DISCLAIMER: This is a project of the X-Writers. We have neither asked nor been given permission by Marvel Comics to do this. They get to get all their rights and we get to keep ours, but they have the copyright, now, don't they? Also, the poem we took liberties with at the end there used to be 'The Raven' by your friend and ours, Edgar Allen Poe. You got it, we didn't get any permission to use that one either. He does get to keep the nifty copyright and all that jazz, of course. By the way, don't bother sueing us. We can barely afford college, like we'd have something extra? Ha. WARNING: This is a story. This is only a story. Had it been a recounting of issues from real life, spandex would be in style, and we would be living at the Xavier School for Gifted Students and working as night janitors. NOTE: This story may contain cuss words, questionable morals, little bunny rabbits, rain, killing, death, Death, blatant acts of kindness, something that resembles an actual person or event, off-key singing, brief scenes of nudity, muddled and embarrassingly rendered accents, jealousy, kissing, friendship, angst, original ideas, bludgeoned bunny rabbits, risky business, party favours, and all sorts of thought provoking questions regarding the cosmic powers and our unique advantages in becoming higher than our base animalistic selves. You may be inspired to write your own works of art and break the Oppressive Chains of Society so that your mind can run free. This story may even win a Noble Peace Prize, bringing together warring factions of estranged brothers and sisters and leading them to a long needed era of peace. -------------------------------------------- Generation X #13 'Hide and Go Seek' part 1 Written by Andy & Lee, April 30 1996 Editor: Marysia -------------------------------------------- ' The sun struggles up another beautiful day, And I felt glad in my own suspicious way. Despite the contradiction and confusion, - Elvis Felt tragic without reason, Costello There's magic and there's malice in every season. ' -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Prologue: Dreams. "I had a dream a week ago. It nearly scared the crap outta me. "It was definitely the English countryside. It was a whole postcard scene, very proper, very green, very cool, and not so humid as Samoa or Hawaii. I could tell it was one of those richer-than-usual neighbourhoods, where people would live isolated in their estates and mansions and not see another living soul for months at a time. I don't know; I haven't been to England, so maybe that's not what they really have there, but in my mind, it's exactly what I thought it'd be. Have you ever seen 'The Remains of the Day'? Well, I haven't either, but I saw a movie poster of it once, one of those cheap jobs down by the second rate movie theatre. It had a picture of an English countryside on it. Anyhow, you get my point. Right? "Well, then there was this lane, and it led up to this private estate, really huge. I mean, you could fit the whole island I was born on in that place. I don't know how I got through the gates -- they were locked -- but I did, and then I started up the lane to the house. Mansion. Castle. Whatever. I walked right into it, like I wasn't even there, but I was, but I wasn't. And it felt spooky, like I was one of those sorority girls who decide to walk up to the hunted mansion alone because she heard a strange noise and was stupid enough not to bring along her buff jock boyfriend or a 12 gauge shotgun. "Inside, the placed looked even more huge. "There was a large staircase leading up to the second floor, and an elevator behind it, and an east and west hallway, and a sitting room, and, well, the whole basic household room layout. I found them in the dining room. "There were four of them. Three girls and a guy. The girls were kinda pretty, but I don't really remember them too well. They weren't distinctive, not like the guy was. Anyhow, so those three girls were sitting at one end of a long table, and they were dressed in really tight, '70's style clothing. Maybe early '80's. There were two brunettes and a blond, but you could tell that one of the brunettes was wearing a wig to make her look blond too. All of them were wearing so much make up, the cost of it alone could have paid for the plane ride up here. They each had shoulder holsters with pistols, and all the other gadgets undercover secret service types have. But, they didn't look FBI or CIA or nothing. Maybe like one of those cheesy cop show girls. Or, no, like an early '80's tv show. They looked like they wanted to be models, dressing to kill; but they were all so young. I'd say the one with the wig couldn't have been any older than fourteen. The other one, the real blond, was maybe the oldest of the three and she couldn't have been more than, what, 16? 17? "Okay, now the guy was a lot easier to remember. He was wearing a real expensive leather jacket, but it was cut like a '70's leisure suit, jeans, and a t-shirt. He sat there looking all important, like he was the one giving those 'agents' their 'assignments'. His face was all bandaged up like he'd just had plastic chin surgery, and he had real wild eyes. I could just hear the horror theme song from 'Friday the 13th' start up when I looked at him. It's as if his eyes were ... glowing. Oh, well, maybe you consider that normal. "Now, I was watching them from the hallways, making myself really small. If it would have been a movie, the audience would have already been yelling 'get out of there! They're coming to get you!', and knowing my luck, it would have been real bad. But, it was only a dream. "Right, right, back to the story. Well, the guy talked to those three girls, and I almost started laughing when I heard what he was telling them. They would be investigating a murder and had go undercover as bikini swimwear competition contestants. I remember they called the guy something like 'Boso' or 'Bonly' or 'Bosly'. It was almost over when the back panel of the wall rolled to one side. There was a screen right behind it, and the shadowy outline of a man on it. All of them, me too, started suddenly getting real nervous. "Well, the man, he talks with a deep, tired voice, and it's really gravelly, like a voice from the dead. He whispered something in that voice to them, and they looked ... shocked? I think -- it was kinda hard to pay attention to them. The guy on the screen got ahold of your attention real quick and wouldn't let go. "Oh, I didn't tell you? Well, he was ... um, maybe your build, but he was down real low like he was sitting in a chair or something. And ... yeah, he was bald, definitely bald. "After that? It gets ... weird. I don't want to talk about it. "I mean it." =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Section 1: Once Upon a Time. An Interview. Training in the Biosphere. - Part one, Emma I'm sitting in my office with my colleague, Sean, and a young girl of Hawaiian origin. She calls herself Cordelia Machakio. We've already interviewed her friend, the Samoan who simply goes by the name of Mondo. What she tells us is ... interesting. It's very frustrating to be around someone who resists your talents. Her mind is impenetrable to me, much like that of Jubilation Lee, only more so. It seems that she, too, is a mutant, though one with the purely defensive ability of having a telepathically unreadable mind. I don't know if I should expect that there's something more to her or not -- she seems rather harmless, certainly so when compared to one of the other children ... such as Penance or Everett for example. She is useful for one thing, though. Mondo and she are, from what I gather, very close; she seems to be the leader of their little duo. Where she goes, Mondo will follow. Good. Very good. To say the least, he has a potentially powerful mutant ability, one that could be well used and integrated into our school. Cordelia drones on and on about this dream of hers, one that gave her an uneasy night's rest. She seems to think much of it, considering that every time she has a bad dream, something goes wrong in her life or the lives of those around her. Judging from the look on Sean's face, he would agree with my assessment -- these dreams are merely a case of nerves, her subconscious mind being influenced by the stress placed on her body and manifesting itself in a non-threatening and potentially cleansing way by becoming a consciously remembered, and relatively mild, nightmare. After all, she hardly seems frightened right now, though she is rather reticent in the retelling of the remainder of the dream. Maybe she simply sees how uninterested we are and has decided to cut her losses. A harsh estimation? Again, maybe, but I certainly have no desire to sit through endless hours of this impromptu dream therapy session. Sean stands up and walks over to the girl, placing a comforting, parental hand on her shoulder and saying, "Don't ye worry yerself, lass, ye're safe now. If ye believe that the dreams are reaccurin' to the point o' bein' a bother, ye be sure an' come to us, an' we'll see what we can do." "Thank you, Mister Cassidy." Cordelia fairly beams at him. "Nay, lass, it is only what we'd do for any o' our students who need it." He is pleased, though. - Part two, Sean The poor wee lass is scared to pieces. I can tell. The dream has obviously shaken her up, but it is no use wastin' the time to try an' put some good sense into Emma. From the look on her face, she probably believes that the lass is only wastin' our time, an' that's one thing she won't have. The mind witch -- if she wasn't so good to the other children -- an', aye, I do have the good sense to realize that much -- I would have half a mind to show her the door an' thank her on her way out. I believe we are both in agreement over the other lad, but, I