Author's Note: Hey there, guys and girls! Surprised to see another update so soon? Lol! Same thing as usual, bold text for emphasis, italics for thoughts and telepathic communication (depending on context).
Thanks to everyone who emailed in, Instant Messaged me or posted on the group! Your reviews encourage me to right.
To anyone not reading this on my Yahoo group and wishes to join, the address is:
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I can be contacted via email at adriananderson587@gmail.com. Drop me a line and tell me what you think. Note, feel free to criticize as well. Constructive criticism helps one improve!
BIG DEDICATION!
To my Mom who discovered this story by accident, read it, loved it and is now my number one fan! Now, if we can only find some way to convert Dad, lolol!
>-(^_^)-<
Phoenix: Death
Wish Chapter Eleven
Part One
“Look out!” Ororo yelled, as she summoned up a
gust of wind to blow Logan and John out of harm’s way.
The segment of wall next to them had shimmered, then exploded,
sending out sizeable chunks of debris that could have caused
serious blunt force trauma had they connected with their targets.
Logan landed gracefully on his feet and John hovered into the
air to join Ororo. All three took in the sight before them. Going
on looks alone, it was nothing short of a monstrosity. Standing
in the now warped doorway was what looked to be a bulky, humanoid
mass of orange plasma. Yellow crackles of energy sparked across
the body and nearby objects began to lose cohesion, dispersing
like water droplets on a newly waxed floor.
“We don’t wanna hurt you, kid,” Logan said
warningly, “why don’t we all just calm down and when
Moira gets here we can all have a nice long talk about it?”
John’s eyebrows perked up in mild surprise at Logan’s
non-confrontational stance. The ‘kid’ wasn’t
impressed or cooperative. The figure extended its palm in their
direction, the crackles of energy sluicing over its body becoming
more intense.
“Uh oh,” Logan muttered, taking a couple steps
back and falling onto his rear as the floor all but liquefied
behind him.
Ororo swooped down to lift him out of his predicament but was
promptly knocked aside by a column that extended itself from the
floor. She fell to the ground on the opposite side of the room,
slightly dazed. Hand-shaped appendages erupted from the wall
behind her and locked her in a tight, unforgiving embrace. She
struggled, tried to sear them off with lightning, attempted to
freeze them into shattered fragments…all to no avail.
A stream of swear words erupted from Logan as he also tried in
vain to escape, now chest deep in the ‘floor puddle’.
Without any traction he wasn’t having much luck.
John had been using the time in order to try and probe the
kid’s mind but was making no real progress. Small wonder at
that. As a reality warper, the boy’s mind didn’t
exactly have what could be considered a ‘normal’
architecture. It would take time to decipher his mental workings.
Time they did not have to spare at the moment.
“Okay, he’s not gonna cooperate,” Logan
said, exasperatedly trying to frog leap out of the puddle. “He
might not even be in his right mind. Take him down, John.”
John wondered why it was that he hadn't been attacked up to
that point. Then it struck him that maybe the boy didn’t
want to hurt what looked to him like a five year old kid…which
would mean he probably was in his right mind. Come
to think of it, neither Ororo nor Logan had been hurt –
yet.
Just because he looks like a monster
doesn’t mean he’s thinking as
one, John said to them both mentally. He’s not
attacking me. Maybe it’s because I haven’t attacked
him, or maybe he doesn’t want to hurt a kid…either
way, he’s not behaving like someone who –
Before John could finish, the sound of running footsteps was
heard and it was getting closer. Someone was in the corridor
outside.
“Don’t make me do this, Kevin,” a man’s
voice could be heard, all but pleading with the boy. “Your
mother just wants what’s best for you. It’s dangerous
for you to be outside as long as you have.”
Kevin turned around, let out a low pitched roar and rushed out
of the room and into the corridor. There was a yell from the man
and a blinding flash of light. Another roar could be heard and
then Kevin could be seen running down the corridor in the
opposite direction.
With him gone the reality warping in the immediate vicinity
reversed itself automatically and Logan and Ororo struggled to
their feet. John landed next to them, just in time to see the
newcomer entering the room.
“Forge,” Ororo, said in relief, running up to hug
him. “Thank goodness you came when you did.”
Logan rolled his eyes at the sight, clearly not enjoying it
(as much as Forge seemed to be). Small wonder, since Ororo and
Forge once had a little thing going on between them. Presently
they broke off the hugging and Logan breathed easier.
So this is Forge, John thought to himself, scrutinizing
the long haired, Native American Indian man with the metallic
left leg before them. In his right hand there appeared to be some
kind of gun.
“You shot him?” John asked, incredulously.
Forge squinted and looked at him. “You’re Summers’
kid I take it?”
“Yeah,” John said coolly. “How could you
shoot him?”
“It’s not what you think, I only –”Forge
tried to explain.
John rolled his eyes. “Oh, really? I don’t think
he was trying to hurt us.”
Forge held up his hands for silence. “This is not a GUN
per se…not so much as it is a neutralizer. It’s just
meant to temporarily suppress his mutation. Or rather it’s
supposed to. Doesn’t seem to be working near
as effectively anymore. He might have developed a resistance to
it.”
John blushed a little. “Oh,” he said in a small
voice, embarrassed at having jumped to conclusions (even though
they seemed quite obvious). “Still, he ran away. He didn’t
stay to fight.”
Ororo nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, you must have
frightened him off, Forge.”
“So we got one scared and pissed off teenager running
about a facility on lockdown filled with civilians,” Logan
griped, letting out an irritated breath. “Just great.”
Forge tapped a small panel on the gauntlet he wore on his left
arm. It slid back to reveal a small glowing screen. “Hmm,
looks like most of the staff and patients have been quarantined.
There doesn’t appear to have been any casualties thus far.”
Logan turned to John, expectation in his eyes. “So, can
you track him?”
John shook his head, sorry to disappoint his former mentor.
“No. The only time I sensed anything recognizable from him
was when he was locked up…when he was actively projecting
emotions out of his mind. Trying to get INTO his mind…is
the problem. I can’t seem to…um, find the right
door.”
Forge didn’t look surprised. “He’s a reality
warper. And as you’ve seen, he’s a very high level
one. His mind isn’t typical in the least.”
Ororo’s expression grew concerned. “Forge, you
said something just now. Something about it not being safe for
him to be out so long? What did you mean by that?”
Forge’s expression became cagey at that. “I’m
not really at liberty to discuss that with you.”
Logan’s fist slammed into a wall, leaving a nice crack.
“Look, bub, we’re locked down inside this joint
because you couldn’t keep that kid contained. The least you
owe us is an explanation.”
“Forge, surely you can give us a general idea of what
we're dealing with,” Ororo prodded.
Logan disagreed. “Forget general. I want specifics.”
“I’m sorry, guys. I really am.” Forge took a
step backwards. “But I just don’t have the authority
to rely that information. You have your superiors, I have mine.”
At that Forge tapped his gauntlet and vanished in a flash of
emerald light.
“What the hell?” John muttered, running up to
where Forge once stood. He waved his little arms about trying to
see if Forge was still present but invisible. Just as he was
about to perform a mental scan, Ororo spoke up.
“Some sort of teleportation technology,” Ororo
said with a scoff, obviously upset that her request for
information was turned down. “Forge and his gadgets.”
Logan turned and walked out the doorway. “Come on. Moira
runs this place. If anyone has the authority to
tell us anything, it’s gonna be her. She better not give us
the runaround.”
John extended his psychic awareness and pinpointed Moira’s
location. “I found her. You guys better follow me.”
So saying, John led the way…
“You just let him run off?” Scott asked his
brother heatedly.
Scott, Alex and Lorna were currently conducting a sector by
sector search for the missing mutant teen. So far news hadn't
spread to the security staff that Scott was the one responsible
for the boy’s escape, which could only mean that the two
guards he’d knocked out were still down for the count –
thankfully.
Alex stared at his brother belligerently. “I didn’t
let him run off. He made his escape before any of
us knew what was what. He’s stubborn.”
Scott rolled his eyes (not that they could see it). “So
what you’re saying is you couldn’t control a five
year old kid?”
“That’s not fair,” Alex said exasperatedly.
“He’s a five year old kid who could probably level
the subbasement if he got ticked off enough. I was NOT willing to
risk having him throw a temper tantrum. Not with the amount of
ice cream and surgar he had in him anyway.”
“You know he wouldn't use his powers on you guys that
way,” Scott replied.
It was Alex's turn to roll his eyes. “Not
intentionally.”
“The
Professor said he's in fully control,” Scott insisted.
“It's not Alex's fault.” Lorna decided to stand up
for her man. “Besides, John made some good arguments. Even
Logan said so. Logan didn’t seem to have a problem taking
him along.”
Alex nodded. “Uh huh.”
Scott’s look darkened as he turned to face his brother.
“Yeah, I’ll have to have a talk with Logan about
that. Just where does he get off –”
“Scott! Alex!” Lorna exclaimed, cutting him off
and grabbing both his arm and his brother’s.
All three took a few paces backwards. Segments of the walls,
floor and ceiling before them appeared to shimmer and then melt.
The fluid material coalesced into a orb that swiftly grew in
size, filling the corridor. Then it solidified and fell to the
floor with a heavy, metallic clang. It promptly began to roll
towards their position.
Lorna’s eyes flashed green as she activated her powers.
Her attempts to magnetically push the metal sphere back met with
abject failure. “No good,” she said, with a grunt. “I
can’t stop it.”
Scott set his optic blast to full power while Alex charged up
a full strength plasma bolt. Both let loose at the same time.
Upon being subjected to such a powerful combined attack, the orb
shattered.
“Booyah!” Alex yell, pumping his fist in the air.
“I guess we know what his power is now,” Scott
said.
In the midst of them breathing a collective sigh of relief the
shattered fragments re-liquefied and reformed the orb once more.
It began to roll again – faster this time.
Lorna’s eyes widened. “Guys, I think we should…”
“Yeah,” Scott said, leading the retreat.
As they turned round the corner they were met with another
unpleasant surprise.
“Fuck! Another one?!” Alex exclaimed, getting
ready to charge another plasma bolt.
Scott stopped him. “What’s the use? He’ll
just reform it. This way.”
They ran out of the corridor and into a side room. There was a
loud crash outside as the two balls collided with enough force to
shake the ground and nearly toppled them off their feet.
“That was close,” Lorna said, a tad bit
breathlessly.
Unfortunately for them, they didn’t realize that it
wasn’t Kevin’s intent to smash them to a bloody
paste. He was merely trying to herd them into that selfsame
room…and then trap them.
“Oh no,” Scott whispered as he realized this too
late.
Before them there no longer stood a door. It was just wall.
For a moment the fluorescent lights went out. Then came back on –
a light blue this time.
Scott blinked then slowly reached for his visor. To Lorna and
Alex’s shock he removed it.
“Shit,” Alex swore, upon realizing that he could
not generate a plasma bolt.
Lorna too soon realized she too was powerless. It was then
that she noticed the figures painted on the floor just in front
of where the door once was.
“C-27,” Lorna said in frustration. “He just
trapped us in what used to be HIS prison.”
“We must be in some kind of mutagenic dampening field,”
Scott said knowledgeably.
“A what?” Alex asked.
Scott explained it to them quickly. “The technology was
based upon research conducted here on psychics. It affects the
unique brainwaves and neural activity of mutants. It’s
specifically geared to those regions of the brain that deal with
the activation of mutant powers. For some time now Hank’s
been trying to develop a manacle based on it that can suppress
mutant powers without the need for continuous drug
administration, but no luck. Forge was helping him…”
Alex’s look darkened. “Forge? Moira's right hand
man?”
Scott nodded. “It looks like Forge was further along
than we expected. This must be what they used to keep him
contained.”
“Cell phone's still not working.” Alex sighed and
leaned on the wall for support. “Well, looks like we’re
trapped here for now.”
“I’m sure Logan and Ororo will come for us
eventually,” Lorna said with confidence (that she hoped
wasn’t misplaced – she had just seen the
leader of the X-men outwitted by a mere teen after all). “Hey,
at least you’re free of the visor for a while, huh, Scott.
Ooh, let’s see what color your eyes are.”
Alex smiled a little. “Hey, yeah. You can be free of the
visor for a little while. Look on the bright side.”
Frowning, Scott turned away. “Hard to look on the bright
side when you’re blind.”
Lorna and Alex quickly rushed over to him.
“What?” Alex asked, turning him around and gazing
into his brother’s unseeing eyes.
“I can’t see,” Scott replied, spelling it
out plainly. “My powers are tied to my sight. Affecting one
affects the other. Why do you think I never had the Professor
telepathically lockdown my powers or used suppressor drugs on
occasion?”
Alex looked dumbfounded. “I always thought it was
because you were so serious about your job as an X-man. That you
didn’t want to be caught off guard in case emergencies came
up.”
“Emergencies were forever coming up,” Lorna added.
Scott sighed. “Well, now you know. It’s either I
deal with the visor, seeing the world in shades of red and
headaches whenever I have power overloads or live my life in
complete darkness.”
“Oh, Scott…” Lorna trailed off, not quite
sure what to say.
“Try not to think about it. That’s what I do,”
Scott told her, putting on a brave face. He decided not to tell
them the worst bit – that having his powers active 24/7,
365 days a year carried with it the risk of permanent,
irreversible blindness due to gradual lens damage. “Alex,
keep trying the cell phone. Lorna, I need you to be my eyes.”
Both of them nodded, determined not to let Scott down now that
he actually had a genuine need of them and wasn’t humoring
their attempts to help…
“Moira, open this door! Now!” Logan shouted as he
banged on the sealed door before him.
Ororo glanced at John. “Are you absolutely sure
she’s in there?”
John nodded. “Positive. And she is not alone. She has
twelve people in there with her. I’m guessing they’re
part of the security squad.”
“Moira so help me…” Logan trailed off,
giving the woman to a mental count of ten to open the double
doors. He only reached five before he popped his claws and began
slashing at the offending panels. “Dammit!” he
shouted upon realizing that the doors were heavy duty. His claws
had made some deep slash marks but it would take a lot more
muscle to break them down.
Ororo’s patience was at an end. “Stand aside,”
she commanded, eyes turning white. John and Logan complied,
noticing the sudden chill in the air. A freezing gale began to
pick up, buffeting the metal panels and gradually increasing in
force until the doors were coated in a thick layer of ice. Ororo
stepped out of the way and the winds promptly ceased. “John,
if you would be so kind.”
“No problem.” John stretched his hand towards the
weakened doors and let loose a telekinetic punch that shattered
them into metal shards.
The three of them walked inside the security center to find
twelve laser guided rifles aimed at their heads. Instinctively,
John erected a telekinetic shield.
Moira shook her head. “Stand down,” she ordered
them.
The rifles were lowered, as was John's shield.
“You got some explaining to do, lady,” Logan said,
not wasting any time.
Ororo backed him up one hundred percent. “Start
talking.”
Moira whispered something to the nearest of the security
personnel and within moments they all began walking outside and
into the corridor, leaving her to speak with the X-men in
privacy.
