Author's lead in: As I stated in the first chapter, this is a reimagining of my entries into the fic group, Marvel Mayhem on ComicVine. As I stated in the lead in to the first story, the group had suffered from both a lack of communication between authors, as well as the undisccussed timeline. This is a rewrite of an entry called The Day His Life Changed. Since the time that story was typed up, I had added certain details that allowed to make this rewrite more detailed. Again, this will be an alternate timeline to the original Marvel Mayhem, as well as Marvel, but acknowledge the existence of universes that follow the other fan fictions out there.
Attention: Generation X and their villains, as well as any other mutant mentioned in this work, is property of Marvel Comics. The character Richard Cale is one of my own development. There will be changes to some of the characters background, as this work is an alternate of the Marvel Mayhem series on .
Story 2: A Chance Encounter
(Rewrite of The Day His Life Changed)
Richard Cale would never forget the day as long as he lived, and that was in part to how it began. He had spent the morning in his room in the Cale ancestral home. It was the main home they had, but he knew of a few other family owned places in England. He actually liked those better since he always had a room that was out of sight to the paparazzi.
He blamed his father for the high number of those people around their home. Recently, his father had bought up another company, and laid off a few people. He wasn't surprised when they were the first ones to say mean things about his father. He couldn't disagree with them, since everyone knew how bad the economy was at the moment. His family was well off, but not the families of the people his father had laid off.
It wasn't a surprise to him when he finally came down to the living room in the manor that his father had already left. He actually preferred that, since he didn't feel like having another fight with his father. Besides, if he ever needed to be put in a better mood, he could do that better by talking with his mother.
This morning, she was sitting in her chair, looking over a paper. This time, he saw she was reading one of the articles relating to the death of Lord Taylor. The death was mysterious, and the Lord's daughter had been deemed the prime suspect. It was true that the girl was adopted, but there had never been any hint that she had done anything that one would consider suspect. That didn't mean Richard thought she was innocent. Something about the whole situation didn't set well with him.
Once he entered the room, his mother addressed him. "Richard, I'm glad you are up. I wanted to discuss something with you." While the statement was innocent sounding, Richard could feel dread creeping up on him. He turned to face his mother, as she continued. "This whole thing involving Lord Taylor's death has cause some problems for his wife and adopted daughter. The sad thing is that the daughter is being victimized by the media. Her mother called, and asked if we might be interested in arranging a marriage, in part to clear her daughter..."
Richard didn't let his mother finish her statement. He raised up his hands, and responded to the unfinished question. "Absolutely not. First off, I am still seventeen. Second, I have never met the girl. Do I need to continue?" There were several other reasons why the whole idea was insane, but he remained silent out of respect.
To his surprise, he got a rare stern look from his mother. He forgot how his mother felt about social classes helping others in need. He just never though that it would include this. It was beyond his belief when she said, "Do not forget that you are still our son. I asked you since your birthday is coming up in a few months. I am sure that if you agree to this, they would be willing to wait until then. I will, however, give you time to fully think this over." He remained silent at that, knowing why she ended her statement where she had.
His father wouldn't approve of it at first, but he wouldn't fight it if he willingly agreed. Given Richard's feelings for his father right now, he was tempted to agree. That was tempered, however, by the nagging feeling that something wasn't on the level about the whole Lord Taylor situation. He would need time to think it all through, and he wanted solitude to do that. Richard looked at his mother, and nodded. "I will consider it, but I do need time to think it through. If you don't mind, I want to take a walk so I can figure it out. Can I give my answer when I return?" When she nodded, he left the room, and headed out the door. He knew right where he was going to go. The woods that was on the edge of the estate.
The woods that were on the border of the estate had always been a welcome place to him. It offered him the solitude he needed to unwind from everything that stressed him out. That was also something he valued a lot since the day he had learned about his mutant power.
