====================================================

Reflections On The Emplate War

Dr. Hank McCoy just sat in the room, watching the young mutant boy in front of him. Little was known about the boy. The only thing that was known about the boy was that the boy had saved Richard Cale and Penance from Emplate, although how he got to where they were was a mystery. When Sean had told him that the boy was a time traveler, he decided to call in someone who had been in this position before. The boy looked at him and said, "How long are you going to keep me here?"

Hank McCoy looked at the boy and just said, "Patience, please. I am waiting for another temporal traveller to arrive. His insight might be able to help you more than I can."

The boy looked at him and said, "You mean Bishop." Hank was shocked that the child knew of Bishop. The child then said, "You want him to help me. I heard about him. He was confused when he entered this time."

A deep voice said, "But, I learned about this time. And my knowledge helped this timeline." Hank looked to see Bishop standing at the door. He always wondered about the time traveler, but never questioned him much about his time.

The boy turned to the new arrival and said, "Your knowledge didn't do you any good in my timeline. You were one of the first to fall." Hank saw the anger welling in Bishop.

"I have faced things you have yet to experience. If it weren't for some of my knowledge about Emplates, Generation X might have even less about the first one."

The boy walked up to Bishop and said, "And all your knowledge earned you an empty corpse in my time line. You could find Emplates, but not the attack that killed you." Hank saw Bishop stagger backwards. "That surprises you. You don't know how dangerous Emplates are until you look at my timeline."

Hank leaned forward and said, "What happened in your timeline?" He was greatly intrigued. His own dark counterpart, as well as Nate Grey, came from another timeline, the Age Of Apocalypse. He then remembered the one thing he forgot to ask the child. "Also, what is your name?"

The boy just sat down and said, "My name is Darrett Xavier Thomas, and in my timeline was a very destructive war. It was known as the Emplate War." Hank noticed that Bishop sat down, in shock.

Hank knew that this worried Bishop, but they had to know what had happened. "Darrett, what started this war?"

The boy just looked at him and said, "It started at the museum that Generation X had just left from. It started with the abduction I had stopped. In my timeline, the abduction had happened, and Generation X failed to rescue Skitz and Penance."

Bishop then said, "And this increased Emplate's forces." The boy shook his head. He noticed the doubting look on his face as Bishop asked the next question. "You mean this made Emplate weaker?"

The boy just nodded and said, "It was never confirmed of what happened, but something caused both Skitz and Penance's minds to snap. Some figure it was what Emplate did to them, other figured that it was the mere thought of being Emplates for the rest of there lives that caused them to snap."

Hank just leaned back and said, "I see. So Emplate and Skitz were at war which took it's toll on the world." He was surprised when the boy shook his head.

The boy then said, "No. After Skitz and Penance's minds snapped, they slaughtered all of Emplate's followers, and then Monet St. Croix. The reason was never told to me. Both my parents took that secret to their graves. They then took out any threat they perceived, humans, heroes, the X-groups, and even the villains at the time."

Bishop just looked at the boy and said, "You mean that Skitz and Penance were taking over the world." The boy nodded. Hank could see the disbelief in Bishop's eyes.

It then hit Hank McCoy that not everything could have been stopped. He leaned forward and said, "What about the chaotic Legacy Virus? Surely they couldn't stop that?"

Hank was surprised when the boy shook his head. "Legacy was cured a month after their abduction. Moria McTaggart was thought to be leading the forces until four months later, when Skitz and Penance killed Banshee atop a tall building."

The question was asked by both he and Bishop simultaneously "How?"

The boy continued quietly as he said "Generation X went to stop Skitz. Emplate had joined with them, but they couldn't stop them. Banshee was capture and killed. The group split, half going with Emplate, half staying with Emma."

Bishop then said, "Couldn't you stay with the X-Men?"

Hank could see the harshness in the boy's eyes as the child said, "You weren't listening. The X-Men were one of the first to go. In my time, your head is one of many on display in the hall of the lucky ones. Skitz wasn't stupid. Any mutant he didn't kill, was used as livestock."

