Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2003 21:50:36 GMT From: Blake Alexander Subject: Tales of the New Phoenix: Story Of The Birds Of Prey chapter 8 Enter the infamous legal disclaimer... NOW: I do not own any of the following. I wish I did. OH how I wish I did. Do you know how much money some of these bring in? But alas, I am but a meager college student working towards a teaching degree. That's right; I am in college, and going to be a teacher. Going from no money at all (college student) to no money at all (teacher). Please don't sue. You'll get a crappy pen set that I got from my brother many moons ago. Now, onto everything I do not own. Repeat. Don't own. I don't know sexual orientations or personalities either. DON'T OWN, DON'T KNOW! Nsync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Pink, Christina Aguilera, The Wallflowers, and any other celebrities. I also know nothing of their sexual orientations. Wish I did though. Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and all related characters. The Anita Blake Vampire Hunter book series by Laurell K. Hamilton. The Vampire Chronicles, Tales Of The New Vampires, The Mayfair Witches, all series and characters written by Anne Rice. Harry Potter and all characters, abilities, and creatures there within. (I have been forgetting to put this in. A fan pointed it out. So, a special thank you to Frithjof for telling me.) Buffy & Angel television series. Birds Of Prey television series. Star Wars Star Trek, Star Trek TNG, Star Trek DS9, Star Trek Voyager, Star Trek The New Frontier, Enterprise television series, movies, and novels. Ok, now that that is taken care of, a little publicity for my co-authors. Go read these four stories in the Boy Bands, and Celebrity sections: Tales Of A Real Dark Night (The series that started it all.) celebrity/boy-bands/tales-of-a-real-dark-knight/ Marvel Knights celebrity/marvel-knights/ Tales Of A Super Hero Band celebrity/boy-bands/tales-of-a-superhero-band/ Tales Of A Young Mutant celebrity/tales-of-a-young-mutant/ There may also be a new writer up and coming. Good luck! I love the storyline I've seen so far dude! Keep writing! Finally, this is it I promise, we are entering into a section of the story where 4 stories converge. I am hoping that this is not confusing, but exciting for you all. So, enjoy! The Story of the Birds Of Prey Chapter 8: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back "Falcon! Energy shield, now!" I screamed levitating Josh and me down to the others. "On it." Andy yelled. The moment the shield was erected the Sentinels landed around us. Sanswah landed moments later. "Well... I told Dasro he needed more support than he sent. But he believed that the sword and dagger would be enough. Now he has only the dagger, and you" He said pointing to me, "you have our sword. Give me the sword, and I will allow you all to walk free." "So that you can turn around and take over the Earth?" I turned to the others and they all nodded to me. "Get real." "You will not live to regret this." He said. I was getting a bit more than fed up. I allowed my Phoenix senses to flow outward. They mingled with the power of Andreas ring and I knew I could move through it without weakening it. "You seem to forget yourself Sanswah." I said walking towards the barrier. "I am not human. I am not merely a mutant." I stepped through the barrier and allowed the Phoenix energy streamers to dance around me. "I am Phoenix. I am power. You will not stand against me." "Very well Phoenix. You have chosen death." I sensed him send a telepathic message to his troops. "Green Falcon, clear out. Take everyone. Things are about to get very hot." I didn't take my eyes off of Sanswah, but my powers let me sense the others as if they were in front of me. "Phoenix, you can't do this..." I cut Storm off before she could finish. "Marvel Woman, tell them to go." I said. "Falcon, get us out of here." She said. I felt the energy sphere lift off the ground, and also the sense of immense fear from Josh. I was beginning to regret bringing him. When they were well into the air I let the Phoenix explode out of me in a wash of blue plasma. The ground bellow me vaporized instantly. "You have made the wrong enemy Sanswah." I said lifting into the air, the Phoenix's wings beating against the air. "You forget also Phoenix, I have thousands of years worth of mystical knowledge." He held up his hand and a black ball of mist formed. He thrust it at me, but I redirected it with my powers. "I also have the forces around you at my call." He launched