[ One Day Earlier in the Mystic Wakandan jungle]
Shikaawa led the X-Men deeper into the Wakandan research facility, his flamboyant personality on full display as he regaled them with stories of the marvels that awaited them. He smiled charmingly at the group, but Storm couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off about him.
As they ventured deeper into the facility, they came to a hidden door, which Shikaawa opened with a flourish. "Behold, my mystic garden," he declared, leading the way inside.
Jubilee and Kurt gasped at the sight of the garden, which was filled with all manner of exotic plants and glowing crystals. Cyclops tried to keep them focused on the mission at hand, but even he couldn't help but be awed by the beauty of the place.
"Wow, this place is amazing," Kurt said, his eyes wide with wonder.
"It's more than just a garden," Shikaawa said mysteriously. "It holds ancient secrets and powerful magic."
Storm narrowed her eyes, feeling even more suspicious of Shikaawa's intentions. "What kind of magic?" she asked, trying to get more information.
Shikaawa simply smiled enigmatically. "You'll have to wait and see," he said, leading them towards a sparkling fountain in the center of the garden. "This fountain is particularly special. It's said to have healing powers beyond imagination."
Jubilee eagerly stepped forward, reaching out a hand to touch the water. "Really?" she asked, looking up at Shikaawa with wide eyes.
Shikaawa nodded, but Storm noticed that his smile was not genuine. It seemed like he was holding something back. Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine, and she knew that something was very wrong.
As they stood near the fountain, Shikaawa began to speak of the magical properties of the garden. Storm couldn't help but feel that there was something he wasn't telling them, something important.
"What is it that you're not telling us, Shikaawa?" Storm asked, her voice cold and accusatory.
Shikaawa's smile faltered for a moment before he quickly regained his composure. "Just that there are some things that are better left unsaid, my dear Storm," he replied smoothly.
But Storm was not satisfied with his answer. She could feel that danger was lurking just beneath the surface, waiting to pounce.
Suddenly, the fountain started to glow, and the water began to churn and bubble. Storm's suspicions were confirmed when Shikaawa activated the fountain and his plant golems began to surround them.
"We've been tricked!" Cyclops shouted, drawing his optic blast and aiming it at the golems.
Jubilee lit up her hands, ready to blast the golems with her fireworks, while Kurt teleported around them, dodging their attacks. Storm stood her ground, using her weather control to keep the golems at bay.
As they fought off the golems, Storm realized that Shikaawa had lured them here on purpose. He had a hidden agenda, and she had a feeling that it was not a good one. But what was he planning, and who was he working for? The answers would have to wait, for now, they had to fight their way out of this trap.The X-Men quickly sprung into action, with Storm summoning a fierce lightning storm to strike at Shikaawa and his plant golems. Jubilee blasted out streams of explosive plasma, while Nightcrawler teleported around the garden to strike at their foe from different angles. Cyclops let loose with his optic blast, hoping to hit Shikaawa, but the Wakandan mutant deftly dodged the beam.
Shikaawa's plant golems proved to be formidable opponents, with their tough bark-like skin and powerful vines that could whip around and entangle the X-Men. But the mutants fought back with all their might, determined to protect themselves and stop Shikaawa's mysterious plan.
As the battle raged on, Shikaawa continued to show off his plant manipulation abilities, causing vines to sprout up from the ground and ensnare the X-Men. "You should have stayed out of my way," he taunted them, his voice laced with a cruel edge.
Storm gritted her teeth as she tried to break free from the vines, "What is it that you're after, Shikaawa? Why go to all this trouble?"
Shikaawa only smiled enigmatically in response, "All will be revealed in time, my dear. For now, you are merely obstacles that I must overcome."
Jubilee shot back, "Sorry to disappoint, but we're not exactly the stepping-stone types."
Nightcrawler teleported behind one of the golems and attempted to strike a blow, but the plant creature swung around and slammed its thick arm into him, sending him flying.
Cyclops surveyed the battlefield, trying to come up with a plan. "We need to take out those golems, fast. Then we can focus on Shikaawa."
The X-Men redoubled their efforts, pushing themselves to the limit as they fought against the powerful plant golems. Storm summoned gusts of wind to try and knock them off-balance, while Jubilee used her explosive powers to try and blast them apart. Nightcrawler darted in and out of the fray, striking at weak points in the golems' tough exterior. Cyclops focused his optic blast on the golems, trying to overload their systems and bring them down.
Despite their efforts, Shikaawa maintained the upper hand, using his plant powers to shield himself and dodge their attacks. His golems proved to be much tougher than they looked, shrugging off most of the X-Men's attacks.
As the battle reached a fever pitch, Storm finally saw an opening. Using all her strength, she unleashed a massive bolt of lightning that struck one of the golems right in its weak spot, causing it to explode in a shower of plant matter. The other X-Men quickly followed suit, working together to take down the remaining golems.
Shikaawa looked on in shock and disbelief as his creations fell one by one. "This...this is impossible," he stammered.
Cyclops stepped forward, his optic blast trained on Shikaawa. "Your golems were tough, but they weren't invincible. Now it's your turn to surrender."
