Sol Invictus - Part 2(c)

Posted on Sun Jun 23rd, 2024 @ 12:59am by Erik Magnus Lehnsherr & Levi Rousseau & Kennedy Kelly

Mission: Episode 4: The Savage ConneXion
Location: City of the Sun People | Savage Land
Timeline: September 17th, 1990

The infantry of the United Tribes swelled from the main road to the City of the Sun People to fan out against the city walls like the rising tide against a rocky shore. Fall People, Tree People, even rebellious Swamp Men who wished for a return to the old ways after the fall of the Altar of Death, all formed ranks together in a show of force against Zaladane's rule. Ways were made for the mounted cavalry to assault the main gates.

At their head was Ka-Zar, champion of the people and the Lord of the Savage Land who would lay his life down for them. He nearly had. Zabu trotted at his side, fierce and imposing as ever.

Magneto rode atop a tamed Tyrannosaurus to his left. His helmet had been polished so it would gleam in the perpetual twilight sun and in so doing hopefully strike fear into the hearts of the enemy horde. Levi was at his side, discreetly using barometric pressure switches to emulate what they hoped might pass for electromagnetic feats at a distance.

Opposite from Magneto was Kennedy on her Terror Bird. She was the least imposing of the vanguard and that was for good reason. She held the key to the city and that wasn't to be advertised.

The gates were reached in due time. Everyone knew the plan. It was simple enough. Cutting through the resistance would be the hard part. While the plan called for theatrics, that was just the flavor description. Success called for everything they had. Holding back would mean defeat.

Once everyone was in position, Ka-Zar cupped his hands to his mouth and issued a challenge. "The free peoples of the United Tribes defy the false empress! Those who no longer wish to remain under her rule are invited to join our number! We will cut her down along with anyone who defends her treacherous reign! Long live the throne of the Sun People!"

No answer came from the gates, though the glint of weapons and armor among crenellations in the city wall were plain to see even from this distance. So be it. They had chosen war.

"Let it be known!" Magneto bellowed deeply, his voice resonating on electromagnetic currents that amplified the sound beyond its inherent decibels. He was still good for a trick or two. "This day that peace was offered and rejected! What death may follow is upon the head of each man and woman who chose it!"

Ka-Zar nodded to Kennedy. "The time has come. Do it."

“Light it up.” Kennedy mumbled in confirmation as she drew an arrow from her quiver. The shot was easy enough for her to make, the massive gates were impossible to miss. The challenge in this shot was to put enough energy into the arrow to blow the gate wide open. Kennedy took a slow and steady breath as she focused the transfer of energy through herself and into the arrow in her fingers. The arrow began to glow with light that was bright white and radiant in color. She released the arrow and it found its target with ease.

A thundering boom filled the air as rocks turned to rubble and logs to splinters. The gate was destroyed and the United Tribe was free to flood the city. The cries of men and the clang of metal weapons filled the air as the assault on the city began. The mutants lurched forward behind the United Tribe’s warriors as they fought tooth and nail for every inch they gained.

“This is going too slow.” Kennedy groused as she fired an arrow at a bold assailant who attempted to take down the fragile Magneto. “Isn’t there something we can do to move this along?”

"The pawns must make their moves before the royal pieces can advance," Magneto said with a weather eye on the battle. His looked lingered on Ka-Zar and Zabu who were decimating the enemy lines. "If you see an opening, then seize it. Never wait for permission in times of war."

Kennedy couldn’t help but smirk at Magento’s comment. Growing up in excessive wealth made her no stranger to the sentiment of feeling elite when compared to the common man. It was just a different type of power that made Magneto feel superior, power that currently had left him yet his air of superiority remained. There was humor in his false hubris.

“We’re all just a step away from becoming pawns ourselves.” Kennedy fired another arrow on Magneto’s behalf, saving him from another overly confident attack by a Sun People warrior.

Kennedy released another charged arrow and toppled a pillar into the street, stopping the Sun People from flanking their warriors. None were killed but they were inhibited, a small gesture that showed her desire to spare them rather than sacrifice them for the advantage of the board.

“You were treated as less than once upon a time and all you took from that was to never feel like that ever again. Even in this moment when you are no master of magnetism… I find that… fascinating.” It was an impetuous thing for a teenage girl to say to a known global terrorist. But there was something inside of Kennedy that made her curious. Maybe it was because she was raised by a bigoted, power hungry, charismatic, monster. Talking to Magneto felt like talking to her father, a sudden sad realization that she missed that. “I can’t say that I feel as confident in my moment of weakness.”