Hank was shocked by these words. "You mean he kept mutants like they were cattle." The child nodded and Hank realized that timeline the child was from was a very dismal path. Hank then asked about what the boy just said. "Darrett, you said that Gen-X split, do you know what happened to those who stayed with Emma?"

Bishop then said, "And what about those who went with Emplate?"

The boy just sighed, "Sometime after the split, the school fell into tragic times. Emma Frost's company was being taken over by another company. I can't remember the name, but it was headed by Skitz himself. It was part of a plan to take over the school, but more. He captured her when she discovered what was happening. No one knows what happened to her. My parents, who were going to rescue her, were kept out of their American base of operations. When the other two members tried to rescue her, one was killed, the other taken prisoner. When my folks returned to the school, it was overrun by Emplates. They fled, and they stopped when they reached the Savage Land, and the most unlikely of forces against the Emplates."

Hank eyed the boy with the curiosity of a cat, and said, "Who were they?"

What the boy said shocked both he and Bishop. "The last source of hope was a small band of free mutants, lead by Xavier and Apocalypse. When Skitz started his assault, it drew Apocalypse's attention, mainly because he was doing what Apocalypse couldn't, and that even Apocalypse would not be immune to the effects. It was an alliance not of choice, but of survival."

Bishop then said, "What happened to Emplate after that?"

The child just said, "Not long after my parents joined the rebel group, an announcement was sent world wide. Skitz announced that Emplate was no longer a threat to the new order. All that followed him were dead. He then announced a statement that worried the rebel group. He announced that he would destroy the one being that could destroy all that the Emplate's had. His family's age old enemy, En Sabar Nur."

Hank was taken back by this. Could this be true, and how? Did Richard Cale's family know about Apocalypse, and if so, how far back did it go? His thoughts were interrupted when Bishop said, "Skitz declared war on Apocalypse, who in your timeline, ended up on the side of mutants and humans."

The boy shook his head and said, "By my birth, all Homo Sapiens were dead. Skitz perceived humans as a threat. He knew that mutants would fight back, but his mind was working everything out. Especially the day my father died. My father went with Apocalypse to try and find some weakness in Skitz's command. They went to Skitz's ancestral home, where it was rumored that all secrets of the Cale family were kept under lock and key. When they arrived, they were attacked by Emplate's. They managed to fight their way to the vault, but when they entered, according to my mother who saw a vid transmission of the events, the only sight they saw was a black flaming sword. Before either was prepared to attack, Skitz and Penance attacked. It was a short fight as both my father and Apocalypse fell. At that, my mother took me out of the place that would no longer be safe for us."

Hank looked at the boy, while writing all this information down for in his files. "So, you lived your whole life hiding in the shadows, avoiding Emplate detection. How long did you live your life like this?"

The boy just sighed and said, "My mother took me to find a way to stop all of this. For almost a month, we hid in the Cale ancestral home and searched for a clue on how to defeat Skitz and Penance, or to find some way to reverse it. In the logs was something about a creature called Ouroboros. It is supposed to be able to send stuff back in time, according to legend. My mother thought that if we found the creature, we could stop all this from happening."

Hank eyed the boy suspiciously and said, "You're saying a magical creature brought you to save the two kids."

The boy sat back and said in a calm voice, "It was much weirder than that. The moment we found the creature, Skitz and Penance slaughtered my mother. I watched in fear and anger. At the moment they looked at me, I thought I was going to die. Then I saw something in Skitz' eyes. It was a look of regret. It also had a mixture of hope in it. It looked like the two were communicating mentally. My mother had said that they did it a lot before they were captured. They both told me to stop all this from happening, told me to save them."

Bishop just said, "And that's how you came to the museum. You came back in time to stop Emplate from getting Richard and Penance."

