Chapter Four
First off: Buffy belongs to Joss, X-Men to Marvel, the idea mine.
Last time: "Touchdown in two minutes," he heard Cyclops call back, then he heard him gasp. "The school..."
"It can't be," Rogue exclaimed as Wolverine growled.
Alex looked out the window and saw ruined building that the X-Men called home.
Now:
The jet flew low over the property giving Rogue, Jean, Storm and Wolverine a chance to fly or jump out. Alex quickly followed just as the ramp was closing. He jumped the ten feet and as he landed on the ground with a roll he quickly stood up to look over what remained of the mansion.
'Ok, I know he isn't here but I still need to look around, because I can't remember exactly what happens in this episode,' Alexander thought to himself.
He helped Wolverine move debris while they called out for the professor to answer them. Ororo landed nearby as he watched Jean attempt to reach the Professor telepathically.
"He isn't responding," Jean said, "It means he is either unconscious or..."
"Cyclops to Jean," her communicator called out, "Jean answer me."
"What is it Cyclops," she replied as she tapped the communicator.
"Have everyone come down to the war room," Cyclops said. "There is a message here from the professor."
Alex smiled at Ororo and squeezed her shoulder, then he followed the rest of them into the sub layers of the mansion. Alex couldn't help himself as his eyes lit up from being in fan boy heaven, then he looked at it with a contractor's eye and whistled low. "Whoever designed and built this was a genius," he said.
"What was that Alexander," Ororo asked.
"Oh I'm simply impressed by who the professor had do the actual building," he replied. "They were master craftsmen." He then waited for the rest to enter and stood against a the far wall, waiting to see and hear this message.
"Jubilee, start the message," Cyclops said.
Alexander watched in awe as he saw Professor Charles Xavier's image for the first time since arriving in this dimension; he shook his head as he listened to the message.
"My X-Men, I am taking a journey, whose result may change all of our lives forever. I can't tell you anything more at the moment, but for now farewell," Xavier's message said then faded away.
"Well... we've done a fine job of looking after the school," Rogue snarked as she turned to face everyone.
Cyclops said, "The message was left before the school was destroyed, so at least the professor is safe, wherever he is."
Alexander watched as Wolverine left the room with a growl and followed him outside, there was something familiar about him and he wanted to figure it out.
"Why are you following me, Bub," Logan asked.
"I'm used to being outside and dealing with issues I can see," Alexander said, then added with a slight grin, "Something tells me you are the exact same way."
Wolverine grunted as they searched the grounds for clues to what happened to the school. Alexander stood back from him as he scanned the grounds. He saw Wolverine looking around and sniffing, pausing and finding a pair of very large foot prints under some leaves. He nodded to the Canadian mutant, then rolling his eyes as he saw Cyclops approaching. 'This guy has a stick the size of a power pole shoved up his ass,' he thought.
"Find any clues," Cyclops asked.
"Maybe," Wolverine answered with a snarl.
"Don't go off on your own. We need to make a plan," Cyclops said in a way that rubbed Alexander the wrong way and it was the first time he'd heard it.
"Do whatever you want, I think the professor wants to be found," Wolverine said as he stalked away. Alexander looked at Cyclops shrugged then turned to follow Wolverine.
As they sat in the jeep, Alexander sat back and thought about this episode, 'Big boots, mansion destroyed... oh hell the first time the Juggernaut appears, but there is someone else as well. Damn I wish I could remember this.'
Opening his eyes and looking at Wolverine, Alexander asked, "What's on your mind Wolverine?"
"You," the mutant relied curtly.
Alexander blinked then nodded, "Anything particular?"
"Why are you hanging around, near as I can figure you aren't a mutant," Wolverine asked, then he sniffed and raised an eyebrow. "Why do you smell like a hyena, fish and death?"
