Secretive Secrets

by Wolfepup

Another installment with Ce'it and the X-Men...but this one gets REALLY interesting...

2. Chapters one-five

Secretive Secrets

Disclaimer: The usual, Gargoyles not mine, X-Men not mine, Jedi not mine, Farscape not mine, Shadowrun not mine. Donnye, Ce'it, and that whole Traddess thing is mine. The Taou thing belongs to me and me bestests of friends.

This is the continuation of Not Easy Being Fuzzy, Chasing the Sun to Paradise, and 1-800-CALL-ATT.

But…..Ce'it is a Jedi. He can't stay with the X-men forever, as much as we would like him to. He is needed back in that BIG OL' BACKSTORY of his that me and me best bud are STILL writing. Dates back….oh….long time. Haven't quite pegged the timeframe yet. Those will get posted as they get done, one of these daze. Might actually break down and make me own site. Dunno. BUT…he's not leaving yet!!! ^_~

And…I would like to dedicate two Jedi Masters to two of you who have reviewed me quite a few times! One, the red-haired lady Master with the vibrant green eyes to Charmega. The other, the tall dark man with the tendrils coming off of his head, to Nightfan. Hope I got the gender right!

This, being the massive xover that it is, has a little less X-Men, a little more Jedi, and a lot more Traddess.

And, as this story was written a bit here and a bit there as the plot developed, it is being posted more or less in one big file. Enjoy! And as always, feel free to R&R! And if you flame, I have marshmallows! Anyone have chocolate and graham crackers for s'mores?

Chapter One: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

The moon rose fat and high over Manhattan, gilding the few clouds silver. Goliath soared on the thermals released from the city below, gliding across the island. His second in command, a younger Gargoyle called Brooklyn, followed him.

He inhaled deeply, enjoying the sweet scents of the night. Xanatos, a wary ally at best, had expressed concern over a new organization in Upper New York. That was not a man who liked too much secrecy, at least secrecy that he was not a part of. Goliath smiled, Xanatos had yet to be able to infiltrate this new organization. He couldn't help it, as many times as Xanatos had proven to be both an ally and an enemy, the Gargoyle liked to see him confounded. It was rare that anyone hid anything from David Xanatos.

"So, what do you think it is?" Goliath's ears caught Brooklyn's question from the winds.

"I do not know." His brow furrowed. He liked seeing Xanatos stumped, but he couldn't shake a strange feeling of foreboding.

If Xanatos couldn't discover what Traddess was, how could he?

Kurt Wagner skipped down the corridors of Traddess, enjoying his summer vacation. Ce'it was waiting for him, leaning against the yellow-framed door to the immense underground hanger. "You called?"

The Jedi smiled sadly, tucking a strand of dark blue hair behind one delicately pointed ear. The back of his neck showed a scattering of spots, and his long tawny tail curled around his leg. "Kurt, I have to go home."

"Vat?!" Kurt was horrified. Here was a man who understood everything, from the varied currents of the Force to the core of mutant powers. He was also by far the best ethics teacher Kurt had ever had.

Ce'it knelt down, holding Kurt's shoulders and speaking softly. His translator was turned off, and he spoke in heavily accented English. "I have been here long time. I need to go home." He closed his eyes, "I am needed."

Kurt couldn't help himself, he grabbed the Jedi in a fierce hug. Ever since he saw Ce'it's tail and blue hair, he fantasized that he was his father. It never mattered in his dreams that Ce'it was far from Human, and a hybrid at that. It never mattered that Ce'it's mother was Mersakii and his father Valterin. It never mattered that he was a Jedi and could vanish at the whim of the Council.

Ce'it never left in his dreams.

As if sensing his thoughts, which Kurt thought he most likely did, Ce'it pulled away, wiping a tear from his eye. He handed Kurt a battered grammar book.

The pained look deep in the Jedi's midnight blue eyes said it all; Ce'it wanted to leave as much as Kurt wanted him to. But, he had explained to the mutant that he was a Jedi first. It was his Council that had sent him, and his Council that had decreed that he was needed elsewhere. He hugged Kurt close. "Think of me, fohraltalia." He pulled away, tears in his eyes. "I do not know if I come back, but, no forget."

Kurt stared at the book, a sob catching in his throat. Slowly he opened it.

Ce'it was the new teacher at Bayville High, a handsome man that the girls swooned over. He had taken an interest in Kurt, and this had unnerved him and the X-Men. Ce'it, known to the rest of the world as Sean O'Shanna, had a meeting with Kurt in the library, schooling the mutant's grammar from this very book.

What Kurt didn't know at this time was that Ce'it was neither Human, nor reading English. He was a representative from his Jedi Council, sent to assist Traddess in its efforts to set up a base on Earth. The transdimensional firm had been successful, even holding back a wave of invaders. Now that Earth was secure, and Traddess established as a communications monitoring station, Ce'it's duty here was done.

Kurt looked back up at Ce'it, sniffing. Ce'it reached out, turning to a page. Written on it was his fluid native language. "I wrote that when I came here. A dream."

Ce'it smiled, tapping Kurt in the middle of his forehead. "The Force told me this dream. A dream of you. Far from now, and it is a good dream." His voice lowered, "Make it stay that way." He stood, pacing a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "My people do not say goodbye, for we are always together in the Force."

"Ja, I vill miss you." The words were forced past a tight throat.

"And I, you." Fohraltalia. Kurt knew this word, a softly spoken tribute to Ce'it's Mersakii heritage. A whispered blessing from a man unable to ever have children of his own. The translation wasn't exact, but it didn't need to be. Just a few months ago, Ce'it's spirit had taken refuge in Kurt's body in a time of Imbalance. It was hard not to pick up a few of the more emotionally charged phrases.

Fohraltalia, a soft connotation of belonging, of heritage. It was as close as Mersakii came to calling a child their own. Ce'it had called him his son.

David Xanatos paced in his office, an opulent room overlooking the skyline of Manhattan. For months now, he had tried to peer into the secret depths of Traddess. Every time he was turned away. He furrowed his brows, frustrated. Never before had he not been able to stick his thumb in the proverbial pie.

But now was different. Now he had a corporation that looked too good, too slick, to well-protected. But the tabloids, in all their annoying traits, had discovered something that bothered him deeply. Unlike most people, Xanatos regarded the tabloids with wary respect. Most of those bothersome publications had uncovered his connection to the Gargoyles long before anyone else had. Some even speculated that his aide and his wife were not entirely Human. He grunted, how little they knew that they were right.

Last week's issue of Private Eye lay open on his desk. It was opened to a page filled with one grainy picture and columns of text. Xanatos was not interested in the text, he had read it a thousand times already and was able to recite it from heart.

The picture was of a small, sleek black ship, trailing smoke and sparks as it executed an abrupt U-turn out of Earth's atmosphere.

But the caption riveted him just as much, and he repeated is over in his mind. Suspected UFO seen flying over the Midwest. This is the only picture matching the eye-witness accounts of similar craft that visit the mysterious corporation Traddess in Upstate New York.

The tabloid connected that small ship with Traddess, a fact he found most interesting. His own spies had glimpsed ships like that one, but they were always unable to secure proof. Batteries in cameras would fail, the power supplies to broadcasting equipment would short out. Even non-mundane methods failed. Perhaps the only reason this picture was successful was due to the ship's damaged nature?

Most likely. But he had to find out more, he had to know who and what Traddess was.

Goliath strode majestically into his office, Brooklyn a few steps behind. "Good evening, Goliath, discover anything?"

"Nothing," he growled deep in his throat. He glanced down to the open tabloid. "But I confess, I am as curious as you are."

Xanatos smiled, an easier expression since he had sided with the Gargoyles as opposed to against them. "I suspected as much." He turned to scowl out the window. "But, as you know, I have been unable to infiltrate them."

The large Gargoyle laughed, a deep joyous sound. He sobered, "I doubt we need to…infiltrate them. Brooklyn and I will go down to…investigate on our own. All I need to know is where it is."

"That, I do know." Xanatos pulled out a large map of New York, spreading it over the tabloid on his desk. He pointed to an expanse of green just northwest of Westchester. "There, and while you are at it, there have been some strange happenings at Westchester. Feel free to look."

"I think I will," Goliath rumbled, before turning and walking out of the room.

Chapter Two: Houston, we have a Problem

Elini perched in front of the wall, an arch inscribed in its surface. The Kiorrhe Taou had been working on this for years, ever since she discovered that this magic was possible. She folded her wings tighter against her back.

She was a ForceMage, one of a very few able to use magic and the Force. Unfortunately, this meant she was weaker in both since she was unable to hone specific talents in either one. Her current project was a Gate between the Taou stronghold in a moon of Valter and the Republic planet Coruscant. And all without the Jedi Council of the Senate discovering it. What a delicious test!

She braced herself with her thick tail, the small spikes on the end ticking against the floor. Her golden hair fell to the middle of her back, cascading down in gentle waves. She closed her eyes, feeling inward, hunting for the calm center of her soul. The Force rose to greet her, and she wrapped it around herself, a protective cocoon of energy. It surged through her, hiding her from the currents of the Force. To a Jedi, she was now invisible. Hopefully that would mask her and her Gate from the prying eyes of the Council.

Next was magic. Using both at the same time was considerably more difficult, but she had been practicing. She chanted softly, sketching runes on the floor in colored chalk. The runes directed the energy, forming it into long strings.

One string, pulling a bit of her power with it, raced out to Coruscant. It found its target, an empty room she had seen in another Taou's mind. Carefully, she sent tendril after tendril, each carrying with it a bit more power. She gasped as they all came together, weaving among each other. She struggled to contain them, to keep all of them in the web.

