X-Men: Black
Fire
By Paradox
BOOK
I
Three
The symbols on the computer screen would mean nothing to someone off the
street. Yet to Cole, the represented centuries of magick rites and incantations.
He read through them at light speed, having memorized them hundreds of time
before. He did not truly need to look at them, but it was a pleasant way
to pass the time and keep himself up to date.
Looking at the small clock at the bottom of the screen, Cole stretched and
lit a cigarette before switching the computer off and moving into the small
living room of the apartment. He switched on the television just as there
was the sound of a knock at his door. Cole smiled and turned the television
off, standing up. Who is it? he asked, even though he had already
guessed.
Tonys pizza.
Cole froze. He had not ordered a pizza. Slowly, he reached around behind
his back, saying, I didnt order a pizza.
Suddenly, the door to the apartment crashed in. Three men in military uniforms
with assault rifles rushed into the room. Cole yanked the pistol from the
back of his waistband and opened fire. One of the men went down with a smoking
hole in his chest about the size of an apple. The other two quickly fired
off bursts that sent Cole diving for cover. As bullets ricocheted off the
wooden coffee table and punched into the couch, Cole clenched his fist tightly,
whispering a few arcane words. Instantly, his hand began to crackle with
energy. He dove out from behind the couch and hurled the energy at one of
the men in fatigues. The man screamed in pain a moment before his body exploded
and turned into a red stain on the wall.
The remaining attacker pulled the trigger on his assault rifle and sprayed
the room with bullets. Cole tried to dodge out of the way, but he had no
room to maneuver. Three bullets struck him in the shoulder, thigh, and abdomen.
He hissed in anger more than pain and yanked the second pistol from the coffee
table. Leaping into the air, he leveled both guns and opened fire. The air
crackled with the ionized energy blasts from the guns. The man in fatigues
had no time to scream before his body vaporized.
Cole dropped to the ground and fell to a knee, gripping at the wound in his
abdomen. He was losing a lot of blood, fast. With visible effort, he staggered
over to the bedroom and took a red bag from the night stand. Opening it,
he sprinkled a black powder over the wound and then took out a lighter from
his pants pocket. Gritting his teeth, he lit the powder, which flashed up
as soon as the flames touched it. Cole hissed with pain as the wound cauterized,
and ripped what remained of his shirt off, tearing it into bandage strips.
He wrapped one strip around his thigh and the other around his shoulder.
Taking another small bag, he gently sprinkled a fine powder over each wound,
letting it soak up the blood. Sighing, he pulled on his coat and walked back
into the other room to examine the bodies. More than likely, the police had
been called and he would only have a few minutes before he needed to run.
Cole stopped in his tracks when he reached the living room and saw Cyclops,
Storm, and Kitty staring at the bodies. They looked up at him with equally
shock expressions. I was late paying my, uh, water bill. Cole
explained lamely.
Cyclops knelt next to one of the bodies and check for a pulse. I think
wed better get out of here before I get some more guests. Cole
said as he grabbed a black duffel bag.
Why dont you tell us what happened now? Storm said, blocking
his way out of the door.
Cole sighed and shook his head. Look, Ill explain everything
to all of you once were back at the mansion. Right now, youd
better move before a bunch of cops get here.
Kitty put a hand on Storms shoulder. Hes right Ororo, we
need to ask our questions in private. I can already hear the sirens, and
their getting close fast.
Storm nodded and walked out the front door to the apartment, followed by
Cyclops. Kitty looked over at Cole and saw the bloody bandages peeking out
from beneath his coat. Are you all right? she said, moving to
examine the wounds.
Cole gently took hold of her wrist to keep her from touching him.
Im fine, we can worry about these scratches once were clear
of this place.
Kitty nodded and headed out. Cole took one more glance around the room. Kneeling
down, he ripped the assault vest from one of the dead men and threw it in
his duffel bag. Then, he stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind
him.
The X-Men and dark young man moved outside and quietly slipped inside the
awaiting car. Cyclops slid behind the wheel while Storm got in n the passenger
side. Kitty and Cole slid into the rear of the car where Cole slumped in
the seat almost as soon as he got in. Kitty pulled his coat aside and saw
the two bloody wounds in his shoulder and thigh, and the cauterized wound
in abdomen. My god. she whispered. Storm, we have to get
him medical attention, fast.
Storm looked back and saw the wounds, gasping quietly. Agreed. Scott
hurry to the mansion, Coles losing blood.
It aint that bad. Cole grumbled as he pulled a small black
box with a single red button from his coat. At least not as bad as
them. he said, nodding in the direction of his apartment. Kitty,
tell me something.
Whats that Cole?
How far do you think we are from my apartment?
The question struck Kitty as rather mundane at the time. She looked back
and did a quick calculation in her head. Id say about four hundred
meters.
Any cops or civilians around it?
