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xp_logsBetsy and Sarah are bade goodbye to by Essex, with a little information about what his goal really is.
"Kwannon, secure the rest of the supplies. And make sure that the plane is ready." Essex said, ordering the purple-eyed Asian assassin away. They could hear the distant sounds of battle, and a few of the man and woman that Essex had referred to as 'Marauders' loaded steel boxes and laboratory cases onto lifts and took them from the room. Essex typed away at a small terminal, finishing off his on transfers.
"Well, this has been stimulating, but I am afraid that I really must say goodbye to you both. You see, my work is not yet complete and I have the strangest feeling that you'd be tempted to interfere."
Betsy stared at Kwannon. Shock still etched over her features. Her mind was racing but all she saw was red. She hadn't even realized what she'd done until a hand appeared at Essex's throat and began to squeeze. Betsy had taken over one of the Marauders, an extension of her running thoughts and emotions. "You have no idea what you've done."
Essex simply cocked an eyebrow. Behind the controlled DeSousa, Kwannon had returned silently, and in her hands, a glowing purple blade appeared. She swung a neat arc, right through the back of the woman's head, and the grip on Essex disappeared as Betsy's telepathic hold was neatly cut off like a switch being through. The scientist rubbed his throat for a moment, nonplussed by the attack.
"I'm afraid that Kwannon has learned most of your tricks while co-habiting your mind, Ms Braddock. Including your intriguing psychic blade manifestation." He sat back down. "Now, I should put out, while these labs and all the data in them are being destroyed, the mutate chamber in the prison will have the adequate facilities to reverse the mutate process. It's a fairly simple and fast procedure, as opposed to implanting the mutate process in the first place. You and the Genoshans will only be able to reverse it, and not make new mutates."
"Why the hell would we want to make new mutates? We aren't sick fucks like you." Sarah stared at him in disbelief, unsure that she was really understanding what was happening. This was Kwannon? She remembered briefly, a moment at Xaviers where Betsy had forcibly ripped a bone from her. She knew now that Kwannon was the one involved. The thought made her flinch involuntarily.
Betsy's eyes went dull, her lips still moving. Like a ventriloquist, Betsy and Kwannon spoke in chorus. "Here comes a Candle to light you to bed. Here comes a Chopper to Chop off your Head. Chip chop chip chop - the Last Man's Dead." One chastising look and Kwannon pulled back from Betsy with a satisfied smile. The assassin leaned closer, mere inches from her ear. "I know why that nursery rhyme scares you and I can't wait to take advantage of everything I've learned. Everything."
She struggled to speak, forcing the words out. "Nine years. You waited nine years. Why?"
"Because this all wasn't ready then. I must admit, Miss Braddock, when I first came to the school at Xavier's request, I was at a crossroads. I knew what I wanted, but it was just a dream; a fool's errand. I tried to honestly fulfill the role that Charles entrusted to me, thinking that perhaps there, I would find that greater meaning that others spoke of. Instead, I found you."
He sat down, not far from her, while Kwannon continued to slowly circle them. "You see, Betsy, you brought conflict to my thoughts and plans. You had, for the lack of a less melodramatic phase, reawakened parts in me I thought were long dead and resolved. When your surgery didn't work properly, I violated every ethical boundary I had in order to correct it, well aware that it was the gift I could possibly give. And then, astonishingly, Kwannon."
The Japanese assassin guarded her thoughts and body language well, but Betsy could see the barely perceptible preening at Essex' mention of her name. "A dead woman who found her way back to life through the resonance with her genetic materials. That, my dear Miss Braddock, suddenly made clear that my dream wasn't an impossible one. That it was in the scope of my abilities to make it come true."
"Your son." Betsy intuited. She thought about her first year at Xaviers. The late night conversations touching on Essex's lost wife and child. Elisabeth's uncanny resemblance to the dead woman. His struggle at not being able to save them both. She found the same sense of sadness present even now. "You are doing everything you can to bring back one life despite casually casting aside the hundreds, thousands you are sacrificing."