Richard had earned the power to fully mimic a mutant he was close to. Normally, this range was a five foot radius around him. Any time a mutant would enter that radius, or he neared a mutant, he would start taking on their powers. He would even gain access to their thoughts and memories. It was different, however, if they closed the gap. When that happened, he would take on physical characteristics, as well as take on the personality traits of the mutant. One time, while his father visited an orphanage, he had discover that when a girl with lavender skin had neared him. Since that day, he concentrated to keep that range in check. Part of that meant taking long walks in the woods, where the only sound he usually heard was of the local wildlife.
It was midway into the woods that he realized something was amiss. The sounds of the local wildlife was gone. Since he first started his walks, the wildlife had gotten used to his movements, and never went silent like they did when he first started. This silence was different. They knew a strange force was around; one that was a hunter. It bore all the signs that something vile was about, and that scared him more than anything else. Such a force might have no problems with leaving the woods to pursue him.
With that in mind, Richard started to move towards one area he knew by heart. It was a clearing, but he also knew of a tunnel that was near the clearing. It would be the perfect place to hide out, or better to sneak out of the woods. He just needed to reach it.
When he reached the clearing, he forgot about the tunnel. In the clearing, Richard saw a very unusual sight. There was a lighthouse in the middle of the forest. More proof that something was odd in the forest today. The thing about the lighthouse, however, was that it looked like it had been there for years, and it awakened the explorer in Richard.
He debated the wisdom of exploring the place, with the feeling of dread that seemed to be in the area. If this was the source of it, he would be walking into certain danger. Of course, if someone was possibly trapped in there, leaving and coming back later could mean their doom, since he figured the place would disappear if it were found out. After mentally debating what he should do, he decided and tried the door.
He was surprised when the door opened, but he proceeded with caution. Just because the door was unlocked didn't mean some one wasn't watching. When no attack came, he quietly shut the door, and briefly surveying the interior. He was half tempted to open the door, and look again at the outside. By the inside, the place looked larger than it appeared on the outside, and he was on the bottom level. No doubt, the would find places to check out on the way up. They would also have to be places he could duck and hide in if need be.
Richard started by climbing the stairs. Doing so, he found some very disturbing sights. Several rooms looked like they could be hiding places, but from what he saw, there were corpses in the rooms, and it was an unnerving sight. It also explained the silence in the forest. The animals could sense the death in the place, and Richard could see why he even felt uneasy in this place.
It didn't stop him from advancing. At one point, he saw a closed door, which had to be locked. He wasn't going to try it, since doing so would alert others to his presence there. He also didn't know what might be in the room, and if it would be dangerous. For the time being, he was going to keep away from that door.
Finally, he reached the top of the place, and there were at least two doors there. One was open, and just as he came into eyesight of the door, he ducked to the wall. The one door was open, and several people were in it. None were facing the entry way to the room, but Richard peeked into the room, trying to remain out of view of the room. What he could see, and hear, gave him reason to worry. He heard the figure he assumed to be the leader speaking. The leader seemed to be the one wearing some sort of apparatus on his face, and had what looked like holes on his hands. "Have we found our quarry yet?"
That made Richard wonder. Who, or what, was this group looking for? He got an answer to that question when one that was purple spoke. "Maybe, Master. I was patrolling the area, and saw someone walking in the woods. I could not tell if he was the mutant or not, though." While Richard had never seen anyone following him, he then recalled something about his walk. He could have sworn he saw a purple haze in a distant area of the forest while he walked. It also unnerved him that they were looking specifically for a mutant.
His blood ran cold when the little man spoke. That one unnerved him, since as the figure shook his head, Richard saw a card on the man's hat which had the letters 'D.O.A.' on it. He knew what those letters meant, which made the man's words more unnerving. "From the observations I've made, Sir, about our quarry, he has mutant powers that appear to come and go. They also seem totally random, which I told you my speculations on. Do you want to send them out again, or do you want to hunt him and enthrall him yourself?"
Richard ducked back, and literally hugged the wall as he heard the leader speak again. "I will join the hunt this time. I have big plans for this mutant, and I don't want them jeopardized. I have already filled my stomach." Richard started to make his way away from the door, and down the steps, as quickly, and as quietly as he could. He had heard enough to tell him that he was this monster's target. He also had heard enough regarding vampire lore to know what a thrall was. He had no intention of becoming that thing's thrall. The only advantage he had at the moment was that they didn't fully know his identity, or at least he thought that. If they had put his image to a name, which given his family's notoriety, wouldn't be too difficult, they would find that out. Of course, given the paparazzi and press coverage his family usually got, it would be hard for them to get him when he was in public, and even at home.
