Note: this story takes place out of X-World X-Factor continuity and stems from normal continuity after X-Factor moves in to the CIA building and takes place assuming a week or so has gone by. Dragon, Cryz, Phase, Seraph, Myriad, Rhythm, Talon, Click, Eve are used without their creator’s permission. Shadowcat, Polaris, X-Factor are the property of Marvel Inc. and are used without permission. Every attempt to portray the aforementioned characters with accuracy has been made.

Dear Dad- Part 2

By Gage

...the mission was simple. A terrorist group of was planning an assault on a local train station. Us being in the intelligence business, we obviously found out about it. Their motivation for wanting to blow up the train station? Hell, do they need motivation these days? They’re terrorists. Operating out of a rented business space in downtown Boston, the group fronted as a construction and demolition consultants. As such, they were able to get explosive materials quite easily. Within their group were two mutants, one with the ability to fire concussive bolts from his chest and the other able to generate a field of energy which gave him considerable strength. But lets not get wrapped up in the details.

We have three mentally enhanced members on our team, and they were there to help control the “normal” humans in this terrorist cell, while Cryz and I were there due to our experience and strength. I was given lead on this operation. We were to bring the two mutants in questioning. For any others we were given lethal force authorization.

Its long into night by the time terrorists arrive at the train station. Shut down to construction, the station will reopen again tomorrow. Gage, Myriad, and Dragon sit high and out of eyesight upon some scaffolding. Cryz and Click are hidden off inside a ticketing booth. Having been here most of the day, the group is beginning to get anxious and bothered by each other’s presences.

Click sits slumped against a desk, his chest moving in and out with small hisses of air coming from his mouth as if he were breathing. “Do you mind?” Cryz blurts out in an angry whisper.

“Pardon?” Click says in reply.

Cryz turns from his lookout through the ticketing booth window, “You’re hissing. You’ve been hissing for the past half-hour.”

“I’ve been breathing.”

“You’re techno-organic! You don’t breathe!”

“I’ve been practicing.”

“Well, it’s getting on my nerves.”

“You have been breathing as well.”

Cryz’s body begins to change. At first, his skin seems to glaze over, but then it seems like the glaze hardens, like ice freezing. His body and uniform now sparkles a bit in the unlit booth as he has become living crystal. “Better?”

“I wasn’t complaining.”

Over the duo’s communication wrist bands, they hear Gage’s voice say, “Click stop breathing. Cryz, be quiet, we’re on a stakeout you know.”

They then hear, “Steak, god that sounds good.” Upon the scaffolding and behind some tarps, Myriad’s stomach growls. “I wish I hadn’t skipped breakfast.”

“Skyler said we’d be out here most of the day, should have brought a snack or something,” Gage replies.

“Thanks, Dad. Will you remember to pack one in my lunch box next time?” the empath says back.

“Har har. Quit thinking about it. You’re projecting and it’s making me hungry.”

“You both need to shut up now. I’m sensing a group moving into the station.” Dragon says commandingly.

Two men waltzed into the train station. One, glowing a faint orange with force field, was carrying two large plastic gray cases. Behind the two men, another four followed.

“I see them,” Cryz says, “The four in the back have guns. One is staying at the station entrance, guarding the door and keeping lookout.”

“We got them too. Cryz, keep tabs on the glowing guy, I stay on his buddy. Click, keep your eyes on the four others,” Gage orders, “Myriad, try and make them tired, unalert. I doubt you have very good range, so Dragon’ll amplify your powers with hers.”

For once we were working like a well-oiled machine. The men began to yawn, and work poorly. For some reason, I kept thinking about the mission in which Eve was killed on. I think I thought that, for once, we had the jump on the bad guys…not like when Eve died.

“Myriad, you stay here, Dragon the two guys nearest us are yours, Click, the two nearest you. Cryz, orange guy. The other one is mine,” Gage says as he powers up, a blue ionic energy signature surrounding him.

Dragon nods and her eyes flare for a second as she readies herself. “On your say so.”

“Now.” Gage and Dragon leap from the scaffolding as Cryz and Click emerge from the ticket booth, the door swinging open with a loud crack. “CIA! Put down your weapons!”

I knew they wouldn’t, but I had to say it anyways.

“Riiiight,” says the man with the orange force field. He turns to his “colleagues” and nods. Gun shots ring out as the man with the orange force field bends down and begins assembling what is obviously a bomb. “Was gonna set this to blow sometime tomorrow, but guess now will have to do.”