“We wanna know everything about this kid,” Logan
demanded. “And where the hell are his parents? Have you
contacted them yet?”
“Maybe they can talk him into behaving,” Ororo
suggested.
To Logan and Ororo’s surprise Moira burst into tears.
John wasn’t as shocked as they were, having sensed the
emotional turmoil emanating from her when he entered the room.
Logan, feeling as useless as he always did when emotions were
involved, looked to Ororo for some help.
“Uh, Moira, we’re sorry about being so forceful,”
Ororo began. “We, of course don’t mean you any harm
or –”
John raised his hand, silencing Ororo. “That’s not
it,” he said, walking up to the still crying Moira. “He’s
your son, isn’t he?” John asked her, having detected
the stray thought that slipped from her moments before.
Logan looked bewildered. “Her son?”
Finally, Moira was able to get a hold of her emotions
somewhat.
“Yes,” she said finally. “Kevin is my son.
Kevin Mactaggert.”
That Moira had a child was news to Logan and Ororo.
“Kevin isn’t a teenager,” Moira went on to
inform them. “He’s twenty five years old. I kept him
hidden away here at Muir Island.”
Logan growled low in his throat. “Locked away you mean.”
“For his own good,” Moira insisted. “When
Kevin’s mutation manifested, his father left us. Our
marriage was already on shaky ground, and a mutant for a son
didn’t fit in well with his political aspirations.”
Moira took a few moments to wipe her eyes. “I never told
him his father didn’t want him. He always blamed me for the
divorce. I didn’t want him to know that his father hated
who he was…so I let him believe that I was the one
standing between them.”
“That musta been a real tough call to make,” Logan
said, with uncharacteristic empathy.
Moira nodded. “He had enough to handle without knowing
his father’s true feelings for him. Over the years his
bitterness grew. He became harder and harder to control.”
“He’s no longer a child, Moira,” Ororo said.
“He’s a man now.”
“You said it was for his own good,” John
interjected. “Forge said Kevin’s in danger by being
outside?”
“Kevin’s mutation allows him to alter reality
within a certain radius,” Moira explained. “He’s
incredibly powerful…too powerful in fact. If
unchecked his powers have the potential to burn out his body. We
kept him in a special sector that was enshrouded in a mutant
repressor field. While it didn’t totally shut down his
powers, it kept his form human and his abilities manageable.”
Ororo’s eyes widened. “We ran into him earlier.
His form was anything but human in appearance.”
Moira shook her head despondently. “That’s what
happens when he’s outside of the field. His body becomes
encased in a sort of reality warping aura. It also serves as a
protective sheath, repelling many forms of attack and scrambling
various forms of energy in the area. The longer he’s in
that form, the quicker his body begins to degenerate.”
“That could explain why the cell phones aren't working,”
John said thoughtfully. “His energy emissions must be
jamming them.”
“Precisely,” Moira said. “If unchecked,
eventually, his entire form will become completely energy
based in nature. I'm not sure if he would be able to return to a
normal physical form after that. It's possible that without a
vessel to contain his energy, Kevin may lose cohesion, resulting
in irreversible dissolution of his being...death.”
Logan was confused. “What I don’t get is why he
hasn’t busted out by now. We've seen what he can do.”
Moira had news for them. “In the event of a breakout,
the outside of the facility is bathed in a dual force field that
incorporates the mutant repressor technology. The force field
extends underground, completely surrounding the entire complex.
He can’t set foot outside of the facility’s borders
while it’s active – and he knows this.”
“A force field that size?” Ororo asked in
amazement. “Wherever do you get the power from?”
Moira looked guiltily away. “We have a small nuclear
reactor located under the main facility. Keeping Kevin’s
living quarters perpetually encased in its dampening field uses a
lot of energy. I had no choice but to have one secretly built.”
Bit by bit the pieces fell into place.
“Keeping the force field active outside around the
entire facility is seriously draining power though,” Moira
said worriedly. “Eventually we won’t be able to
sustain it any longer and Kevin will make his
escape.”
Logan finally understood. “So that’s what he’s
doing. He just running around evading capture, waiting for the
power to fail so he can break out of here.”
Moira confirmed it. “Yes. He wants to see his father,”
she explained. “Kevin is very temperamental. He honestly
thinks his father wants him and that I’m the problem. If he
finds out the truth there’s no telling how he might
react…the damage his powers may do.”
“Moira, don't you guys have surveillance equipment?”
John asked. “Can't you monitor and track him down using the
cameras and stuff?”
She shook her head despondently. “Most of the cameras
are down. He's destroyed them.”
Ororo quickly returned into leadership mode. “Alright,
how much time do we have before the power runs out?”
Moira looked grave. “Just under an hour.”
“Then we better haul ass,” Logan replied. “John,
I think it's time you got in touch with your father.”
“Just one thing,” Moira added quickly. “Forge
tells me the pulse neutralizer no longer works on Kevin. We need
to trap him in an area that under continuous dampening.
Understand? Forge has rigged up the hall leading to the back
exit. If you could lure him or force him there somehow, we could
trap him. I'll be in the central command center if you need me.”
“Got it,” Logan responded, motioning to Ororo and
John to follow him.
“There's no door. At least there isn't one anymore,”
John said, stepping back from where the door to sector C-27 once
stood. “But they're in there alright.”
Logan scoffed. The idea of a mere piece of wall standing in
their way...
“Well, considering what you did to the Danger Room I
don't think this wall stands much of a chance,” Logan
pronounced. “Let her rip.”
John smiled and cracked his fingers, glad for getting
permission to really cut loose. “You got it.”
Ororo stopped him before he had the chance. “Hold it.
Moira said that Kevin had the power to alter reality in a certain
radius around himself.”
“Yeah, and?” Logan asked, clearly getting
impatient.
Rolling her eyes Ororo thought that her point would have been
obvious. “He obviously removed the
door. And it hasn't reappeared yet. He may still be nearby.
Making a big commotion and breaking down the wall may bring him
here, precipitating a fight before we even get the others out of
there. We need to be as quiet and as subtle as we possibly can.”
John
pouted, causing Ororo to smile regardless of the circumstances.
“I don't know how to break them out of there without making
a big commotion,”
John said with a frown. “Any ideas?”
Ororo,
in fact, had one. “Scan the complex, locate Forge and
contact him. We can have him teleport
them
out of there with that gizmo he used to get away from us
earlier.”
Logan and John
both blushed at the same time, both clearly embarrassed at not
having thought of that. It was a simple matter to locate Forge
and relay the message. Within two minutes Scott, Lorna, Alex and
Forge had joined them in the corridor.
“If
that's all,” Forge said, tapping his gauntlet, “I
need to get back to the command center.” He promptly
vanished from sight.
“The
trick is forcing him to the back entrance,” Ororo explained
to Scott and company, informing them of Moira's plan. “The
damage that Kevin has done so far is for the most part
reversible. That's not the case with our powers.” Ororo
herself would be somewhat limited being in a confined
environment. “We don't want to wreck the entire
complex...there are too many civilians locked inside.”
Scott was in
agreement. “I, um, actually have a little confession to
make.”
Logan's
eyebrow perked up. “Eh?”
With a look of
terrible guilt on his face, Scott explained his part in Kevin's
escape.
“Crap,”
Alex said, but with a semi-smirk on his face. It disappeared
quickly upon his being slapped by Lorna. “You...you hacked
into their system and did that...oh, surely not you,
Scott.”
Scott reddened
a little. “Well, John was convinced Moira was hiding
something...and I was too. And it needed to be investigated so I
tried to pull up some information.”
John looked at
his father with pride, glad that his opinions were finally being
taken with some seriousness. In the past he was reasonably sure
that Scott would have written off any concerns that he'd had.
“So,
back to our problem,” Scott said, drawing attention away
from himself, “open confrontation is to be avoided. We
might have to engage in a little bit of trickery.”
“You
thought of something?” Ororo encouraged.
Scott opened
his mouth to say something, then closed it. “Working on
it.”
John raised
his hand. They ignored him (mostly because they didn't see, with
him being so small). “I have an idea!” John said
excitedly.
Scott nodded.
“Yeah, me too. It involves getting you somewhere safe. Come
on.”
John took a
few steps back. “Look, just hear me out first.”
Scott let out
a mildly exasperated sigh. The he remembered that John had shown
some ingenuity in getting himself, Tessa and Emma back home and
away from Magneto's base in the Rockies. It couldn't hurt to
listen. “Oh, alright. What's your idea?”
John smiled.
It was simplicity in itself.
“Have
Moira and them shut down the power supply for the inside of the
complex,” John explained. “Trick Kevin into thinking
that the power has finally run out and that he can make his
escape. They can shut down the forcefield operating outside too.
And without power to keep the doors locked tight – well, to
make it look like
that anyway, Moira can have them opened.”
Logan saw what
he was getting at. “So, Kevin sees the place go dark and
the doors opening and makes a dash for it.”
John nodded.
“Yeah. Moira said that the surveillance equipment inside
was mostly fried. But the cameras outside should be fine. They
can use those to see when and where Kevin makes his exit...and
then -”
“Switch
on the repressor force field,” Scott said, smirking at the
cunning of the plan.
“And
shut the doors again so he can't run back inside for protection,”
John added. “Then while he's trapped outside and powerless
they can converge on him and knock him out with a sedative or
something. Hell, if we get lucky he might even try to use the
back exit and then we can turn on the repressor field there and
catch him before he even sets foot outside the facility.”
Lorna clapped
dramatically. “Absolutely brilliant.”
“Aw,
our little tactician,” Alex said mockingly, but with real
pride.
John bowed and
accepted the compliments.
“He
gets that from me,” Scott joked, patting his son's head (to
John's irritation). “Alright, let's go tell Moira.”
“Nice
plan,” Forge said, looking suitably impressed. “But
Moira's left the command center and we haven't been able to find
her.”
“What
do you mean you can't find her?” Logan asked Forge irately.
The techno
whiz shrugged his shoulders. “The communications systems
are down and most of the indoor cameras as well.”
“Why
would she just leave the command center?” Ororo asked, a
little miffed at Moira being so careless at a time like that.
Forge
explained that Moira, growing more desperate at seeing their time
running out, had left to go scour the various sectors on her own.
She had hoped that she could somehow reach Kevin and talk him
into coming back.
Logan rolled
his eyes. “That boy's not coming back,” he said.
“What was she thinking?”
Lorna's look
softened. “She was thinking that her son runs the risk of
dying and that she couldn't just sit by and let it happen. She's
a mother, Logan.”
“I
doubt he'd attack his mom,” Forge said, thankful for small
blessings. “So at least she's reasonably safe.”
Logan had his
doubts about that. Moira, was the one responsible for his
confinement, after all. She was the one who he blamed for the
departure of his father. Forge sounded as if he was engaging in
some wishful thinking. “If that's the case then why the
hell can't John find her?”
John was in
fact currently engaged in scanning the facility telepathically.
“She might be unconscious or something,” John said,
uncertainly. “I was able to sense the
Brotherhood and the MALE even after I knocked them out...but that
was right when this boost was at its strongest. I may have lost
that ability...the boost is wearing off bit by bit
you know.”
“She's
under a lotta stress,” Alex interjected. “What if she
like, fainted or something?”
“Possible,”
Logan admitted. Moira was past fifty, worried to no end, pacing
up and down the complex apparently. She might have temporarily
burnt her energy out. Then again it was possible that Kevin had
acted out in violence against her. It was even possible that
Moira may have tried to lure Kevin to the back exit, he figured
it out and then turned on her.
A short
distance away Scott slammed his fists on the console. “She's
nowhere to be found. At least not in the sectors still under
surveillance.”
A collective
sigh of disappointment arose as the sliding doors opened. The
security squad had returned from their (grossly undermanned)
search of the facility. No one had seen Moira or found anyone who
could direct them to her.
John finally
decided to call it quits. “She might be unconscious or
something,” he said. “I can't locate her anywhere.”
Forge turned
to the security personnel. “Keep trying. The facility’s
on lockdown. She's somewhere inside here. Find her,
get to it!”
The men
hurriedly left the room again, the double doors sealing shut
after their departure. At that moment the lights went out then on
again, then finally they dimmed. The monitors all went dark
except for the large display unit on the wall. There was a
countdown on it.
“Looks
like we're finally outta juice,” Logan grumbled.
“Power
core shutdown protocol initiated,” a computerized voice
declared, proving Logan wrong. The power hadn't run out. Someone
had launched the
shutdown sequence.
Forge ran to
the console and knocked Scott aside. “Computer, who
authorized this procedure.”
“Authorization
granted by...Dr. Moira Mactaggert.”
Forge's jaw
dropped. “Impossible.”
Scott's face
darkened. “How can she issue orders when she's unconscious
or possibly worse?”
Logan supplied
the answer. “Not she. He can if he
threatened her, or forced her to give him the authorization codes
somehow.” He turned to Forge. “Well, override the
damn thing.”
Forge was in
fact pounding away at the console. “I can't. Moira's
authorization codes have the ultimate priority. It's hard coded
into the systems. I'm...I'm locked out!”
“Core
shutdown in 5...4...3...,” the computer announced...
“Anyone
got a...”
There was an
audible click as Logan flicked his cigarette lighter.
“...light?”
Scott finished.
“What
are you still doing with that?” Ororo gave Logan a pointed
look. “I thought you quit.”
“It's
a work in progress, babe,” Logan replied. “Besides,
it has...sentimental value.”
Forge's
gauntlet slid open to reveal a powerful electric torch
attachment.
“Well
aren't you handy,” John murmured. He began to channel
psychic energy directly into his aura, which took on its now
characteristic golden glow. It had a powerful illuminating
effect, lighting up much of the command center.
“You
all try and locate Moira,” Forge suggested as he slid open
a panel on the floor beneath the main console. “I'll work
on trying to reboot the computer and restore the power. You'll
have to blow the door open. The doors leading outside the
facility unlock without power from the core to keep the
electromagnetic locking mechanism engaged...but these doors have
their own reserve power. It's a security feature. They won't open
until they get a command from the main computer.”
“Can't
you just teleport us outside with your little gadget there?”
Logan asked Forge, curiously.
Forge shook
his head in the negative. “The gauntlet itself is not the
teleportation device. It merely serves as a remote control for
the actual device that's in my lab. The teleporter draws its
energy from the power core and with it down -”
“We
understand,” Ororo interjected.
Scott turned
and was about to fire upon the double doors. John stopped him.
“Wait!”
John shouted, causing all present to jump. He scanned the
corridor outside. “We wouldn't want to blow the door down
when someone could be right outside.”
Everyone was
agreeable and a little embarrassed that it had slipped their
minds.
“It's
clear,” John informed them. He looked a bit sheepish before
asking, “Um, can...can I do it? Please?”
Ororo frowned,
not liking John's seeming lack of maturity. “Now is not the
time for –”
“Oh
come on,” John replied insistently. “I feel like I'm
in a Ferrari and being made to drive at the speed limit.”
Scott couldn't
really say no to a pouting 'little kid'. “Why not?”
John smiled
and stepped forward. “Here goes...” The panel on the
wall next to the double doors shattered and showered the ground
with a torrent of sparks. “Now for the wiring...”
