CHAPTER ONE

The sun had almost set and its colors were nearly finished dancing across the sky as Roxie stood on her balcony, her hair, now twice the length it used to be, blew in the wind as she simply stood there and relaxed and allowed her mind to drift off and recall things that had happened. Time had passed since the events that took the lives of Wolverine, Marrow, Ava, Orchard and yet others. Not a day goes by where the new leader of the Morlocks and Pheolvrom doesn't think about the events that changed her, and everyone else's, life forever. She longs for the days to be as simple as they once were.

For her father, orchard, Ava and yes, even stubborn Marrow, but most of all she longs for Eric. Her love who says he can't be who she wants him to be right now and he doesn't know if he can ever be it. What hurts the most is that Eric is out there somewhere, living his life the way he wants it to and Roxie can't seem to get closer for it. With the others, she has found closer because they are gone and will never return but for others it's more difficult. One man in particular. Roxie had not seen Luke since Orchard's death and figured she never would unless she set out herself to find the man who was more like her brother than anyone.

She cared too much for him to let him slip off into the abyss that Roxie, and Orchard, knew all too well. Roxie's thoughts ended with the realization that she had to find Luke before something happened to him. She had to find him and make him understand that there was nothing else that could have been done. That Orchard's death was the only way to stop Apocalypse and that if Orchard had been the slightest bit concerned with the plan, Roxie never would have made her go through with it. Roxie also knew that this would be a mission that she would have to do on her own and no one would be able to help her should she get into trouble and it was a mission she was willing to accept.

So, Roxie left the balcony to her room, calling the new x-men and the head morlocks, as well as phoenix, to the briefing room where she would tell them exactly what she was planning to do. Phoenix, Di and Ty were the first to arrive followed by Paris and Tyron, who were the last to arrive.

Once everyone was seated, Ty piped up and asked, "Rox, what's all this about?"

"In the wake of the events that happened that caused us to lose so many of our bretheren, I've been thinking a lot." Roxie said still standing on her feet. She hated sitting down when she was leading a meeting but she never understood why. "Luke was a very valuable member of Pheolvrom during the time that he spent with us and it is a shame that he has decided to bring that to an end."

"But?" Di asked knowing that Roxie wouldn't be leading up to something if there wasn't a 'but' involved.

"But, I have loose ends left with Luke and those ends are not ones that I am willing to remain as they are now. I've been trying to track him but haven't found any luck and I believe it's because he is able to block me somehow."

"Was he able to block your power before?" Tyron asked curiously.

"I'm not sure but I do know he is resistant to telepathic attacks so he could have figured out how to make his mind think that my telepathic signature is an attack when in reality it isn't that at all."

"So what does this mean?" Paris and Phoenix asked at the same time.

"It means that I'm going to actually go and look for him and I may be gone for awhile."

"Don't you mean 'we' might be gone for awhile?" Tyron asked. Since Luke and Eric left, Tyron had become Roxie's right hand man and had taken it upon himself to protect the leader of the small mutant community.

"Not this time Tyron." Roxie said simply, "This is something I must do alone."

"When are you leaving?" Phoenix asked the question that everyone was wondering. That and 'when would she be back?' but no one, not even Roxie herself, knew the answer to that question.

"As soon as this meeting is over. Now, I will not be leaving you without a way to get a hold of me. I have a com-link as do each of you. Should something happen, contact me with those. Should something happen where you are unable to use the links, Phoenix will telepathically contact me as soon as possible? Understood?"

"Yes." Phoenix said answering for everyone.

"Good." Roxie replied, "Then you're dismissed."

Everyone, save Tyron, left the room and when Roxie saw that Tyron was not going to leave any time soon, she looked at him and asked, "What's on your mind?"

The buff black, bald man, stood to his feet, crossed his arms and said, "I don't think you should be running off on your own like this."

"And why not?" Roxie asked even though she thought she all ready knew the answer but she was not about to probe Tyron's mind to find the out if she was right or not. If she was right, he would tell her in his timing not hers but was his and her timing going to be the same? Probably not.

"Because, Rox," Tyron said, "You could get hurt, killed or worse and I don't wanna see that happen to you." Tyron said as he moved closer to Rox and stroked her cheek with his rough hand but Roxie couldn't do anything but turn away. No, her and his timing was not going to be the same and she would have to make him see that but only after she found Luke and at least tried to talk to him.

"Tyron," Roxie said walking to the door, "I do appreciate your concern for my safety but I can handle myself. I am going to go find Luke and while I am gone, I am leaving you in charge. Notify me if anything happens. Get it?"

"Got it." Tyron said. He didn't understand why she had moved away like she had. Had he made the wrong impression? Had he simply moved too fast? Whatever the answer it would have to wait till Roxie returned.

"Good." Roxie said as she headed to her room to change and then from there she would go visit an old friend before setting out to gallivant around the globe.

Ry had just finished fixing up an old f-15 that she had modified to do anything that anyone needed it to do really, when she heard the door open. She was still underneath the metal bird, so she could not see who came in so she said, "If ya come back later, I'll be able ta help ya."

"You can't stop for an old friend?" Came a familiar voice. One that she had heard recently but also had a bone to pick with.

"You come back here after you didn't return my baby?" Ry said as she flung herself from under the F-15 and landed in her chair and looked at her friend with a smile.

"About that," Rox said.

"You lost her didn't you?" Ry asked not surprised in the least bit.

"Not technically."

"Then where is she?"

"Not sure exactly."

"Rox, how can you say you not lost her but you don't know where she is?"

"You know I told you that I lost several people in the events that happened two months ago."

"Yeah and I'm very sorry to hear that but what does this have to do with my ship?"

"One of those who died was very close with Luke."

"The metal one that came in with you?"

"Yeah, him. Well he got pissed and left, taking your ship. I'm trying to find him but not sure where to look first."

"So you want to use the ship to track him?" Ry asked rolling herself over to her computers and beginning to type away as fast as she could and before Rox could say anything, Ry had all read found Luke.

"He's in Antarctica." Ry said and then asked, "Why would he be there? I mean there's nothing there at all unless he's looking for something."

Roxie simply shook her head for the reason for Luke's presence in the arctic was the opposite of Ry's conclusion. "He's running from every living thing. Trying to hide from himself." Roxie ran a hand through her long brown hair, that she had recently added red highlights to, and took a deep breath and then cursed silently. She had sworn to Orchird that she would not allow Luke to slip into the void. The void that she and Orchird knew all to well and a place they would never wish upon anyone. Not even their worst enemies and yet, Luke was in it. The first part of putting yourself in the void was to separate from everyone. It's more of an extreme depression for mutants who don't lose control like Roxie or Orchird but none the less it was a terrible fate that Roxie would not allow her friend to take part in. If it was the last thing she ever did, she would make Luke understand that what happened could not have been avoided.

Rox turned to Ry and before she ever said a word, Ry smiled and said, "Can't you just fly there?"

"It would attract too much attention. Besides, you still owe me."

"For what?" Ry asked, "The last time I checked it was you who owed me and that's not counting the ship that Luke took."

Roxie smiled and said, "I'll bring it back in one piece, Ry. You know I am a woman of my word."

"Yea, yea." Ry said and then added, "The one that I just fixed up is an earth atmosphere jet only. So if he takes off into space, you'll have to go after him without the jet and if you have to do that, please bring this one back before you go after him."

Roxie laughed slightly and smiled saying, "Fair enough. I've all ready cost you one ship. I won't let it happen again. Thank you Ry." Roxie said as she gave her friend a hug and then got into the ship and just after Ry opened the hanger door, Roxie took off in hopes of finding Luke and knocking some sense into him.