The boy nodded and said, "Yes, and after I knocked Emplate and that woman with him away from them, I was half tempted to kill them. I didn't want to run the risk of them becoming Emplates, but the rest of Gen X got into the room. I could see the fear in their eyes, and I realized they weren't afraid of me, they were afraid of almost everything."

Hank nodded and said, "Which is why Gen X brought them here? To help break them out of the fear." The boy nodded. The boy was not very cooperative, but the boy had a lot to sort out. Maybe time with Generation X would help the boy tell more of his life. He hated to admit it, but Richard Cale's own ability might be enough to learn more about the boy, and his ability. Hank stood and said, "We will have to talk later. Sean and Emma want us to help Penance and Richard over come this fear they have developed." With that, the three of them left the room.

Sean was grateful when he saw Emma coming down the hall with Jean. He knew that Jean was probably the only mutant that could break through Penance's psionic blocks, but Rich's ability needed to wear off. That was why the two were placed in separate rooms after Emma managed to make them sleep. However, they didn't expect that they would be so violent when they awoke, but he figured that this should have been the expected reaction. He almost jumped when he heard the two simultaneous crashes. At that time Emma said, "Did they wake up?"

He was surprised at the plain dumbness in the question, but he didn't want to make a snap remarks. He just said, "No doubt about it, and they aren't to thrilled. They came close to being captured by Emplate."

There was another crash at the door he was at and Jean said, "I think right now they only feel safe together." Sean had figured that much out already. "I honestly don't know if separating them is a good thing. For all they know, they could have been abducted by Emplate, or they may fear everyone."

Emma nodded and said, "It would explain their reactions. They are acting just like Yvette did when we first found her." Sean remembered all that. He also remembered how cut up his hands got that day.

With another loud crash, Jean said, "Do you think they know they're safe?"

Sean shrugged and said, "I don't think they feel safe. Those two have relied on each other for that feeling of safety. Also, they are going to be worse to handle when Rich's ability wears off."

When there was another crash at the doors, Sean heard the unmistakable voice of Hank McCoy. "It appears that our two guests aren't thrilled that they are separated."

Sean looked at him and said, "What did ye find out about their rescuer?"

Hank looked at the boy, then back at him and said, "The boy comes from a very grim timeline. In his timeline, Richard and Penance are evil Emplate's much worse than the original." Sean felt like he shouldn't have asked the question. Hank then said, "But apparently, something happened and both Richard and Penance let the boy go rescue them." Sean was about to say something when Hank said, "Right now, though, I think it might be best to get him and Richard to talk. Richard might be able to let us know some stuff. Darrett, the boy in question, never revealed his ability, nor did he mention his parents, but something tells me that they are some of the kids in Generation X." Sean noticed that Hank had said this softly, which meant that it could possibly create a problem amongst the students.

Sean looked at his friend and said, "Hank, do ye have any idea on how to calm those two down." There was another crash at the door to punctuate his sentence. He glanced over at the door that the girls were at. The last crash had knocked Jubilee and Paige down, but Monet and Daria were still standing.

Hank just looked at Jean as she said, "I can calm Yvette down psionically, but I'll have to block their link. It might take some more strength to stop Rich. I'm surprised at all the strength he's exhibiting now."

Sean heard Angelo say, "You never saw him when he let loose on Sean's cousin." Sean shuddered at that. That was a show of Rich's full fury, and that was what was going on now.

"Maybe I could help in that department," said a gruff voice. Sean turned and saw Logan standing there. He looked at the door of the room Rich was in and said, "Sounds like the boy is going to throw something big. Better brace yourselves." Sure enough, Sean heard a loud crash, and saw all but Mondo fall.

Mondo grunted and said, "If I hadn't of taken on the qualities of this door, I think we would have had a problem."

Sean noticed that everyone nodded and said, "Logan, do you think you can calm Rich down. Ye aren't always the level thinker of this bunch."

Logan looked at him and said, "Irish, I'm the one with a healing factor. If I get injured, I can recover faster than anyone else here can." Sean had to admit that Logan was right.

