Codex's expression was serious as the clones burst free from Sinister's holding chambers, her mind racing as it considered alternatives. "Blaze," the brown haired woman said as her team of new Marauders began to kill clones of the old squad, "get ready, help will be arriving shortly." "Are you insane?" Siena Blaze asked as the butchy looking blonde threw a energy bolt into a copy of Sabertooth, toasting him before he could gut Shades. "I've got a plan," Codex grinned as she tossed a grenade and blew up a copy of the light wielding villain Prysm. BOOM! The first wave of hot-knives slashed through attacking clones as Excalibur burst from cover, the team racing forward to attack the forces of Sinister from the other side. Spitfire lead the charge, the gold garbed super-speedster trailing flame as she hammered foes with rapid fire punches. Britannia was nearly as fast as the super strong woman rammed into sinister's army like a freight train. Beside her a elfen women swung her sword with lethal intent, her eyes gleaming dangerously. Marvel Girl soared in on telekinetics, psionically tearing foes apart as Widget slipped away, heading to a intact computer bank. "You knew," Blaze blinked. "I love it when a plan comes together," Codex said as she kicked another Scalphunter clone in the head. "All right everyone," Pete dodged a strike from Harpoon as he ordered, "I want scorched earth! We're destroying the whole facility!" "Just what I wanted to hear," Britannia said. The red, white and black clad heroine ripped up a bank of equipment and pitched it at a confused band of clones, squishing them wetly. "Watch yourself, m'love," Llyan swung her sword to decapitate a clone trying to slip by their guard. Grabbing shards of glass and metal Marvel girl ripped into dozens of copies, but the creatures kept coming. "Sinister's been a busy little beaver," Rachel muttered. Widget put her hand against one of the wall mounted panels, her silvery metal skin shifting as tendrils of material flowed into it. The expression on her face went remote as she interfaced with the systems of the lab, sending commands to find data and delete it all. "Look out," Skids extended her force field, the blonde Marauder blocking several throwing blades before they could reach Spitfire. "This doesn't make up for sucker punching me earlier," Spitfire informed her then she smiled, "but thanks." "No problem," Skids blocked another wave of Riptide's throwing blades. A wave of flame incinerated the Riptide clone, in the process slahging several other copies. "You alright?" Thermal asked, Rusty Collins hands blazing with his psychic fire. "Thanks love," Skids grinned, skating on her force field over to his side. Fighting hard Pete forced himself over to Codex's side, the black haired man smiling grimly. "Fancy seeing you here," he said as he used his hot-knives to blast another copy of Sabertooth to ashes. Not even trying to deny the implication Codex said, "Yes, I gambled on your team being here, too." "This was all a plot against Mr Sinister?" Pete asked as he punched Arclight in the head, stunning her. "No, not until I realized he had betrayed us, too," Codex shrugged, "it was why I let Bezerker get captured by you." "Figures," Pete kicked Arclight to make sure she was down. ‘Pete,' Rachel's voice echoed in his mind, ‘Kate's done. The genetic data they stole has all been destroyed.' ‘Good,' Pete grinned. ‘Sinister!" he yelled. "Damn you," Sinister hissed, the white faced villain quickly sweeping the battle field with his eyes. His central lab was quickly becoming a shambles as Marauder and X-Men thrashed the place, cloning tanks and equipment exploding violently. "Save it," Pete said firmly as their teams battled fiercely, "your data's been whipped, and we're taking Bezerker in. You want to surrender?" "This isn't over," a surprising voice echoed through the facility, that of a woman. "Wait, I..." Sinister started to say, his expression oddly panicked. THOOM! Sinister disappeared, an odd red/purple energy distortion whisking him away even as the facility shook around them, the walls cracking. The surviving sections of the lab began to collapse, the stones hanging from the ceiling crashing down. "Oh hell," Pete scowled, "everyone, back to the tunnel!" "What about the Marauders?" Kate yelled as they raced out of the facility. "They can take care of themselves," Pete answered firmly. In fact he was almost certain that Codex had one or more plans ready to get her team out... it was just the sort of woman she seemed to be. "I can't gate us out," Widget called apologetically as they ran, "too much interference from the machinery here." "Then we do it the hard way," Marvel Girl said as they reached the shaft up to the helicopter. "Alley opp," she grabbed Spitfire and sent her flying up the shaft as the woman squealed in shock. Britannia grabbed Llyan and they soared up even as Pete was tossed up, too. "Get going," Pete yelled as he disappeared. "Coming," Marvel Girl grinned as she soared up after them. As the ground rumbled and collapsed there was a detonating sound, then silence. "Well," Pete lit a smoke, "two out of three ain't bad." "Oh?" Spitfire asked. "We stopped Sinister and took away the data," Pete said with a frown, "only the new Marauders got away." "So why do you look so grim?" Spitfire asked. "Yeah, why?" Kate asked, Widget's silvery skin gleaming as she held Rachel close. "When Sinister was teleported away he almost looked scared," Pete said, "like he was scared of whoever rescued him." A pause, "And anybody who scares a piece of work like Sinister worries me." "Maybe," Rachel said firmly, "but that's a problem for another day." Pete nodded, "True enough. All right everybody, grab the copter pilot and let's go home." End. Notes: A Epilogue chapter is coming. Author's notes will be included there.
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