Chapter 253
On a high hill, the X-Men stood under the hot sun, observing a small inn in the distance.
Logan focused, his vision shifting as thermal outlines bloomed into clarity.
"There are about fifty heads inside," he said. "On my count, all of you attack. Don't leave any alive. We don't want to be exposed."
Behind him, the X-Men nodded grimly.
Logan raised his hand.
"Three…"
"Two…"
Just before he could say one, the sky above the inn darkened unnaturally. Clouds rolled in, thick and heavy, covering only the building itself.
"One."
A massive lightning bolt tore down from the sky, slamming directly into the inn's wooden roof. Flames erupted instantly, the structure groaning as fire spread with a hungry roar.
The Reavers inside reacted fast. Some smashed through walls with mechanical arms, others hurled themselves out of windows, metal limbs clanking and whirring as they escaped the blaze.
They barely had time to register relief—
Before a violent sandstorm swallowed them whole.!
The wind screamed like a living thing. Sand lashed at steel and flesh alike, grinding, tearing, ripping. Mechanical limbs were torn clean from bodies, screws and wires shrieking as they were ripped free and hurled back into the burning inn.
Some Reavers were flayed apart by the storm itself.
Others were thrown screaming into the flames.
A few collided mid-air inside the churning sand, bodies smashing together with sickening force—
Heads burst. Blood mist vanished instantly into the storm.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the sandstorm stopped.
Silence fell.
Rain followed.…
The downpour extinguished the remaining flames, steam rising as the fire died. The clouds dispersed, revealing the clear, merciless blue sky once more.
Nightcrawler glanced at Logan's still-raised hand. Stifling a laugh, he gently pushed it down.
"…Seems there was no need to fight."
Logan grunted.
"…Yeah."
Storm floated down from the sky, her white mohawk fluttering slightly as her boots touched the ground.
Logan glanced at her, then away.
"Good job," he said grudgingly.
Storm just smiled.
Kitty beamed.
"I missed the sound of your thunder."
Storm's voice softened.
"Me too."
Colossus looked around, scanning the empty land.
"So… what now? Where do we stay?"
Logan jerked his chin toward their silent companion.
"Ask the monk."
All eyes turned to Gateway.
Without a word, Gateway lifted his branch and opened a shimmering portal.
They stepped through.
The X-Men emerged in front of a tall, isolated building, standing alone under the harsh sun. Nothing else surrounded it.
Logan sniffed the air immediately, his face twisting in disgust.
What's that stench?
Were pigs living in there?
Alex squinted at the structure.
"…Is this the building where the Reavers lived?"
Rogue crossed her arms.
"It's where we live now."
Dazzler stretched, visibly relieved.
"Finally. A place where I can shower."
She opened the door.
A single, filthy sock dropped from above—
PLAP.
It landed squarely on her head.
Dazzler froze.
Silence.
Kitty winced sympathetically.
Rogue doubled over, clutching her stomach.
"Hahaha! Look at her!"
Storm shot Rogue a sharp look.
"Don't laugh."
She lifted a hand, summoning a gentle gust. The sock floated off Dazzler's head and sailed away.
Dazzler still didn't move.
Nightcrawler leaned toward Psylocke, whispering,
"…Is she okay?"
Psylocke tilted her head slightly.
"It seems the shock was too great… especially for a performer."
Logan snorted.
"Better to get rid of all the Reavers' junk at once."
Storm nodded.
She raised both arms.
A massive wave of water surged forward—
It flooded into the building, sweeping through the first floor, then the second, then higher, dragging filth, debris, and discarded belongings with it. The wave burst out through shattered windows, dumping everything outside in one soaked, foul-smelling pile.
Havok stepped forward, eyes glowing.
His energy beams lanced out, igniting the heap. Flames consumed the refuse, reducing it to ash.
Dazzler finally snapped out of it.
She bolted inside the building without a word.
"I'm showering," she muttered fiercely.
The X-Men followed after her.
----
The desert highlands of New Mexico lay silent beneath the night sky, stretched wide and endless. Stars glittered like scattered shards of glass, and the Milky Way cut a pale scar across the heavens.
A couple sat close together on the rocky ground, a telescope positioned nearby and aimed toward the sky. The woman lay on her back, eyes fixed upward, counting the seconds in her head. Beside her, the man leaned in, brushing his lips against her cheek, then her neck.
"Not now," she said softly, half-laughing as she tilted her head away. "The comet will pass if we miss it."
He smiled against her skin, stubborn. "Relax. I set the camera on the telescope. Automatic capture. We'll see it later."
"Mmm," she murmured, not fully convinced, but not pushing him away either.
Then she stiffened.
A streak of light tore across the sky—too fast, too bright, burning white as it plunged downward at a steep angle.
"Look," she said sharply, sitting up. "It's falling near us."
Before he could answer, the ground trembled. A dull explosion echoed from the lowlands below, followed by a rising column of smoke. The impact carved a massive crater into the earth, its edges glowing faintly in the darkness.
They stood at the ridge, staring down in stunned silence.
"Hurry," the man said suddenly, already moving. "Let's check it out."
"Wait for me!" she called, scrambling after him.
They slid down the loose slope toward the crater, boots skidding over dirt and stone. As they drew closer, the smoke thinned, revealing the object at the center.
