The Blackbird descended smoothly onto the rooftop heliport of the Chicago tower, its landing struts hissing as they met the concrete. The sleek jet’s matte-black surface shimmered faintly under the midday sun, reflecting the glass of surrounding skyscrapers. Alamo and Rogue were already waiting near the landing pad, having arrived minutes earlier. Rogue floated a few inches off the ground with her arms crossed, her white streaks fluttering in the breeze. Beside her, Alamo stood tall, hovering slightly with his usual calm, the faint blue glow of plasma energy trailing from his boots. His black cattleman hat shaded the red glow of his mask’s lenses as he surveyed the area.
As the Avengers and X-Men stepped out of the Blackbird, a commotion broke the steady rhythm of their coordinated mission. A woman, dressed in a sharp gray suit, emerged from the building’s access doors onto the heliport. Three security guards flanked her, all looking far more nervous than their stern expressions suggested.
"You can’t land here! You can’t land here!" she shouted, her voice carrying desperation as she marched toward the group. Her clipboard rattled in her hands, and the guards looked equally hesitant.
Before anyone else could respond, Iron Man stepped forward. The sun gleamed off the crimson and gold of his suit, Tony Stark’s voice echoing from the helmet with his signature confidence.
"Sorry, lady. We’re here on official Avengers business," he said, raising both hands in mock surrender.
The woman adjusted her glasses, exasperated. "Official or not, you had to notify us before landing here. There are protocols, landing fees—regulations."
Tony tilted his helmet slightly. "How much?"
She blinked. "What?"
"How much to stay here?" Tony repeated, as if asking for the price of coffee.
"Sir—"
"Does five thousand dollars work?"
Her mouth opened and closed, uncertain.
"Uh—"
"Great. What’s your account address?"
The guards exchanged glances. Tony took a step closer, lowering his voice. "Trust me, five grand is far better than nothing. And, boys—seriously—there’s no paycheck in the world that justifies fighting both the Avengers and the X-Men today."
The guards looked at each other, then at the imposing figures of Storm, She-Hulk, and Wasp standing behind Tony. They didn’t move.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team was already heading toward the building’s entrance. Storm led the way, her white hair gleaming, flanked by Gambit, She-Hulk, and Wasp in one group. Rogue, Alamo, and Jubilee followed in the second elevator.
"I’ll wrap it up here and catch up," Tony said, gesturing casually.
As the doors to the elevators slid open, Jubilee cracked her knuckles dramatically.
"When we find that bastard, I’m gonna blow his face up," she muttered.
"Jubes, calm down," Rogue replied, placing a gloved hand on her friend’s shoulder. "Ain’t nobody blowin’ anybody’s face up, sugah."
"No fun," Jubilee pouted, kicking the floor lightly.
Alamo glanced at Jubilee, his voice calm. "I’m sure you wouldn’t like that."
Jubilee’s cocky grin faltered for a split second. A flicker of something darker crossed her face—vulnerability, perhaps. Her eyes clouded for a moment, distant.
Rogue noticed. "Ya good, Jubes?"
"Yeah, Roguey. I’m fine," Jubilee replied quickly, brushing off the moment with a forced smile.
The elevator chimed. The doors slid open to reveal a sleek corridor with polished wooden floors leading to a modern office door framed by minimalist art. The rest of the team regrouped as Iron Man finally caught up.
"This should be it," Storm said, glancing back at everyone.
"Everyone here? Yeah? Let’s go." Tony Stark’s voice echoed from the back.
Rogue approached the sleek wooden door and cracked her knuckles. "Ah’ll just kick it down."
"A little patience, non?" Gambit grinned, removing round sunglasses he wore, he lowered himself to one knee as he retrieved a lockpicking kit from his coat. With practiced ease, he inserted the tension wrench and began working the pins.
The team watched in silence. Forty seconds later, a satisfying click echoed through the hallway.
"Voilà," Gambit said, standing and pushing the door open with a flourish.
She-Hulk raised an eyebrow. "Where did you learn that, Monsieur LeBeau?"
"Oh, chére," Gambit smiled roguishly, "it’s a long story. But Gambit tells ya if you want to hear, non?"
"I’d like that," Jennifer replied, smirking.
The team entered.
The office was sleek, modern, and—unexpectedly—a complete mess. The sharp lines of the minimalist furniture were buried beneath wrappers from fast food joints, scattered clothing, and shredded documents.
It was clear Graydon Creed had left in a hurry.
"Ew, man, this place stinks," Jubilee said, waving a hand in front of her nose. "I could be at home right now playing COD Zombies or somethin’, but this? This is nasty."
"Oh, you play COD Zombies?" Alamo asked, glancing at her.
"Wait—you do too?"
"Sure."
Jubilee’s eyes widened. "Oh, so cool, man. Finally, you’re not some lame-o nerd."
