Epilogue

Day 2/ 1:10 PM

Xavier Mansion...

"You're sure about this, Scott?" Henry McCoy asked in a worried tone as he stood over his injured leader. "I admit that the simulations yielded positive results; but the formula is still UN-tested on mutant subjects." Beast held a syringe in his right hand that contained a formula that had been synthesized from Wolverines blood. The formula had worked on humans, with only mild traces of the X-gene staying in the body until they were expelled during... normal bodily functions.

"Now's as good a time as any." Scott Summers said through a broken gasp as he fought against the seething pain in his ribs. "I'm no good to anyone stuck like this. Trask had a hand in making this thing; let's see if it has a chance of working on us." Scott said as he tried to grin through the pain; Beast smiled in appreciation of Scotts attempt to stay strong.

"You have my solemn oath as a practitioner of medicine that I will not let anything befall you. I have run the simulations several times. This will work." Beast readied Scotts' I.V. and then readied the formula. "Are you ready for what comes next?"

"I'm ready. Just... If I start acting like Logan; promise me you wont let anyone visit." Scott Summers grinned as he closed his eyes behind his visor.

Back at Avengers Mansion

Peter Parker put down the last page of the case-file Coulson had given him. His mask lay on the table before him, beside the stack of papers; and as his hand reached out for his mask, it began to tremble. He brought his hand back down to his lap, gripping at his knee as he stared at the back of the last page.

He couldn't believe some of the things that he had read; Reed Richards recommending extermination as a viable option for Superman struck out like a knife to Spidermans gut. The Reed he knew didn't look at people like lab rats. There was an unsettling feeling that ran through him as he remembered how Reed had offered Clark a room at the Baxter Building.

Peter found himself shaking his head, a light disbelieving laugh escaping his lips as he reviewed his thoughts. This was Reed Richards; with everything that had happened since these reports had been written, Reeds opinion was bound to have changed. The way Spidey looked at it, if Reed still thought Superman should be exterminated, he wouldn't be inviting him to the place where everyone he loved rested their heads at night. Spidey hoped he was right, that Reed trusted Superman at least a little bit.

Spiderman reached his hand back up, this time his hand remained steady as he closed the file in front of him. Yet as he reached for his mask, he had sudden thought. If Coulson wanted his opinion on Superman; then he could have it. Spiderman walked up to the computer, dragging his chair with him and sat himself in front of the screen, opening a blank document, and with a long sigh Spiderman began to put his thoughts down.

Day 2/ 1:35 PM

Danny Rand struggled to maintain his focus as he lay in the hospital bed; highly trained S.H.I.E.L.D. doctors running all around him as he tried not to scream from the pain. He had told them not to administer any sedatives, as they would interfere with Danny's meditative techniques.

The doctors bickered amongst themselves over their frustration from Dannys reluctance to allow them to administer any of their medical practices. Several of them had tried to convince him that the only way to proceed was amputation; to which Danny was not even slightly interested. They even offered to graft a vibranium weaved arm in it's place, but Danny still refused.

The shouting voices and the pangs of metal instruments soon became background noise as Danny began to tune them out, focusing his thoughts on the pulsating throb that echoed up his shoulder. He couldn't believe that so much damage had been done from a single punch, to a man to who looked so ordinary (aside from the obvious fact that he was flying). Yet it didn't matter how he had looked; the second Danny had seen that symbol on his chest; the same one from his vision; he knew that he had found who he had been sent for.

A euphoric smile formed along Danny Rands face as he thought of the friends who had all gathered around him before he was brought into this hospital room; Luke, Carol, Peter, Kurt Wagner had even stayed for a little while. At the time Danny was so overcome with pain that he hadn't been able to appreciate their company; but now, as his mind began to steady, the image of their faces was more than enough to help him forget about that terrible vision he had seen, where they were all dead at the feet of this... Superman.

As Danny sighed lightly, a small laugh escaped his lips as a stray thought entered into his meditation. It really didn't matter what he would have had to fight; it didn't matter if Superman could have turned him into a pretzel; he would have done anything to save them, even if it meant he would never again see the mystical city.

