The Purifiers

Outside the University of Kansas Medical School, to the southeast, in the air.

An AH-64 Apache attack helicopter raced toward the laboratory building, banking like a hunting falcon into the howling cold wind and blazing sunlight.

In the cockpit, the pilot was making a final confirmation with ground command over the radio.

"This is Storm One. We're over the target area and ready to—"

Before he could finish, every instrument in the cockpit went dark at once, without warning.

Bzzzt—

Amid a shriek of static, the radar screen dissolved into snow. The radio gave nothing but a busy tone, and even the emergency lights began flashing wildly.

"What's happening?! An EMP attack?!"

"We've lost control! We're going down!"

"Damn it! Hydraulics are out! Autopilot's dead too!"

As the pilot and copilot screamed, the helicopter spun like a bird with broken wings and plunged toward the ground in the distance.

BOOM!!!

A massive burst of orange-red flame shot skyward. Thick black smoke billowed up, staining half the sky.

On the ground, beside a black, conventionally powered van, General Lake lowered his binoculars after calmly watching the spectacle.

"Frankly," he said, sounding impressed, "if I hadn't seen it myself, I'd have had trouble believing a mutant could directly control electronic equipment."

There was no surprise in his voice at the crash. If anything, he sounded like a hunter who had spotted rare prey.

"He's become even more frightening..." Dr. Zander muttered, still shaken. General Lake hadn't needed him for this operation, but after repeated requests, he had reluctantly allowed the doctor to come along. Zander had wanted to see for himself how far "X-0" had developed.

The result was just what he had feared.

"One helicopter down... That should be enough to put those old men on alert." General Lake turned to Davis. "It's time. Move in."

"Yes, sir!"

Davis saluted, then took off his crisp officer's jacket, revealing a soldier's tank top stretched over powerful muscles.

"Mr. Davis, was the jacket getting in your way?" Dr. Zander asked casually.

"No. Just a little warm."

Davis flexed his wrists and legs. Then he rose slowly off the ground and flew toward the laboratory building, leading the Purifiers in from different directions.

Behind them, fifty elite special-operations soldiers had assembled. Carrying no electronic equipment and armed only with the most basic firearms, they moved in after the Purifiers.

Meanwhile, civilians and reporters drawn by the news had formed a dense wall of people nearby. Several bold reporters pushed past the cordon, aiming microphones and cameras at the young general who appeared to be in command.

"Should we clear them out?" an officer asked General Lake quietly.

"No. Let them through."

General Lake welcomed the reporters. He stepped before the cameras with a confident, steady smile.

"Everyone, I'm Army Major General John Lake, director of the Special Projects Division at United States Northern Command." His voice carried clearly across the scene through the reporters' microphones. "We have received reliable intelligence that a group of extremely dangerous terrorists is hiding in the University of Kansas Medical School and plotting an attack on civilians. For the safety of the American people, we have both the responsibility and the duty to take decisive action."

"I also urge anyone near the medical school, along with their friends and family, to evacuate as soon as possible to avoid injury."

"General!" a reporter called at once. "Can you provide more concrete evidence?"

"Why has the military come instead of the National Guard?"

"What happened to the helicopter that crashed? Do they have heavy weapons?"

General Lake handled the barrage of pointed questions with ease, brushing aside every sensitive one as classified military information he could not disclose. Finally, he addressed the camera in a clear, ringing voice:

"To the terrorists hiding in the medical school: if you can hear me, I hope you will surrender voluntarily and spare everyone an unnecessary confrontation!"

"General!" another reporter shouted. "Someone just flew out of your vehicle. Was that a mutant? Is the military using mutants in combat?"

"Let me correct that." General Lake smiled. "He is not a mutant. He is part of a special military research project we call the Purifiers. They will lead this operation against the terrorists. They are our sharpest blade!"

Inside the laboratory, Miles watched General Lake's handsome yet chilling face on the central display and committed it to memory.

He switched the display to the surveillance feeds around the laboratory building, tracking four figures approaching from different directions. None of them looked ordinary.

General Lake's mention of the Purifiers gave Miles a lead. He immediately had Aurora search the Essex Corporation database and compare the results against the Purifiers project files.

"Logan! Laura! Listen!"

Having found preliminary matches, Miles spoke quickly. "These four are artificial mutants created by the military! They're the 'Purifiers' that guy on TV was talking about!"

"The flying one is codenamed Lightwave. He can fly, manipulate energy, and fire energy blasts."

"The big one is codenamed Fire Giant. He has superhuman strength and some healing ability. He isn't very smart, but his body catches fire when he fights, and he can throw fireballs if he needs to. Watch the heat!"

"The one walking slowly on the ground is called Impact. The files say he used to be a special-operations soldier skilled in military hand-to-hand combat. His mutant ability lets him release force-field blasts through his hands."