"I think it's more complicated than that. After all, had I not gotten involved with Genosha, it would have years, perhaps decades before they turned up on your radar. Where as now, it represents a threat that you can still best. Isn't that the goal - sacrifice hundreds to save millions?" He said with a slight smile, never confirming her guess or denying it.
"Back to my tale, it wasn't a simple task, by any means. USAMRIID was not happy that I spurned their offer to take over Muir at Moira's behest. But, Muir offered me something that no one else could match; the genetic materials of Kevin MacTaggart. His reality warping x-factor is not limited to conscious powers, you realize. His material material is endlessly mutable, astonishing fast to replicate, and the perfect basis for the TEARAWAY process I first developed for the US Military. My first efforts were partially successful, recreating the military team that were the first subjects of the TEARAWAY program. The psychic conditioning was imperfect, broken. I had them hidden in the Morlock Tunnels while I worked on the problem, where Miss Morlocke blundered into them."
Sarah growled and struggled against her bonds again. The tunnels always were a sore spot. "Those tunnels were my home, you asshole! Not your personal hidey-hole for failed experiments. They didn't belong there."
"In order to get the materials that I need away from Muir, it was necessary to stage certain events. Rory Campbell, obsessed with his hopeless infatuation of Moira was an easy pawn. If I was the villain, he could get his hands on my TEARAWAY process, and with that, make a breakthrough that she'd finally recognize, discarding her rather dense mercenary interest. It was simple to leave behind the 'evidence' that would later prove that Rory framed me when I needed access to the mansion's resources once more. Which your CIA assassin found for Moira when I required it." He dusted his hands. "After that, it was a question of timing. Saving Xorn was a noble thing, but his death would have torn the Astral Plane to shreds, which I could not allow. Following that, Rory emerged with his crude lash up of my designs to attack the children."
Essex' look was contemptuous. "Rory was a very poor scientist, but an effective engineer. He stabilized the psychic imprinting and conditioning as I needed, and in my role as the last option to save those children, allowed me to copy the design and destroy any attempts to replicate my device. And then that business with poor Skrul. Unfortunate for him, but his parasitic DNA with the ability to rewrite a body's genetic code finally solved my last challenge with the TEARAWAY process. Mister Gleason turned out to be a happy accident - a mutation which ignores the physical laws of matter and energy conversion and integrity? Utterly vital."
"Which brings us to Genosha. I needed the resources of a state behind me, and the American Army had already used up what it could on their ridiculous SUPERSOLDIER program. The Moreaus turned out to be most... receptive to my promises, and set me up with all the funding and equipment I needed. As I mentioned, engineering the conflict with the X-Men provided both an exit strategy so that Genosha would not have the fruits of my labour, and the opportunity to collect Kwannon - the final piece of the puzzle."
Elisabeth looked from Essex then back to Kwannon. It was uncanny how the assassin was everything she thought she'd be but still so different. So alive, yet hollow. "Despite the results, I am grateful for what you gave me but you have to know, whatever you bring back, it won't be your same. It's never that easy, Nathan. Or simple. Kwannon didn't have a soul when she lived the first time. I doubt you can give her or your child one in this life."
"I was raised Anglican. In my youth, my grandmother told me that a soul was what connected us all to God. It was His special bridge into each and every one of us." Essex's eyes unfocused for a moment, seeing something that wasn't there. As the moment passed, his remarkable detachment returned, closing him off once more. "Despite all of that, he decided to kill my wife and my son. I will give my son more than God ever was willing to, and He will not be able to touch him again. Life makes life, Betsy. As it does, it strives, it learns, and it improves. My son will need nothing of God but to be greater than Him."
"So, you orchestrated this because an opportunity arose all those years ago. And you are telling me, it wouldn't have happened if you and Sarah had let me die on the table." Betsy let out a harsh laugh. "I want to know, how do you plan to bring him back?"
