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BACKLASH written by Richard 'Kurogo' Palmer
Xavier School for gifted youngsters, Saturday, Two A.M.
Jubilee turned off the TV. She had just watched the end of a Stephen King marathon on the Sci-fi channel. Now she had the jitters. Every creek in the house seemed louder than normal. She thought about some of the films that were shown, Pet Cemetery for one. It had a lot to do with what had been happening to them currently. Kevin Dallas was dead and frozen in a chamber in the infirmary. But he was going to come back to life. Christina was the only one to have witnessed Sequel's reanimation before so she knew what to expect. But she had refused to come inside since the battle that cost Sequel his life. Jubilation couldn't help but wonder how different Kevin would be when he returned.
She thought about one of the other films that were shown, the Shining, a film where the main character was driven insane by his surroundings. Jack Nicholson did an excellent job in that film too. Even now she could here him and his haunting "Here's Johnny!"
Suddenly she felt a hand grab her shoulder before she could turn around she heard a voice exclaim, "Honey, I'm Home!" she spun around and whacked this person over the head with the popcorn bowl. Kevin staggered to the floor, "That really wasn't the kind of welcome I was expecting Jubes," he said as he rubbed the bump on his head, "but whatever floats your boat."
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Everyone had come to see Kevin, to see if Jubilee's story was true. Indeed Kevin was alive once again. As he sat in the infirmary smoking a cigarette he was bombarded with questions. "So what does it feel like, dying and comin' back I mean?"
"Do you feel any pain from where you were hit when you were killed?"
"Did you see any bright lights or any of that jazz?"
Kevin just sat back and smoked on his cigarettes answering whatever questions he liked. He'd obviously been through this before. "Where is Christy?" He finally asked.
"Banshee went to look for her." Emma said, "She's a difficult one to track down."
Monet walked up to Kevin and said, "Kevin, I have a question for you."
"Shoot." Kevin replied.
Monet shook her head, "In private."
Kevin and Monet sat in the kitchen, "Okay, M, what's the big Q?"
"Kevin, you and I have never been on the best of terms, in fact when it comes down to it you almost seem to loathe me."
"Now I wouldn't put it like that."
"Let me finish." She said, "So It has been kinda bothering me, why did you save my life?"
Kevin opened up a beer and took a long sip, "Well, you know you women, if I hadn't saved you I wouldn'ta heard the end of it, 'Oh he ruined my mascara, oh that lightning ruined my perfect hairdo…"
Monet stormed towards the door. "Forget it Kevin, I thought we could be serious!"
Kevin just smirked as Monet glared back at him angrily. "Okay, Okay I'll be serious." He said as he took a long sip from his beer.
"This isn't some joke, is it? You're not just trying to annoy me further?"
"I annoy you seven days a week. Don't you think I get sick of it too?"
"Quite frankly," Monet responded, "No I don't."
"You're right, I don't." Dallas grinned as he took another sip of his beer, "But you can't blame me you're just so damn cute when you're angry."
Monet looked at him questioningly. Kevin looked back at her; "It's just the beer talkin' babe." Monet again turned for the door.
"Don't you ever quit?" M shouted as she walked into the living room.
"I'm like the freakin' energizer bunny, babe," Kevin said as he followed her, "'cept I'm pure evil… EVIIIIIL!!" He walked over to her, "but okay, last time, I'll answer your question for real." Monet paused before she turned back to him. "I saved your life…" Kevin started, Monet nodded, "Because you were there."
"What?"
"If it had been anybody else I woulda done the same." Kevin said as he sipped his beer, "death is no big deal for me, I'm rechargeable, you guy's ain't. No biggie."
"You only saved me cause I was the one in trouble?" Monet repeated, "No reason other than that?"
"Don't get me wrong M, I respect you, You have… some, redeemable qualities about you." Kevin said as he finished of his beer, "and you seem to be a valuable member of this team. But as for me having any personal feelings for you?" Kevin shook his head; "you're shooting blanks."
