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ALTER GEN-X Issue One: Third Genesis written by Multi-Facets
The sun rose with its usual fanfare and shone gently down on the sprawling campus of the Xavier School For Gifted Youngsters, bringing sweet promises for a new day and new chances.
However, the serene dawn silence was abruptly broken by sneaker-clad feet crashing through the undergrowth in a quick one-two-one-two rhythm. Swift, heavy but steady breaths accompanied the thudding footfalls in syncopation. If one peered very closely through the trees and brush, they'd see the occasional flicker of a blonde ponytail, catch a glimpse of tanned skin, maybe even see the Nike logo on the baggy, bright red shirt and gray jogging shorts. And if you got really close, you'd be able to hear soft gasps of self-encouragement as the runner somersaulted under branches, leaped over logs and dodged around trees.
Pierce Guthrie, however, wasn't one to worry if anyone was watching. He was used to taking a strenuous jog every morning in order to achieve a good adrenaline high before breakfast back on the farm, so why not take up jogging here at this academy?
At last he burst out of the trees surrounding the campus and bolted for the school's sign-by-the-gate. "Almost got it almost got it almost got it…. Yes! Ah got it! Ah got it!" he cheered, skidding to a halt in front of the sign. Quickly he clicked off his stopwatch and checked his time. "Whoo hoo, whatta time! Boo-yah! All right!" he chanted, doing a victory dance. "Who da man? Who da man? Who da-"
"Whoever 'the man' is, he ain't you, Guthrie."
"Yeow!" Pierce screeched, jumping three feet in the air and coming down facing a totally different direction, which happened to be towards the person who'd startled him. "For Chrissakes, Lee, don't DO that!" he cried, palming himself in the face. "Ah just about jumped outta mah skin."
Jubilation Lee, also known as Jubilee, junior X-Man, shuddered and scowled at her new teammate from the bench she was perched on. "An' with your powers, that wouldn'ta been so difficult," she muttered. "For cryin' out loud, don't you, like, know what _time_ it is?"
Pierce checked his regular watch. "Six forty-five," he answered.
"Exacto! Doncha know that only garbage men and psychopaths are up this early?" Jubilee demanded, hopping off the bench and striding over to Pierce, bear-foot slippers padding softly against the ground. "And none of them would be nuts enough to jog while they were at it!"
"If that's the truth, what're you doin' up?" the other teen countered, beginning some cooling-down exercises.
"I couldn't sleep with ya banging around downstairs at five am," Jubilee retorted.
Pierce stopped in the middle of a stretch, a puzzled expression on his handsome, cheery face. "Ah didn't know yoga was so noisy," he said.
"It is when ya got that stupid music o' yers blasting along with it," Jubilee growled.
"Oh." Pierce straightened up. "Ah'm sorry. Ah didn't know it was so loud."
"Sadly enough for all those attempting sleep, it was," a low, arrogant voice proclaimed from on high.
Pierce and Jubilee looked up simultaneously to see another teammate, the handsome and egotistical Manet Saint-Croix, coming in for a landing.
Jubilee turned her scowl on the other teen. "Huh-Llooo, M, anybody home? Ya don't go dropping outta the sky like that. I mean, what if somebody saw ya?" she scolded.
Manet tossed his head in a regal, defiant gesture. "The rest of you may wish to conceal the mutant aspects of yourselves, but I have no such compunctions," he responded, smoothing the fine-grain navy blue jacket he'd pulled over his red team uniform.
Jubilee let a snicker slip. "Yeah-huh. An' if my power was ta be 'Mister Perfect '94', I wouldn't try to hide it either," she cracked loudly.
"But instead," Manet rejoined, "you give off little sparkles from your fingertips. You must be very amusing on New Year's Eve."
Flustered, Jubilee opened her mouth to retort, when a loud SHRRIIIIP! sounded and both of them whirled to see what had made it. A clean and refreshed Pierce was disposing of his shredded, sweaty skin and staring at them with annoyance. "Don't you two have any tact?" he asked plainly.
"This coming from the guy who rips off his skin in mixed company and leaves it lyin' around," Jubilee snorted, shuddering again. "That is, like, tacky cubed."
"You're just squeamish," Manet told her.
Pierce just shrugged, not ruffled by the insult. "Ah'm not called 'Shuckah' for nothin'," he replied simply.
