X-FACTOR #1
May I Introduce the President…Pt. 1
Previously: Magneto in a bid to take over the world was stabbed in the back by Wolverine of the X-Men and was placed on life support as result. Quicksilver, having mercy on his father, had the plug pulled. In the time since then, Quicksilver has taken over as ruler of Genosha and has created a team to defend the country's interest both domestic and abroad. Polaris has taken on the task of leading this team with all the troubles that entails…
Quicksilver walked up to the podium with an audience of his citizens and reporters from abroad beneath him. Behind him were some of his friends and the world's foremost mutants. There was Charles Xavier with his new love, Emma Frost. Pietro was still trying to figure that one out. Warren Worthington was also at the event along with his prominent business friends from across the world. His sisters and ex-wife along with his daughter were also seated behind him. Pietro wanted to show to the world that his family was solid (even when it was anything but) and that he had influential people who wanted to see Genoshan succeed.
The world watched as Genosha's President and successor to the long-feared Magneto stepped to the podium. He was garbed in a blue suit with a white shirt and gray tie. It wasn't traditional attire for a world leader, but Pietro intended to break many trends in the coming months. He was discovering that he had inherited vision from his father.
"Today Genoshans we are being watched the world. Their expectations for us are low. Even now they're casting to bets to see how long it is before we plunge into civil war or how long until someone else is standing where I am. Anyone who knows our history has plenty of reason to think that, but we've never been a people who shy away from our history. We embrace it and move forward."
Emma crossed her legs and leaned back in her seat. Do you really think he's ready for this Charles?
He's more like his father everyday and I mean that in the most positive of ways. We have come so far. I believe that Genosha can succeed beautifully.
Pietro saw his father in the back of his mind as he spoke. "People from all across the world have come to be part of this experiment that is Genosha. Much like America in its early history, this island is a place for the poor and desperate to come in the desire to find new hope. I promise to all of you that we will indeed find hope. Hope for a better future and hope for a sustained peace."
Polaris knew that she was going to be a major part of that effort to create a lasting peace. X-Factor was essentially Genosha's national super team and they had the unenviable position of having a nation of super powered individuals in their jurisdiction. Lorna had never really been in a leadership position this lofty, but she felt as if she was ready for it. Until recently, she had believed that Magneto as her father was just some fabrication. Now she knew it to be true and she found herself with new siblings.
Scarlet Witch, who was seated next to Lorna, leaned over and whispered, "Pietro seems to be taking this idea of being President well."
"I hope so. He's the only person at this point that I think the world will respect leading Genosha."
Wanda smiled. "There is always you Lorna."
Polaris shook her head. "No. I'm still being accepted as Magneto's daughter. You on the other hand—
"Am too involved with The Avengers," Wanda quickly said. "My life is not in politics. Except for my time in The Brotherhood, it has always been something I tried to avoid."
"Do you think Magneto would have wanted this?" Lorna asked. She wasn't sure how to feel about the man who she discovered too late was her father. Having lost so much time with him made her heart ache even if the man had lived the life he did.
"Father wanted peace. He just wasn't very good at going about it," Wanda said with a weak laugh. "Hopefully Pietro will be better."
Lorna smiled. "I'm sure he will be."
"—in time I hoped that this cup would pass from me, but it hasn't. Now I embrace it. Now I see humanity at its best in this country. We can be the example. We can set the bar. If a place such as ours can rise to greatness then surely there is hope for all others."
You have seen the worst humanity has to offer Rachel. Do you believe Pietro's rhetoric? Emma projected into Rachel Summer's mind.
Rachel was seated next to Rogue who was sitting next to Emma. She had indeed seen the worst that humanity had to offer. Her childhood had been spent in a horrific future where Sentinels ran the world with an iron fist. Then she had spent another portion of her life in another dystopian future lorded over by the immortal mutant Apocalypse. Experiencing such things had taught Rachel that sometimes fighting was the only way to solve the world's problems. It was a lesson that she was beginning to soften on, but she saw Emma's point.
It sounds good on paper, but I'll wait and see how it's executed. Why do you care if I believe him or not anyway?
If only to amuse myself. Sometimes it is good fun to know the opinions of the peons.
"The world would paint us as part of the developing world. I say let them. For we are developing into a nation of peace and prosperity. As your new President let me end with this. No longer will we be bound by silly boundaries. Genosha has outgrown that. We will be the world's beacon of light because we are called to it. It is my desire to see Genosha spoke of from the top of Everest to the bottom of Atlantis with dignity and respect. That, ladies and gentlemen, is my pledge to you as President of the New Genoshan Republic!"