Suddenly, the noise that Danny was concentrating on blocking out stopped abruptly. At first Danny thought he might have drifted off into his subconscious, but as he opened his eyes he saw that all of the doctors seemed to be frozen in their places; all of time around him had come to a halt.

There was a blinding light that appeared in front of the bed that Danny lay in; the light took a physical form and began to shape itself into a sphere. The light then danced out of the sphere, causing Danny to cover his eyes, and when he looked back he saw the hooded mask and long majestic robe of his Master Yu-Ti.

"Your decision held consequences more dire than you could have ever anticipated." Yu-Ti said, his pride in Dannys success hidden behind a veil of discipline. "You acted without knowing; and have wounded yourself beyond the repair of mans powers." Danny listened intently as the pain in his arm kept him from greeting his Master. "You were told that we sent you out into the world to protect man from themselves; this is, and shall always be your primary mission." Yu-Ti kept a stern voice as he held Dannys gaze. "But; in order to protect mankind, you must know what it means to love mankind. The friendships you have made with these... Avengers. They strengthen you, as you do them. When you left New York, you thought that you did not truly need them; that they would fade into your memory when you moved on to your next mission." Danny nodded, his mind had long since been open to his Master.

"I..." Danny began, his voice was weak, and he found himself speaking only when he was breathing in, or out. "Always thought... you would send me... away."

Yu-Ti took a moment of silence before he responded. "And I shall. For evil runs its veins deep, coursing far across the domain of men. And now, finall, you have found what it is I wanted you to learn." A smile crept over Dannys face.

"I... don't have to... do it alone." Dannys words were followed by an explosion of light from the sphere that still floated behind him.

"Your body shall be healed. You have proven that none other deserved the title more than you. My Iron Fist." Yu-Ti's words recalled the light, which engulfed Danny Rand and Yu-Ti, causing them to disappear from the hospital room.

Time once again took its rightful hold on the world as the doctors continued to argue, though their chatter only lasted for a moment longer before they realized that their patient was no longer with them.

Day 2/ 1:45 PM

Spiderman exited the conference room he had been sitting in, only to be startled to attention by the voice of Superman. "Hey." He said as Spiderman nearly jumped; his spider sense didn't warn him because Superman obviously wasn't a threat.

"Jeez, don't sneak up on a guy like that." Spiderman said half laughing as he approached Superman. "What're you still doing here? I thought you were heading out with Reed."

"I decided to stay and chat with Ms. Marvel for a little while, Reed had to get back so I figured I would just head out with you. I remember you saying you were going to drop by eventually, I figured it would give us a chance to talk."

Spidermans mind began to race. "Uh, yeah." He couldn't go flying around with Superman after Fury had given him orders to ground him. "But, we should, uh, walk." A look of confusion was cast at Spiderman. "I'm out of... web... fluid."

The look of confusion on Supermans face turned to one of amusement as a grin cut across his mouth. 'You're a terrible liar." Spiderman tried to act surprised by the statement, by he knew what he was good at; and this wasn't it. "I heard what you said about Fury wanting me grounded." Superman said as Spiderman seemed taken back. "As I was approaching; it was the first thing I heard. And I'm sorry that I heard it; but I want you to know that I don't blame you for how they feel. I'm used to it." A weak sigh escaped the Man of Steel as he tried to perk up. "Walking doesn't sound like a bad idea though. Street clothes?"

"That sounds like an even better idea." Spiderman said as he began to lead Superman towards the changing area that Peter kept his civilian wear. "We should be able to find something in Luke's wardrobe that'll fit you."

A little while later; on the busy streets of New York City...

Clark Kent and Peter Parker walked down the busy New York downtown streets, Clark still wore Ben Parkers old glasses that Aunt May had given to him. The two had left the Avengers Mansion through a small tunnel that led into a back alleyway in the downtown area.

"So, what exactly did you want to talk about?" Peter said as the two walked down the sidewalk. "Besides the fact that you accidentally eavesdropped on me."

"Sorry again about that." Clark said with a mild chuckle. "But I wanted to thank you." The sound of a young girl screaming brought their attention to across the street, where they saw that a young a girl was recoiling in fear from a small boy who was holding a live worm in the girls face.