Shikaawa's eyes narrowed, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Surrender? Oh, I'm afraid that's not in my vocabulary, my dear Cyclops." With a wave of his hand, he caused the ground to erupt in a shower of vines, sending the X-Men flying in all directions.
As the dust settled, the X-Men struggled to get to their feet, bruised and battered from the intense battle. Shikaawa stood before them, his white hair wild and his eyes glowing with an eerie light.
"You should have stayed out of my way," he bellowed calling forth more of plant Golems from the ground
He watched with amusement as his plant golems overpowered the X-Men. Jubilee, Nightcrawler, and Cyclops fought valiantly, but they were no match for the powerful and relentless creatures. The golems had been specifically designed to counter the X-Men's unique abilities, leaving them struggling to keep up with the plant's attacks.
Jubilee's plasma blasts fizzled out harmlessly against the golems' tough exterior, while Nightcrawler's teleportation was rendered useless as the golems' vines and tendrils snagged him mid-jump. Cyclops's optic blasts, though powerful, seemed to only annoy the golems as they absorbed the energy without any damage.
"These beasts are much more powerful than the last ones as I'm sure you've noticed," Shikaawa watched with an air of superiority, his confidence growing with each passing moment. He knew he had the upper hand, and he savored the victory that was within his grasp.
Meanwhile, Storm summoned all her might and unleashed a furious lightning bolt towards Shikaawa. But the wily villain was not so easily defeated. He used his control over the plants to ground the lightning, directing it harmlessly into the ground while tendrils from his golems captured Storm simultaneously.
Shikaawa let out a mocking laugh as Storm struggled against the tendrils. "So much for the mighty 'goddess'," he sneered, referring to Storm's nickname. "You're nothing but a mere mortal, just like the rest of your team."
Storm gritted her teeth and tried to break free from the tendrils, but they held her tightly. Shikaawa approached her slowly, the purple collar around his neck glowing with an eerie light.
"You're too late, Storm," he said, his voice laced with malice. "My master's plan will come to fruition, and nothing can stop it now."
Storm struggled against her captors, but it was no use. The golems had her firmly in their grasp, and she was powerless to resist. Shikaawa approached her and delivered a swift blow to her head, knocking her out cold.
The X-Men lay unconscious on the ground, defeated by Shikaawa and his powerful plant golems. Shikaawa surveyed his handiwork with a smug grin, knowing that he had succeeded in his mission. He approached the fountain at the center of the garden, activating its power to create a dimensional water prison that would trap the X-Men in a purple liquid dome.
The fountain hummed with energy as the dome began to form, the X-Men's bodies suspended within it like insects trapped in amber. Shikaawa looked upon his captives with satisfaction, knowing that they would not be able to interfere with his master's plans.
But little did he know, the X-Men were not so easily defeated. Despite being trapped within the water prison, they were already working on a plan to escape and stop Shikaawa's master from carrying out their evil scheme.
As the liquid prison continued to trap the X-Men, Storm focused her mind, attempting to reach out to Professor Xavier through their telepathic connection. She gritted her teeth, concentrating with all her might. After a moment, she heard Xavier's voice in her mind.
"Storm, are you there? What happened? Where are the others?" Xavier's voice was laced with concern.
"We're trapped, Professor," Storm replied, her thoughts forming words in Xavier's mind. "It was a trap. We were lured into a mystical Wakandan garden, and then Shikaawa used his powers to knock us out and trap us in this liquid prison."
"Shikaawa?" Xavier repeated, his tone wary. "Why would the Wakandans betray us?"
"I don't think it was the Wakandans, Professor," Storm replied. "There's no logical reason for such betrayal, it is possible that an another entity inside Wakanda wants Shay for his unique abilities no one else besides us and the scientists here would had the access or time to have gathered any data on Shay in such a short time it's improbable to have up come with a plan as complex and multifaceted as this."
Xavier was silent for a moment, contemplating Storm's words. "So you're suggesting that an outside group is responsible for this?" he asked.
"Yes," Storm confirmed. "I recall seeing a purple collar with a golden jaguar head in its center on Shikaawa. It seemed familiar, but I can't quite place it."
Xavier's voice was thoughtful. "It's possible that this group is after Shay for his mutant thats true, an ability nullification power would be quite dangerous if used by the wrong hands," he said. "But you're right, Storm. It's too early for anyone outside of us and the scientists who have directly been in contact with Shay to have gathered reliable data on him. This plan was too complex to have been developed so quickly."
Storm nodded, even though Xavier couldn't see her. "Exactly. We need to consider all possibilities. But for now, we need to focus on getting out of here."
Xavier concurred. "I'll do what I can from here, but I'll need you to remain strong, Storm. Keep your mind focused and keep me updated on your situation."
Storm nodded again, and they broke their connection. She turned to the others, who were starting to come to, and focused her energy on communicating with them telepathically. She explained the situation and urged them to remain calm and focused.
They nodded their understanding, and together they started to strategize on how they could escape the liquid prison and discover the truth behind their mysterious captors.