X-Generation #1 THE POWERS THAT BE
PART 1 -- ALL TOGETHER NOW
One Year Ago"Scott, you have to do it. Now, while I'm in control."
Scott stares at Jean. Not Phoenix, Jean. The flames have gone, the avatar defeated for a moment by the strength of his beloved. But only for a moment.
They both know that.
"Jean, don't ask me to do that. You know I can't."
"Scott, do it, please!" She steps forward to embrace him. He kisses her and it feels like goodbye, a goodbye that he will not accept. Her tears wet his cheeks, trickle down his chin.
"I can make you do it. You know I can."
"I know, Jean. But I know you won't."
"Don't bet on it, One-eye." Logan steps down the staired corridor, his legs taking the shallow steps three at a time. He's bleeding, but not as badly as before, when the Phoenix tried to rip his flesh from his bones, scour his body on her way to burning away his soul.
"Wolverine," Scott says. "Where are the others? Are they coming?"
"Nope," Logan says. "But the Shiar are. They sent Ororo and Hank back to Earth with what pieces they could find of Bobby. They tried to get me to go too, but you can see how well that worked out for 'em."
"Scott, please," Jean begs. "You have to do it now. Logan, will you?"
Logan regards Jean. "I can see you're serious, Jeanie. I might just love you--yes, love you--enough to actually say yes."
"Logan, I'd kill you before I let you," Scott growls.
"You could try, Logan says. "But you'd just slow me down."
"Scott, don't make me," Jean cries. The telekinetic flames have already started to manifest around her. "She's coming back!"
Scott's hands come up to his visor. "Jean, no!" he screams. "Logan, stop me, you know the only way how."
"You're right, Summers. This ain't for you to do."
Logan lunges on Scott. Scott leans forward into him. Both Scott and Jean scream as Logan's adamantium claws rip first the visor from his head, his eyes from his flesh.
"Logan!" Jean screams. "How could you?" Then the flames rise up again, Jean's long red hair forms a nimbus around her, and her voice, not her own now, coos, "Thank You, James. I knew I could count on you."
"Lady," Logan says as he turns to face the Phoenix, his claws out still. "Justice is comin' for you right now, and I'm the tip of the sword."
He goes to instinct, plunges into her fire, and strikes.
Just Past NowProfessor Charles Xavier drives his hoverchair into his study. Scott waits for him there. Scott, his oldest student, joined by three more, just months more recent.
Scott stares at nothing. The red glasses he wears hold back nothing now, but he wears them out of habit, and to hide the ruin of what used to be his eyes. Scott stands as he hears the Professor enter. Ororo stands with him, as does Hank, who accidentally knocks over as glass of water as he does.
"Dr, McCoy, my ass," Hank exclaims. "These stupid mitts work on their own. I'd love to watch myself perform surgery now."
"Henry, it is your mind that makes you a doctor, you know that," Xavier replies. "But we've had this conversation before."
"Yes, professor," hank says, and his blue-black fur ripples at the compliment.
"Where is Jean?" Xavier says. He looks at Scott for an answer, but he only shrugs and it is Ororo who replies. "In the office. She says she'll be here when she can; she has a great deal to prepare for the start of term."
"The press conference is about to start," Scott says. "I hope she hurries."
"She will," Ororo assures him. "Professor, are we certain this will be as monumental of an event as you feared?"
"You doubt me, Storm? I broke my own cardinal rule to gather this information. I picked the mind of the President herself. She will announce in less than a minute. I assume Logan is avoiding this by scheduling a training with our new recruits?'
"The Danger Room," Scott says. "Emma is at the controls."
Xavier sighs. "I did hope we could all be together for something so important, but I digress." He presses a button the edge of the table and the holo-display, a gift of Shiar technology, glows into life in the air over the center of the table.
The image of President Caroline Montgomery stares at them from over a bank of microphones. Xavier, Scott, Ororo, and Hank lean forward in their seats to take in every word she says. Xavier closes his eyes, a prayer on his lips. But he knows it is no use. He does not believe in God anyway.
"The United States has long been dedicated to the pursuit of world peace," President Montgomery begins. "After World War 2, during which our nation was forced to go to war to protect the world's people from the twin terrors of totalitarianism and genocide, we rebuilt the conquered lands of our enemies, making sure their people could regain dignity and strength, and join the nations of the world in their quest for peace."
"Has this woman actually studied history?" Hank asks.
Hush, Xavier transmits directly into Hank's mind.
"Panama, The Congo Republic, Afghanistan, Iraq, these number among those nations whose people have been restored by the beneficence of the United States of America and her people."