himself into the air faster than I could follow. Then the bombardment from the Sentinel's began, followed by missiles and energy blasts from the hovering jets. I erected as strong an energy shield as I could, but the power being hammered at me from all directions was slowly winning. I slowly began to pull upwards away from the ground and began pooling as much strength as I could. I reached out with my mind, far away from the Earth. I felt the sun with its fusion reactor core and pulled. I felt the plasma stream outwards and pull into the ball of energy I needed it to be. It came hurtling towards me at half the speed of light, so it would take it a little over fifteen minutes to reach me. I turned my eyes towards the Sentinels that were hovering in the air right in front of me and let out an ear piercing cry. I thrust a wave of plasma at them and watched them explode. I turned my attention to the fleet of Jets that were now darting about attempting to make themselves harder to track and hit. I launched a volley of plasma blasts at them, striking some and missing others. In doing this I left my back open and was hit by a energy blast from a Sentinel. It sent me hurtling, but I quickly recovered. I started darting evasively, avoiding blasts and missiles, and launching my own. Then I felt Storms influence over the skies. Wind started hammering, pulling in a deep fog. "Storm to Phoenix." I heard over the comms. "Phoenix here. I'm sorta busy. Storm." I yelled, dodging a missile. "I'm creating a deep cover in your vicinity. Can you see through it? If not you can activate infra red vision with your glasses." She said. "I can see gamma rays when I'm Phoenix Storm, don't worry about me. Thanks for the cover though." "My pleasu..." She was cut off before she could finish saying pleasure. My first instinct was to rush to them and see what was the matter, but I would bring Sanswah's army with me. I focused more on the ball of energy and it was now hurtling past Mercury's orbit. I was about to worry if it would get here in time when a Sentinel came hurtling at me. It reached through the plasma flowing around me and its arm immediately began to melt, but its speed carried it strongly enough to me that it slammed into my chest. Its force was strong enough that if I didn't have the Phoenix strengthening me I would be dead. But the Phoenix didn't protect me fully and I screamed out as I felt ribs break within me. I spun to the side and used a wing to slice the robot in half, and was about to dissipate the melted metal hardening in places on me when another Sentinel slammed into me from behind with its shoulder. I let out a scream as I went hurtling towards the ground. I turned and saw three more Sentinels on a collision course with me. I fired plasma charges at two of them but couldn't aim at the third in time. I tried to fly above its course but it reached out and slapped me with its giant hand. I went hurtling away from the robot and the Phoenix flames dissipated. Another Sentinel caught me and began squeezing. I reached behind me and took hold of the swords grip and pulled it free of my body and the Sentinels hand. As I felt another rib break I swung down with all my strength. The blade slid through the wrist of the Robot, half way severing its hand free. It was enough that its grip loosened and I was able to slip free. I darted upwards with as much speed as I could and allowed the Phoenix to erupt from me again. I turned towards a squadron of jets that were bearing down on me and launched another salvo of plasma blasts. The struck home with half of the jets and the other half broke off. I turned my attention back to the fight happening behind me and pointed the sword at a dozen Sentinels that were flying towards me. I licked a cut that I had gotten in my lip and fed plasma energy into the sword. A ball of blinding white light formed and I sent it hurtling at the robots. It struck the center one and its subsequent explosion took out the robots around it. I looked out into the distance, laughing to myself that the fog had been of no help, and saw a hundred more Sentinels and jets flying towards the fray. I could sense that there were still at least two hundred left in the air around me. They all pulled back encircling me. I began to laugh as they did this. I reached out again and felt that the solar plasma I had called for would be here in a minute or two. Sanswah appeared suddenly in front of me. "Very good fight Phoenix, but you will not win." I looked at him from within the Phoenix's flames which were a bright blue. I hung