Tenchi the New Mutant
Chapter 3: Colds, Wounds, and other injuries…
By claudius
I don't own anything. Characters of 'Tenchi Muyo!' are owned by AIC (created by Masaki Kajishima and Yosuke Kuroda). Characters of 'New Mutants' and 'X-Men' owned by Marvel Comics. All canonical X-Men/New Mutants stories in this story were written by Chris Claremont, with artistry and advice from Frank Miller, Len Wein, Paul Smith, John Romita Jr., John Byrne, Dave Cockrum, Bob McLeod, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jackson Guise, Alan Davis, Art Adams, and Steve Leialoha. Magneto was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Betsy/Psylocke was created by Alan Moore and Alan Davis.
This is the last entry that will be published within this year of 2002, which is in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the New Mutants and the 10th anniversary of Tenchi Muyo.
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His direction assured, Doug rolled his Warlockian skates through the halls. Suddenly, in a choice that he and his friend were independent from, they stopped forcibly. Warlock's small head, sprouting from the 'pants,' concluded: "SELF'S- abilities- MANIPULATED- by- MAGNETIC- means." Before the alien could announce the obvious culprit, this person walked to the skater's right. "No skating in the house, Ramsey." The Headmaster reminded with displeasure.
Obeying his word, the sequined pants and skates that was Warlock quickly unraveled off Doug and took on a humanoid shape. Such an abrupt change made Doug topple flat on his butt. Getting back up with a pat on his sore posterior, Doug walked with a frown toward the teacher. Professor Charles Xavier would have let him skate, reasoned the boy (not that he did such a thing under his administration, but still…).
"You could have asked nicely," Doug moaned in voice.
"This is a school," Magneto demonstrated, "not your home, which definitely would uphold this very prohibition. Your parents have brought you up too well to allow-"
"I hear ya, I hear ya!" Doug grievously interrupted. He didn't want a lecture.
Magneto took notice to this reflection, realizing that he was being too hard. "I hope your injuries are mere," he addressed rather coldly.
"I don't think I'll play piano ever again," Doug joked despite his soreness. He limped away from the teacher when he was saying that. Thus, he only heard Magneto farewell saying, "Don't forget that your History essay is due Thursday."
The reminding of his academic expectations was another thing Doug did not want to hear. So far, his research into his history assignment had been little. He had scant time considering the circumstances of last week: believing Bobby had died, fighting Mojo and Spiral twice, going to a party, pondering the real death of a person, and meeting Tenchi again. And it looked like such neglect was going to be encouraged by what Warlock's words: "SELF- comprehends- LIFEGLOW- presence. IDENTITY:- Betsyfriend. TIME- of- IMMINENT- impact:- 1:40 SECONDS."
Now that was what Doug needed! She was back, and approaching. This made Doug conscious about his appearance. "Locke, be a mirror!" he spoke rashly.
The techno-being flattened and widened, creating the reflective properties of a looking glass. Peering into it, Doug saw that his hair was a mess. He accepted this unruliness before, but now he saw it as the most noticeable flaw in the world. He used his hand to brush away any out-of-place strands on his hairy top. It was an honest attempt, but he knew that the only way he could enhance his face was go upstairs, and 'borrow' Roberto's hair gel.
Such attempts were rendered too late with the materialization of an apparition. It was a glowing butterfly of pink hue that stared two eyes upon Doug. She was now on to him, an expectation filled with both good and bad consequences.
The butterfly spoke through Doug's brain, starting with his name. He had to reply. "Eh, Betsy!" Doug hollered, then lowered his voice in embarrassment. "Y-you're back!" he then lowered the excitement emotion in his mind, trying to act more casual. "I mean…I see that you have returned."
The butterfly stared. Well (it spoke in casts of mental notes), yes…I'm back. The mental notes carried a bit of unnerving excitement in itself.
The apparition vanished into thin air, a prelude to a more physical being. Betsy then presented herself in person, stilling Doug even more so. As much as hearing her voice in his brain was overwhelming, it was nothing compared to seeing the face that voice belonged to. Elizabeth Braddock towered above him both spiritually and physically (she was, after all, an adult, while he was still a growing boy). Trimmed with her silken purple hair, Betsy's face was one of an angelic being. It registered nothing of the fierce and driven personality beneath, which only she and Doug knew. This was but one feature of their mutual regard, a remarkable regard at that.
"So…" Doug stammered for an answer, an irony considering his earlier critique on Tenchi's articulate abilities. "So, is…is Longshot okay?"
"Yes," Betsy answered with more sophistication, though it only got her so far. "Longshot is at Muir Island. He seems to like it there."
With wide eyes, Doug nodded. "Tha-that's good." This was the moment to curse oneself for weakness; Doug couldn't believe how much he was ruining things. His mind kept asking him to act smoother. Then he remembered that Betsy could read minds, which meant that she was probably reading and learning about this!