"The camera pulls back, revealing the U.N. backdrop, the globe and olive branch, as well as the heads of a madly clapping crowd. President Montgomery waits patiently for the crowd to quiet. She is a small woman, of African descent, with short, curly black hair. She wears a plain, dark grey suit, but a gold pin in the shape of a dove decorates her lapel.
Her tone shifts as she continues, "This past year has been one of nearly unrelenting tragedy. One year ago, the still unexplained disturbance on the moon caused tidal shifts and Tsunamis that all but drowned our coastal cities. The waters receded, we began the process of rebuilding, and hoped the worst was over."
"But millions died in Denver when mutants--our genetic brethren-- went to war and caused the Rockies themselves to crumble. We built the city of Remembrance and vowed to find a way to keep it from happening ever again."
"And then we lost President Robert Kelly to an assassin's bomb." Here her voice broke, and a tear became visible just under her left eye. "An assassin who did not want the President to stand before you today, in the exact spot where I am standing, and announce to you exactly what I am about to announce. An assassin who was not interested in President Kelly's vision of a worldwide peace that was, at last, attainable."
At these words, six figures stand and step forward to join President Montgomery.
"President Guillaume Tuissant of France. Queen Beatrice I of Great Britain, Premier Alexei Petrov of the New Soviet Consortium, Caliph Abu Bakr Nisai of the Southwest Asian League, President Jing-Mei Chow of China, President Jerome Ubutu of the United States of Southern Africa." The camera provides a close-up of each of the heads of state as their names are said.
"We have come together today to announce a new age in world history, a Pax Humana, uniting all the peoples of the world in the cause of peace. The Pax government, a league of Nations devoted to the vision of a world where all people are valued and free. Free from want. Free from fear, Free from prejudice, Free from hate, Free from violence, Free from war."
The crowd rises at these words. President Montgomery waits for quiet.
"So far I hear nothing to object to," Ororo says. 'But I know there cannot help but be an ugly side to this."
Xavier only smiles sadly.
"The Pax will be headed by a council of seven, made up of the heads of state from each of the founding member nations. The council has chosen the United States to hold the first one year term at the head of the council, and thus it is with great honor, and with the goals and dreams of President Robert Kelly foremost in my mind, that I accept the position as the first Counselor General of the Pax."
Over the crowd's roar, she shouts "Together we can make a new world."
Xavier dims the display. "She's said most of it. They won't announce their final solution today."
"What final solution is that?" Scott asks.
"Their final solution to the mutant problem. We've learned so of it from two of our recent recruits. The rest, well . . ." He does not elucidate.
"Well, Charles," Ororo says. "We all know why you wanted us here. Do we need to say it?"
"No, Ororo," Xavier says. "We all know it's time to re-form the X-men."
* * *
Logan watches from the window. It's two-on-two today. They've done this before, but he wants to see it again. he learns over the console, watching the jungle-temple set morph into life around his students.
"Emma, are you online with all of them?" he asks.
Emma Braddock responds without speaking. Yes. She lets Logan hear his students' nervous mental chatter before cutting them off.
"We're just going to let them do it, this time. Listen, but don't advise."
"All right, Logan," Emma says in her crisp British accent.
"Thunderbird--Rogue!" Logan sub vocalizes through the mic implant in his chin. "Runaway--Nightcrawler! You're the teams. Two-on-two. Take the other team out!"
Will Proudstar watches the jungle rise around them. "Why does Logan like this Thai jungle set so much?" he asks his partner.
X'ian Coy Mahn removes her black gloves. "I like this set," she says. "Lots of places to hide. She bends to touch the holographic earth. "Nightcrawler and Runaway will be through here soon. Paige is so direct, she'll run right into me, just like last time."
"So, I get to target practice with the blue elf," Will says. he knows X'ian is right about Paige. He smells brimstone, swings around, pulling the earthfire up into his hands. Here his power is strong, the earth is all around him. A small firebolt erupts from his finger. He hears Kurt's answering yelp and smells the brimstone of his vanishing.
Who keeps score for us?" X'ian asks with a grin.
"Emma, as usual," Will says.
Don't count on it, Emma broadcasts directly into his mind.
I hate when you do that.
Just remember that I'm listening. He can almost hear her chuckle.
"She's coming," X'ian says. Will can feel her even if he can't see her yet--his oldest friend--she pushes a breeze in front of her as she runs, twisting, jumping to avoid branches.
X'ian jumps into her path, but Paige is ready for her. She leaps over X'ian, lands just in front of Will, an elbow out at supersonic speed grazes his chest with an accompanying boom. The force throws Will back into the temple; his vision goes black just for an instant. Paige grins. Kurt smokes into existence just behind X'ian, grabs for her covered torso, but she twists her neck so her lips can touch his chin. Kurt falls.