am willin' to bet, it will be this one who will be causin' the friction between the two o' us, Emma an' I. I cannot help but sigh, thinkin' that the sooner this is done, the better. Cordelia, that is the lass's name, is observant an' gets up an' says her good bye's. She thanks each o' us an' hopes to be hearin' from us soon an' is it alright if she an' the lad walk around an' show themselves the place? Emma, smilin' all the while, says, "No. I think you two should stay in your suites for the time being. When we've mulled over what you've said, we'll send someone or come over ourselves and let you know." As I said, Cordelia is an observant lass, an' she quickly backed out o' there an' allowed me to escort her back to the suite. On me way back to the office, I decide that those two cannot be allowed to leave here without bein' given the chance to enroll. While they may not be powerful, they are good kids, an' older than the others, an' seem like good influences, an', well, the school is not about teachin' only the powerful kids, but all o' them, so that they all can have a better life in this world. - Part three, Paige Ah creep ... *I* creep ... Oh, hell, this is in muh mind, ah don't need ta have no correct pronunciation ... Ah creep 'long the side o' the Biosphere for a couple o' hundred yards, always bein' shure ta keep the noise o' the fightin' behind me an' ta the right. Ah swear, they're makin' e'nuff noise ta wake the dead back there, but ah can't complain. This way, ah know right where Angelo an' Jubilee an' Everett all are. Muh form is camouflaged 'gainst the rest o' the trees, bein' spotted grey, green, an' brown. Winter's still blowin' full force out there, but, in here, it's a cool seventy degrees. Miz Frost says she ain't goin' ta let us slack off on a'ccount o' no snowstorm, so the Biosphere'll be kept ready for our trainin' any time o' the day 'r night. Personally? Ah think she just didn't want ta deal with it. She spends a lot o' time out here, an' ah just can't picture her diggin' out the snow shovel an' clearin' herself a spot. A tree branch snaps ta muh right, real quiet like. Prob'bly one o' the other boys, thinkin' ta do the same thang ah'm doin'. Monet just ain't goin' ta do thangs too subtle since she don't have ta, an' Penny would just charge. She don't come an' 'play' no more, though. At least for a li'l while. A couple o' days 'go, she had 'nuther one o' her ... 'fits', ah think they called it. She's recoverin' in the infirmary. It still makes me wonder why she stole a'way on that trip with us when she could've had one o' them 'fits' any time. Dangerous? Hell, yeah. But, man, oh, man, was ah surprised when Jono an' ah showed up at the base an' there was Penance, sittin' all nice as yuh please, waitin' for the rest o' us ta come in, just like Everett an' Monet were doin'. 'Nuther branch snaps right on top o' me, an' ah startle like a scared doe, jumpin' back an' 'round an' flingin' muh hands up. A figure jumps out o' the trees 'bove me, grinnin' like mad over the bandages coverin' his face an' chest. Damn, it's Jono. How the hell did he sneak up on me like that? Too much talkin?! <> he telepathically sends inta muh mind, makin' shure ah know just *how* stupid ah am ta carry on a mental conversation when a telepath's 'round. Not that he can tell exactly what ah was thinkin', but from what ah understand, it's the presence o' mental activity in someone who don't know how ta shield -- like me -- that can tip him off ta someone's location. Damn, an' ah wasn't payin' e'nuff attention ta muh surroundin's, either, an' just 'bout let him sneak up on me an' catch me off guard. There ah am, doin' it a'gain! Too much talk, an' not e'nuff action. Even though all that thinkin's only taken a couple o' seconds, he's already jumped ta one side, keepin' clear o' muh hands while he gets some distance so he can use his own mutant powers. He's got the advantage over me in a show down, considerin' his mutant powers lets him stay well out o' muh reach an' also get a wide area in each blast. That's his favourite way o' usin' the dangerous energies he controls. ah've got ta think o' somethin', an' fast! Well, ah certainly won't win any points for grace, but ah'm fast e'nuff scramblin' 'round a tree that the first blast o' physical/psionic energy lands ta muh left. Ah now have a couple o' seconds o' leeway as Jono either comes closer 'r prepares for 'nuther blast. God damn -- oops, sorry, ah didn't mean ta take the Lord's name in vain -- can't ah husk any faster than this? Ah hate these moments; ah'm a whole hell o' a lot more vulnerable sittin' here, half husked, than ah am in whatever form ah end up in, even if it's somethin' mostly useless. Ah'm laughin' an' takin' off inta the air bah the time Jono fires off his next blast. A flurry o' wings, four ta be exact, work double, triple, quadruple time ta get me up inta the sky. Jono must've realized his mistake now, 'cause he's sendin' a lot more, less powerful, but still damn effective, blasts in muh direction, tryin' ta shoot me down. Ah just keep laughin'. Ain't no way he's goin' ta get me now. An' that's why -- Ah'm ashamed ta admit -- Monet's punch catches me off guard an' sends me hurdlin' ta the ground with a force that knocked me out. - Part four, Angelo Madre de dios. That has *got* to hurt. Paige falls faster from the sky than it's healthier to. The impact is loud enough for the rest of us hombres to hear, even from hundreds of yards away. THUMP. There went Paige. That has *got* to hurt. Alright, time to take care of my man and then square off with the Firecracker. Out of a healthy sense of survival, we both decide to join together and get the Synching Man out of the way first. I'd rather face the chica than the chico any day, and she feels the same way. BOOM. Ev goes down under the combined pressure of her bursts pushing him back while I hang on to his legs. Hey, it doesn't matter how your enemy goes down, just that he does, si? And trippin's just as good as any other method. It's like going down in the middle of a pack of wild animals. You're never going to get back up. At least, that's mostly true in Ev's case. It's hard to get your balance again when my skin's tangling your hands and legs. It's times like these I've just gotta love my mutant powers. Jubilee jumps back and puts her hands together, making a fake, hand-puppet gun. Don't know where she learned that from, but it's muy effective. The burst of light and energy erupts from her fingertips in an almost solid stream, bearing down on Ev with a force to be reckoned with. Soy muy estupido! Strength's not my strong suit -- no pun intended -- so when Ev heaves upwards, I just heave up along with him. End result? I'm trying to gather up the slack from the extra skin while also trying to stand up while also trying to move outta Jubes' way while also trying to keep Ev from running off. Thanks to a well timed interference, in the form of one Monet St. Croix, Ev's attention is distracted for solamente un momento. Using team work, I pull him back and off balance. My skin almost snaps back into place as I gather it and run as fast as I can, backwards, away from my now doomed amigo. It's a good thing I'm running backwards. I get to see Monet bare down on me, fist pulled back and flying in low. Madre de dios, can't I ever catch a break? - Part five, Monet First Paige, now Angelo. Sometimes, I amaze even myself. - Part six, Jubilee "Yo, Ev, sorry, dude!" I say, blasting him 'til he cries uncle. As soon as he's down, like, I turn around in a way far too amazing move and face Angelo and Monet. Whoa. No. Thank you. I know when I'm not wanted. Time to make like a dress on prom night. I dive into the underbrush with another move, this one on par with the great Wolvermeister. Mental note: Always check before you jump. Have you ever felt you were a Big Gulp and some thirsty little kid was draining you for all you're worth? Well, I have. Just now, actually. I land in a move not even worthy of Mrs. Jean 'I'm too sexy' Grey Summers, my face making a nice groove in the dirt. A line from one of my favourite movies pops into my mind about 'humiliations galore'. Yep, right on the money. As soon as I pick myself up, I turn to the two boys watching me with barely contained laughter. "Hi, Artie... Hi, Leech." Artie, god bless the little #%?$@!%*&, gives us an instant replay via hologram of my header. Gee, thanks, dude. Wait! I have -- cue the inspirational music, maestro -- an idea! I finally convince them that my idea could work. It only takes a small bribe -- two Snickers candy bars taken out to them in the Biosphere when Herr Frost ain't looking -- to get them on my side. Through the underbrush, those two crawl further away from Monet and Angelo. I stay right where I am, pretending -- sorta, anyhow -- that I'm hiding in fear of my life. But, see, *I* know that *Monet* knows exactly where I am, thanks to that super duper hearing of hers. But, like, she doesn't know that I know that she knows where I am. And, I know that she doesn't know that I know that she knows where I am. So, like, she doesn't know that I know that she doesn't know that I know that she knows where I am. Right... anyways, heightened senses shall be her downfall!! - Part seven, Monet Trust Jubilation to hide in the bushes while others around her battle. She is such a child. Angelo was defeated almost as easily as Paige. With those two down, and Everett, too, only Jubilation, Jonothon, Artie, and Leech remain. Not too bad, though I'd prefer not to have to deal with Leech myself. Maybe I can get someone else to do it. Haha, wouldn't that be a hoot! This is so fun! I wish we'd do more training sessions. I like showing off. It's a lot different than before, when all we got to do was just sit around at Daddy's house with no one to