The wall inside of the scribed arc wavered, flickering. The Force shuddered for a moment before a thought snapped it back into place.

The Gate formed with a painful snap. Power surged through it, screaming across space and time. Something was wrong! She screamed, fighting to hold onto it, to control it. It fought her, breaking free of its moorings. She looked up, into the arc before the Gate ran away completely.

She should have seen the room on the other side, and nothing else. But instead she saw a tunnel, the walls made of what looked to be swirling water and energy.

Elini let the Gate go completely, holding a hand to her mouth in shock. She shuddered, feeling the effects of the power drain. Before she passed out, one thought rang through her mind.

The Gate had crossed paths with a Wormhole.

Ce'it rested in his quarters, dozing off. His last two missions had not been easy. First, he had the rather enjoyable task of assisting Traddess. Then he had been summoned to uncover the reasons behind the disappearance of cargo ships. He unconsciously placed a hand at the base of his tail. Even after being fully healed, it still ached sometime. (AN: The Beginning of the End--the mission Ce'it is referring to isn't done being written. His tail was dislocated--OW!)

The comm chirped, insisting on his attention.

Ce'it sighed, dragging himself to his desk and tapping it on. "What?" he asked sleepily.

Alexi's haggard face filled the screen. Ce'it was suddenly wide awake. "What is it?"

"Any strange happenings over there?"

That was an odd question. "No…why?"

"A Gate ran away," he scowled. If Ce'it hadn't known him better, he would have recoiled in fear from the other man's expresion. In fact, Ce'it and Alexi were life-friends, Alexi having saved the Jedi's life on more than one occasion.

"What happened?"

Alexi shook his head, "The ForceMage is still shaken up, she can't tell us much, but from what it looks like, she was aiming for Coruscant."

"She missed," Ce'it said softly.

"I know, a Wormhole got in the way."

Ce'it cringed. "How is she?"

"Weak, but she'll be fine." Alexi lowered his head, "Ce'it, we can't control this Gate. We don't know what it's going to do."

"You want me to tell the Council?"

"You know me well," a corner of Alexi's mouth quirked up.

"Tell me everything you know about Gates."

All twelve Jedi Masters were waiting for Ce'it when he arrived. Master Yoda was the first to speak, "News you have?"

Ce'it bowed deeply. "The Taou were constructing a Gate, a magic porthole through space and time. It allows them to travel long distances in a few seconds."

Murmurs passed through the gathered Masters. A newer Master, a Human female with deep red hair and startling green eyes spoke next, "How did they achieve this kind of power without us knowing?"

"The Taou have access to power we do not."

Yoda scowled, "Unwisely, they use it."

"They have constructed several such Gates, and all of them are stable, but his one crossed paths with a Wormhole. It's now rogue. They are trying to tie it down, but they want you to keep your eyes open for it." He raised his hand, stopping a few members before they started to protest. "They are not asking for your help, just to watch out for it. They are capable of taking care of their mistakes, but they thought it wise to warn you. Anything could come through that Gate if it lands here."

"A wise precaution," another Council Member spoke, this one with dark blue skin and pure white hair. He was older, almost as old as Yoda. Ce'it knew he would be stepping down soon, for he was already starting to train his successor, a promising young man named Mace Windu.

"What do we do if it does land here?"

Ce'it smiled softly, "I know from having passed through a Gate, that they create quite the disturbance in the Force. I do not want to sound arrogant, but an Initiate will be able to sense when one comes close. A Knight would be able to sense about where, and a Master when. We just need to keep people from falling through it and to stop whatever does."

"What is it like, traveling through a Gate?" This Master was a slender Calamarian, her face tinted the softest shade of teal.

"Not pleasant," he placed a hand on his stomach. "To the non-Force Sensitive, it's like walking through a door, you just go through it. For us," he spread his hands out wide, motioning to all who were Force Sensitive, "It's like the world falls out from under your feet, and takes the Force with it. It slams into normal as soon as you are through, but the bigger the Gate, the more disorienting and painful the feeling. And this is a very large Gate."

"How large?" The voice spoke from behind him. Ce'it didn't turn to face it, instead he simply answered, "Large enough to go from Valter's moon to here."

Murmurs rippled through the chambers. "The Taou, making this gate to us?" Yoda was not pleased.

He shrugged. "I only carry the news, not its reason, Masters. I have spent time with the Taou, as you all know," nods from all around, "but they still confound me. I no longer try to figure them out."

The red-haired woman spoke up, smiling, "A wise precaution."

"We must be on guard." A man, long tendrils dangling down from his head, stood. "We must be alert, and protect the citizens on this world from whatever comes through that Gate."

Yoda tapped his gimer stick on the floor. "How long, before secure it is?"

Ce'it shook his head, "I don't know, but I will keep in touch with the Taou."

"You do that, Knight Ce'it Ki Oshanna," the man with the tendrils bowed. His posture was peaceful, but his words were not. He turned on one heel, walking from, the room.

Ce'it sighed as the Masters walked out after him. "And I thought I was going to be able to relax for once."

Yoda shuffled up to him, placing a hand on his knee. "Rest not, any of us. Something coming, I sense. Big, it is. But, will of the Force it also is. Trust always in the Force."

"I will Master." Ce'it watched him leave, only the shadows of the passing transports keeping him company in the empty room. "I will."

Goliath stood at the battlements of his castle, the city sprawling out below him in a sea of velvet and gold. The World Trade Towers (MY MEMORIAL, MAY THEY STAND FOREVER) pierced the horizon to the south. Hudson walked next to him, placing a clawed hand on the younger Gargoyle's shoulder. "What are ye thinkin' about, lad?"

"This Traddess. I admit, it is rather amusing to see Xanatos struggle to discover anything about them, but still…" he trailed off, watching the contrail of an airliner as it started its descent to a nearby airport. Most Humans would not be able to see that, but, as a Gargoyle, his eyesight was somewhat better. It had to be if one only flew at night.

"It bothers you, does it not?"

"You are right, my mentor. It does bother me. I know what Xanatos has to hide, I have seen it all myself. But what could be so important for Traddess to hide?"

"Go and find out, and take Brooklyn with you, he's getting a tad restless."

Goliath laughed, "Right you are, old friend. Let's go." He spun, the trailing ends of his wings fluttering to keep up.

Brooklyn was in a game room, trying his hand at pool with Broadway. Lexington sat cross-legged off to one side, tapping away at a laptop. He chewed on his bottom lip in concentration. Bronx trotted up to Goliath, growling his greeting, his stub trail wagging. Goliath smiled, scratching him behind the ears.

"Brooklyn, a word if you will."

"Just about," he took aim with the slender cue. He tapped the cue ball, sending it scurrying across the green velvet. It slapped another call, white with a broad red stripe. The red ball headed for a pocket along the long side of the table, but fell short, rolling against the side. "Drat," he leaned his stick against the wall. "Your turn, Broadway."

Brooklyn turned towards Goliath, "What do you want to talk about?"

The balls tapped together as Broadway sent the cue ball rolling.

"Traddess."

The cue thudded against the pool table, the cue ball sent badly off course. Lexington stopped tapping at the laptop's keys. "Did you just say Traddess?" Broadway failed to notice the black eight ball roll contently into a pocket, vanishing from view.

"Yes, I did," Goliath had all of their attention.

"Are you thinking about going to them?" Lexington was eager, full of youthful enthusiasm.

"I am, with Brooklyn. He needs more experience, and Broadway, as my third in command, you need more experience as well. I want you to stay here and guard our home." He looked down at Brooklyn, "First thing tomorrow night, we fly for Westchester."

Brooklyn stood to his full height, still quite a bit shorter than his leader. "Count me in!"

"Oh man," Broadway stared down at the pool table, placing his stick on its surface. "I sunk the eight ball, looks like this game is yours, dude."

"You can have a rematch later," Hudson growled. "Dawn is a'coming. Time for us to leave."

"Hudson is right, it is time for sleep." Angela smiled, grabbing hold of Broadway's hand. Broadway looked forlornly at the table before following the others from the room. He perched on his usual spot, looking over at Brooklyn as the dawn lightened the eastern sky. "Next time, you can sink the eight ball at the wrong time."

The smaller Gargoyle glanced over at his rookery brother as the sun kissed the horizon. His body stiffened, succumbing to its power. Soon, seven stone Gargoyles, one looking at another, decorated the richest man in the world's building.

Kurt hefted his find. He held the large bowl full of plump blackberries (PLEASE say they grow in New York!), pleased at his work. And happy that he was covered in blue fur. Fewer scratches, and it was harder to see the reddish blue stains on his arms, or on his face from the amount of berries he had eaten. Kurt surmised that he had eaten as many as he had picked.

Kitty phased through the bush next to him, startling his and almost causing him to spill his berries. She smiled brightly, dumping her handful into the bowl before fading back into the tangle. The girl lacked the tiniest scratch and not a single leaf was in her hair. Kurt couldn't help but to stick his tongue out at her.

The X-Men had agreed that, even though they would all miss Ce'it dearly, life had to go on. Kurt understood the ramifications of that. He will miss his friend, his almost-father, but he was an X-Man. It was his duty to protect mankind, learn to control his powers, survive high school, and pick blackberries. Three out of four wasn't bad, he still had at least another year of school left. He teleported to the X-Van, placing the bowl in the back. School had started last week, and teachers were already handing out far too much homework in his opinion.

"Ready to go?" Scott leaned against the side of the van, the setting sun casting the forest in golds.

"Ja, just let me go get Keetty."

