#4 - "Reality: What a Concept!

Genocide. The name has only the darkest of connotations. The utter eradication of every living being belonging to a particular race or nation. In World War II, the entire world discovered the horror of the word genocide as Hitler's mad scheme, that of murdering everyone who didn't fit his racial ideal, almost met with success.

It could never happen again, could it? Even now, there are armies marching against people just because they are different. Thousands suffer or die each day, thanks to the "ideals" of racial purity. There is one very frightening organization that not only epitomizes these horrible traits, but also bears the very name of evil - Genocide.

Today the face of Genocide was that of one Dr. Jeffery Andevers. He was the master of Genocide, the organization dedicated to solve the 'mutant problem'. Genocide began as a simple government project to study the advent of mutations in the population. Project: Salvation, as it was dubbed at that time, was completed after several years of study. The official report stated that mutants were no more dangerous than any other type of para-normal that had been appearing.

Confidentially, the results were actually quite different. One of the project leaders was Dr. William Andevers, the father of current head Jeffery Andever. Many of his reports were kept hidden. Documented but subsequently hidden, Dr. Andevers fear was that with the increase of mutants, pure humans would become evolutionarily obsolete. Most didn't pay much attention to Andever's ravings. A few key figures did however.

After time, Project: Salvation was officially dissolved. Privately, a small group of the more fanatical scientists began to research a final solution for the Mutant Problem. Under the direction of Dr. William Andevers, Genocide was born. By the time the government officials overseeing the project realized Andevers' true agenda, it was far too late. Genocide cut whatever ties it had with the United States Government and became an independent entity. The war against mutant kind had begun.

This war had spawned a counter-part to Genocide: an organization called IMAGE-- Immanent Mutant Ascension and Global Evolution. IMAGE was an organization whose members were only mutants and only those mutants that believed that one day their kind would dominate the world.

IMAGE and Genocide had many pitched battles. They eventually came to a head when a team of IMAGE mutants raided the home of Dr. William Andevers. The leader of IMAGE himself, Commander Murdock, pulled the trigger that ended the life of his arch-foe.

The entire assault was witnessed by William's son, Jeffery. With that incident Dr. Jeffery Andevers took up his father's obsession. The new leader of Genocide went into hiding in a hidden Genocide fortress. From there he plots and schemes the downfall of mutant kind everywhere.

Recently Jeffrey Andevers came in contact with a Dr. Ira Mendelson. Andevers never heard of the man before, but his expertise in genetics greatly impressed the leader of Genocide. The two met and discussed a secret project. Mendelson proposed that it was possible to take apart and re-assemble the DNA of living beings. During the 're-write' alterations could be made as desired. Andevers realized that this could be a 'humane' way of stripping mutants of their powers and restoring their genetic purity.

And so Mendelson was set up in a secret Genocide base near Denver, Colorado to test out his theories. Nearly a dozen mutants were captured by the Minutemen, huge mutant-hunting robots. They were then placed in a computer generated environment; freeing their minds from their bodies. Without the fear of the mutants waking, experimentation could begin.

Eager to hear the daily reports from Mendelson, Jeffery Andevers contacted the Colorado Base. The base did not reply...

The first thing that Spectrum noticed was the acrid, black smoke that burned his nostrils and made him choke. He dazedly opened his eyes and saw fire burning off to his left. Shaking his head to clear his vision and his thoughts at the same time. The containment apparatus which had housed him was seriously damaged. Most of the ceiling was missing and the plate glass through which he had seen the lab attendants was shattered. Flying shards of glass had apparently caused numerous cuts over his costumed form.

"On the whole, I'd rather be in Philadelphia," Spectrum wearily said.

Looking around, through the billowing clouds, he could see that a number of these containment apparatuses surrounded a large laboratory. Most of it was destroyed. The containment facilities were similarly damaged. Pulling himself groggily to his feet, Spectrum could see a couple people mulling about. Others were still restrained in their damaged cells or laying unconscious about the room.

"So, is this real or what?"

"Spectrum! Apparently, we were successful," the Void said to him.

"Yes," Black Mamba added, "we appear to have re-entered reality."

"I'll be pissed if it's anything else." The Void looked around at the damage all around him. "Looks like we made a mess of their project, huh?" Electrical sparks crackled from smashed machinery and exposed wiring. The fire seemed to be intensifying. A far away explosion shook the building, sending debris and dust falling to the floor.