Dragon, shielded from the gun fire by w telekinetic shield easily takes down her assailants with burst of flame aimed at their hands. Their guns dropped, they make easy targets for a TK battering ram.

Click, standing in between the two men, he unleashes tendrils which wrapped around the other two gunmen’s hands. They don’t drop their guns though and Click is caught in between them. Click, not well versed in his techno-organic abilities, would not likely be able to hold his body together after a barrage of bullets.

I saw Click, stuck between the two gunmen and I began to get nervous, distracted from my target. But then…

Click falls backward as the two men begin to fire, riddling each other with bullets.

I was surprised, to say the least. If he hadn’t been so quick minded, I probably would have made my way over there. I just…I just had to protect him. All of them. I returned my attention to my target. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cryz…

Cryz makes a running dive at the orange-powered man. Hit hits with a thud and falls back, the terrorist staggering away from the bomb. Having underestimated the strength of the force-field on the first attack, Cryz immediately reverts to flesh, makes another run at the man, reverting to crystal mid punch. The man staggers again, and then the two begin to exchange blows.

Near them, Gage and the other mutant exchange glances before they fire energy at each other, Gage from his fists, the other terrorist from his chest. Green and blee energy connect in mid air creating a small explosion. The terrorist falls backward, but Gage’s super-human strength absorbs most of the blow and he makes a run at the downed criminal.

I was pleased the fight was going well. My brain had shifted to the battle frame of mind, finally, and I stopped thinking about the mission which Eve was killed on. I reached the terrorists, pulled him from the ground, and restrained his arms behind him.

“Dragon!” Gage shouts.

“On it.” With a glow of energy from her eyes, she reaches into the restrained criminal’s mind and forces him into unconsciousness and he collapses to the ground.

Cryz’s battle wasn’t faring quite as well, though.

Still exchanging blows, Cryz connects his fist to the terrorists stomach and sends him flying backwards.

It was a spectacular sight, and I smiled for a second, until I realized where the guy was gonna land.

The orange-powered criminal crashes into the scaffolding and it buckles under the barrage. As it keels over, Myriad, still atop it, topples in the other direction, hovering in mid air before gravity takes over. She lands upon the scaffolding wreckage milliseconds after it crashes to the train station floor. Still conscious, she writhes for second before looking. “Ow.”

“Myriad, are you-” but Gage is interrupted as an orange glow permeates below the downed scaffolds. Suddenly, the terrorist rises from the wreckage and Myriad rolls over, still dazed. “Myriad, get clear!”

I shouldn’t have opened my mouth. The guy probably wouldn’t have even seen her had I said nothing, but as it was...

The orange-man turns and sees Myriad trying to get up and scurry away. With snarl He reaches out and grabs Myriad, pulling her in front of him.

Everyone freezes. Nobody sure of what to do. So, I start thinking to Dragon and Click (telepaths, remember?). I tell them to ensure that the bomb is not a threat and to round up the other criminals while Cryz and I distract the orange-guy.

“Don’t you bloody move, mate. Or the shiela gets it.” He grabs Myriad by her shoulders and head and makes moves, threatening to snap her neck. Then…

…a bit of luck. The wrecked scaffolding he’s standing on shifts under he weight and he stumbles. Myriad makes a dash away from him, and I watch her closely, waiting for her to get clear, but then... then an arm reaches out and grabs her by her white hair and pulls her down onto her back. I- I- lost it.

Gage immediately makes a dash for his teammate and the terrorist while they skirmish. Not paying attention, the criminal doesn’t see him coming.

“Gage, what’re you doing?” Cryz shouts. The terrorist looks up just in time to see an ionic blast coming at his head. The force field and the blue-tinted ionic energy connect in a small display of fireworks. The terrorist lets get of Myriad, who rolls away, while Gage steps angrily over the debris to reach the terrorist. Laying on the ground, his force-field dissipated, he’s obviously dazed. Gage reaches him, and still glowing blue, begins punching him in the head. …but he doesn’t stop. Blood oozes from the criminal’s mouth, nose and forehead, but Gage still wails on him. Just hitting, and hitting, and…

…hitting, and hitting, and hitting him! I- couldn’t stop. I was so- full of rage. I didn’t know what I was doing, I just knew that this guy had to pay…for what exactly, I wasn’t sure.

Luckily for him, Cryz pulled me off, to my anger. I shouted at my teammate to let go, but I couldn’t exactly argue with a crystalline man whose strength makes my own powers look weak. I shouldn’t have yelled at him like that. He didn’t deserve it. I just had to hurt that criminal. …and I did. I hurt him bad. Real bad.

Concluded in Part 3