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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
- 36
- 37
- 38
Angel in the Attic
Chapter 37
Fusedtwilight: Thanks to my beta Lisa.
So, I saw the new X-Men movie, it was awesome! And anyone who says any different should be punched in the face.

Michael and the Champions stood in front of Scott and some of the other senior X-Men in the meeting room on Utopia.
"So, is he dead?" Scott asked.
"We're not sure. But I doubt he is dead. He is very resilient," Michael said.
"And Adonai?"
"I cut all ties with him. He made Abreal the way he is. I saw...I saw how he treated him, how he trained him. I want nothing to do with him."
"And the Ark?"
"What about it?"
"When will you hand it over to us?"
"Never."
The room was was sure Scott was giving him a stern look but he wasn't positive because of Scott's ruby colored glasses he was wearing.
"This isn't up for negotiation, Michael. You are too young to be allowed access to such a dangerous amount of technology," Scott said.
"I'm an omega-level mutant; my powers have fully awakened. I have the power to level a city. I think I am more than qualified to run the Ark."
"You're a child."
"I stopped being a child when I saw my family die. I saved you all and destroyed Bastion."
"That doesn't mean you-"
"Not me. We." Michael waved to the other Champions. "We all are a team, I share the Ark with them. And I am more than willing to share it with you and the X-Men, Scott. Adonai may have been wrong about a lot of things but he wasn't wrong when he said the Ark can be used to do a lot of good."
"There is no denying you have proven yourself time and time again, Michael. But this is a responsibility you should not carry yourself. It is more then you should handle," Hank said.
"I told you I am not alone."
"And he's not," Jacob spoke. "We all had our doubts but we have done a lot of good using the Ark. It is a home to us."
"And besides, how young were the original X-Men when they fought Magneto the first time?" Devin asked.
"We had Professor Xavier to mentor us. Who do you have?" Warren asked.
"You, Warren, and the other X-Men," Michael said.
"Then listen to us now and hand over the Ark. When you are a little older we will-"
"No," Michael said.
"That is the second time you interrupted me, Mr. Bronson. I won't tolerate disrespect like that."
"Then please do not treat me like a child, Mr. Summers," Michael said.
Scott frowned. "This is not up for debate."
"Finally, we agree on something."
He turned and went to leave. The other Champions looked a little surprised.
"We are not done!" Scott yelled.
"Either punish me or kick me out of the X-Men. But the Ark will remain in our control."
Michael suddenly felt someone in his head.
"You mean, the X-Men's control, Mr. Bronson," Emma said.
-You will surrender the Ark to us and we will overlook this disrespectful behavior.-
-Get out of my head!- Michael glared at her.
-You are still new to telepathy, Michael, I have years of experience under my belt. We are your guardians and as such we have a responsibility to ensure your safety. Now kindly give us your badge to the Ark and we will continue on with our day.-
-Excuse me, Miss. Frost, but would you kindly exit Michael's mind.-
-Franziska?-
-You're right, Michael does not have the experience to free himself from your control, but between the two of us I think we can handle you.-
-Franziska, you disappoint me. I thought you of all people would understand how dangerous such power is in the hands of an adolescent.-
-The feeling is mutual, Miss. Frost. Forcing your will on one of your students seems a bit shameful.-
-Where is the Ark located?-
She tried to dig into Michael's mind to learn where the Ark was. But before she could find out, both Michael and Franziska pushed her out of his mind.
"As I said, I will not give up the Ark. And I won't be bullied into surrendering it. And if you ever try and force yourself into my mind, Miss Frost, you'll find I will be better prepared."
"Was that a threat, Mr. Bronson?" Emma asked.
"No, it was a promise." Michael turned and left with the Champions following him.
The door shut behind them.
"Dude, that was so bad ass!" Devin said.
"Was something going on between you and Frost?" Jacob asked.
He had noticed the looks going on between the two and he had been around psychics long enough to know when they were having a mental chat.
"She tried to learn where the Ark is."
"She tried to read your mind?" Rickard asked looking shocked.
"So much for ethics and morals," Jacob muttered.
"She wasn't able to learn anything from my mind. But she could find out from your minds," Michael said.
"I could hide the knowledge. It is a trick I learned in class. A telepath places a shield around a memory or thought that keeps it safe from mind-readers. If someone tried to break it you would be able to sense it," Franziska said.
"Sounds like a good idea," Wayne said.
"Guys, I don't like this. It feels like we're having some secret war with the X-Men," Angie said.
"I won't let them push me out of the Ark. It's mine. I'll share it but I will not relinquish my hold over it," Michael said.
"Perhaps if we take Scott and the others there and show them we can run it without their interference they won't try and take it from us," Rickard suggested.
"That is a good idea," Angie said.