"Ah ha! There ye three are!" rang out, and the teens' attention was diverted to the school's front steps, where their Headmaster and teacher, in-charge-in-theory Sean Cassidy the Banshee was standing, waiting for them. "Now if'n ye are all prepared for yuir seven am session?" he continued.
A resigned Jubilee followed an eager Pierce who followed a regal M, who stopped in front of Sean, letting the other two pass by. "Monsieur Cassidy, I'm expecting a few personal belongings to be shipped in today," he began.
"Oh, not a problem, lad," Sean interjected reassuringly. "I'll take care o' it."
Manet smiled most graciously and walked on, saying, "You are a prince, Monsieur Cassidy."
"Not at all," Sean said cheerily. "What's a few-"
HONK HONK! Several huge trucks came cruising up the driveway, the lead one rolling to a stop in front of the steps. The driver leaned out, pushing the bill of his hat out of the way. "Yo!" he hollered. "Where d'ya want we should put all this?"
Sean nearly fainted, Pierce gaped, and Jubilee spluttered, "Cheese 'n' crackers, M! Wha'd'ja pack, your whole life or somethin'?"
Joan Elise Starsmore was finding herself entertaining a very snoopy audience of one. Normally she wouldn't have minded, but in light of recent events, it was seriously ticking her off.
"David, turn around and sit down right now. It's very rude to stare," the kid's mother admonished.
When the boy didn't listen, Joan decided to deter the kid herself. Slowly she lifted her piercing emerald eyes to meet David's innocent brown ones. *You heard your mum,* she projected sweetly to the child alone, then raised a slim musician's hand to the black wrappings around her face, hooking her fingers into the material and pulling down slightly, revealing her hot biokinetic core. *It's very rude.... to stare.*
David's eyes bugged out in astonishment; he whipped around and slid down, seating himself securely and no doubt shaking himself silly.
Rather pleased with herself, Joan let the cloth slip back into place and smugly sat back. Well here I come, Mr. Xavier Cueball, she thought. Wasn't sure I wanted to, but what choice did I have? Let's just see this oh-so highly recommended school for "gifted youngsters" is as promising as you say.
The sixteen year-old Everett Thomas, called "Synch" in the school files, trotted to the riverbank and plopped himself down at the edge. "Hey, Skin! Y'know what?" he called. "This exercise would end a whole lot sooner if you'd just give up."
Only his echo answered. Synch sighed. Why am I not surprised? he wondered, wiping perspiration from his bald head. After everything I've been through these past few weeks (such as learning I'm a mutant and fighting that Phalanx thing), I don't think I'll ever be surprised by anything ever again.
Everett shifted position, and a metallic glint in the water caught his attention. Curious, he knelt over it. "Then again…." he whispered, fishing the metallic thing out. "A team belt? How'd it get in here?" he puzzled out loud. Then: "Uh oh...."
Just five feet to his right, inside some thick foliage, Angelina "Angel" Espinosa, a.k.a. Skin, the owner of the belt, laughed silently. Heh heh heh. Sucker! she crowed inwardly, and snaked her fingers' skin over to Everett's ankles.
"This belt must be Angel's. Hey, Angelina! Can you hear me?" Everett yelled, scanning the opposite riverbank. "Are you all riiiiiiiiiiight!"
Synch hit the pebbly earth hard, his feet having been yanked out from underneath him. "Oh, I'm doing just fine, Señor Muy Gullible," Angel chortled, retracting her grip and stepping into plain view. "Gracias for asking."
Back in el barrio, when all the other girls had been growing busts and dating boys, Angelina discovered she was developing six feet of skin she didn't need. It wasn't that bad, compared to some mutations, but it made public outings hell. She was, to her credit, adjusting. For the most part, anyway.
Synch heaved himself to a standing position. "Nice sucker punch," he complimented.
"Si, I know," Angel said, nonchalantly straightening her red team shorts, crop top and short jacket.
Synch grinned like the proverbial Cheshire Cat. "You'll understand if I return the favor, right?" he inquired, and tackled his teammate.
"Piquero!" Angelina screamed as they fell and went rolling. "What the hell is the matter with you?! Get away from me! I attacked you from a distance because I didn't want you copyin' my power!"