Alamo scoffed, crossing his arms. "I ain’t lame."
Storm raised a hand for silence. The group split to search the space.
Rogue’s voice rang out moments later. "Hey, there’s somethin’ y’all gotta see."
The team converged on a small bathroom at the back of the office.
The smell hit them first—stale air, unwashed clothes, and a faint medicinal tang. The bathroom was filthy, more rundown than the rest of the office.
Rogue stood by the sink, holding a prescription bottle. The label was clear: Sertraline.
"Sertraline," she read aloud.
Iron Man stepped beside her, glancing at the bottle. "Oh, that’s strong."
Storm picked up another bottle from the floor. "Seems like he was having emotional problems. The sheer number of these bottles suggests addiction."
Gambit leaned closer, lifting a bottle to read the label. "It’s got his name on it... prescribed by some doctor."
Jennifer straightened, her tone firm. "Clinical depression. But it’s no justification for his actions."
Alamo said nothing, his gaze lingering on the cluttered bathroom before turning back toward the main room.
The team regrouped near a makeshift sleeping area set up in the corner of the office. A mattress, wrinkled clothes, and half-eaten fast food containers littered the floor.
"He was eatin’ a lot of fast food," Alamo observed, picking up a crumpled burger wrapper. "Definitely not in the state to cook."
Gambit leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Think he gave up?"
Alamo opened a drawer. Most of the clothing inside was gone. He shook his head. "Unlikely. He just ran away. The question is—where to?"
She-Hulk re-entered the room, holding a glossy brochure between two fingers.
"Alaska," she said.
"What?" Alamo turned.
She held up the brochure, the words ‘Explore Alaska’ printed in bold over images of mountains and glaciers.
"You believe he’s in Alaska because of a brochure?"
"You got any better ideas?" Jennifer asked, arching a brow.
Alamo stared at the brochure, unconvinced. "It ain’t good enough. Probably doesn’t mean nothin’."
"You’re wrong," She-Hulk replied, folding her arms. "I’m sure it means something."
Alamo remained silent, red eyes narrowing behind his mask. The room, though chaotic, left more questions than answers. Creed was on the run, that much was clear—but whether he was heading north or laying a false trail, he wasn't sure, even if he seemed like that.
"He’s gone," Gambit muttered, crouching beside a tall wardrobe-like piece of furniture. His red-on-black eyes narrowed as he leaned closer, his gloved fingers brushing against the dust-coated floor inside. He swiped a thin layer of dust between his fingertips before turning to the others with a small, knowing grin.
She-Hulk and Alamo stepped closer. Jennifer tilted her head, arms crossed over her chest, while Alamo remained still, his hand resting against the edge of his chrome mask.
"The dust," Gambit began, standing with his usual effortless grace. "You can clearly see the small wheel tracks here. Large luggage. Heavy one too. He left in a hurry."
Alamo peered at the faint indentations on the dusty floor. "Oh, it makes sense. He wasn’t plannin’ on comin’ back."
"Smart man,"She-Hulk added with a smirk. "He knew we'd come after him."
"Or maybe it was somethin' else." Alamo said, crossing his arms as he looked around the room.
"So," Gambit dusted off his hands with a casual flick, "maybe he’s in Alaska after all?"
Jennifer shot a smug glance at Alamo."Told you the brochure wasn’t just for show."
Before Alamo could respond, Tony Stark’s voice echoed from the adjacent room.
"Hey! I found a computer."
The entire team converged quickly into the main office, where Iron Man stood beside a sleek black monitor, its cables tangled among empty energy drink cans and discarded paperwork. The room had the stale scent of cold takeout and machinery.
"Alright, let’s see if this is a treasure trove... or just pure, unadulterated crap," Tony quipped.
With a flick of his armored wrist, a small interface port extended from Iron Man’s gauntlet, which he connected directly into the side of the desktop. Holographic projections of code flashed in the air, green lines of encrypted data streaming past.
"And... I’m in."
The team watched in tense silence as lines of data scrolled faster.
"Hmmm." Tony leaned back. "Well, look at that—he wiped the whole damn thing. Factory reset. Clean as a whistle."
"Nothing?" She-Hulk stepped forward, squinting at the empty directories appearing on the screen.
"Nada. He either smashed the hard drive or took it with him. Given the luggage theory? My money’s on the latter," Tony said.
"Smart enough not to leave evidence," Gambit said, leaning against the wall.
"Hey, Mr.Stark," Jubilee called from the corner, holding up a crumpled paper bag. "I found this receipt. DoorDash order, three days ago."
Tony turned. "Nice work, kid."
"Heh, thanks!" she beamed.
"Very good, petite," Gambit added with a wink.
"Alright," Tony said, returning to the screen. "Three days ago, huh? Let me tap into the airport databases."
