X-Men Brotherhood: Kaiju of Chernobyl
Disclaimer: The X-Men and all related characters are the property of Marvel comics. I am just borrowing them for entertainment purposes only.
Author's Note: My take on the Marvel universe uses a kind of mix up of various X-Men continualities. Basically, I'm treating the three 2000s series (Evolution, Wolverine and the X-Men and the X-Men Anime) like they were all part of the same continuality, with a few details changed here and there when necessary, with Xaiver's, Magneto's and Mystique's past being taken from First Class and Days of Future Past, and some ideas taken from the pre-M-Day comics, like the various training squads at the school. Hey, I bet it still makes more sense than the comics, and it's no different from the pros rewriting Marvel history every few years. Everything will become clear as the story progresses. This story is, unfortunately, not related to my previous take on Marvel, "Changes". Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 1: Fitting in
The Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, may not have been the most ordinary school in the world, but to Hisako Ichiki, it did not seem all that different today than her old high school back in Japan. Yes, it was definitely fancier than any Japanese public school, being a converted family mansion – a huge American one at that – and yes, the students' uniforms were not exactly sailor fuku. Most people would not describe the student body as "normal" either, or the faculty for that matter, as Dr. McCoy supervised the cafeteria that sunny spring Friday morning. To those who could see past the blue fur, the wings, the skins that were literally all the colours of the rainbow, the room was full of ordinary teenagers. Mutant teenagers, but ordinary in the ways that really mattered.
Hisako tried to ignore her fellow students as she ate her cereal and attempted to get in some early morning study before classes began for the day - her first one that morning was Wagner-Sensei's drama class, and she so wanted to beat out Surge for the part of Cassius in the upcoming school production of Julius Caesar, especially since hearing about Pixie's costume ideas for the play. English just on its own was difficult enough, but Shakespeare's ancient dialect – if she could master that, she could master anything.
"The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings …" she read, not quite realizing she was reading out loud, until she heard snickers from a nearby table. The Hellions, as usual, their noise causing the New Mutants to glare in their direction from across the caf. Of course, her own squadmates, the Paladins, had not yet crawled out of bed. She seemed to be the only early riser among their group, something that earned her not unwarranted, but nonetheless unwanted attention from their teacher, Pryde-Sensei.
"Brutus and Caesar: what should be in that Caesar? Why should that name be sounded more?" At least Dr. McCoy appreciated her studies.
"Write them together, yours is as fair a name. Sound them it doth become the mouth as well – Good morning, Sensei" Hisako answered. Whatever her classmates thought about it, teachers deserved to be treated with respect, especially after all she had been through with Beast and his team of X-Men against the U-Men back home.
"Good morning, Hisako. Ah, Julius Caesar, a very interesting play, and from the rumours around the school of the possible costume choices, one I am very much looking forward to."
"I did not know you liked Shakespeare, Sensei," Hisako said, quickly checking to see that yes, her chemistry notes were organized for Dr. McCoy's class later that day.
The vaguely feline-looking teacher smiled. "As much as I appreciate the sciences, I find that the arts are equally important. Great art, especially works like the Bard's, are what help to make us truly human."
"Some of my classmates would debate whether that was a good thing, Sensei." The words were out of her mouth before Hisako realized what she had said. She hoped Dr. McCoy did not see her look in the Hellions' direction – she had no desire to further alienate herself with her classmates. Really, to be an outcast in this school took something special.
If Beast noticed, he did not indicate so. "And that is one of the reasons why at least one art or humanities course is required per semester for every student. Good luck at your audition, Hisako, and if you need any help with the lines, do not hesitate to ask me. I know about more poetry than just the periodic table."
"Thank you, Sensei." Hisako rose, gave the teacher a slight bow, and packed up her books, marking the page in her Shakespeare text carefully – Act I, scene II. She was about to leave, when the tv screen up by the ceiling, ever changed to the 24-hour news channel caught her eye. Well, it was always news, except for that one time right after her arrival, when several students thought it would have been fun to broadcast their latest Assassin's Creed hack to the school – yellow spandex did not belong in Renaissance Italy! A video game was definitely not what was on the screen right now, though Hisako wished it was.
She had always known it would happen some day – they had drills for it in school, just like how Americans had fire and tornado drills. But to see the raging, debris-filled waters oozing relentlessly over familiar landscapes – her parents lived further inland, away from the coasts, but still … that disaster zone … that was her home.
She lost track of time as she stared at the images, listened to the newscasters' voices describe what was happening in such a cold, dry way that contrasted so strangely with what she was feeling.
She felt the furry hand on her shoulder. "Hisako, I'm so sorry …"
Then the newscast changed. As if the earthquake and tsunami were not bad enough, now they were saying something about a power plant, a meltdown. It was impossible to not think of her grandfather's stories – of the silhouettes still burned onto walls in his old city, the pain in his eyes as he told his young granddaughter of that unmistakable cloud, of just why her people were so eager to do whatever it took to avoid war, even seventy years later.
"Not again …" Had Japan not already suffered enough nuclear disasters? Hisako's eyes fell.
The newscaster's voice changing from professional droning to a surprised yelp caught her renewed attention, but the new scenes did not make any sense. A loud, familiar roar sounded, as a giant red lizard rampaged across the screen, kicking a car out of the way like it was a toy.
"Which one of you changed the channel? It is not funny!" Hisako glared at her classmates accusingly.
"Wasn't me!" Hellion said, with Rockslide pointing at the New Mutants.
"Armour …" Prodigy began. "Nobody's touched the tv."
"What! You expect me to believe that baka …" Hisako started, but gasped as she noticed something. The coolant towers in the background as the monster dominated the screen – they were the same from the footage of the power plant just a few minutes ago.
The channel had not been changed. This was the news.
On top of everything else, Japan was under attack from a kaiju.