"Lighten up another shade of grayed tan, Skin!" Everett urged. "I've got my sync-up power down pat. It's how I managed to stay so big when I was around Sabretooth."
"BUT, unlike certain negro chicos from New Jersey," Skin snarled, "I don't know the extent of my power! If I rip or tear, it'll be YOUR fault!"
"Then stop struggling and we'll call it even," Everett calmly suggested.
Angel shoved a hand under Ev's chin and shoved, tangling her flexible fingers around his head. "Get AWAY from me!"
"HEY!"
"Whoa," Jubilee gasped as the small group entered a room full of controls. "Totally cool digs ya got, Banshee. I'm like, without speech here."
"Were that but true," Manet sighed, and promptly ignored the former Cali-girl. "Monsieur Cassidy, while a tour of the campus is certainly necessary, I thought we were going to start our training session?"
"Ye are, lass," Sean called over his shoulder from where he stood, overlooking a large expanse of tropical greenery. "Come closer. The three of ye are lookin' the world's first -and no doubt only- fully interactive ecological biosphere."
"No way! You serious, Cassidy? A Danger Grotto?" Jubilee complained. "Ya want us t' train in a terrarium?"
"Now wait just a dang minute! Ah've been studying the layouts and schematics for our version of a Danger Room for weeks, and now ya switch all the plans around without tellin' me? Without tellin' any of us? That's weak!" Pierce spoke out crossly.
"Now, now, Pierce lad: I admit I could have told ye sooner, but that was then," Sean said reasonably. "Those circuits and holoprojector units ye were studying? They won't be needed here. The Biosphere won't break down and need fixin'. For that and other reasons, it is far more superior to a Danger Room. Safe as safe can-"
CRASH!
"-be?" a startled Sean finished, gawking at the bizarre sight of two teens surrounded with rainbow light, tangled in various lengths of epidermis, rolling, cursing and wrestling amongst the broken glass.
"Now let go of me!" Skin demanded shrilly.
"I will, as soon as you let go of me!" Synch parried.
"After you!"
"On three?"
"Si! Uno…. dos-"
Sean sharply smacked his students upside their heads and angrily pulled them apart. "That's more'n enough of that!" he scolded loudly, hauling Ev and Angel to their feet. "Now which one o' ye came up with the fool idea of cross-training against each other? Speak up now!"
"That would have been me, Sean."
The Banshee felt a surge of irritation upon hearing the cool, even, feminine lilt come from behind him. "I should have known," he muttered, and turned around, going eye-to-eye with Emma Grace Frost, the former White Queen, the school's headmistress. The real person in charge.
The white-clad lady smiled smugly and waited for Sean's reaction. She got it, all right. "Are ye daft, woman?" Sean demanded. "I thought we decided, Miss Frost, that the students would learn to their powers on an individual basis first?"
"You decided, Mr. Cassidy," Emma retorted coolly, toying with a white leather cat-o'-nine-tails as she spoke. "I only agreed to those terms to be polite. As Head Administrator of this establishment, I feel I have some say in how we train our students, who, I might add, know more about their powers than you are willing to give them credit for."
"Powers they won't be able to use if they wind up hurtin' each other," Sean retaliated.
"Which they are certain to do, if we don't train them properly," Emma snapped, quickly starting to lose her patience.
A rather animated debate soon followed. M shook his head in disgust and asked of no one in particular, "Are they always like this?"
"Si," Skin answered laconically.
Jubilee giggled, then suddenly stopped as something flickered on the edge of her peripheral vision inside the Danger Grotto. It seemed to be a spinning circle, a flash of light, a little old man…. Huh? she thought, quickly whipping her head around to get a better gander at whatever it was. But when she did, the apparition was gone. What the….
A light touch on her arm distracted her from her mental pause. Jubilee jerked to attention to find Pierce looking at her, concerned. "Lee?" he inquired. "Y'all right?"
"I'm fine. Just thought I saw somethin'," Jubilation reported, gently shrugging Shucker's hand off. "C'mon everyone. I don't think Frost an' Cassidy are gonna be finished any time soon, so let's get some breakfast."
"The plane carrying Starsmore should be arriving soon, Sir," a small, sniveling voice claimed from the driver's seat.