Iron Man’s gauntlet glowed faintly as he worked. Data scrolled rapidly across the floating holograms, filtering passenger lists and travel manifests.
"Let’s see... Graydon Creed," Tony murmured. "Three days ago. Chicago O’Hare International departures to Anchorage."
Everyone leaned in. The screen flashed: "No Results Found."
"Nothing for three days ago," Tony confirmed. "Not two, not yesterday. Creed didn’t fly outta here—at least, not under his own name."
"Damnit," Jubilee groaned.
A pause followed. The group stared at the screen in silence until Alamo broke it. His gloved hand tapped his mask’s chin thoughtfully.
"Kane."
The room turned toward him.
"What?" Tony asked, glancing up from the console.
"Try Kane," Alamo repeated. "I reckon it was Thomas Kane. He used that name back when he tried movin’ corporate bonds at America Bank. Sounded like a legitimate front."
Tony stared for a beat, then a slow grin spread under the helmet’s reflective faceplate.
"Kane, huh? Let’s see..."
The data filtered again, this time faster. Then—bing—a match appeared.
"Thomas Kane. Took a flight at three in the morning. Destination—Anchorage, Alaska."
"Told ya," Alamo said simply, leaning back with arms crossed.
She-Hulk turned to him with a wide, smug grin. "Who’s wrong now, cowboy?"
Gambit chuckled from the doorway, crossing his arms.
Alamo stuffed his hand inside his coat pockets "Alright, alright, alright. Ya got it. My bad, okay? Yer Green Eminence."
"That’s right." Jennifer beamed. "I’m good at my job. Maybe when you grow up, you can be glorious and green like me."
"Jennifer. Duncan. Behave." Storm’s voice sliced through the banter with regal precision.
"Sorry, Ororo,"Jennifer replied with a shrug.
"My bad, Storm," Alamo added with a faint nod.
Before another word could be spoken, a low rumble echoed through the building.
Not just one—multiple rumbles, rolling like distant thunder. The windows trembled.
Everyone froze.
"What the hell was that?" Jubilee whispered.
The rumble intensified.
Iron Man’s helmet snapped shut."Jarvis, scan the perimeter."
Storm’s eyes glowed faintly, sensing a shift in the air pressure.
Alamo’s plasma shimmered at his hands, Rogue floated half an inch off the ground, fists ready.
"Company," Alamo said quietly, his voice steady but low.
Another, louder boom echoed—this one closer.
"Yep," Tony said grimly, his voice filtered through the Iron Man armor. "Definitely company."
The parade of Sentinels emerged from the horizon, their towering forms cutting through the city skyline with precision. But these weren’t the rusted-out models the X-Men and Avengers had encountered in Florida or Arkansas.
These Sentinels were sleek, modern, and pristine—their obsidian-black frames lined with subtle red and blue highlights that pulsed faintly, almost as if they were alive. Advanced and intimidating, they moved with eerie synchronization, their footfalls sending tremors through the city blocks.
"What the hell..." Jubilee whispered, eyes wide.
"These ain’t the same Sentinels we fought," Gambit growled, narrowing his red-on-black eyes.
"Everyone—X-Men, Avengers—GET READY!" Storm commanded, her voice echoing with authority. "They’ll level the building. We MUST leave. Now!"
No hesitation. Rogue acted first.
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With a surge of power, she blasted through a window, the glass shattering around her as she took to the skies. Her white streak of hair trailed behind her as she soared upward, fists clenched and ready for battle.
"Ah ain't lettin' these bastards wreck the city!"
Behind her, She-Hulk grabbed Gambit with one hand—lifting him like a toddler.
"Whoa, chére! What are ya—WOAAAH!"
With a mighty leap, she launched out of the window, Gambit flailing for a moment before regaining his composure mid-air with a grin.
"Next time, at least gimme a warnin’!"
Wasp spread her wings, glinting in the sunlight as she shrank and zipped into the sky.
"Showtime, people!" Iron Man quipped, thrusters roaring as he blasted off, Storm rising beside him with grace, her white hair flowing as the clouds above began to darken at her will.
"I CAN’T FLY!" Jubilee’s panic echoed in the now-empty room. "DAMNIT!"
"Gotcha, Jubes."
Jubilee turned just in time to see Alamo hovering outside the shattered window, plasma energy glowing faintly around his boots and hands.
"DUNKIE!" she screamed as he grabbed her effortlessly, lifting her into the air. She clung to him, eyes wide with terror and exhilaration.
"Holy shit! This is the best thing ever—but I’m scared as hell! Don’t drop me, Dunkie!"
"I won’t."
"I’m holdin’ tight just to be sure!" She practically wrapped herself around him.
"Just don’t be weird about it, okay?"
Jubilee looked down—her face immediately drained of color.
"TOO LATE. I’M ALREADY IN LOVE WITH THIS PLACE... but also about to lose my breakfast."