"Weakness exists only within the mind." Magneto didn't look at Kennedy as he countered her ponderings. There was a battle afoot, and while he was weak, he was not totally defenseless. Even so, he remained vigilant. No stray arrow or debris would become the end of him. "Free your mind and you will never know another weak moment. Where there is a will, there is a way. Find it for yourself. Nobody will show you." His mouth ticked up in dissatisfaction. "Not even your Professor."

“Professor Xavier has provided me with a refuge where I can exist and continue to grow. He did so at great risk to himself, there are few people who would show compassion to the daughter of their enemy.” Magneto didn’t know who Kennedy was or who she was connected to but his brotherhood had. “I am grateful to someone who would dare to show me such altruistic care. Besides, there are still humans who I love dearly. I can’t help but feel empathy for people despite their hatred of me. I think that makes me a weak fool in your eyes.”

Magneto loosed a derisive snort but said nothing.

She paused for a moment as the battle playing out before them escalated, the rapid firing of arrows occurred to help quell the situation. The dichotomy of the situation wasn’t lost on Kennedy, the calm conversation on the fringe of a battlefield. But Magneto had called them royal pieces on the chessboard, meaning their movements were slow and strategic which allowed them time to converse.

“If you had managed to capture Senator Robert Kelly, what had you planned on doing with him?” The question could have been taken as a non sequitur but Kennedy had a feeling Magento would put it all together.

"Why, I would have done the same as I have done for William Stryker." Magneto glowered at the mention of the man's name. "Put him on trial in the Court of Avalon where he would be judged by those who had sought to condemn." He added rather glibly, "It's better justice than he reserved for mutants, at any rate."

“I guess he was destined to pay for his actions no matter what.” Kennedy said after a moment of reflection. She imagined her father like the ghost of Jacob Marley. “Cursed to wear the chains he made, link by link, yard by yard. Until he girded and damned himself with every hateful choice and every hateful word that came out of his mouth.”

“The Court of Avalon…” Kennedy was about to ask another question when a group of warriors began to shout in protest. But one voice carried over the rest.

“FATHER!”

All eyes fell to a shapely feminine figure who stood before the palatial doors of the Throne Room. Bleached animal hide stretched across her body like a second skin, giving her a milky white appearance that contrasted with the shadowy silhouette of her face beneath a white hooded cowl that rose up to a crooked point. A tattered cape fluttered in the breeze off her shoulders.

"Shield wall!" Ka-Zar shouted. He already knew what was coming.

"Whiteout..." Magneto spoke the name somewhere between a sigh and a slur. "If she so much as twitches," he said to Levi and Kennedy, "I strongly recommend you shield your eyes."

"What are you doing here, Father?!" Whitehout handed moved yet, save to shift her weight to one side. Her hip popped out with her fist anchored to it in contemptuous disbelief. "You march with them? Or is it they who march for you?"

"All I want is my Citadel," Magneto said, ignoring the title of father from the Mutate. "Hand it over to me and I will depart even now."

"LIAR!" Whiteout shot back. "We all know what you can do with your Citadel! You should've never come back, Father! You should've never stood with them!" She raised her fist high. "Gaza, now!" And then an explosion white hot light covered the entire area, blinding anyone whose eyes were open and even stunning those who had shielded their eyes.

A large boulder landed in the middle of the tribal army, scattering warriors who rushed to get out of the way and splattering those unfortunate enough to be in its path. Once it landed, a muscle-bound man with long, raven locks of hair and white-within-white eyes leapt into the fray and began using the warriors of the United Tribes as melee weapons, swinging them to and fro until their bodies snapped.

“Gah!” Kennedy gasped as the searing pain from the bright light temporarily blinded her. She had been given warning to shield her eyes but her inexperience on the battlefield made it hard for her to react appropriately, especially when it came to looking away from clear and present danger.

The blinding had been uncomfortable at first but that pain subsided and she was left with photoreceptors in her eyes that would need a few minutes to recover. Kennedy thought she was done for until she felt the soft feathered fletching of her arrow in her fingers. Thankfully, she hadn’t dropped it in that moment of pain. Magneto had told her to believe in her abilities, to find her way, and to never ask permission for what needed to be done.

