----
The battlefield was a storm of clashing extremes scorching heat met bone-deep frost, and the result was an explosion of steam from the Sentinel's metal frame.
"Under attack. Under attack."
"Target: Iceman."
"Threat Level: 3. Ability: Cryokinesis."
"Countermeasure: Sustained High Heat."
"Multiple mutants detected. Scanning…"
"Identified: X-Men. High-priority targets. Initiating SKYFALL Protocol…"
The Sentinel's processors were already adapting. In seconds, it accessed the X-Men's files, analyzing Iceman's weaknesses and deploying countermeasures: its internal temperature surged even higher as it stalked forward.
Then impact tremors. More Sentinels arrived in waves, descending like steel angels of death. They landed with force, their armor glowing red-hot. Some reconfigured their arms into flamethrowers, spewing molten fire in wide arcs.
Bobby gritted his teeth. Frost formed across his shoulders. "I can't hold them off much longer!"
"How the hell did they respond this fast?" Logan muttered. He popped his adamantium claws, eyes narrowing on the advancing Sentinels.
"Come on, then."
But these weren't the Sentinels of the past they were smarter now. The moment one locked eyes on Logan, it unleashed a barrage of bullets from multiple cannons.
"Smart bastard doesn't want to get close…"
Logan tried to deflect, but some rounds slammed into his body. Holes opened across his chest and limbs, blood soaking his shirt yet even as the damage stacked up, he didn't slow down.
Then he felt it.
"Something's wrong…"
His healing was slowing.
A wave of weakness washed over him—too familiar to ignore.
"Damn it! X-Gene suppressor!"
Logan shouted into his comms. He slammed a button on his wristband. A tiny injector fired into his arm, delivering Beast's specially formulated antidote.
His muscles twitched. Seconds later, the wounds began knitting together again, bullets ejecting from his flesh.
Meanwhile, Colossus was barely holding his own, pushing back against multiple Sentinels radiating enough heat to blister steel. Some even released corrosive gases that etched pits into his armored skin.
"They've got our playbook," Logan growled. "We need Stark's toys now!"
Just then, a figure phased through a nearby wall—Kitty Pryde.
She rolled across the ground, tossed a device among the Sentinels, then immediately phased back into cover.
A sharp pulse erupted from the object.
"WREEEE—"
The high-pitched whine of an electromagnetic burst ripped through the air. Every Sentinel froze mid-step, red eyes flickering erratically.
"Disruption detected. Attempting system recalibration…"
Kitty's tech courtesy of Stark Industries had bought them time.
Colossus took the chance, bulldozing a frozen Sentinel. Bobby turned another into a glacial sculpture.
"We've got what we came for. Time to move!" Logan ordered.
"But… what about the kid?" Bobby asked.
He glanced back at the small boy clearly a mutant still huddled behind his mother.
If they left now, the Sentinels would return. The boy wouldn't survive.
Logan hesitated.
"Our mission was to capture Sentinels, not play heroes…"
Silence on the comms.
"…Screw it. Bring him."
Moments later, Kitty phased back in carrying the boy in her arms. The kid clung to her tightly, knowing full well that staying behind would mean death, not just for him but for his family.
Then—
"THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!"
The ground shook again.
Steel pods dropped from the sky, splitting open as more Sentinels emerged.
"Son of a…"
Logan's claws flared. "I'll hold the line. I already called for backup."
Firestorm after firestorm surged toward them. Logan tanked the blasts, skin burning, muscles tearing but he didn't fall. His arms began to change metallic scales growing along his forearms, shielding him from the heat.
"No time to think about this now," he grunted, becoming something more.
Bobby, now fully iced over, unleashed a blizzard to clear a path. Colossus roared, smashing a Sentinel aside.
They sprinted toward the jet.
But then too many. The Sentinels had already adapted. Another wave descended.
Logan cursed, raising his claws again.
And then—
"Hey, bub. Looks like you need a hand."
A tornado of sand slammed into the Sentinels, sending them flying like leaves in a storm.
From the chaos emerged Sandman, towering and furious. He dissolved into dust, then reformed driving a tidal wave of grit straight through the robots.
At the same time lightning.
Arcs of blue surged from Sentinel to Sentinel, frying circuits, sparking explosions. One by one, the machines collapsed, screaming static.
From above, Electro hovered down, crackling with energy.
The Sentinels paused, confused.
"Unknown target. No data was found. Creating a new registry… Codename: Sandman."
"Unknown target. No data was found. Creating a new registry… Codename: Electro."
The tide had turned.
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