"Screaming children; never fails to scare the crap out of me." Peter took in a deep breath, Clark could hear his heart beating a little bit faster than normal. "What did you mean though? Not that I don't appreciate the praise."

A remorseful look came over Clarks face as he pushed his glasses against his face. "When that machine had got into my head; it made me think I had made it back home." Clarks voice took on a hopeful cheer for a moment, before he continued. "But everything was in ruins. Everything I had ever known was a smoking pile of ash in front of me. I saw that everyone was gone; that a pantheon of the Earths greatest threats had banded together; and without me there, the world had fallen." Angry fists clenched as Clark remembered the horrific sights that he had seen.

"CK." Peter reached out and put a comforting hand on Clarks shoulder as they continued to walk. "We all saw things that pushed us. We can't let what we did in those states get to us."

"But I was the only one that really hurt anyone." A guilty feeling coursed its way through Clark as he spoke.

"I don't know; Carol blasted me pretty good." A slight grin cut across Peters face as the two turned down another street. Clark smiled back to him.

"I could have killed you." Clarks voice took on a serious tone as he stopped in his place; Peter turning towards him, revealing that he too was no longer smiling. "What I saw... what I did when I thought I was fighting those imaginary enemies; I was ready to kill." Clarks head hung with shame, Peters mind began to flash through several of the case-files he had read. "But then I heard you're voice. 'No one dies today.' That's what you said."

"Actually," Peter cut in; "there was a whole speech about fear and hate and stuff. It was pretty moving." Clark couldn't help but smile.

"Sorry that I missed it." The two began walking again. "But what I did hear; it reminded me of what it is that I've been doing wrong. I've been at my wits end with Lex; and I've been letting my frustration with him get the better of me. You reminded me of what I have to keep telling myself in order to be able to do what I do. 'No one dies'. Not while I can do something about it."

"No one dies." Peter said with a proud voice as the Baxter building came into view as they turned another street corner. "I'll sign that mission statement." The two continued on their way; the Baxter building only two blocks more. Peter took a glimpse back at Clark; and his eyes began to hover on Clarks glasses for a moment before Peter turned his attention back in front of him. "You know; someone once told me, 'with great power, comes great responsibility'."

"Sounds like a wise person. Who said it?" A curious tone from Clark made Peter smile as he turned his head again.

"You're wearing his glasses." Peter said with a light grin as he turned his head again. "He was my Uncle Ben... I really think you two would have liked each other... What he said though, it kind of goes hand in hand with what you're saying. We have the power to stop people from getting hurt; so it's our responsibility to do everything we can to make sure no one dies."

The two continued on; and though Clark had never said it; Aunt May reminded him a lot of his own mother; and he wondered if Peters Uncle Ben had been anything like his own father... "I'm sure I would have liked him."

Soon, the two came to the front door to the Baxter Building. "Well, here we are." Peter proclaimed in an excited voice as he reached out and opened the door to the waiting area. "Welcome to the Baxter building, Mr. Kent."

((Authors Note: Be sure to follow Superman as he meets the residents of the Baxter building in the new Story; "Superman and the Family Fantastic". ))

Day 2/ 2:30 PM

Lex Luthor lay upon the small bed in his lone cell in level six of the vault. He held a small book above his head which was about mixing cocktails, and was mouthing something to himself as he read.

The sound of grinding gears suddenly called Lexes attention as he looked through his bars and towards the only door into his cell block. Lex quickly moved over to the toilet and, dropping his pants and planting himself onto the seat, Lex readied himself in wait for Nick Fury to enter the room. However, Lex was surprised to see that when the door did open, it was a shorter man in a black suit and wearing large rimmed glasses; the man also had a lapel on of the American flag. The man was followed by an escort of two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.

The man cast a perplexed look towards Lex as he stood up and put his pants back on. "Did I come at a bad time?" The man asked with confusion in his voice as Lex turned and smiled towards him.

"Not at all. I thought you were someone else." Lex moved towards his bed and sat down upon it. "What can I do for you today gentlemen?" He crossed his arms as he sat, looking upon the man with analytical eyes.

