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Chapter 33 - Chapter 33: Attack On The MRD Facility

Chaos surged through the Mutant Response Division's facility, transforming it into a battleground of red lights flashing ominously against the stark white walls. 

At the same time, blaring alarms pierced the air like a relentless cacophony. The occasional tremor or explosion shook the building to its core, sending employees scrambling with wide-eyed panic. Yet amid the chaos, the more seasoned MRD agents remained composed, moving with precision and purpose to reach their posts and respond to the escalating attack.

One figure stood out among the flurry of frantic movements. A man clad in an officer's uniform strode through the halls indifferently, as if oblivious to the turmoil surrounding him. His hat was pulled low over his eyes, casting a shadow that concealed his sharp, almost glowing gaze. When a pair of agents rushed past him, breathless and oblivious to their surroundings, the officer allowed himself a smirk, the corners of his mouth curling as they failed to acknowledge his presence.

In reality, this officer was none other than Mystique, in a meticulously crafted disguise. Her surprisingly straightforward mission brought a hint of amusement to her lips. Engaging her shapeshifting abilities, she soared into the facility as an inconspicuous bird, seamlessly adopting the guise of a US officer idly smoking a cigarette on the rooftop. With cunning precision, she had polished the surveillance cameras in that area out of existence before swooping down to knock him out cold.

Though a surge of anger coursed through her at the thought of strangling the man—after all, he represented the scum of the earth in her eyes, a cog in the machine that kidnapped and tortured her kind—she restrained herself. Erik had instructed her to avoid taking lives for now; they needed Atomic on their side, and jeopardizing that fragile alliance by spilling blood was not in her interests.

With her disguise firmly in place, Mystique strolled through the facility's stark, fluorescent-lit corridors, finally arriving at the control room. Initially, a wave of apprehension washed over her at the prospect of hacking into the facility's intricate systems alone; technology was never her strength. In the past, she had to rely on the tech wizard Webber to infiltrate Cerebro and plunder student bios, including Atomic's true identity.

Fortunately, any doubts were banished when Atomic presented her with two flash drives, each loaded with the necessary programs and code to tap into the facility's computers. While the Brotherhood regarded Atomic with a mix of suspicion and curiosity, Erik merely flashed a knowing grin. This so-called "future of mutantkind" was not only extremely powerful due to his potential abilities but also exceptionally intelligent—a perilous combination in her eyes.

Despite her reservations regarding the flash drives, Mystique recognized she had no choice but to trust them.

Once inside the control room, she wielded her officer guise to navigate freely, exuding an air of authority that silenced any potential questions from the bewildered tech experts surrounding her. No one dared to question why a high-ranking officer was gracing them with her presence.

When the moment was ripe, Mystique deftly inserted the flash drives into the main computer, her heart pounding in anticipation. In less than ten seconds, the facility was plunged into utter chaos. Security cameras went dark, perimeter gates ground to a halt, and the heavy doors leading to hundreds of cells swung open with a satisfying whoosh. 

Control over the facility's once-mighty systems had crumbled like a house of cards, releasing a glorious avalanche of systemic failure.

As the pandemonium erupted behind her, Mystique grasped the flash drives and exited the room, a triumphant grin plastered across her disguised face. Confusion and panic swirled in her wake, enveloping the tech team in disarray.

Little did she—or anyone else within the Brotherhood—realize that those flash drives harbored a secret purpose that would unravel with a devastating impact well before it was too late.

••o••o••o••

"Get the hell out of my way!" 

A thunderous crack reverberated through the air as Fred, known to many as the Blob, charged through yet another thick concrete barrier within the facility, his grin wide and infectious. 

The startled MRD agents flinched as a cacophony of gunfire erupted behind him, bullets ricocheting off his broad back with a metallic clink, leaving only a slight sting. Confused expressions painted their faces; it was clear their weapons were no match for his formidable physique.

"You're gonna need something stronger than that!" Fred bellowed, his voice booming with exhilarating confidence as he lunged forward. With a powerful yet controlled thrust, he sent the agents sprawling back into the clustered mass of their comrades, the impact creating a wave of chaos among their ranks. "Gotta be careful not to hurt these guys too much. Don't wanna kill these em'," he reminded himself.

