Location: New York City
Date: January 2nd, 1989
Mark POV:
This level of intensity is definitely what he had been missing in his training until now.
He barley had time to deal with one attack before one or two others were incoming. But Mark was practically grinning from ear to ear behind his mask.
Even so fighting nearly five to one was not easy and he had to stay on constant defense. It was nearly five because, much to Jean's obviously growing frustration, his abilities were a hard counter to her own at the moment.
By maintaining focus on his defenses and stonewalling Jean, he found the main threat to him was rather unexpected. Despite Cyclops' range attack and his starting to organize the team's coordination, Iceman's powers were by far the biggest problem for Mark, though the X-Men did not seem to have figured that out just yet.
At Scott's command, the X-Men moved together with far more practiced coordination than before. Angel swept low overhead, cutting off Mark's avenues of escape while Beast lunged in from the front. Hank was not yet the blue furball he would become, but he was still a large, powerful man, and his swing carried enough force that Mark could not afford to ignore it.
Then Bobby acted.
Frustrated, Iceman coated the rooftop beneath Mark in a sudden sheet of ice and the effect was immediate.
Force-enhanced reflexes and balance still required friction, and Mark had not been prepared for the change. His footing vanished instantly, and Beast's charge lost traction an instant later. Both crashed to their hands and knees.
The success of Iceman's unexpected move stunned everyone for a heartbeat, including Iceman himself who stared at the ice as if surprised it had worked that well.
Mark did not waste the momentary pause. Drawing on the Force and his template's limited knowledge of Force speed, he tried to buy himself more time. If he did not find a way to counter the ice quickly, the X-Men would turn it into a decisive advantage.
As he reached for a burst of accelerated perception it felt like everything around him started to slow down as he focused on the ice. It was perfectly smooth but even if he could shatter it, uneven ice would not be much better.
But before he could get any further, he felt the Force speed start draining away.
Against the template's guidance he tried to hold on, to gain more time, and felt an immediate drain on his stamina. Realizing the mistake, Mark let the speed go.
Everything around him suddenly jump into action as Scott tried to fire at Mark before he could recover.
With little else to do, he pushed straight up off the ice as the optic blast passed under him. But pushing against the ice had suddenly given Mark an idea as Scott's blast hit the ice sheet, pelting him with icy debris.
Landing on his feet, the X-Men moved in, Iceman covering more area in a smooth sheet, as Scott called out, "Surrender. You're beaten. Don't make us force the issue."
At the same time Mark put his idea to the test. There was no guidance from the template but he continued anyway. Just like when he grabbed something with telekinesis to pull toward himself, Mark grabbed the ice by channeling the Force through his feet for grip and pushed with his leg.
He could move but it was not perfect. His telekinesis was not strong enough to give him solid footing. It felt like wet mud, better than ice but still slippery.
Mark was slower and with all new confidence in himself, Iceman tried to freeze Mark in place. The moment he felt the biting cold in his feet he jumped to the side, while barely dodging Angel diving toward him. He landed with speed and made a discovery that changed the whole situation.
He landed expecting to slide, but instead he had stopped dead.
For an instant Mark simply stared.
He had instinctively shifted his inertia with the Force when he touched down, and combined with his 'traction' technique, Mark had stopped instantly.
'Oh? That changes things.'
Scott almost immediately called out, "He's adapted! Iceman, melt the ice!"
But Mark was already moving. The ice was not the slightest hindrance anymore but it was rapidly disappearing. He closed on Iceman while melting the ice was still distracting him.
A warning in the Force stopped him dead from a full sprint in an instant as Angel dove down, landing from an aborted tackle. At the same time Mark reached out to the side as Jean hurled a small storm of ice shards at him that she had been gathering.
A Force push reduced the impacts to a light sting but it was not enough to stop the attack, 'Her telekinesis has to be at least be twice as strong as mine. And the ice sheet is gone... I need to end this.'
Escaping was still possible, or he could take the nuclear option.
'Hmm, better Scott learns now, rather than in a real fight.' Mark thought as he carefully shifted his position and let the team close in while looking around like he was starting to worry.
"It's over. There's no need to continue." said Scott.
"Yes. It is over." Mark replied, and he reached out with the Force, ripping Scott's visor off.
The resulting blast was more powerful than he had expected as he Force jumped over the team and away from the blast.
Scott's visor and the other boys were not so lucky.
He felt Scott's immediate panic as he slammed his eyes shut, but not before the rooftop exploded with crimson force. The X-Men all moved instantly. Beast threw himself to the side, Bobby dropped flat, and Warren folded his wings around himself as the blast tore across the roof. Jean immediately threw up telekinetic protection around them just as the blast hit.
Mark was very impressed. They reacted correctly with almost no hesitation.
Beast climbed back to his feet, a little unsteady but otherwise seemingly unhurt.
Angel lowered his wings cautiously. His body had escaped the blast, but his wings had taken the brunt of the hit. He winced as they folded, clearly favoring them.
Iceman pushed himself upright more slowly. The frost coating his body had almost completely melted, and he looked exhausted. Mark doubted he could continue the fight much longer.