"We should talk to the others and see what they think," Rickard suggested.
"Yeah. This affects them as well," Angie said.
Michael thought for a moment.
"You're right. There is no need for us to be fighting with our teachers. I'll talk to Scott later about having him and some of the others over. But I won't let them have the Ark. And if I must, I will leave the X-Men to keep it safe from them."

Later that day, Scott, Emma, Warren, Logan, and Hank were in the control room for the Ark.
"This is a dumb idea," Julian said.
"So far so good," Wayne said.
"My stars and garters, this is amazing," Hank said looking around.
"How could Adonai make something like this in secret?" Warren asked.
"Knowing him he probably wiped the memories of those who helped him make it."
"You are correct, Michael." Eve materialized. "Those who helped Adonai build the Ark all had their memories altered so they did not recall anything about it. It took over twenty years to build and many helped design it."
"Fascinating! A fully functional AI!" Hank said.
"Greetings, my name is Eve. I am the Ark's AI. You are welcomed guests here. Should you require any assistance, please ask and I will do my best to help," she said.
"This place was built using alien technology, wasn't it?" Logan asked.
"Yes. As you are well aware, Earth has been invaded many times by extraterrestrial life. Luckily, Earth's heroes have repelled them all. However, in many instances technology has been left behind. Technology, which despite S.H.I.E.L.D's best attempts, has found its way through many black markets. Adonai spent many years acquiring such technology to add to the Ark."
"Truly amazing," Hank said.
"It's kind of like the tardis. It can grow to be bigger on the inside," Wayne said.
"And it has its own cerebro and danger room," Angie said.
"The medical wing has stuff that can heal almost as well as me," Josh said.
"And there is a pool too!" Devin said.
"And Adonai just gave this to you?" Warren asked.
"Birthday present," Michael said with a grin.
"And there is a library bigger than a football stadium!" Megan said.
"And the technology allows us to listen in on worldwide reports so we can know of any disasters going on we can help with," Franziska said.
Scott was quiet for a moment.
"I agree with you, Michael. This place could do a lot of good. But I cannot allow you to remain in charge of it alone."
"I told you, we are all in charge of it," Michael said nodding to the other Champions.
"You are all too young to be allowed control of this place. It's like giving a child a loaded gun. When you are older, then you can be allowed-"
"Eve, toss them out," Michael said.
"Activating teleportation protocols."
"Michael, wait!" Warren yelled before he and the others vanished, returning to Utopia.
"Well that didn't last too long," Julian said.
"We had to try," Angie said with a sigh.
"They won't let this go, Michael," Rickard stated.
"I know. But I won't give up control of the Ark. We've gone this long without help from the X-Men. If any of you want out I will understand. I won't ask you to choose between the X-Men and me. I am not trying to cause some civil war. But I will not let anyone try and take this from me. From us."
"Would you really leave the X-Men though?" Jacob asked.
"To keep the Ark safe, yes."
"They're not the bad guys, Michael," Angie said.
"I know. But this is my home. And no one will take it from me."
"Excuse me Michael, but I have detected something worth of notice," Eve said.
"What is it, Eve?" Michael asked.
"A unique mutant signature."
"A manifestation?"
"Yes. But not exactly mutant."
"What do you mean?"
"The signature belongs to Luna Maximoff."
An image appeared on the computer screen showing the picture of a blonde-haired little girl with blue eyes.
"Wait. Isn't she the daughter of Quicksilver?" Jacob asked.
"Yeah, her mom is Crystal of the Inhuman royal family," Devin said.
"Who are the Inhumans?" Jacob asked.
"The Inhumans are a secret branch of humanity, separate from humans and mutant. Thousands of years ago during the early days of mankind, the Kree came to earth to conduct experiments that would help them in their war with the Skrulls. Their goal was to make super-soldiers and advance their own species. For reasons unknown the experiments were abandoned and the Inhumans formed their own society in secret from the rest of the world," Eve explained.
Images appeared on the computer, showing anything Eve could find on the Inhumans.
"The Inhuman royal family has made the most contact with humanity. They have strong ties to both the Fantastic Four and to the Avengers."
"Aren't Inhumans kind of like mutants?" Franziska said.
"In a way. The average Inhuman is superior to a human physically save for their weak immune system. When they are born they appear to be human until they undergo terrigenesis."
"The hell is that?" Julian asked.
"A process using the Terigan mist to act as a catalyst to activate their Inhuman powers. From what I have, this process is seen as a coming of age for Inhumans and before one is allowed the process they must go through rigorous genetic screening before they are allowed terrigenesis. The effects of the mist can vary, for some you may still appear human while possessing a super-human power, while for others the effects are noticeable."
"Like mutants," Michael said.