in the air and just started laughing. "I can dance all night if you want Sanswah. Just say the word." "But you forget something. You do have the sword, but I" he pulled the dagger from where it must have been sheathed on his back. He pointed it at me and began pulling energy from the Phoenix. "have this." The energy felt as if it were being wrenched from my very soul. I began screaming and it was only drowned out by the Phoenix itself. Dasro stopped and came closer to me to take the sword from my hand. I held my hand out to him and used my powers to hold him at bay. "You have not won this night Sanswah. The booty is not yours to plunder." I smiled as I sensed the solar plasma now coming around from the light side of the Earth. "It was asked in a movie once. `Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moon light?' well, I prefer daylight when dealing with creatures of darkness." I didn't turn my back to him to face the fire from the sun. Instead I looked him straight in the eyes. He held his hand up with the dagger in it and muttered an incantation. The dagger dissolved in purple sparkles. He then turned to me. "Damn you fire demon!" "I'm no fire demon." I said as the plasma reached us. "I simply arise from the ashes." The energy slammed into us. I saw Sanswah silently screaming and saw Sentinels and jets explode as the plasma washed into the ground. With the last bit of strength I had within me I calmed the energized particles and began to manipulate them. I transformed the ionized hydrogen into simple oxygen and was actually surprised as everything began to go black. The last thing I remembered was the strange way the ground was hurtling towards me. "Set us down here Falcon." Ororo said to Andrea as we entered Cairo. We were next to a large building and far from Blake and the battle and I wanted nothing more than to start running to him. "We can't just leave him to die!" I screamed. "Calm down C, I will try and provide cover for him but we are greatly outnumbered." Ororo closed her eyes and Jean came to my side. "I was the host of the Mother Phoenix. I know how powerful Blake is now. Even with just a baby inside him he is immensely strong. He will hold his own." She said half hugging me facing towards the battle field that was hundreds of miles away. "Storm to Phoenix." Storm said with her eyes still closed. After a moment she continued speaking. "I'm creating a deep cover in your vicinity. Can you see through it? If not you can activate infra red vision with your glasses." Again she went silent and I deeply wanted to be able to hear my fiancé's voice. "My pleasure Phoenix. Let us... Phoenix. Phoenix come in!" She yelled. "What is it?" I said frantically. "Is he hurt?" "I'm not sure little one. But I do know you won't be reaching him anytime soon. Not while this blocker is on." We all turned to see a man in military fatigues standing at the corner of the building. He was carrying a black device the size of a car battery. "You didn't think you could just walk away from the battle and be left alone did you?" He asked. "Hardly." Rogue said pulling her blaster up and aiming it at him. "Slowly set down the device and kick it over." "And if I say no?" he asked. "I do this." Andrea pointed her fist at the man and a green beam slammed into him. The beam split into two, one carrying the man away from us and the other bringing us the device. We all looked up as two ships came in for a landing and a squad of soldiers came around the corner. They all had weapons pointed at us. Andrea pointed her ring straight up and a green energy bubble came into being around us. Rogue was looking over the device and turned to Ororo. "It's a decoy. It's not the jammer." "Very good little one." The man said walking back over. "Now, kindly drop your shield." "Why the hell would we do that?" Andrea said, visibly ticked. "Because if you don't, my men..." He waved to one of the aircraft that had landed. "will eat these children." The gangway at the back of the jet lowered down and a dozen of what looked like a cross between crocodiles and men walked out. In each of their arms were children. "Jesus..." I said under my breath. "Storm, this is your call." Andrea said. "Lower the shield Green Falcon. They leave us no other choice." Andrea did as Storm asked and the shield faded. "Now, allow my men to take your weapons and no one will be harmed." He motioned another group towards us. "Storm..." I said in a smaller voice than I liked. I'm sorry, but I'm a singer, not a vigilante. This was all beginning to seriously overwhelm me. "Rogue, please