"Mr. Luthor;" the man with the glasses and suit began; his voice was held at a dulling monotone; "my name is Warren Worthington the second. I am the presidents lead adviser in the area of mutant and super-human relations." As Mr. Worthington spoke, Lex eyed down the small roll of blue-prints tucked under his arm. "The President would like to extend an olive branch to you. We understand that you have an extensive knowledge of technology that we have yet to discover." Mr. Worthington approached the cell and placed the blue-prints and a small pencil into a slot on the wall. The slot was closed and its contents were transferred into the cell, and Lex reached into his half of the box and pulled out the papers to see that they were blank.

"What do you want from me exactly?" Lex said with a curious look in his eyes.

"Let's start with the device you used to incapacitate Reed Richards. If we like what we see, then we'll see what can be done to improve upon your situation." A sly grin quickly cut across Lexes face; only to be quickly replaced by a stern look of determination came over his face.

"Give me five minutes." Lex reached in and took out the blank blue prints and the pencil. "I think you'll be very interested in what I have to offer."

Day 2/ 6:30 PM

Scott Summers had recovered exceedingly well from the use of the experimental formula derived from Wolverines blood; and though he was still technically on the mend, he was currently riding his motorcycle (which was unfortunately the only working tire-based vehicle at the moment) and was going to a place he had not been since he left for Xaviers school when he was a teenager.

"Scott." Xavier voice echoed through Scott Summers memory as he drove his motorcycle through a small housing district. "You have been pushing on like this since Jean passed. You can't keep blaming yourself for what happened to her." As Scott continued to drive, he turned down a steep road and started coming to a lone house perched by a small pond. "Now you blame SHIELD for Alex the same way you blame yourself for Jean. You hate yourself with the same passion that makes you hate mankind." Scott turned his bike off as he removed his helmet and looked towards the familiar house; it looked as if it wasn't being taken care of as well as it used to be. The lawn, which usually was the most attractive aspect of the property, was now a shadow of its former glory. He left his bike in the driveway and continued towards the door. "Your faith is hanging by a thread Scott. Maybe it's time you strengthened that string."

A nervous hand reached up to the door and knocked three times; he began to settle himself before the door swung open to reveal the sight of a short balding elder man who wore a light green blazer and had half moon spectacles. The man looked up to Scott with a shocked expression as Scott grinned nervously towards him. "Hi Terry."

Terry looked at Scott with continued bafflement; he hadn't seen the boy since they had buried Terrys wife, Annette. Terry and Annette Curtis had been the last foster family that Scott Summers had ever had; the two were in their sixties when they adopted Scott, and the two had never had children of their own. "Scott... my... come in. Please." Terry said in a daze as Scott entered the house, Scott could smell the light touch of whiskey on Terrys breath.

As Scott looked around the houses interior, he was shocked to find that it looked pristine in it's upkeep. Everything had been dusted, the wood was all varnished and well taken care of; and Scott could see that Terry was even using a coaster; something Scott had never seen Terry do. The door closed shut as Terry walked up next to Scott and gazed up at his visor; not noticing that Scott was transfixed by the room.

"That thing help with... your condition?" Terry asked nervously as Scott looked over to him; trying not to shout out how he didn't have any 'condition'.

"It helps with my powers, yes." Scott said nervously as he suddenly began to regret his decision in coming here. There was a long, awkward silence that hung in the air for what felt like forever.

"I never liked house work." Terry began as he moved towards his drink on the coaster; sitting down in his couch as he reached up and took a sip. "I always preferred to take care of my lawn; that always felt like a mans way to care for his property." Terry took another sip as Scott took a seat in the chair next to him. "Annie always hated that. She always wanted me to help out more with the house work. She said it would have given us more time to talk; but I just never liked doing it."

Scott looked around and caught a glimpse of a large picture on the side table of Terry and Annette on their wedding day. "You don't seem to feel that way now though."

"Still hate it." Terry added frantically. "But; she would have hated to see the house fall apart. The cleaners are paid to work thirty hours a week; they do twenty on the interior, and ten outside. I can't exactly clean up everything at my age." Another awkward silence hung in the air as Terry took another, exceptionally long sip from his whiskey before glaring at Scott with a curious look. "What did you come back for?" Scott turned his head and looked at Terry. It hadn't been said with anger, or fear; and Scott didn't quite know how to answer. "Don't mean to be rude; but you and I were never the friends my wife wanted us to be."