"Let's get while the gettin's good," Spectrum suggested.

"We can't just leave everyone behind," Black Mamba hissed. "Some of our allies have been injured."

"Watch me, scaly. I'm outta here." With that, the Void simply disappeared into a smashed pile of debris. The only one that the Void watched out for was himself.

Nearby, the Fox wriggled out from under some fallen machinery. "What a dreadful mess," he observed, as he dusted himself off. One arm hung limply at his side.

"Help me over here! Help me free my Ginger." Spectrum and Black Mamba turned to see a ragged looking Raccoon struggling to free Panda. She was still restrained in her damaged cell and partially buried under rubble.

"If you want to give him a hand, Mamba, I'll go check on some of the others." Heading over to another group of cells, Spectrum could see that Icicle had been thrown clear of her containment cylinder and was lying face down on the floor. The Shadow Queen was also unconscious and still secure within her mostly intact cell.

Spectrum rolled Icicle over and she started to stir slightly. "You okay?"

Icicle propped herself up on one elbow and rubbed her throbbing temple. Her eyesight was still a little blurry, but she could see blood on her glove. "I'll live," she said weakly. "Did it work?"

"It did. Pull yourself together; this ain't over yet." Spectrum helped Icicle to her feet. "Where are we?", she asked.

"A mad scientist's lab on a bad day, from the looks of it."

Nearby, Raccoon and Mamba had finished freeing Panda. She hung limply in Raccoon's arms. Black Mamba had started to free Mind Slayer when one wall of the laboratory suddenly smashed inward. The two of them went flying amidst the shattered concrete.

"Holy crap!", was all that Raccoon could say. Crouched in the crude opening made by the sudden explosion was a huge 30 foot tall robot.

"It would seem that it would be quite prudent to vacate the premises rather expediently," the Fox of Crime stated upon seeing the intruding robot. With a lingering cry of "Tally Ho!", the Fox teleported away.

The floor shook slightly under massive weight as the Minuteman robot crawled into the room. It surveyed the scene with its mechanical eyes.

"Unit K-12 has located subjects from Project: Arena. Commencing recapture of target mutants." A large metal fist tried to close around Raccoon, but he deftly leapt over the outstretched limb, still carrying his beloved Panda. Nearby, Black Mamba scrambled to his feet and dragged the unconscious Mind Slayer away from the Minuteman. She appeared in bad shape, her costume nearly shredded and her elaborate headpiece apparently lost in the wreckage.

"Head's up, Icy! It's time to roll!" Spectrum flew past the blue and white garbed young mutant and fired an energy blast at the cracked glass of the containment apparatus still holding the Shadow Queen. It burst apart in a shower of glass shards. Reaching the cell, Spectrum slipped in the observation window and freed her from her bonds. She collapsed in his arms, but slowly started to stir. A brief moment later, Shadow Queen had grabbed Spectrum and engaged him in a lingering kiss.

Spectrum was apparently dumbfounded for a moment, but shook himself to action as he saw the robotic fist hurtling towards them. He flew into the air, with Shadow Queen still in his arms, narrowly avoiding the massive fist that crashed into the cell, crushing it.

"Cat got your tongue, sugar? Say, you really know how to sweep a girl off her feet!", Shadow Queen said.

A pillar of ice smashed into the Minuteman's face a moment later, slowing it down enough for the rest of the refugees to escape the room.

"Too bad we're running for our lives," Spectrum mused. If the timing were more appropriate, he might take Shadow Queen up on her 'offer'. "I may have to put a mouth in this mask..."

"What do you want from us?", Black Mamba asked their robotic pursuer. The female mutant known as Mind Slayer was beginning to stir in his arms.

The Minuteman Mark IV robot paused for a moment, as if to consider the question. "All mutants must be eradicated," it said simply. The fleeing mutants all exchanged worried glances as the robot continued its pursuit. It fired a pulse beam that shattered a wall up ahead. The mutants sped through the falling debris.

"We cannot outrun the Minutemen, especially in a group of this size," Black Mamba hissed. "We should try to fight our way out."

"That's suicide!", Raccoon scoffed.

"You have a better idea?", Icicle countered. "I am getting a little tired of constantly running for my life." As if to make her point, the young mutant formed a wall of ice which perfectly deflected another incoming laser blast from the Minutemen robot. The ricocheting energy blasted into the already weakened ceiling, triggering a cave-in that buried the huge metallic monster in a shower of concrete and twisted metal. A huge cloud of dust rose from the wreckage.