"Indeed."
"Okay, so Quicksilver has a kid who is half-mutant and half-inhuman, what's the big deal?" Devin asked.
"Judging from the energy signature, the little princess has manifested her powers. But since she is the only known mutant-inhuman hybrid, I cannot be sure if this was a natural manifestation or if she has been exposed to the mists."
"Well, let her parents deal with it. It's not our problem," Jacob said.
"That is the thing. Two days ago Quicksilver called the Avengers for assistance in finding his daughter. Apparently she was abducted by Maximus the Mad."
"Who?"
"The brother to the king of the inhumans' Black Bolt. Maximus has attempted to regain control of the inhuman city many times. His schemes have frequently brought him to conflict with the heroes of Earth."
"Do you have her location, Eve?" Michael asked.
"Yes, she appears to be located on the island of Genosha."
A dark silence filled the room.
Genosha had a long history for mutants. Before Magneto took control it had been thought to be a safe haven for mutants. But in truth it was a trap. Mutants were captured and experimented on. The X-Men found out and staged a revolt to free the mutants. But Magneto took control of the island, truly turning it into a mutant safe haven.
But then four mega-Sentinels, robotic death machines thousands of feet taller than their smaller brethren attacked the island, killing millions of mutants.
To this day the island was deserted; it was a dark reminder of how deep hatred could run.
"Why in the name of God is she there?" Angie asked, horrified at the thought of a child being there.
"Where better to hide? No one lives there. It's abandoned. Some say it is cursed," Rickard said.
"Eve, patch us into the Avengers communications," Michael said.
"I will need a moment to bypass their encryption codes."
While Eve tried to contact the Avengers, Devin spoke to Michael.
"You're calling the Avengers?"
"Of course. Quicksilver will want to know where his daughter is."
"Someone from the Avengers' mansion is responding," Eve said.
A middle-aged man appeared on the screen, looking sternly down at them all.
"Dude, it's Iron Man's butler, Jarvis," Devin said.
"Who is this? I swear if this is another hacker trying to access our computers, I will-"
"We're not hackers, sir. We are the Champions."
"Who?"
"We have information on Quicksilver's daughter, Luna," Michael said.
Jarvis's eyes narrowed. "And how do you have such information?" he asked.
"We have a tracking device that has detected her. Apparently she has manifested powers of some kind."
"Impossible. Pietro asked the genetic council to allow her to undergo terrigenesis but they refused. There was no way of knowing how her mutant and inhuman genes would react."
"Well, her powers have activated."
"And where is she now?"
"Genosha."
A look of shock appeared on his face.
"Oh my word!"
"Look, are any of the Avengers there?"
"I am afraid they are all preoccupied. I will attempt to contact Pietro."
He ended the call.
"So now what do we do?" Wayne asked.
"Suit up guys. We're going to Genosha," Michael said.
No one moved a muscle.
"Well this is going to be freaking fun," Julian muttered.

"Wakey, wakey, little princess," a voice crooned softly.
Luna opened her eyes.
"Mommy?" she asked.
"No, it's me. Uncle Max."
"What happened?" she asked.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes.
The last thing she remembered was her Uncle Max placing her in a strange glass tube.
"How do you feel, little one?" he asked.
"Okay. Did it work?" she asked.
"Hmm, there seems to be no physical sign of the mist having affected you. But that's the beauty of terrigenesis. You can never be too sure."
Maximus held up a small computer tablet.
"And thanks to your mutant heritage there is no telling what power you possess. Will you be an elemental like your mother? A speedster like your father? Or maybe some energy manipulator like your aunt and grandfather? Maybe something else. I am not detecting energy fluctuations in your bio-matrix. And your body is not showing metabolic increase typical in speedsters. But I am showing a unique development in your brain, an increase in neural activity in your visual centers."
"What does that mean?" she asked.
"Look at me, dear."
Luna looked at him and gasped.
He was just as she remembered: tall, with black hair, brown eyes, and a strong resemblance to her Uncle Blackagar. But now there was a glow coming from him. Several colors swirled around him; they were dark and sinister.
"What is wrong with you?" she asked backing away from him a little.
"I am mad my dear, remember? What do you see?" he asked. He noticed her eyes were now a golden amber, where before they had been a dark blue.
"You have this light and there are these dark colors. I don't like it. It feels wrong!"
She closed her eyes and looked away.
"Hmm, a form of visual empathy. Interesting. You did very well, Luna. Your parents are going to be very proud of you."
"When can I see them again?" she asked.
"Soon, but first we have to help Ahura. Think how happy Blackagarand Medusa will be when you heal him."
Luna seemed unsure. Maximus sensed this and used his power to influence her.
"Trust me, I am your Uncle Max. Now then, why don't you go back to sleep."