Sean noticed that Jubilee was getting up, as she said, "I think you can do it Wolvie, just don't hurt him too much." Sean knew that in Jubilee's eyes, at times, Logan was like a father.

With another crash at the doors, Logan just said, "I don't think you have to worry about him getting hurt too much." There was a quiet bit of laughter from the group.

Jean then said, "Ok, I'm going to try to calm Yvette down. Logan be ready to go in." Sean just watched as Jean went into a psionic trance.

All she wanted was to be safe. That was all Yvette wanted after the attack at the museum, and now she only felt safe with her boyfriend, Rich. They were rescued at the last second by a mysterious person, but why, and who had he been. They were terrified, was this a new Emplate, someone from Rich's past. He looked at them with a sort of hatred. Then, Emma had put them to sleep. Rich had thought it was Emma's doing, but she could only convince them to sleep. When she woke up, Yvette saw she was in a room, with furniture, and Rich wasn't there. She didn't know where Rich was, or if she was a prisoner somewhere. She called out, {Rich, where are you?}

There was an answer. {Yvette, I'm locked in a room, somewhere. I don't know where we are, but I don't feel safe. Maybe we can break the doors down, and find each other.}

She reached over and grabbed a chair and said {Agreed, I feel safe when I'm with you.}

His voice sound like a reassurance already, {As do I, my love.} She had flung the chair at the door, and the door didn't give. She reached for another chair when she heard him say, {This was too close at the museum. I think I'd rather keep one ability, and I'd want it to be yours.}

She felt honored that Rich would sacrifice his ability just for their safety. She just called back and said {I'd be honored by that, my love.} She then continued to break down the door to the room she was in. She truely felt that she wasn't safe unless she was with Rich. As she went to grab something heavy to break the door down, she felt strange, as if she was out of her body.

When she blinked her eyes, she wasn't in the room anymore, but what looked like outer space. She couldn't believe she was there and breathing. She started to wonder how she was out there and went to call to Rich when a voice said, [He won't hear you, Yvette.] She turned to see the form of Jean Grey floating no more than a few feet in front of her.

She looked furiously at Jean and said, [What did you do to him?] She couldn't believe that the woman who helped them earlier, would turn on them.

Jean held up her hands and said, [Nothing, Yvette. We're talking on the Astral Plane, something Rich and you can't reach unless you get some training. The reason behind this is to get Rich to calm down, and maybe allow you two to be less afraid.]

[Less afraid, you want us to be less afraid after what happened to us?] Yvette shook her head in pure disbelief. [You don't know what it is like to be a servant of that maniac. I'd rather that Rich and I disappear to someplace Emplate would never find us.]

Jean slowly moved closer to her. [Are you sure that's what you both want, Yvette? Wouldn't you both miss your friends here? And what about the next time, if someone that you two can't handle attacks?]

Yvette stopped for a moment and realized what Jean was saying. She was still scared, but she had calmed down. [We weren't thinking straight, were we?] She saw Jean nodded and she then said, [I worry about Rich. I mean, he means so much to me, and I know I mean so much to him. What are we going to have to do?]

Jean took her hand and said, [Yvette, he needs to know he's safe with Generation X. You can help in that, but he needs to develop his skill. He won't be developing it if he holds your ability all the time. Now, someone is trying to help Rich right now, but I think Rich is angry.]

Yvette's eyes widens. She could tell that in Rich's voice that he was upset. [You got to stop them. Rich might hurt them.]

Jean smiled and said, [We figured on that, and one of Jubilee's friends is going in.]

Yvette looked at Jean and said, [`Sister's' friend. You mean `Wolvie'.] As Jean nodded, Yvette started to worry about Rich, and then started to worry about `Wolvie'.

Rich had lost contact with Yvette. What happened to her? Was she ok? This only increased his fury to get out of the room he was in. He picked up a large chair and said {Yvette, I'm coming to save you.} He didn't know if she was hurt, or if something bad was happening to her.