play with. That's all over now. We have new friends here. Okay, now, who to take out first? I need to stop doing that; more self-discipline should take care of that little problem. Not... that I really want to take care of it like that. Maybe I should ask someone if there's... another way? Well, regardless, time to take out young Jubilation. Hiding in the underbrush... she reminds me of someone... "Come out, come out, wherever you are," I call out tauntingly, hoping to get the response I usually do. She is so easy to manipulate most of the time. She shifts position, getting up on her hands and knees and either preparing to charge me or run as fast as she can in the opposite direction. I hope she has the common sense to do the second one instead of the first. "Can you hear me? Hmmm?" She takes off in the other direction, a forearm soundly smacking off of a branch from the tree beside her. I take my time walking over to her, knowing that I can catch her when I need to. Maybe I should go and catch Jono first? No, let me do it orderly and methodically, not like they'd have me do it. I raise my hands into the air and lift my body. Exerting my will and mutant power, I fly forward, over the brush, and between the trees. She's doubled back, though, trying to change directions sharply to avoid me. Unfortunately, she isn't the master strategist that I am, and I fly to one side, cutting her off. Too late, even for my superior reflexes, I sense two others near me. My own preoccupation has lead to my down fall. Already, I can feel myself losing control, not only of my powers, but of more... much more. No cause to be alarmed, I suppose. I watch what happens next dispassionately. - Part eight, Artie Artie loves it when a plan comes together. - Part nine, Leech Leech jumps forward when Monet turns to cut Jubilee off. It's easy to get her within range, and once she is, Leech is glad to see that Monet just lands on the ground and doesn't move. He was afraid that she would hurt herself landing. He moves forward with Artie, circling around her as Jubilee comes in on the other side. Strange. Monet still doesn't move. Leech wonders why and moves closer still. "Monet?" Leech says, careful not to be too loud. Jubilee whispers for him to be quiet. "Yes, Leech?" Monet says, sounding flat, without emotion. She looks like she is being forced to sit at a boring play in the school auditorium like Leech has been. He knows he gets bored, too, at those things. Is she bored right now? "Are you bored?" Leech decides to ask. No better way to know, he knows. "Oh, no, it's not that, Leech," Monet replies, kindly. Jubilee, who Leech can see over Monet's head, is making a gagging sound and rolling her eyes. Leech ignores Jubilee, though. She is nice to Leech and Artie, but she is sometimes more of a kid than they are. "What is it, then, Monet? Monet can tell friend Leech." Leech wants to move forward to her, but is afraid too. Too many people don't like for Leech to be around. "Oh, just back off, okay!" Monet yells at Leech. He jumps back, hurt by her anger. He thinks maybe he did it to her, so he backs off even more. Jubilee is his friend, though, so she jumps to his defense, even if he doesn't need any defending. Well, sometimes he does. Maybe it's nice to have a person who jumps to Leech's defense more times than is necessary. Doesn't it mean that they will be there when Leech really needs them? Yes, that's true. "Hey, back off, Monet. Leech doesn't need a hissy fit from you. All's fair in love and training sessions, right?" Monet looks very bad. Leech thinks she looks sick, but she couldn't get sick that quick. She must be feeling so bad she feels sick. "I am... sorry, Leech. Very sorry. I... " She stands up quickly and turns away from them, but makes no other move. - Part ten, Monet I feel them fighting to get out. Get out? You've been keeping us in here like... They struggle, not violently, and not maliciously, but they do. Then want to feel what it's like to be out in the open again, I want to... feeling the grass beneath their feet, having control of... be first... having control of a body again. No! These are their thoughts, not mine. Leave me alone! - Part eleven, Jubilee She's freaking out. That's not a good thing. "C'mon, Artie, help me here, 'k?" I walk towards Monet, slowly. Even though she's a priss and a stick in the mud and a lot of other things I really don't want to call her to her face, she is my... alright, I can admit it to my self. She's my friend. A not so good one... no, wait, she is a good friend, she's just not always able to show it. Yeah. When you really need her around, she's there for you. Um... or something. "Leech, walk away, 'k, bud?" Leech walks away from Monet as Artie and I walk towards her. Artie looks up at her with those majorly big eyes of his, the kind that just make you think he's some poor lost little puppy. Monet's not falling for it right now, though. "Monet?" I ask, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You okay?" She doesn't respond. Didn't think she would, of course. I feel something coming back to me, and I know Monet feels it too. She takes another few steps away from the still backing up Leech and then turns around to look at us. I can't say that I was, like, Ms. Sly or anything, 'cause I know everything I was feeling -- confusion, concern, worry -- was written all over my face. Monet doesn't say anything to us, she just takes off like a bat outta hell. I watch her fly up above the treetops and disappear. You know what? I don't care where she's going. The least she could've done is said ... well, she could've *acknowledged* us! I turn back to Artie and Leech and smile. "Hey, what can I say? She's just the quiet type." They nod in understanding, and Artie puts his hand in mine. We walk back to the front of the Biosphere, willing to just let this training session end already. - Part twelve, Jono The Biospheres's quiet 'gain. It's been over a 'alf 'our since Paige escaped and was 'hit by Monet. I can't 'elp but stay be'ind for a while, though, 'n' not join the others. A loner, they say've me, but sometimes I just like t' think on those enigmatic things what people think on when they're in a rather morose mood. Think've 'ow more enigmatic those things must be if 'e who thinks them 'as just tried t' shoot down the gel what he has a mad crush on. *Mad* crush. Well, the mad part's unfortunate, but true. Mad, if one sided. How could ... No. I shouldn't start down that road 'gain. It's certainly not the road less travelled, more like New York rush hour traffic. So, what other enigmatic things can there be to think 'f when I can't get my mind off've 'er? My family? No, let's try again. I'd really rather not relive *that* old pain. In fact, let's leave everything b'fore the 'incident' -- there, like that, don' I? Call it by some foreign name an' maybe it won't remind me uv the fact that it was the single most devastating event in me entire life, that what ruined everything I 'ad or might once 'ave -- let's leave it all be. I don't want to think on 'at. But ... uv course, yer know, me mind won' let me ferget the past. What 'appened, it's 'appened, n' I'm not ever gonna be able t' go back t'it. And then there's -- oh, bloody 'ell, there's Gayle. Gayle Gayle Gayle Gayle Gayle bleedin' *GAYLE*. Gayle, why'd I've to ... why ... christ. Then uv course, the letter arrived n' me world flipped upside down and diagonal. Mutant bleedin' porcupines, sucking the life out've me while I feel it being drawn out slowly from me mouth. That's me bleedin' *self* you've there, sir, would yer kindly give it back b'fore I've t' rip it from yer 'ands? Someone's walking towards me, moving silently among the trees. Mostly silent, anyhow. Physically, anyways. Who's left? Paige is down. I 'eard Angelo go down earlier, followed by Everett. Monet, Jubilee, Artie and Leech. And meself, of course. Usually, when it's down t' me, Monet, Artie and Leech. Artie n' Leech are a team, and neither Monet nor I wish to go against them. Vice versa. So we usually jus' leave it at a stale mate at this point. The teachers don't mind, or, at least, they're not saying anything. Not yet. The person, whoever it is, comes closer. Too bad I can't tell between people. I was amazed when I could tell that someone was coming at all. But, unfortunately, I can only tell intensity as a by product uv distance. Male, female, young, old ... I've no clue. I just hope it's not someone 'ere to fight. I'm really not in the mood. Walking out from around a tree trunk is ... Lately, I've found that I've been repeating one gesture more than any others. If I'd a jaw, it'd be dropping. Paige Guthrie, girl uv my dreams 'erself, steps out from behind door number one. "Well, howdy there, Jono," she says, making fun of 'er own accent by drawling each word. <> I acknowledge. "Mind if I take a seat?" She does it anyway, not waitin' fer me to say one way or the other. <> She sits across from me on the ground, drawing her knees up to 'er chest. 'Er blond hair is pulled back from 'er face, and she looks like she cleaned up before she came back out 'ere. "You win," she says, startling us out of me reverie. <> Amazing. She only laughs, softly, a faint sound, but not an uncomfortable one. Alright, quick review. She's been avoiding me. I've been avoiding her. Now she comes out here and asks to sit with me. She doesn' look uncomfortable. What does it mean? Am I worrying too much? It's in my nature, I suppose. She brushes back a stray lock of hair. "Well, Monet was caught by Jubilee, Artie and Leech, and they three decided to abstain. So ... you're the grand prize winner. How does it feel?" she teases. <> I answer. Her grin broadens. I think it's okay to relax. I shouldn't be looking for a sinister 'r devious motive behind everything, should I? Maybe all she wants is to talk. That's all. There doesn't have to be hidden agendas in everything. When did I become so paranoid? When my chest blew up, yer effin' wanker. Fuck, bollocks t' this. Sigh. "Earth to Jono, Earth calling Jono." As I snap back into reality, I see that Paige is waving 'er hand in front of my face. <> "No worries," she says, looking like she wants to ask me something. "Jono ... " Uh-oh. 