"Okay," she said.
She laid back in her bed and fell asleep.
He smiled and left her room.
"Everything is going according to plan," he said with a grin.
A woman in a blue dress walked up to him. "Maximus, my birds have sighted a group of strangers."
"What? Why didn't we detect them sooner?" he asked.
"They just appeared, some kind of teleportation technology," she said.
"They must be scavengers. You would think even the lowliest of grave robbers would be afraid to come here. But that's parasites for you."
They took an elevator down a few floors.
"I think they are too young to be grave robbers and a few of them don't look human," she said.
"Inhuman scout party?" Maximus asked.
"No. I don't think they are inhumans," she said.
"Hmm." Maximus peered into her mind. Falcona had a psychic connection to all forms of avian life. She used the birds on Genosha to keep an eye out for intruders. Through the eyes of one of her birds Maximus could see a small group of young teenagers walking around the island.
"Not inhumans. Mutants most likely. Bring them to me, they could make perfect test subjects."
They entered a room. There were several glass tubes, and each one had an occupant.
Some were alive, some were dead. Some looked horribly mutated.
"Terrigenesis is already a very complex and risky business. Unlike us, the mutants have not refined their bloodlines. They breed without thought or care on the result it will have on their offspring. But we inhumans have spent thousands of years purifying our DNA. But even for us it can still be a frightful experience. So far, every time a mutant is exposed to the mists one of two things happen. Their powers are significantly enhanced but eventually fade, or they die as a result of losing control. But Luna survived, unlike the others, her power has not gone beyond her control."
He looked at five remaining mutants in their tubes.
"How are we feeling, children?" he asked with a smile.
"Let us out, you psycho!" a girl with blue skin and red hair yelled.
Another mutant, a boy with brown hair and brown eyes snarled at Maximus. "Free!" he yelled.
"Oh come now, if I hadn't found you all, you would still be suffering. I fixed you!"
"You don't care about us! You're an evil man!" a black girl said.
Maximus's expression suddenly shifted, going from pleasant to furious.
"Ingrates! I saved you and you show no gratitude! Typical of a bunch of ignorant apes! Just like the humans! I bless you with the sacred mists and are you grateful? No!"
A diminutive creature with green skin and an oversized bald head walked over to Maximus.
"The terrigenesis mists seem to have stabilized their mutations, Lord Maximus. So far no signs of degradation."
Maximus grinned. "Good. Not counting Luna, that means only five out two-hundred-and-fifty survived. Significantly lower than the numbers for Inhumans, but that is to be expected. And now we have more test subjects on the way. Perfect."
"Shall I collect them for you, lord?" Falcana asked.
"Yes. The sooner the better. I have a feeling today is going to be a good day for me."

"You know, when I woke up this morning I was not planning on going to a deserted island where more than sixteen million mutants died," Julian said.
"Stop your bitching Keller, none of us want to be here," James said.
The Champions were walking down a deserted freeway. James, Julian, Josh, Megan, Victor, and Hisako accompanied them.
They had teleported there a few moments ago and were trying to find Luna.
"This place smells like death," Jacob said.
"And it's quiet. Very quiet. It's kind of freaking me out," Josh said.
"There are some birds," Wayne said pointing a clawed finger at the sky.
"Probably checking to see if there are any more bodies to peck at," Devin said darkly.
"Devin, be more respectful!" Franziska said reproachfully.
"You're right, sorry," Devin said.
"Franziska, can you sense anything?" Angie asked.
"I...sense imprints...pain, fear. The mutants were just going about their day. Going to school, having lunch, watching TV. Then death came."
She shuddered. Michael held her hand.
"I feel it too."
"You do?"
"My powers were activated, remember? I can feel the imprints of their thoughts as well."
"What do you mean imprints?" Victor asked.
"Frost taught us that if someone feels a strong emotion it can leave a psychic imprint that psychics can sense later on," Julian explained.
"Can you sense it?" Megan asked.
He shook his head. "My powers are more about manipulating the world. But I do feel uneasy."
"I think it is safe to say we are all feeling that," Hisako said.
Just then Megan screamed. Everyone tensed and got ready for a fight.
"Sorry! I'm sorry I just...stepped on a skull," she said, her eyes glossy with unshed tears.
"Don't worry, once we find Luna we'll get off this rock," Victor said placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Anything, Franziska?" Michael asked.
"It is difficult. I am not sensing something...but."
She looked up at the sky.
"Those birds. There is something odd about them."
"Who cares about birds. Maybe we should split up?" Jacob said.
"Right, maybe we can cover more ground. Remember guys, if you find Luna call for help, do not go after Maximus by yourselves. Eve said he has mental powers; he can control the minds of others. Last thing we want is for him to control our minds. So be careful," Michael said.