Alexander thought about this for a moment and decided to be honest with him, having Wolverine on his side could only be a good thing. "Logan," he said as he saw Wolverine's claws start peeking out of his hands, "I promise I can explain it, but right now isn't the best time. I am not going to hurt any of you or yours."
Wolverine growled and nodded as he focused on the road. Alexander breathed a sigh of relief as he thought about what to tell them.
As they approached a construction site, Alexander looked over and said, "Pull over something is going on."
Wolverine nodded and parked the jeep. Both men walked over, stood against the fence and watched as the dark haired man walked into a building to the jeers of the workers, a bit of light some loud sounds of support beams being knocked down and the building began to collapse. Alexander sighed as he saw Jubilee run toward the building to confront the large mutant, he turned to Logan and asked, "Is she seriously that dumb or just greener than grass?"
Logan huffed and said, "Green, very, very green." He then sprinted toward Jubilee and grabbed her out of the way of the falling building.
Grabbing a bag of popcorn from a nearby street vendor who was just standing there staring at the show, Alexander walked up behind Wolverine and Jubilee so he can hear what is going on. He watched Colossus walk out of that building, his skin reflecting the sunlight quite well. He took in everything about the man, immediately wondering why his hair becomes a solid mass instead of a group of individual metal strands. Then dismissing the thought as he looked down where he had stepped to see large foot prints.
The workers were upset about Colossus' work and were yelling at him.
"I not do a good job of bringing down building," Colossus asked in broken English.
"No," the foreman quickly replied, "You did a great job. They wanted to bring down the building."
"MUTANT SCAB, Taking our jobs," some of the workers shouted, then began to rush him. Various rocks and chains simply hit Colossus as he stood there confused.
"That's gotta be the guy," Jubilee exclaimed as she started to run toward him, "Come on let's get him!"
Grabbing Jubilee by the shoulder, Alexander stopped her, "Hold on a minute, let's just see how he handles these guys."
She is about to object to what Alex said, then she looked at Wolverine seeing him nodding in agreement.
One of the workers had got into a cement mixer and drove toward Colossus in an attempt to run him down. It hit him a loud CRASH was heard and Colossus was simply standing there confused. "Going to be hard to get that dent out," Alexander said with a grin as he saw the caved in front of the vehicle. About that time he noticed Wolverine had disappeared.
"What did I do wrong," Colossus asked to anyone around him.
"First off... was destroying the professor's mansion," Wolverine said from above the tall Russian. He jumped down from a beam and wrapped his legs around Colossus' neck in an effort to start attacking him. However, he wasn't expecting the giant of a man to grab him by the shirt then throw him fifteen feet away into the pile of rubble from the building.
Alexander continued to eat the popcorn as Jubilee jumped in front Wolverine to protect him from Colossus, blasting fireworks from her hands in an effort to blind him.
"Leave him alone," she shouts.
Alexander watched as Colossus first used his large hands to block the blasts, then gently grabbed Jubilee by her coat, carrying her toward a fork lift.
"Put me down you big Ox," she shouted as she tried to kick him.
"Why do you fight Colossus little one," he asked as he placed her in the fork lift and tied an I-bar around it to keep her in place.
As he finished up with Jubilee, Wolverine pounced again. Logan was about to bring his claws down on him, except was he grabbed by the front of his uniform by Colossus, only this time was held upside down.
"I know nothing about a mansion," Colossus said.
Wolverine took a deep sniff and said, "You're right Ivan." After saying that he was dropped on his head as Colossus let him go.
Alexander watched as Colossus walked away, he could hear him talking about crazy Americans and how they are very strange.
"You have no idea big guy," Alexander said as he walked toward Jubilee and Wolverine. Wolverine had just finished cutting Jubilee free from the forklift when he arrived.
"He's getting away," Jubilee yelled at Wolverine, "We have to go after him."
"He's not the guy," Alexander said as approached.
"What? Because he said he didn't do it. You believe him," Jubilee asked incredulously.