'ere it goes. "I was wondering. The field trip coming up ... are you going to go?" Oh. Good. I almost thought she was goin' to ask me somethin' ... compromising. <> "You have to." I raise an eyebrow questioningly. What's this? "You have to," she repeats. "It won't be any fun without you." Oh? <> She grins. "Because you're a part of the team too, and now that I've had plenty of time to think it over, I realize just how much you helped me during the whole field trip fiasco. I never got a chance to thank you for that." ... ... Quick. Think of something witty to say. <> "And, because you never seem to join these things on your own." Her smile is breathtaking. Luckily, she keeps talking. I don't know if I could think of anything to say right now. "So, that being the case, I wanted to personally make sure that you knew you were coming. That's right. No 'maybe', no 'we'll see', no nothing. Alright?" <> "Good. Oh, and a whole bunch of us are running into town for ice cream after dinner. We're meeting after dinner, at around seven." She stands up and brushes off her jeans -- stop that, that's not a very gentlemanly thought -- and waits for me to join her. We walk back to the dorm together and pause on the front steps. "Comin' t' dinner?" she asks. <> The sides of my face lift up into a parody of a smile, which is actually a violation uv just about every major law uv modern anatomy, but it seems to be enough for her. "Good. I'll save you a seat." With that, she turns and walks away while I stand there, my eyes wide and my jaw -- if I'd had one -- dropped. Gotta stop thinkin' that. Walking down to the basement, back into my own hovel, I marvel at her. What did that just mean? She didn' flinch at my appearance, didn't stop talking when I answered curtly, walked back 'ere with me, for 'eaven's sake! Dare I 'ope... Section 2: The Next Day. An Introduction to the New Students. - Part thirteen, Mondo Reminding myself that a smile is contagious, I put my widest one on and step into the softly carpeted room. My sandals make soft imprints of my feet in the ground, which is what sandals are made for, really. Leaving imprints in soft substances -- sand, carpeting, mud. I keep my smile on. A wide room -- a parlour. A sitting room. Whatever they call it in the States. For some reason, there's a lot of kids all lined up on the other wall. I don't get too much of a chance to look at them. My gaze is drawn to the one on the end. He speaks to, I assume, me and Cordelia. "Hey, look who it is! New kid! Hey, hombre, what you doin' here? You don' look like the Mass' Ac' type, man." I smile and nod happily. Looks like they're very sardonic here -- need to make a note of that. I feel a slight nudge against my shoulder. I look to my left at Cordelia. She is certainly not wearing a smile. So I grin wider. She just glares. "Mondo," she whispers, elbowing me in the ribs. "Those kids. They're the same ones from my dream." I look at her, wondering what her point is. "What is your point?" I whisper back. "I don't know. Don't you think it's kind of weird, though?" I nod in agreement. Then we both turn our attention back to the others. Sean, the man who will be our teacher, he says, "Well, son, here ye are -- the kids ye'll be workin' with for the next ... well, unforeseeable time. I'll let them introduce themselves. Chil ... students?" He steps away from me. He sits in a nice plush chair beneath a window. He just watches us now. "'Allo!" I say happily. Their faces remain blank. I dive forward into the next part. "I'm Mondo." Okay, still blank. I gesture next to me. "This is Cordelia." Okay -- that got something. The one on the end with the Spanish accent gives her a once-over (eyes go down, eyes go up... ). He does not notice or care that she sees him the entire time. "Mondo," she hisses, "look at that creep." I look at him. Okay, that's out of the way. I place my hands in my pants pockets. I continue to smile. Pushing up on my heels, I do a slow scan of the members in the room. They look mostly apathetic. That Guy, Sean, I guess, notices something. He speaks. " ... Right, then. Mondo, Cordelia, may I introduce ye to yer fellow students. From left to right -- Angelo, Paige, Jono, Jubilee, Everett, an' Monet. There are others on campus, but they're busy right now. I'll introduce ye both to them later." I nod, again. I get the feeling I'll be doing a lot of this tonight. I keep up this nod for quite a few moments. The grin on my face is starting to hurt when one of the girls steps forward. She moves away from the others -- who are at this moment glancing among themselves and beginning to speak in whispers that I can't make out. Their whispers rise in volume, sounding like little mating chicadas. "Hello, Mondo. Cordelia. Like Mr. Cassidy said ... I'm Monet, and I'd like to welcome you to the Massachussettes Academy." We smile back at her. Good. I was worried that everyone here was unfriendly. From the back of the classroom comes a familiar sounding voice, "Yeah, chico -- welcome t' hell." I smile widely. "Thank you!" I say, and nod happily. The one with the Voice, Angelo, blinks, confused for a moment, then nods slowly. "You loco, man." Next to me, Cordelia shudders. She says softly, "You just talk big, man? You know what they say about guys with big egos." She pauses here, for a moment, while Angelo begins to brighten up. "They're trying to make up for something else." Angelo's face sags, noticeably. Those behind him snicker, quite loudly. The blond girl -- Paige? -- gives Cordelia a wink. I hear a voice in my head, but it's a lot lower and has a much stronger accent than I always thought God's voice would sound like. <> Angelo glares at Cordelia. I grin, as always. "Yeah, not too bad, chica," he begins, "but there's a lot more to come." Cordelia mutters to me, "What, is this a *threat*?" I shrug. Maybe. I think she thinks he is not a nice person. "Well, anyways, like, I guess you can't be that bad, 'cause, like, y'know, like, Emma and Sean wancha here, so, like, hey, welcome and stuff, right?" Cordelia mutters to me again. "Night of the Living Valley Girls?" I grin and wave at the girl who introduced herself. Jubilee. She seems nice. The girl who winked, Paige, takes a step forward. "We were going to go play basketball. Would you like to join us?" I nod. "Yes. That should be fun." That Guy, Sean, nods and smiles happily. Good. People should smile more. Angelo is not smiling. Neither is Cordelia. I hope this will not be a problem. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Section 3: Three Days Later. Fun in the Classroom. Visitors. Where are you? To Sleep, Perchance to Dream. - Part fourteen, Sean "An' so ye see, minorities throughout history have been prosecuted simply because the majority, who is always stronger in some way, has needed someone to use as a scapegoat. O' course, that is only a very limited way o' explainin' the subtle interactions between groups in a society, but for the purpose o' this course, that'ss as far as we need to go." I look out over the expectant, an' not so expectant, faces in the crowd, an' sometimes I wonder if maybe I'm goin' too fast for the lads an' lasses. It is not a simple concept, an' I can understand that history is not at the front o' their minds at this age. Except for Monet, who, the bright lass, can always seem to grasp any concept, the students are all starin' at me with the look o' boredom, incomprehension and even hostility in their eyes. Angelo, in particular, is starin' at me like he would not be here if we were not forcin' him to be. Poor lad. Considerin' his dislike o' school, it is amazin' that he's an ace student in the field o' computers. In a month, he knew more than I did o' the matter, an' Emma is now tutorin' him in the subject. She gives him high praise an' says that considerin' he did not have one o' his own until he came here, he is takin' to it like a fish to water. I almost start into the next chapter o' the book when Emma knocks on the door to the classroom. Wonder what she wants; she rarely disturbs me class. "Read the next chapter ta yuirselves while I speak ta Emma, an' then we'll go o'er it." They nod an' soon I'm standin' outside o' the classroom speakin' ta me Co-Head-Mistress o' this School. "Well?" I ask her. "I've just spoken with our contact in the Human Underground," she says, startin' off briskly an' keepin' the pace. "If you'll remember, he was the same man who directed us to Cordelia and Mondo and vice versa." I nodded. "Aye. Ye've told me o' him before." Distracted, she turns away from the classroom door an' walks half way down the hall. Her tones are hushed, an' a secretive air comes about her. She would have made one hell o' an agent in Interpol, what with her mysterious ways. "It seems that the people who were sent after those two have figured out where they've been taken. Don't ask me how, I don't know." To say she did not like that fact would be an understatement. She was the kind o' woman who wants to know it all and makes no bones o' it. "But we've just had a report from our contact that they're headed this way. I rushed right over when I heard the news, seeing as how you object to my telepathic abilities. I am now on my way to the security chamber to move to a red alert status, and then to my private workshop to begin a scan of the grounds and surrounding area. If you will inform the kids of the events, or at least as much of these