Chapter 104: X-Men Vs. A.T.C

Juarez, Mexico

The atmosphere inside the church grew tense. The precedent that A.T.C. had instilled was questioned, and earlier actions were brought up. Public opinion was swaying against them, and the earlier agreements with the local government, heroes, and mutant population were fraying.

The spark that ignited the dynamite was a young mother who huddled between four sides.

"The Hellions will take a wait-and-see approach." John Proudstar said, deciding to stay out of the growing tension between the groups.

Bullseye and Scorch locked eyes with him but didn't comment. They had read their dossier and knew who was pulling their strings.

Gambit grumbled something under his breath. Kitty elbowed him, and Rogue's arms remained folded, her eyes glued on Bullseye. The man who didn't miss smirked. He and her had a history, and she was still smarting over the beating he had placed on her.

"Scott should be here momentarily. They are scouting ahead."

An Operator in a tech jacket shook his head and unfolded a thin futuristic station before everyone's eyes.

"We have drones in their air surveying the immediate and surrounding areas. There is no need to scout and potentially irritate the situation. We don't know what's causing it, but The Brood has started to swarm when hosts are near, kinda like Bees when their queen is away."

A blonde technician added. "Everything a Host. Have you all wondered what happened to your livestock or the dogs? I heard Juarez had a dog problem. Has anyone seen any?"

"Nah, because they're Brood now. And now we got these fliers." A 3-D image ballooned from his station. Exclamations started as soon as the gnarly beast visage was presented.

John Proudstar leaned forward, observing the insect before catching the gazes of other Hellions.

"I'm not infected; the test is false." The mother decided to plead again, which caused another round of arguments.

"Fuck A.T.C., we don't need or want your kind of American in our town." Said a potbelly local, his weathered shotgun clenched in his hand.

"Yeah."

"We won't let you kill any more of us."

"Get out of here."

Suddenly, a suffering heatwave spread across the room as Scorch let his presence be known. The defectors stepped back, putting distance between the armored pyrokinetic and themselves.

The Three X-men growled at the display. Gambit reached for his cards, hidden somewhere on his person. Shadowcat became insubstantial, and Rogue obviously readied to take down Bullseye.

"Stop that," Firebird exclaimed, canceling his suffering display of power out.

Bonita Juarez was walking across the desert near Juarez, Mexico when a colossal ball of cold fire plummeted out of the sky and struck the sand ten feet from where she stood. Bathed in its extraterrestrial radiation, Juarez soon discovered she had acquired many energy-wielding powers.

Believing the fireball to be a manifestation of the American Indian legend of the Firebird, Juarez fashioned herself a costume and decided to use her powers to help the people of the Southwestern United States under the name of Firebird.

The beautiful woman pushed herself from the crowd.

"Another pyro joins the fray,' snorted Scorch from his perch, leisurely leaning against the wall.

Bonita eyes the man with powers unlike hers, recalling his words when he saved her from The Brood in her small hamlet outside Juarez. She had declined his recruitment, something about a fire brigade, and told him her calling was to serve God above all else.

Bullseye leered at the woman. The girl's got some kind of firepower. That's popular. But you can see the self-righteousness on her face.

"Bullseye, we should consider other options.

"Options? The Brood has infected her. Even now, she's compromising the safety of the safe haven. Did all of you forget how much it took us to get this close to winning?"

"We lost friends, families, and Neighbors to The Brood; what have you lost? Last I check, no A.T.C. personnel has died." Said the same instigator.

Beatriz placed a hand on his shoulder to say let her handle this. He snorted but took a step back, his defectors following suit.

"A.T.C. personnel is good at what they do. What does that have to do with you worthless lot dying to fucking bugs? You won't listen; you refuse to abandon your farms and neighborhoods." He snarled at the man, who flashed his teeth and gripped his shotgun,

"I'm not afraid of you."

Bullseye guffawed but suddenly stopped, and his cowl flowed over his face.

"Try me."

"Bullseye," Firebird said exasperatedly. "The X-men have been working on a possible cure-." "You're all out of your damn minds." Bullseye snarled at the local mutie and the current X-men standing between him and his target.

"Sugar, you can't get around killing the innocent. Who are you to say she can't be helped."

Bullseye threw his hands up and turned toward the doctor and scientists.

"Who idea was this again?"