Alamo shook his head, a smirk hidden behind the chrome mask.
As they ascended, the battle began.
Rogue charged first. She soared straight at the lead Sentinel, aiming a devastating punch square at its chest. The impact echoed like a thunderclap, the massive machine staggering back, metal denting beneath her strength.
Storm’s voice rang through the skies, deep and commanding.
"The skies turn grey because judgment is near."
Electricity crackled above as the clouds swirled, drawn by Storm’s power.
Alamo and Jubilee flew past Storm and Iron Man.
"To err is human, to forgive is divine," Jubilee began to sing nervously. "Now I ain’t forgivin’, and the err ain’t mine..."
"JUBES. Are ya singin’ right now?" Alamo asked, flying beside her with a Sentinel looming in the distance.
"HELL YEAH, I AM! I CAN’T LOOK DOWN!"
"Wait—" Alamo paused mid-flight. "Is that the Deadshot Daiquiri jingle? From COD Zombies?"
"YEAH, DUDE. IT HELPS ME FOCUS!"
Alamo shook his head with a low chuckle. "Guess it’s human enough."
Jubilee grinned wildly, clinging tighter as they streaked past the others.
On the ground, She-Hulk moved with thunderous power.
A Sentinel’s massive hand swung down toward her, but with a roar, Jennifer Walters caught its wrist mid-swing, stopping the blow in its tracks. The metal groaned under her grip.
"C’mon, big guy—gimme your best shot!"
With a feral yell, She-Hulk yanked hard. The Sentinel’s arm cracked at the shoulder joint, sparking and grinding. But it didn’t fully give.
"Mon Dieu," Gambit muttered, running up beside her. "Lemme help you, chére."
He flicked a handful of playing cards, charging them with kinetic energy. The cards glowed purple before exploding at the weakened socket.
The arm severed completely, crashing to the ground.
"Whoo! Not bad, Cajun," She-Hulk grinned, hefting the entire mechanical limb over her shoulder like a trophy.
But then—they both froze.
The Sentinel began to regenerate.
Tiny metallic tendrils emerged from the severed joint, rebuilding the arm using nanotech.
"Wat in the...?"Gambit stepped back. "Dese ain’t like de others. They’re fixin’ demselves!"
"Say no more!" Jennifer tossed the severed arm toward Gambit.
With a devilish grin, Gambit touched the limb, charging it until it glowed bright purple, surging with explosive kinetic energy.
"Time to blow, bébé!"
With all her strength, She-Hulk hurled the charged limb back at the regenerating Sentinel.
BOOM.
The explosion tore through the machine, shredding it into pieces too small to reassemble.
"Oh YEAH!" She-Hulk whooped, slapping Gambit playfully on the butt.
"Not bad, Cajun."
Gambit stumbled for a moment, caught off guard, but quickly recovered with a sly smirk.
"Heh... chére, you flirtin’ with danger."
Above the battlefield, Iron Man and Storm flew side by side.
"Well, Weather Goddess," Tony said, scanning the enemy with his helmet’s HUD. "You just made the weather angry. Care to share what you’ve got planned?"
Storm’s eyes were glowing white, hair whipping wildly in the winds she commanded.
"I will let the elements decide their fate," she intoned, her voice resonating with power. "Perhaps they have asked for more than they can possibly fathom."
Tony cocked his head. "Okay... ominous. I like it."
The clouds above them thickened, swirling into a vortex. The air buzzed with static electricity as the wind howled.
And then—lightning struck.
A single, massive bolt of lightning arced from the heavens, striking the lead Sentinel’s head with surgical precision.
The machine’s eyes dimmed instantly. Smoke poured from its chassis, circuits fried beyond recovery. The metallic titan staggered, its towering form crashing to the ground, lifeless.
Tony whistled.
"Wow. Effective."
Storm floated beside him, her eyes returning to their natural color as she simply said:
"They asked for a storm. They got one."
Alamo and Jubilee streaked through the sky, plasma and light trailing behind them. The air vibrated with the roar of battle. Jubilee hurled plasmoids—bright, explosive bursts—but they fizzled uselessly against the sleek black frames of the new Sentinels.
"Dude, I'm not doin' ANYTHIN'!" Jubilee shrieked, her eyes wide as she looked down at the city below, the towering machines looming closer.
"These bolts would tear a regular Sentinel." Alamo’s voice came through gritted teeth as he fired a concentrated plasma bolt from his right hand. The small blue beam splashed against the Sentinel’s hull, doing little more than singe the sleek metal.
Jubilee turned to him, panic starting to creep in. "They're like—freakin' indestructible!"
"I have an idea." Alamo’s voice steadied, the drawl thick but sharp. Don't you have a way to make these bigger... yer fireworks?"
Jubilee's face lit up as realization dawned. "A disk. A plasmoid disk—yeah, I can try that!"