events as you deem necessary, then they, too, can be prepared. I have no worries that this group will actually be able to do anything to us, of course, yet we must take these precautions simply to remain on the safe side. Any questions?" Despite the fact that she sometimes talks ta me as if I were another o' the students, she has a head for these things. It is why I do not bring up any objections ta her tone o' voice, even if I be thinkin' them. Who knows, maybe she can sense them. It would serve her right if she could pick up those thoughts. "Nay. It is clear as day. I'll make sure the ladds an' lasses are well informed. Ye handle yer part an' we'll all be just fine." I can not help but to add a bit o' the condescendin' tone in me own voice, an' it is a wonderful thing ta see her frown at that. "Alright then. I'll keep in contact." With that, she turns an' walks through the hallway, makin' her way across campus ta the security chamber in the Frost Buildin'. Ah, well, another day, another crisis. It is impossible to escape from the X-Men way o' life even if we are not X-Men ourselves. I think that it comes with the 'X'. - Part fifteen, Everett Headmaster Sean was only gone for a minute when the complaining broke out. Why am I not surprised? "Ooooo, fail me now and make it quick! I can't *stand* another month and a half of this!" That's Jubilee. Angelo just has his head in his hands, not even looking up. "Well, it isn't all *that* bad. It just looks like it is right now. It'll get better." That's Paige. Definitely Paige. Sometimes, I don't know who she's trying to convince... herself or the others. Angelo raises his head and just stares across the small aisle at her. "What?" are the only words out of his mouth. "You know, you *could* try to have a better out look. All you do during class is just sit there, staring blankly at the board." Okay, I now wouldn't be surprised if World War III breaks out right now. She's not exactly Miss Tact, that's for sure. "Look, chica... " I tune out the brewing argument in favour of watching the new students. The guy, Mondo, seems to be taking everything in stride. I reach out with my aura and carefully touch his mutant power. It's powerful. Really powerful. The girl next to him, Cordelia, looks at the arguers like she wants to join in but is afraid to. I would be too, if I were her. From what I figured out, those two have never seen any other mutants before, and especially not like us. I mean, we're not your run of the mill mutants... I glance involuntarily at Jono. Every time someone says something about not being normal, or I think how strange we all are, I always think of him. Even from across the classroom I can feel his mutant power. I know better than to synch with him. If I ever were to synch with him, I'm not sure I wouldn't become exactly like him... in all ways. A paper airplane flies past my nose and buries itself in front of me... in Monet's hair. I smile. Sometimes, I think the others have the right idea. We all need to relax. Monet especially. Ever since the Biosphere incident, she's been more withdrawn. I'd almost swear she was nervous, tense, scared about something; but, then again, I have no clue what's going on inside her mind, so I really can't say. She looks up right on cue and glares at the pilot. Angelo, Paige, and Jubilee are busy studying their textbooks. "Who did this?" she asks, calmly, holding the paper airplane up like a prime piece of evidence. "What?" Jubilee asks. She speaks with one of her patented 'Innocence Personified' voices. I feel another argument brewing. Cordelia is looking from one girl to the other, a slight smile playing on her lips. She's really very pretty and only a couple of years older than me. Two to be exact. I wonder if she and Mondo are dating. They appear to be, but we all know appearances can be deceiving. Maybe they're just really good friends... sort of like how Paige and Angelo act together. I watch as Monet turns back to her textbook and almost laugh as Angelo and Jubilee raise their heads from theirs. Angelo has another paper airplane in his hands. He uses Paige for cover, their earlier disagreement forgotten in the face of the greater enemy. The second airplane is launched. Monet reacts faster than I give her credit for. Angelo's eyes go wide as he realizes he's been caught red handed. In retaliation, Monet tears a sheet of paper from her spiral bound notebook and crumbles it up in one strong fist. She launches the paper ball hard enough to send it speeding at Angelo. Another paper ball comes flying back in the other direction. Jubilee sends hers at Monet, but it doesn't reach her. I grab it out of the air before it has a chance to hit me. "Now you're asking for it," I say, almost laughing again at her expression. I'm so busy watching Jubilee that a couple of crumpled paper balls hit Monet and I from the other side. I turn to look and spot Cordelia grinning like a Cheshire cat and holding another ball in a ready hand. "I do believe it's war!" Jubilee cries out, making even the most mundane thing sound exciting with that voice of hers. Of course, a paper fight with the teacher gone is anything but mundane, so with her to urge us on, we all -- except for Jono and including Monet -- become embroiled in the Paper War to end all Paper Wars. Poor pieces of college ruled paper give up their lives to protect mine. I'm launching them as fast as I can, but it seems that Monet and I, caught in the middle row, are being ganged up on by Mondo and Cordelia on one side and Angelo, Paige, and Jubilee on the other. Jubilee starts adding fireworks to her attack -- all light and sound, no punch -- while Angelo takes advantage of his extra skin. Monet has had about enough of being in the middle, so she flies up above the others and begins raining crumpled paper balls down on everyone else, including me. I give up my own attack of the others to focus on Monet, joining in on the laughter that was filling the classroom. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Jono, the only one not laughing, psionically or otherwise. My thoughts take a morbid turn. That seems to be the foremost thought that goes through my mind whenever I think about the explosion that made Jono who he is today. How can he go on living? How could he have survived anyways? Of all the hard luck stories around here, both known and unknown, his is the worst. Sometimes, I feel like I'm just a poser, someone who doesn't really deserve to be here. I've had it too easy, I've never been tested. If I'd had my chest and jaw blown away, could I have survived like Jono's surviving? I have a good grip on my synching power, and I know when to use it and when not to. I could walk out of this School today and into any restaurant, any movie theatre and not be looked at twice. Most of all, I look at Jono -- and Penance and Angelo for that matter -- and I wonder why they were treated that way and I wasn't? Why did their powers change their entire lives, made them Outcasts, cheat them out of their lives, and mine didn't? Whereby the grace of God ... - Part sixteen, Emma It's a good thing Xavier or Jean aren't around to monitor how closely I follow the words of my oath. Callous words, but the alternative would have been to miss this scene. I laugh again -- out loud, actually, since no one's around to hear me -- as I gently peer into Sean's surface thoughts, which is actually easier to do than it sounds, though he thinks he's very well shielded. Oh, he's livid, all right. Very, very livid. In fact, I almost feel sorry for the students, but, then, I'm laughing too hard to do that. From what I gathered, after I left him, he walked back into the classroom only to discover that it had been turned into a war zone. Not any regular war zone, of course, but a paper fight war zone. The part which made him lose his cool the most was when one of Paige's attacks bounced off of Jubilee's head and right at him. The students stare at their Head Master, only now realizing that maybe they should have acted like good boys and girls. Sean proceeds to give them a lecture about the privileges of learning, of being here to learn, and of being able to learn at all as Monet flies back into her seat. Everyone is settled properly by the time Sean finishes his tirade. Poor Sean. He really needs to lighten up. I laugh again as I walk into the Frost Building and down into the basement. Bobby Drake is already there, staring at the console. "What is it?" I ask, moving to his side. I find it amusing that he still feels uncomfortable around me. All this and we haven't even started our lessons yet. I think it's time to do so; I've already allowed him over a week to get settled. "Nothing," he replies, genuinely perplexed. "I did like you said and did a full scan of the grounds and there's nothing." I frown. "You're sure, I take it." I move to the door of my private workshop. "Yeah, I am." He sounds annoyed. "I've checked and double checked, and there's nothing and no one out there." "Alright. I believe you. They may simply be shielded, of course. I'll be in here. Do not disturb me. If you feel you must, then do so, but if I wake for nothing... " I leave the threat hanging in the air, feeling sure he won't bother me for anything short of a nuclear disaster. My private workshop is just that -- private and a workshop. It's where I do all of my major activity for two important reasons. One, I'm familiar with it and comfortable in it, and that counts for a lot. Two, it's a heavily shielded room with its own security console. A big leather couch rests in the middle of the vaguely circular room. I lay there and try to relax, quickly and efficiently going through my mental exercises in preparation for this extended astral journey. Closing my eyes, I move my consciousness out of my own body and along