John mumbled, tearing apart the wires supplying power to the
locking mechanism. Finally, he forced the two double doors apart.
They slid open revealing the darkened corridor.
“But...I
thought...” Ororo trailed off, looking a tad bit surprised.
“What?
That I'd break it to pieces?” John smirked. “I
assumed they might want to make use of this maximum security door
again sometime. I thought I'd spare them the expense.”
“Good
thinking,” Scott praised before leading the charge outside.
“Alright, let's move out!”
They'd
scarcely been searching for ten minutes before the lights in the
corridors came back online. Forge must have been able to
successfully reboot the computer and restart the core, they
surmised.
“Guys,”
a voice blared over the intercom. “Get outside, now.
There's an exit to your right, just down the corridor. I'll meet
you there. External cameras located Moira.”
Scott looked
at the ceiling, obviously confused. Hadn't Forge said all
communications systems were down? That Kevin's energy emissions
were scrambling the technology in the area? Unless...could that
mean that Kevin WAS no longer in the vicinity? Had he managed to
make his escape in the short time during which the facility had
no power?
Without
wasting anymore time, they complied with Forge's request. Sure
enough when they exited the building they could see Moira's form
standing outside on the tarmac. In a flash of green light Forge
teleported next to them.
“She's
just standing there,” Lorna said, worry seeping into her
tone.
Indeed, Moira
was standing still, staring up at the sky like a broken woman.
“Come
on,” Forge said, urging them forwards. “Let's go see
if she can give us some answers as to where Kevin went.”
John stood
behind the adults, a perplexed look on his face. There was Moira,
standing before them all on her own power. Therefore she had to
be conscious. Logically, her mental state should be anything but
stable at the moment. So why was he still not able to sense her
telepathically?
“Moira,”
Forged began before being cut off.
“I
had no idea,” Moira said in a shaky voice. She turned
around to face them all, tears running down her face.
Ororo stepped forward, ready to offer kind support and empathy.
“It isn't your fault, Moira. You tried to do what was best
for him.”
Moira smiled weakly. “I know,” she said, eyes
suddenly flashing a violent shade of orange. “I know she
did. But he...he has to pay!”
“The
hell...” Scott trailed off, not quite liking the sound (and
sight) of that. “She
did?”
Everyone gasped as Moira levitated into the air above them.
“Oh
my God!” Alex's jaw dropped. “I thought she was
human.”
John stepped
forward, realization suddenly dawning on his face. “Well, I
guess now we know why I couldn't sense her.”
“He's
inside her,” Logan said, eyes widening.
'Moira's' face
had since become a mask of rage.
“Kevin
–” Ororo began.
Logan silenced
her. “The time for talk is over, Ororo.”
“Damn
right.” Forge nodded. “His form must have become
completely energy based. If he stays in Moira too long there's no
telling what the repercussions on her body will be.”
Without any
warning Kevin jetted off at high speed, soaring over the sea.
Ororo
immediately gave chase. Lorna joined her. Before anyone could
stop him, John took off after them, ignoring calls for him to
return.
“Give
him a chance,” Logan told Scott as they entered the Hawk
and started powering up. “Looks aside, he's not a kid
anymore. You gotta let him grow at his own pace.”
Scott was used
to hearing Logan say that about the students for years. A part of
him even agreed. But things were always different when it was
your kid. On this occasion however, Scott relented. John's
amplified powers might come in useful.
“Alex,
you contact the school,” Scott ordered his brother. “Notify
the Professor of what's happening.”
“On
it!”
Logan joined
Scott at the cockpit. “No doubt he's going after his old
man,” Logan pronounced, quickly explaining everything that
Moira had told them. “He said he had to pay.”
Scott got
Forge on screen. “We need to know the whereabouts of his
father.”
“Joseph
Mactaggert,” Forge informed them, “is a high ranking
politician. I'm sending coordinates to his residence now. He's
likely to have a full contingent of security.”
Logan scoffed.
“That won't stop him. Might not even slow him down.”
Forge nodded.
“Of course it won't. I'm just letting you know the casualty
potential. Aside from the security staff there's bound to be
domestic help and the like about the place. Too many people are
at risk. I'll contact them and try to have them evacuate and get
Joseph into hiding.”
“Good
idea,” Scott concurred, launching the Hawk off the tarmac
and after their runaway...
Kevin made
landfall near the cliffs overlooking the western sea. Turning
around he saw that his pursuers still hadn't given up. In the
distance a black craft could be seen fast approaching.
“I
don't want to hurt any of you,” Kevin said to the two women
and the child as they came within hearing distance. “So do
yourselves a favor and don't get in my way.”
Ororo dropped
to the ground in front of him. “Kevin, I know that finding
out the truth about your father's feelings this way must hurt you
to no end...your entire world must feel like it's collapsing.
It's always like that when we are forced to face the truth about
a situation or person that we –”
Kevin laughed
bitterly. “You don't know anything.”
Lorna looked
from Ororo to Kevin nervously. Kevin waved his hands. The sand of
the beach flew up and surrounded John in an orb, crystallizing
into a transparent, glass-like cage that Kevin hovered out of the
way. John kicked at his prison, then exerted telekinetic force
sufficient enough to crack it. As fast as cracks appeared the
cage repaired itself.
“Wouldn't
want you getting hurt, kid,” Kevin said. “Don't want
that on my conscience.” Kevin turned to the women. “I
have to do this. He's a fucking hypocrite...then again he is
a politician. Big on traditional family values is he – ha!
This is your last warning. Don't try and stop me.”
“Do
what?” Ororo asked, knowing full well she wouldn't like the
answer. “What's he done that –”
“I
know the truth now,” Kevin said, monotoned. “It
wasn't mom's fault – it was his. He didn't leave because
she pushed him away. They'd had problems for years. Problems he
caused.”
“It's
good that you understand that,” Lorna interjected, trying
to cool his temper and defuse the situation until the Hawk could
arrive.
“He
used to beat her senseless,” Kevin said, baring his teeth.
“But he did so much more than that. No, he has to pay for
what he did.”
There was an
explosion of light and a scream as John finally broke free of his
crystal cage, shattering it beyond repair. The shockwave threw up
torrents of sand and flung Ororo, Lorna and Kevin off their feet.
“You're
not a typical kid, are you?” Kevin asked as he got back
onto his feet. “You look like
one...but...”
“You
got that right,” John said, aura flaring menacingly.
“Appearances can be deceiving. I'm sure you can relate,
given your current
transgender condition.”
Kevin frowned.
“Good, now I don't have to feel guilty if you gimme cause
to kick your ass.”
“Better
than you have tried,” John said, not phased in the least.
“But you're more than welcome to take a shot.”
The sound of
the Hawk could be heard from above. Finally Scott, Alex and Logan
had caught up with them.
“I
don't have time for this,” Kevin exasperated, taking to the
air once more to engage the jet.
Ororo's eyes
glowed white as she too joined him in the ether. “I can see
that you're the sort who needs tough love,” Ororo said,
hair billowing as the night sky darkened further and storm clouds
gathered. Flashes of lightning bore testament to Ororo's rapidly
waning patience.
“Ororo,
don't,” Lorna warned her. “You might hurt Moira!”
Kevin scowled.
“Don't worry. I won't let anyone hurt my mom ever again.”
The ground below began to tremble. Sand erupted up into the air,
crystallizing into razor sharp shards, each at least twelve feet
long. Kevin launched a volley at Ororo who blew some away and
blasted the rest with lightning. She in returned hurled three low
powered bolts of lightning at him. He nimbly avoided all three.
The Hawk landed while Kevin was distracted.
A stun
strength optic blast from beneath him drew Kevin's attention.
“Kevin,
you're putting your mother at risk!” Scott shouted as he
ran onto the scene. “If you stay in her body too long –”
“I
won't be in here much longer,” was Kevin's stubborn
response. The trembling intensified. Everyone looked at the
cracking ground, but that was merely a distraction.
“Dad,
look out!” John shouted.
Scott turned
around just in time to be ensnared by the animated, sinuous
branches of the trees lining the edge of the beach. He let loose
blast after blast, but the limber branches merely moved out of
the line of fire, never relinquishing their hold in the least.
Logan had by then arrived with Alex in tow. Alex launched a weak
plasma bolt at Kevin to draw his focus while Logan began slicing
Scott free.
“God,
you people are like ants!” Kevin roared. “There's
always more and more...” He raised both arms. “Fine
then! I'll just have to crush you like ants!”
“Oh
no you don't!” Lorna yelled as she generated an
electromagnetic forcefield around Kevin.
“Go
Lorna!” Alex shouted, cheering her on. “Get him!”
Lorna amped
her focus up to its maximum as Kevin struggled within his prison.
Little by little she pulled him down to the beach below.
“You
think this can hold me?!” he shouted, turning his gaze
towards Lorna. Her forcefield began to blur and blink in and out
of existence as he began warping the energies of which it was
composed.
Lorna's brow
furrowed as she was pushed to her limits, doing her utmost to
repair the forcefield as quickly as he was tearing it down.
“John!
Help her!” Logan yelled. “Form a shield around him
like Lorna did!”
John was
non-compliant.
Ororo squinted
at the staring boy. “John?”
I can't, Professor.
I've tried but this isn't like someone who's resistant or immune.
It's not a locked door I'm facing...I can't find a doorway
into his mind.
Try harder, John,
Xavier encouraged him.
I am trying. As hard
as I can.
John
could see Lorna still struggling to contain Kevin. Moira's body
was now surrounded by the same cracking, orange energy that
they'd seen around Kevin in their first encounter.
Can't you merge
minds with me? John asked
Xavier with optimism. Like we did when the MALE
attacked the Mansion?
As
it was, Xavier could not.
I still cannot make
sense of your mind, Xavier
replied. I can't establish a mind merge without us
being on the same wavelength. It's up to you. The answer is not
to be found in direct physical confrontation with him. Moira may
be irreversibly harmed if our people are forced to hit hard.
John
agreed. Yeah, and God alone knows what just having him in her
is doing to her.
A
sudden thought struck the Professor. Wait a
moment...the Astral Plane...
What about it?
We may not be able
to breach his mind on the physical plane, but we may be able to
disable him on the Astral Plane instead,
the Professor replied enthusiastically. Occupy his
attention as long as you can. I'll search for his presence on the
Astral Plane and attempt to incapacitate him.
Right, got it!
“Ah!”
Lorna shrieked in pain as her forcefield was shattered. The
feedback brought her to her knees, helpless. Kevin was
approaching her position.
“I
told you not to get in my way,” he said threateningly,
rising into the air again.
Guys, the Professor
is on the case, John
projected into their minds. Do what you can to delay
Kevin and buy the Professor some time...anything that won't cause
permanent damage to Moira.
“Back
off!” Alex shouted as he got between Lorna and Kevin and
fired a warning blast. The shot flew mere inches from Kevin's
head but he didn't so much as flinch and continued to approach.
“Don't
make us do this, Kevin, please,” Ororo pleaded,
manipulating the gentle sea breezes into a gale. Kevin was
unmoved. “Very well...you've made your choice...” She
unleashed it against him and succeeded in blowing him further
inland and into the nearby thicket of trees. The sound of
breaking branches could be heard and then a painful sounding
'thump'.
Everyone
stared in silence and waited, wondering if Ororo had used too
much force.
Logan
cocked his head. “I hear movement...a twig just snapped...”
“Something's
happening,” Scott warned, hand reaching for his visor.
Indeed
something was. The branches of the trees began to shake
violently, dislodging innumerable leaves that began falling to
the ground. Except that they didn't make contact with terra
firma. Instead they began blowing towards their position in an
unseen and unfelt wind.
“Ah
fuck!” Alex cursed as the blade of a leaf brushed against
his arm, slicing him and drawing blood.
John
quickly raised a barrier and just in time as more and more leaves
began falling. A veritable column of sharp bladed foliage
coalesced and mercilessly pummeled against the telekinetic
shield.
“Hey,
look!” Lorna alerted them, pointing to the sky. “He's
heading for the house on the cliff!”
“I
wonder if they evacuated the place,” Alex mused out loud.
John
turned his telepathic gaze to the house. His eyes widened. “More
like they amped up the security and – ” John paused
as he narrowed his focus. “They're armed with guns!”
When
Kevin got out of range the deadly leaves fell harmlessly to the
ground and John collapsed the shield. Ororo and Lorna leapt into
the air. John snatched the others up mentally and towed them
along with him as he followed the two women to the home of Joseph
Mactaggert.
By
the time they arrived on the front lawn of the residence a full
scale battle was already underway. Shots were being fired.
Thankfully, the rounds weren't live but were rubber. Not that it
was having any effect on Kevin. Before the bullets made contact
with Moira's body they were transformed into something resembling
really small cotton balls which fell harmlessly onto the ground.
Kevin
raised his arms to the twelve guards or so and began working his
will on them. The X-men watched in horror as the limbs of the men
began to stretch and warp into impossible angles, as if they were
made of jelly. The bloodcurdling screams that filled the night
air finally spurred the X-men to action.
“We
have to stop him before he winds up killing someone,” Scott
finally announced.
Ororo
looked torn. “But Moira.”
“Moira
wouldn't want people to die,” Logan said. “And she
wouldn't want Kevin to become a murderer. It's Kevin's life and
hers weighed against alla the people in that house.”
Ororo
nodded and hurled a medium strength bolt of lightning at Kevin.
It hit him dead center in the back. He stumbled and his focus on
the men broke. Their forms swiftly returned to normal and they at
once ran off and into the house, barricading the doorway as a
defensive measure. Kevin turned around to face his inexorable
pursuers. He didn't waste any time with words and the X-men
realized that at this point neither should they.
John, those
barricades won't hold him back, Scott
said to his son telepathically. I don't know if Lorna
can manage after the beach. She took a big hit with the feedback.
Do you have it in you to place a shield over the entire house
itself?
House?
Mansion would be a better word. John's expression became one of
utmost determination. No way of knowing unless I try.
So
saying he telekinetically pulled Lorna out of danger and next to
him.
Lorna, if he manages
to punch a hole through my shield then you're gonna have to try
and plug it. Do what you can. Okay?
Lorna
nodded and watched as John's forcefield took form, growing from
the ground upwards, sealing the house and its immediate
surroundings in a dome of translucent blue energy. Kevin looked
at the dome and began trying to erode its integrity in the same
manner he had done to Lorna's. To his surprise (and anger) he
found that this barrier was much more resilient. Kevin gave it up
for the time being and turned his attention once more to the more
immediate threats. Scott, Logan, Ororo and Alex.
Scott
fired an optic blast at the same that Alex launched a plasma
beam. Both watched in amazement as the beams bent at ninety
degree angles, looped around Kevin and came speeding right back
at their position. Both of them had to lunge out of the way as
the ground where they were standing exploded, leaving a huge
smoking pit on the lawn. Bolt after bolt of Ororo's lightning was
similarly warped, their trajectories manipulated until they
headed back to their point of origin.