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"I found her," Banshee said as he walked into the infirmary with Christina. Only White Queen was there to greet them. Banshee looked around, "Is he hidin' again?" He asked.
"No." Monet said as she walked in, "He was answering a question for me, he just left to look for the Savage here." She sat down.
Before anyone could say anything to Christina, she bounded out of the room.
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Kevin wandered around the wooded area of the Academy's property. He lit up a cigarette. And took a long drag. He heard a crunch behind him as someone approached through the light snow on the ground. He turned around and smiled, "I thought I might find you out here."
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Over the next few days the student's continued to learn at the school as they always did, with two exceptions, Christina Laine and Kevin Dallas had failed to show up for any of their classes or for training. The White Queen was sure she knew what was going on, Kevin must have convinced her to leave with him for a short time to celebrate his return to the living. She'd have to have a talk with him when he returned.
At the end of the week people were getting ready for another weekend of freedom before they had to return to school. Banshee was stationed at the security console that night. Things had been a little quiet since Kevin's death. That did seem a little unusual considering the trouble Equilibrium went through to get to him the first time. Banshee thought about the incident for a moment, He'd gone to Emma with what information he could after he met Anthony Kubrin in the woods.
"He was a damn good Inspector Emma, best in the force in Albany. And We'd had a lotta cases shared between us during me time with the NYPD. He's as good as they get in surveillance causa his mutant powers. He's invisible to technology, he dinnae even show up on security cameras. He even had to fake the department physical in order to keep his powers under raps."
"So what are you saying Sean?" Emma replied.
"We're in very deep Emma," Sean announced, "We cannae see him with the sensors and now thanks to Canon, we cannae detect him with yuir powers. He coulda been able to get any o' our secrets without any o' us knowin."
Emma sat down and let her head fall into her hands, "More good news." She sighed, "Well if you guy's were such good friends couldn't you talk to him?"
"We were good friends Emma," Sean said as he turned to leave, "The man had a criminal past, he'd been able to hide it for a while. But it finally caught up with 'im. He was sentenced to ten years innae the Vault. Last I heard he died in there."
"Obviously you heard wrong." Emma muttered.
"Aye." Sean replied, "He's got nothin' to lose in Canon's group, an everything to gain." He looked back at her, "We're jus' gonnae have to be more careful from now on." Emma nodded in response.
So Anthony was now a part of Canon's group, along with this Equilibrium guy, and this group wasn't made up of pushovers. Equilibrium had even managed to throttle Emplate, not an easy feat but a welcome one. Banshee thought about it for a second, Anybody who had someone like Equilibrium working for him had to be powerful and well connected. It even seemed that Equilibrium had detailed information on… Emplate! Cassidy jumped up, on the screen in front of him was the lone figure of Emplate approaching the Academy. Quickly Banshee dashed to find Emma and the kids.
As he rushed out of the room he accidentally ran into a young man in leather biker attire. He stopped for a minute, "Kevin? I'm sorry I dinnae see ye there lad."
"S' cool." Kevin said as he stood up, "What's the rush teach? There a fire and I wasn't invited?"
"Emplate's back," Sean said, "I seen him on the monitors. C'mon lad help me get the team together."
"He's just around the outer perimeter," Sean reported, "The Camera's caught his movements early. We need to strike before he has a chance to make his next move"
"That's all well and good," M said, "but I think you are missing something here Mr. Cassidy. My brother has the ability to phase out of sight. If you saw him on the camera's he wants us to go out there."
"That may be so," Emma said, "But he's still going to come inside after us, it's better if we get the element of surprise." Kevin snickered, "Is there something you'd like to add Mr. Dallas?"
"No ma'am," Kevin replied as he grabbed his helmet, "Just a little anxious to go out there and kick Suffelupagus's ass is all."
"Be that as it may, watch yourself, You died the last time Emplate attacked the school, we don't want to repeat the event." The White Queen stated.
