Children of Xavier

Disclaimer: Marvel Entertainment owns everything, with the exception of Cat who is my own creation. This is a work of fanfic, no copyright infringement intended.

Author's note. This story takes place in the altered reality ruled by Magneto and the HOUSE OF M, created by the reality-warping powers of the Scarlet Witch. As such, the histories and affiliations of some characters may have changed significantly. This is really an alternative for the House of M reality and asks what would have happened had Wolverine been picked up by the Sentinels when with the Human Resistance movement as shown in House of M 4. It also offers an alternative to events shown in New X Men Academy X 16-19.

Part 1. Children of M

Noriko Ashida a.k.a. Surge fought the desire to remove the green rubber mask almost the second it hit her face. Despite the warnings from other Agents she was unprepared for the overwhelming claustrophobia that threatened to engulf her.

"Just breathe and it will pass" said a voice over the radio.

"I'm alright sir." Surge replied. Commander Cat of the Red Guard had bigger problems than some Hellion Agent who was panicking.

"No you're not!" the voice said, cool, calm and with the hint of a laugh in it. "You're currently feeling claustrophobic and angry because of that. Just breathe and it will pass. Trust me everyone feels the same way the first time they put it on."

"Thank you sir" Surge said. She then looked around to see if it was true. It was hard to tell though the eye holes in the mask as most of the face was hidden. It was true that everyone looked tenser than when she saw then around the base, but who didn't when they were flying off on a mission especially with their captain in sickbay?

Her eyes came to rest on Agent Kurt Darkholme a.k.a. Agent Nightcrawler. He was easily identifiable by his blue three fingered hands. His disapproval of his mother, agent Raven Darkholme a.k.a Mystique's relationship with Captain James Howlett and the long running feud between the two of them was legendary around SHIELD, despite attempts of various Red Guard Agents to keep it under wraps. But now he sat as tense as any one, his fingers running over a necklace of beads. Cat had noticed it too, for her voice came over the radio again.

"Hey Elf!" as the mask head was raised she continued: "Say an extra one for the success of our mission huh?"

As Kurt nodded and lowered his head, Cat smiled, glad that the mask hid her expression. He would be praying for his mother, for his sister, agent Anne Marie a.k.a Rogue, who sat with a poker back beside him; and for Rachel Summers, lady in waiting to Princess Elizabeth Braddock of England and Kurt's girlfriend. She knew that when Kurt had heard that Rachel would be in Britain he had hoped to get leave, but events had conspired against that. Firstly Human terrorist had attacked the New Mutant Leadership Institute. Secondly the Red Guard Captain James "Logan" Howlett had literally jumped ship, by jumping off the SHIELD Helicarrier. Thank god that had been sorted out. Logan was back, recovering in sickbay.

Mystique had thought that he had popped a brain stitch, but it had turned out that Logan's mutation, which could "heal" over traumatic events, had done so when a communication (source officially unknown) had come alerting them to the true nature of Project Genesis. It could have being sorted sooner, but with Cat absent (dealing with events in Germany) and Mystique relationship with Logan, Agent Jess Drew a.k.a Spiderwoman had been placed in charge. Jess had accidentally spooked Logan which caused him to run off, injuring several team mates in the process. Thankfully he had run in to the Human Resistance Movement and when they had crashed his tracker a Sentinel had picked him up, along with several member of the human resistance movement.

It had been a blessing in other ways as well. While the team had been searching for Logan Mystique had sent the Hellions, an elite SHIELD training squad, to Japan to deal with the terrorist strike on new mutant leadership. What they had been told was a waste recycling plant had turned out to be human experimentation plant. Surge was here as it was believed that the terrorist group had been led by her father. Because of this she had been left behind by Agent Moonstar who was in charge of the Hellions. Agent Moonstar had attempted to get Surge to lead the Hellions to the Terrorists, but this plan had backfired when Surge had got into a fight with SHIELD interrogators. She and David Alleyne had hacked into SHIELD computers to find out exactly what they were up against, and had alerted a team, if it could be called that, of students from the New Mutant Leadership institute. However due to injuries received in her fight with the interrogators, it had been deemed unsafe for Surge and David to go with them. While they attempted to find out more about Project Genesis, they had been attacked by Dr Garrison, before they were rescued by the Red Guard. They had been looking for evidence to connect him with the attack on the New Mutant Leadership Institute and with Quentin Quire suicide, while the other New Mutants had gone to Japan to deal with the threat. They had alerted the Red Guard to situation, although Garrison had escaped.