Rich flung the chair at the door, but he could tell that it shattered before it hit the door. When he glanced, he saw a figure there. It must have entered when he was picking up the chair and throwing it. He looked at the figure with a curious fury. He didn't know who it was, but the gruff voice didn't sooth his nerves any. The man just said, "Wouldn't want you to try that again, might hurt someone."

Rich glanced at the figure and said, "Where is Yvette?" Something about the person seemed familiar, but he couldn't place it.

The figure said, "She's talking with Jean, now calm down." Jean, was that Jean Grey this figure spoke of, but if so, why couldn't she speak to him, and vice versa.

He glanced at the figure standing in front of him and said, "Let me see her." It was more a demand, but he could tell that the figure wasn't scared.

The figure shook his head and said, "Sorry, Rich, but I can't let you do that. You need to calm down a bit before you see her." This man was telling him when he would calm down. This man didn't know how much better he would feel when he saw Yvette.

Rich grabbed another chair and heaved it at the figure. "I want to be sure she's safe. I don't want to lose her." He saw the three claws come out of each hand. The chair was cut in half before he could blink. Now he knew who this was. He looked at the figure and said, "Wolverine, right."

The figure moved forward abit and said, "Yep, and you must be the one they call Skitz." He backed away from the figure, instinctively. He was afraid, but right now he was afraid of everything.

He looked at the figure and said, "Listen Wolverine, let me see Yvette. I don't want to hurt you." That was the honest truth. All he wanted was to be safe, and he only felt safe with Yvette.

Wolverine just moved forward again and said, "Calm down. Beside, some of what you can dish out, I can take. What if it was Sean, or one of your school mates?" Wolverine had hit home. Wolverine could take what he might dish out, but he had a healing factor, no one in Gen X had that healing factor. Wolverine then said, "It doesn't feel good when you kill, does it."

He looked at Wolverine and said, "H-h-how d-d-did y-y-you kn-n-now?" He shook from the memory of that day.

Wolverine said, "You're looking at someone who has done that. It still haunts me."

Rich looked at Wolverine and asked the question, "How do you cope with that? I keep hearing Black Tom Cassidy's voice, taunting me over what I did. It's like his spirit won't let me forget." Rich then noticed for the first time that Yvette's ability was leaving him.

Wolverine looked at him and said, "Listen, I don't know if this will help you, but try using your ability on me. Maybe that will help you find a way to cope with that pain." Wolverine must have noticed him losing Yvette's ability. Rich decided to try. He slowly moved toward Wolverine. As he neared the mutant, he felt something growing in his hands. It was painful, especially when the claws shot out. Then, he started to feel all of Logan's memories find a place in his mind. He staggered back, from all the confusion that entered his mind from Logan's. He couldn't sort it all out. It overwhelmed him so that he staggered backward. He felt the link go, but he fell back and passed out from the confusion.

Emma could only watch as she saw Jean open the door to the room that Penance was in. As Jean did so, Emma watched Yvette walk out of the room. She appeared less afraid then before, but she was still was scared. Emma walked over to the girl and said, "How are you, Yvette?"

Yvette looked at her with her blue eyes and said, "Fine, but how is Rich?" Emma could now, more than ever, see the love for Rich in Yvette's eyes.

She was about to say something when she heard the door to the room Rich was in open. Out came Logan, carrying Rich. "He'll be fine. Just give him a moment to come to."

Emma could tell that Yvette was getting upset, due to the fact that her hair started to spike. "What did you do to him?"

Emma was about to do something when Jubilee stepped up and said, "Penny, Wolvie wouldn't hurt Rich. If anything, Rich might have passed out on his own." Emma swore that Jubilee was taking a big risk there, but then that might have been the only way to get through to Yvette.

Emma then looked at Logan and said, "What did happen?" She was concerned for Rich as well. She hoped that Logan didn't causing any major damage.