X'ian's face turns blue and a tale spins out from the base of her spine. She vanishes, then is right on top of Will. She grabs him by the shirt and takes them both away.
They are above the trees now, and Will grabs for branches so he doesn't fall. Paige can't run up here and Kurt will be out for at least five minutes.
"Now what?" Will asks X'ian as he balances on a solid holographic branch, waiting for the ache in his head to fade.
"Paige got to you this time," X'ian says. She is bent over, balanced on a single thin branch, looking very much like a fuzzy blue gargoyle.
"The girl's finally learning refinement," Will replies. "But from here . . ." They can see Paige on the ground below them. She soothes an unconscious Kurt, then runs a rapid circuit around the danger room, through the temple. Will watches her, aims, blasts rubble into her path. She trips, flailing end over end.
"Cocky," Will shouts down at her.
X'ian takes advantage of the moment, teleports down and kisses her on the forehead. She zooms away as Paige falls to the ground.
"X'ian!" Will yells. "Get me down from here."
"Oh, just drop," X'ian yells back. She's busy porting and speeding, using all of her stolen powers at once. She is a blue-black blur between puffs of red smoke.
Will drops, swinging himself down on the branches of the tree, coming to ground with his feet inches away from Paige's short-cropped blonde hair.
"Is that enough, Logan!" Will shouts. "I think we won!"
"I'd have to agree with that assessment, kid," Wolverine's voices vibrates in Will's ear.
Emma? Will asks, shouting with his mind.
Don't fish for compliments. It's really rather unbecoming. He is glad that Paige and Kurt are unconscious and can't see his mortified flush.
"All right everyone, showers, into clean uniforms. Charlie wants us in the war room in twenty minutes.
The Thai jungle vanishes around them, replaced by gleaming steel. Kurt and Paige groan as X'ian assumes her normal form and draws on her discarded gloves.
"You all hear that? Twenty Minutes!" Logan growls and the four scramble for the door.
* * *
Jean Grey-Summers puts away her glowing datapad, watches its screen to know that it's recharging in its port. The door to her office slides open behind her. Scott. She knows it without a look, not because she can sense it, but because she doesn't know who else it would be.
"The professor wanted you with us to watch the press conference,' he says.
"I know. I watched from here. And I'm very flattered that my activities on the moon helped prompt this alliance. I may have inadvertently caused the breakout of worldwide peace."
Scott says nothing.
"Hank told me your new ocular implants will be ready in the next couple of weeks. He really think he has it this time."
"Jean . . ."
"Term starts on Monday--Lesson plans have been submitted to our intranet--we have 70 students coming in starting Friday night, Scott. Dr. Reyes and Mr. Wells are all ready to go. I just have to have everything else--including Hank, I might add--ready to go before the students get here. I don't know what I'd do if we had a traditional course schedule."
"Jean--stop!"
"Stop what, Scott? Stop planning? If I'm going to be the headmistress of the Institute I can't afford to slack now. Haven't you been listening to me?"
"This isn't about your being headmistress. Charles trusts you with this job for a reason, Jean. This is about you avoiding all of us, you're even avoiding Charles. Hank, Logan, Ororo, you're still one of us."
"How could you possibly expect me to be able to be with them--all of us one happy family again? Could you just think for a minute--think of a reason doing that might be hard for me?"
"Jean, I know. Believe me, I know." He places a hand on her shoulder, forces her to turn around so he can embrace her. She does not push away.
"Bobby," she says. "No one will talk about Bobby. I killed him, Scott--I shattered him into brittle pieces. They couldn't even find all of him. And now everyone wants to forgive me, pretend it never happened, move on, but how can I do that?"
"Jean, we know it wasn't you. That's how we do it. The Shiar Imperium pardoned you. They destroyed the Phoenix, but they were wise enough to know that you were not her. She destroyed their capitol world, She killed Bobby. She caused the floods. She did. The Phoenix did. Not you."
Now she does push away. "That sounds nice, Scott. It really does. But we both know it's not all of it. When they destroyed her, it took my powers too. That would not have happened if Phoenix were not also a part of me. No one can answer that, no one will answer that. Not even Charles. Especially not Charles."
He lets her return to her computer screen. "Jean, don't bury yourself in work. You're not dead. You have--we have--the rest of our lives to live together. The twins . . ."
She places a hand on her gently protruding belly. Yes, the twins. But what if they were just as dangerous as their mother?
"Let me handle this my own way, Scott. I'll get through it. I'll keep contributing to Charles's precious dream. I just still need some time. That's all I'm asking for.
"All right," he says, tired of the battle. "Just don't shut me out. I married you because I wanted to be there for you. Don't shut me out."