"Way ta go, Icy!", Spectrum shouted. She just stood there, slightly slack-jawed and not just a little surprised at the destruction she had just caused. Shadow Queen looked a little jealous.

"Okay, maybe you have a point there, runt," Raccoon conceded.

"What's going on?", Mind Slayer asked weakly. "Where are we?" She was still too drained to be able to use her considerable mental abilities. Stacey Turner had been a normal Chicago teenager when a representative of PSI called at her home. The man said that she was a special child and that PSI would give her special schooling. Over the months that followed, she had grown strong with her mental powers. Eventually, she managed to escape with little knowledge of her past. She survived on the streets and developed the Mind Slayer identity to assist her in her ever larger crimes.

"We are in the process of escaping from the facility which had captured and experimented upon us," Black Mamba explained. "Obviously we have been caught in the clutches of Genocide." The very spoken word sent shudders down the backs of a couple of the present mutants.

"Look out! There's another one!". Spectrum had been the first to notice the newest Minuteman intruder. He had deposited Shadow Queen on the floor and raced towards the robot, firing energy beams as he went. The energy lit up and reflected off the Minuteman's armor, doing little damage. When Spectrum reached close range, he hesitated for a moment and then exploded in a tremendous burst of energy.

The dazzle blast was insignificant in its direct damage, but the sudden burst of intense light burnt out the optic sensors that allowed the Minuteman to 'see'. They were not equipped with other direct sensing devices. The robot was able to tell that mutants were present due to their unique DNA. It just could no longer pinpoint their exact location. The robot fired its energy beam wildly, causing even more damage to the devastated facility.

"Time to leave," Spectrum observed. He then scooped up Shadow Queen again and flew out of this room and down a large corridor. Icicle created an ice slide and slid after him. Meanwhile, Raccoon sped off in another direction, carrying Panda as he went. Black Mamba and Mind Slayer separated off and went yet another direction.

The trio of Spectrum, Icicle, and Shadow Queen flew past numerous corridors which each led to other damaged and destroyed labs. Dead and dying Genocide agents and technicians littered the facility.

"Two up and two down, eh, Bright Eyes?", Shadow Queen mused, while gazing at Spectrum. "These robots thingies don't seem so tough."

"Well, if you really want to stay..."

"I didn't mention a word about staying here," Shadow Queen countered. "But I do feel safe, as long as you're here to protect me."

"So, where have you been all my life?", Spectrum asked. The only answer he got though was a loud explosion that sent all three of the mutants scattering like marbles.

Spectrum shook his head and sat upright near a pile of debris and rubbed his shoulder. Another Minuteman Mark IV had arrived on the scene. "I didn't mean you, ugly!"

Nearby, Icicle regained her feet and slid away from the clutches of the robot. Shadow Queen was not as fast, as the huge fist descended towards her. Spectrum only had time to shout a warning before it smashed into her. The concussive force caused shock waves to ripple across the damaged floor. Loose rubble went flying through the air on impact.

"SHADOW!!" Spectrum was enraged at the sight. He raced forward again, intent on burning out the optical receptors of this Minuteman as well. His blast caught the robot full in the face. He paused for a moment to gauge the effectiveness of his attack and was promptly swatted from the air by the back of the massive robot's hand.

"Unit M-3 has suffered minimal optic damage from Target: Spectrum. Updating data banks to further minimize future effectiveness."

"Well goody for you, tin-britches," Spectrum countered. "So much for that maneuver." Spectrum was in the air again before the robot could follow-up its crude attack. Icicle discharged a shower of frozen projectiles that pelted the torso of the Minuteman like a horizontal hail storm.

Spectrum scanned the room for Shadow Queen's body, but couldn't see her anywhere. The force of the Minuteman's blow had ripped open a large hole in the floor leading down to a lower level. Spectrum surveyed the damaged room beneath him. It was difficult to determine just what this room was, as it had sustained devastating damage.

"How many of these damn things are there anyway?!", Icicle shouted as she slid out of the room. She stopped dead in her tracks as she entered the next room. Her jaw dropped and her eyes grew wide. Spectrum flew up behind her.

"You had to ask, didn't you?", he said.

Standing before the beleaguered pair were no less than six of the thirty foot tall robots. They each stared back menacingly. Then they fired.