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"I can't get a lock on him," Synch said, "If he's still around here I can't seem to find him."
"He'll find us." Monet Muttered.
"Where's Christy, Kevin?" Jubilee asked, "If she were here we could just sniff him out."
"Isn't she here at the Academy?" Kevin asked as he lowered his wooden bat for a second. Jubilee shook her head. "Then I don't know where she is." He responded.
A wind rustled through the trees, a voice was carried along with it, "The essence of power is balance, my children. Those who cannot balance their abilities by ignoring their primal instincts are doomed to failure."
The whole team got in defensive stances; Kevin glanced around nervously as he reached into his jacket. Monet looked around, If Marius was here he had a very unlikely accomplice, the Man who called himself Equilibrium was definitely around here as well. Suddenly she felt something touch her foot. She looked down to see a small cylinder with a glowing red button. "Scramble!" She yelled as she threw herself on top of the explosive. Everyone jumped aside, except for Sequel. He flew into the air. Monet took the full explosion. She stood up merely singed and looked up at Dallas. "It seems we have a conspirator in our midst."
"Really Monet? And I thought you were the smart one!" Dallas said, as Emplate appeared floating next to him. Emplate grabbed a device on his belt and melted into the form of Equilibrium.
"Kevin?" Banshee said, "what are ye doin'?."
"When I crossed over from beyond the grave, admittedly at the hands of Canon's errand boy here, I had a realization. Who the fuck am I to judge a man by his past? Maybe Canon has something to offer? And hell yeah he did. Power, power that his Elite, his Emissaries had access to and I was supposed to gain as well. I was originally noted to be the fifth of the seven elite." He noticed Synch trying to Synchronize his aura with Kevin's, "I wouldn't do that my friend, all you would do is get some massive feedback. See, like you I too can now copy another mutants power, and thanks to your Synching Aura added to my ability to copy ones abilities by touch, I can control quite a few powers at the same time. Right now for instance, I have access to M's superior physical attributes, Jubilee's and Chamber's fire power and… Cassidy's excellent Vocal ability." Kevin let forth a scream that threw the student's back in pain. Kevin straightened his Jacket, "Mr. Lib, Shall we?"
Equilibrium smiled, he let forth several fireballs as Kevin used his vocal ability on the team in his most absurd performance yet, "Have you ever been for sale? When your isms get smart! Oh so selfless and mindless, with that comment in your eye! Do you think that you are hard? Really harder than the other! Man you're acting cold, if you are not in charge! Don't split your mentality, without thinking twice! Your voice has got no reason! Now is the time to face your lies! Open your eyes, Open your mind. Proud like a god; don't pretend to be blind! Trapped in yourself, break out instead. Beat the machine that works in your head!" Banshee fought his way through Kevin's vocal attack while dodging Equilibrium's flame based attacks. Finally He managed to fly up to Kevin and tackled him.
Kevin dropped his bat. "Oh, it looks like we have a critic. So I'm not Frank Sinatra, so kill me!" Kevin said as he hit Banshee with an explosion that appeared to be a mix of Jubilee's pyrotechnics and Chamber's psionic abilities.
"He's not the only one!" Jubilee said as she snuck up on him from behind. Kevin turned and she shot a blast of colored explosions into Kevin's face.
"AHHHHH!" Kevin shouted as he held his face, "I'm blind, you burned out my retinas!" He looked towards her, "Psyche!" He said as he shot a beam of psionic energy from his mouth. Jubilee barely dodged.
Kevin looked at his former teammates as he rose into the air again, he laughed, "Sorry, guy's 'librium wants a little payback and that's what I'm here for. As far As I'm concerned our past is just that." He shot a psi-blast at the students remaining on the ground.
"He may be powerful but he's as hokey as the next world-conqueror wanna-be." Jubilee thought. M shot for Kevin. Kevin caught her in mid-flight, "Hello Money, remember me? I'm the guy who took a dive for you… Literally! It's okay, there's still round two". Kevin grinned as he thrust Monet into he ground.
