Golgotha
Posted on Wed May 22nd, 2024 @ 5:25pm by Erik Magnus Lehnsherr & Bobby Drake & Iris Walker & Jade Farwynd & Levi Rousseau & Shinobi Shaw & Kennedy Kelly
Edited on on Wed May 22nd, 2024 @ 5:27pm
1,808 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Episode 4: The Savage ConneXion
Location: Skull Mountain | Savage Land
Timeline: September 6, 1990
When the group had exited the caves, Skull Mountain stood tall in the distance, its craggy summits more like castle crenellations than true peaks. It had taken the rest of the day from exiting the cave as well as the following one before they reached the foot of the mountain.
Shanna and Zabu had proven to be indispensable, stalwart guides. They led the X-Men around enemy patrols, predator haunts, and even managed not to repeat another mishap like with the T-Rex. Even though it had added an extra day of travel, the rest of their trek was uneventful.
At the base of Skull Mountain, though, they encountered a problem.
"Soldiers." Bobby held his hand above his brow to push back the noonday sun which could've passed for a sunset. A sea of bronze armor gleamed golden under the light of the faded sun. Even though there appeared to be less than a hundred of them, the reflection off their armor showed they were far better armed than most of the army that had attacked the village. "Lots of them. They must be here for Magneto. What now?"
"Well he's our only way out of this place, as far as I know," said Jace. "We should save him. But if they are here for Magneto, wouldn't he have crushed them all by now? You know with all of that bronze armor?"
“I was told that Magneto is not well. If he is struggling with his mutant abilities he might not be capable of such a feat.” Shanna continued to survey the Sun People, they could be ruthless in their attacks. “It is a lot of soldiers for just the six of us to defeat on our own. But we may be able to use the land against them. A rockslide or a stampede, either of those would scatter them and make it easier for us.”
Bobby shrugged. He was never the strategist; that job was for Cyclops. "I wonder what they're waiting for?" he mused aloud. "I could start an avalanche if there was snow on the mountain."
“Is being sneaky of any use?” asked Iris nervously. She wished she had held onto the makeshift sling, but she supposed it wouldn’t be hard to make another.
Before anyone could respond, there was a sudden, thunderous crack echoed down the mountain. The ground trembled beneath their feet as if the mountain itself was coming alive. They all turned towards the summit of Skull Mountain, eyes widening in shock and awe.
Emerging from the jagged mouth of a cavern up the mountain, Magneto floated, his cloak billowing like a dark storm cloud behind him. His presence was magnetic in more than one sense, both commanding and ominous. The Sun People's soldiers turned as one, their golden armor clinking in a synchronous wave of movement.
"Pathetic," Magneto's voice boomed, carried on the wind with a chilling resonance. "Is this all the might you can muster? You're more foolish than I anticipated."
Magneto raised a gauntleted fist, summoning his reserves which took control of the small army before him. Magnetism pulses seized every piece of armor from helmets to breastplates and forced them to implode on those who wore them. Even from a distance, the gelatinous crimson flow stained the ground from where the soldiers fell forever.
At first it appeared as though Magneto had seen the X-Men and made to address them. His descent began slowly but picked up speed. When he landed, it was nearly a free fall. His own armor made him bounce upon impact and rag-dolled him onto his side where he laid unmoving.
"Holy shit!" Bobby exclaimed.
Shanna didn’t hesitate as she sprung into action. With long easy strides, she ran across the battlefield turned into a slaughterhouse. “Zabu, yanapaway payta kuyuchinaypaq!”
The great golden cat lept out of the shadows, following Shanna to the fallen body of Magneto. They crouched down together, examining his weary body.
“He is alive but very weak.” She confirmed before continuing with her aid. With a few rough tugs and pulls, Shanna placed Magneto onto Zabu’s back. “Come X-Men, let us take him back to the cavern before more Sun People arrive. Help me get him up the mountain.”
Bobby didn't hesitate. They had come all this way to find Magneto and ensure he didn't do anything rash like ditch them. For Bobby, though, he wanted answers about Lorna. "Let's go, Helmet Head," Bobby said, trying to get one of the much older man's heavy arms over his shoulder. "You can't die yet. I got a bone to pick with you."
Jade slid to the other side, and helped carry some of Magneto's weight. She was also concerned about Magneto's state. "You are going to kill yourself before we help you if you keep this up, you old fart." Jade hissed at Magneto. "I can smell the degaussing off of your molecules. "Your body can't take you overpowering yourself!"
"Damn," Jace murmured. He had to give Magneto credit for taking out the entire enemy army in one fell swoop. Or squeeze. He took up position next to Magneto's head and leaned down to whisper. "I don't know if you can hear me or not, but...well done, sir."
