Chapter 46

It's the smell that hits me first.

It's funny, you never really wonder what burnt human flesh smells like, it's not something a sane person ever has to deal with, atleast not outside a war zone. But there it is, all the same. And even now, after all I've seen since coming to this world, even what I saw in the ruins of Genosha, it's nothing like I expected.

It's not even a bad smell, that's the worst part. It reminds me of something from my childhood, back in the day when we used to celebrate Bonfire Night on May 1st every year with my fathers friends, and they used to cook hot dogs right in the fire, that's what it smells like.

Burning fat and pork.

We hadn't even had time to sit down for dinner yet. It's ridiculous what you think of in times like these, but that's the first thing that comes to mind. We hadn't even had dinner yet. I don't even like turkey very much, but I was still looking forward to a real American thanksgiving dinner, just for the novelty of it. To sit down with Jen, and Ellie, and Steve, and Michael, and Charles, and Emma, and even that punk Quentin, and just... be, for once. Just share in a meal together.

I hadn't put up any wards for it. Not for this. Because I didn't think to do so. And everyone else paid the price for my idiotic oversight.

A few other shapes stir from the ashes around me. My own protections kicked in fast enough, saving me from anything worse than some scorched clothes and a bad sunburn. Just right of me, I see the glint of Logans bones as his body already works to heal itself, muscle crawling across the adamantium inside. Further ahead, Legion arises, naked and hairless, but otherwise completely unharmed. A rockpile begins to reshape itself into Santo. A glimmering diamond form rises from the rubble. Emma Frost.

Other than that, there is nothing but silence in the ruins of what was once Xaviers Home For Gifted Youth.

Jen... Ellie... I can't...I couldn't...

The monster that did this to us strides through the rubble, a massive humanoid shape against the soot-filled sky. Even in the gloom, I can see a single enormous light stand out against the dark material making out the creatures skin, like a burning eye staring down at the carnage it has wrought. And I feel terror deeper than any I have ever felt before.

The Fury

There's a scream of primal rage as Logan, his body still skinless and soaked with blood, bursts from the ashes and launches himself at the abomination, his claws at the ready.

He doesn't even come close.

A blinding blast of energy slams into him from somewhere behind The Fury, incinerating what little he had managed to heal and sends his metal bones into a pile on the ground, glowing from the heat that just killed one of the strongest healers in the world. And then his killer steps into view.

No. No no no no. Oh god no.

It's a second Fury.

And then a third one.

And a fourth one.

And then the sky is full of them.

This has to be a dream. Jesus fucking christ, please let this all be a dream.

"Snap out of it, you idiot!"

The voice just barely pulls me out of a full-blown panic attack, and I turn to see Legion standing there, still naked but with his normal hair restored. I blink, trying to collect myself, but he just shakes me by the shoulder. "We don't have time to panic, we have to warn us!"

"Wuh-warn who?"

"Us! US! We have to warn ourselves! QUICKLY!"

Of course. OF COURSE!

In a burst of energy, I disappear from the spot where a fraction of a second later, The Fury slams a fist down, sending ash, rubble and human bones flying. I reappear a few feet away, and before the Furies have a chance to register me again, I thrust my hand through the fabric of reality, searching for the sub-space pocket Jen told me about.

Got it!

I yank my hand back, and find myself clutching the Time Gem, now once again without a holder.

Well, atleast in this future.

With one last force of will, the Gem disappears in a flash of light, and that's the last thing I know before something slams into me from the side, and the world goes black.

...

18 Minutes Earlier

"Um, Johan?"

I'm pulled away from Xavier introducing his newly non-psychotic son to a group of confused parents and another group of near-panic X-Men when Jen walks up to me, holding her hand out, with a familiar glowing gem in her palm. I look back at her, waiting for whatever reason she's pulled the Time Gem out... when she opens her other hand, and an identical Gem suddenly pops into existance.

"Should...should we be concerned about this"?

I blink "Well, that's currently violating one of the fundamental forces of the universe, so yes, I'd say that's cause for concern."

Jen shakes her head "I have no idea what happened, I was over there talking to Summers, and this other Gem just popped out of nowhere right into my hand! You really don't know what could be doing this?"

I shrug "I don't have a lot of experience with these, but it's usually not a good sign when an Infinity Gem starts acting weird-"

A massive flash of light cuts me off, along with every other conversation in the room, and a loud voice echoes, drowning out the screams from the guests. It says only a single word, but it's not a good one.

"FURY"

And just as suddenly as it happened, it's over. The duplicate Gem quickly loses it's glow, and then it's color, turning grey and dull, cracks crawling over it's surface, and finally, it crumbles away into dust, slipping between Jens fingers and down onto the carpet.

I'm vaguely aware of Xavier speaking, but the words seem to hold no meaning, all I can hear is an indistinct babble. I feel my stomach sink and the blood leave my face, because that is a word I had desperatly hoped I would never have to hear.

A sharp jab in my stomach brings me back to reality, and I realize Logan is jabbing me in the gut with an elbow "OW!! What?!"

"Finally he snaps out of it. Bub, you better have a damn good explanation for-"

"Logan, shut up." Jen says, taking my hand in hers "Johan, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No. No, I'm not alright. If that meant what I think it does, we're in a lot of fucking trouble."

That's when Ellie starts to scream, before falling to the floor, her hands clutched around her head.

.....

"It's glorious!"

John Sublime stepped backwards, taking in the sight of his salvation. It had been a long wait, but the Fury had finally finished merging with the remains of Master Mold, and now, at long last, the genetic freaks that threatened his existance would be wiped clean from the world like the infection they were. He looked up over the colossus in front of him, which now little resembled the original Master Mold other than it's massive size, the machine having come to resemble the descriptions he had read about The Fury more and more as the merge took root.

With one important exception.

In it's chest cavity was a red and purple metal assembly line stretching out into the chamber, the remains of the Master Molds production facilities, which would now serve to build an army far superior than anything that pathetic failure Bolivar Trask could ever have conveived of.

Matthew Risman shot the amalgam a suspicious look "I don't like it. There's something about it... it feels off somehow."

Sublime scoffed "Luckily, Mr Risman, I don't require you to like it. I just need your Purifiers to be ready to take advantage of it's work." In truth, he doubted The Fury would leave enough left for them to be needed, but he wasn't going to take any chances. Not ever again. The mutants WOULD be gone, one way or the other.

Risman didn't seem convinced "We've rebuilt our forces close to what we once were, but..."

Sublime just ignored him "Dr Cornelius, is it ready?"

The old man nodded, bent over the computer console "Activating Master Fury, in 3...2...1"

At first, nothing seemed to happen, and for a moment, Sublime felt a twinge of fear, that the plan had failed... then the assembly line began to move. There was a loud, whirring sound and something began to form inside the machine. At first it was shapeless, just a formless mass of black circuitry, but then something began to take shape, first into a rough, humanoid shape, and then more solid features. An arm with three large fingers, another with a huge cannon, lights and circuit boards began to appear across it's surface. Finally, a large, round eye opened at the top of it's head.

The Fury, first of many, stepped off the assembly line and stared silently at a new world.