He began to gather teams of three.
"Devin and Angie, you're with me. Rickard, you take James and Hisako. Franziska, you take Josh and Megan. Jacob, you go with Julian and Victor. Report in every twenty minutes."
They all broke off and wandered in different directions.
None of them were aware of a lone figure watching them from afar.
Angie, Devin, and Michael were walking down a street.
They were in the city. They all felt like they were in some post-apocalyptic movie.
"This used to be the safest place for our people. Now look at it. If Genosha isn't safe for us, what is?" Angie asked.
"Don't think like that, Angie. Focus on the mission," Michael said.
"Can't you pick up Luna's psychic trail?" Devin asked.
"I have never met her. And there are still so many psychic signatures here I wouldn't be able to know if any were hers."
"I wonder why Maximus kidnapped Luna?" Angie asked.
"Who knows. Hopefully she is okay."
Devin looked at a street sign.
"Magda Square. Who is Magda?"
Just then there was a sudden gust of wind. Michael fell to the ground unconscious.
"My mother!"
Devin and Angie spun around to see a man wearing a blue and silver costume. He had white-blonde hair and blue eyes.
Devin's eyes widened. "Oh my God! It's Quicksilver! Dude, I am your biggest fan! I have followed your career since my power first manifested! You're like the coolest speedster ever! I mean, that guy from the Young Avengers can blow stuff up but you're still the best!"
Quicksilver suddenly appeared in front of Devin, picking him up by the front of his shirt and lifting him up in the air.
"Where is my daughter!" he demanded.
"Get off him!" Angie yelled.
She rushed to help Devin but Quicksilver disappeared as if he had not been there, Angie slammed into Devin and they both fell to the ground.
"He thinks we took his daughter," Devin said.
"No shit," Angie said as he helped her up.
Quicksilver reappeared across the street from them.
"Where is Luna!"
"I got this, Angie," Devin said.
"Devin wait, he's-"
He ran at Quicksilver, but Quicksilver merely stepped aside and Devin slammed into a lamppost.
"…faster than you," Angie finished.
"Where is my daughter, girl?"
"How do you expect us to answer our questions if you keep knocking us out?" Angie asked.
"I know you work for Maximus. Jarvis told me he was informed by a group of children. Obviously Maximus thought he could fool me into walking into a trap."
"Even if we were working for this Maximus, the fact you are here clearly shows you are fool enough to walk into a trap."
Trusting her instinct and the fact he would have a short temper (much like his father), Angie activated her power causing a little mini-tornado to form. Quicksilver was quickly sucked in and thrown around.
He grabbed a piece of concrete and threw it at her. It hit her on the side of the arm, causing her to cry out in pain and fall to the ground.
He began to walk over to her intent on getting answers, but suddenly his arms and legs were wrapped in a rope of white light.
"That's enough!" Michael said standing up.
"Thanks, Mich," Angie said.
Michael helped Devin up.
"Release me at once, or else!" Quicksilver growled.
"Not until you listen!" Michael said.
"Dude, we are trying to help you find your daughter!" Devin said.
"Our technology picked up her manifesting her powers. We heard she had been kidnapped and wanted to help out," Angie explained.
Michael snapped his fingers and the bindings disappeared.
In the blink of an eye Quicksilver stood up.
"You say you have technology that found her?"
"We're with the X-Men," Angie explained.
"Kind of," Devin muttered.
"We have a device like Cerebro. Luna is half-mutant, so when her powers activated we picked it up," Michael said.
"You said her powers manifested?"
They nodded.
"When Luna was born I asked the inhumans to expose her to the terrigen mists. Because of her inhuman heritage her powers would never manifest. I didn't want my daughter to live as some flatscan."
The three of them frowned. Flatscan was a derogatory term used by mutants for humans.
"But when I learned how dangerous the mists can be, how they can...change a person, I decided against it. I would love her no matter what she looked like but I would not wish her to be changed so horrifically."
"Can you tell us why Maximus kidnapped her? Does he intend to use her as some kind of hostage?" Michael asked.
Quicksilver shrugged. "Maximus is mad. He is a genius but insane, so it is hard to understand his plans. But his true goal has always been to take control of Attilan, the city of the inhumans. But I can't understand why kidnapping Luna would aid him in that goal."
"Is there anything else you can tell us?" Angie asked.
"Luna is not the only one he has kidnapped. He has Ahura."
"And that is...who exactly?"
"The son of Black Bolt and Medusa, the king and queen of the Inhumans. Normally before an inhuman couple can have children, they must ask permission from the Genetic Council who screen their DNA to make sure they are compatible. Black Bolt and his wife wanted a child but the Genetic Council said no. So they went ahead and had a child anyway. Ahura inherited his father's power, but also his uncle's madness. He was kept isolated from his own family and kept in an extreme sedative state."