Monet looked back up at Kevin as he floated towards her. She reached to her left and grabbed his baseball bat. "He's still Kevin, so I'll have to try not to hurt him." She thought.
Kevin just grinned, "Give me the Bat M, I'm not going to hurt you…" M swung at him and he barely dodged in time. "You didn't let me finish, I said I'm not going to hurt you, I'm just going to bash your fucking brains in!" Monet scrambled to her feet. "Give me the Bat, Monet. Gimme the bat!" Sequel said as he approached her, "Gimme the Bat, Money! Gimme the bat!" Finally she swung and Kevin sailed into he air he hovered for a few seconds, shaking his head. If he wasn't using M's enhanced abilities he'd be out cold. "The bitch hit me with a bat." He muttered to himself, he grinned, "God I love a girl with spirit!" Kevin stopped short as he plummeted to the ground. He sat up and looked at his hands after he landed, "No, not this!" he lunged out at Chamber and grabbed his arm, "If you have any compassion, My friend, you'll kill me now!"
Chamber shook off his former teammate and hit him with a low-level psi-blast.
Equilibrium watched the battle below and grimaced, "Pathetic." He drew back his arms to let loose a hurricane force bust of wind. Suddenly he was driven into the ground by a large force. He looked up to see M driving him into the ground with a boulder.
Equilibrium crashed into he ground and shot back up with an electrical attack. Before he could connect he was hit by a psi-blast from Chamber. He fell to the ground and created a wave out of the earth beneath him sending it crashing towards Chamber. Again he was knocked back by another blow, this time from Banshee. Finally he stood up and called forth the full ability of his power, the winds really started to pick up, they started to pull the trees from their roots. Kevin rushed through the storm towards his new partner. "You see Kevin, power is something only to be bestowed on those who know how to wield it!"
Kevin nodded as he reached into his Jacket and pulled out a leather strap, loaded with the small cylindrical explosives. He tossed it to Equilibrium, "Well, than you ought to know how to handle this!" he said. Equilibrium's eyes grew wide as the explosion sent him into his own wind attack. For the brief seconds while the tornado power winds were still active he sailed into trees and rocks and other such debris as his powers tossed around. He landed, fighting unconsciousness, muttering, "How.. could… his… mind was…" then he blacked out.
"Kevin, Lad thanks for the save." Banshee said.
"Don't come near me!" Kevin yelled, "I don't have control. If you have any sense you'll kill me now!"
"Kevin, what are you saying?" The White Queen asked, "Come on we'll take you to the infirmary and work this out." She started to step closer to him.
Kevin dashed at her grabbed her by the throat knocking her down. Then shot up and flew off.
"Kevin!" Banshee called out as he took off after his student.
::Sean, no…::, the White queen said telepathically, ::he's not Kevin anymore, come back to the academy and I'll explain.::
Chamber and Skin looked at each other. They both knew that between he two of them they had the best chance of finding Kevin Dallas.
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Everyone sat down in the briefing room, Emma spoke up, "just before he flew off, when Kevin attacked me he imprinted the whole story in my mind. He's not in control anymore; it's a form of multiple personality syndrome. Kevin's had this problem before, but never like this. When he left on the night he was resurrected, it wasn't because he was looking for Christina… he was looking for someone else…"
"You guy's with Asylum 7 Want what's in my head," Kevin said to Equilibrium, "that's understandable, but I want something too."
"What's that?" Equilibrium replied
"You're a man of power, so is Canon, so is every member of your group. I want in. I've been taking the beating for longer than I can imagine," Kevin smiled as he finished his cigarette, "it's time for me to beat back."
"I had a feeling you'd realize what you were missing," Equilibrium said as he opened the portal. "Perhaps, Mr. Dallas, We can help each other out in the weeks to come." Kevin smiled as he stepped through the portal.