With renewed determination, Fred turned his attention to the next obstacle standing in his way—a solid wall that loomed imposingly before him. He leaned forward, letting out an impressive roar that echoed through the facility. Then, with sheer force and an unwavering focus, he smashed through the concrete with ease, as if it were nothing more than fragile cardboard, sending debris flying in all directions.

••o••o••o••

"Hands in the air! Now!" commanded an MRD agent, his voice slicing through the tense air like a knife. A dozen agents, rifles clutched tightly in their hands, stood in a half-circle, expressions a mix of determination and incredulity, their steely gazes directed squarely at Pietro and St. John. They stood before the yawning entrance of the facility, where the once-imposing steel and concrete wall that had stood like a sentinel was now inexplicably absent, as if it had vanished into thin air.

"Quicksilver, if you would," St. John called out, his fingers hovering ominously over the triggers of his flamethrowers, a fierce glint igniting in his eyes.

"Don't tell me what to do, Smokebreath," Pietro retorted, his confident grin cutting through the tension, the corners of his mouth lifting in playful defiance. "Just don't blink."

In a heartbeat, a whirlwind of dust erupted at his feet, and a dazzling blur of blue and silver streaked across the courtyard, manipulating time itself with a speed that seemed otherworldly. In a blink, Pietro came to an abrupt halt, a comical pile of rifles tumbling into his outstretched arms, leaving the MRD agents frozen in astonished silence, their minds racing to comprehend the absurdity of the scene.

"What was it you said?" St. John quipped, a mischievous grin blossoming across his face as flames flickered menacingly from his flamethrowers. A magnificent, fiery dragon curved through the air above him, its blazing form casting a spellbinding yet ominous glow, compelling the agents to stagger back in shock and terror. "Right… hands in the air."

Pietro chuckled, delighting in the chaos as the flaming dragon swooped through the courtyard, its scorching breath forcing agents to tumble helplessly to the ground, their uniforms scorched and tattered. The anguished groans mingled with the hiss of flames, but against all odds, they were still drawing breath.

"Now then, it's my time to shine!" Pietro announced with exuberance, refocusing on the enormous, jagged holes left in the facility's facade by Fred's relentless charge. In a flash, he surged inside, his movements a blur of speed and purpose, ready to fulfill his part in the daring plan.

With extraordinary velocity, Pietro navigated the maze of dimly lit hallways, his feet barely grazing the ground as he swiftly liberated the newly rescued mutants from their grim confinement. Like a tempest, he whisked them from their tiny, prison-like rooms, racing back through the paths carved by Fred and their new unlikely ally, the sound of his swift movements echoing like thunder in the silent facility.

To Pietro, the world unfurled in slow motion; he plucked each captive mutant from their confines, swiftly carrying them away to the cave where the Brotherhood had gathered just hours earlier. 

"W-wha? What just—what just happened?" Joanna Cargill stammered, her mind struggling to catch up as she attempted to grasp the surreal reality of her newfound freedom.

She glanced around, absorbing the bewildered faces of her fellow mutants, each of them grappling with the sudden shift in their fate. The heavy shackles that had bound them were now mere shadows of their former selves, discarded metal clattering on the sandy ground. A soft thud distracted her as her own cuffs fell away, tumbling to earth with a reassuring finality.

"What's going on?" Joanna murmured, her voice barely more than a breath, before stepping toward the cave's entrance, where several other mutants stood, their expressions reflecting a blend of confusion and wonder.

She stepped into the brilliant sunlight, a wave of warmth enveloping her as she emerged from the shadows of captivity. 

The vast expanse of a bright blue sky stretched above her, and a small smile crept across her face, filling her lungs with the refreshing scent of crisp, clean air, a sharp contrast to the stagnant atmosphere of her former prison.

••o••o••o••

Lance grunted, his brow furrowed and face glistening with sweat as he honed in on his surroundings. Violent tremors rocked the facility, sending dust and debris cascading down from the ceilings as he toppled another lookout tower. The agents stationed within scrambled to escape, their eyes flaring with panic as they turned to confront him.

Before one could level a weapon in his direction, a long, sinuous pink tongue lashed out, swiftly ensnaring the agent's rifle. 

With a mighty tug, Todd yanked the firearm from the agent's grip and dropped from the wall he had been clinging to, moving with a fluid grace. He landed deftly, delivering a sharp kick to one agent's face that sent him sprawling to the ground, then pivoting to leap over to another agent just as he fumbled for his sidearm.