"No, because I say so," Wolverine growled out. "He isn't what I smelled at the mansion. Anyway he could have wiped the floor with us just then, but he didn't."
"Jubilee," Rogue called out through the communicator, "If you have found the boys, bring them to the First bank. It's being robbed... by someone big."
"Let's go," Wolverine said as they ran down the street toward the bank.
When they arrived they saw the police escorting Colossus out of the bank in hand cuffs.
"I did nothing wrong," Colossus cried out, "I tried to stop the one robbing the bank."
"Pity such a fine looking mutant is responsible for the mansion and this," Rogue said.
"He didn't do it," Wolverine said.
"You know, I almost think this guy has to be related," Alexander mused. "Luck this bad is usually reserved for the Harris clan."
Wolverine and Rogue looked at Alexander with a bit of disbelief, Storm on the other hand smiled at him, remembering the stories he'd shared.
"Perhaps we should go speak to him and learn his side of the story," Storm said.
"Well then," Rogue said as she looked at Storm and added saucily, "Twist my arm why don'tcha." She walked toward the car and looked at Storm before asking, "You comin?"
Alexander nodded to her and Storm, "Call it a hunch but I think you'll need an extra pair of hands."
When they arrived at the station he told them he would stay in the car. While they were inside, he moved the car from the parking lot to behind the building. He flipped on the radio and listened to a talk radio station, the host was interviewing Doctor Reed Richards on the problem of mutants. Reed was doing his best to explain how mutants were not a problem to be solved and just people. Sadly the host had his own agenda and wasn't making it easy on him. Alex sighed and turned off the radio, "Forgot how damn bigoted these people are." He checked his watch ten minutes so far, then there it was. He watched as part of the back wall exploded away.
Putting the car in gear, Alexander drove over to them, and said, "Your get-a-way car is here; please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times."
Colossus looked at him and asked as got in the car, "Are all American's insane like him?"
Storm smiled enigmatically as she'd just finished blocking their recently made door with a large pile of snow.
"We're on our way Wolverine," Rogue said. "Wolverine and Jubilee have found out who destroyed the mansion and robbed the banks. It's the Juggernaut."
Alexander sighed as he put the car in gear and sped toward trouble, "Rogue, you and Storm fly ahead, when I get Colossus close I'll take the car out of the line of fire."
Both women nodded at him as they took off toward the other X-Men.
"Hold on big guy," Alexander said with a smirk as he hit the accelerator and sped toward trouble. He was not so secretly amused that Colossus appeared nervous.
When they arrived a couple of minutes later, Colossus got out, armored up and ran toward the trouble. Alexander quickly found an out of the way place to park the car then headed toward the battle. The first thing he saw when he arrived was Colossus getting hit with a tank.
"Ouch! Metal or not, that has to hurt. Come on Piotr, get up," Xander mumbled.
As it looked like the Juggernaut was going to finish the big Russian a crimson blast came from the side to distract him. Alexander watched as Cyclops gave orders, Storm was using a tornado to lift a building on top of the threat. He made it over to the team when he heard Jubilee ask Storm, "Did you kill him?"
"Nothing we know of can stop him," Storm replied.
"His helmet is preventing me from reaching his mind," Jean said as she shook her head in frustration.
"We are going to have to work as a team," Cyclops said as he looked at Wolverine, "Do you have a problem with that?"
Alexander smirked as he stood back from them, they didn't know his abilities, of course he didn't know them either, so working as a team would not be best idea. He watched them work as a team, with Jubilee and Cyclops getting his attention with fireworks and concussion blasts, Colossus hitting him from behind to get him off balance, Storm icing the ground beneath his feet making him slip and fall. Then Logan managed to get on top of him slicing into that helmet so Rogue and Jean could do their thing.