Kitty shook her head.
Good. Cole pushed the red button.
In the next second, the top of Coles apartment building turned into
a erupting fireball. The windows shattered out and the walls visibly cracked,
even from their distance of view. Scott hit the brakes, pulling the car over
to the side and bringing it to a skidding stop. Just what the hell
was that? he demanded.
Cole smiled. C4 in just the right proportions and exactly the right
locations.
You have killed everyone in that building! Storm admonished
Cole shook his head. Not possible, I owned the building and didnt
rent it to anyone. Trust me guys, I make it a habit of effectively covering
my tracks and not hurting anyone. Now if you dont mind, he continued,
his voice getting fainter, Id like to go to a hospital before
I die of blood loss. He looked over at Kitty, his vision blurring suddenly.
Damn, I think Im going to black out; This
is...so...embarrassing.
He was just able to get the last word out of his mouth before he passed out
and fell into Kittys waiting arms.
* * * *
A moan escaped from Coles lips as he came awake. He opened his eyes
and immediately slammed them shut as the fluorescent lights stabbed at his
eyes. Slowly, he reopened them, letting his vision adjust to the brightness.
When he was able to see clearly, he looked over to his right to see Kitty
curled up on a chair next to the bed. Cole marveled at the peaceful expression
on her face as she slept. Wincing, he sat up, looking over his bullet wounds.
To his surprise, they were nearly healed. Even with his herbal potions, he
shouldnt have healed this fast, unless he had been unconscious for
longer than he had thought. Noticing his clothes on the counter at the foot
of the bed, Cole swung his legs over the side of the biobed, dully noticing
that they were bare and he only wore a hospital gown. Staggering over to
the counter, he gathered up his clothes and began pulling them on. When he
pulled on the jeans, his abdomen wound flared up hot, causing him to utter
a growl of pain.
Kittys eyes fluttered open at the sound and she stared at Cole. What
are you doing? she asked quietly.
Cole spun and looked at her, his hand instinctively reaching for a gun that
was not there. Im getting some clothes on.
Kitty pulled back the blanket that had been wrapped around her and stood
up, brushing back a lock of hair. You should be in bed, those wounds
arent healed yet.
Cole shrugged on his shirt and grabbed his coat. Ive been hit
with worse. He looked around, Where are my guns?
Hank has them, he wanted to see what made them tick.
Coles eyes went wide. Hes doing what?
Finding out how they work.
Cole growled a curse and ran from the room, pulling on his coat as he did.
Kitty started after him, phasing through walls to try and get ahead of the
fleeing young man. Yet, even as she passed through a wall that should have
brought her directly in front of him, Cole was already down the hall, moving
faster than anyone she had ever seen. She pushed the intercom button on the
wall. Hank, its Kitty.
Yes Kitty, what may I do for you? came Beasts voice.
Coles awake.
Ah, excellent, I will come see to him immediately.
Kitty smiled wryly. No need, hes on his way down to see you
now.
There was a brief pause. Hes out of bed already? My word, it
has only been twenty-four hours.
Yeah, and hes not happy about you tinkering with his
guns.
Oh, I see. Well, Ive had a little difficulty finding a way to
dismantle them anyhow, but I think I might have found a way.
Kitty glanced at the electronic map of the mansion and saw that the blip
representing Cole was thirty yards from Beast. Oh no. she said,
and phased through the floor directly into Beasts laboratory. The
blue-furred scientist looked up at her in surprise. Kitty, couldnt
you use the door?
No, and I doubt Cole will either.
As if on cue, the metal door to the laboratory blew in with an audible explosion.
Cole came charging in, his eyes widening at the sight of Beast about to dismantle
on of the high tech guns on a steel table. Dont touch those,
or youre dead! he cried.
Kitty jumped in front of Beast, ready to defend her friend. No way
am I going to let you hurt McCoy, Raven. Cole narrowed his eyes slightly
and sprang into the air, flipping over Kitty before the mutant could react.
He dropped down on the other side of the metal table and snatched up the
gun, quickly looking over it.
Aw crap! he muttered, and quickly began fidgeting with the gun.
Beast took a step forward to see what the young man was doing. Get
back. Cole said calmly without looking up from the gun. If I
cant disarm this thing well all be dead in thirty
seconds.
Kitty ran around Beast, looking at what Cole was doing. My god,
she said quietly, That thing has an anti-tamper device on it thatll
blow the whole mansion up.
Cole pulled the slide back and allowed it to snap back forward. There was
a soft beeping sound and Cole sighed in relief. Well, it wont
blow anything up now. I was able to cancel the self-destruct. He looked
over at Beast. In the future, dont try to take these things apart
to see what makes them tick.
Beast put up his hands. Point taken.