He teleported to his last position, but Kitty was not there. "Keetty!" he called out, scanning the forest. The sun set, the forest gloom deepening. Soon, it would be true night. He had to find her fast, his night vision was good, but not that good.

A branch nigh in a tree offered a good lookout, but he still couldn't see her. The sun set under the horizon, taking with it the last of its warmth. "Keetty!" He called out, louder.

"Like, wake up the forest, will you?"

He looked around, surprised, before spotting Kitty standing at the base of the tree, arms crossed. "Hallo, Keety, I vas vorried. It's time to go." He teleported next to her in a puff of acrid smoke.

She waved it away from her face, scowling. "Ug, I wish there was like, something you could take for that."

He shrugged, "Sorry." Kitty started to walk away, phasing through a small tree.

The moon peeked out from behind a cloud, casting its harsh white light into the forest. A shadow flitted across its surface.

"Vhat vas that?"

"I don't know, but, it's like creepy. Let's go home." Kurt paced a hand on her arm, and teleported them to the van.

Scott was waiting for them, a bemused expression on his face. "Found a patch we missed?"

"No," Kurt's golden eyes scanned the dark sky.

"What is it?" Scott was concerned.

Kitty shrugged. "I don't know, but whatever it is, it's like really creepy."

He reached up and touched the side of his sunglasses. "Then I think we should go home."

"Then I think we should go home." The tall youth's words hung in Goliath's mind. Home was a very good place to be. But there was something else. The girl had walked through a rock as if she was a living ghost, and the other boy…

The other boy reeked of brimstone. He stood like a Gargoyle, looked like a Gargoyle, but he lacked wings. Perhaps there were other Gargoyles on this planet than the one he had found in his wanderings.

"Do you think he's one of us?" Brooklyn's voice was soft, hesitant, echoing his leader's thoughts.

"I do not know."

"Did you see what that girl did, you think she could be one of Oberon's Children?"

"I doubt it, only Puck is left, and he is in servitude to Xanatos' son." Goliath eyed the tree next to him. It would do nicely. He easily leapt halfway up its trunk, speaking as he climbed higher. "I say it's time we followed them, learned more about them."

"But what about Traddess?"

Goliath chuckled, "Traddess is Xanatos' concern, not ours. We will investigate, but not now. We need to find out if that boy really is a Gargoyle."

Brooklyn joined him on the tree, his long wings trailing after him. They pushed off of the tree, flapping to gain the thermals rising from the forest. Below them, the youths piled into the van. They circled as it started up, its headlights a sudden glare on the remote forest road. The Gargoyles were careful about not flying into the field of vision of the van's mirrors.

"Uh oh," Brooklyn pointed ahead. A column of smoke, a dark smudge against a dark sky, was ahead of them.

"Scout ahead and report back to me."

Brooklyn nodded, banking away.

Lance looked at his handiwork. The bridge was taken out and it would be a while before the x-freaks found out. "Nice work," Toad hopped next to him, eyeing a bug.

"Is the road prepared?"

"I got it," Fred rolled an oil drum into the bushes.

The taller youth scowled, opening his mouth to say something.

Pietro cut him off, "Heywhat'sthat?" He pointed at the sky. A large bat-like shadow passed in front of the burning bridge. His eyes were glued on it as it flew closer.

Lance waved Fred over, "I want you to toss something at that thing. Knock it out of the sky."

Fred simply smiled his compliance, an evil twisted expression. A large rock was not difficult to find, and he hefted it up at the apparition. To the Brotherhood's dismay, it swerved, circling a bit higher. The large teen threw another rock, and it was evaded as well. The thing banked away, disappearing behind the trees.

"Anyone care to tell me what that was?" Lance asked softly.

"A new X-freak?" Toad shrugged.

"I'llfollowhim," Pietro was off in a flash, vanishing into the trees. He returned a second later. Scowling, he spoke slowly, "It flew too high for me to see it. And the x-freaks will be here soon."

"Then let's hide," Lance grinned evilly.

Chapter three: Let us all Introduce Ourselves

Scott drove the van, Kurt sitting in the passenger seat munching blackberries and Kitty trying to get comfortable in the back seat. She muttered something about shedding and rested her head on a pillow she had brought.

"Vhat is zat?" Kurt sat forward in his seat. A plume of dark smoke rose from just beyond a small rise in the road. The van crested the hill.

And the bridge was gone. Scott pressed hard on the brakes, throwing Kurt and Kitty against their seatbelts. The tires squealed, but they couldn't get traction on the road. Without a thought, Kurt reached back and grabbed Kitty's arm, then clasped his hand around Scott's wrist.

When they reappeared in a small field not too far from the road, they were traveling at the same speed as when they left the van. Scott hit the ground first, rolling to a stop. Kurt grunted as he hit, Kitty smashing into him. Scott looked around, dazed.

Kurt looked out of it, his brow furrowed slightly. Kitty was stirring slowly, muttering something softly.

"Are you okay?"

Scott looked around for the source of the deep, though young, voice. "What?"

"Are you okay? Goliath is following those people that took out the bridge. My name is Brooklyn."

The youth sat up, looking around. A shadow detached itself from the forest, walking slowly towards them. His first thought was that is was some strange new variant of Itex, walking carefully on digigrade feet like a Plainsrunner. A long thick tail swung out behind it. As it drew closer, it looked like it was wearing some kind of strange cape.

Stark white hair framed a face that was neither Itexian nor Human. It was elongated, almost dragonlike, with twin horns angling back from its forehead. It held out a four-fingered hand. "Do you need medical attention?"

"What are you?" Scott hoped it was a mutant, just a radical mutation like Kurt's. Not some alien race intent on ruling the Earth.

"I'm a Gargoyle, I'm from New York."

"Gargoyle?" Scott edged closer to Kitty, helping her to sit up. Kurt was stirring, cracking open one golden eye to stare up at him.

The wind picked up suddenly, and another very large creature landed. This one was darker gray in coloring, a contrast to Brooklyn's rusty hide. His black hair fluttered in the breeze he created in his landing. His feet were the same, as were his hands and tail, but he lacked the horns, bearing instead a ridge above each eye. His ears were also smaller. With an unconscious shrug, he wrapped his wings around his shoulders in the form of a cape.

"This is Goliath," Brooklyn motioned to him.

"Is everyone alright?" the larger Gargoyle's voice rumbled from deep within his throat.

"We will be," Scott was cautious. He didn't know if he could trust these strange new creatures.

"Were you able to find out who did this?" Brooklyn walked closer to Goliath. A course that took him uncomfortable close to the mutants.

Goliath shook his head sadly. "Most amazing powers these children have. One, a white-haired youth, vanished as soon as I saw him. Another was as large as Broadway and constantly threw rocks at me, just like what happened to you. I do not know if there were others."

"There were two more," Brooklyn added, his hands held out wide. "But I wasn't able to get a good look at them."

"Sounds like Toad, Quicksilver, Blob, and Avalanche." Scott supported Kitty's weight as she leaned against him.

"Hmmm," the sound was a low growl from deep within Goliath's chest. "I assume that this is not a favorable acquaintance."

Scott smiled, a quirk of on side of his mouth. "I guess you could put it that way."

Kitty stirred awake, her eyes snapping wide. She screamed, phasing through Scott and scampering away.

"How do you do that?" Goliath's voice was soft, gentle and full of curiosity.

"G-get away from me!" She held her hands in front of her, like a shield.

The larger Gargoyle sighed softly. Scott placed a hand on the side of his sunglasses. "Why are you here?" His voice was low, menacing.

Kurt woke up fully, his eyes snapping wide as he took in the two Gargoyles.

Goliath and Brooklyn exchanged glances, the smaller one spoke. "There were some strange things happening here, and we were curious."

"Curious, huh?" Scott was skeptical.

"Yeah," Brooklyn started to speak but a glance from the larger creature made him snap his beak abruptly shut.

Goliath stepped forward, crouching down to bring his eyes on the same level as Scott's. "We are still rather new to this world…"

Scott cut him off. "So, you are aliens!" He stood, placing one hand on the side of his visor.

The creature looked shocked, turning to his companion. "Aliens?"

Brooklyn shrugged, "I think he thinks we're from a different planet."

Goliath laughed, a sound full of humor and lacking in mockery. "I understand your confusion, my young friend. We hail from Scotland, after being frozen in stone for a thousand years."

"And you expect me to believe that?" Scott growled.

Goliath and Brooklyn exchanged confused looks. Brooklyn pointed to Kurt, who was coming fully awake. "Isn't he a Gargoyle?"

Scott took it all in, the coloring, the feet, the tail, the ears; they thought Kurt was one of them. The youth looked up at Scott, fear and confusion in his eyes. "Not last time we checked."

"Oh," the word carried wisps of lost hope. Goliath continued speaking. "We wish you no harm, we only want to know about some strange events happening here and if they will affect our home."

"Which is where?" Scott stepped back, but he lowered his hand from his visor.

"The island of Manhattan," Brooklyn offered.

"Makes sense," Scott grunted. "Then you two must be cab drivers."

The humor was lost on Goliath, "Cab drivers? I think you are mistaken. We are Gargoyles, it is out duty to protect our home."

Kurt edged closer. "And your home is Manhattan, ja?"

Brooklyn nodded, crouching on the ground exactly how Kurt does, resting on the balls of his feet, hands on the floor for balance and support. The two, blue-furred mutant and rust-colored Gargoyle, looked at each other before glancing at their respective leaders. "Vhat brought you here?"

"Tell him, Brooklyn, this may concern them as well," Goliath sighed.

"Well, our…friend…was unable to find out anything about Traddess, and with all those strange things happening, we thought we would come down here and look for ourselves."