A cheer rippled across the crowd and those that could stand up to clap did so. Amongst the roars and applause, a lone woman garbed in a fedora and black coat watched.
Enjoy your success while it lasts President Pietro. Genosha will not stand in the way of Weapon X's plans for mutant kind. I will not allow it.
As she disappeared into the crowd, Emma and Charles both felt a tug in their minds. They exchanged glances and tried to reach out to the source of what they felt. Then Rachel joined in.
Did you two feel that?
Xavier responded. Most definitely Rachel, but it was able to hide from all three of us. It must have been of massive power.
Emma visibly grimaced. There are only a few recorded telepaths capable of doing such a thing and none of them currently have any reason to be here.
Rachel offered up a chilling suggestion. Unless it's someone that's not recorded.
We'll worry about it later ladies. We have an opening ceremony to attend.
=X=
President Maximoff, Vice President Voght, Charles Xavier, Emma Frost, Polaris, and Scarlet Witch were all standing in front of the first international X-Corporation building and behind a red line of tape signifying its newness. It was strange for Charles to be flanked by both his old love and his new love. They couldn't have been two different women.
"This is the first step to the transformation of Genosha," Pietro said as he stood in front of a crowd of Genoshans and international reporters. In his hands was a giant pair of scissors. With a single snip, he cut the red tape and applause went up from the crowd. "We cannot stop with just this one building. Change must sweep all across Genosha."
Pietro turned away from the flashing cameras and shook the hand of Xavier. "Thank you for coming all this way."
Xavier nodded. "Your father would be very proud."
Pietro tried his best to keep smiling for the cameras. "I'm not so sure that he would."
Magneto had always espoused a belief that mutants were inherently superior to humanity. It was a belief that he fought for most of his life. Pietro didn't think his father would take too well to the doors of Genosha being opened to all. He especially wouldn't be happy at the idea of working alongside the human nations when mutant superiority was not realized across the globe.
Emma moved to Xavier's side and said, "As someone who once walked the same side as your father I can say I think he would be proud. Erik believed in what he believed because he sought to protect mutants. If he ever had felt that Charles' way was better then I have no doubt he would have been right at the Institute."
"You must find your own path now President Maximoff. You cannot live in the giant shadow of your father," Charles said. He knew the legacy of his old friend would never quite be erased from the Earth and Xavier wasn't sure if he even wanted it to be. Magneto's way may have led to much pain, but it could not be disputed that he had won mutants a homeland.
"I will try Professor Xavier. Again, I can't thank you enough for your help with getting X-Factor off of the ground. Sage has especially been helpful."
Emma seemed to wince at the mention of that name, but Xavier smiled. "Tessa is a woman of many talents. I think you will find her particularly effective once the foundation for your team is set."
"Have you had any success in tracking down Exodus?" Emma asked. The abruptness of the question earned her a quick stare from Pietro.
"No Emma we haven't. But since you, Charles, and Rachel are here then I think we might have some success in that arena."
Charles shifted uneasily in his hoverchair. "I don't think this is something we need to discuss here. We should go to the Presidential Palace."
"I'll meet the two of you there. I have to deal with these reporters first," Pietro said as he sped off in the direction of a congregation of reporters from France.
As the President sped away, his Vice President walked up to Emma and Charles. Her mood was indignant. "You should mind your own affairs Ms. Frost. The capture and detention of Exodus is a Genoshan concern."
Emma's laugh might as well have said "back off wench". The icy stare that Amelia gave was evidence that she had caught the meaning just fine. As if she were talking to a school child, Emma said, "Exodus fought both the X-Men and Avengers simultaneously on his own. What incest on this island is capable of even putting a dent in Exodus?"
Tension hung between the two and Scarlet Witch picked up on it as she approached them. She bent down to hug Charles and said, "I had believed this to be a celebration."
Giving a faux smile, Emma said, "And it is. I was simply stressing to the Vice President the importance of finding Exodus."
Wanda had absolutely no fond memories of the man. He had kidnapped her niece and tried to kill her brother on more than one occasion. "I didn't know that he was missing?"
"Again," Charles interrupted. "I think this is something that we should discuss at the Presidential Palace. We'll be away from prying eyes there."
"Charles is right. We'll continue our discussion there," Voght said making sure to lock eyes with Frost before walking away.
Was that really necessary Emma? Charles asked.
Of course it was. They're not taking finding Exodus serious at all. The man is a fanatic.
Perhaps. But it is for them to handle. We are only here to provide them assistance. Polaris had pulled together quite the interesting team. I think they will be more than capable of fighting Exodus and The Acolytes.
