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THE STORY FOLLOWS.
Attention: Generation X and their villians, as well as any other mutant mentioned in this story, is property of Marvel Comics. The character Richard Cale is named after family relations. Any other reference to anything copywrighted is a chance happening.
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Yvette stood at the door to Rich's dorm room. She could hardly believe that he had
grown so cold in such short a time. He was depressed, and the events that lead to it were
extremely traumatic. They knew that Rich was having problems when she and Monet followed
him the one day. Emma Frost, the headmistress of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, asked
all the students to watch him. As they quietly followed that day a week ago, she had realized
what he was going to do. She saw the lighthouse in the distance, the place where Emplate lived.
When she explained the situation to Monet, Monet grabbed her, then Rich, and flew them back
to the school.
Yvette continued to watch Rich, as he sat on his bed, holding a picture she had seen
many times before. Every once in a while, he broke into tears. When she tried to approach him,
he gave her a glance that told her not to even come close to him. It was odd, because she and
him had been inseperable after his recovery from Emplate's attack on the school. She was so
deep in worry for Rich when she heard a voice behind her softly say, "Has there been any
change, Yvette?" She turned to see Emma Frost standing behind her and watching Rich.
"No, Emma. I can't even begin to approach him. I've never seen him like this before."
"None of us has, Yvette." Emma Frost had started calling her by her first name since
Rich recovered. "You must remember what Rich has been through. Part of him still feels
remorse for the events. He feels responsible for the deaths that happened here."
Yvette understood that much. She still couldn't understand why Rich would willing want
to turn himself over to Emplate. "That doesn't give him the excuse to turn himself over to
Emplate. He knows how much I care for him. He knows I would not let him do that."
A calm voice startled both her and Emma. "That was why he tried to sneak away,
Penny." It was Monet. Monet still called her Penny, a nickname that was given to her by her
friend and "sister", Jubilee. Monet continued, "He didn't know we were following him, but with
how his mind works, I think he was hoping we would. I think that something he said came up and
hit him in the face."
Yvette heard both herself and Emma ask in unison, "What?"
"The truth can surface in ugly ways. What caused this was the ugliest truth in the Cale
family."
Emma interjected, "That and he feels guilty over the death of Sean's cousin." Yvette
remembered that. She still remembered what had happened that day, still trying to froget the
horror. Yvette had remembered that, but she didn't know much about Sean's cousin.
"Emma, what happened between Sean and his cousin?" Yvette didn't truely understand
it all, but she wanted to find out.
"There is a fierce hatred between Sean and his cousin, Tom. It is the same that is
between Monet and Emplate." Yvette shuddered to think that someone else could be as evil as
Emplate. She still had nightmares about her imprisonment. "Tom is the black sheep of the
Cassidy Clan, but Tom became an international terrorist. From what Sean told us when we
returned from Monet's place, Tom had been part of some experiments and learned to control
plants. His next step was to probably capture all of you using the fake Mondo he created."
Yvette was just about to ask more when Jubilee ran over, "Emma, Jean and Scott are
here." Emma and Sean decided to see if they could get Rich to talk about what had happened.
The two together figured that maybe Jean Summers could get Rich to talk about what had
happened.
Yvette's more important concern was about Rich. She knew that Rich knew that she was
there. She was afraid that he would try something rash if nobody was watching. "Should I keep
an eye on Rich, Emma?"
Everett Thomas came walking over. He then said, "I'll keep an eye on Rich for a while.
Besides, if he sneaks out, I can track him." She felt a little relieved when she heard that. After
Everett took the post of watching Rich, Jubilee lead them over to the main building to meet with
Scott and Jean Summers.
Sean felt a bit of relief when Scott and Jean arrived. He hoped that they could help Rich
break the emotional wall that forced everyone to avoid him, including Yvette. No matter what
happened until that day over a week ago, Yvette was always welcome, mainly because the two
were in love. Sean could swear that he was seeing another Scott and Jean in Rich and Yvette.
Jean finally spoke up, "What seems to be the problem?" Jean, who Xavier had taught
before his rage turned him into Onslaught, never used her powers of telepathy unless as a last
resort. Emma could take a lesson from that.
Sean waited until everyone, except for Everett and Rich entered the room. He had sent
Everett to keep an eye on Rich so that Yvette could be here. He motioned for everyone to sit
down and finally said, "Tis about the new student."
Scott immediately said, "Was that the one you contacted us about a month ago, to find
out in he had contacted us."
