Chapter 36, The Longest Night Prt 2

The Fastest Man Alive

Chapter 36

The Longest Night Part Two

The head of Scott Summers slowly fell, sailing through the air with all eyes watching it. Some of the people that came out of the facility with us had wide-open eyes as they watched my display of swift judgment. With a daft swing, I sliced the head into two parts and used my gravity manipulation to pull the odd left eye out.

Slowly I examined the eye, but then my attention was pulled from my ministrations.

“What did you do!” Peter yelled as he came at me hard and fast with a swing.

With a flick of my finger, I held Peter frozen in the air with my gravity control. Taking my attention to the apparent cyborg eye, I faced Peter as I had the eye floating in the air.

“No, the question is what are you doing?” I asked him as I stepped towards Peter.

SNIKT! With that sound, Laura took a step towards the confrontation of Peter and myself, but Ororo stood in front of her and shook her head at the angry little girl.

“This is between them, and you shall not interfere,” Ororo said as she stood before Laura. “Although I, too, would like to understand what is going on.”

“Yes, I second Storm. I would also like to understand what’s happening.” Jean said as she looked down at the body. “I was the one that invited him after he saved my life.”

Natasha didn’t even bat an eye at the body of Cyclops, but she did shoot me a look before going back to eye the people that we rescued. Felicia was leaning against the batmobile while Salt was on the edge holding a lookout position.

“First, Peter did we not talk about this down below?” I asked my best friend/bother as I brought him back down to the ground.

You just killed that guy in cold blood! Why?” Peter asked heatedly.

“A clone, a spy, and a mole planted into our circle,” I replied with a shrug. “Take your pick, but anyone of those deserves death.”

“No one deserves death, Heroes save people regardless of what they are,” Peter replied swiftly stepping up to me. “And how would you know he was a clone, we only met him today.”

“You’re right on that, Hero’s do save people, but I’m not here as a hero,” I replied heatedly. “Tonight, I came out here to save my family from going through what happened to me when I was first captured. I walk through this night as a soldier on a mission, not some hero that will release the enemy back into the hands of people from whom they can escape.”

“You do not know that!” Peter yelled.

I could not help but scoff at the pure naivety of Peter. “You think that they could afford such a facility and location on American soil without some backing Peter? Use that brain of yours and crunch the numbers. How many people go missing a year? How do you think they can get around without anyone noticing them?”

“Then we release the evidence of everyone and let them get taken down that way,” Peter replied.

“But you forget something very critical about this entire situation,” I said as I brought up my wrist computer.

“Yeah, and what’s that?” Peter huffed at me, and I was trying very hard not to roll my eyes at him. No, not because I was wearing my helmet still but because it would have been a useless act.

“You were carried in here without a mask, and they drew blood, you dolt. That means they will soon know who you are.” I said as I brought up the information that Alfred gathered from the mainframe. I watched the panic set into his features before I decided to give him the good news. “Everything connected to your name that has left this premises is being tracked down and removed from the equation.”

I watched the relief drain into Peter’s face once he heard me say those words, then a crow came out of the air and landed on the body of Cyclops.

“Also, the reason why I know that a cheap clone rip off right out of Star Wars is that the real Scott Summers died in front of me the same day I decided that I would become a soldier in this war against those who prey on meta-humans,” I told him as I held a hand up for everyone to see. “There are only three summer brothers that have laser abilities. Scott has optic beams. Alex has beams from his hands, and the last is Gabriel. Gabriel can use his beams from anywhere on his body and absorption; also, he is the youngest.”

“That still doesn’t prove why you had to kill him,” Peter replied with his hands folded across his chest.

“Ohh that’s rather simple really,” I replied with a smile, “The answer to that is because Nathanial couldn’t resist the chance to lay his eyes on a certain someone and had a cyborg eye implanted inside the clones head. Almost fooled me too.”

“And your purpose or having that eye float is for what then,” Natasha asked as she stepped up between us as she gave a nod to Ororo who in turn pushed Laura towards Peter.

“Ohh I thought it might be rather rude of us not to say hi to Nathanial Essex otherwise known as Mister Sinister,” I said as the image on my wrist changed to the control room that Sinister was using to watch us from with the eye.