Scott barked out a short burst of laughter. "Trust me, you want nothing to do with Traddess." He turned, helping Kitty to her feet. The girl stayed firmly in his shadow.

"You know about Traddess?" Goliath stepped forward, his wings unfurling. If it wasn't for the extreme curiosity in his voice he would've appeared very lethal indeed.

Scott sobered, "Kurt, it's time to leave."

Kurt stood, looking back at Brooklyn before walking over to Scott.

"Feel up to it? We're about a mile from the Institute."

"Ja, but I think ve vill need to come back for ze blackberries."

"You and your belly," Kitty spoke for the first time, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"But you can't leave yet," Brooklyn pleaded, "What about Traddess?"

"Find out for yourself." Scott squeezed Kurt's shoulder.

"A mile in these woods is quite the distance, do you care for us--" they vanished in a flash of brimstone and a rush of displaced air "--to carry you?"

What an odd scent. Not quite unlike stone after a spring rain. Donnye looked around, his amethyst eyes scanning the woods surrounding the Traddess complex.

Behind him, the bulk of the newly-finished main building rose five stories into the night sky, the starts twinkling overhead. In front of him lay the expanse of the parking lot, and the roof of the great underground hanger. He wrinkled his nose, testing the winds.

There it was again, the cloying scent of rain on rock. But it was different, one smelled dustier than the other. So, there was two of whatever it was in the forest.

Donnye walked out into the lot, his car perched not too far away. He had to admit, the little car had grown on him. She, and he couldn't ever bring himself to call her an "it", had sat forlornly, forgotten in the far corner of a dealer's lot. And Donnye, ever being the champion of those forgotten, had purchased her. Best thing that happened to him in this world so far.

Odd too, considering the car was ancient in car years. But, she had history, style, prestige. And the motor wasn't about to fall out of her anytime soon.

Unknown to the other drivers on the road, Donnye's little yellow Mustang soon became something else. An Itexian converter purred under the expanse of yellow hood, and a commutations relay port allowed Skimmer to pilot it. And it flew, if he wanted it to. But right now, he just wanted to drive home, in as normal a fashion as was possible in the highly modified car. That is, until he discovered the source of the odd scent.

He leaned against the side of his car, arms crossed over his chest. "You might as well come out, I can smell you."

The bushes off to his left rustled, and a shadow walked carefully out of them. It was a very large shadow, the scent of the dusty rock getting closer. A second, smaller shadow hung back, but its curiosity colored its scent.

The larger shadow introduced itself and the other shadow. "I am Goliath, and this is my second in command, Brooklyn."

"Donnye," he walked closer to the pair, looking them over. "I've never seen your species before."

Goliath knelt down, looking Donnye in the eye. Quite the feat, since Donnye was far shorter than the average Human. A deep rumble started in the base of Goliath's chest. "I have seen many strange things in my life, and I think you might be one of them. Tell me, why are you here?"

Donnye smiled. "You're right, I am strange." He looked back at the darkened hulk of the building. A few lights shone in windows where the occupants hadn't yet left for the night. "As to why I am here, this corporation monitors very special communication channels."

"Oh, like top-secret spy stuff?" Brooklyn spoke up, excitement in his voice.

Donnye laughed. "No, nothing like that."

"Then what?" Goliath's voice carried a warning.

"Just what I told you," he turned back to his modified Mustang. "We mean no one any harm, if that's what you are wondering." Donnye opened the door, sliding in. "But, it has been a very long day, and I just want to go home." The door shut with a resounding thud, and the car pulled out of its space. Brooklyn moved aside, looking after it.

"The meeting did not go well," Goliath growled.

"Uh, Goliath, did you notice anything strange with that car?"

"No."

"He didn't start the engine."

Chapter four: All that's Fascinating

Kurt, Kitty and Scott sat on separate beds in the infirmary. Jean was tending to Kurt, the blue mutant looking the worse for wear. Bits of grass and weeds stuck out from his hair, and he held onto the edge of the bed for support. Teleporting so many so far after he had been knocked unconscious for a few minutes had not done him any good. After a bit of fussing, Jean placed her hands on her hips. "Time to go to your room and rest, Kurt."

"Ja, no argument here." Kurt vanished in a flash of displaced air. Jean waved the lingering scent of brimstone from her face. "Kitty, how are you?"

The girl wrapped her arms around her slim frame, shivering slightly. "That was like, weird. What were those things?"

"Gargoyles, I presume," Professor Xavier rolled into the room, Ororo behind him.

"That's what they said," Scott was apprehensive. "How did you know?"

"They have been spotted in Manhattan for several months now, it was only a matter of time before they paid us a visit."

"What are they?" Jean walked over to Kitty, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Ancient, noble beings. It was their duty to protect their home and families. Then a clan in Scotland was betrayed." Xavier hefted a large book that was sitting in his lap. "While not the original, this book is a very close copy of a very important book of their day. It also holds an account of the attack, and the betrayal. Needless to say, those involved felt ashamed for what they did, and tried to repair what damage they could, but it was too late. A group of Gargoyles, one named Goliath among them, was turned into stone for a thousand years."

"How sad," Kitty whispered.

"What a minute," Scott slid off his bed. "The big one said his name was Goliath."

"Then it appears they broke the spell." Xavier rested his hands on the book.

"Can you tell us anything else?" Scott asked.

Jean finished looking Kitty over, placing a bandage over a scrape on her arm. "Time for you to get some rest, you have a history test tomorrow."

Kitty pouted, sliding off the bed and walking towards the door. She paused, turning around for a moment, "Like, who do you think broke the spell? I don't like, know much about magic and things, but spells just don't break themselves."

"Interesting point you have. I shall see into it. But for now, you need to get some rest for your history test tomorrow. Sleep well, Kitty," he waved her out of the room. Kitty sighed, dragging herself away and to her bedroom.

"That goes for you as well, Scott. Get some sleep, I will research this and I should have some more information for you all after school. Or whenever Kurt gets home providing Ms. Darkholme doesn't put him in detention again."

Scott smiled, "With the promise of more information on these Gargoyles, Kurt will be the first one to school and the first one home."

Xavier laughed, "True, that."

Scott stopped him before he could speak further, "I know, I know, off to bed."

It was easy tracking the yellow car through the empty streets of Westchester. Goliath peered down at it, the moon casting his shadow over the ground.

"What are we going to de when he stops?" Brooklyn swooped just above him, riding a thermal.

Goliath sighed. "I do not know. Perhaps by following him we can learn more about Traddess." He scowled. The Gargoyle despised double talk in all its forms, and Donnye's refusal to answer any of his questions directly bothered him. He had been betrayed by a Human he had trusted, but he had learned that even your greatest enemy can become your most trusted ally, albiet a wary one.

The car stopped at an intersection undergoing a major repaving. He looked ahead, blinking yellow lights lined the road, massive dump trucks lined up, ready to deliver their load to the paving machine as it inched its way up to them. All but two lanes, one in each direction, were closed down. It would be slow going for the next few miles.

Goliath lighted on a squat building, Brooklyn backwinging to land next to him. "What a cool machine." He rushed to the edge of the building, grabbing hold of the guard wall and peering at the ponderous machine. Banks of flickering lights illuminated the scene while reflector-clad people carrying sword-like flashlights scurried around, directing traffic or tending the machines. One person climbed aboard a dump truck, easing it into gear.

Goliath could hear the sighing gasp of the brakes as they let go, and the truck inched forward, matching the speed of the paving machine. It tilted its bed, and fed the hungry, road-creating monster.

"Yes," he drawled, "Fascinating."

It took less time than expected for Donnye to drive through the construction zone. Goliath grabbed Brooklyn's shoulder, directing the youth to the air.

Donnye smiled, he knew the Gargoyles were following him.

"Skimmer?"

The dashboard flickered, normal gauges disappearing in a holographic flicker and the typical angular Itexian control surfaces took their place. Bright colors danced across flat glossy black. Skimmer hated talking to him when the car was in "normal" mode. Somehow, she always knew.

"I am here."

"Care to do a bit of research?"

She laughed, "You should know me better than that! Data is what I live for!"

"Odd, I though it was dragging my tail out of danger."

"And I assume you wish to know more about that pair of creatures following you."

"Assume away, my friend."

"Well," Skimmer began after a slight pause. "They are an old race, older than Humans, hard to find accessible records of." She sounded disappointed. "A few recent news reports, mostly contradicting themselves, like usual."

Donnye smiled, Skimmer did not like being confused. "This is odd," she mused.

"What is?" He leaned back in his seat, letting Skimmer do the driving. She knew where he was going.

"There is a connection to David Xanatos. Seems they had something to do with putting him in jail, and they have been seen around that building of his. I'm also reading strange energy patterns, but it's all Qua'Xia."

He sat up straight. "Really? Can you tell what kind?"

A longer pause. They passed people walking down the darkened streets. "No. It's not the Force, and its slightly different from what the mutants use. I think it's indigenous, but…I don't know. The same but different?"

"You can't quite tell with Qua'Xia," Donnye grunted. The car slowed as it turned into a driveway. The house was small, but not small enough not to have a garage. He watched as the door rolled open and Skimmer piloted the car inside.

He got out of the car, Skimmer's holographic user interface flickered into being next to him. "I don't like it, Donnye. There's too much Qua'Xia here. I just found a large concentration in the North Atlantic." She shook her head, "But no name, nothing! It's not this Atlantis that some of my search engines think it is, it's…something else."

Donnye placed a hand on her arm, a gesture completely lost on the hologram but not the ship controlling it. "We'll find out. But we need to uncover more about the Gargoyles and this connection to Xanatos. I don't like the way he's snooping around. He's come too close to finding out what we are far too many times for my comfort."

