Don't own Xmen evolution, G.I. Joe, and the Misfits are credited to Red Witch. (Think that covers it)

Twists of Fate

"All right Mainframe,what's the deal?" Hawk sat down in his chair after checking it for being rigged. Too many times sitting down to encounter superglue, whoopee cushions and paint bombs.

"This is the fourth lab in the U.S. Databank's found, Hawk." Mainframe sat down in front of the desk. "Each time he hints that there's more than one more left. Not to mention Deep six and Torpedo found a couple of destroyed cobra bases just off the coast- Iceberg's reported a destroyed base in Alaska."

"Maybe Cobra's trying to keep things hidden?" Hawk glanced at the two reports Mainframe mentioned.

"They've never destroyed a base of their own. We've done that for them dozen of times. Why start now?"

"They wouldn't waste the explosives, That's for sure." Hawk looked at the closet, there was a thumping noise coming from it. "You want to check out the town?"

"If I can get close to a computer to hack yes." The thumping noise got louder.

"Beach Head!" Hawk got up and opened the door. Beach Head was sitting down, knees close to his chest, and rocking so his head hit the wall. "Mainframe, I'll get a team to check it out, if you'll get Lifeline and Psyche Out to come get Beach Head."

"Want Snuffles!" Beach Head started crying.

"Maybe you should send him on vacation again?"

"Sounds good to me." Hawk sighed. "Some days I wonder why I signed up to command this unit."

Somewhere in the Rockies:

"You sure you know where you're going, Zarana?" Zarana flicked a strand of red hair that got into her eyes to glance at the girl behind her. Despite the snow, the girl was wearing a gold midriff revealing tank top as well as a short black jacket, and ripped black jeans.

"Yes, are you sure you're not cold, Panthera?"

"Yes. I was enchanced to survive extreme temperatures." Panthera, blinked gold eyes and absently toyed with a blond streak in her hair. Zarana had taken her to get her hair done, partially because her hair still had mats from when she had been a prisoner of cobra. Panthera had attempted to cut them out her self, but only succeeded in making her hair look worse. Now it was layered and shoulder length, with blonde streaks in the dark brown hair accenting her eyes. Zarana had to give a half smile as the girl passed under a tree branch that broke, dumping snow on her. "Besides, Techno needs my coat more than I do." She glared at the tree. "Who's this guy anyways?"

"He's a fellow mercenary, but he's never taken a job for cobra or any of their associates. He'll be able to help us, if anyone can." Zarana continued up the slope. "He officially retired a few years ago, but he might help us out."

Panthera absently nodded. She was cold, but she wasn't going to admit that to anyone. Her attention was more on any footsteps not hers or Zarana's.

"Whens Nomi coming back?" Jess curled up against Zandar in the van.

"Dunno, it'll take awhile for those two to find him." Zandar shifted as Rick pressed against a bruise that wasn't healing. "And it's Nai-oh-me, not No-me."

"That's what I said." Jess insisted, then glanced over at a pile of blankets. "Marina?"

"Yes?" The blankets responded.

"Aren't you stuffy?"

"No. This planet is cold! You humans and mutants are insane to live here!" The blankets shifted.

"This coming from the alien who can swim in frigid water," Long Range had given his trenchcoat to Rick, and was sharing a couple blankets with Techno. "Techno has it worse than you."

"At least when you get cold, half your body doesn't try to go into emergency shutdown." Techno's voice- a mix that sounded like a human speaking over an audio track of the same words- came from a bundle right next to him.

"It's not that bad." Zandar sighed.

"Says the guy in a red fur coat- you don't even need a jacket!" The ninth outcast spoke up from where he was bundled up. "Panthera is insane I tell you, insane! Going without a coat . . ."

"Very funny, Crash." Panthera opened the door to the passenger side. "We've got a new, more permanent place to stay. Which means we can stop cohabitating in the van with Four boxes of comic books."

"I wasn't going to leave Batman, the Justice League, or the Teen Titans behind!" Marina spoke up.

"What's the fourth box?"

"Japanese comic books called Manga, the drawings are interesting." Zarana started up the van and soon they were at a large cabin.

"Alright, let's get you to your rooms, you'll met him later, he's gone out to get firewood." Zarana parked the car in the garage.

Crash!! Crash missed the door by a country mile, and ended up walking into a bunch of rakes.

"Crash . . ."

"Sorry, I thought I had the right door!" Long Range grabbed his friend and pulled him into the mud room.