Logan
thought to seize the initiative while Kevin seemed preoccupied
and tried to jump him. Kevin merely hovered higher and evaded the
feral mutant. Logan landed on the ground beneath him and soon
found himself knee deep in a pool of slurry as the earth beneath
him melted in seconds.
“Dammit,
not again!” he swore as he began to sink like a stone. As
soon as his head vanished beneath the surface the ground
solidified into a material resembling stone, burying Logan alive.
“Logan!”
Ororo shrieked in terror. She raised both hands to the heavens
and the winds began to pick up, snatching Kevin and spinning him
round and round. The temperature dropped to freezing in moments
and Kevin soon became covered in a casing of ice and frost.
In
the meantime, Scott and Alex pummeled the ground where Logan fell
with low intensity blasts, softening the earth enough for Logan
to come scrambling out.
“That
guy is seriously starting to piss me off,” Logan growled,
gasping and wheezing for breath.
Ororo
grunted as she flung Kevin against the ground. The icy shell
covering him shattered but he was still freezing and unable to do
much but shiver. John's shield dissolved and he and Lorna came
walking up to join the circle of X-men that surrounded the
unmoving Moira.
“Is...is
she alive –” Lorna began, gasping when Moira's body
crackled with energy, then went still.
John
nodded, eyes closed. “Yes. I can sense her presence now.
Something must have happened to Kevin. Maybe the Professor
managed to disable him on the Astral Plane. Just give me a moment
to check with him.”
It
happened so fast that no one had the time to react to it. A burst
of orange energy, roughly humanoid in form erupted from Moira's
body and into the ether. It was Kevin in his new energy based
form. He flicked from one of them to the other at lightning
speed, assessing each of their potential as a new host. For a
split second he hovered over John and then before they knew what
was what, he claimed his new host...
John
rose into the air clutching his head and screaming. His aura had
took on the same orange hue as Kevin's energy anatomy and so had
his eyes. But it was plain to see that he was fighting the forced
possession. Wave after wave of telekinetic energy swept over the
Mactaggert grounds causing the house itself to buckle from the
strain, windows shattering into hundreds of pieces of sharp glass
that blew inward. All present hoped no one was behind those
windows.
“Alex!
Lorna! Evacuate the house! Get them out of here!” Scott
shouted above the chaos. He himself could barely hold his own
against the buffeting waves of unseen force. “Take Moira
with you!”
“Alright!”
Alex responded.
Lorna
was frozen, unable to tear her eyes away from the scene. Alex had
to push her away and towards the house. He then snatched up Moira
and followed Lorna into the shaking home.
Get outta me!
John mentally screamed at the
presence inside him.
Kevin
didn't reply, he merely directed all his effort at wresting
control from the body's rightful owner. He had initially thought
of choosing John in the hope that his tormentors would think
twice about attacking him and damaging the kid. An adult like
Moira was one thing, but did they have it in them to do that to
the boy?
Upon
entering John and scrutinizing him more closely, and after
examining John's body at the molecular level, he was pleasantly
surprised to discover that John possessed an amazing potential to
channel energy without burning out. The boy seemed to have some
sort of regeneration factor inherent in his genetic code. Yes,
John could serve as a more resilient vessel for Kevin's own vast
energies. It was a struggle to mitigate the burnout factor with
Moira and the time to leave her had finally come. But this kid's
body was adapting to the burden remarkably well.
Ororo
and Scott could only flit about and execute evasive maneuvers as
stray flying objects and high power energy emissions threatened
their safety. Logan on the other hand had managed to climb one of
the trees on the grounds. He leapt from the topmost branches and
caught hold of John. The two of them struggled in midair and then
plummeted to the ground, Logan bearing the brunt of the fall.
“Let
him go!” Logan growled, struggling to hold onto John's
convulsing body.
Kevin
would not hear of it. The, now reality warping, aura around
John's body began to affect Logan, and painfully so. His body
began to bend and twist in the same manner as the security guards
from before. Even so he held on gamely, hard as it was when his
fingers began curling like strands of spaghetti.
“That
the best you got?!” Logan said with a snarl. It occurred to
him at that moment that he should be somewhat thankful of
Magneto's penchant for rearranging his insides. It had done
wonders for his pain tolerance. “Oh...shit...” Logan
groaned as several 'holes' appeared in his midsection. His upper
torso seemed to be separating from his waist.
“I
said get the hell out!” John yelled audibly, releasing a
wave of force that flung Logan off him, and tore off the roof and
upper regions of the Mactaggert home.
Scott
and Ororo dashed to Logan's side to ascertain whether he was
okay. All three watched as John's aura took on its golden color
once more.
“I...I
think John's winning!” Scott shouted as he helped Logan to
his feet.
So that's your
weakness! John exclaimed in
triumph to Kevin.
Indeed,
John had found it. In order to possess someone, Kevin had to
establish a connection between his mind and the host's mind, so
that he could interact and dominate the host's will. To do that
he had to open a mental channel thought which he could exert his
influence. In the very act of possessing someone Kevin became
temporarily vulnerable to telepathic attack.
The
aura around John increased in size and intensity until it seemed
to explode, enveloping the area. The onlookers watched in silence
as the psychic flames around John twisted into a definite shape
for the first time.
“Is
it just me...” Logan began, “or does that thing look
like a bird?”
“It's
not just you,” Ororo replied, squinting at the blinding
light.
Without
warning the 'bird' flew upwards and away from John, dragging in
its talons what could only be Kevin's energy anatomy. John fell
to the ground and the three X-men ran up to his prone form.
“He's
unconscious,” Ororo declared, stating the obvious. “But
he's breathing and there's a good, strong pulse.”
Scott
looked thoughtful. “It's John. He must be the 'bird'. It
must be his astral form.”
Logan
looked a little confused. “A...bird? The Professor looks
like his usual self when he –”
“Maybe
John's just toying with him,” Ororo said. “Showing a
sense of humor. His codename is
Phoenix.”
All
eyes looked upwards as the 'bird' cried out.
Kevin
had struggled free of its grasp and was attempting to come to
blows with it, doubling his size in the process. The 'bird'
shrieked again and similarly grew bigger, increasing its size by
a factor of three and dwarfing Kevin.
“Boys,”
Ororo mumbled, “everything's a size competition.”
There
was a low pitched roar of pain as the bird slashed at Kevin with
its talons, seized him in its clutches and threw him to the
ground. The next moment Kevin was subjected to a blast of psychic
fire when the astral entity flapped its 'wings'. When the flames
cleared the form of a young man could be seen face down on the
ground, unmoving. The bird cried out in victory and then sped
down towards John's body. It 'collided' with it in a burst of
light. When everyone got their vision back John was sitting up,
eyes losing their golden glow and returning to their usual blue
tone.
“The
irritating prick,” John said unabashedly as they all stared
at the unconscious Kevin.
Logan
slapped him on the back. “Yeah, well you showed him.”
“Sure
did,” Scott congratulated.
Indeed,
the mental voice of the Professor came in.
Professor, is he out
this time...really out? Scott
asked, watching Kevin suspiciously.
Yes, Scott. He is
truly unconscious and I'm keeping him that way. I have his mind
subdued here on the Astral Plane.
All
present breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Ororo
was always one to think more long term. “But what about
when he wakes up.”
John
looked a little nervous. “I...I don't know if Moira would
agree with what I did but –”
“But
what?” Scott asked, growing worried at John's tone.
“Kevin
had a murderous rage when it came to his dad,” John
explained. “In a way I don't blame him. I saw what Kevin
found out about his father. You know...when he possessed Moira.
Joseph Mactaggert is a nasty piece of...anyway. As long as Kevin
knew what he did there would have been no real helping him.
Believe me. He had to forget.”
“What
are you talking about?” Ororo pressed, not liking being
kept in the dark.
John
looked really uncomfortable. “In addition to being a wife
beater and a nasty drunk...Joseph Mactaggert raped Moira and that
was how she became pregnant with Kevin.”
“Oh
my God,” Ororo gasped, thunder booming overhead as her
anger at this man grew.
Logan
scowled and looked towards the beach where Lorna and Alex had
taken the house's denizens.
“He
made Moira stay with him. She was too afraid to leave. A top
ranking doctor dedicated to pediatric and genetic diseases looked
good as a trophy wife,” John went on. “But when his
own son's mutation kicked in, Joseph had had enough and was ready
to abandon them. Before he left, Moira threatened to reveal it
all to the press and ruin his reputation...unless he gave her
enough money to start off her mutant research on how best to help
her son. In return Moira had to keep quiet about it all. And
that's how the Mutant Research Center first came about.”
Logan
was curious. This is news to you, Prof?
Completely,
Xavier responded, anger tinging
his thought patterns.
“Kevin
needed to forget,” John continued.
“So
you...you wiped it all from his memory,” Ororo prodded.
John
shook his head. “Not wiped, suppressed. I didn't want to do
anything irreversible without permission from Moira at least. In
any case there wasn't enough time for a full wipe. I didn't have
much time in there before he forced me out. I had to do something
to stop him and fast. I know tampering with memories without
permission is usually a big no, no. But there wasn't any other
way. Once I had him and his anger under control the Professor
guided me so I could shut down his powers and suppress all memory
of them. They're simply too dangerous, to him and the people
around him.”
Scott
concurred. “Not to mention that their involuntary nature
increases the risk. Things near to Kevin seem to spontaneously
warp at times without him consciously using his powers on them.”
I just finished
editing Kevin's memories a bit. When he wakes up,
Xavier explained, he'll 'remember', among other things,
that his father died when he was a child.
Ororo
was shocked. Professor, surely...
“Believe
me, Ororo,” John interrupted. “It's for the best.
That man shouldn't be in anyone's
life.”
That and we don't
want any memories concerning Joseph Mactaggert hanging around,
Xavier said insistently.
They might serve as possible triggers that could foster
the return of Kevin's hatred. I had thought about having him
think his father left them when he was still a child...but it was
too close to the truth and might have itself served as a trigger.
“That
and kid could end up lookin' for him,” Logan said.
Yes. Better to be
safe than sorry, Xavier
replied.
Everyone
eventually agreed that this was the wisest course of action.
“Let's
get down to the beach,” Scott finally suggested, “and
see how best we can clear this mess up.”
“I hope we haven't set back the cause of
human-mutant relations here in Scotland too much,” Ororo
said as they all entered the Hawk. “Did you have to
threaten Mactaggert so...forcefully, Logan?”
Joseph Mactaggert was indeed a piece of work. Far
from being grateful to the X-men for saving his life...he wanted
to bring them up for damages. The shrewd politician, with an
intellect born of wickedness, had seen a way to pay Moira back
for her little blackmail ploy while at the same time discrediting
her should she ever decide to go public.
He had a lot of witnesses who saw 'Moira' come
traipsing onto the property in a murderous rage. Before the X-men
could explain what had happened to the numerous witnesses, Joseph
Mactaggert had strolled up to them and privately informed them
all that he intended to have Moira put behind bars and that they
could all expect serious litigation. Logan had 'suggested' to
Joseph that he dismiss his staff and security personnel for the
night and then have a little 'chat' with the X-men up at his
residence.
Alex looked a little worried. “You think we
went too far? Logan threatening to shove his bagpipes where the
sun don't shine really worked a number on him.”
Logan smiled wryly as he deposited Kevin onto a
seat and clasped the safety belt. “He had it coming to him.
It's not my fault he's got a weak bladder.”
Behind them John laughed a little and then hovered
Moira onto a seat next to her son. Thankfully it appeared that
she was going to be alright. While Kevin was possessing her it
seemed that her body was far more resistant to damage than a
normal person's would be.
“And you,” Ororo said, turning to John
with a disapproving look. “It was bad enough his mansion
got damaged during the battle...but did you really have to
crumble the luxury wing?”
John looked her her smugly. “Can it, Ororo.
Don't think I didn't see that stray lightning bolt hit that fancy
marble statue of his in the backyard. It looked pretty darn
pricey.”
“I only meant for the lightning to flash
overhead...as...as
a threat,” Ororo insisted. She looked away
guiltily. “That damned statue had a long metal spear. You
know lightning is drawn to such objects. It wasn't that I
intended for it to happen.”
John continued, “Well if you must know, the
luxury wing was already weakened badly and they'd have had to
demolish it and rebuild anyway. I actually spared him the cost of
hiring a demolition team.”
“Of course, he might have wanted to remove
and safeguard those priceless Mactaggert family heirlooms and
works of art first,” Lorna said cheekily. “Oh well.
Que sera, sera.”
Everyone laughed scandalously, save for Ororo (who
smiled once and then tried to hide it) and Scott who sighed. In
the end Joseph Mactaggert had agreed (especially after Logan
started curiously fiddling about with the bagpipes) to use his
influence to suppress the truth about what had happened. He swore
on pain of property damage that he could control the wagging
tongues of his staff (without resorting to hitmen, as Ororo was
so keen to insist). With any luck the cover story of there being
a freak storm would fly, especially if the local fishermen
corroborated it. Moira would be free from persecution and the
truth about Joseph Mactaggert's past actions and mutant son would
stay buried.
“You handled yourself pretty good out there,”
Logan said to John as they all buckled up.
John wasn't used to being complimented by Logan.
Indeed, very few people were privileged to receive a compliment
from him that wasn't of the backhanded variety.
John took it in his stride. “Uh, thanks. It's
this boost, it really –”
Logan shook his head in a decisive 'no'. “Nah,
it ain't that. You showed good tactical planning, like with your
idea on how to lure Kevin outside and into the repressor field.
And you were smart enough to figure out how to attack Kevin
telepathically. You showed real courage without being foolhardy
and endangering others on the team...the boost wasn't responsible
for alla that. That was all you.”
“I...uh...” John trailed off, blushing.
“I don't know what to say. I mean, thanks, obviously yeah
but...wow. It's not everyday you get a compliment like that from
you.”
Logan smiled. “Well, you made me proud today.
You proved what I've been tellin' them for years. That young
blood ain't a bad thing and that if we gave you all the chance
you'd rise to the occasion.”
John grinned. “I did all that, huh?”
Logan nodded and added tongue in cheek. “Yeah,
not half bad for a half pint.”
John frowned. “And there's the backhand,”
he said.
“Old habits die hard,” Logan replied,
smirking.
“Yeah, they do,” Ororo said, looking at
him pointedly. “That cigarette lighter please.”
“Aw man,” Logan griped amidst laughter.
“I got a healing factor you know. I can't get cancer.”
“No but the rest of us can,” Ororo
insisted. “And what's more it sets a bad example.”
The two of them bickered, providing on flight
entertainment as the Hawk sped on towards Muir Island...
“I hope you're not upset with what we did,
Moira,” John said, looking a little worried. “We
didn't really see any other way.”
Moira had regained consciousness at Muir Island
shortly after the X-men's arrival. Kevin, however, was still
resting.
Moira shook her head in the negative. “Actually,
this solves so many problems. I just wished Kevin hadn't found
out about it all like that in the first place.”
“It never does anyone any good to keep things
from kids,” Logan said to her, looking guiltily at John.
“The truth always comes out and it's better they find out
about it from you. At least that way it happens on your own terms
and damage control is easier.”