"Good. You remember Florida?" Alamo glanced at her with a smirk behind the chrome mask.
"Hell yeah. You BLEW that sentinel up after I sent a firework right to its gut!"
"Right. Let’s do it again."
Jubilee grinned wide, eyes gleaming. "Ohhh yeah, baby!"
Alamo dropped in altitude, flying low, blue plasma thrumming from his boots.*
"NOW, JUBES!" he shouted.
Jubilee summoned all her energy. Her hands glowed, and then she hurled a sizeable plasma disk, spinning with brilliant neon colors. It cut through the air with a high-pitched hum, slicing through the neck armor of the approaching Sentinel like a buzzsaw, exposing the inner circuitry.
"LIGHT IT UP, DUNKIE!" she yelled.
Alamo’s right hand ignited. The blue plasma glowed brighter, a concentrated beam forming at his palm. With his left arm still wrapped around Jubilee to keep her in the air, he fired.
The plasma beam struck the exposed neck joint—
—and the entire Sentinel EXPLODED.
The shockwave rattled nearby buildings. Smoke and debris rained down. Flaming chunks of metal spiraled toward the ground as the Sentinel’s head separated, crashing into a rooftop below.
Jubilee screamed with glee. "OH YEAH! WE GOT THE GUNS, AND WE GOT THE BOMBS!"
Alamo, still holding her aloft, laughed. "IN DEADSHOT HEAVEN WE POP SKULLS FER FUN!"
"HELL YEAH, DUNKIE! PLASMA RANGERS, LET’S GOOOOO!"
The two locked eyes for a moment, adrenaline pumping, before turning to lock onto the next target.
"Let’s go, Dunkie—TO WAR!"
Not far away, Iron Man hovered in the sky, raising his repulsors.
"Alright, let’s see how you handle some real firepower."
Twin repulsor beams blazed out from his gauntlets, striking a Sentinel dead-on.
But the impact fizzled.
The sleek black hull of the Sentinel shimmered faintly with a glowing red shield, absorbing the energy like a sponge.
"You gotta be kidding me." Tony’s voice crackled over the comms. "They’re ABSORBING my repulsors."
"Annoyed, Stark?" Storm’s voice came through, calm but edged with tension.
"Profoundly. But don’t worry—I’m not a one-trick dog."
Iron Man pivoted in mid-air. From his back, a javelin-like spike launched upward into the sky. It glinted as it spun, then locked onto a Sentinel’s head with pinpoint precision.
SHUNK
The spike embedded itself in the back of the Sentinel’s skull.
"Watch this," Tony murmured.
From the spike, a small, spider-like robot deployed, its legs drilling into the Sentinel’s outer shell. It burrowed in with a series of mechanical screeches.
Storm hovered nearby, her white hair whipping in the wind. "I assume there’s more to this than turning their heads into pincushions?"
"Patience, goddess."
The Sentinel staggered, its eyes flickering.
Red.
Blue.
Red again.
Then—solid blue.
Storm arched an eyebrow. "Changing their eye color wasn’t exactly the result I expected."
"Any second now..." Tony said confidently.
Suddenly—the Sentinel moved.
It raised its fist, mimicking Iron Man’s own motion perfectly.
"Done."
Tony punched the air.
The Sentinel mirrored him, smashing its massive fist into the face of a neighboring Sentinel.
Storm’s eyes widened. "You... you took control?"
"Jarvis always delivers. Remote override via neural infiltration. Clean and easy."
The commandeered Sentinel lunged forward.
It grabbed the arm of another approaching Sentinel. The enemy machine stiffened, seemingly confused by the betrayal.
"Oh, don’t look so surprised," Tony chuckled.
The controlled Sentinel twisted, pulling hard.
One punch.
Two punches.
Three rapid-fire punches right into the other Sentinel’s face, denting its armor plate with each blow.
Then—the finishing move.
The controlled Sentinel rammed its elbow into the socket of the other’s arm with a metallic screech.
BAM
The arm ripped clean off, sparks flying.
Tony grinned behind his helmet. "And now... the grand finale."
The controlled Sentinel lifted the severed arm, wielding it like a club.
With relentless brutality, it swung—
WHAM!—across the head of the second Sentinel.
WHAM!—a second blow, caving in the side of its face.
WHAM!—again and again, smashing until sparks and debris flew in every direction.
Finally, the enemy Sentinel collapsed, its head a crushed wreck.
Above them, Alamo and Jubilee soared.
Jubilee clung to Alamo, wide-eyed. "Yo—Tony just Mortal Kombat Fatality'd that thing!"
Alamo laughed. "Guess Stark knows how to put on a show."
But the moment was short-lived.
Storm’s voice crackled across the comms:
"Don’t celebrate yet. They’re still coming."
In the distance, more Sentinels emerged, walking in perfect synchronization. Their sleek black hulls reflected the dim light, their glowing red eyes locking onto the team as they advanced.