Mr. Sinister looked very much like his comic book counterpart. Pasty white skin with red eyes and a red diamond in the middle of his forehead. Sinister was wearing an all-black skin-tight suit with a frayed cape hanging over his back and seat. “Why hello there Nathanial, I do hope your preparing for my visit.”

We all watched as his face changed into a variety of displays before he pressed a few buttons on his control console. As we watched, Sinister enter the access key, the eye before us exploded.

I was the first to react to the explosion with my speed still active so, with a casual wave, I had the gravity surrounding the eye increase pulling all of the shrapnel and explosive force back into itself.

“Tsk, tsk, That was not very nice Nathanial,” I replied, allowing the mirth to travel through my voice.

“Child, you will pay for your insolence.” Sinister roared back through the holo chat.

“Tch, can you be any more cliche than the typical mad scientist,” I replied to the man.

“When do we remove this stain,” Ororo asked as she narrowed her eyes on the form of Sinister.

“This one is all mine ladies,” I replied as I look at Jean. Before Jean could answer though Peter spoke up again, with a press, I turned off the holo before Sinister could speak any more, cutting him off.

“You guys are okay with him killing all these people?” Peter asked incredulously.

“Yes, this is war, and one of the tried and true tactics is to deny your enemy their resources,” Natasha replied instantly. “You would know that if you had paid more attention during my lessons.”

That got Peter to back off, but I knew better. Peter was one of those people that wouldn’t let anything go once he got it in his head. He would learn, I just hoped it wasn’t the hard way like in the comics.

“We have no need nor do we want these people to get into the general jail population for them to accidentally get lost by some government agency,” Felicia said from her position leaning on the Arkam Knight-styled batmobile.

“Then I will head to Genosha and get rid of this vermin, and I would like you guys to deliver these people to Salem,” I said as I waved my hands towards the group of prisoners that I rescued from this horrible place.

“And what will we do with the second Facility?” Ororo asked me after getting out of the way so that Laura could take Peter up into the hovering VTOL ship which still had its back ramps down.

“Overwatch already infiltrated the systems and shut them down while the spider bots cleaned out the place. I was hoping that you would make a pit stop and pick up any prisoners before you get to Salem and I will follow up and destroy the place the same way I plan to do with this one.” I replied with a shrug.

“When did you send spider bots to that location?”

“I had Overwatch hack and use the portal to send a few things as we tore apart his place,” I replied as I turned to look at Natasha

“Okay, then I will come with you and watch your back,” Natasha said with finality as she walked off to speak with the ones we rescued.

“Storm, do you mind taking them to get a check-up and see the professor?” I asked since Nat had already decided to tag along as my back up.

“Is there a reason we do not send them to the island?” Ororo asked as she looked over the crowd that was trying to act like they weren’t listening to our conversation.

“For now we don’t have anything larger than the school and a few buildings built on the island. For now, only the north side is being developed because it would make for a great port city.” I replied to Ororo. “Maybe I can forward some plans and have many more living quarters built on the island since I have plans for it being the main country of meta-humans on earth.”

“I volunteer to help build or help with keeping the rabble in line.”

Everyone in our group turned to look at the sudden new speaker. She was on the short side, but her skin was all silver in color. Looking her up and down, she wore one of the prison jumpsuits. Instantly I knew who this was from taking a look at her, not only that, but I also fought what they used samples of her skin to create.

“What is your name, young lady?” Ororo asked as she took a step towards the girl.

“My name is Cessily Kincaid, but people call me Mercury.” The girl known as Cessily said as she then turned her hands into different shapes. “I would like to go to this country you are building. I don’t want to go to Salem.”

“Why is that?” Felicia asked, speaking up as she eyed the girl with the liquid metal body.

“Salem is still within the bounds of the United States. I heard the conversation that the guy in the red helm was talking about, and he is correct. All of this couldn’t have happened if someone didn’t turn a blind eye.” Cessily said as she waved her hand towards the facility. “I would rather go somewhere outside the bounds and grasp of people willing to capture and experiment on me than stay within a country that’s willing to look the other way.”