"But, if he is in league with the Gargoyles, then he knows how to keep a secret. We have so few allies here as it is, and Xanatos could be a very large ally."

"True," Donnye walked inside, closing the door to the garage behind him. Skimmer's hologram simply walked through the door.

Skimmer stood in front of him, her holographic hands spread. "Some of this other Qua'Xia, it's centered around his building."

"Really?"

She nodded, "Now, I think, Xanatos has something to interest us for a change."

Not even a day had passed since the Taou had delivered the news to Ce'it. He had been grilled about them, about what he knew of the Gates by every Master and a few Knights he had encountered. Rumors ran wild across the temple, and his temper was being tested. Another Knight rushed up to him, her mouth open as she started to speak.

He cut her off with a wave of his hand. "No more questions."

"No questions, you have a call. The Taou."

Ce'it didn't thank her, instead he ran full out to his room. He would have chosen the nearest comm, but he didn't want to risk the wrong person overhearing the wrong part of the conversation. He tapped the comm into life as he sat down, one fluid motion. "Jedi Knight Ce'it?" The woman on the other side was not unattractive, and not Human as well. She was a Kiorrhe, a winged Humanoid race with close ties to the Taou. Just like both of the races that comprised him.

"Yes?" He let her know that she had his full attention.

"We can anchor one end, but we can't contact anyone near that end."

"What is near it?"

She consulted something out of his field of view. "The other Earth. The one that came from the parallel dimension that merged with this one."

"I know someone who is there, hold on." He rummaged through his scant belongings until he found what he was looking for. A slim, black pad, no larger than his hand.

He tapped its center.

Goliath and Brooklyn roosted on the roof of the building across the street. Night was still in full swing, they had several hours before the sun rose. Brooklyn dropped from the roof. "And where do you think you are going?"

"I need to get closer, he still hasn't answered our questions."

"True," Goliath dropped down next to him. "But we must be patient. We do not know what he is capable of."

Brooklyn sobered. He peered across the street, it was empty save for a lonely cat scrounging in a gutter.

They crossed the street in one graceful swoop, landing in Donnye's front yard. Concrete birdfeeders and wooden birdhouses dotted the landscape. He could hear a waterfall tinkling not too far away. Frogs croaked their songs from darkened bushes. Goliath thought it looked more like a small forest than a yard.

"Nice place," there was no sarcasm in Brooklyn's voice.

"It is peaceful." A night bird called out a brief greeting.

Light blossomed across the yard, Donnye's shadow obscuring it. "I know why you followed me."

Goliath stood taller, wrapping his wings over his shoulders. "Then you are going to answer my question?"

Donnye smiled, "No, I have a few I would like to ask." He waved them inside, "I mean you no harm, but there are prying eyes out here."

Brooklyn followed Goliath into the small house, the larger Gargoyle ducking as he passed through the door. Donnye closed it behind him, making sure they knew he left the door unlocked. Somehow, this comforted Goliath, he knew that he would be able to leave without needing to fight Donnye. And he had no wish to discover how able a warrior this strange man was.

Donnye walked into a small kitchen, "Hungry?"

Brooklyn looked over at Goliath. "I think we better wait to eat." The younger Gargoyle lowered his head, but he knew better than to argue with his leader. At least, until his stomach did it for him.

Donnye returned with a glass of milk and a stick of something dark. He talked as he munched around it. "Might as well get to the point."

"Please do," Goliath stayed standing while Brooklyn crouched.

"What is your connection to David Xanatos?"

Goliath's eyes went wide in shock. "What do you know of that?"

"Less than you think, more than you want to know," he motioned to them with his food stick. "Your reaction told me much. I know there is a connection, just not the details." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Xanatos has been digging a little too deep into my business, and I do not like that."

"Xanatos doesn't like not knowing about anything," Brooklyn spoke.

Donnye chewed thoughtfully on the end of his food stick. "I feel the same, and there are strange…energy readings coming from his home."

"You, you can sense that?" Goliath unfurled his wings slightly.

The strange man smiled, "No, I can't. But, I have access to machines that do. I know what kind of energy it is, but not the form it takes, or how it's being used."

"Machines?" Brooklyn was confused. "How can a machine sense--"

Goliath cut him off, "What are you?"

"Magic, is that what you were going to say?" Donnye ignored Goliath's question. Brooklyn nodded numbly. "My people call it Qua'Xia. And there is a lot of it here. We can detect it, measure it, even convert it into a source of energy we can use, but we can't use it in its original form. So," he held his hands out, "Even though I can point a machine at Xanatos' tower and say it's full of Qua'Xia and take some of it for my own use, I can no more cast a spell than I can walk across air."

"What do you want with it?" Goliath's voice was a deep growl.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing." He smiled, "However, it proves that Xanatos knows how to keep a secret, and Traddess needs to know people who can keep secrets."

Goliath smiled, "Oh, one could say Xanatos likes his secrets."

"Then," Donnye stood, carrying his empty glass to the kitchen. "I propose a meeting. I like you, Goliath, you are an honorable being."

"How can you tell, we have hardly met." Goliath was suspicious, he did not want to be caught off guard by this strange man.

"As old as I am, it's hard not to spot an honorable being. I trust that you will deliver the meeting request to Xanatos?"

"I am not his errand boy."

"I know," Donnye leaned against a wall, one hand covering a wide yawn. "But he will trust it from you. The meeting will be outside, were we first met." He waved them off, "I don't know about you, but it has been a long day, and I for one need some sleep."

"Then we will not keep you," Goliath left, Brooklyn a few steps behind him.

As soon as they were outside, the younger Gargoyle spoke. "But, how can we leave now, we learned nothing!"

"Patience, my friend. Dawn will be coming soon, and we will need to find a place to sleep for the day."

Donnye turned from the window. The Gargoyles were graceful creatures, truly children of the air. He remembered his own adventures flying, the wind flowing over his body, the complete feeling of freedom. He hadn't shifted for a few weeks, and he was beginning to grow restless.

Skimmer interrupted his thoughts. "You have an incoming message from Ce'it."

Donnye faced her completely as the hologram took on the likeness of the Jedi. The image flickered a bit before snapping into focus. "Donnye," the voice was oddly hollow, missing the nuances he was so used to hearing from others, little whispers and tones out of the hearing range of most beings. And he never liked not being able to smell who he was talking to, all of the little signals that others let lose when they spoke. Ce'it's image was as flat and lifeless to him as a statue, even though he knew there was a living being at the other end.

"Donnye," he repeated, "There is a rogue Gate in your area."

This stopped Donnye's musings in its tracks. "What?"

The image nodded, "The Taou were constructing a Gate to Coruscant when it crossed with a Wormhole. The Gate itself is stable, but not its location."

"How close to my area?"

"Just a few minutes, as your people measure distance." That would put it several thousand lightyears from the Milky Way. Much too close for comfort, not when it would seek the closest anchor to attach itself to. And with the abundance of Qua'Xia on this planet, it would draw the Gate to it like a magnet. A thought occurred to the Shapechanger.

"This planet will attract a rogue Gate like a magnet, you know that, right?" The image nodded. "Why fight it? We can anchor one end of it in Traddess, that way we can watch it, and none of us are affected by fluxes in Qua'Xia."

"What about the mutants?"

Donnye considered that for a moment. "That could a be a problem at first, until we set dampers up on the thing."

Ce'it turned to the side, speaking to someone out of the hologram reader's point of view. "Can one of you go to Earth and anchor one end?"

The voice from out of range sounded confused. "Earth? Oh…the other Earth." A pause, "Alexi is on his way in the battlecruiser Righteous Indignation. He will be there…tomorrow afternoon, Earth time."

The Jedi looked back at Donnye, who shrugged one slim shoulder. "Works for me, Skimmer will be in orbit, waiting for his arrival."

Relief seemed to ease some of the strain from Ce'it's face. "Good, the Council will be glad to hear that. They haven't given me a decent night's sleep since this whole thing began."

Donnye laughed, "Well, sleep well, my friend. And may the Force be with you."

Ce'it waved as the hologram reader cut the connection, "May the Four Winds of Beyond flow in your favor."

Chapter five: Welcome to the Jungle

Alexi waited for Donnye on the transporter pad, two ForceMages behind him. One was the slim Kiorrhe girl, the other a Valterin man with a shock of forward-pointing purple hair and a scattering of spots.

The small Shapechanger walked up to the large, dark man and bowed deeply. "Lord Seraph, welcome to Traddess."

Alexi's mouth quirked up in a smile at the unexpected courtesy. Donnye was, after all, his great-grandfather of a sorts. Never mind the fact the man looked young enough to be his son. He motioned to the pair of Taou, "This is Elini, she is the one who formed the Gate in the first place."

She lowered her head in shame, but looked up in shock as Donnye spoke. "Pesky, aren't they?" He sighed, "Those Wormholes do tend to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. As I recall, there was an accident not too long ago with an experimental shuttle from here that vanished in a Wormhole. Farscape I think the name of it was." He shrugged.

"I am Dyan, her teacher."

Donnye bowed to him in turn. "Knowing the Taou as I do, you wish to get started." The trio nodded, "Then, if you would follow me."

He continued speaking as they followed him from the room and down a stark corridor. The frame of the door they had just walked through was red. "We have an empty room in this wing that would suit our purposes perfectly. It's out of the way, quite, and secure." He emphasized the last word.

Dyan spoke up, "It will not be immediate. The Gate might anchor itself somewhere else on this world before we are able to secure it here."

"But, you can put it here?"

"Yes," his voice grew soft. "But we don't know if anything will leave or come to this world while it is anchored elsewhere."

