Crucible #2 "Nuclear Winter-Part Two"

Six strangers from different realities are thrust together to insure that the very fabric of time doesn't unravel. For them failure is not an option, for if they fail, their worlds will never be the same again. Like a thought that changes a destiny, they're out to correct the wrongs that will fix their world. Sentinel- Heir to the super-soldier serum; Scarlet Witch- Retired mutant mom; Rogue- Shape-shifting Avenger; Powerpax- Last survivor of Power Pack; Mustang- Emerald Archer; and Nocturne- Daughter of the swashbuckler Nightcrawler. Together they are the Exiles

From the What-has-gone-on-before Department: The exiles found themselves in a holding pattern after their last mission giving some of the members a chance to reflect on the things that were happening to them. Bonds were being strengthened as teammates turned to each other for comfort, but before they could further deepen their bonds, the Tallus revealed that one of them would be going home.

A big gasp escapes her throat as Nocturne realizes that she's going home. In an instant, every emotion she's ever had or ever forced down comes exploding out of her. Memories of her friends here and gone begin to mix with the memories and longing she feels for her family and friends back home. She feels slightly ashamed too to be able to go home when she knows that there are the others who never got that chance. Her mind remembers with sorrow those that died on their missions to fix time: Magnus, Thunderbird, Sasquatch, Sunfire, and Mimic. Then she remembers the feeling she felt watching Blink and Morph leave. At that moment her tears began to flow when she understood what this would do to the others being left behind.

Rogue and Wanda both instinctively surround Nocturne pulling her into their arms. Many minutes go by as Rogue, Wanda and Nocturne say their good-byes. Mustang tousles Nocturne's hair and offers his congratulations while Powerpax stands with disgust in her face at this display of emotion. Whether she feels jealous that her teammate is getting to go home while she is left behind, no one would know because she wears a mask of stoicism.

"Are you ready, Nocturne?" Sentinel asks as he gives her a hug.

"I think so, but before I leave, I need to ask you all to do me one big favor." Everyone nods his or her ascent. "Will you rename the group? It just doesn't feel like the Exiles with all the others gone, and I'm sure you guys can come up with a better name to forge your own identity."

Everyone pauses for a second to reflect on Nocturne's request, but they can all see the validity of her words. They all agree. With a nod to Sentinel, Nocturne announces she's ready to depart. Sentinel points the Tallus towards her and she's suddenly engulfed in a bright light. All the others squint to protect their eyes from the light. But no sooner has Nocturne gone than her replacement arrives. When the light fades and the others can see again, they're surprised to see standing before them a green giant in a purple unitard.

"It's the Hulk!!!" Mustang cries out in surprise as everyone prepares to go on the defense. Nearly every one of them has had some sort of run in with the Hulk of their world, and on every single one the Hulk had been mad at some point or another.

"Whoa! Ho!! Freeze!" Comes the voice of the green giant. "Contrary to popular opinion, I am not nor have I ever been the Incredible Hulk, the most dangerous and insane creature of all time."

Rogue stares at the green man's face. Upon closer inspection she can tell that he's nowhere big enough to be the Hulk even if he does share Hulk-like qualities. Then she has to consider their other teammate, Mustang, whose mother was none other than the She-Hulk. "He's right. He doesn't look big or strong enough to be the hulk."

"Hey!!" The green man protests. "I may not be as big as the Hulk, but I assure you that I'm plenty strong!"

"I'm sure you are." Sentinel diplomatically reassures him, "tell us. Who are you?"

"Oh," the man of green skin comments as he begins to change into a human- sized young man with light skin and brown hair. When the transformation is complete, the others are still impressed for the young man is still the size of a quarterback with impressive muscles and broad shoulders. "I'm sorry. 'Where are my manners', Uncle Steve would say, my name is Bo, Bo Rogers, but I call myself Behemoth when I'm hulked out."

Sentinel cocks his head to the side to make sure he heard him correctly, "I'm sorry. Did you say Rogers? Uncle Steve?"

"Yeah, my uncle is Steve Rogers, the famous Captain America."

"Cap's name was Steve Rogers?" Powerpax responds in amazement. "I always assumed that the legendary Sentinel of Liberty was more than a man thus had no need for a civilian name. Wasn't Steve Rogers the name of that artist on a comic book a few years ago?"

"Umm, no, I assure you that Cap was definitely a man underneath the mask. But I'm not aware of him ever doing artwork for a..Comic Book." Sentinel responds as he mentally notes that their sourpuss teammate has just shown a new emotion other than contempt. He also notes it because in all the weeks since she'd been with the team, Julie was never one to say anything that could be seen as remotely positive or upbeat.

"Umm, yeah, I sometimes forget he once had a secret identity. Ever since I can remember, everyone knew that Steve Rogers and Captain America were the same person."