Suddenly, Cole hissed in pain and fell to a knee, the gun falling from his
grasp. Kitty dropped to her knees beside him and saw that his wounds had
ripped open and begun bleeding again. Hank, we need to get him back
upstairs.
Beast nodded and picked up him, cradling Cole like a baby. The two rushed
off to the medlab to try and help their strange new companion.
What is your opinion Scott?
Cyclops looked over at Charles and sighed. Well, hes a little
rough around the edges, and Im not so sure that hell be able
to work with a team.
Charles nodded. And you Ororo?
Storm looked into the fire that blazed in the hearth. He is a highly
intelligent young man, and very resourceful. Yet, he is also very
ruthless.
So am I, Wolverine said with a smile, That didnt
stop you from letting me in.
Very true, Charles said, Wolverine, you have been invaluable
to us. The question that is on my mind, though, is just what place does he
have with us?
The group of mutants muttered amongst themselves and finally looked up at
the man whom they all called friend, mentor, and father. Professor,
Storm said, Why dont we all talk with him and find out everything
we can about him. Have you been able to pick up any surface
thoughts?
Charles shook his head. No, nothing. Have you Jean?
Phoenix shook her head. No, its as though his mind has a steel
wall around it. I dont know if Id be able to break through it
if I wanted to.
So we just have to trust what he says? Wolverine said, not too
happy about the idea. From what Scotty an Ro tell me, this
kids got all kinds of people after him. Im not sure that we can
trust what he says.
Everyones got dere secrets,
mon ami. Why should dis boy be
any diffrnt.
Wolverine looked over at Gambit, who was absently shuffling cards. Because
it could get us killed, gumbo.
I only kill people who piss me off Logan. The mutants spun to
see Cole leaning against the door frame of the study, a lit cigarette in
his hand. Lucky for you, I like you guys.
Kitty then appeared beside Cole, apparently out of breath. Sorry Professor,
but I couldnt stop him. He insisted on seeing you.
Charles held up a hand. Its all right Kitty, we were just about
to go see him.
Saved you a trip then, huh? Cole walked into the room and then
stopped to grunt and put a hand to his shoulder wound. Kitty was instantly
by his side, ready to support him.
Are you sure you are all right young man? Charles asked with
a raised eyebrow.
Cole nodded. Yeah, Ill be fine tomorrow. He dropped down
into one of the chairs by the fire, glancing once at the flames and then
back at the team. So, ask your questions.
For a couple of moments, everyone was silent, debating on what they should
say.
All right, Wolverine started, You said you know me.
How?
Cole smiled. About five years ago, a government agency called Black
Fire recruited me into its ranks. Granted, this wasnt by choice. It
was join them or get a bullet in the brain. Considering I was only sixteen
and I didnt feel like dying yet, I said yes. They trained me in every
form of combat known to man. We had guys from the Army, Navy, and Marines,
each of them teaching us their special fighting tactics from the Special
Forces of the Army to the Navy SEALS. He paused to take a drag from
the cigarette. My team was made up of basically young kids like me,
all mutants. I was the exception because they thought my powers were mutagenic,
not magickal. They outfitted us with weapons and equipment so top secret
that no one knows about it with the exception of the agency. This was big
time Area 51 type stuff, space-aged technology that would eliminate the need
for ammunition in weapons. My guns are from their weapons racks. They dont
need bullets, only sunlight for an hour to recharge the energy clips. The
agency sent us out on black ops missions to assassinate high level diplomats
of opposing countries, steal information about enemy and terrorist activities
and weapons, and other lovely jobs. He looked over at Wolverine. We
were given very detailed intelligence on other covert organizations, like
the Weapon X program that put the adamantium in your bones and claws,
thats how I knew about you. Wolverine glared at Cole, but said
nothing. My group was the Black Dragon team, and we were the best.
Not once did we fail a mission, not once did one of my team die.
Then, we got this job to go into Baghdad to try and take out a supposed
nuclear missile sight that was targeting the U.S. We went in and got through
their security easy, too easy. As cliché as that sounds, it was true.
As soon as we entered what was supposed to be the missile sight, we discovered
it to be nothing more than a room full of explosives. I had just turned to
my team to tell them to get the hell out when the whole place blew bigger
than Pearl Harbor. Cole sighed and took a deep drag from the cigarette.
I dont know how, but I survived.
Just how much explosive was in there? Beast asked.
Cole looked over at him. I dont know, about two thousand pounds
of C4 at a guess.
Everyones mouth in the room fell open in blatant shock. Even
I couldnt survive that! Wolverine said.
Cole smiled. Yeah, I know.
You mean to say that your magick is so strong that you were able to
activate a shield that protected you from two thousand pounds of the
worlds most powerful explosive?
Cole looked over at Jean pointedly. Ms. Grey, I did not consciously
activate the shield. As far as how strong I can make one, Ive only
been able to deflect a blast about the size of a hand grenade, but thats
it.