Scott remained where he was, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. He did not seem to have a backup visor or those red sunglasses on him, 'A mistake that I suspect he will not repeat.'
'It is truly over now.' Mark thought as he relaxed his stance. Though not actually off-guard, it was enough to signal that he was not going to continue the fight.
He was feeling worn down. Force use paired very well with his Numenorean abilities, but it was still draining at this level of intensity, with his current ability anyway.
Beast turned toward him but whatever he would have done was interrupted.
"Stop!" Jean shouted, stepping between Mark and the rest of her team with both arms outstretched. "Everyone, stop!"
For a heartbeat the rooftop settled into an uneasy silence.
Then something brushed against Mark's awareness. His head snapped toward the neighboring buildings before he consciously realized he had moved.
Jean and Beast reacted instantly, muscles tensing as if expecting another attack, but Mark's attention had already shifted elsewhere. He was not looking at them anymore. His senses reached outward through the Force, searching for the source of the disturbance.
Nothing.
The sensation vanished the moment he had felt it, but Mark was sure it had been another attempted mental probe. He closed his eyes, and replayed it in his mind.
The signature was completely different from anything he had felt before. It was cautious and extraordinarily subtle, so much so that Mark barely felt it even while alert. Now there was no trace at all.
But unlike Jean's careful touch when she had tested the edges of his mind, or the piercing mechanical scan he had felt from Cerebro, there had been a definitively sinister intent behind it.
Mark slowly scanned the surrounding rooftops, windows, water towers, and fire escapes. The city stretched in every direction, cluttered with shadows deep enough to conceal almost anything.
'This does not make sense,' he thought, 'If someone had been followed me, they would presumably know who I am already. There would be no reason to try this now.'
Then his eyes drifted back toward the X-Men, 'Unless they were not watching me at all. Or maybe they were drawn in by the fight, Cyclops' blasts are not exactly subtle.'
Several long seconds had passed in a tense silence.
Jean was watching him carefully, clearly uncertain what he was doing. She had just opened her mouth to speak when Mark stated, "Someone is watching us."
Every member of the team stiffened.
Jean did not hesitate. Closing her eyes, he felt her reach outward with her telepathy, sweeping the area.
At the same time Beast instinctively scanned the rooftops and quietly said, "Nothing visible. If someone is observing us, they're doing so very well."
'So they did not know huh?' he thought, looking over the team. If the threat, or whatever it was, watching from the shadows made a move now, the X-Men were not in a state to properly protect themselves.
"Marvel Girl?" asked Scott.
"I..." She looked around again, visibly unsettled. "I cannot feel anything."
"Remaining here would be unwise," Mark said evenly. "Whether our observer intends to reveal themselves or not, we have made more than enough noise for the police to be on their way."
"What are you talking about?" Scott demanded, suspicion immediately replacing uncertainty. "You were just fighting us, and now we are supposed to believe you are looking out for us?"
Mark let out a slow breath before settling on saying, "Believe what you wish."
He had never liked Scott and his attitude was already starting to grate on Mark, 'You attacked me remember?'
Whether it had been the comics, the animated shows, or the movies, something about Scott Summers had always rubbed him the wrong way. But now that he was dealing with a real person, just a young man, he needed to at least try to give him a chance. One genuine chance.
But rather than continue with Scott for now, he turned his attention to Jean. She, at least, had listened before deciding what to believe. Silently, he waited for her to choose the team's next move.
She stared at him for several seconds before finally saying, "We need to go."
"We still haven't finished the mission." Scott started, but Jean did not relent, "We need to go Cyclops."
Scott grit his teeth, but gave a reluctant nod.
In response the team gathered to quickly assess their injuries. Beast quickly checked Warren's injured wings while Bobby retrieved what was left of Scott's visor. Jean remained where she was for another heartbeat, watching him carefully before finally turning to help the others.
Mark stayed silent. The city was full of countless distant sounds, as lives moved through the streets. Somewhere among them, faint but growing louder, came the unmistakable wail of approaching police sirens.
"Out of time." he said quietly.
---
Mark had followed them at a distance as the X-Men headed back on foot.
No one spoke unless necessary.
Jean took the lead, and Beast supported the still blind Scott.
Mark did not expect an attack. But if someone was following them, the last person in line would be the first to know. Twice he paused and reached outward with the Force. Twice he found nothing. But the feeling refused to leave him. Someone was out there, and they were watch closely. Mark was absolutely certain of it.
Eventually they reached the sleek silver form of the X-Men's aircraft.
"The Stratojet," Beast said with obvious relief, and as the boarding ramp lowered, everyone disappeared into the aircraft one by one until only Jean was left. She stopped at the bottom of the ramp and looked back at him.
"We really did only come here to talk," she said. "To meet you, and offer help if you needed it."
Mark studied her carefully. He could feel the uncertainty she was trying to hide and frustration as well.
"I know things got a little out of hand," she continued, "But we weren't looking for a fight."
Mark looked at Jean for a long moment before simply saying, "We will meet again." and turned to leave.
His first encounter with the X-Men had been far more complicated than he expected.