remove your gloves." Rogue looked at Ororo with shock in her eyes. When Ororo met her eyes, Rogue simply nodded and did as she asked. "Marvel Woman, Green Falcon, kindly safe guard the children. C, fire at will." Within the space of a few moments this all took place. The guards were still walking towards us when Ororo created a fierce wind that drove them back. Andrea had created a wall behind which she and Jean were pulling the children with their powers. The croc-men were not happy with this and they charged at the wall. I lifted my gun and started firing at the troops. The other jet opened and cat-people and, this one made me stop for a heart beat, werewolves came streaming out. "Holy fuck." I said taking aim and firing. They moved with inhuman speed and tried to get to us. Storm created an immensely strong wall of wind around us that the animals could not get through. A fourth jet landed and vampire troopers came out. Rogue stepped up to the edge of the wind and there was a werecat inching closer and closer to her. The cat managed to get a claw through the wind and Rogue reached out and clutched her wrist. The cat screamed and tried to pull free but Rogue held on. After a moment the feline fell to the ground and was pushed away by the wind. Rogue turned and started to walk back to us but fell to the ground half way and started screaming. I ran to her side and pulled her into my lap. Andrea was focusing on the box that werecrocs and werewolves were pounding against trying to gain entry. I looked around and saw vampires and wereanimals, but I also saw actual wolves, crocodiles, and cats of many species. I shook my head and looked down at Rogue. I stroked her face with my gloved hand and tried to calm her. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again her pupils were slit like a cats. I froze looking into her eyes. "Rogue? Rogue, are you ok?" "Will be. We need to fight. They are here to kill us. Kill anything that's food." She stood and pulled out her own gun. We started firing at anything not human. "Storm, we can't keep this up forever." Jean screamed over the wind. "Their leaders!" Rogue yelled sighting down her gun. She fired at a white cat-woman, then started searching again. She fired at a black werewolf. At least, I thought it was black. As she did this the white cat-woman was standing back up. "That gun should keep them down for at least an hour." Jean said with surprise showing. "You hit her dead on." "We heal quickly. We are the Werecat." Rogue said in a strange voice. She shook her head and looked at Ororo. "Strike the leaders with lightening Storm. They will survive. It's the only way to stop their troops. They are all pack hunters. They work off their Alphas." Storm nodded and looked at the man that spoke to us the first time. When I saw him again I almost threw up. The bones in his face were stretching out like taffy. Scales were flowing out onto his skin and he kept clutching his hands into fists as if he were in pain. "He's the Alpha Croc. Fry him!" Rogue screamed. Storm looked towards the sky and a bolt of lighting came from the distance and arced towards us. I closed my eyes as a deafening clap hit and I felt the heat wash in our direction. Ororo did this three times as I covered my ears to protect my hearing and kept my eyes closed to the light. When she was finished I looked to see breathing charred husks where the were-animals once stood. The troops all looked on frozen. Ororo let the wind die and looked to the creatures of the night. "Who is next?" she asked as a wind batted at her cape and hair. I don't know what I expected, but the screams from the children wasn't it. We all turned to see the horror of a vampire little girl draining the human children in Andrea's shield box. She gasped and let the energy fade, but it was it was too late to save the children. Ororo let out a scream and lifted her hand to the sky. A bolt of lightening struck the child vampire. Then another, another, and another. The vampiric girl, who looked no more than eight, stood smiling looking at her unharmed flesh. We stood there, dumbfounded by what we were seeing. We turned and saw the wereanimals all leaving, their Alphas being carried. This didn't stop the vampire troops though. They surged towards us and Andrea turned to them with a scream of anguish. She pointed her ring at the vampires and a blade swept out the width of the street we stood in. Its edges bit into the walls of the buildings to on either side of the street. It sliced through the vampire warriors. In the space of a few seconds