Marauders (1st series) #23

Emma Frost lies in her bed, musing over the last few days. It should have been her biggest triumph with the Hellfire Gala and the terraforming of Mars, but then someone had to go and murder the Scarlet Witch at her party. Bad enough, but the Marauder is a total loss after it was attacked and the insurance company isn’t paying, because aliens were the last ones on board. The Krakoan medicines are temporarily on short supply, and she gets the feeling she should stay in bed.

Suddenly, she is being psychically contacted by Banshee, who is busy getting beaten by a Reaver. Banshee tears him apart with his sonic scream, then tells Emma a friend in the Irish constabulary called him in on this one.

More Reavers attack and he runs as he explains that the Hellfire production problems jacked the price of the medicines way up and the crooks have noticed.

He is hiding behind several crates and asks for the Marauders to back him up. While she informs the Marauders, he explains that, fifteen minutes ago, the warehouse that distributes Krakoan meds to Ireland was hit by several criminal gangs, who had the same idea at the same time. With the U.K. suddenly changing its mind on mutants, it’s chaos until things stabilize. A cop noticed and called him. He came in through a Krakoan gate and tried the friendly, sensible approach.

The Irish group explains that Shaw is not answering his burner phone. He owes them meds! And why is the Russian mob here? The Russian leader wants to know why the Krakoan meds he paid cash for two months ago haven’t arrived.

The Irish group display their weapons. Their leader states the Russians’ supply is still on a boat somewhere; this batch is gonna keep his nana alive!

Not giving a damn about his nana, the Russians attack and Sean tries to get out of the way. When an explosion can be heard outside, he figures the Marauders are coming. Instead, it’s the Reavers.

One of the Reavers throws a bomb down and warns the other gangs that, if they aren’t gone in thirty seconds, they will be dead!

Wide-eyed Sean passes on the intel. A moment later, a burst of dragon fire heralds the arrival of Lockheed, accompanied by Kate Pryde, Emma Frost, Tempo and Jumbo Carnation.

What’s this one gonna do? a Reaver grins, critique their clothes? Jumbo is furious, though, at their bombing a warehouse full of medicines. Angrily, he grabs one of the Reavers with apparent superstrength and throws him down, before kicking him.

Emma evacuates the humans from the warehouse and the neighborhood, while Tempo slows down the bomb’s countdown. She then warns she has some knowledge in explosives from her MLF days and they won’t be able to defuse this one. Emma asks Sean to give Tempo some room and he uses his sonic scream to tear open a wall and throw out a group of Reavers. The others follow.

Tempo tells Kate that she can slow the bomb down to a minute per second left on the timer. Kate tells her to holler when she is out of time. There’s only three seconds left.

On the ground, one Reaver tries to burn Jumbo, who stays unhurt thanks to his Teflon skin. Jumbo smirks and attacks. Emma, in the meantime, telepathically coerces the neighbors to evacuate the area but still has time to warn Kate of an attacking Reaver. Emma tells her the bomb is down to one second and asks her to get Tempo.

Tempo does her best to slow down the bomb. As a member of the Mutant Liberation Front, she was no stranger to bombing. She wonders if this is the universe’s balancing act.

Kate grabs her, instructs her to take a deep breath and lets the explosion phase through them. Kate tells her she should be a Marauder. If it always is like that, she figures no, Tempo replies.

Banshee gives chase to the Reaver’s chopper.

Emma, in the meantime, has gathered the Irish gangsters. She tells them they are lucky she doesn’t hit them with her lawyer, and adds meds will be here within days. She turns to the bearded guy and tells him she will make sure his nana is sorted, until they get meds. What does he say? Who does she want him to kill? he ventures. A simple ‘thank you’ will suffice, Emma announces.

Emma tells the team they need to redouble their security measures around the world. Bishop is in South America and Iceman is guarding their Asian facilities.

Emma contacts the Stepford Cuckoos. Seeing they are in London, she reminds them they are no longer welcome in the UK now and asks them to come back soon. They reply they are on their way. They are just helping a friend.

Three of them and Wilhelmina Kensington are in the bedroom of an elderly man. The Cuckoos wake him and he demands what Wilhelmina is doing here. Calmly, she asks her father if he ever wondered what happened to Mom. He didn’t have to, he replies. Here to confess?

Funny he should ask that, Wilhelmina snaps back. The Cuckoos reveal they know what he did to his daughter and now his neighbors know too. They know the truth and it will follow him for as long as he lives.

People from the neighboring apartments stare at them through the window. He begins to protest. Wilhelmina tells him to shush as he used to order her. The Cuckoos tell Wilhelmina goodbye.

As they leave and inform the other two Cuckoos, Wilhelmina’s father jumps out of the window. Their sisters warn them to stay out of the Hole.

A crowd gathers around the body and one man angrily asks if they are some of those muties. They telepathically order him to punch his teeth out, then head for the secret gate in the old London Hellfire Club.

Back in Madripoor, Wilhemina informs Kade Kilgore that she is leaving Verendi. When he refuses to let her go, she kicks him in the balls and walks off. She warns him not to give Verendi his entire life. Being mad at someone else’s success isn’t a life worth living. She is making her own way and suggests he do the same. Don’t contact her again!