He saw Rogue tear the helmet the rest of the way off then growled when he saw her try and absorb his powers, they were magical and he was quite sure that would cause a major headache. Rogue's scream as she flew into the sky was almost heart breaking as he knew the hatred the Juggernaut had would affect her for some time. Juggernaut stumbled from the drop in power and he saw Jean wearing a helmet as she seemed to penetrate his mind leaving their adversary a confused man.
Juggernaut stumbled toward him as Alex stepped to the side. "Whoa my head," Juggernaut said, "Excuse me Buddy. Guess I had too much to drink. That was some party, but I need to go back home."
"I was able to put a suggestion into his mind, that he should walk home, but the problem being he doesn't remember where it is," Jean said. "It won't last but at least it will keep him away for some time."
'It would be so easy right now to put a bullet in his brain,' Alex mused to himself. 'But as much as I hate to admit it, the Juggernaut has a purpose someday.'
Alexander watched as Rogue fell from the sky, then smirked as Colossus caught her. The team quickly departed before the police could arrive and ask questions they didn't want to answer.
Later at the mansion, Alex was being asked about his past and where he came from by the X-Men.
"Well, let's see," Alex said with a smile. "Simple explanation. I am not from this dimension, in my home dimension I dealt with demons."
"Demons don't exist," Cyclops scoffed."
"Scott," Ororo chided him, "They do. I have seen them myself."
Scott looked at her in disbelief and said, "I know he helped you, but seriously Storm."
"Storm's not lying Cyc," Logan said with a growl. "There are some things out there that are far worse than anything you have faced."
Cyclops sat back in his chair and looked at Jean, "Is he telling the truth?"
Jean shrugged her shoulders and said, "I don't know. His mind is hard to read and I can't read it without perhaps turning him into a vegetable."
"Not too put a fine point on it," Alex interrupted. "Not a fan of becoming a vegetable, but different dimension, different rules."
"Fine," Cyclops said with a huff. "You were saying."
"I've been fighting them almost my entire life," Alex continued. "With some encounters I've been affected by some of the things I fought." Alex looked pointedly at Wolverine when he said this. "Among them the primal spirit of a hyena, infected by a mutagenic virus that would make me something like the Creature from the Black Lagoon if it hadn't been fixed, and I've probably inhaled enough vampire dust to cover the Sahara Desert. No idea how it has changed me over the years."
"But how did you get here Alex," Rogue asked.
Alex had been thinking about this for quite a while and he hadn't said exactly what happened between rescuing Dawn and arriving on Genosha. 'Saying I died, and an angel and whomever SHE is intervened will have them convinced I am insane for sure,' he thought to himself.
"Well... the last thing I remember I had just saved a friend of mine after she'd been kidnapped, a large explosion occurred and the next thing I know I'm falling into a lake," he said.
"Well I thank you for helping me Alexander," Ororo said.
"Gambit thinks he good person to have your back," Gambit said.
Cyclops shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sorry, but with everything going on we have to be cautious. You can stay for a while."
Alex thanked him, walked out of the war room and went outside for a bit. As he stood there watching the workers clearing the debris, he said, "Something vexes thee Wolverine?"
"That explains the smells," the mutant said, "But you didn't tell the entire story."
"Nope. I didn't," Alex replied, "But you know as well as I do, there are some things they aren't ready to hear or believe. Besides I'm not the only one keeping secrets, am I?"
Wolverine nodded and walked back inside.
A few days later, the mansion was being repaired. Alexander fell back into old routines he kept the contractors on task and even managed to impress the residents with his knowledge of construction. Cyclops was even beginning to warm up to him, well he had cracked a semi-sorta-smile one time, but could have been gas. Plus having Colossus around to do the heavy lifting made life a bit easier for the rebuilding.
"Alexander," Ororo said as she tapped him on the shoulder.
He smiled and turned to face her, "Yes My Lady?"
He grinned as she blushed at his name for her the asked, "Will you be staying here with us?"
AN: Will he or won't he? Find out next time! Plus, divergences abound starting next chapter.