"And the blue one is Night Demon. He can heal to some extent, and both his hands have Adamantium claws. His ability is—"

"Teleportation. I know." Logan cut in, staring at the ghostlike figure on the screen. His voice darkened. "Looks like Wagner never made it out after all."

Logan meant his former comrade Kurt Wagner, the X-Man known as Nightcrawler. He had been a kind young man despite his frightening appearance, and teleportation had been his gift. The Night Demon on the screen was clearly a product of Wagner's genes.

"We can talk about the past later. Look at this first." Miles pulled an image onto the main display.

In it, Lightwave, Fire Giant, and the others wore strange, high-tech bands around their heads.

"According to the files, these are Anti-Mind-Control Devices the military made by copying Magneto's helmet," Miles explained. "They keep telepaths like me from controlling their minds. They probably aren't as effective as Magneto's original helmet, but my telepathic abilities are nowhere near Charles's."

"So if we get a chance to break those damn things, you can use your powers?" Logan immediately grasped the point.

"Exactly." Miles nodded. "They're trained fighters, so I'd expect them to have strong wills. But if I push my power to its limit, I should be able to disrupt their movements briefly. That's when you... finish them."

With the plan settled, Logan couldn't help asking, "Miles, tell me. How much longer does Charles need?"

"Charles just had surgery. He needs at least another two hours of emergency observation before he's out of danger," Miles said through clenched teeth. "And I have an important experiment to run here too... Damn it, they came fast. If I'd had just one more day..."

"What experiment?" Logan asked.

"Mutant Enhancement Serum," Miles replied. "If I can finish it, it could cure Charles's seizures and restore you to your prime."

Logan paused. He looked at Miles's face, pale with exhaustion, and stayed silent for a long time before shaking his head.

"...Save it for Charles," the old wolf said slowly. "I don't need it."

He checked the four figures' positions on the surveillance feed once more, then walked out without another word.

BOOM!!!

Fire Giant led the charge, smashing straight through the gate to the laboratory building's courtyard! His huge, flaming body crashed onto the grounds like a runaway tank.

But a fiercer beast's roar answered him!

ROAR!!!

A dark shape burst from the shadows. X-24, his face twisted in a savage snarl, ignored the heat pouring off the giant and drove his claws toward his chest. Fire Giant threw up an arm to block them.

The blades sank into flesh. The blood that spilled out evaporated instantly in the heat.

The two monsters locked eyes, each seeing a savage urge to kill in the other!

At almost the same moment, a cloud of blue smoke appeared from nowhere in a corridor outside the laboratory. A blue figure landed lightly on the floor.

Night Demon had barely found his footing when his hand shot up.

CLANG!!

His steel claws caught Laura's ambush as she dropped from the ventilation duct!

Sparks flew. The collision of Adamantium rang through the air. He twisted with the blow and swept the claws of his other hand toward Laura's waist!

Laura twisted in midair to evade him, tapped a foot against the wall, and landed lightly several yards away.

They faced each other in silence.

"Oh, another little wolf cub." Night Demon studied Laura's young face, a glint in his demonic yellow eyes.

"Come on, little one. Let's have some fun..."

On the top floor of the laboratory building, Lightwave—Davis—crashed through the glass curtain wall like a meteor.

He had barely landed when he heard the low hum of machinery.

A large robotic arm built for precision work sprang to life. Its heavy metal limb swung down at Lightwave's head with a speed that belied its size!

Davis's pupils contracted. He shot upward, narrowly dodging the blow. But it was only the beginning. From the other side, a high-pressure nozzle seized the opening and fired a pale stream of strong acid at him!

"Damn it!"

Davis hastily unleashed a searing energy blast, vaporizing the acid in midair into acrid fumes.

At the laboratory building's rear entrance, Impact stopped midstride.

Old Logan stood a short distance ahead, watching him with a grim expression.

"Fuck..." Logan muttered, looking at the opponent who gave him a faint but unmistakable sense of mortal danger. "Guess I was right again... You're the most dangerous one here..."

BOOM!!

The sounds of fighting began to carry in from outside. Logan and the others had clearly engaged the enemy.

For the moment, the vast laboratory held only Miles, sitting alone in his wheelchair, and Charles, still unconscious on the hospital bed.

"Aurora..." Miles said softly. "I think there's a good chance those people came for me."

"I believe you're right, Miles," Aurora's voice came from the tablet beside his hand. "My analysis suggests General Lake's real target is you. Your ability is too unusual. No nation or organization could learn of your existence and do nothing."

"Hah. So you can see it too?" Miles gave a rueful laugh. Dividing his attention between the conversation and the electronic equipment he was using on the top floor to slow Lightwave, he went on, "Aurora, listen to me..."

"If we really can't stop them this time... I'll do everything I can to keep Logan and Charles safe."

"After that... I'm leaving the rest to you..."