Via Sanguinis: Blockbuster's Tale

by Phil Hartman

1/1/2000: Somewhere in Greece:

Sea salt.

Yeah, I know it sounds weird, but work with me:

How far d'ya gotta go inland in Greece t'get away from sea salt ?

I guess I'm tryin' not t' think too hard. The Boss said these bozos I'm trailin' have telepathic abilities, an' maybe if I just act on instinct ...

O'course, if I HAD thought, mebbe I wouldn't be wakin' up in tanks o' goo so often.

***

She peeked into the candle-lit chamber, frowning.

#Unca Norman's a bad man,# the girl thought, watching a drooling man sit twitching in a chair before the woman hanging from the wall.

The captive, like the girl, had red hair, although the girl's was a reddish brown. She snuck into the room, looking once at Norman, then rolled her eyes.

"Th' Scriers' zombied ya, Unca Norman," the girl sighed. "Ya hadda be a bad guy, din't'cha ?"

She found the remote control for the prisoner's bonds and deactivated them, wincing as the woman sank to the floor.

"Mmm ... Peter ? No ..." the woman said, looking into the girl's eyes. "You ... set me free ? After the Scriers teleported me off the airplane ?"

"They're all bad," the girl said, kneeling before the woman. "But'cher good, aren'cha ?"

"I hope so, sweetie," the woman smiled weakly. "Although I wish my husband were here. I'm ... say, what's your name ?"

"May," the girl replied, smiling. "What'chers ?"

"Mary Jane ... no," the woman whispered, taking the girl by the hand. "It isn't possible ..."

"My mommy's name was Mary Jane, but Uncle Norman said she died," May said sadly. Her eyes widened as she asked, "But Uncle Norman lies a lot - are you my mommy ?"

"It's ... just barely possible ... !" Mary Jane exclaimed, hugging the girl to her. "And I'd like to be, sweetie."

"Then I'll 'dopt'cha," May smiled, hugging Mary Jane back.

They both shrieked when the wall collapsed, and one giant fist swung at Norman's head.

"Look away, May !" Mary Jane cried, shielding the girl from the horror. She glared at the figure towering over them and shouted, "Leave us ALONE ! You Scriers have done enough already !"

"'Scriers' ? Lady, if those mystical losers were here, you'd be better off," their erstwhile rescuer laughed. "I work for Mr. Sinister. Now gimme the girl."

"Never !" Mary Jane snarled, standing. "May, get away ! I'll -"

The man tilted his head, arching an eyebrow, and muttered, "If y'r sure, Boss. I got'cha." He sniffed, then grabbed both Mary Jane and May with surprising speed.

"Be thankful my boss wants ya both alive," the man smirked. "Seems ya got somethin' he wants, lady - ya got some kinda magic yerself."

Mary Jane tried to reach for May as the room spun, and shouted, "PETER !!!!"

***

"Oh, WOW."

Luna tried to stop crying as she watched her hands glow, then smiled weakly as two red-brown-haired boys knelt beside her in the energy cage the kids were sharing.

"See ? We tol'ja ya'd get a power," Toby smiled. "Th' doct'r said ya w'ld."

"Yeah ! B'sides, we're cousins, 'member ?" Malachi laughed. "We'll protect'cha."

An evil chuckle came from overhead, making the scions of Magneto cluster together in fear.

"Oh, trust me, children," their captor smirked. "you'll protect each other. And, soon, you'll protect me ...

"Willingly."

***

The X-Men's Blackbird quivered as the main cabin filled with a teleportation flash.

"Crystal !? What happened !?" Wanda Maximoff gasped, watching her sister-in-law fall to the floor bloodied and moaning. Lockjaw whimpered, letting the Beast rush to Crystal's aid.

"Luna ... Wanda, someone took Luna," Crystal sobbed, letting her emotions flow. "Thank you, Hank - but we need to find my baby !"

"Franklin, Nathan, Valeria, my nephew and niece, and other powered children have been kidnapped too, Crystal," Jean Summers said, kneeling beside Crystal.

"Thank God you're all right," Sue Richards said, hugging her friend. "A monster called Sinister has our kids, Crys. We're going to Easter Island to get them back.

"And that maniac will suffer."

Hank McCoy finished patching up Crystal, then backed off quickly as the mothers conferred in a small group.

#Methinks our foe had best make plans for a long convalescence once my female compatriots lay hands upon his metallorganic body,# the Beast thought, swallowing hard at the fury visible upon Sue, Jean, Wanda and Crystal's faces.

#Or mayhaps funeral arrangements - eh ?#

"Jean ! We gotta call from Karma - Riptide took Leong an' Nga after Arnim Zola reversed their mutations !" Sam yelled from the com-suite. "An' Psylocke's reported a Marauder teleport sig comin' from Ambassador St. Croix's house !"

"Leong, Nga, Nicole, Claudette, Nate, Franklin, Valeria - good Lord, how many children have the Marauders carried off !?" Scott Summers raged. "WHEN is this going to end !?

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