"I still don't get it," a soft, gravelly voice snarled. "Why would a girl who looks the way she does be doing here? She's of no use to anyone, except me."
"I'm sure I don't know, Sir," the sniveler responded.
"Of course you don't, D.O.A. So I suppose I will just have to ask her myself."
We return to the school for now….
"Hey Jubilee," Everett called as he strode down the steps to join his teammate in front of the school. "What's up? Are we the only ones going to the airport?"
"Yup. Guess everyone just isn't as civic-minded as we are," Jubilee answered, bored. "Angelina ain't big on public appearances anymore, Pierce is obsessing over the details of the Danger Grotto-"
"Neurotic much," Ev snorted.
"I know," Jubilee muttered, not quite derogatorily. "Anyway, and Manet-"
"Could not be any less interested in playing the role of Goodwill Ambassador on Xavier's behalf," M called from a towering oak above the duo. Gracefully he wound his way to a thick branch and sat there primly.
Jubilee laughed. "Climbin' trees, M? Isn't that, like, totally second grade?" she jabbed.
Manet smiled indulgently. "With you being the expert on all things immature, Jubilation, I'll have to take your word for it," he answered.
Jubilee scowled, fuming. "How come he always gets the last digs?" she muttered angrily.
"Maybe because you always let him?" Everett offered.
Thankfully, a loud BEEP BEEP! distracted Jubilee from revenge as Sean rolled up the drive in a flashy white Cadillac, a smirk on his face and round-rimmed sunglasses over his eyes. As the other two teens strode over to the vehicle, Manet quickly sailed down from his perch, landing with a bit of a wobble on the grass. "Um…. I'm sorry Sir, but some of these trees are just made for climbing," he hastily explained, seemingly embarrassed.
"Lad, I know I might be a wee bit protective of the lot of ye," Sean began, "but I'm fairly certain that someone who can fly -such as yuirself- has nothin' ta fear from a tree." He checked to see if Jubilee and Everett had gotten in, then turned his attention back to Manet. "Care ta join us?" he offered.
"Merci, Mr. Cassidy, but I would prefer to stay and familiarize myself with the campus," M demurred.
Jubilee's laugh chimed in the air. "In other words, he's gotta stay and unpack the butler!" she mocked. "And don't forget to put the fish eggs in the fridge before they melt! And-"
VROOOOM! The white Caddy shot down the driveway, leaving a cloud of dust and Jubilee's protest of "Hey wait a minute I wasn't finished yet!" hanging in the air.
Manet chuckled a little to himself. He was abruptly stopped, however, by a sight he wasn't sure he would see again.
A small, wrinkled and brown, silver-maned and -bearded man in a loincloth was sitting serenely on the trimmed lawn. He could have been older than time itself, and similarly, he probably started each moment of his life every time he was perceived to exist by any other sentient being. He had no name, and yet he was called-
"Gateway?" Manet whispered, surprised. Then the shock wore off and he smiled, crouching next to the Aborigine. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Mentor, but the entire reason I came here was so others could continue my tutelage," he explained patiently. "And while I most certainly aspire to greater ambitions than becoming a so-called 'X-Man', all parties involved feel the can provide the necessary- Wait." M stopped cold. "This.... This isn't about me. It's _him_. He's returned, hasn't he?"
Gateway simply nodded.
Manet felt a fiercely cold stab of fear.
"I think I can see their point, actually," Everett commented as he strolled through the crowded, bustling isles with Jubilee and Sean.
"Whose point?" Jubes wanted to know as she dodged a rather pompous-looking man.
"The people who are so afraid to share the planet with mutants," Ev explained. "I mean, think about it: The three of us alone have the power to level this entire airport, and we walk through the security gate without anyone even telling us to empty our pockets of all metal objects."
"That, Everett, is one of the very reasons Professor Xavier founded his schools," Sean informed the boy. "Excuse me sir," he said, waving down a gate attendant. "What flight is being deboarded down this lane?"
"Four-oh-six, from London," the attendant answered.
"Perfect. Thank ye."
Sean guided his charges through the crush of people to the appropriate gate and bid them watch for the arriving student, which wasn't much of a task, seeing as how conspicuous she was.
"Lemme guess: It's the walking leather Band-Aid?" Jubilee inquired, pointing out the tall and swaggering auburn-with-a-dyed-black-streak-haired teen.