“It's just a shame that Kevin couldn't seem
to let go of his rage,” Ororo said with regret. “So
there's no choice but to keep him in the dark. His desire to harm
his father may never have faded. We couldn't take any chances. He
may no longer have access to his powers, but there's always the
guns humans seem so fond of.”
Moira nodded. “Yes, it is
better
this way. Now, why don't we all get back to the business at hand,
eh? I know you X-men have a lot of work waiting for you back
home. Forge?”
The
door to the room slid open and Forge entered holding a data disk
in his hand.
“This
contains the results of John's tests,” Forge said to Scott,
surrendering the disk. “Hank should be able to help with
the interpretation, being an expert in the field himself.”
Moira
spoke up. “Of course I'll be more than willing to
teleconference with him on the matter should he need a second
opinion.”
Scott
nodded. “Thanks so much for your help.”
“The
feeling's mutual,” Moira replied, glancing over to the bed
opposite where Kevin lay sleeping. “I hope you find those
results useful.”
The
X-men wished her well and took their leave. Forge and Moira waved
as they left the room. When the doors finally shut Forge turned
to Moira with a serious look on his face.
“What
is it?” Moira asked, not liking the sudden shift in his
demeanor.
Forge
tapped his gauntlet and the display unit in the corner of the
room flickered into operation.
“Moira,
there were certain...features of the young Summers' results that
I chose not to include on the disk,” Forge said to her. “I
instead sent a secure and encrypted email to Xavier.”
“Features?
What features.”
“Some
aspects of his blood work, genetic points of interest
and...these.” Forge tapped his gauntlet once more.
Several
X-ray imaged appeared on the screen.
Moira
scrutinized them closely. “Those bones seem rather
radio-opaque for a 'child' John's age. I guess that not just his
mind was affected after all. What we're seeing here is –”
“Enhanced
bone mineralization,” Forge said, completing her statement
for her. “But that's not all. I wanted you to have a look
at these in
particular.”
“Oh
my goodness,” Moira whispered, getting out of bed and
walking up for a closer look. “Are those...claws?”
Forge
nodded slowly. “Still developing, but yeah. Now where have
we seen those before?”
Moira
dashed out of the room. “I have to speak with Charles. Stay
with Kevin please.”
Forge
nodded and took a seat on the chair next to Kevin's bed, silently
wondering what would happen if the truth ever came out...
Part Two
“Oh
gosh,” John muttered as he dove behind one of Ororo's large
potted plants.
A
day had passed since their return to the Xavier Institute. John
was currently out on the porch with Ororo, spending the morning
with several others clearing rubble from the Mansion's front
lawn. However, upon seeing a series of big buses pull into the
Mansion drive, and Jubilee, Amara, Bobby and Ray exiting one of
them, John had decided to hide himself.
Ororo
looked at him kindly. “You know, you need to give them more
credit,” she said, reaching behind the foliage and pulling
him out. “They are your friends and I'm sure they will be
nothing but supportive.”
“Ha!”
John said, as he was dragged out out hiding against his will.
“You obviously don't know Bobby and Ray well enough.”
As
he bickered with Ororo on the merits of trusting one's friends,
Jubilee and company had made their way up to the front porch.
“Hey,
miss Munroe!” Jubilee called out, waving.
Ororo
waved back. “Hello there yourself, Jubilee. Enjoy the
vacation living in luxury?”
“You
bet!” Ray responded as he and the others joined her on the
porch.
Bobby
angled his head to catch a glimpse of the small figure standing
behind Ororo. “Who's that behind you?”
Ororo
pulled John out from behind her and shoved him into plain view.
“Oh, this is Jo –”
“Josh,”
John said before she could finish. “I'm Josh.”
John
could detect Jubilee and Amara's mental 'ooh'.
“And
aren't you the cutest little thing?” Amara said in a
saccharine tone.
“Who
is he?” Ray asked Ororo, wondering what some strange kid
was doing at the Institute at a time like that.
Ororo
looked at John piercingly.
“Oh,
I'm John's cousin,” the 'kid' said without hesitation.
Ororo, work with me
here!
They are going
to want to know where 'John' is, was
Ororo's response. What
are you going to tell them?
You let me worry
about that.
Jubilee
was looking thoughtful. “Hmmm, yeah, I can see the family
resemblance. Red hair must run in the fam, huh?”
Amara
was looking more curious. “Say, where is that cousin of
yours anyway?”
“He's
resting,” Ororo helpfully provided. “He's had a
really rough couple of days and needs...uninterrupted rest for
the time being.”
Thanks, Ororo!
“Is...is
he okay?” Bobby asked, looking worried. “This isn't
like that time in the Danger Room is it?”
All
four students surveyed the damage a little more closely.
Ororo
put their minds at ease. “No, no. Nothing like that. He's
quite alright but very tired. Um, why don't you go get settled
in? The dorms and living quarters are undamaged.”
Ray
couldn't help but ask, “And what about the school section?”
Ororo
sighed. “Completely demolished.”
“Oh...”
Ray said, barely able to contain his smirk. “What a pity,”
he added sarcastically.
“Never
you mind,” Ororo said as they all walked into the Mansion.
“It'll be repaired soon enough...and then you'll have to
work twice as hard to catch up.” She laughed when she heard
their collective groan. Then she turned to face 'Josh'.
John
looked sheepish. “Look, according to Hank, this shouldn't
last much longer. As soon as Tessa's energy completely clears my
system I'll be fine,” John said. “A few days more at
most. What I wonder is if it'll be gradual...or POOF, like how a
shapeshifter's body changes.”
“A
few more days, huh? Well, we'll find out soon enough then won't
we –” Ororo replied, cutting herself short as her
cell phone rang. “Excuse me.”
“Oh,
it's alright,” John said, walking down the steps. “I
was just about to go for a break.”
Ororo
waved and devoted all her attention to her call. As she was soon
to find out...she'd been a bad girl and was in trouble...
When
Ororo walked into the War Room she saw that in addition to
Professor Xavier and Logan, Hank was also present. Both he and
Xavier were looking at her with disappointment in their eyes.
“I
can explain,” Ororo began, not quite sure how to do that.
Hank's
busy blue left eyebrow raised. Not a good sign.
“Look,
it ain't her fault,” Logan said, speaking up for her. “I
asked her to run the DNA paternity test and keep it all under
wraps.”
Xavier
tapped his fingers on the table as he was prone to do in
stressful situations.
“How
did you find out?” Ororo asked curiously.
Hank
was quick to provide the answer. “John's test results from
Muir Island. They were quite...enlightening to say the least.
We've known since yesterday but weren't sure if Logan knew
anything so we kept silent about it for the time being...”
“...Until
Hank here decided to verify what we were seeing with a paternity
test using stored DNA samples from Logan as well as John,”
Xavier continued. “As it turned out, the computer's records
showed that the exact same test had been carried out a while
before. Getting sloppy, weren't we, Ororo?”
Ororo
felt as if she could slap herself. She had completely forgotten
that Hank was smart enough, and paranoid enough to have logging
programs running in the background of the lab's computers.
Big Brother strikes
again, she thought to
herself.
Xavier
shook his head in disappointment once more. “So it was
obvious that you'd run the tests since YOUR login credentials
were used to gain access to the lab at the time the test was
carried out.”
“Given
your recent...relationship with Logan,” Hank went on, “it
was easy to figure out that you were running it on his behalf and
that you likely told him the results...so we confronted Logan
this morning.”
And
there they were with a potential catastrophe on their hands.
“Do
you have any idea how badly this could affect the team if it ever
gets out?” Xavier asked, brow furrowing in frustration.
Ororo
nodded slowly. “Yes, but –”
“Then
why on earth didn't you come to me the instant you knew?”
Xavier asked, confusedly.
“Because,”
Ororo began, “there were personal considerations to bear in
mind.”
That
excuse was not near enough to appease the Professor. His drumming
on the table increased in intensity. “If this ever gets out
the team will be split, polarized as it were, with some taking
Scott's side and some taking Logan's. And believe me, there will
be major fallout. Not the least
of which will be the impact it will have on John's state of mind.
I was never one to stick my head in the sand. Of course I saw and
sensed the...attraction between Jean and Logan. I just never
thought they'd be so immaturely selfish and foolish to pursue it
behind Scott's back.”
Several
minutes passed in awkward silence as the four of them pondered
whether this secret was too big to be kept or not. Already it was
unraveling before their eyes.
Hank
tapped at the control panel, activating the holographic projector
at the center of the table. John's results were laid bare before
their eyes.
“John's
genetic mapping and blood chemistry results,” Xavier began,
“show that a previously dormant healing factor has now
become active...which explains his wounds disappearing. It may
also explain his biological time clock going haywire. We've
always known that Logan was far, far older than he looks. John's
body may have undergone a form of set point resetting as it were.
Thankfully, his cells are showing signs that they are undergoing
senescence – aging – so, it appears that it's
reversing itself. However, the healing aspects of the
regeneration factor are more confusing. We're not certain if that
will also disappear or if it will partially or fully persist.”
“What
we figure is that when Tessa boosted John's abilities, she
boosted all aspects
of his mutant genetic heritage. It was not limited to maternal
input, but paternal too.” Hank rubbed his chin. “The
healing factor will be easy to explain away at least. We can
always say that it's a form of passive, unconscious
psychic
healing.”
Xavier
nodded, looking intensely thoughtful. “Yes, that sounds
believable. But the real problems lie in those claws of his. If
their growth doesn't reverse itself...one day the truth may come
out when they tear their way out of John's hands. Remember how
Logan was when he first came to us? He'd unsheath his claws
instinctively whenever he was agitated.”
“Sometimes
he still does,”
Hank added. “We were thinking about possibly surgically
removing them.”
Logan's
hands tightened into fists under the table but he managed to keep
his mouth shut.
Xavier
quickly tossed that idea aside. “If his healing factor
remains active that won't be foolproof. They'd simply grow back.”
Ororo
could see the impact that this sort of talk was having on Logan.
If Professor Xavier wasn't so worked up then he might have sensed
it. Quickly, she tried to defuse the risk of a possible situation
arising.
“Professor,
perhaps these are all just temporary side effects,” Ororo
said calmly. “Let's not get too paranoid over a situation
that may not even –”
Xavier
looked sternly upon Logan. “What I'm most concerned about
is what use you two decided to put this information to.”
Uh oh,
Ororo thought to herself, sensing trouble on the horizon.
“You
seem to have all the answers, Chuck,” Logan said tightly,
“so why don't you tell me?”
Xavier's
frown grew even more pronounced. “Under no circumstances
are you to tell Jonathan the truth. Is that understood, Logan?”
“Excuse
me?”
Ororo
grabbed Logan's arm.
“You
heard me the first time,” Xavier responded, standing firm
on his resolve. “I will not have your mistake jeopardizing
all that we have worked so hard to achieve.”
“Oh
so now he's a mistake,” Logan snarled.
Xavier
shook his head. “That's not what I meant. Of course not.
Your mistake was how you chose to channel your attraction to Jean
and how you dealt with the aftermath. Being an X-man means a life
of duty and sacrifice, personal and professional.”
Professor, you of
all people know how important a sense of belonging is to Logan.
He has no family, for a long time he had no friends...the feeling
of being disconnected from –
I am well aware,
Ororo. And this is a very sad situation. But we have to be
realistic here.
“We
were only human,” Logan said defensively. “So, yeah
we made a mistake. Not everyone can be as perfect
as
your golden boy, Summers. On the field, I've always taken your
orders and never once questioned you. Summers, yeah, but never
you. But this is different. This time it's personal. You can't
tell me how or not to approach my own kid –”
“Scott's kid,”
Xavier interjected. “The one who raised and cared for him
for sixteen years. There's more to being a father than simply
providing genetic material. To him, Scott will always be his
father. If the situation were different then, of course, you
might have been able to play a more active role in his life. But
as things are, it would not be wise.”
Logan
scoffed. “Raised? You call what Scott did 'raising'
a kid? Alex and Lorna were there for him more than Scott ever
was. I asked Jean for a paternity test and she swore to me he
wasn't my kid. Obviously, she lied. No wonder their wedding date
got pushed up weeks ahead of time. She must have been trying to
cover her tracks, told Scott she was pregnant and they didn't
want him born outta wedlock or some shit like that. I let things
slide that time but I ain't doing that again.”
“Logan,
you have to understand –” Hank tried to say, but was
cut off.
“Stay
outta this,” Logan warned him before turning to the
Professor once more. “I made a mistake, sure. A mistake in
trusting Jean was telling me the truth. But they made a hell of a
lot more mistakes 'raising' him than I ever did. When I feel the
time is right, I'm gonna do what I have to and you had better not
get in my way.”
“I
will not see the future of the X-men threatened,” Xavier
said, surprising Ororo with his coldness. “I'll do whatever
I have
to do in order to make certain of that.” The door to the
War Room opened and Professor Xavier departed, leaving Hank to
deal with the fallout...
John
looked up at his father with disbelief painted on his face.
“I...thought
you said we were gonna get lunch?” John asked, confused but
not altogether displeased. “At the drive through?”
Scott
nodded. “Well, yeah. We will. But afterwards.”
John
took a few steps down the aisle. They were currently as a pet
store of all places. Since there was a Chinese take out across
the street John had thought that maybe they were going to buy
food there. The maybe Scott was just parking in front of the pet
store because there wasn't any space at the Chinese place.
Imagine his surprise when his father directed him inside the
Wittle Critters pet store.
“What
are we doing here anyway?” John asked, surveying the fishes
with little interest.
“Well,
since you're having a second childhood, being like five years old
all over again,” Scott answered, “and we never got to
bring you here the first time around, I just thought...”
John
smiled. “You mean I can get a pet? One that's not a virtual
computer pet I keep on my laptop, wishing he was real?”
“Yeah,
you can have a pet. See anything you like?” Scott asked,
his nose getting a little snuffly from all of the hair and fur.
John
looked at his father with all the seriousness a five year old
face can convey. “Anything I like? They're not things,
dad. They're living, breathing...um...”
“Okay,
okay,” Scott relented. “See anyone
you
like?”
“But
what about your allergies?” John asked, as Scott sneezed.
“What if the pet I choose –”
Scott
shrugged. “What about them? There's antihistamines for
that.”
And
then it happened. They heard an angelic little bark that made
John run around the corner and into the puppy lane.
“Oh
my God,” John said, kneeling in front of a cage that housed
a little black and brown mass of fur.
One
of the store attendants happened to be nearby and he came over.
“You
like her?” the guy asked, Ted according to his name tag.
John
nodded as the puppy licked his fingers through the cage. “Yeah.”
Scott
had since caught up. “You want a Rottweiler?”
“Just
look at her,” John said, as the puppy continued to lick,
little tail wagging madly. “I think she likes me. She's got
good taste.”
“Must
be with the way she keeps licking you,” Scott replied,
scrutinizing the condition of the animal.
Ted
was sensing a sale in the works. But he had a conscience. “In
all fairness, I feel like I should warn you about this one. She
–”
“She
doesn't bite does she?” Scott asked, immediately pulling
John's hands away from the cage.