"Round two," Alamo said grimly.
"PLASMA RANGERS NEVER DIE, DUNKIE!" Jubilee whooped.
"Let’s prove it then, Jubes. Let’s make some noise."
Wasp towered above the battlefield, her form colossal against the Chicago skyline. The wind whipped through her hair as she delivered a powerful kick, her boot slamming into a Sentinel’s chest. The metal giant stumbled backward, the sheer force of her strike sending shockwaves through the rooftop.
"HA! Take that, you tin can!" Wasp bellowed, her voice booming from her enlarged form.
The Sentinel crashed into an adjacent building, debris raining onto the streets below. But it wasn’t finished. Red sensors glowed in its eyes as it stabilized itself. Raising both metallic arms, it caught Wasp’s descending foot before it could stomp down.
"You gotta be kidding me!" Wasp grunted, trying to push through.
Before the machine could retaliate, a blur of green and white streaked through the air.
"HEY, WASP, NEED ANY HELP?"
Rogue rocketed in, her fist cocked back, momentum building behind her. With a thunderous CRACK, she delivered a devastating punch to the Sentinel’s knee joint.
The impact was seismic.
Metal shrieked and buckled. The Sentinel’s knee shattered, its lower leg splitting clean in two under the force of Rogue’s blow. Sparks and wires snapped, and the towering machine collapsed, screaming in synthetic agony.
Wasp seized the opportunity. With a triumphant grin, she stomped hard.
BOOM.
The Sentinel’s upper torso caved in completely, the crushed metal sending smoke and sparks upward.
"Thanks, Rogue!" Wasp said, shrinking back to her regular size midair, giving Rogue a thumbs-up.
"No problem, Janet!" Rogue winked before shooting back into the fray.
High above the streets, Alamo and Jubilee cut through the smoky sky.
"C'mon, Dunkie! Let’s make some noise!" Jubilee’s voice rang with excitement as her fingers glowed with plasma energy.
Another Sentinel appeared, sleek and dangerous, its glowing red eyes tracking them. It raised a repulsor cannon, charging with ominous hums.
"Disk!" Alamo barked.
"On it!"
Jubilee summoned a massive, spinning plasma disk, larger than before. It glowed with a vibrant pink and gold hue as she hurled it with everything she had.
The disk spun through the air like a deadly buzzsaw, slicing through the Sentinel’s gut armor with a shrill metallic screech. Sparks erupted from the exposed internals.
"Light it up, Dunkie!"
Alamo’s right hand ignited—glowing blue plasma surged in his palm. He extended his hand, holding Jubilee firmly with the other.
FWOOOOOSH!
A concentrated plasma beam shot straight through the opening Jubilee created, piercing the Sentinel’s power core.
BOOM!
The explosion was massive, sending a shockwave of heat and light through the air. The Sentinel’s limbs blew apart, twisting metal raining down on the street below.
"LET’S GOOOOO!" Jubilee screamed, punching the air.
Alamo gave a small nod, his plasma still glowing.
"You're way too excited."
Jubilee turned to him with a grin. "Bro, we’re basically superheroes in a Call of Duty Zombies bonus round—this is the BEST day!"
"More coming."
Storm’s voice echoed through the comms, calm but sharp.
Dark clouds loomed overhead, the wind whipping stronger. In the distance, more Sentinels—three, no, four—stomped into view, their synchronized movements sending tremors through the city.
"Great. Round two."
Rogue zipped into formation beside Alamo and Jubilee, the wind trailing behind her like a comet’s tail.
"Havin' fun, y'all?" Rogue’s green eyes sparkled with challenge.
"I AM!" Jubilee shouted, still buzzing from the explosion.
Alamo simply nodded, silent as he tried to focus on the battle.
Rogue floated beside him, flashing a mischievous grin. "Why don’t ya join me, Alamo? Let’s see what you can really do."
Alamo hesitated. Then—"End of the ride, Jubes."
"WAIT—WHAT? NOOOO!"
Before Jubilee could react, Alamo gently lowered her to a nearby street She stumbled slightly, eyes wide, still gripping his coat.
"See ya soon, Jubes." Alamo said, tipping his hat slightly before blasting off toward Rogue at high speed.
Jubilee stood there, stunned.
"NOOOOO! DAMN YOU, ROGUEY! YOU STOLE MY COWBOY!"
Rogue glanced back with a smirk. "He wasn’t yers, Jubes!"
"NOOOOOO!" She screamed in mock drama.
Jubilee shook her fists dramatically at the sky as Alamo and Rogue disappeared together into the clouds, plasma and power trailing behind them like twin streaks of blue and white lightning.
Alamo and Rogue tore through the sky, plasma and wind leaving blinding trails in their wake. The battle raged beneath them, but up here, it felt like a deadly dance, just the two of them against giants of steel. Behind them, the towering Sentinel commandeered by Iron Man followed, its movements swift, almost human-like, as it locked onto its target.