the grounds, checking every corner, no matter how unlikely it would be that a group of infiltrating villains would hide there. I'm of the school of thought that there really is no unlikely place for a group of infiltrating villains to hide. The minute you start thinking like that is the minute you pass over something vital just because you assumed no one would be there. Something brushes across my thoughts at the edge of the campus, near the gates, only about a hundred yards from this very building. That startles me. I know what has been going on lately, and it has made me doubly paranoid. Of course, I'm still alive, so being paranoid is obviously not a bad thing at times. I go in for a closer look while appearing, astrally speaking, to be moving the other direction. There. I see it. A low level psi. Specializes in concealment. Not good. I'll have to be doubly paranoid around this person. It's a known fact that the lesser psions are often highly specialized in their one available field. As such, they could possibly pose a threat to the more powerful, yet not as trained, psion. Telepathically, I send a quick thought to Sean, making sure that our unwanted guest is unaware of it. <> I stay long enough to ensure that he received the message and then move to the next person on the line. <> <> His mind is gone. Disappeared. One minute it's there, the next it isn't. I snap into my body quickly, and just as I do so ... "Too slow, Miss Frost," says a tall man in full combat gear. Before I can react, something hits me and I black out. - Part seventeen, Jono Luckily the paper fight was over before I 'ad to get involved. Sean looked fairly good t' burst, in fact. Besides, I know the kids wouldn't've liked the way I play. I would'f just blasted the paper to shreds. Not very sportsman- like, but it would have made me felt better. Paige sits in her usual spot right in front of Jubilee. They're actually on good speaking terms right now. I think a lot of it 'as to do with the fact that Penny's feeling better and Angelo's getting off Paige's case about the brownie incident. Ange' might be a right stupid bugger, but he certainly had a good point. It's funny. After the talk we had back in the Biosphere and sitting next to her at dinner that night, I would have expected something to change. It 'asn't. Not that I want it to. No, no, I do want it to. Oh, *bollocks* to this. You know, this used to be a whole lot easier. Not sayin' that I'm some sort of Romeo, but I think I used to have my fair share uv girlfriends. Gayle ... Mind off of that, now, Jono, or I'll make you do something drastic. Like proclaim yer undying love. No, I don't think that would be too good. It would certainly take my mind off of Gayle, however. Then again, so would a sixth uv gin. An' I ain't about t' do that none, either. Damn. Sean holds a sheaf of papers in one hand, waving them menacingly. "Since ye've all been such well behaved students while I was talkin' to yer Head Mistress, I've decided that ye all shall be rewarded. With these." He passes them out, starting with Mondo's row, then Monet's, then Paige's, then Angelo's. A collective groan comes from us all, an' with good reason. Our first exam just got bumped up a week. That is the last time I will let anyone, I don't care who, have a paper fight in this classroom. I could do without this history test. Cynicism, gotta love 't. "Here you go," the new girl, Cordelia, says, handing me the final copy of the test. As usual, I'm sitting in the very last chair, so she has to get up and walk down the aisle to hand it to me. She's staring. I look straight into her own eyes, almost daring 'er t' get a good look. Just like I thought. She couldn't handle it. One look at me eyes and she's darting back down the aisle. Figures. Alright, then, let's see what we have here. Multiple choice. Good. Short answer. Hmm ... not so good. Matching. Very good. Oh, no. Essay question. 'In our readings, we've been examining the position of minorities throughout history and their impact on the world around them. Compare and contrast the history, politics, and place within the larger social structure of a traditional minority with that of the mutant minority today.' I wonder if I can fake a coronary. Considering I've no 'eart ... but, 'er, right, I once saw Rock n' Roll High School Forever. I need a beeper. - Part eighteen, Monet 'In our readings, we've been examining the position of minorities throughout history and their impact on the world around them. Compare and contrast the history, politics, and place within the larger social structure of a traditional minority with that of the mutant minority today.' I stare at the paper and think, 'This is punishment?' Without another moment's loss, the pen is applied to the paper, and off I go, writing an excellent essay, once again. - Part nineteen, Jono Scribbling. That's all I'm doin', bollocks to this. Finishing the rest uv the exam was easy. Now, I'm doing the essay question. Doing? No, just scribbling and staring at it. Something brushes against my mind, and it feels the way it does when Emma uses telepathy. I look up and around and notice that no one else seems to have felt anything. I'm about to go back to the essay question when the enigmatic Gateway arrives. His teleportation gates are a sight t' see. It's only a small one this time, roughly a quarter've the room in diameter. In a blink, it's gone, and all that's left is Gateway sittin' calmly in the corner of the classroom, facing all of us with the serene, yet unreadable, face he must've perfected through the years. "Wha' is it, Gateway?" Sean says, jumping up from behind his desk. It's rare that we get a visit from the Aborigine, and whenever he comes, it's always right before something major. I don't know why Sean expected Gateway to say anything. True to form, he just floats there. Glancing around at the others, I see that Mondo and Cordelia are shocked. Don't blame them. Everett notices too, though, so he goes over and whispers to them, occasionally pointing at Gateway. Mondo is the first to recover. That smile of his appears again. Good to know he's taking this all in stride. Car could crash through the wall've the classroom, J. Edgar Hoover in a dress and lipstick could burst out doing the tango with Elvis Costello, and Mondo wouldn't bat either've 'is Samoan eyes. Monet walks forward, catchin' my eye, and stops in front of Gateway. "What is going on, teacher?" I feel something brush against my mind again, then nothing. That's strange. If it's Emma, wouldn't she say something? Gateway is staring at me. Intently. Like I should be gettin' something. He turns to look at the classroom door, and then he looks out the window. I follow his look and see, a few hundred yards away, the Frost Building. I'm desperately trying to understand what he wants of me when something clicks. Most of the time, your brain goes through a series of steps to reach an end conclusion. It takes into account evidence, observations, and logic. Then, when it gets sufficient information, it formulates said conclusion. Sometimes, though, your brain just hands you the end conclusion on a silver platter. Effortless and illogical, you've skipped everything in between, yet you know, just *know*, that it's right. Perfect. Fits. I'm out of the door as soon as the thought blasts its way into my brain. I don't know how I know this, but I just do. And, considering time is of the essence, I'm not going to waste mine wondering why. - Part twenty, Jubilee Whoa, there goes Jono. Wonder what he's up to. Man, people always start acting funky whenever Gateway's around. I mean, I'm totally grateful to him for getting me in contact with the X-Men and Wolvie, but he's really gotta cut the melodrama crap. Hmm ... stay here and watch Monet and Sean brow beat Gateway, or take off after Jono and see what's up with him. Well, there's really no contest. I run right out of the room, ignoring Everett's call to get back in there. Once out in the hallway, I just barely catch a glimpse of his jacket before Jono disappears behind a corner. You know, for a guy who likes to sit around and mope a lot, he sure can run fast. We're running past the other buildings, across the grass, over the little hillock, up the steps, and into the Frost Building just as my Spidey senses start tingling. No, I don't have Spidey senses, but I always thought it'd be a cool thing to have. Man, everyone I know has met Spiderman except me. What a gip. I'd bet we have fun together. Yes, I *do* like to talk to myself, especially in my mind. Like, otherwise, people just say 'Shut up, Jubilee' and let me tell you, after the tenth time in two hours that someone says that, you start thinking maybe it'd be a good idea to just talk to yourself. Jono stops suddenly in the middle of the room, looking at the two hallways, tons of doors, and elevator. "Which way?" I ask. He glances back over his shoulder at me, as if just realizing for the first time that I'm along for the ride. <> He moves into the elevator, and I follow, almost preening because he didn't even say anything about my being here. Dude, he's sometimes pretty cool. We take the elevator to the basement level, run down that corridor, and move into another door at the end of the corridor running perpendicular to the first. Man, it feels like some sorta Charlie's Angels episode. Well, whatever, but the minute someone shows his head, I'm blasting the sucker to pieces. The door leads to a stairwell leading down, and it's here that Chamber pauses. <> he says in the nearest equivalent of a telepathic whisper. I nod, remembering back to all those lessons with Wolvie, especially the one where you don't talk unless you got something useful to say. Chamber walks down first, his bandaged face not giving off any tell tale glow. The stairwell's