Author's Note: This story takes place in an alternate universe and contains many similarities to the X-men: Evolution cartoon show, as well as bits and pieces from various X-men-related media. However, all storylines in this tale are 99.9% my own, having been birthed from my uncanny mind.
I am a fan of the character-driven story, and The Tomorrow War is just that. The story is grounded in the relationship between Iceman and Shadowcat, but the other major players who share the spotlight are Cyclops, Rogue and Magneto. This 6-part epic contains an excruciatingly long cast of characters, all of whom are given their moments to shine throughout. Read on…and enjoy!
Disclaimer: Though I wish I did, I do not own any characters/places/things mentioned in this story; they belong to the good folks at MARVEL. And I am just grateful to have this opportunity to explore the lives of my favorite characters in a world of my own making.
Prologue: Destiny Calling
Sleep never came easy for Professor Charles Xavier. At forty-six years old, he was a world-renowned geneticist, the leading authority on what humanity had dubbed the "mutant problem," and the headmaster of the Xavier Institute, a school where young mutants—individuals born with an extra gene that caused superhuman powers to manifest during puberty—could find sanctuary and acceptance as they learned to use and control their magnificent gifts. He was also the founder of the X-men, a team that consisted of his older, more experienced students, trained to prevent mutant threats and to promote healthy mutant-human relations. His dream was of a world in which Homo sapiens and Homo superior coexisted peacefully. For a while, that dream seemed to become a reality. But not anymore.
Xavier massaged his temples and then took another sip of coffee. The clock on the wall of his office told him that it was 2:04 in the morning. His visitors would be arriving soon. Right now, he was torn between utter exhaustion and gratitude towards his imminent guests for sparing him a night of uncomfortable sleep. While he was considered by many to be the most powerful telepath on the planet, even he experienced lapses of control over his talents during times of great stress. Lately, these lapses included unconsciously slipping into the minds of his students while he slept.
Due to these accidental intrusions, he was given insight into what the students normally kept hidden from him. Even the bravest ones still felt the fear and despair of that night on Asteroid M, over a year ago. Many still mourned their friend and teammate Jean Grey, who lost her life in the fire and chaos of that tragic mission.
Xavier shared in their fear, in their grief. He had done his best to stay adamant, to keep the peace. But in the end, his archrival had won. He could still hear those words, hot as molten steel, burning away at his heart, at his resolve:
"Jean's blood is on your hands, Charles. Can you not see that I was right? A species cannot survive on pacifism! You failed them, you failed them all. If you still can't let go of your naïve ideals, then I cannot allow you sanctuary. If you still opt to oppose me, then I shall await the hour of our next confrontation. Only this time, Charles, train your pupils right. Make sure they are able to do what is necessary to survive. I do not wish for any more mutant blood to be spilled because of your lack of foresight…"
The computer screen in front of him alerted him to the presence of his guests. A stretch limousine had pulled up to the wrought-iron gate of the Institute grounds. Xavier typed in a sequence of numbers and the gate slid open, admitting the visitors. He watched as the limo pulled up to the front doors and stopped. He had expected a butler to appear and help his guest out of the back, but was surprised to see one of his former students.
She was a young woman, now twenty years of age. Her body was completely covered by a green cloak, but the real giveaway was her hair: shoulder-length and auburn in color, save for a streak of white at the front.
"Rogue," Xavier whispered, reaching out and touching his ex-pupil's mind. As always, he was greeted by multiple personalities, the lingering presences of those she had come into physical contact with in the past.
Of all his students, Rogue had been the most adamant about leaving after Jean died. Her fiery temper, and her stance on the issue, could not be swayed. Her attitude, and decision to leave the Institute, had echoed with Scott and Ororo as well. However, now Xavier sensed that most of Rogue's anger had burned away, replaced by worry for the person she had begun to call "mother."
Xavier watched Rogue on the screen as she helped another woman out of the back of the limo. This woman stood a few inches shorter than her charge and was dressed in pants and a green sweater. Her red hair was cropped short; her eyes were hidden behind dark glasses. She carried a white cane in one hand.
Charles shut his eyes and waited. Rogue knew the security code to get in; she knew the way to his office. All he had to do was wait for the conversation that was about to take place, about the inevitable horrors the procog had foreseen.
At last, a knock on his office door. "Come in," Xavier said.
The door opened and Rogue stepped in, looking timid. "Professor, Ah'm sorry to be disturbing you so late at night; Irene insisted that this was urgent."
"It's okay, Rogue. Late nights have become an unfortunate habit of mine. How have you been, child? And Ms. Adler?"
"Ah've been doing great," Rogue said earnestly, leading her foster mother the chair closest to Xavier's desk. "Irene's been home schooling me, so Ah've been keeping up on mah studies. It's been really nice…normal. In fact, next semester Ah'd planned on joining Bobby at Empire State University."
"Planned?" Xavier inquired, but it was Irene Adler, better known as Destiny, who answered him.
"Plans have changed, Charles. Everything must change, if our species is to survive," Irene said cryptically, her voice cold and serious.
