X Men: Redemption

Issue 1

A year has passed…

Despite the combined efforts of both of Xavier's schools, the villain known as Robert James has continued to allude even the most seasoned members of the X Men. Dr. Hank McCoy's students, now full members of three teams organized by the Professor are settling into their roles in their respective talent class.

Lexis Dante and Dr. McCoy have continued to help and train mutants who are feeling lost and confused, after the Professor's example. They are soon to graduate another class to remain at the West Coast Campus as X Men. Lexis is still blind without her implants that Forge has designed, (though he frequently contacts her for software and hardware upgrades).

Hank is busy, traveling between Westchester and Riverside to help Charles and Lexis with multiple tasks concerning the apprehension of Robert James and the handful of students he swayed to join him from the West Coast Campus. He still wrestles with himself over the one person he lost under his first tutelage as a Headmaster.

Using Cerebro, Professor Xavier has not been able to find much concerning the Technopath and his group. After a year of psychic silence, the Professor finds traces of James and sends one of his three teams, Team Gamma, to investigate.


Tucson, AZ

11:47 p.m.

The fires burned like furious tongues of beasts, emerging from the earth. The cars on Broadway were emptied, the drivers and passengers running as the battle had started. Five Sentinels had dropped from the sky, crushing innocent sedans and SUVS as they had landed. Ambushing Team Gamma, the five X Men scrambled to recover, taking cover where cover was offered.

Angel pinched the communication device pressed against his throat. "This is Angel, sound off team, make sure we are all alive." A deafening explosion made him duck his head, his vibrant wings folding lower between him and the car he had crouched behind.

"Iceman still cool, though these fire can really screw up my tan." Bobby Drake eased the tension, however small a dent.

Angel focused the young man. "Keep in the moment, Iceman."

"Powerhouse still kicking. I'm pinned between two of these guys, under two cars, awaiting your signal to move." Karinn Smallwood was Team Gamma's tanker, their muscle. Two cars was nothing for her.

"Stay down." Angel advised.

A rumbled, almost guttural voice sounded over the communicators.

"Wolverine here. Hurry and make a call, Warren."

"Relax, Logan. Once Nightfire sounds in, we move." Angel had to duck, fiery debris sailed overhead. "Nightfire, come in!"

The burning of fire and mechanized joints echoed.

Angel turned. "We can't wait for him until we end this destruction." He crouched, then erupted from where he stood, ivory wings bright with the Arizona sun expanded, carrying him high, between lasers and missile fire from the Sentinels. "I see five, total. No mutants I can see. I wonder what the Professor had found?"

"I'm moving up." Wolverine's voice was impatient.

"Oh, me too!" Iceman's humor.

"Powerhouse, what cars are you under?" Angel continued to fly maneuvers, close enough to see and draw fire, far enough to be at safe evasion distance.

Karinn grunted. "A red and green one. I can't tell what they are, but you guys need to hurry. I can't hold it off for much longer."

"Understood." Angel hovered, then spun, dodging a missile. "Iceman, freeze the heads of the two Sentinels pinning Powerhouse and once she activates, everyone move in."

"'Bout time, Birdman." Wolverine's yellow and black frame stalked from overturned car to overturned car, closer and closer to the Sentinels.

"Here goes nothing!"

Iceman jumped, freezing ice tracks midair. He slid, continuing his icy path around the side of the Sentinels. "Almost there."

The far Sentinel turned around, extending a hand and blasting the ground just under Iceman. The eruption sent his body flailing.

"Oh man!" he tumbled, landing hard behind some cars.

"Hurry, guys! Its almost time!" Powerhouse called out from under the cars.

"I'll do it myself!" Wolverine ran in, his roar echoing over the fires and robots. He clipped one foot and dug in an adamantium claw, scaling the Sentinel. It moved, trying to get the Wolverine off its person.

He'll never stop those Sentinels before they reach Karinn. If she activates, she will be killed without support. Angel watched, calculating, figuring.

"Nightfire, come in. Jon! Answer!" Angel screamed into the com.

In a black uniform, bright yellow X on the chest, Nightfire jumped high, about fifty feet and landed behind the sentinel force.

"Calm down, Sir, I'm alive." Jon Dante's sarcasm was misplaced. "Got hit pretty hard after landing."

Beneath the cars, Karinn winced, fighting back her instincts with all she had. It was a failing battle, especially in her circumstances. A whimper caught her attention. She looked up, seeing a teenage girl still strapped in the green car.

"Can you help me…" She cried a silent moan.

Karinn grunted, knowing that was the last surge of her power she could fight. The next one would have her. "Angel! I have a girl down here. Driver of the green car."

Angel froze midair. He knew what he had to do. Risky, but they were all out of time. "Jon, toast the two middle Sentinels. Karinn, activate, but hit the green car high if you have enough focus. Iceman, back up Nightfire."

"Let's burn!" Jon reached out his arms and his eyes shown a brillaint red. His arms ignited from palms to shoulders, two pillars of fire erupting under two large Sentinels. The heat was so intense, their metallic frames started to melt in seconds.