"I'm afraid that will have to remain my secret for now, Betsy. After all, I have little doubt that you'll be doing your best to make sure my 'mad' plan fails." Essex suddenly took hold of her head with his impossibly strong fingers, gaze locked on hers. "I will have my son back, Betsy. No matter what it costs me."
For a moment, it looked like he was going to kiss her, but instead released his grip and stepped back. "Those tables should only hold you for a short time unguarded. There is an emergency elevator in the corner that will take you to where the X-Men team is currently trying to breach the lab. In minutes, explosives will destroy every piece of research and equipment contained in here, so I'd advise you to hurry."
With his hands on her face, Betsy inhaled and tightened her fists but she couldn't move. As Essex moved in closer, she reached out to met out his intentions, only realizing a moment later, his mind had always been a blank to her. Damn mutation, she thought. She had been so focused on reading Essex, she almost missed him pulling close to her, his lips scant inches from hers. Betsy blinked. "You're letting us go?"
"Of course. Holding you was never one of my goals." He said, collecting a few notes and slipping them into a bag before pulling it on to his shoulder. "However, I have no doubt that we shall see each other again. Good evening, both of you." Essex gave them a brief wave and left through the far door, which closed behind him.
Sarah thrashed against the bonds that held her, nearly tipping the table over. Essex had said the bonds wouldn't hold, but of course they were going to hold out just long enough so that they couldn't stop him. She growled, and looked up at Betsy. "I fucking hate scientists. Every time I think I couldn't despise them more, one of them goes and does something like this."
"Do what I do, don't trust them." Betsy eyes held at the door, staring after Essex when Sarah's fall snapped her out of it. "Don't move. We don't know what will trip the fire." Betsy laid her palm against the bottom of the table. "He said we could get out of here, if ungarded. Meaning the way out is self-evident." Her fingers connected with a lever, she pulled at the release and it gave. Betsy pulled her wrist free. It took a matter of seconds to be off the table and helping Sarah out of her restraints. "Come on, the others aren't far off."
"Kwannon, secure the rest of the supplies. And make sure that the plane is ready." Essex said, ordering the purple-eyed Asian assassin away. They could hear the distant sounds of battle, and a few of the man and woman that Essex had referred to as 'Marauders' loaded steel boxes and laboratory cases onto lifts and took them from the room. Essex typed away at a small terminal, finishing off his on transfers.
"Well, this has been stimulating, but I am afraid that I really must say goodbye to you both. You see, my work is not yet complete and I have the strangest feeling that you'd be tempted to interfere."
Betsy stared at Kwannon. Shock still etched over her features. Her mind was racing but all she saw was red. She hadn't even realized what she'd done until a hand appeared at Essex's throat and began to squeeze. Betsy had taken over one of the Marauders, an extension of her running thoughts and emotions. "You have no idea what you've done."
Essex simply cocked an eyebrow. Behind the controlled DeSousa, Kwannon had returned silently, and in her hands, a glowing purple blade appeared. She swung a neat arc, right through the back of the woman's head, and the grip on Essex disappeared as Betsy's telepathic hold was neatly cut off like a switch being through. The scientist rubbed his throat for a moment, nonplussed by the attack.
"I'm afraid that Kwannon has learned most of your tricks while co-habiting your mind, Ms Braddock. Including your intriguing psychic blade manifestation." He sat back down. "Now, I should put out, while these labs and all the data in them are being destroyed, the mutate chamber in the prison will have the adequate facilities to reverse the mutate process. It's a fairly simple and fast procedure, as opposed to implanting the mutate process in the first place. You and the Genoshans will only be able to reverse it, and not make new mutates."
"Why the hell would we want to make new mutates? We aren't sick fucks like you." Sarah stared at him in disbelief, unsure that she was really understanding what was happening. This was Kwannon? She remembered briefly, a moment at Xaviers where Betsy had forcibly ripped a bone from her. She knew now that Kwannon was the one involved. The thought made her flinch involuntarily.