The Stark-controlled Sentinel lunged, grabbing another machine from behind, metallic fingers crushing into the chassis. Rogue and Alamo circled it with surgical precision, each strike from them tearing at the exposed plates of armor.
"Nice job, mistuh," Rogue teased, the adrenaline of battle lighting her face with a fiery grin.
"Always a pleasure, ma’am." Alamo tipped his hat mid-flight, the plasma glow from his palms reflecting on his chrome mask.
Rogue winked. "Is this yer idea of a date?"
"Only if ya’re enjoyin’."
"Ya bet Ah’m."
But then the sky shifted.
The clouds darkened not from Storm’s command—but from what emerged above. Three Sentinels—sleek, modern, and deadly—hovered into view, their glowing optics locked in on the Stark Sentinel.
"Rogue... get ready," Alamo warned.
Three beams of searing energy cut the sky, converging on the Stark Sentinel.
"Shit—" Tony’s voice crackled through the comms.
The combined blast ripped through the commandeered Sentinel, burning through its armor, obliterating the hijacked engine. The machine groaned, sparks flying, before plummeting in a fiery descent.
"Damnit! I lost it," Tony growled.
"We have to stop the fall," Storm said, already manipulating the winds.
"On it," Tony replied, diving after his broken creation.
But in the skies, a more immediate nightmare unfolded.
Rogue flexed her fists, knuckles crackling with power. She knew the signs. The Sentinels were preparing something. Their arms lifted in perfect synchrony.
"Rogue, WAIT!" Alamo’s voice cut through the wind, sharp with urgency.
It came too fast.
A cluster of inhibitor devices launched from all three Sentinels, tracking Rogue with relentless precision.
Alamo moved, plasma surging from his palms. He blasted several inhibitors mid-air—five disintegrated in bursts of blue light. Rogue, fast as lightning, managed to smash three more.
But one got through.
Click.
The device latched onto her chest.
Everything changed.
For the first time in years, Rogue felt... heavy.
Her flight ceased. Panic surged through her. Her body, usually light and powerful, felt fragile and powerless.
"No, no, no!" She clawed at the inhibitor, but it wouldn’t budge. "DUNCAN!"
"ROGUE!"
As Rogue plummeted toward the earth, one Sentinel adjusted its trajectory, closing in fast, metallic claws ready to snatch her mid-fall.
Alamo turned.
Another Sentinel approached him, its fist glowing with power, ready to crush him.
But Alamo didn’t flinch.
He took off his gloves.
The blue plasma on his fingertips intensified, crackling violently. He reached into the Sentinel’s chest, plunging his bare hands into the machine’s core, the heat sizzling on the core of the mechanical beast.
The moment his skin made contact, his eyes glowed bright blue, plasma energy surging through his body.
The Sentinel screamed in metallic agony, its systems short-circuiting as Alamo absorbed its energy.
The machine collapsed, crashing down.
Alamo clasped his hands together, the raw plasma swirling between his palms. His vision narrowed—Rogue was still falling.
And the other Sentinel was still coming for her.
"I'm sick of this inhibitor shit."
The sky itself seemed to split as Alamo unleashed the beam.
A colossal streak of blue plasma tore through the clouds, the sheer heat melting the upper atmosphere, turning half of the Sentinel’s body into molten slag.
"ROGUE!"
He dove, a comet of plasma and speed.
Seconds before impact, he caught her mid-air.
"Take it off, Duncan!" Her voice cracked with desperation.
Without hesitation, Alamo ripped the inhibitor from her chest, the metal scorched from his plasma-charged grip.
Rogue gasped, feeling the strength flood back into her veins.
She hovered mid-air, chest heaving.
Her eyes glistened—tears she wiped away immediately.
But what remained in her gaze was pure, unfiltered rage.
"YA HAVE NO RIGHT TO TAKE MAH POWERS!"
Her voice thundered louder than the storm.
"NO RIGHT TO CONTROL ME!"
With a feral scream, Rogue rocketed toward the last airborne Sentinel, a brown and green blur against the smoke-darkened sky.
She ripped the Sentinel’s arm clean off, the screech of metal echoing across the battlefield.
CLANG! A brutal backhand dented its faceplate.
The machine staggered.
"You wanna know what Ah can do?!"
Rogue raised her forearm. With a final war cry, she swung like a batter hitting a home run.
The Sentinel’s head tore clean off, the metallic skull spinning into the river below.
"FUCK YOU!"
Alamo hovered nearby, watching her burn with fury.
"Anna Marie—"
She turned, breathing hard.
"Ah’m fine, Duncan. Thank ya, sugah."
Her voice softened.
"Let’s go to the others."
Together, they descended, streaks of blue and white trailing behind.