"I know," Donnye sighed. "A risk we will have to take." A Jedi would fight such an answer with all of its being, knowing that lives could be lost if the Gate appeared at the wrong place at the wrong time. But Donnye was not a Jedi, neither were the Taou that followed him, even though all three were Force-Sensitive. They accepted the what the Gate might do with quiet resolve.

He took them down a twisting, dimly lit section of the compound. Some of the walls were not quite finished, and half of the lighting didn't work. But that didn't matter. What was important was the red-framed door at its end.

Donnye swung open the door.

The room beyond was insignificant, except that it had been recently finished. The air smelled faintly of some kind of cleaner. Stacks of small boxes lined the room's only shelf, each labeled with some arcane description. The wall opposite the shelf, and to the left of the door was bar save for an arch of glossy black metal.

Dyan turned to him, but Donnye cut him off before he could speak. "I know the property of that metal, it will passively absorb some of your…magic." The word didn't seem right coming from Donnye's mouth, "So, don't focus on it. It will help anchor this end of the Gate, slowly feeding from it. And, if I understand this Gate well enough, all that will do is add a bit of stability to it. This is a stable, permanent Gate. This metal will not weaken it."

"For a non-magic user, you have done your research," Dyan replied wryly.

Donnye shrugged, waving to the shelf and the arch, "Have fun, I will be near if you need me."

"How's the test go?" Scott walked up the Kurt, the smaller mutant shoving something into his mouth.

He shrugged, talking around his mouthful of food. "I zink I passed." He swallowed his food, smacking his lips once. "I at least studied for zis one."

Scott laughed. "Well, I hope you pass, with the workout Logan gave us after you failed the last one," he paused, letting the point sink in."

Kurt cut him off, "Ja, I know, I know." He glanced around and vanished in a puff of acrid smoke and reappeared just as suddenly next to Scott's car. "Come on," he called out, "I'm hungry."

Scott smiled, "Kurt, you're always hungry."

Kurt laughed, easily vaulting over the side of the car and into his seat, he spoke as he latched the seatbelt, "Ve better hurry, or all the good food vill be gone."

The older teens rolled his eyes, not that Kurt could see him do it. A quick turn of the key in the ignition and they were off.

"Scott? Vas is dos?" Kurt leaned forward in his seat, the wind blowing through his holographicly-colored hair.

"I-I don't know, some kind of fog?" A dark shroud, waterlike mists swirling inside, covered the road ahead.

"Ja, a fog, frau Storm is testing us."

Scott placed one hand on his sunglasses, smiling grimly. "Then, shall we get ready?"

Kurt tapped the watch on his wrist, and turned the hologram off. He shrugged, motioning to the street clothes he was wearing. "I vas in a hurry to dress this morning. No uniform."

"Don't worry," Scott pulled the car off the side of the road. It hid perfectly in a patch of thick brush. Kurt picked a blackberry from one of them and popped it into his mouth.

"Not bad, ve'll need to come back here to replace ze ones ve lost. At least ve got the van back."

"C'mon," Scott walked carefully into the fog. He was close enough to see flashes of light illuminate it from time to time. It writhed, almost like a living thing.

"Do you see that?" Kurt's voice was a low whisper. The thing in the road had suddenly stabilized, almost like a tunnel whose sides were made of dark swirling water. At the other end of the tunnel was a cityscape unknown to either of them.

Scott peered in as a slight breeze ruffled his hair. "I don't recognize that city. Kurt, see if you can 'port back to the mansion and get Professor Xavier to look at this thing."

"Uh oh…" Kurt's voice was full of fear.

"What?" Scott turned to face him, impatient. He wiped a leaf from his face as the wind blew it to him.

"I-I can't teleport. Somezing's wrong."

Scott peered back at the swirling tunnel, "Maybe we should leave."

Kurt nodded his head, his long hair waving in the breeze. A sudden gust knocked him from his feet.

The older teen crouched against the rising wind, placing one hand on the ground for support. The wind picked up even stronger, blowing them into the tunnel. Bits of leaves and twigs blew past them, battering them.

Kurt yelled as the wind picked up the smaller teen, throwing him into the tunnel. Scott soon followed.

And their world turned upside-down.

Donnye leaned against the side of his car, deep in thought. Elini and Dyan had been able to secure this end of the Gate, but not immediately. So far, there had been to missing persons reports on the news, but he had his eye to the broadcasts anyway. The gate had anchored itself somewhere on this planet, but the pair of ForceMages wasn't quite sure as to where. Alexi sensed it was close.

Donnye hoped close translated as the far side of the moon.

The scent of dusty rock wafted to him as the Gargoyles swooped in. Helicopter blades thrummed in the distance.

Goliath landed first, Brooklyn no more than a couple of wingbeats behind. "Xanatos will be here soon."

Donnye covered a yawn with one hand. "I didn't know you were bringing him." He looked up as the thrumming drew closer. "Skimmer, help him land."

The helicopter, a sleek vessel with four thick rotorblades, gracefully alighted at the far end of the nearly-deserted parking lot. A red-haired woman and a blonde man carrying a baby were the first to exit. She stormed up to Donnye. "Just who do you think you are?"

"I know where the security grid is, do you?" he replied matter-of-factly.

A regal man with dark hair and a matching goatee slid from the helicopter and strolled over. "A wise precaution," he growled, placing a hand on the woman's arm. "So, this is the Donnye you told me of?"

Goliath nodded, "Yes, that's is why I called you."

"There is something else, isn't there?" Xanatos's voice was low, dangerous, wary.

Donnye ignored him, testing each of their scents. Xanatos was earthy, spiked with the sharp tinge of sweat and anger. He was Human, no doubt about that one. The blonde man's scent was faint, almost sweet. The woman's was also sweet, with the barest hint of cinnamon. He looked at the two, "You aren't Human."

They both looked shocked, but it was the man who reacted first, "How can you tell?"

"Neither am I."

Goliath and Brooklyn looked at each other, the larger Gargoyle speaking first, "Are you a child of Oberon?"

"He can't be," the blonde man said, "They are all on Avalon, except me."

Donnye's head snapped up, "Really?" He walked up to the blonde man, Xanatos watching his every move. The baby gurgled, reaching a hand out to Donnye. Bits of light flashed around his fingers before the man hid them. "What do you call it?" the Shapechanger's voice was soft. "My people call it Qua'Xia, essence of power."

"Interesting term, we call it magic."

"And all of Oberon's children can use it?"

The blonde man nodded, unwilling to reveal any more than he already knew. Donnye continued speaking. "This explains much!" he turned towards the building.

"Explains what," the woman growled.

"You'll see, in time. I saw what I needed to see," he turned to face them, "There are now two groups on this world that can keep all the right secrets."

"Two?" Xanatos sounded confused as he trotted after Donnye. "Who is the other one?"

"You."

"And I assume you are the first group?"

"Nope."

Xanatos ground his teeth in fury, Goliath and Brooklyn smiled, trailing after the pair. "Why can't you give me a straight answer?"

"Then you learn nothing."

The building loomed ahead of them, the woman and blonde man following the group. "Nice building," she drawled, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

A striking woman with ice-blue eyes and pure white hair that flowed past her waist greeted them at the door. Donnye introduced her with a bow. "This is Spokesbeing K'Payr Manora."

Xanatos did the same for his group, "This is my wife, Fox, and our son, Alexander. This is my aide, Owen. I trust you are familiar with Goliath and Brooklyn?"

"Of a sort," her voice was low, almost sensual. "Come in."

Goliath followed her, looking around the huge atrium that also acted as the main lobby. "Impressive," Xanatos spoke softly.

A slender woman ran up to Donnye and K'Payr, what an unusual name, and stood panting in front of them. He took a second glance, and he could almost hear jaws hitting the floor. The woman had batlike wings, and a thick counterbalancing tail. She walked on her toes, her feet long and strong.

She was a Gargoyle.

"The Gate anchored itself on the road to Xavier's mansion!" She gasped. Donnye's eyes widened.

"Logan found Scott's car, and is looks like there was a huge windstorm. They can't find Kurt."

"Skimmer!" Donnye called out to thin air and a slim woman popped into view. He ignored the shock from Goliath and the others. "Are Scott and Kurt nearby?"

She stared off into space. Owen handed the baby to Fox and walked up to Skimmer, examining her. "You aren't there."

"No, I am in orbit," she replied simply. "They aren't here," she cast her eyes downward.

"Were you able to trace the Gate?"

"Barely," she sighed, "It landed on Coruscant."

The woman registered Goliath and Brooklyn's presence. "I was unaware of other Kiorrhe here."

"What is a Kiorrhe?" The larger Gargoyle carefully pronounced the word, drawing it out.

"I am, and what are you? Nevermind," she waved off her own question, "We have more important things to do, but the Gate disrupted communications in that area, I can't reach Coruscant."

"What is going on?" Xanatos demanded.

Donnye explained, "You are familiar with Gates, correct?" Owen nodded, "Well, one went rogue, and it seems to have sucked two of our allies, the other group I mentioned, to another planet. Lucky for us, we have allies there, as well."

"Wow, you get around," Brooklyn whistled softly.

Owen narrowed his eyes. "I was unaware that there were others like you on this world."

Donnye clarified. "There aren't. K'Payr, Skimmer, and I can't use Qua'Xia, or magic. It's not in our DNA. Elini, her mentor, Dyan, and my great-grandson, Alexi, can in varying degrees. They just arrived yesterday to secure one end of the rogue Gate."