She owed Fury big time for the information he had sent her. Not bad for a dead man.

She forced her mind away from her musings and examined the rest of her team. Rogue was the least affected by the masks if her scent was anything to go by, but as her powers required her to remain completely covered at all times that wasn't surprising.

Mortimer Toynbee a.k.a Toad was the most affected, as it would render his most forceful power, his long tongue useless. He also was less than happy about her plan.

Sage sat opposite Toad, her usual ice maiden stance apparently unaffected, but to those who knew her well it was evident that she was very tense.

Almost as tense as Maverick who sat next to her. He, like Toad, was less than happy with her plan. He had lost his hearing in circumstances similar to this, and that combined with the masks that they all had to wear, meaning that instead of lip-reading as he usually did, he would have to rely on Sage's telepathy, which he hated, left him as tense as a Cat on a hot tin roof.

Her glance moved to the two figures sitting apart from the rest. She signed.

While she and Mystique held the same rank on paper, Cat's years of field experience during the mutant human war had led to her being appointed second in command of the Red Guard. This meant that Wolverine's absence she was in charge and responsible for everyone here.

"Hey Mystique, Spiderwoman!" she said. When she had their attention she continued. "Quit beating yourselves up! You acted as best you could with the intelligence available at the time, Mystique! And you Jess you handled a difficult situation to the best of your ability! Don't beat yourselves up, that's what we've got Shaw for!"

It was a weak joke, but it still raised a slight laugh from group.

"O.k. everyone clear on the plan?" she asked as the voice over the radio informed her that they were nearing Japan. Various responses came over the radio, most of them uncertain.

"Right. We have two objectives. One rescue the Hellions and civilians from the New Mutant Leadership. Two shut down Project Genesis and prevent it from being restarted. Our part is mainly the rescue of the Hellions and civilians.

"We will do this in two parts. First of all Nightcrawler will teleport in and set off that." She pointed to a small black box looking object with wires protruding from it.

"That the part I have a problem with" Toads voice came over the radio. "As I understand it, that bomb will neutralise their powers."

"Temporarily"

"Where on earth did you get hold of it?" Toad asked, well aware that such things were now illegal.

"SHIELD. Left over from the Mutant Human War. Amazing what you can find if you know where to look."

Toad's response was thankfully too low to be picked up by the radio.

"When the bomb has gone off, we will move in and secure Laurie Garrison. Expect heavy resistance. It's probable that both the Hellions and the New Mutants are under her control. You've all read the Hellions files? And the report from the New Mutant leadership?"

They all nodded.

"Remember where the New Mutants are concerned we only have a rough idea of their powers so be prepared for anything. Laurie Garrison powers we know are Pheromones which can be used to control your emotional state. The mask will definitely protect you from the bomb and should protect you from the pheromones. However if you feel any unexplained emotions, ANY! Set off your distress signal and we'll yank you out. SHIELD telepaths will be monitoring you and if they pick up any thing unusually they'll yank you out. SHIELD agents stationed in Japan will be dealing with Genesis, but we're back up. Any questions?"

"What about Laurie's' father?" David Alleyne asked nervously. As a civilian from the New Mutant leadership Institute he shouldn't have even been here. He was only here with Cat's expressed permission and knew that he really shouldn't question her. But he had to know.

"SHIELD agents are picking him up as we speak." Cat replied. She turned to Sage. "Commence count down."

"T-10, T-9, T-8" Sage's smooth voice came over the radio. Surge tensed and prepared herself. This was it. It might be her last SHIELD mission.

"We'll discuss your feelings towards SHIELD after this." Cat's voice interrupted the count down in her radio.

"T-2, T-1, Go."

Nightcrawler vanished in a puff of smoke and the stench of brimstone and sulphur, like the demon he resembled. Two seconds later the Helicarrier vanished as the teleporter removed them.

If Noriko was honest she remembered very little of the battle. She had vague memories of seeing SHIELD Red Guard's in combat with Hellions and New Mutants. That was before she saw Synch approaching her. He was intimating Maverick's power. There was a brief flash of light then darkness.