Thinking about those thoughts, Richard released the tight grip he had on his powers. That meant the range of his powers went out to their normal limit. That also meant as he reached the locked door he passed by earlier, he felt them go active. He felt his hands start to change, and his hair changing into spikes. He also started to feel memories entering his head. He looked at his hands, and besides them turning into claws, his skin was also turning red, almost in the same way his skin turned lavender when he met that one girl.
The last thing to happen was almost the eeriest. He heard a voice in his head, like someone was calling out to him. It was a girl's voice, and he heard an urgency in it. "Who's there? I need help. That monster is feeding off me. Please. Help me." The odd thing was, that while he understood it, he knew the language hadn't been English. It was one of the other languages of the world, but not one widely known. That, however, didn't matter at the moment. What mattered was the fact that someone was a prisoner of that monster.
Richard knew what he had to do. His conscience would not allow him to flee this place unless he helped her, and something told him he had what he needed to rescue her. For a second, he thought about the idea that this was a trap, but he disregarded it. Something in the mental voice told him this wasn't a trap. He looked at the door, especially the gap where he could see the bolt holding it place. The claw he now had could cut it with ease. He slide the claw in the gap, and he was surprised at how easily the claw went through it.
Once that was done, he focused on his hands, and they returned to normal. Clearly, the ability to control that state was up to the mutant. He put that thought aside as he then opened the door with his normal hand. Once he had, however, he was horrified by what he saw.
The room looked like a medieval dungeon. All over the walls were gouges in the wall. They seemed to match up with claws that were from a hand like his, from what he could judge. Those, however, weren't the more horrific part of this sight.
On the wall, he saw the girl who had called for help. She was restrained to the wall with various chains and shackles, and a majority of her body was covered in leather-like restraints. From the state of her body, she was being forced to keep her power active, most likely because of the restraints on her body. There was no way she could have broken free on her own. Even worse, she had to be close to his age. This was just wrong on so many levels, and he reacted in the quickest way to correct it.
He cut her free of the restraints, and helped her down. As he did, he said, "My name's Richard Cale. I came across this place while I was walking through the woods. I think that thing is after me, but when I heard you call for help, I couldn't leave you to that thing. Are you able to move?" He had said all that while she had fallen to the floor, obviously she wasn't at full strength.
As he helped her try to stand up, he heard her speak, surprised and how well she spoke English. "He just fed off me not to long ago. I'll be fine in a few moments, but if he catches you here, we'll…" He picked up on her trailing off, and he heard the noise as well. Someone was coming down, and he glanced at the door. He had not closed it, which would tip anyone off that someone had broken into the cell. As he stared at the door, he heard her say, "It can't be him. It must be one of his thralls." He nodded in agreement, and thought quickly.
He moved her and himself out of line of sight of the door. He then waited, hoping that the figure wasn't about to come into the room. After a moment, he saw a figure look into the room. He couldn't tell if the figure was male or female, but they were covered in similar straps as the girl was. It also didn't look at them right away. Richard knew he had just a split second to react. Once they saw them, they would be doomed. So Richard reacted.
He spun out from the wall, kicking in the move. It connected with the figure right in the gut, and they were caught off guard. Part of the strength in the kick, Richard was sure, was from his anger at the state the girl had been in. He didn't, however, expect the figure to go flying back, and through the railing opposite the door. They had only moments before the figure hit the bottom of the structure, and people would react above them. He looked at the girl, putting his arm around her waist, and said, "Let's go."
He was pleasantly surprised when she kept up with him. He momentarily glanced back at her, and she said, "I recover quickly from things. It's part of my powers." He nodded, and they ran down the steps at just the moment when the figure he kicked managed to hit the floor below. He hoped they would be able to reach the door before anyone made the order to capture them.