"Poor girl," Everett remarked softly.
"She's here because she needs our help. She can do without our pity," Sean gently rebuked. Then he lifted his hand and waved over everyone else's heads. "Lass? Joan!" he called.
Joan flicked her emerald eyes in his direction, and started toward him.
Spontaneity. For better or worse, it's one of the key distinctions of life among Homo Sapiens Superior. It is impossible to know when even the most ordinary of situations can change in an instant from the mundane to madness, or to murder....
All of a sudden, something that Jubilee would later call the "trenchcoat- wearing, dark gray monster with hair gel from Hell" warped right out of thin air and laid a taloned hand on Joan's face. "Welcome to America, Joan Starsmore. Now die," the thing crowed in an undeniably male tone. "No, let me amend that," the creature went on. "Provide me with the genetic stuff of life I need to suck from your bones, _then_ die."
The civilians panicked and went on a rampage, trying to escape the terrible, chaotic scene before them. All but for three, that is.
Sean Cassidy was the first to speak. "What in the ever-lovin' world-!"
"Wail now, ask questions later, Banshee!" Jubilee yelled.
"Right, right." Banshee inhaled and let loose a sonic scream, his mutant power. It left him in rings, tearing up the floor and battering the villain. He staggered. "Now I don't know who or what ye are, ye foul thing," Sean called as the power trickled out, "but I'm tellin' ye only once: Release the girl!"
The creature looked over his shoulder. "Before I've finished my meal?" he questioned arrogantly. "Not even a possibility, Mister Cassidy."
It was Sean's turn to reel. "How…. How do ye know who I am?" he stammered, shocked.
"It's just one aspect of my power, Sean -may I call you Sean? Knowledge at a glance," the spiked man returned. "I can see your power, your passion, your past and present!"
Jubilee snorted derisively. "Nice alliteration, Uglier-Than-Thou!" she hollered. "Can ya 'see' we're gonna kick your ass?"
"Truly, child? I think not," the monster retorted. "You see, I also have the power to rechannel power I've siphoned," he declared, raising a glowing hand. "In this case, Joan's combined with Sean's!"
As he let the energy go, Banshee reflexively started to scream again in order to counter, only to have Everett leap in front of the villain's attack and absorb the full blast. "Ohhh," he moaned, tottering.
"Careful dude!" Jubilee cautioned, steadying him. "Can you sync your bod to that much power?"
"Apparently," Ev croaked, shuddering as his rainbow aura went berserk, "yes. Just give me.... a sec to adjust.... and this guy is less than toast."
"This is going to be fun!" Emplate laughed. "I'm getting full just thinking about it."
"Yer sick an' a half, creep!" Jubilee spouted, abandoning Synch and brandishing fistfuls of fireworks. "Ya want somethin' to chew on, try thi-"
"NO!" Banshee shouted, grabbing her wrists and pushing them away. "Don't, lass. Ye'll only be giving that monster more power tae throw back at us."
"My, but you're a quick study, Sean," the mutant vampire praised. "I'm impressed."
*Impressed! Do you really want.... to be impressed?!* an almost forgotten Joan shouted, lashing out and grabbing Emplate's jacket collar. *THEN TRY THIS.... YOU F--KING FILTHY FREAK!*
Crimson, gold and neon orange light violently detonated, surrounding the two mutants in a vicious spiral and tearing up the airport floor, shattering the walls, breaking the windows and cracking the chairs and ceiling. In other words, the place was completely totaled, toasted along with a few miles of tarmac and outland.
When at last the potent power ebbed and the dust settled somewhat, the mutant vampire could be seen picking himself up from the floor, thoroughly rattled. "How.... How?" he croaked. "No one has ever used their powers while I was feeding. It's impossible!"
A scornful mental laugh echoed from a hazy shroud of smoke. *Nothing.... is impossible.*
"Ah, youth. You and your boundless optimism," the villain said degradingly.
*I happen to be speaking from experience,* Joan informed him as the dirty film began to clear, revealing her silhouette. *If I can adjust to this,* she went on as she came into clear view, *any damn thing is possible.*
Where Joan's jaws, front of her neck and chest should have been, there was only a gaping emptiness filled with blazing, spiking, blinding crimson, neon orange and sun-yellow power that flickered, turned and illuminated the area like fire.