David was beside her when she came round.

"Hey" he said gently, then with more force, "no! No! The doctor said you should stay still-"

Surge couldn't help but gasp as the pain of what she suspected were broken ribs hit her.

"When" a voice demanded "is listening to medics going to be included in SHIELD training?"

"Hasn't been for sixty years and isn't likely they'll add it now Michael." Cat said, coming around the curtains that surrounded the bed. Surge now realised where she was. The SHIELD infirmary on the Helicarrier.

Doctor Michael Twoyoungmen nodded. He then rounded on Cat.

"And you! You should be setting a good example, not just for your team, but for the Hellions too! Those starches were pretty deep and, while you may have a healing factor, there is no way anyone could have-"

"I am setting a good example for the Hellions!" Cat interrupted. "I am showing them how a good leader behaves, by checking up on all who were under my command."

She then glanced over Surge and with a nod at David and Michael left.

Cat slowly walked though the jumble of beds that made up the Helicarrier's infirmary. It was not stretched to it's maximum by any mean, but the variety and nature of the injuries were providing them with difficulties. Now again she saw those who she knew either from the fight or from around base. The Chinese American Jubilee having her leg wrapped in plaster. The Islamic Dust, a bandage acting as her headscarf. Moonstar, her right arm swathed in bandages. Little Magik sitting as though she was carved from stone, recovering from Sage's telepathic bolts.

Her own team was visible too. Jess Drew sat having her eye irrigated after close contact with Dust's sandstorm. She smiled slightly at Cat but it was oblivious that she was busy.

Toad had been hit by some of Jubilee's "fireworks" and so was covered in orange goo to help with the healing process. Cat had to look away to stop herself laughing as he would have look like an orange toad, except that where his mask had been was still skin coloured, making him resemble a bizarre lion toad cross.

Kurt had come off the lightest with out even a starch but he still sat here beside Rogue who was waiting for the power she had absorbed from Laurie Garrison, now along with her father safely in SHIELD custody, to wear off. She was sitting perfectly still and breathing to keep herself calm. Mystique lay near them, out cold after a run in with a Stepford Cuckoo.

Maverick and Sage had escaped with only minor cuts and bruises, but were being kept in for observation.

Ignoring the dirty look Dr Michael threw her, Cat wandered out of the Medical facility and down the corridors to the interview room.

Wolverine was standing there, gazing though the glass at the young woman who was been interrogated. He gave no sign that he knew she had entered and for a while they both stood in silence staring though the glass.

"You did good today Cat." Wolverine said, his eye never leaving the scene before them. Cat nodded

"We've definitely got enough to convict her of the murder of Quentin Quire, and the attempted murder of David Alleyne and Noriko Ashida. That's before we even start on attacking SHIELD agents, connections with Project Genesis and impersonating a SHIELD agent. We can get him on falsifying records and sexually abusing his daughter and disobeying directs orders."

Wolverine nodded.

"You can come out now kid" he added.

Surge stepped nervously from the shadows. "I ummm"

"You wanted to make sure that they were treating Laurie Garrison alright" Cat said gently. "Relax. On Shaw's order she is not to be harmed. That's following recommendation from the captain of the Team who brought her in." she smiled. "Come on. I'd better take you back to the infirmary before Michael really has my guts."

Placing an arm on Surge's she gently guided her out of the room and along the corridor.

"You've got a lot of potential as agent" Cat observed as they walked "we'll be sorry to lose you if you're serious about leaving." As they neared the infirmary she turned to face her. "Just remember Honey, it's easier to affect change from the inside than from the out."

Northstar was standing outside the infirmary looking around nervously.

"It's alright Northstar." Cat said jokily. "I've found your runaway."

She slowly and careful guided the girl towards Northstar.

"Umm sir." Surge began, nervously "bout my application to resign. I'd…I'd like to withdraw it. For now!" she added quickly. Cat shot her a grateful smile and slowly walked back down the corridor.

The interrogating was continuing. The questions were the same. Why had she done it? Was it her father, had he been controlling her? At last Laurie patience snapped.

"You are pathetic!" she spat. "You have no idea what is necessary to keep Lord Magnus's dream alive. I am a Child of Xavier. I will not let Sapiens and Blood traitors destroy what we have worked for. The Children of Xavier will rule!"

To be continued