"He was subjected to the last of his testing, apparently Canon's group uses high tech equipment to push their powers to its limits. Unfortunately this also fueled Kevin's other personality. He is driven by anger now, hatred that has brewed in him from his previous lives and personified." Emma said, "We'll have to hunt him down and render him unconscious, bearing in mind this is no longer the Kevin we know. Once we've restrained him I'll make sure he receives the necessary psychiatric treatment."
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Chamber and Skin were walking around downtown Boston, Jono said he knew he could bring Kevin to his senses if they just talked. Still they had no idea where to find him. They'd managed to follow him this far but from here it was any one's guess as to where he was.
Suddenly from the Bar across the street they heard singing, this wasn't unusual, the sign on the bar said Kareoke night, but as Jono heard the voice singing he turned to Skin, ::I think we just found 'im.::
"Have you ever been for sale? When your ism's get smart! Oh so selfless and mindless, with that comment in your eye! Do you think that you are hard? Really harder than the other! Man you're acting cold, if you are not in charge! Don't split your mentality, without thinking twice! Your voice has got no reason! Now is the time to face your lies! Open your eyes, Open your mind. Proud like a god; don't pretend to be blind! Trapped in yourself, break out instead. Beat the machine that works in your head!"
Kevin stopped singing as Chamber and Skin entered the bar. "Thank you folks, I'll be back next Tuesday." He said as he got off the stage and headed towards the exit.
::No yer don't Kev, not until yer tell us what's wrong.:: Chamber said psionically as he grabbed Kevin's arm. Kevin sighed.
Outside a few minutes later Kevin lit up a cigarette, "I can't control it, he keeps telling me to lash out, to destroy things."
::Yer mean voices?:: Jonothan asked.
"No the little green alien that only I can see. Of course I mean voices!" Kevin said and then sighed again, "Sorry, it's hard to fight it off. This happened to me before, back in Asylum 7, It really screwed me over, but it didn't really effect anybody cause I was in solitary. The next time I died and came back my head was clear again, I can only hope that's what'll happen this time." He took another drag off of his cigarette, "That's why you guy's have got to kill me! I can't fight it much longer."
Angelo looked at his friend; "We can't kill you, Vato. What kinda favor is that?"
"DAMMIT you don't understand…" Kevin trailed off. He looked at Angelo and smiled. Angelo realized what was happening in time and dove out of the way as a psi blast shot from Kevin's mouth. Chamber tried to grab Kevin but Kevin used the psionic ability to launch himself off of the ground.
::Ange, are yer okay?:: Chamber asked.
"He got me," Angelo said as he held his burned shoulder, "It hurts like hell, But don't worry I'll be fine."
Chamber shook his head, ::Get back to the academy and tell everyone else to come out here and find me, by then I'll have Kevin.:: Chamber said.
"But…"
::Don't argue with me I know what I'm doing!:: Chamber walked off towards the park where Kevin had just flown off.
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"Dammit…" Kevin muttered, "It's frying my brain, I can't take this much more…"
::Come on, Kev,:: Chamber said as he walked up behind him, ::I'll help yer through this.::
"Why don't you just kill me! My life isn't important haven't you learned that!" Kevin shouted.
::Everybody's life is important.:: Chamber said ::Life isn't as hopeless as it seems.::
"C'mon Jono," Kevin said, "Whoever made you believe that crock of…"
::Yer did,:: Jonothan said, ::yer were the one who pointed it out to me when yer brought me to meet the Oddities. Life isn't hopeless when yer have the right attitude.::
Kevin sat down and thought about it for a minute, "You don't know how hard this is. It's tearing me apart. I could lose control at any minute." Suddenly there was an explosion behind them. They both shot back to see a house go up in flames. Kevin took a quick look at his friend, "Well, I guess if you want something done you've got to do it yourself." Chamber pondered Kevin's response as Kevin flew towards the burning building.