Betsy's eyes went dull, her lips still moving. Like a ventriloquist, Betsy and Kwannon spoke in chorus. "Here comes a Candle to light you to bed. Here comes a Chopper to Chop off your Head. Chip chop chip chop - the Last Man's Dead." One chastising look and Kwannon pulled back from Betsy with a satisfied smile. The assassin leaned closer, mere inches from her ear. "I know why that nursery rhyme scares you and I can't wait to take advantage of everything I've learned. Everything."
She struggled to speak, forcing the words out. "Nine years. You waited nine years. Why?"
"Because this all wasn't ready then. I must admit, Miss Braddock, when I first came to the school at Xavier's request, I was at a crossroads. I knew what I wanted, but it was just a dream; a fool's errand. I tried to honestly fulfill the role that Charles entrusted to me, thinking that perhaps there, I would find that greater meaning that others spoke of. Instead, I found you."
He sat down, not far from her, while Kwannon continued to slowly circle them. "You see, Betsy, you brought conflict to my thoughts and plans. You had, for the lack of a less melodramatic phase, reawakened parts in me I thought were long dead and resolved. When your surgery didn't work properly, I violated every ethical boundary I had in order to correct it, well aware that it was the gift I could possibly give. And then, astonishingly, Kwannon."
The Japanese assassin guarded her thoughts and body language well, but Betsy could see the barely perceptible preening at Essex' mention of her name. "A dead woman who found her way back to life through the resonance with her genetic materials. That, my dear Miss Braddock, suddenly made clear that my dream wasn't an impossible one. That it was in the scope of my abilities to make it come true."
"Your son." Betsy intuited. She thought about her first year at Xaviers. The late night conversations touching on Essex's lost wife and child. Elisabeth's uncanny resemblance to the dead woman. His struggle at not being able to save them both. She found the same sense of sadness present even now. "You are doing everything you can to bring back one life despite casually casting aside the hundreds, thousands you are sacrificing."
"I think it's more complicated than that. After all, had I not gotten involved with Genosha, it would have years, perhaps decades before they turned up on your radar. Where as now, it represents a threat that you can still best. Isn't that the goal - sacrifice hundreds to save millions?" He said with a slight smile, never confirming her guess or denying it.
"Back to my tale, it wasn't a simple task, by any means. USAMRIID was not happy that I spurned their offer to take over Muir at Moira's behest. But, Muir offered me something that no one else could match; the genetic materials of Kevin MacTaggart. His reality warping x-factor is not limited to conscious powers, you realize. His material material is endlessly mutable, astonishing fast to replicate, and the perfect basis for the TEARAWAY process I first developed for the US Military. My first efforts were partially successful, recreating the military team that were the first subjects of the TEARAWAY program. The psychic conditioning was imperfect, broken. I had them hidden in the Morlock Tunnels while I worked on the problem, where Miss Morlocke blundered into them."
Sarah growled and struggled against her bonds again. The tunnels always were a sore spot. "Those tunnels were my home, you asshole! Not your personal hidey-hole for failed experiments. They didn't belong there."
"In order to get the materials that I need away from Muir, it was necessary to stage certain events. Rory Campbell, obsessed with his hopeless infatuation of Moira was an easy pawn. If I was the villain, he could get his hands on my TEARAWAY process, and with that, make a breakthrough that she'd finally recognize, discarding her rather dense mercenary interest. It was simple to leave behind the 'evidence' that would later prove that Rory framed me when I needed access to the mansion's resources once more. Which your CIA assassin found for Moira when I required it." He dusted his hands. "After that, it was a question of timing. Saving Xorn was a noble thing, but his death would have torn the Astral Plane to shreds, which I could not allow. Following that, Rory emerged with his crude lash up of my designs to attack the children."