Xavier cleared his throat. And so we begin, he thought, wishing that the pleasantries could have carried on a bit longer. "Rogue, perhaps you could step outside for—"
"No, Charles," Destiny interrupted. "I will not keep secrets from my daughter. She has as much right to know of what I've seen as you do."
Charles bowed his head, unwillingly consenting. "Very well. Go on, Ms. Adler."
"An Apocalypse is coming, Charles," Irene explained, her hands clenching her cane tightly. "I have seen the twilight of both Homo sapiens and Homo superior. Our race and mankind shall perish in war against each other. And while I have foreseen a light, a way to prevent this holocaust, bloodshed on both sides will be inevitable."
"As it always is," Rogue muttered bitterly. Irene had refused to reveal her visions to her until now, but she had expected something like this.
"What will be the cause of this conflict?" Xavier asked, his brow furrowed.
"The catalyst is a betrayal of one of your own, Charles," Irene said grimly. "One of your students will betray you and your cause. This person's actions will usher in the rise of a mutant "messiah." This "savior" will ignite a world-wide war that none will survive."
"Wait a minute," Rogue interjected, "if this Messiah guy is on our side, why do we still lose?"
Destiny opened her mouth to reply, but Xavier spoke first. He did not need the ability to see the future in order to answer this question. "Because, Rogue, despite the physical and mental abilities that give us an unfair advantage over humans, they have always possessed a weapon that is constantly evolving: technology."
Rogue shivered, and Xavier mentally heard the word that formed in her mind:
Sentinels.
"Who is this Messiah?" Charles continued, his heart racing as his own suspicions came to mind.
A shadow of a smile passed Irene's face. "I am not a telepath and yet I can sense your obvious conclusion. He is not the one, Charles. I do not know the Messiah's identity, but I can tell you that this savior is not yet active, so I doubt Cerebro would be of much use to you. But what I can tell you is that this mutant figures prominently in every pathway that I have foreseen, and each time, its story is the same: proclaiming itself to be a mutant messiah, though always bringing about the destruction of the world."
It was Rogue's turn to ask the obvious question. "Irene, do you know who will betray us?"
Destiny nodded. "I do. But I will not tell you unless circumstances demand it. If I were to reveal this person's identity, there would be those who would move to subdue the threat immediately. And knowledge of this person's future crime would be at the forefront of everyone's relationship with this individual, which would effectively push him down the dark path that I have spoken of."
Rogue folded her arms across her chest. "So Ah'm just supposed to be paranoid of all mah friends?" she snapped, temper rising.
"You spoke of a light? A way to stop this madness?" Xavier urged, ignoring Rogue. "Tell me what must be done."
"You must reform the X-men," Irene said simply.
Xavier looked away, determined to hide the pain he was suddenly experiencing. He thought he had put that part of his past behind him. When Jean died, the team had disbanded. He had vowed to never again throw innocent lives into harm's way.
In a gentler tone, Irene made her case. "Charles, I regret the loss of Jean. I never knew her as well as you did, but all the same, I feel for each loss of a member of our species. I understand your wish to avoid a repeat of that tragedy, but to stop a war, we need soldiers…people who can forcefully prevent events from taking place that will lead to the Apocalypse. We need the X-men."
Xavier remained silent for a long while, his head bent, his hands clasped together, his eyes closed. Rogue knew that he was fighting an inner battle against himself. Though she believed in Xavier's dream of a peace, she had never felt restrained by it. And as the Professor contemplated this damning information, she began to make her own plans.
"Ms. Adler," Xavier finally spoke, "have you revealed any of this to our mutual friends?"
Irene's mouth twitched. "I told Raven of what the future would be like. I have not breathed a word to her or Erik about how this future can be stopped. Those were words only for you."
Xavier nodded. "I appreciate you being discreet, and I thank you for coming to me with this…but I am not sure how much I will be able to do. Even if I reformed the X-men, how can I prevent one of my own from betraying us?"
This time, Irene's face stretched into a genuine smile. "I have seen the form that this answer takes: love. Love can save your wayward pupil…love can save us all."
Rogue snorted. "Are you serious? How clichéd is that?"
This remark caused the Professor to chuckle. "Clichéd, yes, but only because it is true."
"So how 'bout it, Professor," Rogue went on, at last speaking her mind, "are we gonna reform the X-men?"
Even Irene could feel the intensity of Xavier's sudden frown. "We must certainly try, Rogue," Xavier replied, "but I will not press them. After what they experienced last year because of me…they more than earned the right to decline."
"Yeah…" Rogue said sullenly, memories of the tragedy flooded through her. "Ah wonder how many we'll be able to convince to return…"
Destiny stood up. "I assume, Charles, that you've been keeping tabs on your former students?"
Xavier nodded. "I have. I can have Cerebro pinpoint their current locations…and, if you're willing, Rogue, I already know where to start. If the future needs the X-men, then the future needs Scott Summers."
Author's Note: So there you have it, the prologue of The Tomorrow War. Hope you liked it. Coming soon: Chapter 1, in which we discover what the former X-men have been up to, and whether or not the Professor and Rogue succeed in reuniting them.