Brian was huddled in a corner, he and his younger brother were locked in the room a burning fallen support beam had fallen and blocked their path. At Eight years old, Brian didn't have much of an idea of what to do. Suddenly a dark figure crashed through the door, his back and legs were on fire.
"Danny, look, it's the human torch!" Brian said to his younger brother.
Kevin lifted the beam as the flames burned his arms, "Hurry up kid, Get out now!" Brian did as he was told. And rushed out the door Kevin dashed after them to clear the path of any more obstacles. As he raced down the hall he smelled gas. There must've been a natural gas leak in the house. They came to the stairway to see it was blocked. Kevin threw off his burning jacket and grabbed the two kids and said, "hold on!" He jumped off the balcony and rolled back onto his feet as he hit the floor. The landing was painful, but only for him. He let go of the kids as they rushed out the door to meet their parents. Kevin heard the fire trucks arriving. He dashed back into the house to find and turn off the gas valve. It was then that it happened. A burst of flame blew him out of the front door.
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Chamber arrived in time to see Kevin push the two children out the door. But then, unexpectedly, Kevin dashed back inside. The man was already ablaze, what was he thinking? Suddenly the front of the house exploded and Chamber saw a figure fly across the street. Jonothan dashed over to see his friend lying in a neighbor's front lawn. The family he'd just save rushed over to see this man who'd fought to save their lives.
Kevin coughed as Chamber approached, "I beat 'im." He smiled, "I don't hear im in my head no more." a fireman sprayed him off with an extinguisher.
The mother of the two children bent down and hugged the smoldering Sequel, "Thank you young man," She stammered, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"Mommy that's the human torch." The eight-year-old smiled.
Kevin smiled back; the mother drew back as she felt blood on her nightgown. Kevin had been impaled in his landing, a fence post stuck through his lower chest. "Get the paramedics over here!" the fireman yelled. The woman looked at this young man in shock.
Kevin turned to Jonothan as he saw Emma Frost approaching with Skin, "Hey, man…," he coughed, "Can you… hand me my smokes?" Jonothan reached into Kevin's jacket and pulled out his cigarettes and lit one up for him. Kevin coughed as The White Queen approached, "Frosty… Find Christy… please… before I get back…"
Emma frost smiled weakly as Kevin sat back after the last word. The paramedics rushed over to Kevin as the cigarette dropped from his mouth. One of them took Kevin's pulse.
"It's too late." He said, "let's get him to the morgue."
Skin looked at Ms. Frost. She nodded.
As the paramedics loaded Kevin, their minds tampered with so that they would bring him back to the academy. Jonothan turned to the White Queen. ::So where do you think Christy is?:: he asked.
"I wish I knew." She said.
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"Any progress?" the man called Graves asked.
"No sir. Prisoner 57, has still not responded to any form of questioning." The young soldier replied.
Graves sighed, "This isn't getting us anywhere." He said, Whoever she is we know she has some relation to the renegade mutant group known as the X-men, because of items found on her person." He said motioning towards a stack of objects in a plastic evidence container. "If I learned anything from the late Graydon Creed, it's not to show these beasts any remorse. Continue the treatment, she has to crack sooner or later." He walked into the cell in front of them, "Well prisoner 57, We're here to continue the treatment." Christy looked back at him in disgust. The restraints held her back but still she jolted at the man as he entered the room. "Like it or not Operation Clean-sweep will continue. With or without your cooperation."
To be continued…
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The legal stuff: The Characters from Generation X and the concept of Mutants and are a product of Marvel comics and it's employees and are used without permission. Christina Laine is based off of the Samurai Spirits character Cham-Cham, Beyond that she's a character of my own creation. Kevin Dallas is a character of my own creation, all rights reserved. The song 'Open Your Eyes' is property of Guano Apes and Blackwood Music incorporated and is used without permission.
Any similarities of this fan-fiction to persons living or dead, or dead again, is purely coincidental.