“No,
no,” Ted said, setting them at ease. “Nothing like
that. But she's been bought twice and returned. She's a real
mischievous little pup.”
“Is
she house trained?” Scott asked, dreading the thought of
having to clean up puppy droppings.
Ted
nodded. “Yeah, the last owner was real good in that regard.
He also got her to respond to the name, 'Jenna'. But that aside
she still can be quite destructive...a pretty little home
wrecker. I'm giving you fair warning.”
“She's
just misunderstood. I want her,” John said with finality.
“She's coming home with us.” He looked up at Scott
with eyes to rival the puppy's.
Scott
looked at Ted and said, “You got yourself a sale.”
Ted
smiled and guided them to the cashier and called for someone to
fetch a basket for the puppy.
“Of
course,” Scott added quickly, “you will remember that
she's been used.”
Ted
kept his face straight. “Alright. As long as you bear in
mind that she's pedigree and has been trained.”
Scott's
eyebrow raised. “Yeah, well, you said yourself –
she's a mischief maker.”
Ted
sighed. “No contest. Right this way, please.”
Cheapskate,
John chided as they watched Jenna taken out of her enclosure. At
least buy her the premium puppy chow and not that generic stuff.
Cheapskate?
Scott
looked at him incredulously. You'll
thank me one day when there's actually something left for you to
inherit.
“Oh,
she's so adorable!” Lorna exclaimed as soon as John set the
basket down.
They
were currently seated on the front porch, having lunch out in the
open. It was cooler that inside since the air conditioning system
was still being repaired.
“I'm
gonna spoil her rotten,” Lorna continued, kissing the
puppy's head.
Alex
rolled his eyes.
“What?”
Lorna asked. “You won't give me a baby anytime soon, so
don't begrudge my falling in love with little Jenna here.”
Alex's
jaw dropped. “I just think it's best that we save up for
our future first before we take on such a big commitment.”
Scott
and John looked at them with disbelief.
“Uh,
do you mind?” Scott asked, covering John's ears. “Don't
air your dirty laundry when there are impressionable minds
about.”
John
knocked his hands away. “Ha, ha. I'm not sure I'm liking
this newfound sense of humor you got.”
Scott
opened his mouth to make a retort but didn't get the chance. The
front door to the manor burst open and a furious looking Logan
stomped outside onto the porch. He paused briefly and regarded
them all with a blank face. Then stomped off once more around the
corner, slashing off an offending branch that dared to get in his
face. Ororo soon entered the scene looking totally flustered.
“Is
everything alright?” Lorna asked her with some concern.
Ororo
looked a little nervous. “Oh yeah. Lover's spat...real
minor. Just a little tiff really.”
The
sound of Logan's motorcycle heading down the drive and out the
gate drew all their gazes.
Wonder what's
the matter this time? John
thought to himself as he recalled the times in the recent past
when Logan had gone off, doing the whole lone wolf deal. It's
been ages since he ran off like that.
“By
the way,” Ororo said as she paused at the doorway on her
way back inside, “cute puppy.” Then she left.
“I
hope things are alright with them,” John said absently as
he watched Logan's motorcycle vanish in the distance.
Lorna
didn't look away from stroking Jenna. “I'm sure things will
be fine. She said it was just a little tiff. Alex and I have them
on occasion.”
“Maybe...”
John trailed off, not quite liking the spike of anger he sensed
when Logan appeared. He turned towards Jenna and hovered her away
from Lorna and into his lap.
“Hey,”
his aunt protested to no avail.
“I'm
gonna go take her for a walk,” John said, leaving the
'adults' to enjoy what remained of their lunch.
Shit!
John
thought to himself as he crouched in the bushes.
Jenna
had run away from him and into (one of the few remaining)
clusters of trees on the grounds. Likely it was the squirrels she
had seen frolicking on the ground beneath them. Like a
responsible pet owner John had given chase, trying to coax her
out of the bushes and back outside. So engrossed was he that he
didn't notice Jubilee and Amara walking in his direction with
their lunch, intending to have their subways under the cool shade
of the trees. Thinking quickly, he took refuge in the bushes just
before the sat down and chanced to see him. Jenna looked at her
new master crouching like a coward in the foliage and, smart pup,
knew that she had best stay quiet – so she did.
“Do
you think it worked?” Amara asked Jubilee as she bit into
her sandwich hungrily.
Jubilee
shrugged. “We have to give it a little time. And things
might have to settle down here a bit before we see any real
results.”
John
strained his ears to hear their softly spoken words. What
are talking about? he
wondered. Has
what worked?
Amara
chewed mightily and swallowed. “Well, I hope we see results
one way or another soon because this whole pretending to be a
lesbo...it was fun at the beginning but it's starting to get
old.”
John's
mouth formed a perfect 'O'. Pretending
to be a lesbo? Did I just hear that right? As
silently and stealthily as he could, John edged a little closer
to the two girls and cocked his head at an angle more suited for
snooping.
“Hmm,”
Jubilee murmured. “I know what you mean. All the boys keep
giving us all this attention that we don't want, and the girls
seem to be getting jealous and bitchy.”
Amara
nodded. “Yeah. Always wanting us to kiss, which – no
offense, Jubes – I don't really like all that much.”
Jubilee
concurred. “True. I never can tell if I should dominate the
kiss or if you should. I just hope it gave John some food for
thought and opened him up to the possibility that if he is gay
and does decide to come out, at least to us, that we won't mind.”
John
had to cover his mouth quickly in order to suppress his gasp.
“Mind
it?” Amara responded. “Hell, we might enjoy
it.
My entire male entourage back home was made of gay men. Including
the bodyguards. We had a helluva time!”
Jubilee's
eyes widened. “You don't say.”
“Yeah,
they were the only guys daddy trusted around me,” Amara
clarified, which caused Jubilee to burst into a peal of laughter.
“What?” Amara asked.
“You
mean they were the only guys your daddy trusted YOU around,”
Jubilee replied with a wicked smirk. “Let's face it, girl.
You were a big slut. Hahaha!”
SLAP!
“Ow!”
Jubilee shrieked and rubbed her jaw.
The
sound of her vocalizing her pain startled the nearby Jenna who
barked and ran out of the bushes.
“Ah!
What the –” Amara exclaimed, cutting herself short
before finally letting out a squeal of delight. “A puppy!”
The two girls coaxed her over with a little bit of sausage.
John
used his powers to smack the ground some distance away behind
them to simulate the sound of running footsteps and then darted
out of the bushes, making it appear that he had been giving chase
to the errant Jenna.
“Hey,
Josh!” Amara called out and waved him over. “Is this
your puppy?”
“Um,
yeah...” John trailed off, before remembering it was
supposed to be John's. “We brought her for Johnny. As a
present.”
“Aw,
how sweet,” Jubilee said, getting up and surrendering the
puppy to her owner. “You be careful with her, okay? It's
not safe to have her running about the place with all the heavy
repairs going on.”
“Thanks,
Jubilee,” John said, accepting the puppy.
Wait, did she tell
me her name? No, she didn't! Oh, wait. Ororo called her that out
on the porch...just in case she asks...
Which
Jubilee didn't.
“Well,
thanks for catching her, bye!” John said with as much
perkiness as he could, before running off to be alone and ponder
the exchange he'd just witnessed.
Gay! They
think I could be gay! John
thought to himself as he ran. And
they seem to be all cool with it!
Later
that day...
“They
said that?” Julian asked, in disbelief. “They're just
pretending to be lesbians? Damn.”
John
detected a fleeting thought and looked at him pointedly. “Don't
tell me you're one of those perverted, immature little boys who
think that it's hot? Lesbians don't exist only to provide sexual
stimulation for –”
“Alright,
alright.” Julian put down the puppy and looked away. “I
won't tell you. So, um, what are your thoughts on this? Are you
gonna just ignore it?”
John
frowned. “Just the fact that they suspect I could be
gay...it's pretty damn hard to ignore. This past week has really
opened my eyes.”
“How
do you mean?”
“Well...I
guess I have more appreciation for
my life now,” John responded thoughtfully. “And
living like this with this big secret...always having to watch
what I say and how I act. It's not exactly doing anything good
for my quality of life, understand? Pretending to be something
I'm not really takes a toll. I think life would be so much easier
if I was just honest, at least with the people I care about. I
don't really care what anyone else thinks.”
“Sounds
like your mind's made up.”
“I...guess
it is,” John replied, looking up upon hearing the purr of a
motorcycle entering the premises. “Hmm, looked like Logan
finally decided to come back.”
“About
time too,” Julian said with a nod. “He's been gone
all day.”
The
two of them regarded Logan in silence as he walked up towards the
Manor and onto the porch. There was a distinctive scent of
alcohol and cigars about Logan.
“Ain't
it a little late for you to be out, kid?” Logan asked John,
nodding to Julian by way of greeting. “It's cold out, get
inside.”
John
shook his head. “They told me to stay outside. They
repainted and the fumes...I was just gonna go home for the night
anyway,” John said. “I'm just waiting for dad.”
At
that moment the door opened and Scott walked out, his clothing
splattered here and there with dried paint.
“Glad
to see you're back,” Scott said, a little sternly as he
entered field commander mode. “Now isn't the best time to
take off like that. At least call someone and keep us updated.”
Logan
said nothing and just walked inside, knocking shoulders with
Scott as he passed by and causing them man to stumble and wince a
little. Logan's bones were coated with an unbreakable, hard metal
after all. Julian whistled low.
“Come
on, let's go home,” Scott said to John as he rubbed his
mildly throbbing shoulder. “We've got that visit to the
Rebirth Center tomorrow.”
John
nodded. “Alright, dad. Later, Julian.”
Julian
waved. “Bye.”
As
John walked home with his father he could contain his curiosity
no longer. The question had been years in the asking. The only
reason he'd never bothered before was of his belief that his
father wouldn't give him an honest answer. Scott followed the
policy of keeping personal and professional lives separate
religiously back then. But now things were different.
“Dad?”
“Hmm?”
John's
eyes flitting about a little nervously. “Can I ask you a
question?”
“Sure.
What is it?”
“Well
at times, it seems like there's a lot of tension between you and
Logan,” John began.
“Whatever
gave you that idea?” Scott asked in a nonchalant tone.
John
gave him a sarcastic look. “I'm not blind. It's no big
secret. What about just now? When a guy bumps shoulders with
another guy like that it means only one thing. Beef.”
Scott
could explain that. “He'd been drinking. Didn't you smell
the booze on him? He probably was just a little tipsy and not
thinking as clearly as he would have with a straight head.”
“Oh
really?” John asked. “I'd believe that if it wasn't
for the fact that I know his healing factor doesn't let him get
drunk.”
“How'd
you –”
Simple.
When Ororo and Logan was having their little exchange on the Hawk
about him quitting smoking, she'd also brought up the drinking.
And Logan had insisted that alcohol wouldn't be eating away his
liver. He'd even said that he can't even remember being drunk,
even after clearing out Remy's liquor cabinet a few years back.
“He
cleared out Remy's liquor?” Scott asked, genuinely
surprised. “Damn.”
John
scoffed. “Don't change the subject. He wasn't drunk. So
what is up with you and Logan?”
A
few moments were passed in silence and for a while John wondered
if he'd have to be all persistent and annoying. As he'd be told
twice that day, his high pitched voice could sound pretty damn
whiny.
“Logan's
always been like that,” Scott finally replied, sparing John
from becoming a nag. “Ever since he came to the Institute.”
“Really?”
John asked, not finding that too hard to believe.
Scott
nodded. “Uh huh. He seemed to have issues with me right
from the get go. At first, I chalked it up to my being in command
and him not liking taking orders from someone who looked like
they were fresh out of college. The names he used to call me:
four eyes, boy scout, pretty boy, candy ass, commander
stick-up-his-butt...”
That
sounded pretty reasonable, John thought. Logan always did seem
the type to prefer giving orders than taking them.
“But
I was wrong,” Scott continued, even grinning a little. “I
mean, that was part of it, sure. But there was something else
too.”
John
frowned. “How about you stop dragging it out and just say
what already. What's the big secret that –”
“He
apparently had a thing for your mother,” Scott finally
blurted out. “And back then I was the almost boyfriend who
was competing for her affections.”
John
couldn't keep a straight face and burst out laughing, almost
dropping Jenna. “Oh, right, right. Logan...mom. Just why
you've been hiding that refreshing sense of humor, I'll never
know.”
“I'm
serious,” Scott said insistently.
“I
can't see Logan behaving like a lovesick teenager,” John
said. “Well, um, okay there is Ororo but –”
“You
asked and I told you.”
John
stopped laughing, sensing the seriousness radiating from Scott.
“You're serious.”
“Uh
yeah. There was a point where I could never seem to be alone with
your mother. He'd always be just around the corner.” Scott
laughed. “One time we went to the movies and Jean sensed a
familiar mind nearby. When we turned around, he was sitting a few
rows back trying to hide behind an extra large popcorn.”
“No
way!” John exclaimed, his laughter resurrected. “How'd
he react when he got found out?”
“He
insisted that he was there solely for the movie,” Scott
said, with a grin. “I didn't say anything about it. I was
too busy laughing. I guess Pretty In Pink qualified as good
theatrical material in Logan's book.”
“Damn,
that's funny,” John said, finally controlling his laughter.
“And kinda creepy.”
Scott
nodded. “Well, now you know.”
“But
mom ended up with you,” John mused. “You think a part
of him is holding a grudge about that? It seems real immature and
he's always going on about maturity. I never really figured Logan
for the hypocritical type.”
Honestly,
Scott didn't. “No. Now it's probably all down to him not
liking me bossing him around. Guess that little tiff Ororo talked
about wasn't so little after all. Oh well, let's try and get a
good night's rest. Be on your best behavior tomorrow, okay?”
“Yeah,
I know.”
“They
may have helped us but the Professor thinks, and I agree, that we
should still treat tomorrow as a mission,” Scott went on,
unlocking the front door. “As official X-man business.”
“Alright
already,” John exasperated as he headed inside. “Down
you go, Jen Jen...”
Pretty In Pink...ha
ha ha!
“I
don't believe this,” Logan said irritably as he paced the
floor. “So what? You're on his side now?”
“I've
had some time to think things over today.” Ororo tried to
calm him but was having little success.
Logan
looked at her in disbelief. “You were the one who convinced
me that keeping this a secret wasn't the smart thing to do.”
Ororo
felt like the biggest backstabber in the world as she said,
“Professor Xavier is right.”
Logan
slammed his fist on the wall. “Oh, Professor Xavier is
always right!
That's the X-men's motto, isn't it?”
“The
circumstances of his birth...” Ororo tried to explain.
“Finding out that your 'dad' isn't your biological father
is stressful enough. But to learn that your mother had you as a
result of an affair would be even worse.”
“Look,
it's a tough situation, I know that,” Logan insisted. “But
given enough time –”
“There's
also the fact,” Ororo interjected, “that he's
psychic. His powers are tied directly to the stability of his
mind and emotions. Placing him in that sort of psycho-emotional
upheaval would be an unjustifiable risk. At least for the
foreseeable future. Not until he has full control of his
abilities. I think that you should also let him grow up first,
mature a little more so that if –”
“When,”
Logan said, correcting her.