Standing up straight, Kennedy relied on her mutation guided sense of marksmanship, the preternatural sense of accuracy that helped her hit her mark. She would have to take the risk that Whiteout hadn’t moved from her spot. But it was a risk she was willing to take.

Charging her arrow, Kennedy mentally envisioned the mutate in her last seen position. With a few adjustments to her bow, she let the arrow fly. She would know in a second’s time if her shot had hit its mark.

Kennedy’s blind shot still managed to hit its mark thanks to Whiteout’s cocky approach to the battle. The mutate was accustomed to a sea of hopeless victims when she blinded them, making it easier for her to stand still and reveal in the pain she inflicted. Distracted by the field of moaning warriors, Whiteout never saw the shimmering arrow that came her way, creating an ironic end to the mutate.

Levi had managed to heed Magneto’s warning and shut his eyes before Whiteout’s blinding blast. Leaving him free to wrap up Gaza and the massive boulder into a localized cyclone. The powerful winds lifted them both high up into the air and away from the battlefield.

“Artemis! Take them out.” Levi instructed as a blinking and bleary eyed Kennedy was finally able to see again.

Kennedy released another charged arrow into the heart of the cyclone. Obliterating the boulder and Gaza into nothing more than dust.

Levi’s winds swept the remains away from the men on the battlefield and into the breezes of the Savage Land.

With the last of the Mutates out of the way, Ka-Zar threw open the heavy stone doors of the Throne Room. Inside, there were warriors prepared to fight to the bitter end. Behind them, seated on her throne, was Zaladane. A diminutive man with an enlarged cranium beside her stepped forward.

"Bid you to come and die, interlopers!" he squealed in the voice of a man who never quite finished puberty.

"Brainchild, you are a worm among snakes," Magneto said, coming up behind Ka-Zar. "Go cower in your cage while your betters attend to matters beyond your stature."

"I am the Imperial Hand of our mighty Empress Zaladane!" Brainchild raged, his cheeks reddening in fury. "And she will personally see to it that—"

A loud roar rumbled across the city from the Temple of the Sun far above. Zaladane jumped at the noise, then peered through the Throne Room's vaulted ceiling with an awareness beyond her mortal eyes. A look of horror overtook her face. "No! The fools!"

With a flash of red, Zaladane vanished, leaving a vacant throne and a lonely Brainchild to command the last contingent of armed warriors.

"Guards! Sei—"

Magneto's fist rose into the air, commanding the lapels of Brainchild's cape to cross over his throat and strangle him.

The little man's fingers fought for purchase but couldn't pull any slack. His order changed on the spot. "Surr...en...der!"

With a gloating smirk of victory, Magneto dropped his hand. The cape fell back to its original position behind Brainchild's back.

"We... we surrender," Brainchild croaked while he rubbed his bruised trachea. "Unconditionally. I... I am your servant!"

"Go on," Magneto said to Ka-Zar. "What are you waiting for?"

Ka-Zar was taking in the moment. This was the second time Zaladane had fled. What did they not know? Even so, the day was won. He took the triceratops horn from around his neck and placed it to his lips. Three short bursts to rally the army's attention followed by a long, sustained blast that drained his lungs.

It was the sound of victory. Soon other horns joined in with their blasts, followed by triumphant cries of warriors who cheered for the good fortune of the day. Once the victory chant had risen throughout the city, Ka-Zar lowered his horn and grinned at the mutants.

"Thank you, X-Men, for the aid you have given. I do not think that we could have won the day without you."

Kennedy smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgment of his gratitude. She didn’t really consider her an X-Man but she had to admit that it felt good to help people. Sure, there were easier ways to help others but at the same time this outlandish trip provided an outlandish reward. It was the first time in a long time that Kennedy felt good about herself.

Levi just gave a stoic nod.

"I..." said Magneto an imperious tone of defiance, "... am not... an X-Man."

Before Ka-Zar could give voice to his scoff, fearful murmurs and shouts from outside drew their attention. He and Magneto stepped outside the Throne Room, leaving the others to stay or follow as they wished.

Across the valley below, in the foothills opposite from the City of the Sun People, stood Magneto's Citadel. Its narrow sky beam had given off pale, translucent energies the entire time they had been in the Savage Land, undoubtedly the cause of the geomagnetic storms wreaking havoc throughout the planet, had turned a stark shade of purple tinged with red, like an infected wound.

Words echoed throughout the region in a language few understood and even fewer could utter.

"Denique! Liber sum! Et mox venit infernum!"