CHAPTER 127 – THE WHITE NORTH OPENS ITS JAWS
The blizzard howled like a living beast. The snow swirled thick enough to choke sight, but through it, two lines of warriors faced off, ice crackling beneath their boots.
Cyclops raised a hand, visor gleaming red in the storm-light. "X-Men—formation."
The team shifted in a practiced instant. Colossus stood tall, armor already gleaming steel. Storm hovered a step behind Cyclops, her white cloak whipping like a banner. Banshee tightened his fists, jaw set, though his lips twitched with a wry grin even in the tension. Thunderbird braced low, ready to spring, while Nightcrawler flickered from shadow to shadow, tail swaying like a cat's. Logan stayed out front, claws bare, smoke curling from his cigar into the frozen gale.
Vindicator planted himself firm in the snow, armor flaring with power. His voice boomed. "Last warning, Logan. You walk back into custody, or Alpha Flight puts you down."
"Custody?" Logan let the word drip with contempt, spitting ash into the snow. "That's your polite way of sayin' COLLAR, Hudson. Sorry. I'm done wearin' leashes."
Sasquatch threw back his massive head and laughed, voice rolling like thunder. "Then we do this the hard way!"
"ALPHA FLIGHT!" Vindicator's gauntlet flared. "ENGAGE!"
"X-MEN!" Cyclops barked, hand dropping. "DEFENSIVE LINE—NOW!"
The world exploded.
Snowbird dove from the storm above, white wings unfurling as she shifted mid-air into a giant snowy owl, talons raking for Storm. Ororo's eyes flashed white, and a sharp gust countered, whipping her cloak out like a shield. "You think to MASTER the storm? Child, you are but a ripple in my ocean!"
Northstar and Aurora streaked like twin comets, their speed leaving trails of silver in the blizzard. Nightcrawler grinned, tail flicking. "Ach, endlich! A chase worth running!" He bamfed, vanishing into a puff of brimstone, reappearing right in Aurora's path with a cheeky wave. She gasped, twisted, but he was gone again before her hand connected. "Catch me if you can, liebes!"
Banshee let out a piercing cry, a rolling wave of sound that cracked the ice under Sasquatch's feet. "Ah, ye big hairy brute, bet ye don't much like music lessons!"
"HA!" Sasquatch roared, shaking off the tremor. "I'll make a harp of your ribs, little man!" He lunged forward, but Colossus barreled into him, steel shoulder smashing fur into the blizzard. The two giants slammed into each other, snow erupting in waves.
Thunderbird dashed for Shaman, who stood calm amidst the chaos, his medicine bag glowing faintly. Thunderbird snarled. "You hide behind tricks, old man? Face me straight!"
Shaman simply lifted a hand, scattering mystic powder that twisted into spectral wolves snapping at Thunderbird's heels. "The spirits are my fists. Face them first."
"Spirits, huh?" Thunderbird snarled, leaping through the phantoms, swiping them aside with sheer brute will. "Let's see if they bleed when I tear you down!"
Logan ignored them all. His eyes locked on Hudson—on Vindicator. "You picked the wrong blizzard to corner me in, Jimmy boy."
"Wrong blizzard?" Vindicator's armor glowed, power humming at his fingertips. "No, Logan. The PERFECT one."
"Yeah?" Logan's grin was feral, claws gleaming under the storm-light. "Then let's cut it to ribbons."
SNIKT.
And the first slash carved sparks against Vindicator's shield.