"Aye. As of recently, he has closed himself off from everyone, even Yvette." A slight
look of confusion crossed their faces and Sean motioned Yvette to stand. As she stood, Sean
noticed that she was wearing the same dress that she wore when Rich had recovered after the
attack by Emplate. Recently, she started putting her hair in a ponytail. He then said to Scott and
Jean, "You might remember her being called Penance."
Jean looked a bit surprised. "What happened to cause this change?"
"Rich, the new student. His mutant ability allowed him to communicate with her. Over
the past month, she has learned to control her ability, as well as speak with everyone. The two
had been virtually inseperable, until recently."
"What happened?" Scott asked.
"Well, during Christmas, we found we had some unexpected company. Black Tom was
on the school grounds. The only students on campus at the time were Yvette, Jono, Angelo,
Mondo, and Rich. It was Rich who discovered Tom's presence."
Scott, looking a bit confused, asked, "How did he manage that?"
"Rich's mutant ability is to basically change into the mutant he is closest to. Some
aspects of his ability allow the lad to use those abilities against that mutant."
Jubilee spoke up and said, "I can testify to that." Sean remembered what Jubilee had
gone through the day Emplate had attacked. Rich, for a brief time, had been controlled by
Emplate, and during that time, Emplate had somehow made Rich attack her.
Sean continued, "There are some benefits to his ability. The communication with
Penance, the lad can detect Emplate. Of course, with his ability, we run the risk of him
becoming a second Emplate."
Jean appeared to come to the conclusion that was what happened. "I take it that Rich
stumble onto Tom's presense."
"That he did, and that was around when everything went crazy. I think that it might be
best if we all told you what happened." Sean began by tell them about how the events began.
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Sean had been talking to Mondo for a while. The lad was more interested in find out
how some of the things work on campus, when before he just accepted that they worked. Mondo
had become interested in learning how the security system worked. Not to stop an inquistive
student, he was about to tell Mondo about it when he was called. "Sean, can I speak with you for
a moment." He recognized Rich's voice and turned to see the newest student of the school
looking at him. His voice said there was no urgency in the matter, but Sean recognized a look of
worry in Rich's eyes.
There must be something bothering the lad, and it must have happened recently. He
turned to Mondo and said, "I'll be a moment, lad." Mondo had nodded and Sean walked over to
the door where Rich was. Rich went in the door and Sean followed and said, "What's the..." His
voice trailed off as he saw about ten feet from him, and eight feet from Rich was Mondo. It was
the same lad he just left behind in the other room. What was going on? Sean lowered his voice
and asked, "Rich, what is going on? You ask to talk to me, and when I come in the room, I see a
second Mondo. Did ye find an imposter?"
Rich kept a calm look on his face and said, "No, sir. I found the real one. The imposter
is in there."
Sean glanced out at the Mondo sitting in the room, waiting patiently for him. "That one is
an imposter? How can ye tell, Rich?"
"Sean, I was on a walk of the grounds, when I sensed a mutant presance. I sensed a
mixture of things. I saw plans to capture everyone, a fake Mondo was just the first step in its
plan. I sensed botanical control in the mutant. This is what confused me, although. The mutant
is similar to you."
"What? Do you mean it has a sonic scream?"
"No sir. I mean it is like you as in, it is a Cassidy."
It hit Sean like a ton of bricks. He realized what was happening. He had to get all the
students together that were here. He then realized the first thing that they had to do was get rid
of the fake Mondo. "Rich, is there anything that we might be able to do to stop the fake Mondo?"
He noticed that Rich looked in the room. "If it is botanical, it should catch fire easily."
The way Rich had said it seemed so simple. Rich then looked back at him and said, "Sean, if we
want the real Mondo to survive, we are probably going to have to get him over to the med unit."
There was a look of worry in Rich's eyes. Rich, as far as Rich knew, lost a family member in his
youth. He thought of Gen X as a new family. Sean nodded and Rich used a sonic scream to fly
Mondo to the Med unit. He looked out on the fake Mondo and then saw the answer to their
problem come walking into the room. Jono.
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Jean stopped Sean by saying, "So Rich discovered that Tom had made a copy of
Mondo. How could that be traumatic." Jono knew what had happened, as well as Sean, Yvette,
and Angelo. Jono still got chills when he thought about it.
{We could only wish it was that simple. I wish it could be like my problem.} Sean
nodded when Jono made the statement. Jono continued by saying, {We all found out that Rich
has a unique temper. He holds his stress until it explodes in a fit of rage. Rich told us this the fifth day he was here.}
Jono saw Scott's face turn to that of shock. "Even worse than Logan's" When Sean
nodded, Scott said, "Well, what led to the breakdown?" Jono decided to take the story from that point.
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