"Fail."
Michael suddenly felt deflated. "What?"
"You failed the last test. The test of pride. That little speech wasn't exactly humble," the serpent said with a smile.
"But I...that was..." Michael fell to his knees. "I failed...I failed."
"No one ever passes the last test. No one can beat pride."
Michael looked at the serpent. He could still see inside him. Still see the dark void within him. He didn't know how, but he knew the serpent didn't belong in this place, this paradise.
"What are you?" Michael asked.
"I am the-"
"Don't lie to me! You don't belong here! I know it! I see your evil!"
The serpent gave him a hard look. "You see inside me? How?"
"I don't know. But all I know is, you are not welcome here!"
Michael raised his hand and shot a bolt of angel fire at the snake. It let out a cry of pain and fell to the ground. There was a puff of scarlet smoke and a man stood. He had russet colored skin, scarlet hair, and wore a ruby colored cloak. But his evil remained unchanged.
"Clever boy!" he sneered, his teeth were like a piranha's.
"Who are you?" Michael asked again.
"I am the lord of hell...well...one of the lords anyway. I am Mephisto!"
"Satan?" Michael asked, feeling fearful.
Mephisto smiled, as if sensing his fear. "One of my names, yes. But let's not worry about that. Yes, you failed. But that doesn't mean you should go away empty-handed."
"What do you mean?" Michael asked.
"I can give you back your family, your parents, your siblings. I will bring them back, good as new. For a price."
"What price?" Michael asked.
"Your soul. You are such a pure spirit, yours would be one of my prized possessions!" Mephisto said. "All you have to do is say yes and I will bring them back, good as new. You can be a family again, give them the life they all lost."
"No!" Michael said immediately.
Mephisto frowned. Usually when he made deals like this no was not something that was usually said. "But, you did not even-"
"I do not need to think! The answer is no! I miss my family, I miss them so much! Had you come to me before the trials I may have said yes. But I know my family is in heaven now with God. I would not deny them the glory of His light just to satisfy my selfish needs!"
"Ungrateful child! How dare you piss on the memory of your family?!"
"No, I honor my family. I will not give up the future I visited. A bright and beautiful future. Get thee behind me Satan, you will not fool me with your trickery!"
"Pass."
The voice that spoke was like a lion's roar, deep, primal and powerful. Yet it was also like the sound of rain on your roof. Light, soothing and calming. It was a voice that could lead entire nations that enforced discipline and obedience. Yet held the promise of protection and love.
A bright light shone from the tree. Michael shielded his eyes unable to look at it. He heard Mephisto scream in agony.
"No! I could have tempted him had you given me more time!" Mephisto yelled.
"Demon. You lost the bet. The child resisted your offer. You have served you purpose. Now return to the pit!"
Mephisto's screams died away.
Michael was about to look and see what was going on when the voice spoke.
"Look not upon me Michael Bronson, for now you posses a sight too keen to look upon me and not suffer."
Michael felt something move over his eyes, like a second pair of eyelids closing.
"Now, look upon me child. You are safe."
Michael put his hands down and looked at the tree. It burned with angel fire, but there was a being inside the flame. Great wings stretched out of the fire, beautiful, pure white that shined with a holy light. The wings were attached to a humanoid figure. Michael looked as close as he could, the figure was tall, and it had a strong well-built body that made Michael think of Peter or Adonai.
Its eyes were as yellow as the sun and just as bright.
"You come here looking for power?" the figure asked.
"Yes. I need to fight in a great battle and I need power to protect my friends and family!" Michael said.
"But you already have great power. Greater then you know, greater than Adonai. He thinks your power flows from his bloodline alone. He is not aware of the true power you wield. He forgets he alone did not make you."
"Are you the source of my power?" Michael asked.
"That I am, as well as Adonai's. When he did the trials it took him much longer to pass. Your soul is more pure then his so the tests were easier to pass for you."
"But I failed the seventh," Michael said.
"As the demon said, no one passes the last test. Pride is a sin too strong to be beaten, it brought down even the Morningstar. But the rules say seven tests must be passed, so to compromise, this eighth one was made using Mephisto."
"He said this place didn't always look so gloomy."
"Look around you child. Has it not changed?"
The being was right. The sky was no longer dark but a light gray, the ground was now drier then it had been before. Even the flowers seemed to have become more vibrant.
"This is your soul world, a reflection of you. When you lost your family the pain and rage affected this world. But after learning to forgive yourself it has retained some of its former glory."
"I don't understand. Who are you? What are you? You say you are the source of my power but you seem to have your own individuality. Are you one of the Empyreal Spirits?"
"The Empyreal Spirits and I are both the same, and different at the same time."
"What do you mean?" Michael asked.
"You will know soon enough. If you desire power I will give it to you. But power comes at a price and at a great risk."
Several tendrils of fire extended from the tree and lifted Michael up off the ground, slowly bringing him closer to the tree.
The closer he got to the fire and the being inside it, the more he felt...energized. He could feel the being's power; it seemed as if the air itself shook from the weight of it.
He was not cold, yet his skin broke into a cold sweat. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest and yet Michael felt a feeling of serenity and peace.
All he had to do was let go, and all the pain would be burned away.
But then there were the sounds of battle that broke his trance. He looked down into the pond and saw to his shock and horror the X-Men fighting the Purifiers and Sentinels.
"No!" He broke free from the tendrils and landed on his feet. He ran to the pond and looked into it. "No! I am too late! It's starting! I have to go now!"
"But you have come so close. If you leave now you will not have attained the power you sought," the being said.
"Power means nothing if I lose my friends. You are right, I have more than enough power. I am sorry for wasting your time."
Michael focused on healing himself. The way he figured, if he did that maybe he could heal himself of the poison and wake up.
"We will meet again child, sooner than you might think."

Michael sat up with a jolt.
He was in his room, Adonai sat by him.
"Did you do it?" he asked.
"No. I turned it down."
"What? Why?"
"I don't need the archistratege to beat Bastion. They are being attacked now!"
"I know, it is on the news. A dome has appeared around Westchester, cutting it and everyone in it off from the world."
"Then we have to go. Now!"
Michael got up. He noticed then a suit of armor was propped in the middle of his room, holding his spear.
"Like it? Made it for you. Made from firmamium. You can channel you angel fire right through it," Adonai said.
"I can't wait to try it out," Michael said with a smile.

Havas was going over his notes.
They had found a series of words written on the wall of the cave.
But it was the same word over and over again. He used every language expert he could find. But finally and what little notes on the Cheyarafim he had he used to translate the word.
He wondered why they would write it over and over. What could drive them to carve this one, single word in a cave that only held a odd black crystal-like object.
He stared at his translations hoping he was not mistaken.
What was so special about the name Abreal?

Fusedtwilight: Oh no, Havas has no idea what he is messing with! Next chapter Michael enters the fight, can he stop Bastion? Please review.
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Angel In The Attic