pretty well lit by a series of light panels on the ceiling. It looks high tech, actually, and I gotta wonder if maybe Emma didn't get a few more things from Chuck than just us kids. Everything's pretty quiet so far. We reach the bottom flight and look out. No one. Splitting up, I move over to the huge computer standing in the middle of the room, and he goes to the only other exit in the place -- a slightly ajar, unmarked door. Spooky. I move around the computer and check it out. There, one on side, hidden from plain sight, is Bobby. <> I nod and motion Chamber over. "One man down. Bobby Drake." Kneeling down next to him, I check his pulse, fear sitting in a cold lump in my throat. This is the part I hate. Whew. Yes. There's a pulse. He looks awful, though, like someone took a baseball bat to him. Chamber looks over my shoulder and then looks back towards the stairs. He's thinking what I'm thinking. Who did this? Are they still here? Are they coming back? Where's Emma? Well, nothing we can do right now except get Bobby to safety and warn the others. Ha, easier said than done. - Part twenty-one, Everett Gateway won't talk. We're all in an uproar, demanding to know what's going on, and not even getting a little hint. He won't say a thing. Even when Angelo threatened him, he just stared silently, and maybe a little sadly, at the other wall. No one's going to give up on find out why he's here, though. It seems that he always has a reason, and, when we look back on it, it's always a very, very good one. Cordelia and Mondo are finally alright settled. I thought Cordelia was going to bolt for a second, there, but she seems to have control of herself now. Good. Mondo is ... well, I'm beginning to think that nothing can actually phase this guy. Finally, Sean shakes his head. "We can not get him to talk, so let's do somethin' more useful than just yellin' a' him." He moves to the front of his desk and takes a seat, calling all of the other kids to order. I move into the nearest seat, right across the aisle from Cordelia and listen intently. "Since it seems that Gateway will not or can not tell us why he is here, I will tell ye what we, Emma an' Ay, know." That certainly shocks us. Emma and Sean? Know what's going on? I don't mean to sound like a smart ass, but this is a first. Stealing a glance at Gateway, I think that he seems to be happier with this, like he approves of the direction this is going. I wonder if I can synchronize with him? I don't think I'll try it; I doubt he'd give me his permission, and since it seems like a huge power, I'm not sure it'd do to me if I was synched to it. I have this funny little thing where, unless it's a life or death situation or in battle or against some villianous foe, I won't synch with someone else's powers without their permission. It's just not right. Luckily, everyone in this group has given their permissions. "Ye all know that Mondo an' Cordelia came here 'cause o' their mutant powers. Well, what we have not told ye is that the only reason they're here at all is 'cause o' the fact that someone wants them. Or, specifically, Mondo. We believe they want him 'cause o' his great potential, an' we're not sure o' how far they'll go. "Emma was here to tell me that she heard from our ... contact that these people will be comin' for him an' that they may be comin' here shortly. Ay think that with the arrival o' Gateway, that we can assume somethin' is up." Sean pauses for a moment, and his eyes get a far away look in them. Emma most likely just sent him a thought. "Intruders. Six. One o' them a telepath. There may be more," he repeats. All eyes, mine included, focus on Mondo. He smiles uncomfortably. I know what we're all wondering. "Just what *can* you do that you're wanted so badly, Mondo?" I ask. - Part twenty-two, Sean They're all takin' the news rather well. Everett's almost standin' guard over the two new children. The Samoan, Mondo, seems to be takin' it all in stride, though the dirty looks Angelo be givin' the boy don't seem to be helpin' anythin' much. Paige is talkin' to Angelo an' lookin' around like she expects somethin' to be jumpin' out at her at any time. Not far from wrong, I'm sure. Monet's still tryin' to get her teacher, Gateway, to say somethin', anythin', to help us. She's rather pissed, but why, I do not know. I'm sure she knows by now that Gateway does not talk when he does not want to, an' even still, I've only heard him talk once, an' that was only to say the name 'Penance'. An' besides that, I've only seen Gateway pass on the information when he's good an' ready, an' sometimes not even then. The only thing I can gather is that he must think we need to figure this one out ourselves. Now, the only thing that's on me mind is where in hell are Jonothon an' Jubilee? I know where Penance, Artie, an' Leech are, an' I know where Emma an' Bobby are, an' I know where Jack an' Mallory an' their group are, but those two -- next time, I nail them down with me scream as soon as they even try to leave. Angry at them? Aye. I do not want to think what type o' trouble they might be in, but considerin' the circumstances, it is likely it would not be good. Almost as if on cue, Jonothon an' Jubilee come tearin' into the classroom, yellin' for me. Jubilee's talkin' a mile a minute. "Sean! We were just in the Frost Building, Emma's gone, Iceman's unconscious, we put him in a safe place where he has a chance to rest, 'cause we couldn't carry him where we needed to without attracting attention, or at least more attention than we did already, but he's safe, don't worry about it, anyways, there's someone here, there were bullet holes in the walls inside this private office that we think is Emma's and the door was forced open and everything and we think someone took her. Whaddaya wanna do?!" Jubilee says in one breath, an' settin' a land speed record at the same time. I jump into action. "Cordelia, fill these two in. Mondo, Angelo, go an' get Bobby an' bring him into the Infirmary. We'll meet ye there. Monet, Everett, Paige ... follow me. We'll search the grounds." Everyone moves off on their separate ways, an' after findin' out what was goin' on, Jubilee goes with our group, an' Jono an' Cordelia go to help the others. Five o' us. Five o' us to search the entire school grounds. I am sure that the group in the Infirmary will do just fine -- they have Jono there to keep them sane -- but the five o' us against whatever force it was that took out Emma? She is not a push over, that's a fact. First things first. The five o' us make our way over to Jack's group. It's startin' to get dark outside. I do not want a firefight in the middle o' the night, though havin' Jubilee here makes it not as bad as it could be. I'm noticin' I say that a lot. 'Not as bad as it could be'. As if nothing is great, or perfect, an' I'm only happy that it is 'not as bad as it could be'. Jack an' his team are sittin' down to an evening's meal when we knock quietly on the door. They did not even know that anythin' was wrong. It only takes a few minutes to explain the situation an' to start out for the Infirmary. That's our base, an' a strange on it is, but Bobby needs the care, an' I'm not about to keep him there all alone. Makin' our way across the campus usin' one o' the underground tunnels that Emma's built under the school makes me feel a whole lot better. At least this way, we're not all in plain sight, visible for miles around. There's a symbol on the wall. The is the junction to the Biosphere. We could take this time an' go get Penance, Artie, an' Leech ... but that'd mean we have to split up. But if we do not, then who knows what'll happen to those three. I make up me mind quickly. We do not have time to spare. Jack's group, all carryin' their favorite weapons, will go back with Jubilee an' Paige an' meet up with the others at the Infirmary. Monet, Everet, an' I will make our way to the Biosphere. I watch Jubilee lead the way, movin' off into a branchin' tunnel. She's gotten to know this place much better than Paige. Much better than me, even. Paige follows up as rear guard, her form husked into a diamond hard form with wicked claws. I think she took the idea from Penny. I really wish them the best o' luck, but I trust the girls. They'll do whatever needs to be done, an' do it well besides. Time to focus on me own group. Monet has taken the lead, usin' her superior stamina, endurance, strength, an' senses to their fullest. Everett's in the middle, ready to synch with either o' us, dependin' on the situation. I'm in back, ears strained to pick up the slightest out o' place sound. We all know not to talk. Sound travels, an' it'd block the sound o' others from our ears. The rest o' the trip is uneventful, though a couple o' times, I could have sworn that I heard footfalls. We stopped each time, but there would be only silence. Either I'm loosin' me edge, I'm far more paranoid than I used ta be, 'r these intruders are good. Monet stops just outside o' a small alcove an' points up. Here. I nod, but before I could tell her to move out o' me way, she's climbed the ladder an' opened the hatch. All I could do now was wait ... an' listen. She gives us the thumbs up sign an' climbs through the hatch, Everett follows, an' I brin' up the rear. This particular hatch is buried in a wee clearin' in the undergrowth, an' there's only enough from for one person to be at all comfortable, so with the three o' us, we have to make sure an' not jostle each other. I close the hatch behind me, an' now it's time to get down to business. We find Penance first, or rather, she finds us. Before we'd gone ten yards, she was trailin' us, lookin' all comfortable in the dirt an' grass, her eyes narrowed like she knew somethin' was goin' on, an' that the somethin' probably does not want to give her apples an' then go