Frost wasn't so sure that she could subscribe to that assessment. They are an untested quantity. Three former X-Men will not be enough to hold up the team, especially when one of those X-Men is still a rookie.
You forget that Songbird has plenty of experience as a Thunderbolt and Speedball was a long time member of The New Warriors.
Leaning over, Emma kissed Charles on the cheek. "Darling that's why I love you. Forever the optimist."
=X=
Sage had not attended the commemoration of the X-Corporation building and frankly she had absolutely no desire to. Politics and putting on a show was something that she was sufficiently tired of. She had spent years of her life playing the same kind of games President Maximoff now found himself in. There wasn't much chance that she was going to willingly throw herself into those kinds of environments again.
Besides, she had a more important task than making an appearance at a superficial political event. She had taken charge of the security surrounding X-Factor's most volatile and dangerous member. From her observatory above him, Sage could see Proto-Goblin thrashing back and forth across the table he was strapped on. Medical instruments hung above him.
Leaning forward into her microphone, Sage said, "You really should calm down Nels. I'm only here to help."
"Shut up! I never asked for you help!"
Tessa had to agree with the man because he didn't ask for any help, but if he was going to be Genosha's burden then he was going to have to accept it. She pressed a blue button in front of her and held it as six-inch needles descended into his flesh. The syringes were full of sedatives and would almost instantly thrown Proto-Goblin into a deep sleep.
"Wait till I get out of here! You're mine! You're mine," Proto-Goblin shouted as his threats grew quieter and he fell into unconsciousness.
Sage watched Proto-Goblin's breathing slow from consoles monitoring his vitals. Without turning to greet her new guest, she said, "Hello Rachel."
"Is that him?" Rachel Summers asked as she shook from the temperature of the room.
Sage continued watching the vitals and had yet to make any sort of eye contact with Rachel. "Yes. Are you prepared to assist?"
Rachel looked down at the man and felt a great swell of pity for him. "I'm not sure why the Professor or Emma wasn't asked to do this. They are more skilled than me."
"And they're also busy being diplomats for all of mutantkind," Sage said as she finally swiveled in her chair to look at Rachel. "If you don't feel up to this then I'll have the President ask Quentin."
Rachel shook her head. "No, that won't be necessary. I can handle it. I already can feel his mind."
Summers walked up to the glass overlooking Proto-Goblin and pressed a hand against it. "He's not as completely feral as the US government would have you believe. Tortured and angry yes. But he's not a monster. At least not yet."
Sage saw some personal connection being made there. "You shouldn't compare your experience as a Hound to his ordeal. They are different."
Rachel narrowed her eyes at Sage and turned back to looking at Proto-Goblin. "That's not what I'm doing. I just understand what it's like to be angry at yourself. That is the source of his rage."
"Knowing that you allowed yourself to be manipulated often causes self-hate. Shall we get to work?" Sage asked as she began to type furiously at the keyboard in front of her.
The approach they were taking to help Van Adder was going to be two-pronged. Sage was going to inject a serum to help stabilize his mutation and keep his primal outbursts in check. Rachel would enter his mind and help build psychic walls to stop him from hurting himself or others. Tessa could feel Summers' apprehension and she almost wished that Pietro had asked Emma. The work would have been far more clinical if done by Frost.
"Let's do this," Rachel said with more confidence than she had before. She was an X-Man and that meant doing things that often made you feel uncomfortable. There was one thing that bugged her about what she was now doing.
How long would it be until Proto-Goblin discovered this new manipulation?
=X=
He must have done this! Only he could have. Even from the grave Apocalypse still haunts me!
Moses Magnum clung along the concrete wall and clutched at his chest as he tried to make his way through the streets of Malawi. His loft was only a few blocks away. He just needed to get there before he collapsed, but the pain was so great. It was as if fire had been poured down his throat and was raging throughout his body.
Yes it had to be him! I can feel the changes. Even now.
People backed away from Moses Magnum as he tried to walk through the bazaar. His eyes were bleeding blue and purple veins were pulsating from his forehead and hands. Some uttered under their breaths that he was a monster and many mothers shuttled their children away from him. Finally, pain overtook Magnum and he fell to the hard dirt. He began to slide his way across the ground in some desperate attempt to make it to his abode.
Anger filled Moses' heart as he heard a familiar voice crackle in his mind.
ONLY THE STRONG WILL SURVIVE!
Next Issue: More members of X-Factor are introduced and the telepaths attempt to track down Exodus. And what does Emma have to ask Sage?