So what are you saying Cole? asked Charles.
What I am saying, is that someone else with
really powerful magick is out there,
and I think they have joined forces with Black fire in trying to bring me
in. He paused so he could looked at Cyclops, Storm, and Kitty. Those
dead guys in my apartment were from Fire. There is no way they could have
found me by simple intelligence gathering, I covered myself too well. They
have other magick on their side, and its a hell of a lot tougher than
mine. Thats why Ive come to ask for your help, and a place in
your ranks.
Did you lose half your mind in that explosion kid, Wolverine
yelled, jumping to his feet, You expect us to make you an X-Man just
so you can have protection from some government agency thats hunting
you down?
Cole nodded, his face completely serious. That is exactly what I am
asking. He looked over at Charles. Professor, I know that you
require much training and study before allowing one of your students to become
a member of the team. I am willing to do what it takes to accomplish
this.
Charles sighed and looked over into the fire. Why do you desire to
become one of the X-Men? What is it about us that attracts you so?
Cole stood up, gently pushing Kitty away when she moved to stop him from
moving. Professor, one of the things we needed to study on Black Dragon
was the X-Men. We never knew when we would run into you on one of our missions.
I know what it is you do for the planet and for parts of the universe. All
that Black Dragon every did was to take out politicians and dictators that
threatened just the United States. Im tired of worrying only about
just America when I know about all of these mutants who try to take over
the world, time and again. Pretty soon, if my team hadnt been killed,
we would have become invalid because there would be no America to defend.
I want to be a part the greater good that you try and accomplish every day
we breathe.
For several long moments, no one said a word, all taking in what the young
assassin was saying. Finally, Charles turned to face Cole. You indeed
present a good case. It is obviously well thought out and
researched.
Cole narrowed his eyes. This is the part were you tell me you dont
think I would be cut out for the X-Men, right?
Charles shook his head. Mr. Raven, we fight against people much more
dangerous than dictators and human terrorists. Several of
ours have died fighting with us.
Cole clenched his fists, his teeth clenched together. If you dont
think that I can take on the bad guys you do, then listen to this: You ever
hear of a guy by the name of Ramrod?
No one spoke, for no one knew who Cole referred to. Dont tell
me none of you have heard of him.
I know him.
The X-Men looked over at Wolverines soft statement. The short man was
looking very serious as he eyed Cole. I went up against him when I
was with Canadian Special Forces. Guy nearly killed me. I was able to get
in a couple of good shots before getting away with my life. He looked
over at the X-Mens shocked expressions. This was before Weapon
X, okay.
Cole nodded. Yeah, I know. He dropped back down into the chair,
taking a drag from the cigarette. He resurfaced about a year ago. Black
Dragon was called in to take him out before he made a strike on the government.
I killed him without a shot fired.
Wolverine bolted from his leaning position against the wall and grabbed Cole
by the collar of his coat. Bull, he growled, Ramrod was
one of the toughest SOBs Ive ever gone up against. No way a punk
kid like you took him out hand to hand.
Cole shot up from his chair, looking Wolverine dead in the eye. His hands
began to crackle with black energy. Are you saying Im
lying?
I want proof. the mutant growled.
A smile crept onto Coles lips. Look down genius, the tell my
Im lying.
Wolverine shifted his gaze to where Cole directed, and his eyes went wide.
He slowly let go of Cole and backed away. The kids for real.
he said quietly.
How do you know? Cyclops asked.
Hes for real! Wolverine snarled at him. The team leader
put his hands up in a sign of defeat.
Does this do anything to my chances of joining the team?
Charles looked around the room, his eyebrow raised in a silent query.
Wolverine pulled out a cigar. Kids got my vote.
He does indeed have fine technological skills. I would welcome his
input. Beast said.
His skills would be a fine addition to the team. Storm agreed.
Considerin what I been tol bout his
petite skirmish wit Stormy,
I give him a tumbs up. Gambit threw Storm a wicked grin, which
she returned with a glare.
Cyclops nodded. He certainly was able to handle himself against those
agents that attacked him in his apartment, and he has a good knack for
contingency plans.
Kitty looked over at Cole silently. Kitty, asked Charles, What
is your opinion?
Id like him on the team. she said quietly, as though afraid
to admit it.
Charles nodded. Very well, we will begin your training as soon as you
are well and see how you do.
Cole smiled and stood up. Then well start tomorrow. He
ripped the bandages off, revealing totally healed skin.
Beasts eyes went up in shock. How are you completely rejuvenated?
Those bullet wounds should have taken weeks to heal, especially the wound
that you cauterized.
Cole chuckled and pulled out a cigarette. He opened his palm and a small
ball of flame leapt from the hearth and landed in his hand, flickering almost
happily. Cole lit the cigarette and looked at Beast, a wicked grin on his
face.
Its a kind of
magick.