Essex' look was contemptuous. "Rory was a very poor scientist, but an effective engineer. He stabilized the psychic imprinting and conditioning as I needed, and in my role as the last option to save those children, allowed me to copy the design and destroy any attempts to replicate my device. And then that business with poor Skrul. Unfortunate for him, but his parasitic DNA with the ability to rewrite a body's genetic code finally solved my last challenge with the TEARAWAY process. Mister Gleason turned out to be a happy accident - a mutation which ignores the physical laws of matter and energy conversion and integrity? Utterly vital."
"Which brings us to Genosha. I needed the resources of a state behind me, and the American Army had already used up what it could on their ridiculous SUPERSOLDIER program. The Moreaus turned out to be most... receptive to my promises, and set me up with all the funding and equipment I needed. As I mentioned, engineering the conflict with the X-Men provided both an exit strategy so that Genosha would not have the fruits of my labour, and the opportunity to collect Kwannon - the final piece of the puzzle."
Elisabeth looked from Essex then back to Kwannon. It was uncanny how the assassin was everything she thought she'd be but still so different. So alive, yet hollow. "Despite the results, I am grateful for what you gave me but you have to know, whatever you bring back, it won't be your same. It's never that easy, Nathan. Or simple. Kwannon didn't have a soul when she lived the first time. I doubt you can give her or your child one in this life."
"I was raised Anglican. In my youth, my grandmother told me that a soul was what connected us all to God. It was His special bridge into each and every one of us." Essex's eyes unfocused for a moment, seeing something that wasn't there. As the moment passed, his remarkable detachment returned, closing him off once more. "Despite all of that, he decided to kill my wife and my son. I will give my son more than God ever was willing to, and He will not be able to touch him again. Life makes life, Betsy. As it does, it strives, it learns, and it improves. My son will need nothing of God but to be greater than Him."
"So, you orchestrated this because an opportunity arose all those years ago. And you are telling me, it wouldn't have happened if you and Sarah had let me die on the table." Betsy let out a harsh laugh. "I want to know, how do you plan to bring him back?"
"I'm afraid that will have to remain my secret for now, Betsy. After all, I have little doubt that you'll be doing your best to make sure my 'mad' plan fails." Essex suddenly took hold of her head with his impossibly strong fingers, gaze locked on hers. "I will have my son back, Betsy. No matter what it costs me."
For a moment, it looked like he was going to kiss her, but instead released his grip and stepped back. "Those tables should only hold you for a short time unguarded. There is an emergency elevator in the corner that will take you to where the X-Men team is currently trying to breach the lab. In minutes, explosives will destroy every piece of research and equipment contained in here, so I'd advise you to hurry."
With his hands on her face, Betsy inhaled and tightened her fists but she couldn't move. As Essex moved in closer, she reached out to met out his intentions, only realizing a moment later, his mind had always been a blank to her. Damn mutation, she thought. She had been so focused on reading Essex, she almost missed him pulling close to her, his lips scant inches from hers. Betsy blinked. "You're letting us go?"
"Of course. Holding you was never one of my goals." He said, collecting a few notes and slipping them into a bag before pulling it on to his shoulder. "However, I have no doubt that we shall see each other again. Good evening, both of you." Essex gave them a brief wave and left through the far door, which closed behind him.
Sarah thrashed against the bonds that held her, nearly tipping the table over. Essex had said the bonds wouldn't hold, but of course they were going to hold out just long enough so that they couldn't stop him. She growled, and looked up at Betsy. "I fucking hate scientists. Every time I think I couldn't despise them more, one of them goes and does something like this."
"Do what I do, don't trust them." Betsy eyes held at the door, staring after Essex when Sarah's fall snapped her out of it. "Don't move. We don't know what will trip the fire." Betsy laid her palm against the bottom of the table. "He said we could get out of here, if ungarded. Meaning the way out is self-evident." Her fingers connected with a lever, she pulled at the release and it gave. Betsy pulled her wrist free. It took a matter of seconds to be off the table and helping Sarah out of her restraints. "Come on, the others aren't far off."
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