"That's horrible," Angie said.
"Some time ago he escaped his prison and brainwashed some of the inhumans' guards to follow him. He also stole a shard of the terrigen crystals and with it he must have activated Luna's powers."
"But why?"
"Like I said, who knows."
"Have you contacted the inhumans?" Michael asked.
"Or course I did. As soon as Jarvis called and told me you contacted him I immediately informed Crystal."
"Wait...so if your wife shows up won't she think we are the bad guys like you did?" Angie asked.
Just then their communicators went off.
"Michael, it's Jacob! We're under attack! Some large dog suddenly appeared with a group of people and this crazy blonde bitch is going all Avatar on us!"
"That would be Crystal," Quicksilver said.

"Where is my daughter!" Crystal screamed as she hurled boulder after boulder at them.
"We don't have you daughter!" Julian yelled.
"The hell you don't!" she yelled.
She summoned a large ball of fire and threw it at his shield.
"Man, this bitch is angry!" Julian said.
"I am more concerned about the others," Victor said.
Behind Crystal were several other people. There was a man with green scaly skin and a fin on top of his head, another man with goat-like legs, a man with an oddly thin head, a dog three times the size of a lion with an antenna like fork on its forehead, and a man dressed in black who stood next to a woman with long flowing red hair.
"Just keep up the shield, I called for help," Jacob said.
"Allow me, cousin," the man with the thin head said.
"Good luck pal, no way you are going to get through-"
The man ran at the shield. He brought his fist back and struck at the shield. Julian fell to his knees as his mind snapped and the shield vanished.
"What the-"
The man kicked him in the face and flipped over Victor, striking him in the back of the neck.
Victor fell to the ground unconscious.
Jacob transformed and tried to attack the man but he was so fast and agile. He struck several spots on Jacob's body and he found he was no longer able to move.
"Well done, Karnak," the goat-legged man said.
"Thank you, Gorgon," Karnak said.
"Look, this is a huge misunderstanding!" Jacob said.
"My husband told me Luna was here! I don't know who you are but if you don't tell me where she is I swear I will fill your lungs with so much air they will explode!" Crystal threatened.
"Crystal, wait!" Quicksilver appeared.
"Pietro?" she asked.
Devin appeared next to him.
"Wow, you are fast," he said.
"And...who is this?" she asked.
"A fan-boy," Quicksilver muttered, looking at Devin like he was gum on the bottom of his shoe.
"Not just any fan-boy. Your fan-boy!" Devin said with a smile and a small wink.
Quicksilver sighed.
"Why does Cap and Iron Man get all the good followers and all I get are the morons."
"Pietro, what is going on?" Crystal said.
Pietro kissed her on the head and walked over to Black Bolt and Medusa. He bowed his head.
"There has been a terrible mistake. These children are the ones who found Luna."
"Wish you would have been here five minutes ago!" Jacob growled still unmoving.
"Allow me." Karnak hit different parts of his body and Jacob was able to move again.
Michael had contacted all the other Champions and they all began to converge on the group. By the time they arrived, Pietro explained what they told him.
"Which one of you is the leader?" Medusa asked.
Black Bolt held up his hand and made a come here gesture.
"Black Bolt wishes to speak with you."
Michael stepped forward and bowed his head.
"Sir. It is an honor to meet you."
"Pietro says you are with the X-Men?" Medusa asked
"Yes, ma'am...I mean, Your Highness. We are training to be X-Men."
"And where are the rest of the X-Men?"
"Well...you see...we kind of...broke off from them."
Medusa and Black Bolt shared a look.
"For what reason?"
"We had issues over some property. Look, we have a device that detected Luna's power becoming activated. Since she is half-mutant our device picked it up. We knew she had been kidnapped and decided to inform you. We came here as soon as we could to help."
-Luna's powers have manifested? What is my brother doing?-
Michael realized the voice belonged to Black Bolt.
"I can hear thoughts, sir," he said.
-You're a telepath?-
"Yes, but I am new to it. I promise I won't read your mind."
-What is your name?-
"Michael Bronson. But I go by Seraph. We are the Champions."
-I believe you are telling us the truth Michael, and as much as we appreciate your help, this is a matter of the inhuman royal family. We are deeply grateful you led us to our lost children. But we will take it from here.-
"I might be able to help you find her. I can track a person's psychic essence. If you have something that belonged to her, something she spent a lot of time around, I could pick up her trail."
Crystal reached into her pocket and pulled out a sand dollar.
"Pietro gave this to her. She has always wanted to see the ocean. He brings her things like seashells and pearls," she said.
She handed it to Michael. He held it in his hand and focused on it.