Logan placed Rich on the floor and said, "He linked with my ability, found out alot about me. His mind just couldn't cope with all the info, I guess." He started to walk down the hall. Emma then noticed that the new boy stood next the figure. She watched with fascination. That was very interesting, there were no visible signs or Rich accepting the boy's abilities. Could the link with Logan might have done something.

She walked over to Hank and said, "Could you do an EEG on Rich? I think his linking with Logan might have affected him in a beneficial way?"

Hank nodded and picked up Rich. As he walked away, Sean walked over to her and said, "Emma, why did ye ask him that?"

She decided to let everyone know her suspicions. She gathered everyone around and said, "When Rich joined us, he said he was an epileptic. We all saw what happened when he accepted an ability unwillingly." Every nodded, and then she continued, pointing at the new kid, "When he approached, there was nothing. No reaction at all."

Jubilee's eyes went wide as it appeared that she was getting what Emma said. "You think that while Rich had Wolvie's ability, it healed his Epilepsy."

Emma nodded and said, "Exactly, but we can't be sure until Hank is done with the EEG. If that worked, it could mean a lot to Rich." She knew that Rich excepted the fact he was epileptic, but it might make things easier for him if it was cured.

*************************************************

Yvette paced through the room. She was worried about this test Emma wanted done on Rich. She didn't know how he would be after it. How much of an affect would this have on him? Soon, Jubilee said, "I think you should calm down Penny."

Yvette looked at her surrogate sister and said, "I can't help it. I'm worried about him. Besides, if it would be Everett in there, you'd be pacing." She watched Jubilee nod. Jubilee knew she was right. She then notice the new kid. He looked a bit pained. She wondered if she should thank him for saving them back there, but she feared him. It was something in his eyes.

Soon a door opened. She half expected it to be Rich, but it was Hank McCoy. He looked at everyone and then said, "All is the same as it was before. Logan's healing factor failed to correct the problem. As for why Richard didn't react to Darrett's proximity is due to the fact that he is unconscious. He will awaken soon, though, so all will be well."

Yvette stepped forward and said, "May I wait by his side?"

His face was kind as he said, "You may, but I wish to speak with you." As she walked in, she notice that he motioned Emma and Sean in. When he closed the door, he then said, "I wanted to talk mainly to all of you about Darrett. He might will be disorientated for a while, and he will be on edge."

Sean then said, "Why is it, Hank? Is it about what you said earlier?"

She noticed Hank nodded and then said to her, "I don't want this to alarm you, but in the time Darrett grew up in, Emplate's composed the planet, and they were led by Richard and you."

Yvette nearly gasped. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. "What do you mean?"

Emma put a hand on her shoulder and said, "In another timeline, you and Rich didn't get rescued. That could have been the outcome."

Yvette, a little shook up, said, "Then who sent him back?" She was afraid that it would be Emplate. Having lost his control, he might do such a thing.

Hank then said, "Your future selves. They allowed him to rescue you two. I figure it must have been the last action of what was left of your conscience and sanity in that timeline."

Yvette heard a quiet voice say, "Or destiny." She turned to see Rich had started to wake up. She ran over and kissed him. As she stopped, he said, "I saw his face in a dream, just before Emplate attacked us. Maybe we knew he could save us, and sent him back."

She watched as Hank thought about that. "It is an intriguing possibility. Well, I figure you all will want to go back to the school." He started to leave then turned and said, "By the way, Sean, here are the documents you wanted." She watched as he handed some papers to Sean.

Her own curiosity got the best of her. She want to know what they were. "What are those papers for?"

Emma smiled and said, "Sean had set up a legal adoption form. Now it's official."

She wondered about that as Sean showed her the paper. It had her name on it. As she looked over it, she heard Rich say to her in her mind {My love. Sean has legally made you his daughter.}

She glanced at him and asked, "Is this true? I'm your daughter now." There was a tear in her eyes. She couldn't remember her father anymore.

Sean then said, "Aye lass, it's true." She was so happy. She had her boyfriend, her freedom, and now a father. Maybe now, she could have a normal life.