on its merry way. I gesture for her to go ahead o' me. Now on to Artie an' Leech. We have to make sure that Monet an' Penance do not get too close to them. Everett spots them off to one side, an' while Monet an' Penance head back the way we came, Artie comes over to me an' forms a small holographic picture. Two men. Two men dressed in camoflage, huntin' down the residents o' the Biosphere. Two men who looked like they knew exactly what was in here an' what to expect. That does not make me happy. Imagine! Huntin' the likes o' these three, harmless, really; children are all they are! It makes me blood boil. Gettin' back into the tunnels is easy. Monet an' Penance take point, Everett an' Artie an' Leech are in the middle, an' I, again, brin' up the rear. Twistin' along the series o' tunnels gets confusin' after awhile, an' there's a good chance we may lose each other, so we go very slow. No one's talkin'. Without mishap -- which in itself is strange -- we make it to the Infirmary's access hatch. After openin' it, an' not hearin' anythin' from the other side, Artie sends up a holographic image so as our own people do not shot us on accident. The minute it's up there, we hear a collective sigh. "C'mon up, guys, the coast's clear," Jubilee whispers. We move through as quickly as we can, an' I shut the hatch firmly behind me. Movin' into the main room, I can see Bobby on the bed bein' attended to by Cordelia. Catchin' me look, Jack says, "He's alright. Just a concussion, bruises, bumps, nothing worse than we've been given." "Ah, but that does not put me mind at ease, Jack. I know some o' the things we've been givin', ye an' I." I nod. If Jack was calm, then everythin' must be alright. Here, at least. "Let's set up a guard rotation, let some o' the kids sleep, an' have ourselves a wee little meetin' to discuss what in bloodly Hell is goin' on here." Everything's done with a precision that makes me proud. While Jack is settin' up a rotation, I tell the kids that look like they need it to get some sleep. I even tell the ones that don't need it to as well, so long as they do not need to be at this meetin'. Lord knows they might not get any sleep later. Moving over ta Cordelia, I notice how frightened she looks ... an' guilty. "Yer lookin' a wee bit tired. Why don't ye go an' get some rest." "Oh, no, no, Mister Cassidy. I should stay awake and help." "Ye'll do no good if yer sleepy when we need ye most. Yer goin' to have to learn to take yer rest whenever ye have a spare moment, like now." "Well ... Alright. Look, I'm really sorry. I knew something bad was going to happen, and I didn't tell you about it. I should have." "What are ye talkin' about?" I ask, surprised. What did she know? "The ... the dream I had. You know the one. The one where I dreamed of the danger and the kids. I -- " I consider for only a moment before I shake me head. "Nay. It is not yer fault. The dream was just that ... a dream. Now, go to sleep an' rest up. We'll be needin' ye later." Wide eyes ... scared eyes. She stares back at me for a long moment before she nods an' lays down on the medical bed next to Bobby. I watch her fall asleep an' nod. Poor girl. She's the only one here who is not either experienced in somethin' like this or a powerful mutant. Very slight telepathic shields ... I'll have to keep an eye out on her. She just may be our weak link. Turnin' back to the others, I get the meetin' underway. It's full dark outside now, an' we have got to use the precious little breathin' time we have to form a good plan. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Epilogue: Nightmares Once upon a midnight dreary, while I slept so weak and weary, Dreaming many a quaint and curious symbol of forgotten lore, While I slept, so neatly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my bedroom door. "Now who could it be," I muttered, "tapping at my bedroom door; Curious, and nothing more." Yes, distinctly I remember, it was in a hot December, And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly I wished the morrow; though right now I sought to borrow >From my bed surcease of sorrow, sorrow for the lost ... the lost ... For the rare and radiant ... ... radiant ... ... Nameless here forever more. And the silken mad uncertain rustling of each off white curtain Thrilled me -- filled me with horrible terrors never felt before; And it seemed my heart stoped beating as I stood there just repeating, "It's some visitor entreating entrance at my bedroom door, Some late visitor entreating entrance at my bedroom door. This is it, and nothing more." Very soon my soul grew stronger; stoping not a moment longer, "Sir," I said, "or madam, really, your forgiveness I impore; But, the fact is, I was napping, and so gently you came rapping, And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my bedroom door, That I wasn't sure I heard you." Here I opened wide the door --- Darkness there, and nothing more. Deep into the darkness peering, I just stood there, wondering, fearing Doubting my sanity as I stared there looking out the door; But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, "No more." This I whispered, and then voices murmured back the words, "The lore." Merely this, and nothing more. Jump back to the bedroom turning, all the fear within me burning, Soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than before, "Surely," I said, "surely, there is nothing at my window lattice. Let me see, then, what the threat is, and this mystery explore. Let my heart be still a moment, turning my back to the door. It's the wind, and nothing more." Opening, I flung the shutter, then, with many flaps and flutter, In there stepped a mangy raven, of the blackened days of yore. Not one greeting did he give me; for a minute stoped and stared he, Staring like I was a lady, the likes he'd never seen before. Perched upon the table he was just inside the bedroom door, There he sat and nothing more. Then this creepy bird beguiling, all my fear turned into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the attitude it wore. "Though your crest is cut and shaven, you," I said, "are sure no craven, Ghastly, grim, and pagan raven, wandering from the nightly shore. Tell me what the secret name is of the Night's Plutonian shore." Said the raven, "Nevermore." Then I wondered, this ungainly bird does speak his words so plainly, Though those words so little meaning, little real importance bore. Now I cannot help agreeing that no sanely human being Will I be now that I'm seeing bird next to my bedroom door, Bird or beast of hell stands talking, perched next to my bedroom door. With such a name as "Nevermore." But the raven, sitting lonely near the bedroom door, spoke only That one word, as if his soul through that one word he did outpour. And then nothing more he uttered, not a feather then he fluttered; Until he scarcely more than muttered, "All your friends will fly before; On the morrow they will leave you, as your hopes have flown before." Then the bird said, "Nevermore." Startled at the stillness broken by his words suddenly spoken, "Doubtless," I said, "what it utters has been taught to him before, Caught by some insane old master, whom unmerciful disaster Followed fast and followed faster, till his life one burden bore, -- Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore Of "Never -- nevermore." But this raven still beguiling, all my fear it turned to smiling, So I wheeled the cushioned chair in front of bird, next to the door;, Then, upon the cotton sinking, I decided to start linking fancy unto fancy, thinking what this evil bird of yore, What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and mangy bird of yore Meant in croaking that before. So I sat there thinking, guessing, but no word or thought expressing To the bird whose fiery eyes now burned into my cold heart's core; This and more I sat divining, on the Lazy Boy reclining On the cushion's cotton lining that the lamp's light gloated o'er, But whose cotton off white lining that the lamp's light gloating o'er ... ... he shall press, no, nevermore. Then, I thought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer Swung by Cherubim whose passings rang outside the open door. "Damn," I cried, "What you doing? Were you sent here to confuse me? Tell me -- tell me and nepenthe from my memories of ... ... Why, O why can't I remember, this person I have known of yore." Said the raven, "Nevermore!" "Devil!" I yelled, "Thing of evil! Prophet still, if bird or devil! Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest lead you to my door, Desolate, I am undaunted, on this ancient land enchanted -- In this home by mutants haunted -- tell me truly, I implore: Is there -- is there chance of knowing? Tell me -- tell me I implore!" Said the raven, "Nevermore." "Satan!" I screamed, "Thing of evil! Prophet still, if bird or devil! By the heaven that bends above us -- by the God we all adore -- Tell this soul with horror laden, tell this poor and distraught maiden, All you said and all you meant when you said what you said before. Words and meanings interlaiden in the words you said before. Said the raven, "Nevermore." "Be that word our sign of parting, god damn bird!" I yelled, upstarting. "Leave right now into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore! Leave no feather as a token of the lies your voice has spoken! Leave my sanity unbroken! -- leave the table by my door! Take your beak from out my heart, and take your form from near my door!" Said the raven, "Nevermore." And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the table he is sitting, right next to my bedroom door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's in my dreaming. And the light next to him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor Shall be free -- nevermore!