at least sixty vampires were turned into either smoldering ashes or piles of dust. Three or four were left, cut in half at the waist, bleeding much more than they should have been. "Storm..." Andrea said turning back to the child vampire. "fire. They need to be burned." Ororo nodded and a few more blasts of lightening struck the ground. I was about to say something more when a thunderous roar brought all of our eyes to the sky. "What in the world." Jean said. A sun was streaking across the sky. It was gone in a second, but for that moment the night turned to day. We were about to turn back to the child when I fell to the ground. Pain. Immense pain and exhaustion. But not my own. "Blake." I whispered. Jean came to my side and the child began to scream. It made us all cover our ears. "You killed him! You pathetic creatures have killed lord Sanswah!" She levitated into the air. "Lord Dasro will see your bodies reduced to so much meat. I will watch my pets devour your corpses." She shot into the air and was gone from our sights in seconds. "What is it with these things and the melodrama?" Rogue asked. "Blake. We need to get to Blake NOW!" I screamed. Andrea grabbed me up and looked into my eyes. Her glasses went clear so she could see me. "C. What is it?" she asked. "He's hurt. Badly." I cried. I couldn't hold it in anymore. His pain was a wash of fire in the back of my mind. "Falcon, please take us to Phoenix." Ororo asked. I clutched my arms around my self. I could do nothing. Blake was a demigod and I... I could do nothing to protect him. Nothing to keep him safe. The tears began to fall freely. Was this what Lance went through each night that Eric went out? He thought he lost Eric once. It nearly destroyed him. For I time I thought it had. "Be ok. Be ok Blake. Oh god please let him be ok." None of the others tried to comfort me. I think they knew there was no way to comfort me. When we came to the ruins my heart stopped. The sands were nothing more than baked glass. The heat that must have swept the area to reduce it to black crystal must have been unimaginably intense. "Jean. Can you sense him?" Ororo asked. "I..." Jean closed her eyes and a look of frustration crossed her face. "I get something, but I can't pinpoint him. Its too feint, like a echo." I was about to break down into hysterics when I felt him. I turned to the base of a mound of metal. "There!" I screamed. "He's there!" Andrea took us in but didn't land. "The ground is still super heated. I can feel the heat beating against the bubble." We began to circle what must have once been a Sentinel. And there he was. "Oh god." I whispered. His left leg was at a completely wrong angle. The most shocking thing was the Phoenix curled over his body. As we neared its wings lifted and it cried out. A wave of energy struck against the energy shield Andrea had up. "I don't think it's going to let us get to him guys." Andrea said. "Jean," Ororo said. "do you have any idea of what to do?" "None Storm. I was never badly hurt when I was Phoenix." I cried and looked at the Phoenix. It really did look like a baby bird. It did have its feathers, albeit they were made of flames, but it looked so delicate. It looked me in the eyes and I saw pain. Blake wasn't the only one in pain. Phoenix was hurt too, hurt and scared. I walked up to the edge of the bubble shield and pressed my hand against it. "It's ok. You know me Phoenix. You know I would never hurt you or Blake." Tears began to stream down my face. "Please, please let us help you." Phoenix looked me in the eyes, and with a cry it faded away. "Jean. Can you levitate Blake beside us?" Ororo asked. "Yeah, but he's baldy hurt. We need to get him to a hospital." She said. "No." Rogue said. Storm and I turned to her as Andrea lifted us into the air and Jean lifted Blake beside us. "He's not truly human. Doctors may not be able to handle this. We need to get him back to the Mansion. Jean and Hank can take care of him." "How fast can you get us there Andrea?" I asked. "As fast as I can." We were at a safe clearing a few minutes later. Andrea dissipated the bubble and created a jet. We climbed inside, Jean levitating Blake to a bench that Andrea created, and we took off. Well, did anyone see tha comming? E-Mail me and let me know what you think. Please? For me? P.S. Birthday is August 3'rd, 22 Days Away!!! (From when this should be posted... or my brain is dead from lack of sleep. College tends to do that. You loose more then you learn getting homework done. I digress.) So as a Birthday PResent I want a LOT of feedback, KO?