“Well, things can be arranged, but the place we will send you too has our security in place, so you don’t have to worry about a thing,” Jean replied to the metal lady with the orange hair.

“Then we will go to this professor and Salem, but I can speak for us all when I say that we would like to go to this island and country that you are building a lot sooner than later,” Cessily said as she walked back to her group. “I no longer feel safe within the borders of America.”

“You also need to understand that the island will be open to both meta-humans and normal humans. I refuse to prescribe us to the whole segregation bullshit.” I said looking at them. “We are all human even if we were born with powers and abilities, so understand that everyone that decides to move to my island will all be equal in the eyes of the law and courts. This also includes people without powers like ours.”

Some of the ones that were listening nodded their heads, and some of the others shook their heads. I made a note of the ones with disgruntled expressions for later in case I had to do some weed removal since the prison system wasn’t up and running yet.

With our discussion out of the way, everyone loaded up into the Flying Fox to head back to New York. The VTOL hovered more than a few hundred feet off the ground while I had Natasha on my back since I was still holding my shape roughly at over ten feet tall. With a mental command to Alfred, the triggers were hit, and the first facility was both blown up and shrunk down to atomic size.

Not too long after we watched the place get dismantled, I received a message from Alfred that he was able to trap and capture Adam Karkins from the other facility in the alpine mountains. With a nod towards the VTOL, they took off while I changed headings and blasted towards San Francisco to make a pickup.

Ohh I had plans for him alright, I had plans for him and Nathanial Essex. In the middle of my brooding and master planning, I felt a husky breathe on my ear as Natasha pressed the release button removing my helmet so that she would get to me and provide a distraction.

“Brooding is not cute while you have a lovely lady like myself around.” Natasha teased as she nipped at my ears pulling me out of my head.

“Hmm, Natalia,” I purred out her name before I felt a small shiver coming from Natasha on my back. Then I felt her lean back into me as her arms came to wrap around my front.

“You know, that is the first time you have said my name,” Natasha whispered into my ear as we flew through the air towards the west coast. I could only sigh at her.

“It’s hard to understand you sometime’s Nat. One moment you’re all business and the next it’s all flirt and smile,” I replied with a shrug while we flew over another city.

“But what’s a lady to do,” Natasha whispered in my ear as she nibbled on my ear lobe

Sighing again, I was greeted with her sultry laughter as we flew over the San Francisco skyline to our quick pit stop. Waiting for us on her balcony was one Emma Frost, the leader, and president of Frost International. Without a pause, I went from moving at over one thousand miles per hour to zero and hover over the balcony.

With a light touch down on the balcony, Natasha hopped over my head before I could kneel for her to get down. With swift and daft movement, Natasha had Emma wrapped and ready to go in a jump harness. I took a good look and found Emma in some long white pants and a skimpy white shirt.

“What is the meaning of this. Unhand me now you cretin.” Emma snarled at Natasha, but I was having none of this tonight. My patience had been stretched and tried too far today.

“This is not up for debate Emma; you will leave with us because what comes next you will witness,” I said as I stepped into her personal space and the look on her face told me that she knew that this was non-negotiable. “Will you come willingly or will you stay?”

“You ask as if I have a choice,” Emma replied with a snide remark.

“If you want my help, then you have no choice because you stay and you get nothing,” I replied as I walked back towards the edge. Natasha didn’t even give her a second glance as she hopped up on my back. I turned and waited for Emma to make her choice after tonight; everything will change, and my enemies will fear my retaliation.

“Fine, damit! Fine! I will go with you, but I want Shaw dead sooner.” Emma said as she walked towards me. Natasha held out a hand to help her up, but Emma brushed it away. I turned around for her, and with a huff, Emma hopped up onto my left side. With a mental command, I open up some of the nano latches for Emma to connect with her harness.

With a tap on my right side from Natasha, I crouched slightly and took off with a strong jump into the air and we shot off towards Genosha. Hopefully Sinister would have a nice welcome party-ready for my arrival.

The flight was nothing for me, but this was the first time that Emma was flying faster than sound and relative reality. We were somewhere over the Pacific when we flew past a plane that looked to be stationary in its fight.