“– when
you tell him he can be much better equipped to handle it.”
Logan's
pacing started afresh. He began muttering about Jean, about a
large part of their current predicament was her fault, which
brought Ororo to the other issue she had to raise.
“Logan,”
she said, garnering his attention. “There's...something
else I thought a lot about today.”
“Did
a lotta thinkin' did ya?” Logan grumbled, not liking her
tone.
“I...think
we need some space.”
“What?”
Logan asked, getting all the more irritated at this new
development. “Why the hell do you think that?”
“It's
been over a year,” Ororo continued. “Jean's gone and
you're still...fixated on
her.”
“What?
I...I am not...fixated on...”
Ororo
looked at him pointedly. “Yes you are. You drove out to
Alkali Lake today, didn't you?”
Logan's brow furrowed. “How'd you know –”
“I was worried about you,” Ororo
replied.”I had Betsy run a scan. She sensed you there.
Sometimes...I feel like the only reason we ended up together is
because I got you on the rebound. That you're with me simply
because Jean's no longer here for you to direct your attention
to.”
“No, that isn't it.”
“Regardless, Logan, I don't think you've
completely gotten over Jean,” Ororo said, silencing him
with a stare. “And until you do I don't think we should –”
Logan's expression darkened. “So what? You're
breaking up with me?”
Ororo was quick to deny it. “No. I just want
you to let go of Jean first before you and I commit to something
long term. We just need to give each other some time and space.”
Logan looked at her dead in the eye. “Alright.
Fine. If that's what you want –”
“And what you need,”
Ororo added.
“I
just find the timing is a little suspicious,” Logan
responded.
Ororo
frowned. “What's that supposed to mean?”
“Oh
come on,” Logan answered, not really feeling in the mood to
sugar coat anything. “We go out to Muir Island, you see
Forge again and then suddenly you're talking about space.”
Ororo
gasped, clearly shocked that Logan could accuse her of such a
thing. “It's late, you're tired, so I'm just gonna let that
slide,” she said tightly when she recovered her voice.
“Good night,” she said perfunctorily and left without
waiting for a reply, almost slamming the door after her.
There goes
another one,
Logan thought to himself as he dropped onto the bed. Story
of my life...
The next morning, at the MALE hideout...
“Still got that headache?” Mystique
asked Magneto.
Magneto rubbed his slightly throbbing head. “Yes,
but it's eased up a lot. Oh well, just one of the aggravating
things one must put up with when getting along in years I
suppose. That and the gas issues, and the constant need to void
my bladder.”
Mystique said, looking a little disgusted. “Uh,
so did you have any luck with disabling the encryption?”
Erik frowned and shook his head. “No. There
are multiple layers of encryption protecting these files.
Decrypting them all will require an expert in the field.”
He was in fact speaking about the data that he had
salvaged from William Stryker's now destroyed base at Alkali
Lake. It was heavily suspected that the good colonel had been
carrying out nefarious schemes targeted at mutant kind for some
time before his final, failed, plot. The question was, what? The
X-men also had a copy of the data and so it was critical that the
Brotherhood discover what was contained in the files before they
did.
“What we need,” Magneto said, turning
to Mystique, “is an ICT specialist. Someone preferably in
the field of digital security. This encryption is of military
caliber.”
Mystique nodded. “I'll try to...source
someone
right away.”
Magneto
mumbled incoherently and directed his attention to the computer
screen once more. Now that he had rescued Avalanche and
Sabretooth from prison, there were more options open to him. As
he pondered his past attempts at bringing about humanity's
downfall and his multiple failures, Magneto came to a final
realization. In the past he directed his resources to crushing
the Homo sapiens and only showed aggression to the X-men when
they got in his way. But now he realized that had to change.
If
he was to get anywhere with realizing his ambitions for mutant
kind then the X-men had to be taken out of the picture, or
somehow incapacitated. It was almost a prerequisite. But first,
he had to discover Colonel Stryker's encoded secrets. They may
even prove to be useful with a few modifications...just as his
plot to utilize Cerebro to decimate mutants was. A pity that
failed.
“Oh
well, tomorrow is another day,” Magneto said to himself as
he plotted away.
The Following Morning...
“I don't get why we're going all decked out
in uniform,” John asked, as they pulled into the car park
of the Rebirth Center. “Just for a visit?”
Aside from Scott, accompanying John was the
Professor and Betsy. Scott and Betsy were dressed in full X-men
attire, wearing the uniforms with the black and gold motif, Betsy
choosing not to wear her usual unique ninja-esque garb. John was
sporting a miniature version of the spandex bodysuit made by
Hank. Even the Professor had changed out of his usual formal wear
and donned a more practical body suit. He was willing to give
Lilandra and her people a chance to explain their purpose and
intent, but it was always wise to be prepared for the possibility
of trouble, no matter how remote. Which was why other X-men were
posted in the nearby vicinity.
“Because,” Xavier answered as his hover
chair exited the van, “we are on official X-men business.
This is not a social call.”
“That and the clothes make the man...or
woman,” Scott continued.
John looked thoughtful. “So you wanna look
intimidating?”
“I didn't like their attitude last time,”
was Scott's response.
Betsy looked a little uncomfortable wearing the
uniform. “I'll wear this thing this time...but don't expect
a repeat.”
I didn't think they'd let you wear your usual
uniform if they wanted to intimidate, John thought to
himself. Something that skimpy can't possibly
–
I can hear you...
John blushed. Sorry.
Betsy laughed it off.
You'd be amazed how often that 'skimpy' uniform has distracted
enemies long enough for me gain the upper hand. There is
something to be said for shock value. Besides, better skimpy than
slutty like Emma's was.
They four of them
briefly stopped at the front of the main building and took in the
sight. It was as large as the Xavier Institute and seemed to be
less conservative in design. The building itself bore some traits
of Middle Eastern architectural design, with a dome over the
central building and a few turrets. All stared at the imposing
golden emblem emblazoned over the front door, a bird with its
wings unfurled.
Scott looked pensive. It
looks kinda like that bird shape your astral form took on, John.
When you were battling Kevin.
John looked up at his
father, clearly confused. What are you talking about? What
bird?
Scott face was a mask of
disbelief. When you astral projected it was in the form of a
bird. Ororo and Logan saw it. We thought you were just playing
around a little. you know, with you being Phoenix
and all.
I don't have a clue
what you're talking about, was John's response. I didn't
change to no bird. Maybe Kevin's powers somehow warped your
vision or something. I dunno.
Scott looked to Betsy
and Xavier, mentally transmitting this new concern of his. They
all placed it as a top priority in their investigative list.
“Hmm, nice blend
of east and west.” Betsy whistled. “We'll definitely
have to do some investigating to find out where they source their
funding.”
“How about we just
ask them?” John asked seriously.
Betsy looked at the poor
boy with exaggerated pity. “You've got a lot to learn,
young grasshopper.”
The doors slid open and
they entered into the entrance hall. Tessa was there to, read to
greet them and usher them to Lilandra. Upon seeing them she had
to remove her shades.
“John?” she
asked, stepping up for a closer look. “Is that you?”
She could sense his unique mutant signature but before her stood
a boy of no more than perhaps five.
John shifted a little
uncomfortably under her scrutiny. “Yeah, Tessa. Looks like
what you did had some side effects.”
Tessa's face fell. “I
sure didn't see this coming.”
“I'm not
complaining,” John quickly responded. “Don't get me
wrong. This is better than being dead or a comatose vegetable for
the rest of my life.”
Scott quickly agreed,
not wanting to seem ungrateful.
“Um, well, right
this way,” Tessa said, composing herself and leading them
into the building proper.
They were lead down a
long corridor, Tessa taking the time to explain their purpose as
they went about their way.
“Here we aim to
promote harmony and mitigate discord,” Tessa explained,
“regardless of differences, be they genetic, racial,
political, religious, sexual... We believe that only by working
together, drawing on each others strengths and compensating for
each others weaknesses can humanity unlock its true potential.”
Sounds nice,
Betsy said to the others telepathically, some skepticism and
sarcasm coloring her thought patterns. “So, um, what is the
nature of your work, precisely,” she asked Tessa.
“We conduct
outreach programs, seminars, workshops, but primarily we provide
a controlled environment here where diverse people can interact,”
Tessa said. “We monitor and record their
interactions...social experimentation you could say. We also
study such interactions in the outside world and collect data
that –”
Betsy's expression
caused Tessa to stop speaking briefly.
“Oh, you
mean...the other thing?” Tessa asked, suppressing a smirk.
Betsy rolled her
eyes. “Yes, the other
thing.”
Tessa's reply was
simple. It would be better if Lilandra explained that.
“And here we
are,” Tessa said, as they stood before the door leading to
Lilandra's office. She punched in the security code and it slid
open revealing the opulent interior. “Well, please enter.”
The Professor led
the way, followed by Scott and John. Betsy was last to enter. Due
to her wary nature she immediately began scrutinizing the place
for anything out of the ordinary. Tessa followed them inside and
shut the door behind her.
“Welcome to
the Rebirth Center,” Lilandra greeted them, after she had
recovered from the sight of John. “I'm glad to see your
cancellation of our earlier meeting was temporary. Please, have a
seat. Now, shall we get down to business?”
Xavier nodded.
“Yes. As you can imagine we have a lot of questions. I
think we'd better start with the most important of them all.”
Xavier eyed Scott then turned his gaze back to Lilandra. He
already knew the likely answer to the question he was about to
ask, but had to maintain the facade of ignorance. “Can you
give us some insight as to what John is going through?”
Professor Xavier continued. “The only thing we can think of
is that it is in some way linked to what Tessa did...her boosting
of his mutant powers.”
Tessa spoke up.
“My genetic catalyzing abilities can be unpredictable at
time,” she said, “but I can't think of why he'd have
reacted to them in this way. Everyone's unique I guess. The good
news is that the effects are always temporary. So I have the
utmost confidence that the effects – including this –
will reverse themselves soon enough. The longest they ever lasted
before was just over a week.”
Scott and John
looked relieved. Xavier and Betsy seemed satisfied. So much the
tests conducted at Muir Island had indicated, so at least they
weren't lying about that. Of course they'd not be able to
understand why John had regressed physically to the age of a
child. They didn't know what Xavier did.
“Well then,
now that we have that out of the way,” Betsy said, a tad
bit impatiently, “why don't we get to the meat of the
matter?”
Lilandra and Tessa
shared a look.
“Very well
then,” Lilandra replied, leaning back into her plush chair.
Scott reached into
his utility belt and pulled out the silver pendant / key that
John had found in the attic. “This apparently belonged to
my wife. It matches the ones your people seem to fond of,”
Scott continued, emphasizing the point by pointing at the one
Tessa was currently wearing. “How about we start with that?
What connection did you have with my wife?”
“That is a
long story,” Lilandra began. “But we have the time.
Just save the questions for when I'm done. Alright?”
The X-men nodded
and waited with bated breath as Lilandra began her tale...
Hank looked at the
computer monitor, his bushy blue eyebrows hitching up in
surprise.
“You...you
did all this overnight?” he asked Cerebro who was
projecting an image of himself in Hanks lab.
Cerebro's avatar
nodded and looked proud of himself and his accomplishment. “It
was in my backup drives and I was bored. Monitoring the security
system gets old real fast when you have access to multi-core,
parallel processing. I successfully bypassed the encryption
protocols at around 3 a.m. From there it was easy.”
Hank smiled and
sifted through the data before him. They were looking at none
other than the data they had salvaged from Colonel William
Stryker's now destroyed base at Alkali Lake. Hank had started
running decryption programs on it with an hour of their return to
the mansion. The process was automated and was being run twenty
four – seven since then, right on up to the time of
Magneto's attack. Hank knew that eventually his decryption
efforts would yield results but that it would take considerable
time. Apparently the increased computational capacity of Cerebro
was enough to expedite the process exponentially. Hank's mind
churned out numerous possible uses to put Cerebro to. But first,
William Stryker's data.
William Stryker
seemed to be a man given to recording almost every minuscule
detail of his operations. Hank leafed through the irrelevant (for
now) notes he kept about his ammunitions source, looked at the
files containing his daily logs with some interest but what
really got his attention was one set of files contained within a
folder labeled...
“Project
Sentinel,” Hank mumbled, rubbing his chin. Hank opened the
folder and launched the first file in the sequence. As he
perused the contents his expression grew progressively graver,
terminating in a, “by my stars and garters!”
Cerebro's avatar
flickered then looked apprehensive. “Did my efforts to
break the encryption damage the files' contents?”
Hank shook his
head quickly. “No, Cerebro – uh, Bro. You've done
very well. Now, I need you to summon all senior X-men remaining
here at the Mansion to the War Room for an emergency meeting.”
Cerebro nodded.
“You got it.”
Hank continued to
sift through the file's contents, saying a prayer of thanks that
William Stryker was dead and didn't have the chance to implement
his diabolical schemes...
Meanwhile, at the
Rebirth Center...
Professor Xavier
secretly tried to get a read on Lilandra's emotions as she wove
her tale. While he couldn't sense here thoughts he was grateful
that he could at least probe her emotions. So far she appeared to
be truthful. “So, you're saying you sensed Jean when her
powers first manifested?”
Lilandra shook her
head in the negative. “Not me. I was a child at the time.
My father did. He knew she was a mutant and thus, special, but
not how
special
at the time.
He
had just established the center only months before.”
“I see,”
Xavier went on, “please continue.”
Lilandra nodded.
“By the time he realized she was a mutant and tracked her
location...he discovered that she had already been delivered into
your care.”
Scott's eyebrow
raised. “How did he discover this exactly? John and Elaine
don't know anything about you.”
Lilandra didn't
like the tone of Scott's voice. And they were constantly
interrupting her with questions despite being asked to wait until
the end. But she said nothing about it. “He scanned their
minds. That's how he found out Jean had left with Professor
Xavier.”
Xavier looked at
her disapprovingly. “Without their permission?” he
asked, his ethical scruples being offended.
“He had felt
the child's fear,” Lilandra explained. “He didn't
know if Jean's parents were accepting or not and he wasn't sure
they'd be forthcoming with information. There wasn't anymore time
to waste and the priority was Jean. That's why he did what he
did.”
Betsy had a
question. “What was so special about Jean? Was your father
in the habit of 'rescuing' any and every mutant he chanced upon?
You said you specialize in what John's going through. Please
explain what you meant by that.”
“As I'm sure
you've come to realize,” Lilandra responded, “Jean
Grey underwent a sort of...transformation in her later years.
John is undergoing the same thing...albeit more slowly. His mind
is transcending a lower state and entering into a more evolved
one. My father documented the same phenomenon in several other
cases over the decades. It was what his research centered on. As
a matter of fact...he himself had undergone it.”
The X-men's jaws
dropped almost simultaneously.
“You're not
saying –” Xavier interjected, only to be cut off.
“My father
was no mutant,” Lilandra went on. “And neither am I.
But we are
psychically gifted. It, however, is not due to a genetic mutation
but through years of mental and spiritual discipline. The psychic
gifts are present in all humans, though only a few at any one
time unlock the potential. Psychic mutants are lucky in that they
have it handed to them at birth.”