"No; we weren't." Scott reached out with a steady hand, and Terry handed his half empty glass to him; Scott took a sip. "But your wife; your sweet, loving, beautiful wife; was the first foster parent I had who stood by me. When she found out why I never took off my glasses, she didn't try to have me sent away; she didn't call the police..." a pang of guilt rang through Terry as Scott spoke; "She held me close, and told me that she still wanted me to be her son. That she still loved me. And I... I just wanted to remember her with someone else that she loved. She was the first person to ever really accept me."

"She accepted you... and I didn't." Terry blurted out the words in a grief stricken cry as he fell off the couch, and to his knees. "My God; I'm so sorry Scott. I'm so sorry." Scott knelt down and began to help Terry back to the couch. "We always fought about you; even after you left for the Xavier school." Terry was crying as Scott placed him on the couch. "I hate admitting it; but I have to. I have to admit how afraid I was of you. How afraid I am that you won't blast me to an ash-pile for how I used to talk to you." Scott took his seat back on the chair as he leaned forward and listened intently.

"You never knew it; but our real last name was Kurtzenberg. It was changed during the second world war when Annette and I were fleeing from Nazi occupied France. We were so young then; still children ourselves; but still, fear seemed to have taken a firm grip of my life. I always hated them for that; not just the Nazi's but all of Germany for letting themselves be fooled like they were." Terry shook his head, and tried to not let the old feeling take hold. "My brother; Albert, had been captured in Germany after they started rounding people up. I never heard from him again." Another long silence hung between the two.

"I..." Scott said weakly. "I found my brother. Alex." His fists clenched as a glimmer went across his visor. His mouth cut into an angry frown as he looked back up to Terry. ""He was killed during the MRA. S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents cornered us; we fought back... he didn't make it." Another loud sob escaped Terry as his hands clasped quickly around his eyes.

"I'm so sorry Scott." Terry cried as he removed his hands from his face to reveal his eyes were full of tears. "Annette and I; we used to argue. I went to these rallies a few years ago; before she died. She hated me for going to them; she said it was just like what the Nazis did to us." Scotts fists clenched as his face began to contort into a frustrated scowl; he knew what was coming next; and he could already feel the resentment brewing inside of him. "But I went anyways; those 'Friends of Humanity' as they called themselves; and every time I went, I know that she hated me a little more, and I wouldn't blame you if you hate me for it too. After how I treated you when you were young; you have every right to. I'm no better than those Germans that I hate so much." A look of enlightenment came over Terry as he glanced back up. "Scott... my boy; I'm so sorry."

The scowl across Scotts face held as he stared at Terry; tears running profusely from his face as he tried to hold back the guilt he felt. Scott could feel the anger swelling; the Friends of Humanity were the biggest group of Mutant haters the X-Men had ever dealt with; and Terry had supported them. The man who hadn't had a kind word to say to him since they found out about his Mutation. Scott glared at him; ready to let Terry have a piece of his mind when he realized what Terry had just called him. "You've never called me that before." Scott said in a soft whisper; Terry looking up to him in confusion. "You just called me your boy."

Terry wiped the wetness from his face as he smiled towards his adopted son.
"I did; didn't I?" Scott reached over with a warm hand, placing it on Terry's shoulder as he smiled warmly towards him. "Scott... I'm so sorry."

"Terry... I forgive you." Scott moved next to Terry on the couch and embraced his adopted father in a hug.

"So." Terry said as he continued to wipe the tears from his face. "Tell me about your brother; was he as good a man as you are?"

The smile held on Scotts face as he reached into his pocket and removed his wallet; showing Terry a picture of Alex Summers and Scott when they had finally been reunited. "He was a better man than I could ever be."

-The End

((Authors Note: A few things I'd like to point out; the first is how I've re-worked Cyclops past; I wanted to give him someone that grounds him to the human race; and I thought that since this is technically a Superman story; I'd go with the adopted father. I took the name Terry Kurtzenburg from the DC database; trying to weave the universes together a little more, even in miniscule ways. Hope you've all enjoyed the story and continue with 'Superman and the Family Fantastic'; which has it's first chapter up now for your enjoyment. Happy reading))