That was a wide awakening for Emma, and she hunkered down closer to my back and tried to play nice with Natasha who in turned humored her. Ignoring the two, I focused myself as we flew over the Pacific Ocean, what came next was going to define the future with one of the biggest villains taken out the game.

Within moments we were over the ocean and rapidly came upon the Island of Genosha. The air was tranquil, and the spray of the ocean was stilled as we flew along the coast towards the hidden manor on the island.

“Everything is so frozen in time,” I heard Emma whisper from her position on my back. We flew like that for a little longer before we came up upon the manor where Nathaniel Essex was hiding.

On the roof were three of the marauders who were the famed group that roamed the world and did the bidding for Sinister. The one in the middle that was going to die first and was some oversized lady with tiger stripes along her side. On the left was a hammerhead shaped guy with his leg up on the railing in a mid spit motion. And the last guy on the right was large and fat like the blob, and I would have thought he was if I wasn’t so certain that the blob only followed around Magneto.

They never knew what hit them and I mean that more than figuratively. The lady in the middle took a superman fist to the face removing her head and torso from her upper body from the speed and force with which I hit her. The man on her right was met with a backhand that also disintegrated his head. With the follow up on my rotation, I spun, swinging myself around into performing a clean uppercut on the right-hand goon, popping his head like a watermelon.

Blood, bone, and brain chunks floated in the air as their bodies came into quick contact with my speed force aura and then was returned to normal time only to freeze as we were moving to fast.

With a quick inspection, I verified there was no one else up on the roof other than us: but there was an access panel for the electronics that could be used. Yanking the panel off the hinges, I pressed in one of the universal USB’s that I’d brought with me. With that installed I brought us back to normal time as I let down Natasha and Emma from there perch on my back.

Before I could take up going into the building, Natasha tugged me to face her.

“Leave me three alive to hunt,” Natasha said as she looked up at my face with a grin that promised cruelty to those in her path. “They should not have planted someone in our home. I will bring Emma along with me.”

Looking down at Natasha, I could spot Emma pout her lips at the corner of my eye, but I only returned a nod in confirmation to Natasha now that she was in full Black Widow mode. Without a second look behind me, I took off down the stairwell to remove all opposition between myself and the man who called himself Mr. Sinister.

The monster inside me was released, and I was on the hunt down the halls of his manor. Those in my path were met with a knee or a punch removing heads or completely annihilating a person with a savage blow as I made my way towards the central room where he resides.

Four were left alive for Natasha to have her fun as I grabbed the face of some nameless guard and smashed him into the floor. He grabbed my wrist in retaliation, but I picked him up by his head and slammed him one more time into the ground, breaking the marble tiles beneath his frame.

His legs kept kicking so I slammed his head into the ground again and again as he screamed under my palm. I noticed the slight blip of red and looked up to face the camera on the door leading into Sinister’s safe house.

Again and again, I smashed the goon head into the ground, before long he began to cry, and I could smell the tell-tale sign of him urinating on himself, but my sight never wavered from the camera that was watching us as I smashed the goons head in repeatedly. As we came to a round number of twelve, I smashed the goon beneath my hands, and finally, I felt his skull break beneath my palm as I again upped the strength I was using.

With a quick flick of the wrist, the brain matter and blood were flicked off onto the walls as I made my way to the final door at the end where my prize awaited me. As I slowly rounded on the door, it was blasted off the hinges as my hands touched the knob. Catching the door, I allowed it to carry me back a few feet.

“You have slighted me, boy!” Someone yelled from beyond the door frame. “You have slighted me for the last time.”

Pushing the door off of me, I showed that I was completely unscathed from any type of damage. In the room, I found six more forms of that fucking bastard Summers surrounding Sinister as he sat on his throne watching me imperiously. There was a slight twitch to his eye, and I knew he noticed that I was unharmed.

The clones of Summers that surrounded the man all had on that black spandex unitard, and they had none of the visors on their faces. That could only mean that they could use their optic blast without that crutch that the Summers from the six one six universes had to rely on because he was too much of a shit heel to learn about his powers.