"What are we going to do with you?"

"I vote blindfold him again, until he gets the hang of the new surroundings."

"Sounds good to me."


The man in black walked up the stairs of the private home. He shook his head as he passed a group of teens. "Really, Ms. Frost, you need better mental shields on those children of yours." He entered a room that contained an unconscious Emma Frost, and three teens. "A gentleman's work is never done." Gently he touched her temple. For a moment, the scene was frozen, then Emma's eyes blinked open. "Good morning. I believe that settles my debt?"

"Mindflare?" Emma sat up. "What are you doing- you're a toxic telepath!"

"I've been able to train to the point where I only give people headaches, Ms. Frost." He smiled. "With some of your suggestions. What were you thinking, trying to control the Phoenix? Greater men than you have tried, It's why the crystal was in a volcano to begin with."

"Mindflare . . . You have no right to lecture me. I believe you yourself were looking for a powerful artifact."

"Artifacts, and they aren't for me." Mindflare sat next to her bed. "In my travels I've come across many stories of a destiny stone. Some have it linked to the Phoenix, others have it as a separate entity."

"So, you're searching for the stone." Emma accused.

"Hardly, I'm looking for the protectors of the stone. Powerful warriors that help keep the weilder of the stone from losing it." Mindflare stroked his mustache. "I'm also looking into artifacts that were used to protect the oracle of the Phoenix and the M'Kraan crystal- I was hoping to borrow a prodigy of yours called Cypher, and that White Prince of yours." He gestured to a sleeping Evan.

"You can have Cypher, but Evan will stay with me- How'd you know he was the White Prince?" Emma frowned.

"Really, you have to ask? And that's fine, only really needed the Cypher anyway." Mindflare smiled. "Still say no to marrying me?" He got up.

"You've earned a couple points to a 'yes', if you must know."

"Even more of a reason to check in on you, my dear." He kissed her hand with a bow. "Good bye, my lady." Then he was out the door. Emma waited till she knew he was gone, then turned to wake up Catseye.


"ELF!!" Kurt looked over his shoulder at Logan, partially curious as to what the Canadian was angry about.

"Ja?"

"How many times do I have to tell you, clean the drain when you're done with the shower!"

"But herr Logan, I did!" Kurt jumped to the ceiling. "Promise!"

"There isn't anyone else-" Logan trailed off. "BEAST!!" Kurt returned to reading Dracula, attempting to ignore the insanity around him for a little bit. He had a report due to the Professor by the end of the week, misfits, Magneto, Cobra and all else permitting he'd get it done.

"AGGGHH! THERE ARE SQUIRREL HEADS ON MY BED!!!" Kitty's voice rang out.

"Jamie, get back here and die like a man!" Bobby raced passed the door chasing ten Jamies. Tabitha and Amara were chasing after Bobby, both obviously ticked off.

"Pikachu! Pikachu! Pikachu!"

"Shut up Sunburn!!" Ray and Roberto went at it.

"DIE, SWAMP RAT, DIE!!"

"Cherie, it was an accident- not de plunger!" So were Rogue and Gambit, although gambit was probably on his knees begging for forgiveness, so it was clearly one sided.

"HANK!!" Logan still hadn't found Hank.

"LOCKHEED! MY CAR!!" Lockheed had now ticked off Scott. Kurt sighed.

"Who am I kidding?" He teleported to the med bay, where Jean was doing inventory. "Ah, Hello, Jean, Is it alright if I read in here?"

"Sure. Is it crazy up there?" He gave her a look. "Forget I asked. Have the misfits shown up yet?"

"No, but the day is still young." Kurt hopped onto one of the med bay beds to read. "You know, the story doesn't do the real guy justice, Dracula was nice and had one wife, but here it has him with three and hunting for two more."

"According to him, Brom Stroker was in a competition for scariest story, and he allowed his name to be used. Besides, no one thinks a fictional character really exists so it works for him." Jean shrugged.

"How do you know?"

"Storm and Cindy keep in touch, mostly to make sure Dracula stays away."

"Ah, Okay."

Okay, more Misfits next chapter, and more Outcasts. Poor Beach Head, having a mental breakdown, but I couldn't resist! As for more on the comments on Dracula, check out Red Witch's Date With A Vampire, I'd recommend you click on Title to find it, then it should be #172. Red Witch has a bunch of stories and it'll take awhile otherwise.