"Here it goes!" Karinn activated her power. Her short blonde hair filled over with deep black, her pupils dilated and all the hair on her arms and neck stood on end. She felt the Feral, embraced it. Placing her legs and arms underneath her, she did an explosive pushup, launching the two cars off her back with ease. She grabbed the broken frame of the green car, the girl catching sight of her and screaming.

"Aaahhhh!" Powerhouse spun and then launched the car up and up and up.

Angel swooped in, plucking the girl from the wreckage before it fell back to the earth. Powerhouse jumped in the air and caught the car as it fell. She landed, keeping the momentum of the car and spun, launching the sedan with its power, at the one of the robots. It hit with such force, the two feet were left.

"Oh shit!" Jon rolled, his precognitive mutation alerting him to the attack from one of the two remaining Sentinels. "Bobby, move!"

Iceman, launching a barrage of icicles into the back of the other Sentinel, saw the other turning and bolted. "Thanks, Nightfire."

Just as it was to attack, it fell forward, landing with an explosive thud.

"What the hell was that?" Jon's voice questioned over the com.

Angel was on his way back after setting the girl far away from the fight. "What happened?"

Iceman informed him. "It just fell."

"EEeeeeaaaaahhhhhh!" Out of the back, six claws ripped open the metal from and Logan emerged, his uniform singed and with holes burned.

"That's a good boy, Wolverine." Iceman smirked, his transparent face still grinning. "Remember, you're on our side."

Wolverine stood, drawing deep breaths as he looked at Jon and Bobby. "Now that's executive action."

Jon's mutation clicked. "Logan, move!"

The last Sentinel turned to the three of them, arms extended, lasers prepared to fire. A small frame leapt in the air, latching on to the robot, throwing it off balance with kinetic force. Pieces started flying as Powerhouse shredded the robot like someone peeling corn. It fell, arms snapping off in a smoking wreck.

Angel landed next to Iceman, Nightfire and Jon. "Good job, Guys, who's going to dose Karinn."

Powerhouse stood, hunched low like a beast. Her eyes looked like a shark, a predator who had smelled blood. Her black nails were extended, deep breath expanding her frame and then contracting. A strand of saliva dripped from her lip.

The four guys held out a fist. Logan kept his eyes posted on the approaching monster.

"Odds ore even?"

Jon and Bobby took odd, Logan and Warren even.

"One, two, three!" Bobby counted, glancing over his shoulder at Karinn.

They stuck out their fingers and counted in haste.

"Shit on a stick!" Jon turned toward Karinn.

Angel handed Iceman a small, tactical syringe. "Good luck, Boys."

Warren and Logan laughed, backing up.

Powerhouse charged and Nightfire and Iceman dodged her Feral attack, sticking her in the leg. Karinn, jumped and threw Iceman far in the air.

"Again?" His body flailed into the air.

Jon rolled, his mutation helping him stay one step against the attacking teammate. He back-flipped, seeing her eyes start to wane, humanity returning. Her blonde hair replaced the retracting black as it shortened to her normal length from the long, frightening length as before.

Nightfire paused, relaxing as he saw the sedative deactivating her. He let his guard down. Karinn charged, tackling Jon.

"That's what you get for relaxing, Bub." Wolverine laughed, folding his arms.

Jon and Karinn hit a car, a jumble of X Men and uniforms.

"Dammit!" Jon rubbed the back of his head.

"I'm sorry, Jon." Karinn shook her head, completely normal. "I want to apologize again but-"

"Yes, I know, I let my guard drop." Jon felt the awkwardness creeping in, Karinn sitting on his lap. "We just need to find a different way to shut you down, Jesus Christ."

She giggled.

"Better get off, or I'm telling Britnie on you two!" Iceman had landed. A huge slide of ice he created stood behind him.

Angel clapped. "Let's get out of here before the police an military arrive."


Professor Xavier's Office

Westchester, New York

7:24 p.m.

"It was a trap." Warren Worthington III sat on the edge of the sofa, his wings tucked under a sports jacket and harness. His dark blue polo had holes in it for his wings.

Professor Xavier sat forward in his chair. "I am sorry about that, Warren. When Cerebro picked up the signature, I didn't check for anything else. I tried to seize the moment and put your team in danger."

He smirked at Charles. "It is what we do, Professor. We signed up for this."

"Still," Charles backed his chair up. "I will not make the same mistake twice."

The door to the office opened and Ororo and Scott walked in.

"It's good to see you safe, Warren. After the Professor told us what was happening, we were in the Blackbird on our way." Ororo's white eyes smiled.

Warren nodded. "I had a good team."

"Jon Dante didn't give you any problems then?" Scott sat, Ororo also.

"Everything was smooth." Warren shook his head.

Scott nodded, blank stare from under his ruby lenses. "Keep an eye on him, he is a hothead, no pun intended. And that mouth…"

The Professor smirked. "You all are learning on your own schedule. Let's talk about what Cerebro had found."

The three team leaders nodded and looked at the professor with studied silence.


Student Kitchen

7:31 p.m.

"Frozen Lasagna again?"