Sinister’s wrist twitched, and I was already moving before the others could even register whatever commands they were sent. With my first step, a crater was made from the stomp I placed commanding the earth to restrain Sinister, then I flowed into the room as if I was death herself.

Flying out of my body were constructs shaped as arms holding swords, removing the heads of each of the Summers’ clones. With the heads frozen in the air, I pulled a nano restraining patch out from my utility belt and slapped it on the back of Sinister’s neck.

With a smile, I sat within Sinister’s throne and watched as regular time took over, and everything played itself out before my eyes. I sat and watched as Nathanial Essex was restrained against the far wall of his own chambers. Then out of my jacket flowed my nanotech as they turned into spider bots and plugged themselves into servers and other things that he had in his room of last resort.

Placing one leg over the other, I leaned back in Sinister’s throne and waited for Widow to come and join me since I was notified that her fun was over with. As I waited, I looked him up and down from the all back spandex he wore to that ugly ass cape on his back. The pale skin and the black lipstick and eyeliner with the red diamond in the center of his forehead made an intimidating vision to look at.

There was the sound of a small shuffle and then I heard the sound of a stiletto heel as the person who wore it walked their way down the hall towards us. From my left, an arm touched my shoulder as Natasha took a seat on the arm of the throne while Emma stood on my right.

With a casual toss in front of myself, I enlarged a chamber that I had completed a while back but didn’t see a need for it because of how dangerous and evil it was, but now I found and understood why I created something like this in the first place.

“What is that, and who is he?” Emma asked as she examined both the man and the new four by four-chamber that unshrunk itself before us.

“His name is Nathaniel Essex, and he sent a fucking clone to our home,” I replied with a snarl as I commanded the earth to break away and then to catch him in a gravity grip. “Lord Essex here is over a thousand years old and the world’s greatest geneticist.”

“And how do you know about him if he is a thousand years old, wouldn’t he learn to hide pretty well from the world living that long?” Emma asked as she turned to face me as I held Sinister up with his look of defiance on his face.

“That could only save him if I didn’t make it my business to learn and snoop out all of the hidden dangers that live here on earth with us,” I replied as I slowly lowered Sinister into the chamber.

“Then what is that chamber for then, why not kill him and get it over with,” Emma replied as she looked me in the eyes. “Why prolong so much?”

“Because this is to be a lesson,” I replied as I looked her back in the eye. “First, I wanted to remove his head from his body. Then I wanted to make his death slow and painful, but then I remembered something. Nathaniel Essex is one of the greatest and oldest minds on the planet that dates back over a thousand years.

His death will not be swift, and it will not be painless. I will place him in the chamber and fill it with the latest nanotech that I created. These nanites are specially made for certain people.” I said as I continued to look her in the eye. “They will invade every nook and orifice of his body and connect to this brain. Then the nanites will remove all bodily functions trapping him within himself, no telepath will be able to save him, no telekinesis will save him and no super strength will save him.

The man known as Nathanial Essex will be placed on a shelf as I milk his brain for every drop of knowledge that he has amassed over the years. I will gather every one of his clones from BarSinister and place them all within chambers to build up my think tank. With his immortality, he will never die and live his life being drained of every thought and passing idea until I chose to give him death. That is the price he will pay from daring to strike at my home.”

With that, I turned from the pale-faced Emma as I got up from Sinisters thrown. Waste not, want not. This was one of the greatest minds, and I was going to make sure he wished I had killed him. With a simple slide of my fingers, I brought the pain receptors to ninety percent and left it there.

“Every clone of you, every backup data and storage I will drain from your head and place on a shelf right beside you. Fuck your plan for the ultimate meta-human and fuck your plans for a clone of my Jean. You should have kept your head down like you’ve been doing and I would have made your eventual death a lot less painful. Now you’re going to sit on the shelf like a jar of pickles for the rest of your unnatural life.”

Slowly Sinister’s eyes widened, and he tried to scream out and thrash around inside the chamber, but his fate was sealed. I watched the last will of defiance drain from the great Nathaniel Essex as the chamber filled and the nanites went to work on him.