"And then what would you have done with it?" Owen growled. Goliath didn't blame him, there was o so much more to Traddess then met the eye, and he wasn't sure how to deal with it. But, as he thought about it, they seemed even closer to Xanatos and his brood. A brilliant madman, his half-elven wife, their son, and Puck, in the form of Owen. And add into that equation the Gargoyles and their trip across time and space at the behest of Oberon and Avalon.

He did not much like that forced voyage.

Donnye spoke, "Nothing. My people have no use for Gates. It is a permanent rogue Gate; it'll never go away. And one end of it was near here, so we anchored it in a secure room. But, before we could anchor it completely, the Gate made its own anchor. It's now locked here, safe for the time being. We can keep an eye on it, make sure nothing comes through it that shouldn't."

"How do you know we can trust you?"

Donnye shrugged one shoulder as K'Payr and Elini talked in hushed tones behind them. Brooklyn couldn't take his eyes from the girl. "You don't. No more than I know how to trust you."

"Good point," Xanatos grunted.

"What about the other end?" Brooklyn walked a few steps closer to Donnye.

He shook his head, "That, I have no idea. This Gate is far too large for the other end to be anchored here. That would be very messy," he wrinkled his nose.

Skimmer interrupted, "Professor Xavier is on the way, he wishes to speak with you and K'Payr personally."

Vat vas this place? The thought roamed around Kurt's head. He looked up, his vision clearing.

This was definitely not New York. He strongly doubted it was even Earth. Scott moaned into consciousness beside him. "What happened?"

"I vish I knew." Buildings speared the clouds, neatly dissecting the airborne traffic into a grid of floating vehicles. Occasionally, a smaller transport of some exotic design would break off from the pattern and dart past a building. Scott and him were on some sort of balcony. A silver building rose majestically across the way.

Kurt rose on shaky legs, wobbling his way over to the edge.

Nothing. There was nothing between the buildings. No ground, no road, just a few distant aerial walkways. And darkness. He staggered away from the railing, shaking. "What is it?" Scott was concerned.

Kurt stammered, pointing at the railing.

Scott clenched his jaw, looking over its edge. He turned away, his face pale. "What is this place?"

"Ghra'th lagne?" A very small being peered up at them, malice in its one central eye. Kurt didn't feel like comparing it and Scott at the moment.

"I'm sorry, I can't understand you," Scott spread his hands out, showing the strange being his palms.

The being barked out what had to been its equalivant of laughter. "Lkata harthg!" It pulled an evil-looking device from the depths of its jacket. It sighted down the length of the weapon, chortling something neither of them could understand. Suddenly, its hand jerked up, a bolt of red flying from the weapon and impacting with the wall of the silver building.

The creature stood stock still for a second. It yelled, spinning on one foot and darting into the shadows.

Scott and Kurt looked at each other, then at the empty air that the creature had once inhabited.

It had yelled "Jedi".

Donnye sighed. "Might as well make a party out of it."

Long tables flashed into view in bursts of yellow. All of those gathered, save the Taou, K'Payr, and Donnye started. "What was that?" Owen growled. "There was no magic in that."

"He have no access to Qua'Xia," K'Payr said softly. "We do, however, have access to technology far beyond what you are capable of."

"Interesting," Xanatos rubbed his beard. "And how does one go about achieving this technology."

K'Payr quirked one corner of her lip, a somewhat feral half-smile. "One develops the theory, tests the theory, builds the theory. I figure, at your species' rate of development, you will have this level in…oh, three centuries or so."

"Not so long," he shrugged on shoulder.

Fox looked at him askance, shaking her head. "And you'll live to see it, too, won't you, my love?"

Brooklyn rolled his eyes.

Xavier rolled in, Logan and Ororo behind him. They stopped, staring at the assembled Gargoyles and Kiorrhe. Donnye considered them, counting heads. One Itex, two Gargoyles, one elf, one half-elf, one baby part elf, four Humans, three of them mutants, one Shapechanger, one Kiorrhe, one Itex, one genetically engineered being, and a Valterin in the basement. What a gathering.

Skimmer's hologram reminded him of her distant presence as well. She waved her hand at the table, food appearing in flashes of yellow. Donnye watched Xanatos watch the others. The X-Men did not flinch at Skimmer's show of technology. The Shapechanger introduced them with a bow, "Xanatos, I would like you to meet Professor Xavier, Logan, and Ororo. Professor, this is Xanatos, his wife Fox, their son Alexander, and their assistant Owen. The two Gargoyles are Goliath and Brooklyn, all from Manhattan. This," he motioned to the now-bowing Elini, "is Elini, a Kiorrhe Taou. Her mentor, Dyan is with Alexi, both also of the Taou. And close friends of Ce'it's."

Xavier smiled, "Well, any friend of Ce'it's is a friend of ours."

"Just who are all of you, and I don't mean names." Xanatos' voice was low, growling from deep in his chest.

"I am the head of a school for the gifted, and two of my students are missing."

"School for the gifted?" Xanatos was confused.

"Mutants," Donnye answered. Xavier looked at him, not pleased that his secret had been revealed to a man he knew for little over a minute. "I can explain, Owen," he turned to the angular blonde man, "When Oberon called his children back to Avalon do you know what he did?"

"He bound me here to protect and teach Xanatos' son."

"No, he created an Imbalance. A small one, but he concentrated all of the active Qua'Xia in one place, and restricted your access to it. He created a void, and evolution sought to fill it, and fast. Just like when the dinosaurs died and the mammals evolved into thousands of forms."

"Mutants, you're talking about mutants," Ororo's voice was soft, distant.

Owen turned to face Xavier, "So, it appears that we are connected, after all."

"Amazing," Fox played with Alexander, the baby grabbing her finger.

"Back to the matter at hand," Xavier rolled closer to Donnye and K'Payr. "I need my students back."

"No problem, except," K'Payr held out one slim hologram-clad finger, "We need to find them, and, knowing the original destination of the Gate, the first place we look is Coruscant."

Ce'it sat straight up, coming fully awake. His blankets were wrapped around his legs, and he wasn't too sure just where his tail was at the moment.

Something woke him up, something…close. He closed his eyes, seeking his center.

The Jedi gasped, breaking his contact with the Force. Only one thing could make his stomach twist quite that way.

The Gate was close.

He staggered out of bed, dressing quickly. In less than a minute, he was out of his room, lightsaber in hand. He had to be there when the Gate opened.

A borrowed swoop, not much more than a stripped-down, souped up, landspeeder, brought him to his destination. He didn't even remember much of the journey, so intent he was on his destination.

A large plaza spread out from the side of a building, a tall silver spire just across it. Several slim walkways spanned the canyon between them.

Three figures were on the plaza, tow huddled together and the other pointing something at them. Ce'it reached with the Force and pulled the weapon from its hands.

He landed shortly after the creature had left, turning to face the two others.

And stopped in shock.

Kurt stammered something before running up to him, wrapping his arms around Ce'it's waist. Scott appeared in too much shock to do anything more than just stand stock still. The Jedi pried Kurt from him, speaking in halting English, "Okay now, all Okay."

"Vhere are ve?" Kurt's voice shook.

Ce'it hugged him close, trying to comfort the boy. He didn't blame him for being so scared. He was on a strange world, his unofficial leader frozen, and he had almost been killed.

To his credit, Scott regained his composure, running a hand through his hair. "Care to explain what's going on?"

Ce'it smiled, once more prying Kurt from him. "Come to my home, I…" he searched for the words, his brow furrowing, "I tell you all there."

"Vhere is your home?" Kurt's question was barely above a whisper.

"The Jedi Temple, here, on Coruscant."

Ce'it arrived at his quarters, Kurt and Scott in tow. No one looked twice at Kurt, in fact the youth saw beings that made him look normal. A squat bat-like thing with far too many legs, a man with the head of a fish, and a woman with a regal stance and bright green hair.

He had to admit, he was having fun.

The Jedi rushed over to the comm, its signal light flashing urgently. Kurt took a moment to look around the room. It was small, two rooms connected by a door. He could see a rumpled bed beyond the door, it looked like Ce'it had not slept well the previous night. A small kitchenette was on one wall, a table, sofa, and desk the room's only furniture. Right now, Ce'it was sitting at the desk, his back to them, talking to someone in his smooth fluid tongue.

But as spartan as the room was, the view was amazing. Kurt wandered up to the windows, his mouth hanging open.

Below him lay the world. Grids of traffic, layered one on top of the other, laced the skyline. The surface of the planet shimmered silver in the sun, not quite flat. He leaned closer, whispered, "Mien gott, those are buildings!"

Ce'it leamed back in his chair, his conversation done. "The whole planet is a city."

Kurt noticed he had put his translator on. He took a second look at the Jedi; there were dark circles under his eyes and his hair was a mess. Scott must have noticed it too, "Looks like you had a rough night."

"Gates play hell with the Force," he muttered.

"Gates?" Scott stepped closer, leaning on the edge of the desk.

"A shortcut, if you will, from one place to another. This one crossed paths with a Wormhole and went rogue, sucking the two of you here." He rubbed his eyes.

"How do we get back home?" Kurt was apprehensive, last time he had been far from home, the Jedi's mind had shared space with his. It was not an experience he wished to repeat. And now, he was very, very far from home.

"I just spoke with C'Tari, one of the leaders of the Taou. She told me the other end of the Gate is secure."

"Zat's good, but what about home?" Kurt was growing impatient.

"Her communications have a longer ranger than mine, she contacting the Traddess base on Second Earth, where the secure end of the Gate is, and telling them where you two are."

"Whoa," Scott spoke quickly, "Second Earth?"

"Yes," Ce'it sighed softly. "There are two of them, remember the parallel dimensions that Donnye told you about?"