Not one to stand idle, Lance focused his energy, feeling the pulse of the earth beneath him. He summoned a tremor that rippled through the ground like a shockwave, collapsing the solid surface underneath the remaining agents and plunging them into a pit, where they were trapped beneath a cascade of rubble. 

Pained screams echoed around him, a cacophony of despair mingling with the sound of cracking bones as the unfortunate agents tumbled into their makeshift prison.

"Good riddance!" Todd exclaimed, hopping up to Lance's side as they peered down into the chaos below. "That makes three!"

"Come on, there are still a few more to destroy," Lance replied, wiping the sweat from his brow with an urgency borne of adrenaline. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a throng of facility personnel spilling out from behind a nearby structure, their faces registering shock and disbelief at the sight of the two young Brotherhood members.

"Hey, are those employees?" Todd asked, his voice tinged with surprise.

"Yeah… the very ones who kept our kind locked away in cages," Lance muttered, his gaze hardening as he glared at the bewildered figures before them. Drawing on his powers, he began to shake the earth beneath the gathered personnel.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Todd questioned, concern etched across his features. "Are you really going to crush them?"

"They deserve this," Lance growled, images flooding his mind of fellow mutants, limbs and heads restrained, enduring unspeakable suffering. A wave of fury washed over him, transforming the bad taste in his mouth from seeing his fellow mutants living in such horrible conditions into a tempest of rage focused on those who had perpetuated such atrocities against his kin.

As the ground trembled ominously, screams and shouts of panic erupted from the facility personnel, their faces pale with terror as they stumbled backward, desperately trying to escape the impending doom.

"But what about what Atomic said—"

"Fuck Atomic!" Lance roared, his voice echoing with an intensity as he slammed his hands downwards, causing the earth below the personnel to split open with a deafening crack, sealing their fates in a cacophony of chaos.

Screams of fear echoed as everyone fell into a deep trance where sharp, jagged rocks awaited them.

As they were all about to fall to their deaths, a large glowing red sphere wrapped around them all. Everyone blinked in surprise and looked up to see a bellowing white cape.

Atomic said nothing to the people trapped in his grasp as he soared high into the azure sky, the ground shrinking away beneath him. Once he was high in the air, he cast his gaze downward at Lance and Todd. Lance stood defiant, his posture rigid and unyielding, while Todd cowered, anxiety flickering across his face like shadows in the fading light.

"We had an agreement," Atomic said, his voice a low rumble, barely audible above the wind's howl. "No one dies."

"Yeah, screw that! Can't you see what these monsters did to us? What this place represents?! They deserve everything coming to them!" Lance shouted, his fury emanating from him like heat waves, causing the earth below to tremble. "Whose side are you really on?!"

In response, Atomic fell silent, raising an arm with deliberate slowness. At his command, the ground erupted beneath Lance, a swirling mass of dirt and stone entangled him like a serpent. Lance's eyes widened in shock as he fought to harness his own power, but before he could react, a sharp prick at the side of his neck sent a wave of darkness washing over him. As his consciousness slipped away, he caught a glimpse of a glinting, glowing needle hovering against his skin.

"Don't worry, it was just Propofol—an innocuous anesthetic," Atomic assured Todd, who was wide-eyed and trembling. With a flick of his wrist, he released Lance from his earthen prison. "Now take him back to the rendezvous point. You two are done here."

Todd gulped, swallowing his fear, and nodded vigorously. With urgency propelling him, he hoisted Lance over his shoulder and hopped away, moving as fast as his legs would carry him.

"I—I've seen you on the news… you're that hero from New York. Atomic, right? Why are you attacking us?" One of the bolder individuals, a researcher, in the shimmering sphere asked, her gaze locked onto Atomic, a mixture of fear and curiosity in her eyes.

"I'm not here to attack anyone. I'm here to free those who were taken against their will and locked away within this facility," Atomic replied coldly, his tone chilling as he ascended. 

Instead of flying to the rendezvous point, he altered his course, flying away from the cave where all the freed mutants were being brought to and towards an open expanse a good distance away from the facility. As he descended, he gently placed the large group of people on the ground and dismantled his protective sphere amidst a flicker of light. 

"What you all did here... to these people, to these children… I promise you, it will haunt you until the end of your days," Atomic said. 

He soared into the sky with those haunting words, leaving those he had saved to grapple with their mixed emotions, watching him fade into the distance.

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