Hauling an armored man up a mountainside into his private redoubt was even more difficult than it sounded. Levi's aerokinesis had been of limited help as it was difficult to control to the degree of safely levitating an unconscious person.
By the time everyone brought Magneto to the cavern, they were thoroughly put out.
Not that it mattered. With Magneto passed out and unconscious, the big, steel door that blocked their entrance into his bunker might as well have been more granite wall.
"Great!" Bobby grumped, bent over with his hands on his knees while he caught his breath. "How are you going to open that?!"
Jace laughed. "Bobby, I don't think that'll be a problem. I've never had to open a door in my life." He phased to the same density as he did when he passed through the ground and put his arm through the door. "Any idea what I can expect on the other side?" he asked openly.
"I dunno." Bobby shrugged. "Look for a switch or something?"
"Well, yeah. I was thinking more of traps or something." He turned and disappeared through the big steel door. Jace fumbled around on the other side for a minute thanks to the lack of light in the immediate area. Magneto probably had some special way of flipping that switch, too. "Should've brought a flashlight," he murmured to himself. He found the nearest wall and started feeling his way along it at about where Magneto's reach would be. After several minutes, he found a huge lever and pulled it down in the hopes that it opened the front door and not a trapdoor.
Daylight flooded the entrance around Jace, such as twilight could allow, but soon automatic lighting began kicking one panel at a time. Somewhere a generator activated, filling the space with a dull hum. The vestibule featured nothing except an extra security door that had opened at the same time as the exterior door. Beyond it, the inner bunker awaited.
“This is good.” Shanna and Zabu brought the batter Magneto into the bunker. “Nice work, X-Men.”
The inner bunker was supplied with provisions and a cot along with a massive electromagnetic coil. This space was an obvious sanctuary and resting place for Magneto. Shanna and Zabu pushed and shoved the unconscious Master of Magnetism onto the cot before she opened his eyes and looked in his mouth. “He is not good.”
Shanna began to rummage through the bunker’s supplies and provisions as she considered what to do next. “There is a plant that grows in the valley on the other side of Skull Mountain. When you chew it, it gives you an enormous amount of energy.”
There were bedrolls and water, canned foods and first aid within the bunker. More than enough for all of them to use. While not the Ritz-Carlton, it was much more comfortable than rock floors and roasted cave mole.
“We will rest here tonight and tomorrow we will get the leaves.” Shanna opened a cup of tapioca pudding, while she may be a Jungle Queen she too enjoyed the occasional treat. “Sanguis, will you stay here with Magneto while we are away?”
Jade nodded, "aye. I'll keep the old fart from disintegrating himself." She said as she helped lay Magneto down and went about getting the master of magnetism more comfortable.
Shanna tossed the rest of the pudding cups to the team. “You have been valiant, X-Men, enjoy a sweet reward tonight.”
While he was grateful to be inside the first truly safe place since they'd arrived in the Savage Land, Bobby still felt frustrated. They were no closer to finding Lorna or even stopping whatever doomsday device Magneto had rigged down here. He kicked out a bedroll with his feet and huffed in barely subdued anger.
Iris was already sick of this place. Truth be told, she was as frustrated as Bobby, but for very different reasons. She was sick of having to keep up with everyone, sick of walking everywhere, sick of dinosaurs, sick of the jungle. The only thing she actually liked here was Zabu.
Still, she put everything aside to go talk to her friend. “You okay, Bobby?” she asked, even though it was clear he wasn’t.
"No..." Bobby shook his head and stared at the soulless steel wall. "I'm not. Didn't you hear? Lorna has been in the Savage Land and we don't know how to help her." He nodded at Magneto's unconscious body. "At least not until the Mutant Mussolini wakes up."
Had Iris not been so exhausted and Bobby not been so concerned for his friend, she probably would have grinned at the name. But absolutely nothing was funny right now, so she only placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hurry up and wait, hey?” she said softly. “I know it can’t be easy. And I wish I had advice, but I don’t. I can listen, though, if you need to vent.”
Jace moved a bedroll away from the wall to the middle of the floor and unrolled it. He sat down and opened his pudding cup and water canteen. The young guy was enjoying the little bit of civilization while the others talked or rested. After everything they'd been through, he was looking forward to some rest himself.
"NO!" Magneto cried out in his sleep. "I... I won't let you..."
Bobby sighed. "Ugh... this is gonna' be a long night."
Morning couldn't come too soon.
NOTE: Shanna and Zabu were played by Kennedy Kelly.
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