A blip on Sentinel's wrist where the Tallus rests brought a halt to their conversation, "Looks like it's time for us to go on to our next mission, guys." Sentinel announces as the team feels a bright light wash over them.

When the light fades and they can see again, the team are amazed to find that it doesn't look like they left at all. "Nope, according to Tallus, this is another world all right. This is a world on the brink of a nuclear holocaust however."

"Hey, who's out there?" A voice calls out from behind one of the metal doors to the group's left. The sound of the door sliding open prompts the team into action. A flick of her wrist, and the Scarlet Witch casts a spell that will mask the team's presence as they quietly walk out of the room. A few minutes later, they've managed to get off of a military base and find a big outcropping of rocks to rest upon.

"Whoa. That was weird," Mustang replies. "Let's not do that again."

"Ah have to agree. Ah could feel my muscles tighten into a knot." Rogue holds her stomach as if to prove her point.

"Well, I hate to have to ask, but I need you to get onto the base and find out somethings for us." Sentinel asks as diplomatically as he can.

"Oh, no! Do ah have to? Why don't you send Powerpax? She could probably float around in her cloud form and eavesdrop as good as I can?"

"No, it's too risky that they'd know something was wrong if they saw a cloud floating close to the ground. It's up to you because you're the only one of us with shape shifting abilities."

"All right," Rogue grumbles as a she makes a sort of shooshing sound. A second later, a young soldier dressed in military garment stands in place of Rogue. "You're gonna owe me big, Sugah." Sentinel can't help but involuntarily flinch when a young man calls him 'Sugah'.

After Rogue has left, the other settle down to await her return. While she is gone, Sentinel uses that time to familiarize the team with their new teammate. "So, you tell me that you're from a future where the children of the Avengers and some X-Men attend an academy dubbed Avengers Academy?"

"Uh, huh. Ms. Van Dyne, umm, the Wasp, financed the school out of her own fortune. It's official name is the Van Dyne Academy, but the nickname Avengers Academy has sorta stuck."

"That sounds interesting. I bet you and I could trade stories since I'm a child of two famous Avengers myself. But I'm curious, what did the Time Broker tell you when he set you up for the team?"

Bo swallows hard betraying how difficult things are for him being here knowing what might happen. "The Time Broker explained about how there are these umm, wrinkles in time that have caused some things to happen that weren't supposed to happen. He explained that we were all chosen because our realities have one of those wrinkles and that by going on these missions, we can eventually fix all the wrinkles and go home none the wiser."

Mustang nods, "Yep, that's essentially what he told the rest of us. He also told us what the wrinkle is in our reality that we have to fix. Did he tell you what yours was?"

"Umm, yeah," Bo swallows again forcing back the tears that the memory of what he stands to lose comes to his mind again. "If I don't fix things, my wife, Diana, will die in a battle with the Hellfire Club and the Academy will be destroyed thus ending the future of the Avengers."

"Oh, that's tough. Sorry," Sentinel replies placing his hand on the young man's shoulder.

Wanda instinctively wraps her arms around him in an effort to console him. "It'll be okay. We'll make sure that doesn't happen. You'll go back to your world exactly the way it was when you left."

Julie scuffs her foot and sticks her hands into her pockets while muttering to herself, "Yeah, like we stand any chance of helping anybody the rate we keep losing people."

After about twenty minutes, Rogue returns shifting into her normal shape as she nears the group. Sentinel doesn't waste any time, "Well, Rogue, what are we facing here?"

"Well, how does World War Three sound to you?" Rogue draws herself up in a crouch as she leans against the rock. "We're still in Denver, Colorado, at the exact same spot we left. Ah know hard to tell since it was a wasteland in that other reality. But looks like Russia and America are still in a cold war. Something, ah couldn't tell what, has just happened that has America about a few hours away from launching a nuclear missile at Mother Russia. It don't take no rocket scientist to know they'll return the favor."

Wanda gasps as Bo looks on in horror, Great, I just join the team and already we're going to be blown sky high, he thinks to himself. Mustang shifts uncomfortably on his feet while Julie merely scoffs. Sentinel lifts the Tallus to his ear indicating that they have their mission. "Well, group. Tallus says our mission is clear. We're to stop a nuclear holocaust."

In an effort to lighten the moment, Mustang sneers, "Great, and we don't even have a team name anymore."

Next Issue: While the umm, what do I call them, try to think of how they're going to stop a world from launching a nuclear missile, we're taking a break to focus on Nocturne. What happens when your mission is up and you're sent home? Is there some sort of debriefing you have to go through? And who are these two people that show up to help her to wrap up her life as an Exile? All this and oh, so much more in, "Going Home".