New York City

Thunder criss-crossed over the New York skyline, followed by the sudden downpour of rain. It was early Spring, so of course some rain was to be expected. This however, didn't exactly look like April Showers...

Smile Bright Offices

Mark Rogers paced gradually back and forth through the 53rd floor of Smile Bright Offices. Looking up from the tiled floor, he came to a stop. His former co-workers were still staring at him. More noteably, were John Wright and Bill Shallow.

"Don't look at me that way, you guys..." Mark bit his bottom lip, and shook his head. Bill looked away, as John continued his stare. "Seriously. I told you I was sorry -- "

"You know we all got family too, right Mark?" John shook his head, letting out a sigh. "It's not like we hold up each other anytime something bad happens to our family."

"This isn't just about my family anymore!" Mark almost shouted, but caught himself.

"Mutant rights. So no other family has to go through this," John nodded his head, his eyes piercing Mark Rogers. "Yeah, we all know and understand, Mark. It's very admirable to become a terrorist for what's right. Why not a petition?"

"Yeah, sure," Mark threw his arms up into the air melodramatically, the uzi still in his hand. "Like those ever work in New York, let alone the nation."

"Ooh.. don't let them get to you like that, Mark," A voice said from the elevator. "You know inside of you that what you're doing is right."

The Smile Bright Office employees nearly swallowed their tongues as they saw the grayish beast stride into the room. He was appearently a mutant...

"Who are you...?" Mark inquired, turning and walking towards him with intrigue.

"You can call me Dr. McCoy," The Dark Beast grinned, cocking his head to the side. "I'm a friend to humanity.... mutant humanity that is. Let me shake your hand!"

Mark blinked, as Dr. McCoy took grasp onto his hand and began shaking it almost ridiculously in good gesture.

"What you've orchestrated here... the media attention... it's all wonderful!" If it wasn't for the seemingly friendly nature of Dr. McCoy, Mark Rogers would almost feel patronized. "Now, there's just one more thing you need to do before your work here is complete."

"What do I need to do?" Mark didn't understand where Dr. McCoy was going at all, buit seemed to follow his lead.

"Make a vivid point."

Dr. McCoy's frantic handshake ceased, but he still held a grip on Mark's hand. Mark Rogers stared into those yellow eyes, with a half cocked brow. The Dark Beast simply grinned in response, hunching his brows forward playfully.

Scott Summers strode across the Blackbird to its cockpit area, hitting a few commands on it's communication array.

"Good job with belaying the N.Y.P.D.'s orders for a lift-off, Hank," He commented, before continuing to rechannel the Blackbird's communication link.

"Well... coming from a Stealth Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, with it's imposing militaristic look..." The Beast rambled, mocking up a conceided face.

"Jean, it's Scott. How's crowd control going?"

{{ This is actually... surprising, Scott. }}

"What do you mean?"

{{ The men and women down here are actually somewhat on Mark Rogers' side, and eager to see a calm resolution... even without my telepathic influence... }}

"There must be a carbon-dioxide leak in the atmosphere," Scott muttered sarcastically. Hank shot him a look, almost taking his words seriously. "Alison and Sam are ready to --"

{{ Scott... we just developed a problem with the crowd down here. }}

"What is it?" Scott asked, concern in his voice.

"Avalanche!"

{{ Is that Drake? }}

"I asked Bobby to accompany me, Scott," Jean explained, before returning her attention to the situation. "But he's right. Avalanche just walked out of the building and -- aagh!"

Violent tremors ran up the crowd, and along the Police Barricades, upheaving the street's concrete. Bobby quickly stepped behind Jean, and reached out to catch her.

"Mark Rogers is under the Brotherhood's protection," the armored figure announced, sending another powerful tremor along the streets.

Several police officers still standing drew their guns, firing on Dominic Petros -- the mutant terrorist known as Avalanche.

The bullets merely ricocheted off of his armor, however. With another great upheavel of concrete, Avalanche had cleared the entrance of the building.

"You all right, Jeanie?" Jean nodded, as Bobby helped her back to her feet. Scott's voiced barked from their wrist communicators.

{{ What's going on?! }}

"He's trying to keep Police and Reporters away from the building," Jean replied. "Scott, me and Bobby will -- "

{{ Bobby will take care of it. You're in no condition, Jean. }}

"Scott...!" Jean's voice was filled with some form of hurt. Bobby noted this, and was quick to act on it before the dispute would continue.

"Hey-ey, don't worry about it Jean," Bobby grinned reassuringly. "You know I'm more then enough for ol' nugget head."

{{ You're off active duty until your situation is resolved, Jean. Cyclops out. }}

Jean was shocked and almost enraged at the suddenly harsh treatment her husband had just given her. Bobby put his hands on her shoulders, and looked down to her.

"Whatever the prob is, Jean, maybe Scott's right. He's just looking out for you."

"I know Bobby, it's just he has no right to -- "

"But he does anyway," Bobby interrupted again, taking a glance over his shoulder. Several Police Officers were busily being disposed of by Avalanche. "Just hang tight, and maybe help from the sidelines if you can. I'll be fine."