He was glad when their luck held out. They had reached the door when he heard a raspy voice exclaim, "He's here, and he's broken Yvette out. Stop them. She's been my longest lasting food source, and I need him for my plans."
Hearing those words put a boost in both of their steps. The second the order was given, they had both run out the door. Richard didn't need to say anything, since the girl let him take the lead. He realized that she knew he knew the lay of the land better than she would. He led them through the clearing, and right towards the tunnel. It was out of sight of the door, and all the windows on the building. It was another blessing, as long as they got into the tunnel in time.
Thankfully, they had. They made their way halfway through the tunnel, before they slowed down. As it was, they both kept looking back, always worried that they had been spotted heading into the tunnel. Richard wasn't afraid to head through the tunnel, since he had checked it out in the past. He knew where it headed as well, so he knew they would have time, just in case their pursuers already knew who he was, and where they expected him to head. As they neared the far end of the tunnel, he said, "I think we lost them for the time being. The other end of this tunnel is near the town of Finedon. Once we get there, we'll take a cab to someplace safe. That's where we can get you out of those straps."
He felt the surprise emanating from her before she even spoke. "Wait. You're going to keep running with me? Aren't you worried Emplate is going to go after your family? Won't you be leading him back to your home by doing this?" He sensed the confusion in her, but he also sensed something else. He wasn't sure what yet, though.
He decided to ease any worries she might have. He decided to address her with the only bit of information he'd been able to gather during all that had happened. "Yvette, I have a feeling he knows who I am, and that my walking in the woods might have been his best opportunity. My family is usually under some sort of surveillance, mostly from unsavory reporters, so it would be hard for him to get me anywhere. And I may have problems with my own family, but I won't let them come into this Emplate's sights."
He could sense something more in the girl now, and to be honest, he wondered if it was also something growing in him. She seemed thankful on a level that wasn't just gratitude. He wondered if she thought he might be the one for her. He knew he was starting to feel that way, and he had just met her.
Once they reached the end of the tunnel, he knew they weren't far from the road. He took the lead then, and led her to the road. It wasn't a rarely traveled road, and it wasn't long before a taxi came by. During that time, he started to noticed a few other things. Now that they were out of immediate danger, she was trying to relax her powers. He noticed that as she did that, she started to look a bit uncomfortable. It was as if her body wouldn't fit inside the outfit she had on. When he took notice of that, however, he saw her looking at him, as if she was hoping he was looking.
Once they got a cab, he let her get in first, and then followed, telling the cabbie where to go. He even offered the cabbie a bonus to get them there quickly, and not to say a word to anyone else. Once the cab started, he sat back, thinking about all that happened. He knew he'd have time to think it all over. He wouldn't be able to tell his parent's about this, and he knew they'd be worried. At least he wouldn't have to give an answer on the Quinn Taylor issue, although he was sure his mother would accept this as a no.
He felt Yvette rest her head on his shoulder, and an instinct in him made him put a comforting arm around her. He made sure he wasn't putting his hand near any forbidden areas, but something in him told him she might not have minded if he had. It might have been the fact that he just rescued her from a horrible fate, saving himself in the process, or it could have been feelings that was developing in him. All he knew now, however, was that his life was changing in a very profound way. He looked at Yvette for a moment, and while it was far from ideal, he found a part of himself happy for it.
As the cab made its way to the destination he gave, he had a few ideas of what they would have to do. He kept his next statements in a psychic link, like the way she spoke to him earlier. "Listen, I told the cabbie to take us to a town where my family has another residence. We can get you decent clothes there, as well as get you cleaned up. From there, we can get out of the country through discrete paths, and I have a feeling you might want to head to where you are from, am I right?"
He wasn't surprised when she nuzzled her head into his shoulder a bit more. The action accompanied her response to his question. "Yes. I need to find out if my friend died, or got away from him. I hope she had gotten away. Do you think we can get to my home safely?" He didn't answer, mainly because he wasn't sure how to do it yet. Right now, he wanted to keep her safe, as well as himself. What he did know, however, is that they would do this together.