Jon complained, lifting the tin over the frozen tray about to go in the oven.

"If you want something different, cook for yourself." Drake Ramsey pushed him in the shoulder. "And while your at it, shut your mouth."

"I love lasagna." Jon smirked, acting like he flicked something in the air, but instead, threw a tongue of fire at Drake.

He moved and chuckled, pointing a wooden spoon at Jon. "Keep it up, you bastard, and I'll sneak into your room at night and shave both your eyebrows."

Jon sat at the table, against the back wall in the Student Kitchen. "Creeper."

Drake laughed. "Blowtorch."

"I sensed contempt in your voice about things that go bump in the night, Jon." Kurt Wagner stepped in from the hall, a book, "Confessions," by St. Augustine in his three-digit palm.

Jon laughed. "I feel outnumbered, here."

"Should be used to that by now." Drake slid the pan in and shut the oven.

Jon grunted. "No shit."

"No more trash talking, the girlfriend is in the room." Britnie Terrance strode in, holding her arms up in mock control. Her brown hair was usually long, near the middle of her back. Today, it was up in a ponytail.

"Britnie." Kurt had grabbed some coffee and was sitting at the island bar, between the table and the appliances, where Drake was cooking. "You look beautiful today, as ever."

"Thank you, Kurt. At least one man in this room has dignity." Britnie sat next to Jon at the table. "And you," she looked to Jon. "We were on our way across the country and you didn't come see me the moment you landed?"

Drake grabbed a coke from the fridge and leaned against the counter, watching the two. "This is going to be good."

"I prefer to remain unaffiliated." Kurt refilled his coffee cup and nodded. "Guten Abend." A dull flash of blue smoke and Nightcrawler was gone.

"I'm playing, Jon." Britnie leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, standing up and walking to the door. "Don't be such a pussy, okay?"

Jon grinned, not biting the hook Britnie was baiting for a pseudo-skirmish. "Can you believe young women nowadays, Drake?"

"That's why I don't date."

Britnie turned, walking out. "No, you don't date because you're also a pussy." She widened her eyes and covered her mouth. "I'm on fire tonight!"

She left and Jon smirked, taking joy in watching Britnie from behind.

"She's something, isn't she?" Jon shook his head, like he was snapping out of a trance.

Drake rolled his eyes. "You both are a humorous kind of pathetic."

"You don't have to be jealous, you cook for me and she doesn't. We can run away together." Jon batted his eyelashes.

They both laughed.

"Speaking of which, where's that dinner?"

Drake swatted his hand at the air. "Man, shut the hell up, you just saw me put it in the oven."

"Let's play some cards while we starve to death, watching our food cook." Jon grabbed some cards from the center of the table.

"Shut up, Jon, or you aren't eating anything I make again." Drake brought over a second coke and sat across from his friend.


Den

8:38 p.m.

Marie, Jubilee and Logan sat in Den, watching the news. The anchorman was reviewing the details about the attack in Arizona, the destruction, and the money needed for city repairs.

"Goodness, Logan. I bet the Professor feels horrible for leading you guys into a trap." Marie kept her eyes on the television, looking at Logan for a reaction.

"We did fine. The Professor said he found something, so we went." He turned back to the news. "No big reason to trouble over."

Jubilee giggled. "I stopped worrying after we turned the Blackbird around. You guys were fine so, why take years off my life."

Logan pointed to Jubilee. "Be like that, Rogue."

"I was just showing concern." Rogue rolled her eyes, crossed her legs, and folded her arms. "Be a jerk, Logan, fine."

He grinned.

Valerie Nelson walked in, grabbing the remote from next to Logan and sat between him and Rogue. "Hey guys, mind if I change the channel? Fringe is on in a bit. Thanks."

She changed the channel, not waiting for a reply.

Jubilee put her cell phone down and clapped wildly. "I love Fringe! Joshua Jackson is so cute."

"You have taste, Jubilee." Val grinned.

Rogue and Logan left.


Professor Xavier's Office

9:06 p.m.

"For obvious reason's, we need to keep this between us." The Professor folded his hands.

Ororo, Scott and Warren nodded.

Logan walked in, leaning against the back wall. "What are you keeping to yourselves?"

Xavier smiled. "Logan. Without your help today, Warren tells me, the incident might have taken a different path."

Logan nodded, stoic. "Special club secrets, then?" Water off a wolverine's back.

Warren spoke up. "Professor, if I may, I think it would be beneficial, to let our second-in-command's know of what you found."

"Smart, Warren. I will call Rogue and Peter."

A few moments later, Rogue and Peter Rasputin joined them.

"Hello, everyone." His Russian accent was thick, but as long as he talked slow, everyone could understand.

The Professor smiled. "I need to keep you and your teams up to speed. With our talk thus far, I fear something big is about to happen, with Robert James, and throughout the Mutant Community. We need to be ready."

Everyone nodded.

"Share, Professor. What's happening?" Rogue's southern voice cracked a bit.

Professor Xavier smiled, the warming expression that had made all of them feel welcome and safe for years now. "An old friend has suddenly resurfaced."