"I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle," Jean sighed. Bobby kissed her on the forehead playfully, and turned away from her. It was only a mere second that his transformation from Bobby Drake to Iceman took place...

"I just... kill them?" Mark's brow creased as he looked into the dark face of Dr. McCoy.

"Really, Mark. What did you have in mind when you first took your coworkers hostage?" Dr. McCoy implied coldly.

"I thought I would get the country's attention," Mark replied, taking a look away from the Dark Beast before him.

"And that's exactly what you did," Dr. McCoy stated. "Now that you have their attention... what are you going to do with it?"

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to hurt anyone. These people were my friends..."

"Are your friends," Bill stated matter-of-factly. John sent him a glare.

"Think about, Mark," Dr. McCoy ignored Bill's comment, focusing on Mark. "The nation isn't going to give into your demands. They'd rather kill you. Send a sniper to shoot you through your beating lil' heart... and then not lift a finger to help mutant rights. Nothing will happen if you threaten them oh-so-nicely.

"Either way, you're dead, or put on death row. So why not put these people to rest? Don't let your efforts be in vain! What needs to be done, is not threating, but acting. Put these people to rest, and then it'll be known across the nation that humans are also fighting for mutant rights. Your story will be told, and through their fates... Your point will be made."

Mark tapped the uzi in his hand against his leg, and closed his eyes. If he really killed these people, his once fellow-employees... would his voice really carry more weight? Dr. McCoy put a hand to Mark's shoulder, and a sympathetic glare was sent to Mark.

"I'm with you, Mark," The performance should've been nominated for an Oscar. "What's it going to be?"

"Never fear, a Champion is here!" Iceman announced, ice sliding over the crowds of by standers and past the fallen Police Force.

Avalanche looked to the former X-Man, and nodded slowly. Low murmurs fell upon the crowd of people at Iceman's sudden exposure on scene. Iceman hunched his brow to Avalanche as he slid past him from a few yards over.

"Didn't you get smart and leave your band of flunkies a while back?" Avalanche watched Iceman slide around him cooly.

"Yeah, but I thought that it's just about payback time for punking me at my job,"* Iceman smirked, giving Avalanche a harsh stare down.

( *Check out Iceman #2 for the details - Dino )

Concrete unsettled as tremors moved to rocked the slide of ice's supporting pillar, but Iceman formed another sled of ice in front of his now crumbling sled, sliding on the heels of his feet to it, and then in another arc around Avalanche.

Watching him move across the sleds of ice was almost like watching a boxer dance for the crowds surrounding the ring. Avalanche was quick to avoid any sudden movements from Iceman, he himself darting and backpeddling.

"You don't tango, do you Petros?" Iceman asked with a creased brow, as Avalanche clenced his fists.

Prelate blasted the heavy, metal door from it's hinges. Confidently, he strode through the sizzling doorway to the roof of the Smile Bright Office buildings. The Brotherhood had all agreed on their stations through-out this mission... and this was his.

Above him a few hundred feet, the clouds began to part. There was little noise coming from the sleek SR-71 Blackbird. Prelate lifted his head up, and was ready to launch an assault on the aircraft.

It was then he realized who exactly was coming that way.

"They're here," Prelate said into his headset. He then took off to the center of the building's roof top, and rose his arms to the descending aircraft.

As the Blackbird came closer and closer to the building's rooftop, Prelate grew more eager and eager. It was obvious they couldn't land, or would land... but they would repel. Clenching his fists, he let out a large thermal wave of force into the stealth jet.

Merely rocking slightly from the blast, it continued to lower itself. The incredible air pressure it forced from it's presence sent Prelate crashing onto his back with a thud, and sliding towards the edge of the building.

"Great flyin', Hank!" Cannonball nodded, before leaping out the open hatch of the Blackbird and being carried down by his blast field.

"Thanks for the ride!" Dazzler waved playfully, before leaping out after her team mate.

Both Cannonball and Dazzler landed in the center of the rooftop, and began running towards the rooftop entrance to the Smile Bright Office Building. Prelate lifted his head up, watching as the two X-Men entered.

Prelate quickly moved to his feet, and was ready to attack. But a barrage of optic blasts suddenly errupted from the Blackbird's open hatch, taking out the ledge Prelate was standing on.

"Oof!" Prelate muttered as the ledge collapsed, quickly grabbing onto the remaining ledge of the building. He looked up to the Blackbird, only to see Scott Summers... Cyclops... standing there with a glowing tint to his visor.

Rage filled Prelate's eyes, and he almost frantically began climbing back onto the building before another optic blast destroyed the remaining pieces of concrete holding the ledge together.

With a scream of rage, Prelate fell from the building's ledge. Cyclops stood at the Blackbird's open hatch, watching as Prelate fell... whether it was to his demise, he didn't care at that moment. Nothing was to get in the X-Men's way right now.

"Bring us back over the clouds, Hank."

The Beast nodded to Cyclops, and eased his blue paw on the Blackbird's flight stick. With a low hum, the Blackbird began to ascend back into the dark clouds...

NEXT ISSUE: It's the Conclusion to "Under Fire!" What will Mark Rogers' decision be? Will the X-Men be able to reach him before he makes a drastic move in the name of mutant rights?