She listens as he leaves, then lays back in her chair, and it is all that she can do to keep herself from weeping.
* * *
Paige and Will settle into seats around the oval table in the middle of what Logan has begun to refer to as The War room. The floor and ceiling are made of black tile, and every wall is a holo-screen. One side of the room projects a map of the world. Glittering lights indicate areas of concentrated mutant activity. No continent is untouched, not even Antarctica. On the opposite wall, the projection is split in quadrants, for now these display the latest from four different news-feeds.
On the other side of the table from Will and Paige sits Kurt. He rubs at his temples still, as occasionally does Paige. X'ian reclines in the seat next to Paige, who scoots closer to Will.
They are the first to arrive. "So much for twenty minutes," Paige says.
"They will arrive when it is time," X'ian replies. Paige rolls her eyes.
"Careful now," Will whispers.
"She creeps me out anyway," Paige says. "But she's always gotta be scoldin' me. I don't like it."
"Then be patient," he says, then grins as she smacks him on the back of the head.
"Do we know why we are here?" Kurt asks. "I'd hoped to resume my studies after practice today. I have seminars to prepare for."
"Maybe Xavier's finally got a mission for us," Paige says.
The doors open and Paige's words seem to be confirmed as Ororo enters in full field uniform, her long-tailed jacket kicked out behind her, her hood down around her shoulders revealing her smooth head. Next to Ororo is Hank, lumbering along in this morning's newest form. His dark blue-black mane has already begun to shed as he walks, and his legs and feet have the thick hide and foot-tusks of a rhino. The calves of his uniform pants are unzipped to give him more room.
Logan joins them, in his black and khaki field uniform, Emma is with him. She's braided her hair, weaving the purple streaks growing from her temples into the plait, making the pale blonde almost look marbleized with violet.
"Careful, there, Will," Paige whispers. "I'm not even a telepath and I can tell what you're thinking."
"Shut up, Paige."
Ororo takes a place just to the right of the table's head, Hank a seat just to the left of it.
"Charles and Scott will be here soon," Ororo says.
"Charlie finally have something for us to do?" Logan asks.
"I fear he does," answers Hank.
"We've been training for six months," Logan protests. "These kids are ready."
Hank smiles through lion's teeth. "They're not kids, Logan. Not like we were when we started this ten years ago."
"McCoy, to me, you're all kids."
Charles enters, his hoverchair droning as it settles into its port. "You all know about the Pax announcement that finally came down this morning," he begins without preamble. "They have not announced the truly ugly side of all of this. In fact, if it weren't for what I know, I'd assign all of you to be the mutant arm of the Pax. The future they promise sounds ideal. But they have not mentioned their plans for mandatory genetic testing and forced mutant conscription."
Will and Paige exchange shuddering glances.
"Your first mission as our New X-Men is to help destroy an even uglier side of all of that."
"What's up, Charlie?" Logan says.
Scott enters, stands with his arms folded behind Xavier.
"In the Gao-Jeng province of China," Xavier begins. "Elements of the Pax think they have discovered the answer to solving the world's energy crisis . . . they have found a mutant of almost unimaginable power--we know little more about him than that. His mind is a blur to me, and he himself, let alone the Pax, does not understand what he is or how to use his powers properly."
"So, what are we supposed to do?" Logan asks.
"Isn't it obvious?" Interjects Ororo.
"I'm sending you to rescue him--get into the research station--liberate him from his shackles--Psylocke, you may need to raid his mind and block his powers until you can bring him to the Institute."
"I'll try, Professor," Emma says. "But if you can't do it, how will I?"
"Proximity will help. His trust. He's frightened, and he must see you as his rescuers."
"We'll do it, Charles," Ororo says.
"Do we know the defenses they've set up around him?" Hank asks.
"You'll have the full uplink to peruse on your way to Gao-Jeng, Henry."
Hank nods.
"Well, then," Logan says as he pushes himself away from the table. "Let's go."
* * *
The crypt glows with the fires of creation, or so it seems to Jono. Could it really contain the solution to all the problems of the world?
"Anything yet, Chamber?" Bishop is behind Jono, watching along with him.
Not from him. Just the usual scrambled images. The anger is more intense, which makes him harder for me to read. Jono's ruined mouth says nothing, he speaks directly into his commander's mind.
"That's to be expected," Bishop says.
Are we sure we're doing the right thing, Lieutenant? We're guarding him here, but I'm not sure . . .
"Don't finish that sentence, Chamber. We all have to do our duty to the world. You're doing yours. I'm doing mine--this is what the world requires of him."
Jono shrugs. Bishop is right, he knows. They've all committed themselves to the cause of world peace. It was why he'd joined the XSE in the first place.
But he can't get the screams out of his mind.