"Management?" Scorch offered, obviously unbothered, as he leaned against a wall.

A hand shot up, one of the medical teams with A.T.C.

Everyone looked at the blonde, bespectacled woman, her name on the tip of their tongue.

"Sorry… but infections are final. We currently don't have a way to safeguard the host.-"

"Host?" Kitty asked. The blonde technician paused, adjusted her glasses, and continued.

"Yes. Once infected by a queen, the specimen becomes a Host. I was under the impression that this information was offered to each of your respective teams."

"I've read the packet." Tarot offered to the off-putting states of the X-men.

"What?" Tarot, a Hellion asked in confusion.

Gambit made his point known by stepping beside Rogue.

"Our guy in the States is still looking over the data. Until then, we can't just kill defenseless people."

"Blue guy? Pssh. He's more trouble than you think." Scorch interrupted.

The blonde techie glared at Scorch, who winked and looked away. "I wouldn't call the Brood defenseless. Have you not seen what I've seen."

Gambit didn't answer.

Rogue scoffed, her hands pulling her gloves off, readying herself

"Hold ya horses, hon." The blonde techie eyed the X-men.

"The Brood are parasitic and must steal the bodies of others to reproduce, making them extremely insidious. Unlike other parasitic creatures, these embryos do not grow their own bodies, but rather take over the host's, changing it into their appropriate form."

Bullseye pointed a hand at the mother.

"The embryos are also fully intelligent even before they are "born." They pass on a racial memory to their descendants, possibly including some from their hosts."

His blue skull-adorned cowl slid back, showing his unshaven visage.

"Why am I the voice of reason? I'm the guy you point somewhere, and I do shooting."

A chuckle came from behind the stationary A.T.C. personnel.

"You're the leader here, pal."

"X-men got lead here, not you rookies." Gambit said in his heavily creole-accented voice.

The X-men all nodded their heads. Bullseye looked askance at them.

"We don't need to be having this discussion move or be moved."

"Try it," said Rogue, slipping her gloves off her hands.

Bamf.

Scott and the remaining X-men appeared inside the makeshift base of operation.

Nightcrawler tensed when he spotted the armored Bullseye, his skull-adorned cowl covering his face as he stood with his arms crossed.

Everyone knew that man wasn't unarmed at all. In a blink, he could summon futuristic artillery that even the hardened shells of the aliens couldn't defend against.

"Stop, now." Shouted Scott as the massive form of Colossus loomed behind him.

"X-men form up." He ordered.

He walked over.

"What's going on here?"

The civilians began speaking over each other before Scott had regained order. He listened and directed them to step outside, promising nothing untold would happen to the mother without all parties present; he even promised her death was off the table, which made A.T.C. look around cautiously.

Rogue said. "These nincompoops are trying to kill an innocent woman."

Scorch and Bullseye both stared at each other before focusing on Rogue.

She straightened, Gambit's cards appearing in his hands next to her.

Scorch said. "I take it that we're going to fight now."

The Iceman's body began to change. His power upgrade in Mexico was the best thing that could have happened to him. He had been silent and listening to both sides, but inwardly, he was angry. Xavier had been harmed and nearly killed by a member of their team, and they were forced to work with these people.

'Omega, I'll show Red Hood who was the Omega.' He promised.

"Friends, calm down," Bonita said.

"Remy, I'm ashamed you are acting in this manner." Said Colossus.

"I'm only returning what I'm getting, big guy."

Scott pushed ahead, reading the room and asking questions before he understood what was happening.

Bullseye stood before his group as the three sides argued back and forth. The woman, a mother, looked horrid. Her son clenched his hands, and his weariness toward the A.T.C. group showed who his opponents were.

Scott observed the scene. His X-men were on one side antsy, Hellions, Emma Frost pale copy of their team near but separate enough to show their order in things.

John Proudstar, brother to a fallen X-men, bumped the purple suit big man.

A Hellion and powerful mutant, Beef, loomed over the other's head and shoulders.

"Boss," his voice gravelly, "the woman got one of those bugs in her. A.T.C. wants to put her down. Your Boy Scouts are prepared to fight."

Scott glanced at John before shaking his head. The younger mutant was mad at the leadership dictation by his own professor.

"Boy Scouts?"

Morph glared daggers at Beef and became the man to spite him.

"That doesn't mean you can let them kill her."

"We're not trying to kill her." said the timid Tarot.