The young woman laughed again at everyone's stunned expressions. *See what I mean? .... Any damn thing.*
"Whoa, again," Jubilee squeaked.
"Whoa again, indeed," the dark gray man purred. "Over the years, I've enjoyed many types of mutations, but never.... Never have I been a guest at such a veritable smorgasbord of designer genes!" he finished, lifting a toothed hand. "Now if you'll all line up according to-"
WHAM!
He was embedded in a crater in the floor before he could finish. "-Oh. I actually felt that," he declared, surprised.
"It was pain, Template. Get used to it," M's maddened voice butted in from beside him.
The man now known as Template got out of his hole and sized up Generation X as they spilled from a teleportation matrix spun by Gateway. Then his eyes settled on Manet. "You have me at a disadvantage, young man," he said, shocked once again. "You know my name, yet I, for some reason, am unable to discern yours."
"Oh yes. I'm just full of surprises," M scoffed, dashing to the side.
"Say hey, M, y' were right when you convinced us t' come along on this li'l jaunt," Shucker exclaimed, skidding behind the boy. "But how'd yah know our friends needed us?"
"As I've said in the past: There is precious little I don't know," M countered.
Shucker was instantly peeved. "Well, fine. Be that way," he huffed. "Ah guess we'll just have t' solve one mystery at a time!" With that, he jumped around the Algerian and went towards Template at a dead run, battle-ready. Samantha.... Cannonball, Ah'll do ya proud! he thought.
"Shucker, wait!" Banshee commanded too late. Template had already ducked under Shucker's swing and, with a triumphant cackle, brought his talons around to slash at the teen's gut, and slash deep. Pierce was stopped in mid-stride, mouth open in shock as he stared down at his gaping, messy wound. He didn't even scream, just mouthed a quiet "Oh," as he wrapped his arms around his middle and collapsed to the floor in a widening pool of softly steaming blood.
"PIERCE!" Banshee shrieked. He was suddenly reminded of one of the X-Men's earliest missions, where he had stood helplessly by as his teammate Thunderbird was killed, and then he remembered a time just two weeks before, when he had been able to save valiant Clarice Ferguson as she perished and took the Phalanx known as Harvest with her.
Sean couldn't help but wonder if history was repeating itself.
No. He wouldn't let it!
"M!" Banshee barked, snapping back to himself. "Grab Shucker and get him to a hos-"
"Wait!" Jubilee cried suddenly. "I don't think it's that major yet. If I'm right," she went on, landing on her knees next to Pierce, "we can save him right here. That is, if I can keep from spewing lunch all over the place." Jubes dug her fingers into Pierce's suddenly loose skin. "Eeyeww," she moaned, and tore.
When the last bits of flesh had fallen free, Shucker could be seen shakily sitting up, healed and whole and somehow with a fixed uniform. "There ya go, Hayseed. A brand new bod underneath," Jubilee declared, then added, "An' for the record, that was a one-time offer."
"And don' think Ah don' appreciate it, gal," Pierce panted.
Jubes just shook her head and turned her attention back to Template. "So what's the deal, Snuffleupagus?" she asked of the villain, who had been watching the proceedings with interest. "You are totally buff when you ambushed Sparky there," waving a hand at Joan, "but why do I doubt yer ready to mix it up with all of us together?"
"Don't taunt him, Jubilee," Manet warned. "If he wanted to, he could-"
"Shush, child," Template interrupted. "You'll ruin the ending."
"Which'll be any second now, although I doubt ye'll be waitin' around ta see it," Banshee grumbled from his position in front of the children.
Template pretended to be crushed. "Am I that transparent, Sean? Oh, shame on me," he cooed, and backed away. "But before I go, understand this: After I have supped on the marrow of others such as yourselves, I will return. Know that wherever you go, I can see you. Wherever you run, I can follow. Wherever you hide, I can find you, and I will. Then I will devour each and every one of you, one morsel at a time, and there is not a blessed thing you can do to stop me.
"Bon appetit, children."
Template turned away and started to become shady and translucent, chuckling softly. M realized what he was doing and jumped forward, shouting, "Wait! We can stop his telepor- What!?" He froze quite jarringly. "I can't move!"
As Template vanished completely, Manet found himself regaining mobility. "What just happened?" he asked, completely confused.
