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CHAPTER NINE

Professor X sat, strapped into Cerebro. Cable stood at his side. "Is there anything you wish me to do, Professor?"he asked.

Xavier sat his head. "Just watch the screen, the readings. If this goes wrong, then you must be able to tell the others where Kitty and Gambit are."

Cable nodded. "I understand."

Xavier concentrated. He concentrated on his friends, on the two young people whose safety depended on him. He felt their presence and knew that Cerebro was locking on to their location. He reached out, trying to link his thoughts with theirs, to let them know that they were safe, that help was coming.

But instead another presence loomed large. A mocking face filled with hatred. Graydon Creed.

"Creed,"Xavier whispered. "What are you doing there?"

Creed smiled. "What do you think?"

"You're involved with what's happened to Katherine and Gambit? The whole of the Friends of Humanity? You're allied with…with…" And then he saw it. The image in Creed's head. Tribune. Not a memory of an ally, but a personal memory. And he understood. "I see."

"The information will do you no good." Creed laughed. "The leader of the X-Men, showing concern for two lost sheep. But they're lost forever, Xavier. You won't find them. The world that you've been trying to create will be torn down around your ears. And now you know who's going to do it."

"It's a long time since I've had a conversation this detailed with a non-mutant. You must have a very strong mind."

"Thank you."

"Or maybe it's that you have so little thoughts in it, the ones that are there stand out more."

Creed snarled and then the image was gone.

Finding himself back in reality, Xavier turned to Cable. "Summon the X-Men. We have a greater problem than we thought."


Creed snapped to as Eli and Donovan entered the room. "All ready to go, Mr Creed,"Donovan reported.

Eli held up a small card. "Even got these passes ready. Good job there's still a few people in high places that see the truth. They got us access no problem."

"I'm coming with you,"Creed announced.

Eli hesitated. "That…wasn't the plan."

"That makes no difference. The X-Men are looking for us. If they try anything, you'll need Tribune." Creed picked up a case and opened it, checking the Tribune armour. Then he snapped it shut and followed them out.


The news reporter turned to face his camera crew, struggling to keep his tone enthusiastic. "And arriving now, we have the President himself, the last of the seven world leaders to arrive at the conference. This conference marks a major turning point in mutant relations and could finally mark an end to the tensions that have been rising through the world since the first mutant genes were discovered…"

Dazzler wasn't sure what she was doing there. When she'd overheard Professor X and Storm, it had seemed so simple. She'd gone straight to where the conference was being held, determined to put a stop to whatever was going to happen. But all she'd done was stand in the shadows, trying not to look too conspiciuous wearing skintight black leather, and seen nothing untoward.

And then she did.

Creed, Eli and Donovan, both Creed and Eli incongruously holding cases, had approached the building and shown their passes to the guard before heading in through a side entrance. She didn't know what they were doing there but she had a feeling it was no good. But what could she do with no pass? Then it occurred to her. Creeping closer, she let off a shower of sparks in the guard's face. He staggered around, rubbing his eyes, temporarily blinded. And in those few seconds of confusion, she managed to sneak past him into the building.

Another guard approached his friend. "You all right?"

The first guard nodded, his vision clearing. "Yeah, just felt a bit dizzy for a moment. Must be all this excitement."


Dazzler crept through the building, hoping she could find out what was going on without attracting too much attention. That hope died when the armoured figure of Tribune stepped into view."You stood have stayed at home, little mutant,"he sneered, the contempt obvious even with his heavily modulated voice.

Dazzler wanted to run. It had taken six X-Men to match Tribune before, what was she going to do? But then the memory of Kitty and Gambit being dragged again flashed across her brain and she stood her ground. She aimed a tightly focused light beam and blasted him in the chest. To her astonishment, he staggered back. He gave a noise that sound like anger and charged forward, aiming metal blows at her. Dazzler hadn't had any combat training but she'd done plenty of dancing in her time. She dived from side to side, avoiding the swipes. As she did so, she fired off more light beams, most of which missed the target but managed to keep Tribune off balance. But finally her luck ran out. One caught her a glancing blow that knocked her flying. As she lay there, Tribune looming over her, she sent up a shower of sparks, a flash of light right in his face. A roar of pain came from Tribune's speaker, his metal hand clawing at his eyepieces as though trying to clear his vision.


Eli slid the case carrying the second bomb under a table. "Right, that should do it."

"Now we can finish off that mutant chick,"Donovan declared.

"That's not why we're here,"Eli snapped. "I've got a job to do and so have you." He took out a walkie talkie and spoke into it. "Graydon, we're done. Get out."


Slowly, the metallic figure of Tribune turned and walked away. Dazzler stared after him, astonished she was still alive…and not having a clue what to do next.