"You're not helping her stay alive either," argued Shdowcat.

John held an arm out to stop Empath from saying anything. The telepath's mouth opened, but he closed and glowered.

"She has her kid with her, for god's sake." Iceman voiced his concern.

"Take the kid with your icebox and leave," Scorch added. Iceman whirled around, staring at the man.

"Bonita?" Scott asked, obviously seeing who was on who side.

"I won't let anything happen to the mother. If I have to fight, I will."

Scorch snorted.

Beef flashed his teeth and growled at the man taking his likeness.

"Morph, what have we talked about?" Morph rubbed the back of his or Beef's neck sheepishly.

"No transformation outside of combat, especially not without permission and warning."

Scott nodded, walking forward, and the groups parted for him.

A.T.C. personnel hadn't said much, but they were armed, and he knew they were competent in using their gear.

Xmen, alongside the hellions, arrived in Mexico only to realize the ordeal that had taken place at their border.

Immediately, they secured Kurt's release and learned that Bullseye and A.T.C. Operatives weren't just a criminal organization but a potent force not less than their respective teams.

Scott also learned that this Jason Todd, or Red Hood, was in cahoots with Jeremy York, the heir to a billion-dollar technology empire.

The three sides argued back and forth. A.T.C. refused to allow the mother and child to leave their sight.

Scott imperceptibly made eye contact with the sheepishly staring teleporter. The young mutant understood his stance and, without much notice, stealthily made his way closer.

Scott made hand gestures, which his X-men worked on in the form of communication. Shadowcat dipped her head but remained near the sobbing mother.

'Hellions will not back you up.' John Proudstar's voice came into his head. Anyone else would be alarmed, but he was used to it.

He places more emphasis on Warpath's brother. They weren't told he was capable of telepathy.

'Don't fret. Unlike my friend here,' his head gestured toward Empath, who was smirking now, 'I can't read thoughts, and this ain't a secret or anything… Team Captain.'

'Headmistress Emma will hear of this.' Scott returned.

'Were here to help not antagonize the group connected to the Omega that took down the old man. Look, she's infected or whatever; there is no cure.-'

Years of being around three of the most influential minds in the world had shown him a thing or two. He cut the connection to his mind and mentally placed mental blocks around his brain. It was comical how easy it was to keep out telepathy who weren't forcefully trying to enter.

"Let's rerun the tests," Scott said, measuring.

"Please, I managed to escape, I'm sure I'm not infected."

An operative grabbed his bag but was halted by Scott. "Allow us, Kitty, if you will. And Miss, allow us to test you again."

Bullseye didn't object and nodded at the Operative to hand over the kit.

"Please. You will see. The test was a mistake."

"Doubtful. You're definitely infected."

"Hey! My mother isn't no insect." Shouted the teen.

"Hey, man, you can't go about killing folks. You promised us; we got to lead, you follow."

"Hey, didn't you hear what we said? These things can't be let go."

"Please don't. There has to be a cure. Call the C.D.C. There has to be a healer. You're a mutant, right? So am I," she pleaded, her hair turning into metal coils that looked deadly if she could move them around.

"Even more reason to kill her," said Scorch, pushing from the wall. Bobby Drake moved around to face the man if he attacked.

"You got a bug inside of you. No cure. The best I can do is get the kids to the orphanage. Now, why don't you guys run along? How are the tests positive, the longer she's around, the less likely she won't infect you, too. Going to have bug growing in your belly and gods above if you're a mutant," he pointed at her hair. "Bastards take everything, even your mutation. That's the problem we're having now."

It was sudden and honestly clever of the X-men. Kitty turned insubstantial, grabbing the mother and son and falling through the floor, which caused the two to shout in alarm.

Nightcrawler vanished at the exact moment. The Hellions rushed back, staying out of it. Gambit powered his cards and readied his aim, glancing around before tossing a card at the ground center mass.

The A.T.C. operative caught off guard and shouted in alarm as they were thrown around viciously by the kinetic charge.

Rogue lunged from her position, her hand outstretched toward Bullseye, a snarl written across her face. Bobby Drake's hands outstretched froze the still-standing operatives up to their shoulders.

All of this happened in seconds. Even Scroch was caught unprepared when ice slammed into him.

Bullseye snarled in rage. He reached for his forearm, gauntlet hand slid across the sleek blue and back surface of the nano-armor that made up the BloodSport vestments.