The man slowed to a stop.
"Look at that," he said, awe creeping into his voice. "That doesn't look like a normal comet. It's… shaped. Like an egg."
She hesitated behind him. "You're right. This feels wrong. Let's go back."
He laughed, eyes shining. "Are you kidding? If we're the first to discover this thing, we'll strike it rich. We can name it after ourselves. Don't you feel excited?"
"…I don't know," she said, unease twisting in her stomach.
They moved closer anyway, sliding down into the crater itself. The object loomed before them—oval, organic, its surface glistening under the faint starlight.
He reached out, pressing his hand against it.
"Huh," he muttered. "It's not hard. It's… slimy. How did something like this make such a crater?"
The woman gagged slightly, covering her nose. Thick green mucus clung to the surface, oozing slowly.
"Aren't you disgusted?" she said. "It smells dangerous. Let's leave. Now."
"Return alone if you like," he replied dismissively. "I'm not going back unti—"
The egg split open behind him.
A sudden, violent movement—too fast for him to react. Something burst from the opening and clamped down on his upper body. Blood sprayed across the ground, his scream cut short as his torso was torn apart.
The woman froze, her face drained of color.
She collapsed backward, crawling away in blind panic, screaming as tears streamed down her face.
The creature dragged the rest of the man's body into its mouth and swallowed. Still half-hidden by shadow, it turned its attention toward her.
"P-Please," she whispered, voice breaking. "Don't come closer."
It advanced.
The desert swallowed her final scream.
A small, shimmering gate opened near the crater.
Three cloaked figures stepped through, the portal sealing itself behind them as if it had never existed.
They surveyed the scene in silence.
The largest of the three spoke first, his voice low and rough. "This is the alien species we encountered in space, right, comrades?"
"Right," another replied. "That smell… it's them. The Brood. There are two other scents as well, but—"
He stopped, crouching beside the blood-soaked ground.
"…Seems it didn't end well for these two."
Rogue frowned. "Can you follow the trail?"
"Consider it done, darlin'."
The man knelt, inhaling deeply. His expression darkened. "The man's dead. No doubt about that. But there's no blood trail from the woman. Which means she's still alive… or worse. Looks like the insect infected her, same as they tried with us."
He stood. "Let's move."
They followed Wolverine as he tracked the scent across the desert, all the way to the highway. Tire marks cut across the road, leading toward the distant glow of the city.
Logan scowled. "Not good. We've gotta hurry before the place gets completely infected."
Rogue tightened her grip on Colossus and Wolverine. "Then let me give you a ride."
She lifted them into the air, carrying them toward the city at full speed.
They landed atop the police department building, the city lights stretching endlessly around them.
Colossus frowned. "Why would the Brood come here?"
Rogue answered quietly. "If they start here, there'll be fewer obstacles later. Though I don't know if normal ammunition can hurt them."
Logan crouched, listening. Hearing nothing, he drove his adamantium claws into the rooftop, carving a perfect circle. Colossus lifted the cut section effortlessly and set it aside.
They dropped inside.
"Anyone you see," Logan said, fists clenched, "attack without holding back. I don't smell a single normal human down here."
They nodded grimly.
Colossus frowned again. "Isn't it strange? No one's on this floor."
"They probably saw us on the cameras," Logan replied. "Stay sharp."
The door at the end of the hall opened.
Uniformed police officers rushed out, guns raised. "Hands up! You're surrounded!"
Rogue hesitated. "Are you sure they're not normal? They look just like us."
"No need to doubt."
Logan charged.
"I said hands up!" one officer shouted. "Fire!"
Bullets tore into Wolverine as he ran, claws raised to shield his face. He didn't slow down. He reached the nearest officer and slashed.
Green mucus sprayed instead of blood.
The decapitated body convulsed, transforming into a twisted insectoid form still dressed in a police uniform. The others followed, shedding their disguises as tentacles and chitin emerged.
A Brood swung a tentacled limb at Logan. He caught it instantly, yanked the creature forward, and drove his claws straight through its head. He ripped upward, splitting it apart.
Rogue streaked across the floor, punching straight through one Brood's chest, then spinning midair to kick another's head clean off.
Colossus landed heavily beside them. "You didn't leave anyone for me."
"There're more downstairs, big guy."
They moved.
The stairwell opened onto another ambush. Brood waited, weapons in hand.
One hissed, pulling a grenade pin. "Take this."
Colossus swore and threw himself forward, covering the grenade with his metal body. The explosion launched him through the ceiling, but spared the others.
"How do they know how to use weapons?" Rogue shouted.
"They absorb their host's memories," Logan replied. "No surprise."
He grabbed a fallen gun, firing with precision while cutting down another Brood with his claws. Six shots rang out—each one destroying an alien eye.
"Guess even alien eyes are weak."
Rogue dropped another corpse and whistled. Colossus crashed back down from above.
"That's twice now," he said dryly. "You didn't leave one for me."
"There's still more."
Colossus punched through the floor and landed among another group. One Brood charged him, grenades strapped across its body.
"Oops."
Colossus grabbed it by the head and hurled it into the others. The explosion tore through them, leaving nothing behind.
Logan sniffed the air.
"No more bugs. Let's go."
They lifted off as helicopters swarmed the ruined police station, lights flashing over the wreckage below.