"I happened," Emma Frost answered smugly. "We nearly lost Shucker to his hot-headedness, M. I wanted to prevent an encore performance, so I telepathically commandeered your motor skills for an instant."
M whirled to face his teacher, his entire body radiating wrath. "DON'T EVER ENTER MY MIND AGAIN!" he roared. "CLEAR?!"
Emma was taken aback, but that was rapidly replaced by the feeling of being miffed. "Don't be so sensitive, child. I was only saving your life," she sniffed.
"Uh, excuse me, but am I the only one who thinks this is whacked?" Angelina interjected, diverting a cat-and-dog fight. She waved a rubbery hand at the seemingly oblivious civilians. "It's like they don't even see us."
"Very astute, Skin," Emma said sweetly. "They don't see us. I'm using my psi-powers to make us blind to the herd."
'Herd'?! Sean wondered, slapping a hand to his head. Charles, what in the world have ye gotten me into?
Jubilee ignored the milling humans and turned her attention to the newest student. "So, Sparky," she started.
*Joan,* the Brit snapped, her thoughts striking Jubilee's mind like a whip's strike. *My name.... is Joan. If anyone is "Sparky", it's you.*
Jubilee scowled, rubbing her head. "So, _Joan_," she said, exaggerating the name, "welcome to Generation X."
Way, way away....
"So how did it go, Sir?" D.O.A. cackled, nearly swallowing his ears with his grin.
"Shut up, you nothing!" Template snarled, shoving his assistant against a locked door. "Open it, quickly!"
"Feeding so soon after your last snack?" D.O.A. questioned, fumbling with the keys. "Is that wise, Sir?"
"The battle took a lot out of me," Template grumbled as D.O.A finally got the door open. He stepped forward eagerly, then froze in horror. The room was strewn with tattered scraps of leather, busted links of chain and battered buckles. "She's gone!" Template shrilled. "After years of being my sole sustenance…. What am I to do without her?!"
"Don't worry," D.O.A. soothed as thunder crashed outside the hideout and a massive storm swept the area. "We'll get your meal ticket back. Sir."
At Xavier's in Emma's second-level office.
"Will you lighten up, Sean?" Emma asked of her fellow fidgeting teacher, sipping the wine she had poured into a decanter. "In case you didn't notice, we won. That's reason to relax."
"I wish I shared yuir sentiments, but as it is," Sean retorted, fiddling with his own wineglass, "we don't know what we're up against here. I think-"
The door swung open with a BANG! Sean nearly spilled his wine, and faced however had barged in to chew them out.
Joan held up a hand as Sean's lips parted. *Save it,* she said shortly. *There's someone to see you two.... out front.*
"Oh boy," Sean muttered, setting his glass down and striding out of the office, Emma close behind.
Generation X had assembled at the bottom of the steps by the time Emma and Sean got there. "Whazzup, Sean? We got company?" Jubilee inquired, noting their tense postures and worried faces.
"Maybe," Emma answered curtly.
"Until we know what this is all about, stay put," Sean ordered, stepping out the front doors.
Halfway across the front lawn, the headmasters knew. "Gateway!" Sean shouted, stomping over to the older man. "This is _really_ startin' tae irritate me. Much as I appreciate yuir help with Template today, the truth of the matter is I dinnae want ye hangin' around here for whatever your reasons are, comin' an' goin' as ye please! If ye have somethin' ta say man, just say it!"
Gateway inclined his head slightly. "P.... Pe.... Penance," he whispered.
Sean fell to his knees from the shock. "Ye.... Ye spoke?! Ye actually spoke!" he exclaimed.
Behind him, Emma harshly gripped his elbow and hauled him to his feet. "I don't think he meant it as a verb, Sean," she stated coldly, pointing something out a few feet away. "It seems he was referring to her!"
Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating a nightmarish sight: A young, red-skinned, scratched-up girl wrapped in black straps was lying unconscious on her side, ribs rising and falling in faint, rapid breaths. Her right hand was stretched out beside her, and the hard fingers were shaped like talons from Hell.
A surprise.
Nature's way of saying "I'm still in control here.
"You never know what's going to happen next.
"Try again tomorrow...."
TO BE CONTINUED IN ALTER-GEN X Issue Two: SEARCHING
