A Thousand Years

Disclaimer/Author's Note: I do not own the X-men Evolution franchise. I set this near the end of Principal Darkholme's tenure.

"Mutant signature confirmed. Extrapolation complete. Name: Alan Breck. Residence: Edinborough, Scotland. Age, seventeen." Cerebro's cybernetic voice echoed.

"Prep the Blackbird." Xavier said.

Little did Xavier know that Mystique was on the way as well to recruit their new mutant hopeful.

~ ~ ~ ~

Alan Breck ate his first meal in days hungrily, a loaf of bread he had managed to steal. He was a somewhat wiry lad a pair of gray eyes framed by a narrow face. It had been six days since he escaped the orphanage and he wasn't sure where to go next. This abandoned castle seemed to be the best place to hide. Most would be scared, since this castle was said to be haunted but Alan was unruffled, seeing that he knew ghosts existed, in fact two of them were his best friends.

Bogel and Weerd suddenly popped into view. "What's up?" they asked the Scotsman.

"Nothing." Alan replied, "I just managed to get something to eat."

"So what's our plan, stow away on a ship, get on a plane to Hawaii, or sneak across the English Channel..." Bogel asked.

"Guys, I don't know yet." Alan replied.

The two ghosts weren't scary looking, they looked almost like the comical white sheet specters of Saturday morning cartoons. Bogel was a short fat ghost with a round head and a short little nose. Weerd was taller, skinnier, with a shock of hair that looked almost like a glove on top of his head.

"Well who's turn is it to keep watch?" Alan asked.

"I did it first last night, Bogel." Weerd said.

"No, I did, Mr. Weerd." Bogel replied.

"Did not!" Weerd shouted.

"Did so!" Bogel replied.

"Guys, just get along and draw straws." Alan said, "Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!"

"Rats." Weerd said and phased through the wall.

Alan and Bogel went to sleep for a few hours before Weerd would wake Bogel for the second watch and then Alan for the third.

"Alan! Bogel! Wake up guys! Wake up! We've got major trouble!" Weerd shouted.

"I thought Mrs. Grudge would wait until morning. Who would be dumb enough to mount a search in a "haunted" castle late at night?" Alan replied.

"I dunno, but there's this bald dude in a wheel chair and this lanky guy with red sunglasses." Weerd shouted.

"Okay, where are they?" Alan asked.

"North gate." Weerd replied.

"Bogel, go around the grounds on a scouting trip and let me know if they go anywhere near us, Weerd shadow them." Alan replied.

"Yes sir!" Weerd said with a mock salute.

"And remember no pranks. Keep a low profile." Alan replied.

"Aye aye daddy-o!" Bogel said.

~ ~ ~ ~

Mystique, in her guise as Principal Darkholme wandered the halls of the old castle. Certainly this was one of the creepier places she ever had heard a mutant take cover in, but she had to admire the youth's ingenuity, hiding in a place said by the townsfolk to be haunted was simple but brilliant.

She shifted into her natural form, not knowing she had been seen. Bogel phased through a wall and to the place Alan was hiding in.

"Alan, look out! There's this weird shapeshifter lady after you too!" Bogel shouted.

"Bogel, shadow the lady, I'll set up an escape route in case we have to bail out of the castle for a few days or indefinitely." Alan replied.

~ ~ ~ ~

"Hoo hoo hoo! Man, such an opportunity for a prank wasted. Wait a minute, this is a big castle, and what Alan doesn't know won't hurt him." Weerd said, he snuck behind Scott Summers and tied his shoelaces together.

"Professor, what is it?" Scott asked.

"I sense a presence in this room, but it's faded." Xavier replied.

"Who, Alan?" Scott asked.

"No, it's someone else. Follow it Scott, through that door." Xavier replied.

"Gotcha Professor, I'll go get hiiiimmm!" Scott said as he moved to run but fell flat on his face with a crash.

"I gotta find Bogel, this seems like the perfect opportunity for some pranks." Weerd said, "Maybe we can get rid of these pesky freakazoids too."

Weerd just about collided with Bogel in midair. "Whoa! Watch it!" Weerd shouted, "Why are you in a hurry?"

"There's this lady. She looks like this business geek with glasses, then she turns into a blue skinned lady. She's looking for Alan too, I think." Bogel said.

"No, she's a realtor trying to sell this castle." Weerd said sarcastically, "We've got to get her away from here so she doesn't discover Alan, or us. This gives me an idea for Operation Prankstergeist, get all the stuff."

"Right with you Weerd." Bogel said.

~ ~ ~ ~

As Scott untied his shoelaces, he and Professor Xavier were pelted by about a dozen shaving cream balloons. "What the?" Scott said.

"Scott, it's that presence again." Xavier said, wiping shaving cream off his face.

Then they heard laughted, "Wah ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

Weerd laughed as he phased into the next room to plan his next prank.

That's when they both heard a loud scream, "What's that in my HAIR? Caterpillars!!!??? Come back here you white sheet lunatic! I'll get you!!!!"

"Mystique!" Xavier and Scott both shouted.

"Hoo hoo hoo, now let's get back to the command post." Weerd laughed.

~ ~ ~ ~

The command post was little more than a crude tent made with poles and a tarp that Alan had built over their sleeping area to keep Bogel, Weerd, and himself safe from the leaky rooftop.

"Now what's next, silly string, spray paint, whoopie cushions...?" Weerd asked.

"Uh, Weerd, I don't know if that's such a good idea. That shapeshifter lady is really crabby and she turned into this whacky demon thing and chased me!" Bogel said.

"What was that sound." Weerd said.

"Oh stop that, this is scary enough." Bogel replied.

"No, listen." Weerd said, the sound of footsteps, heavy ones, could be heard coming closer.

"It's the demon lady!" Bogel shouted.

"Oh no! Oh no! Turn out the flashlight, lie still!" Weerd shouted.

"She's coming this way, we're doomed." Bogel replied.

"We're ghosts we're already dead." Weerd said.

Suddenly the tent flap opened and the face of a hideous blue skinned demon with scale-like skin popped in. "AAAAUUUGHHH! There it is! Blind it with the flashlight! Pull down the tent poles! Run Bogel! Run!!!!!" Weerd shouted.

~ ~ ~ ~

Alan Breck had just crept outside, toward the newcomer's vehicle when he saw Bogel and Weerd go running out of the portcullis, screaming. "Bogel, Weerd, what's the matter?" Alan asked, gray trenchcoat swinging like a cape as he whirled around.

Just then the bald man and the sunglass wearing youth walked outside, catching Alan in the act of pilfering their van. Alan immediately posed to defend himself, fingertips and eyes glowing green.

"Alan, don't be frightened, we won't hurt you." Xavier said.

Alan relaxed, "Who are you people?"

"I'm Professor Charles Xavier, I run an Institute for gifted youths like yourself. Think about it Alan, no more running and hiding, no more fleeing from abusive orphanages..." Xavier replied.

"No blue demon ladies?" Bogel said.

"What?" Scott asked.

"There was this lady who shifted shapes and turned into this demon lady and tried to kill me and Weerd." Bogel said.

"Mystique." Xavier replied, "She is not part of my organization."

"Who are these two?" Scott asked.

"My friends, Bogel and Weerd, I go nowhere without them. It's all three of us or just me." Alan replied.

"Very well Alan, gather your belongings and take your time." Xavier said, "Scott, help him."

An hour later, Scott and Alan packed Alan's backpack and sleeping bag and piled into the X-van, by morning Alan was on his way to Bayville and what he hoped was sanctuary at last.

To be continued....