They nodded slowly. The parallel dimensions were rather like a string of pearls, all connected in some way, and all surrounded by the Barrier. An infinite number of these Barrier-clad strings made up the world the Itex were used to traveling. One pearl, layered just like a dimension would with all its varied planes (such as Astral, Warp space, Hyperspace, etc) touched the Barrier itself and was anchored there by the Gateway. The Gateway also held the Dimensions in place, preventing each Barrier-clad group from bumping into each other.

Ce'it continued speaking, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "Sometimes, parallel dimensions bump into each other and merge. Yours did that with this one. So, your Earth is Second Earth."

"Vhat is this Earth like?"

"Very different, in 2011, a great release of power occurred. Magic returned to the land and changed Humans and other races. Similar to what's happening to your world, but much faster and at a much greater scale. They call it 'Awakening'."

"Mutants?"

"Metahumans," Ce'it corrected. "Elves, Dwarves, Orks, and Trolls. Shamans and Mages developed their skills, and corporations rule the land. Geography as you know it is different. Oregon became Tir Tairngire, a nation of Elves. Westchester, New York, is on the East Coast of the United American and Canadian States."

Scott whistled softly, "Wow, you weren't kidding things were different."

"It's a harsh world ran by corporations and kept alive by magic. If I had a choice between the two, I would choose yours."

"Not vhat you vould call a vacation spot, ja?"

Ce'it laughed, "You have that right!" The comm beeped softly. He reached forward, tapping a key, "Ce'it here."

The screen remained blank, but a familiar voice spoke. "I am on my way, I should be there in two aarms."

"Skimmer! You have no idea how happy I am to hear you!"

"I am happy to hear you too, Kurt." Her voice was light, cheerful.

"An aarm, isn't that like, a day?" Scott asked quietly.

"It is. How are you two? The Professor is worried."

"We're fine, we're with Ce'it at the moment."

"I can't think of a better being to leave you with."

"Vhat vill ve tell Frau Darkholm?"

"Leave her to me," Skimmer quipped.

"Elini."

"What is it, Brooklyn?" the slim Kiorrhe turned from her work, a diagram of odd runes and colors that she planned to use to anchor the Gate's rogue end. But not tonight, she was tired, and even with her mentor backing her, anchoring the Gate took much of her power.

"It's a nice night, Uhm," he twisted his hands, "Would you, I mean…would you like to--"

Elini cut him off. He was so cute when he stammered like that. "I would like fly around with you, I need to stretch my wings."

He smiled, and Elini discovered he had a surprisingly expressive face, even if his mouth was a beak. "Uhm…when?"

"How about now," she settled the pad onto the table. "An odd question, but, how old are you?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

She looked him up and down, her hands on her hips. "Old enough," she sighed, walking into the building, she spoke over her shoulder, "This way to the roof!"

"Elini," a soft voice stopped her.

"Yes, Dyan?"

Brooklyn got his first good look at the Valterin. Elini considered the Gargoyle's reaction. For an alien he look remarkably Human, bearing only the tell-tale forward-facing purple hair and the scattering of spots on the back of the neck, shoulders, and upper back. His ears where even the normal Human round.

"When you return, I want you to rest, we will work on this more tomorrow afternoon."

She bowed slightly, "Of course." They watched him leave.

"Tomorrow afternoon?" Brooklyn looked up at her. "You don't turn to stone during the day?"

"And Gargoyles do?" Brooklyn nodded. "Ah, I see. I am not a Gargoyle, I am Kiorrhe--I just look like a Gargoyle," she shrugged.

"Oh," he looked disappointed.

"But," she continued with a light tone, "Never stopped me from enjoying a flight before! Where I come from, there are more than just one people who can fly, and I do not like flying alone."

He brightened, "Then what are we waiting for!"

The trip to the rooftop was quick, aided by the amazing Itexian technology. Xanatos, Goliath, Fox, and Owen preferred to stay in the lobby. She doubted K'Payr would let the go much farther in, but it didn't matter if she did. The Itex were distant allies at best, preferring to trade with others but to keep to themselves more often than not. Secretly, Elini was surprised that they had made themselves known to Xavier and his brood as fast as she had.

Brooklyn was waiting for her on the roof, one foot up on the low wall that surrounded the edge. She remained quiet, he didn't know she was up here yet. She took a minute to look him over, from his pure white hair, twin horns, expressive beak, to his sleek wings, lithe form, an powerful tail. If it wasn't for his beak, slight differences in the feet, rust-colored skin, and that bothersome turning to stone thing, she swore that he would make a very handsome Kiorrhe.

Elini walked next to him, winking before she pushed off from the roof. "Beat you to Xavier's mansion."

"Hey!" he called out after her, "I don't know where that is!"

"I'll show you!" The winds snatched away snippets of her speech.

That didn't slow Brooklyn, who caught up with her easily. He playfully grabbed the end of her tail. He banked to one side, evading her swipe.

This was going to be an enjoyable night indeed.

"Where's Brooklyn?" Goliath growled at Dyan as the Valterin entered the lobby.

"Out flying with Elini."

The large Gargoyle smiled. "Ah, the impulsiveness of youth." Xanatos quipped from behind them. He held his son, the boy fast asleep and drooling.

"You are a powerful man on this world, Xanatos," K'Payr began.

Xanatos handed his son to Owen. Fox glared at the striking woman. She continued to speak. "You have seen too much as it is, one question remains to be asked: Will this all stay secret?" The question was spoke with a growl, and odd deep hiss of protection.

Xanatos placed his hand on Goliath's shoulder. "I kept them a secret, even when they were my enemies, where exposing them would have solved all my problems."

She considered his response, her ice-blue eyes peering into each of theirs. "An honorable response, but are you an honorable person?"

"Depends what you mean by honor."

K'Payr smiled, a strangely feral gesture. "You are a smart man, Xanatos, and I see you have more secrets to keep than me. A truce, I let you know who we are, and you keep our secret as well. If we have need of you, we will call you. If you have need of us, I expect the same."

He whistled softly. "Some truce."

"It is the same truce we hold with Traddess," Professor Xavier folded his hands in his lap. "And I assure you, if they need you, they will make their desires known. They have so with us."

Xanatos lifted one eyebrow, "Really? What did they ask you?"

"They asked us to help them save this world. We all owe them a great deal, for they lost many lives in that battle."

A look of pain passed across K'Payr's face. She looked up Dyan and Goliath, "Call your friends back here, I have no wish to give this tour twice."

Xanatos stood in the Traddess parking lot, stunned into silence for once. Even Owen was amazed that the Itex could build such a structure without anyone knowing about it.

Fox was quiet as well, "All that power, and K'Payr…" She shuddered. K'Payr had turned her holographic projector off, showing what she truly looked like. A giant, sabretooth, white-furred, humanoid cat whose eyes and ears where far too large for her head.

Xanatos helped his wife into the helicopter, looked down at his feet. Below that asphalt, below a layer of concrete, was the largest underground hanger he had ever seen. It had more than enough room for the sleek black ships, each one the size of the average apartment building. Never before had he seen such wonders. And the food they had wasn't bad, either.

He looked up at the roofline, seeing three winged figures outlined by the rising sun. He could only imagine the hushed tones that Brooklyn and Elini talked in.

Two of the figures froze as the sun broke past the horizon. One fluttered gracefully down to the ground, waving farewell to Xanatos as she entered the building.

Amazing, simply amazing. He vowed silently to himself to keep the informal truce, to honor it tenets. That and he had no wish for the alternative.

If he broke the truce, the Itex would send one of their ships to him, its power cells fully charged. He had no wish to experience the firepower of such a craft, let alone firsthand.

"Are you coming?" Fox called from inside the helicopter.

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting," he pulled himself inside as his wife started the rotors spinning.

"What do you think of them?" Owen's voice was soft, but full of warning.

"I think they will make good allies, as long as we uphold out end of the deal."

"I concur."

The conversation fell silent as Skimmer took control of the helicopter to direct it around the security fields. She gave Fox control with a warming beep and they flew off into the sunrise.

Raven Darkholme scowled out of her window. Two of Xavier's brats had missed school that day, and she could not get in contact with him. Last night, there were reports of a strange fog that suddenly disappeared, and strange flying creatures around Traddess. She did not like it in one bit.

She turned to her desk, picking up the phone. There was no dialtone and she slammed in down in frustration. Yet another thing she was in no mood to deal with.

And here was another. A soft, confident knock sounded from her door. She scowled, at first deciding to leave the door close and telling the person to go away. But, what more could possibly go wrong?

She swung the door open, a petite dark-haired woman with startling purple eyes stood on the other side. "Greeting," she bowed, "I have news I think would like, Ms. Darkholm."

"Come in," Mystique growled, closing the door behind her.

The woman walked around her office, examining it. This made her even madder, this was her office, not that tramps'!

As if sensing her rising ire, the woman turned around and leaned against a corner of the desk. "Who are you?" Mystique growled.

The woman examined a small scratch in the surface of the desk. "I am Skimmer, and I have a message from Scott and Kurt. They are taking a sudden vacation to visit an old friend and won't be back until early next week."

"I did not approve any vacation," her voice was low, dangerous.

Skimmer shrugged, "No one did, it just happened." She slid off the desk, walking towards the door. "If you have homework for them, I would be more than happy to collect it."

"That, I can do," this lightened her mood somewhat. She planned to give the X-Brats more than enough homework. "Meet me here after school, I will have their homework ready."

Skimmer smiled, sliding out of the room.

Mystique picked up her phone once again, she had teachers to call. At the last minute, she remembered that her phone was malfunctioning. She held it to her ear, startled.

There was a dialtone.