There were three traces on it. One felt masculine. It had a flavor of impatience and a short temper, but he also sensed a deep loving affection. A father's love. That was Pietro's essence.
The next one was female, but like Pietro, this one had a bit of a temper. There was also a trace of vanity and a deep need for romance. But there was a sense of worry and anger. This essence was Crystal's.
Finally the third essence was purer. Michael got many feelings of delight and longing, the taste of a child's dream. Crystal said Luna wanted to see the ocean, how many times did she hold this and think of that mysterious and wondrous place?
"I got it," Michael said.
He turned to face everyone. "I got her scent. Now all we have to do is-"
He stopped.
"Wait...where is Rickard and his team?"

"Well this sucks," Hisako said.
The three of them were in glass tubes. They had been trying to locate Luna when they had been ambushed and captured.
James pounded at the glass but even his immense strength could not break it.
"It's no use. There is some kind of field that keeps your powers from working," the blue-skinned girl said.
"What is your name?" Rickard asked.
"Laurie. She is Idie," Laurie pointed to the African-American girl. Then she pointed to a young man with black hair. "He is Gabriel, the beefy guy is called Teon, and the bald guy is Kenji."
Rickard got a bad vibe from Kenji. His right eye was yellow with a brown pupil but his left was yellow with a black pupil. Both of them reminded Rickard of the same look he had seen in Abreal's eyes. The look of a nihilist. His left arm was misshapen and grotesque, and several smaller tentacles sprouted from where his fingers should have been.
"Are you Inhumans?" Rickard asked.
Laurie shook her head. "Mutants."
"When our powers manifested we had little to no control over them. But then this Maximus dude showed up and helped us. Or at least that is what I thought," Gabriel said.
"I didn't want to go with him. I killed my family, I was afraid. He said he could help but I didn't want to hurt him. Then I felt like I was in a dream and I was following him."
"Bad man! Bad man!" Teon said.
"What's his deal?" Hisako asked.
"Believe me, this is an improvement. Before, he was incapable of any kind of speech," Laurie said.
"What about you?" Rickard asked.
"My skin was becoming hard, it hurt so badly. I was thinking of killing myself."
"I wasn't sure what happened to me. One minute everything was normal, and the next thing I knew the world was moving so slow it almost seemed to stop. For me I was stuck like that for months, but only days passed in the real world. Then he showed up, using some device that stabilized me," Gabriel explained.
"And you?" Rickard asked Kenji.
Kenji was silent for a moment; he seemed to be somewhere far away.
"I was making art. Then I became art."
"You weren't art! You were a writhing mass of bone and muscle!" Gabriel said looking disgusted at the memory.
Kenji looked at him with a blank expression. "Like I said, art."
"Okay, this guy is effed up in the head," Hisako said.
"What has he done to you all?"
"See all those other tubes?" Laurie asked.
Rickard nodded.
"There were other mutants in there as well. Some could not control their powers either. Others seemed normal. Then he pumped this mist stuff in here. Whatever it was seemed to stabilize our powers. But the others didn't make it. Some died right away, others mutated horribly. Some seemed fine for a while but they didn't make it either. I am not sure how many died."
"Two hundred-and forty-five. I counted," Kenji said.
"Oh my God!" Hisako said covering her mouth.
"We need to get the hell out of here!" James said pounding his fist against the glass.
"We tried, dude," Gabriel said.
"None of us can use our powers. It's like I said, there is some kind of field," Laurie said.
Just then the door opened and Maximus came in followed by two others.
"Hello everyone, how are we all doing!"
"Bad man!" Teon growled.
"Let me out of here, you bastard! I am going to rip your head off and shove it up your-"
"Such language! There are children present! Well, not in this room, they are upstairs, but still."
"I take it you are Maximus?" Rickard asked.
"I see my reputation precedes me. To answer your question, yes I am. And you are?"
"We are the Champions. We came here to help save Luna."
"Hmm, not doing a very good job, are you?" Maximus asked.
"Why did you experiment on all those mutants? What are you playing at?"
"To answer your question, I am merely trying to retake the throne that my brother stole from me! A task I admit I have failed at on several occasions, but practice makes perfect. But I decided what I need is an army! Sadly, many of my fellow Inhumans believe me to be insane."
"Imagine that," Hisako muttered.
"So I decided to seek my army elsewhere. Using a shard of the terrigen crystal, I have been experimenting on your kind. It is amazing how similar our two people are. We both come from humans, after all. Sadly, your kind is not adept with the mists. They were not designed for you and your lack of selective breeding has made it tricky. I mean, only five survived out of those few hundred!"
"Two-hundred-and forty-five," Kenji said.
"Details," Maximus said waving his hand like it didn't matter.