On the ground, She-Hulk stood atop a ruined Sentinel head, fists still glowing from the battle. Gambit leaned casually on his staff, though his posture was tense, eyes watching the sky.
There was one Sentinel left.
It had seen everything.
It knew it was alone.
And it was absolutely aware of it.
The moment the ominous mechanical voice echoed through the battered Chicago skyline, the air grew heavy with dread.
[TERMINATION SEQUENCE INITIATED]
A brief silence followed.
"What?" Rogue’s voice cracked in disbelief.
Iron Man’s scanners flared red. "It's going to blow up."
Panic hit immediately. "No, no, no—I can hack it—" Tony rushed forward, connecting his armor systems to the Sentinel. "C'mon, c'mon—"
The countdown continued without mercy.
[TEN]
[NINE]
Gambit cursed under his breath. "Mon Dieu..." His normally confident voice wavered, eyes wide as the reality dawned.
Jubilee looked around, terror gripping her. "What do we do?! What do we—"
[EIGHT]
Amidst the panic, Alamo moved.
He didn’t say a word.
With quiet determination, he flew forward, his black coat whipping violently in the wind. His chrome mask reflected the flickering red lights from the Sentinel’s core.
"DUNKIE?!" Jubilee screamed after him.
[SEVEN]
Rogue turned instantly. "DUNCAN!"
Alamo didn’t respond. His plasma-tinged hands gripped the massive Sentinel by its mangled chestplate. The machine creaked under his strength, its systems whirring in anticipation of detonation.
[SIX]
He took off.
The shockwave of his acceleration shook the rooftop, the blue plasma trail he left behind slicing across the gray sky. Wind howled.
"DUNCAN, NO!" Rogue screamed, voice breaking.
[FIVE]
The city below began to shrink, streets and buildings becoming distant lines and dots. The air thinned as Alamo pushed harder, faster than he ever had before. His plasma burned brighter, his own energy surging to propel both himself and the explosive mass clutched in his arms.
[FOUR]
Iron Man's HUD lit up in alarm. "Kid—NO! You can’t—"
[THREE]
Alamo glanced at the Sentinel’s core. Could he absorb its energy?
The thought came and went.
He knew the truth. There wasn’t time. If he tried, it could detonate before he finished. The energy could consume him, or worse—detonate mid-city.
[TWO]
So he flew higher.
Faster.
The edges of the atmosphere began to blur. The sky darkened from blue to indigo, and beyond that, black.
From the city, the team watched.
Rogue stared upward, her fists clenched, knuckles white. The blue trail Alamo left behind was all she could see.
"No... no... NO!"
[ONE.]
Silence.
For a moment, the whole world seemed to hold its breath.
BOOM.
A colossal explosion ignited far above the Earth, barely visible in daylight. But then it came the sky lit up—a brilliant flash of blue and white, light mixing with clouds, a fiery bloom at the very edge of orbit.
The shockwave rolled across the city, rattling windows and shaking buildings. But no harm came to the people below.
The explosion had been far enough.
Alamo had made sure of that.
Rogue fell to her knees.
"No..." she whispered.
Her eyes locked on the distant remnants of the explosion, the fading trails of blue that had once marked his flight.
"Oh—Damnit—"
She sprang to her feet, her body surging with power and fear.
"Ah'm goin' after him!"
But before she could take off, Storm appeared, descending swiftly, landing beside her.
"Rogue—"
Rogue shook her head violently. "No. Don’t, 'Ro. Ah can’t let him go. Not like this."
Storm’s eyes softened, but her grip on Rogue’s shoulder tightened. "Rogue."
"No! Ah can still see the trail—Ah can get there, Ah have to get there—"
"Rogue."
"He saved me, Ororo! He saved all of us!" Her voice cracked with desperation. "Ah can’t—Ah won’t—let him be gone. Not him."
Her eyes filled with tears. "Not Duncan."
"Anna Marie."
Storm’s voice was steady now. Firm.
Rogue froze.
Storm rarely used her real name. Unless it was meant seriously.
The wind around them stilled.
"It’s done."
"But—"
"It’s done, Rogue." Storm repeated, softer this time. "He made his choice... for us."
Rogue’s shoulders trembled. She looked up at the fading sky, where just moments ago blue plasma had blazed so brightly.*
The trail was gone.
No sign of him.
No sign of Duncan Nenni.
No sign of the Alamo.
"Ah can’t... Ah can’t..."
Her voice broke entirely.
And then, she crumpled.
Storm held her.
The team stood silently behind them—Gambit with his head low, She-Hulk’s fists trembling at her sides, Jubilee frozen in disbelief.
"Ah promised mahself..."Rogue whispered against Storm’s shoulder.
"Ah promised Ah wouldn’t lose anyone else."
No one had an answer.
The sky remained quiet.
He was gone. It appeared like so.