Yeah, lucky,
Betsy thought to herself.
Had Professor
Xavier not had experience with people unlocking latent talents
through mysticism he would have been highly dubious. But, as it
was, his own half brother, Cain Marco aka The Juggernaut, had
succeeded in doing so.
Xavier's
expression was somber. “I've long suspected that. I've
theorized psychic mutants are born not with powers that others do
not possess...but rather with the ability to access
powers that ordinarily remain dormant in the majority of humans.
There are so many instances of baseline humans having lucky
hunches, precognitive dreams, synchronized thoughts and the like
that are just chalked up to intuition and coincidence. Perhaps
ordinary
humans sometimes unconsciously tap into such abilities.”
That may also explain why I wasn't able to read
their minds, Xavier thought
to himself. Why they're telepathy seems to be
functioning at a different...frequency. Unless they choose to
share thoughts with me.
Lilandra nodded.
“Yes. So our psychic research seems to indicate. It appears
that evolutionarily speaking, that is where humanity is heading.
Humans are social animals, as we all know, with a need to connect
and interact with one another. This appears to be the next step
in human evolution.”
John was
flabbergasted. “So what you're saying is that eventually
all humans will develop psychic abilities?”
“Yes, to put
it simply,” Tessa answered, nodding. “As our species
has evolved we developed different means to connect with each
other, to work together for gains that couldn't be actualized if
we tried as individuals. Means like speech, writing, languages,
social customs, cultural heritage, communications technology. We
have been endlessly endeavoring to strengthen our ties with one
another, whether we realized this or not.”
“There is
strength in the collective,” Lilandra went on. “And
evolution appears to be driving us to that end. For now, most
people have the potential but will never actualize it. It will be
their distant descendants who do. People like my father, myself
and a handful of others however, have succeeded through intense
effort. And then there's Jean and John.”
“But Jean
was, and John is already
psychic.” Scott
looked highly dubious. “I...just find this hard to
believe.”
Tessa agreed.
“True. But she was and...and in John's case, is
tapping into the psychic abilities at a level that other psychics
are not.”
“We
believe,” Lilandra said with a distant look, “that
when such an evolution, such a...rebirth
takes place, that all the ills man inflicts upon man will cease.
That is why we are dedicated to fostering this change. It may be
too slow in coming to save us from ourselves if left at its own
natural pace. We seem to be caught in a downward spiral at times.
Instead of advancing we regress. That is the true nature of our
work here.”
“I used to
think,” Betsy said a little bitterly, “that when two
or more parties had a disagreement...that if they all just sat
down and talked it through and were willing to listen and be
reasonable that a mutually satisfactory agreement could be
reached. I've wizened up since then.”
Xavier begged to
disagree. “Think about it, Elizabeth. What are words
and talking it out
compared to exchanging thoughts and raw emotions. When two people
can communicate in a manner that words can't possibly
convey...when they can feel each other's pain and understand
exactly what another is going through...place themselves in the
other person's position...how can they logically continue
fighting?”
“Oh,
they'll find a way,” Betsy scoffed. “Psychics still
argue amongst themselves. Look, we're psychics and we're having a
disagreement right now.”
Lilandra
nodded. “Yes, but psychics haven't reached the level Jean
and John did as yet. Just to draw a reference, you are aware of
the phenomenon of psychic rapport, are you not?”
The
X-men nodded, save John.
Scott
knew about it from first hand experience. “Jean and
I...were linked at a psychic level.”
Lilandra
smiled. “How often did you two have arguments you couldn't
solve?”
Scott
wracked his brains but couldn't remember. “I...don't
remember. We were fortunate. We always found a way to work our
differences out.”
“What
Lilandra is talking about, Scott,” Xavier said, “is
at a much deeper level than typical psychic rapports. Almost
becoming
the other person or party. It's fascinating.”
Lilandra
looked at Tessa who nodded, then began a little hesitantly. “We
have a strong suspicion that your...friend,
Miss Frost's epiphany wasn't due to the hard work of the doctors
at Happy Valley.”
Everyone
looked at John.
“I,
um, told Tessa about Emma,” John said a little sheepishly.
He looked at Lilandra and asked, “You have an idea why she
suddenly turned a 180?”
Professor
Xavier had been looking thoughtful for some time. “I
believe I do.”
All
eyes turned to him.
“Lilandra,
you say John is functioning at this hypothetical level you're
speaking about,” Xavier went on. “If that's so...then
he and I may have been responsible for Emma's change.”
Betsy
was dubious. “What? How?”
“When
Magneto attacked the Mansion and John and I joined in mental
symbiosis,” Xavier went on, “I was channeling power
through John...with him being linked to Cerebro and all. If
John's mind is indeed operating in such a manner, then when we
overwhelmed the attackers...Emma's mind may have been –”
“Awakened,”
Lilandra finished. “She may have been forced to experience
the pain she was responsible for and the injustice of her
actions. Her conscience would have done the rest and fostered her
epiphany as it were.”
“But...but
no one else 'saw the light',” Betsy insisted.
“Free
will,” Lilandra was quick to reply. “You cannot force
someone to change. You can show them the error of their ways and
then they must make the decision. Emma being forced to endure the
pain she inflicted upon John must have been enough to do the
trick. To answer your question, John had a personal relationship
with this woman. He might have specifically targeted her and –”
John shook his
head slowly. “I didn't force Emma to experience anything. I
wasn't even aware she was there. And I doubt the Professor would
single her out for extra punishment. He's not like that so –”
Xavier disagreed.
“You might have been subconsciously aware of her presence.
Just like you were the morning after your powers first flared.
Your powers made a wall ornament fly off and hit her.”
Several minutes
passed by in silence as the X-men internalized all that they had
learned.
“Back to
Jean,” Lilandra finally said. “My father realized
that she was in good hands when he tracked her down to your
institute.”
“Let me
guess...telepathic spying again?” Scott asked.
Lilandra nodded
and looked a little embarrassed. “Yes. As I said the
priority was Jean. Rest assured, he didn't delve deeper than he
needed to. He knew nothing about...about the school's links to
the X-men.”
“The X-men
weren't in existence then,” Xavier corrected.
“Oh, I see,”
Lilandra said. “Well he didn't know that. All he knew was
that Professor Xavier was a mutant and psychic like Jean who had
pure intentions. And that he could train her in the use of her
powers. Years later however...he again sensed Jean's psychic
emanations. She had changed at a fundamental level.”
Xavier's brow
furrowed. “Her telekinesis developed.” He turned to
John. “Jean's mutant powers first manifested as telepathy
that awakened when she saw her best friend struck down by a car.
Her mind linked to her dying friend...and the emotions of the
dying girl overwhelmed her. I helped her come to grips with her
telepathy and then, years later, her telekinesis manifested as
well. That must have been the change Lilandra's father sensed.”
“Exactly,
Professor,” was Lilandra's reply. “By this time Jean
was a legal adult and fully capable of making her own decisions.
My father decided to meet with her.” Lilandra shook her
head. “It didn't go very well. As a matter of fact, Jean
was highly mistrustful.”
“Then why
didn't she say something to us?” Scott asked, eyes
narrowing.
Lilandra looked
regretful. “Because my father suppressed her memory of the
meeting.”
Scott's suspicion
was confirmed. Betsy herself was disturbed. John's expression
wasn't as trusting as it was at the start either.
“You must
understand,” Lilandra went on. “Had Jean not revealed
herself to have undergone this transformation he would have let
her be. We've seen that ordinary humans who awaken their dormant
psychic abilities sometimes become overwhelmed by them. My father
was concerned for Jean's wellbeing. He wasn't sure what the
repercussions of a mutant experiencing such mental evolution
would be. He didn't think Professor Xavier knew what he was
dealing with.”
“And he was
right,” Xavier conceded. “Just like with John. Much
of the time it was trial and error. I'm only grateful that in
Jean's case I was able to help her and didn't make things worse.”
Lilandra continued
quickly while she appeared to have the Professor's trust. “My
father planned on meeting her later on when she might have been
more ready, before anything major happened. It was his hope that
nothing untoward happened to her until such time. Sadly, he
passed away before he could try again. He left the task to me.”
Bit by bit the
pieces fell into place.
“I kept a
close eye on Jean's psychic status for years via the astral
plane. She seemed to be controlling her telekinesis well. Then
there came a time when I too felt a change in Jean. A more
profound one. Just last year,” Lilandra explained. “A
great surge in her power levels. I suspect other psychics did as
well.”
Scott nodded. At
first the X-men had wondered if perhaps the mutation enhancing
radiation of Magneto's machine at Liberty Island was responsible.
They eventually threw aside that idea. Over six years had passed
since the event and no one else had showed any signs of change.
Given the speed at which the machine affected its victims,
shouldn't Jean have showed signs much sooner?
Signs that Jean
was changing were at first subtle. A stray thought or two she
might intercept. Instead of picking up an object it might be
thrown instead. Eventually things became progressively more
overt; involuntary bursts of telekinetic energy that caused
property damage, rumblings in the house whenever she had a bad
dream, computer systems going haywire around her...
“I knew I
had to act,” Lilandra went on. “So I tracked her down
and met her privately, I told her about our facility and what it
is we do.”
“How did she
react?” Scott asked, deeply curious.
“She shocked
me,” was Lilandra's honest response. “Apparently the
psychic blocks suppressing her memories of my father's first
visit had crumbled when her telepathy started flaring. But she
thought the memory of him warning her at that first meeting was
only one of her bad dreams. When she learned that it really
happened from me she was willing to listen.”
Scott still wasn't
satisfied with Lilandra's explanation. “Yes, but I still
don't see why she didn't say anything to us.”
“Because I
asked her not to,” Lilandra replied. “I said she was
willing to listen,
I
didn't say she was willing to believe.
I knew that if she was disbelieving and she was the one actually
experiencing what I was talking about...there was no way you all
would believe me at that point in time. I couldn't force her, but
I did ask her to remain quiet about it just in case she told
someone who misinterpreted my intentions as something sinister.
At the time, all I knew was that she was a teacher at a school
for the gifted. A school whose principal happened to be a mutant.
That's all.” Lilandra paused to catch her breath. “If
the truth somehow got out to the wrong people, as it often tends
to, and my facility was investigated...there could have been
negative repercussions.”
“What
kind of negative repercussions?” Betsy asked. “You
don't have an underground band of quasi-military people jetting
off on missions here do you?”
“Betsy,
behave,” Xavier chided.
“We
help all types of people here,” Tessa answered, ignoring
John's comment. “But just the fact that we cater to mutants
as well...and serve as a gathering place and halfway house to
them might have resulted in us being targeted by prejudiced
individuals. The idea of too many mutants gathering in one place
scares some people. That's why Lilandra asked Jean not to tell
anyone.”
“I
gave her that pendant,” Lilandra continued. “It's
more than cosmetic. It serves as a key to the center. It was just
in case she changed her mind. I had the feeling that a part of
her believed me and she was just too afraid to face what she was
going through. Perhaps that's why she kept the key. Maybe she
might have changed her mind. Given what I know now about you
all...I'm surprised she didn't say anything about us. You all
surely wouldn't have acted in a manner that would have endangered
mutants.”
“Jean
always kept her word,” Scott said solemnly. “Maybe
she kept the key so that she could investigate the place herself
and then, depending on what she saw here, she'd have reported
back to us.”
She must not
have had the time,
Betsy mentally whispered to her companions. The
Alkali Lake mission coming up and all.
Yeah,
Scott replied. It made sense.
“Jean
hid the pendant,” Professor Xavier told Lilandra. “Kindly
refresh my memory, John. Where did you find it again?”
“Oh,
um...in the attic,” John said, trying to keep a straight
face as he averted his gaze. “It was in a box.”
“Well,
that is how I knew Jean,” Lilandra finished. “And how
she came to have that pendant.”
“We
don't meant to sound distrustful,” Professor Xavier
replied, “but we would like to...examine the humans who
claim to have awakened dormant psychic abilities. Perhaps some
genetic testing to rule out possible mutations in genes other
than the X-gene and the like. There have been instances where
humans have acquired extraordinary abilities through such
mutations.”
“Mutate
is the proper term for such an individual,” Scott
explained. “Like the Fantastic Four for instance. Cosmic
radiation warped their DNA and granted them their powers.”
“Oh,
of course,” Lilandra concurred, having no issue with that
request. “We all look forward to cooperating with you. Oh,
and keep the key.”
After
some more discussion the X-men decided to take their leave for
the time being. Understandably, they had much work to do and
pressing issues that needed attending to. Both sides agreed to
meet again in the near future and an bond of trust seemed to be
in the works. As they were almost to the door John chanced to see
a tapestry that hung over the the doorway. One that he had
missed, facing in the wrong direction as he walked into the room.
He stopped walking, his eyes riveted to it.
It
depicted a semi-nude man standing before a tree. On the branch to
the right of the male figure perched a very familiar looking
bird, of golden plumage looking benevolently at the man. On the
branch to the left of the man coiled what looked to be a
miniature black dragon, serpentine and menacing. Above it all was
the stylized image of a partially eclipsed sun, casting its rays
upon the tree. The sight of it snapped John right back to the
dream he'd had while he was in his catatonic state following the
Danger Room incident.
“John,”
Betsy said, rubbing his shoulder. “Come on, dear, we're
ready to go.”
John
looked at Lilandra and opened his mouth to direct a question to
her. He didn't get the chance to as the Professor's phone beeped.
Scott and Betsy looked to him quizzically as he read the text
message that came through on the secure line. Xavier's face
hardened.
“Professor,
what is it?” Scott asked, instantly going into mission
mode.
“It's
Hank,” Xavier answered. “He wants us to return to the
Mansion immediately. He says it's urgent and of the utmost
importance. Apparently, Cerebro cracked the encryption codes
protecting Colonel Stryker's data files. He's made some truly
disturbing discoveries.”
That
was enough to motivate Betsy out the door.
Scott
grabbed John and followed.
“But
dad I wanted to ask Lilandra someth –” John began and
was promptly silenced by his father.
“Whatever
it is will have to wait,” Scott said, cutting him off.
“This is more important. Hank never exaggerates.”
Xavier
bid his farewell to Lilandra and Tessa and swiftly departed as
fast as his hover chair could take him. The two women waved and
watched them leave, all but running down the corridor.
Tessa
looked pointedly at her leader. “You didn't tell them
anything about the –”
“The
Phoenix and the Dragon?” Lilandra shook her head. “No.
They're not ready yet. Although...judging by the expression on
John's face when he saw that tapestry...he might be getting
there.”
Tessa
paused at the threshold, looking quite worried. “I wonder
what it is they discovered that made them run out so fast.”
Lilandra's
expression became grave. “I don't know. We can only hope
it's not as bad as it they made it out to be. Because whether
they choose to believe it or not...Magneto was right. A war is
coming. I just hope they're ready, willing and able to fight it
when the time comes. If not it will likely be the end of us all.”
“Amen,”
Tessa replied somberly, leaving Lilandra to her thoughts...
To Be Continued...
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