"It is my hope that the mist could greatly enhance the abilities of mutants, and I was right, the problem is however, in most cases their powers were increased until they were beyond the mutant's control. But luckily it managed to stabilize your powers."
"You call this stabilized?" Laurie asked pointing to her face.
"You were slowly developing a crystalline blue skin my dear, the process was painful but would have led to this sooner or later. I merely sped up the process."
"Lord Maximus!" Falcana ran into the room. "Your brother and the royal family have arrived!"
"What?!"
"They have met up with the other newcomers and are making their way here!"
"Damn! Well, looks like you're all going to have to fight sooner than I would have liked. I would have preferred to make more warriors, but you will have to do."
"There is no way in hell we are going to help you!" James said.
Maximus grinned. "You won't have a choice."

The two group was making their way up a hill.
"Are you sure you know where you are going?" Crystal asked.
"Yes. This way!" Michael said.
"Swear to God, if this child is wasting our time…" Pietro muttered.
"Dude, Michael knows what he is doing, believe me," Devin said.
"Can't we just teleport there?" Megan asked.
"I don't know exactly where she is. I am just following her trail. I don't know where it will take us but I know she is very close!" Michael said.
"I hope Rickard and the others are okay," Victor said.
"They're close as well. Don't worry, I am sure if we find her we will find them."
"Be warned, they may not be as they had been. Maximus brainwashed some of our warriors to aid him," Medusa said.
"Wouldn't be the first time that happened. Remember Limbo?" Megan asked.
"Please don't mention that place," Victor said.
They reached the top of the hill.
"Oh my God!" Angie said.
There was a giant robot, thousands of feet tall. It looked like someone had rebuilt the top to look like Magneto.
"That was one of the Sentinels that attacked the island. It is dead though. After the attack it lost its fuel. The survivors made it into a monument for my father when everyone assumed he was dead," Pietro explained.
"You mutants can be a grim lot," Gorgon said.
"Luna is in there, I can feel it," Michael said.
"Figures, where better to hide on a deserted island then inside a machine that killed millions of innocent lives," Victor said.
"Well, let's go inside and say hi," Michael said.

Maximus led Luna into a room.
There was a single bed with a young boy sitting on it. He had black hair and brown eyes. He wore gray sweatpants and a gray shirt.
"Look Ahura, your cousin has come to visit," Maximus said.
"Ahura?" Luna asked.
He did not seem to notice either of them.
"It is a result of spending so many years with the Pacifiers. Sometimes our people develop a power or an instability that makes others fear them. So the pacifiers are called to take them and lock them away like some shameful secret. All the time he spent with them has left him...well...passive."
"He has the same problem you do," Luna said.
"And that is why you are here, dear. Remember I told you that only you could help him. You can do more than see emotions, Luna. You can manipulate them as well. So try and use your gift to cure your cousin."
"But I've never done that. What if I can't?"
"You're a princess of the inhumans. You can do anything you set your mind to. Trust me."
Luna walked over to her cousin. She had not seen him for so long. She remembered when they were smaller they would play. One day he just disappeared. She asked her mother where he went; she said he had to go somewhere special to be taught and not to bring it up to her aunt and uncle.
Then a few days ago she overheard her mother and father talking about how Ahura had disappeared. Then Maximus came to her, telling her he had Ahura and was trying to help him get better, but he needed her help.
So she went with him (unaware he had used a bit of his mental powers to manipulate her), hoping to help her cousin.
She walked over to Ahura and she took his hand in hers.
"Ahura? It's me, Luna. Can you hear me?"
He did not answer. He just continued to stare blankly into nothing.
Luna placed her hand on his cheek.
"Ahura. Wake up! I miss you. You're my best friend. I am so lonely. The other kids make fun of me because Daddy isn't an inhuman. You were always nice to me. You told me not to listen to them because they were just jealous of me because I was more special than any of them. Aunt Medusa and Uncle Black Bolt miss you too."
She imagined the dark colors around him would turn into something bright and cheerful.
To her surprise it worked, they began to recede like dark clouds being blown away by a strong wind.
Soon he had a nice healthy glow.
He blinked. "Luna? Is that you?" he asked.
She smiled. "It worked!"
He looked around. "Where am I?"
"Uncle Max helped you."
Ahura's eyes landed on Maximus. "You!"
He jumped up and stood in front of Luna.
"Stay away from her!"
"Ahura, it is okay, he wants to help," Luna said.
"He only wants to help himself!" Ahura said.
Maximus smiled. "I am afraid he is right, little Luna. Not that it matters now. Now I want you to use your power on me. With my madness gone I can finally use the full power of my mind!"
Fusedtwilight: Dun dun dun! What will happen next?
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Angel In The Attic