"I'm going to hurt you real bad." Promised the power draining mutant.

His hand moved away, pulling nearly invisible metal string around, connected it to another piece.

The weapon constructed turned out to be a meteor flail. Rogue harrumphed. Had he known what she could do he would have ran she thought.

In utter surprise the agile man brought his weapon around him like a martial artists around in enough time to catch Rogue with several consecutive blows before he spartan kicked her across the room.

She roller across the floor and got to her feet surprise and wincing at the pain in her sternum.

She brought her arms up in defense but he broke her block with a baton that configured before her eyes unbelievably fast.

Surprised and hurt, Rogue stumbled back, but not before Bullseye reached her, the same thin line wrapped around her throat, the wire constricted and she cried out in pain before two two vanish.

"Rogue." Shouted Gambit.

Scott turned his visor flashing red as he faltered from fighting the remaining ATC forces.

Scorch encased in ice exploded from his tomb in waves of heat and fire as it poured from him.

Bonita Jurez spread her arms absorbing most of the heat.

It was chaos. The two sides didn't hold back. Bonita interference had force her to side with the X-men and she did her best to protect the mother from the other fire user.

"Typical. Surprise attacks and hypocrites." Shouted Scorch.

Without even a shiver from his entombment, a small ball flashed from him. It slammed into the lumbering giant that had shielded Scott, who was shouting in audible orders from his blaze.

Colossus was hit and shot across the room, and his figure and the wall he shot through went up in a blaze of fire.

Iceman's hands outstretched unleashed upon Scorch, who radiated waves of heat that did little to stop the mutant from overtaking the former street magician. Scorch and Iceman had come to blows before, but Scorch had progressed and learned, taking instructions from Jeremy and pushing the technology of his suits to their peak.

"Stop. Enough. They got Rogue," Scott called out as the sides moved from each other.

Rogue struggled, but she didn't have the strength at this time in her life to combat the synthetic and chemically enhanced might of Bullseye.

Another weapon appeared, Lawgiver, and he pressed it against her temple. Her struggle ceased.

A.T.C. personnel scrambled to their feet, bruised but still prepared to fight. Like a trained division, the The operators didn't fire and waited for their command.

"You fucking idiots." Bullseye snarled, his weapon digging into Rogue's temple.

"Rogue!" Gambit shouted and moved forward, but a heavy a hand landed on him.

"Wait. He can teleport." Colossus said in warning.

Scott's hand raised, trying to calm down the situation. "Listen, Bullseye, if you hurt her, there isn't nowhere yo-."

Bullseye's eyes are unfocused. Scott noted that the group had done that a lot. It was assumed they had some form of contact lenses, which irked him. They could use such technology better than the group.

Bullseye laughed and pushed Rogue away. She stumbled forward, her beau grabbing the discordant mutant.

A.T.C. personnel trained their weapons on the X-men.

"He was right about you lot. Hypocrites." Bullseye said.

Scott visor pulsated understanding who he was referring too.

"We're leaving. There is no longer a reason for A.T.C. to assist the X-men." He looked at the Hellions.

"Are you with us or against us," he asked John.

Scott said, "You cannot make the decision alone. We only want to pursue all avenues. We have a scientist who is working on a possible solution."

The Hellions made eye contact with each other before moving toward the A.T.C.

Scott and the X-men looked at them furiously.

"Yeah, you suck as a leader. Tell Emma all you want, Boy Scout." John said, stopping near the A.T.C. personnel.

"You can't do this. We need to discuss this, Matt-."

BAMF.

Night Crawler appeared bloodied and out of breath. "B..rood, attacked, Shadowcat captured. The Mother… she is another queen.

Bullseye laughed.

He spat on the ground as his black, blue, and purple hardened glass mask slunk back over his head, reforming at his collar.

Scott helped the blue mutant up and questioned him. He looked toward the Hellions and the civilians who all looked sick.

"Wait. Help us, we need your tech to track her."

"Idiots," said the blonde tech, nursing a bruised rib having taking a blast from Cyclops.

"Are you out of your everlasting minds?" Bullseye shouted.

"Were done. ATC move out, Hellions you're with us. Bonita if I see you near any of our operations we will assume you're an enemy combatant."

Bullseye said his eyes boring into the man with the shotgun last.