Warlock stood by his friend in his time of need. He/it noticed that Dougfriend's face was changing to a different color in a scarlet hue. Friend usually did this whenever Betsyfriend was around, Warlock theorized. He/it mixed ideas on this expression being either the sign of some attacked or ailment. If this would result into an aggressive nature, then Warlock would have to take care of this threat without the resorting of transplanting Transmode virus (which Dougfriend and Danichief had strongly advised self from afflicting). However, Betsyfriend was dear to Dougfriend. Self would not dare hurt her.
Betsy noticed that no reply came from Doug. She spoke again. "I-I've been to Scotland before."
"I've been there too…" Doug stuttered some more, slightly addled by Betsy's beauty. "To Muir Isle, I mean!"
"Really?" Betsy smiled, which made Doug the more happier. "I got everyone gifts…I got you something."
"For ME?!" Doug shouted at the shocking revelation, than realizing that this was not supposed to be some shocking revelation, refrained himself. "That's cool." He spoke casually, his stoic face hiding the disciplinary grievance to his own stupidity.
===
Feet stepped upon the small trail. Feet passed by the large swimming pool. Feet walked, then stopped, as the walker sneezed. So much for the stealth approach, thought Tenchi.
"If you want to come here tovarisch," voiced Peter, "then do not sneak like a thief."
Tenchi wiped his nose, and reached the field. There were at least six trails of soil, six long trails. At the end of one sat the back of Peter. To Tenchi's perspective (which had become drowsy), this part of his body moved and contorted, implying the work he was making. As the boy walked closer to see the opposite end of this human back, he saw Peter planting seeds.
The farmer noticed Tenchi, but returned this face to the ground. Tenchi was surprised at Peter's expression. It was not presenting any hostility. Instead, it displayed contentment. The face seethed with a glow of success at what he had just reaped.
Tenchi lowered himself while keeping a standing position, his knees lunging out as his feet still rooted the ground. "How long have you been planting here?"
"Two years, Tenchi," Peter's mouth opened and spoke, but his attention was still on the field.
Tenchi bent back, using his two arms for a back support. "I have fields at my home." He attempted to locate some similarities that could make a bond. "Right now I grow carrots."
Peter paused from planting. He got up, grabbing a hoe. He raised it high, giving Tenchi an apprehension on what Illyana's brother's intentions were. Fortunately, the hoe chunked into the soil, nowhere near Tenchi.
"I like farming," Peter answered with a simplicity that pretty much explained everything to Tenchi. "Despite being an X-Man, it is this where I feel the most wonder."
Tenchi smiled. "I know. I enjoy it as well. Sure, its hard work, hot to work under, and dirty to work from, but I can't help but feel happy doing this."
"Da," Peter commented, leaning upon the hoe, stuck to the ground. "I was a farmer since I could walk. I would not prefer any other job."
"Guess some people are just born to do what they want." Tenchi felt easy, happy that he could have a conversation with Illyana's brother. "My father loves to draw architecture. That's what he does for a living. When I see him at work, I would see that he was really happy with what he did."
"So your father is something of an artist?" Peter dug the hoe into the ground with great force. "I am one as well."
"Really?" Tenchi responded with interest despite some coughs. "Illyana never told me that."
Tenchi silenced his lips together. He had said it! Peter raised the hoe higher than before. In a flash of light, his body expanded in muscle tone and height, skin shining in a steel hardness (It was amazing: despite the statuesque impression of this form, the muscles turned and popped as if it was really skin). The hoe then came down with immense force. When it made impact, the stick snapped into splinters that flew everywhere.
Tenchi backed away. He had certainly hit a nerve in the colossus. This giant behemoth stood before him, his large fist clasping the broken stick. Holding it like a spear, he jammed it to the ground; a likeness to this feat could only be found in a whaler harpooning his prey.
Tenchi quickly rose, ready for a possible fight. To his relief, the behemoth restored his steel hide to its original human flesh, his height and size dropping.
"Peter," Tenchi sincerely moved a few more steps. He knew very well the consequences, but he had to make the chance. "I'm so-"
Peter threw his hand in rejection. "It is all right. I am sorry to let my emotions overwhelm me. You are in no trouble. It is I who am at fault. It seems I still think of my sister as a little girl."
"Understandable," Tenchi cautiously considered. "She's grown up very quickly."
"And as a result of that," Peter sadly lamented. "I fail to accept the differences. She is still my little snowflake."
Tenchi nodded with respect at this brotherly regard.
Peter looked at his damaged tool. "Sometimes I think they do not make good farm tools like they used to."
Tenchi laughed. "Do you want me to he…" but once again, a sneeze stopped his sentence. He then felt the urge in succession, where he sneezed again.
"Perhaps," Peter smiled with a voice that mellowed with a warm appeasement, "after you take to bed."
===
Rahne crouched on her windowsill. It was here where she concentrated on the present. It concluded with the making of a firm decision; the result was met by a flurry of successive emotions: Resolve, which was received by doubt, riddled by a consideration that it was rather inane, and then restored to a reassurance in strength.
For the past hours, she had to come to terms with things. Like it or not, she was not an ordinary person. She had responsibilities to her friends and to her powers. In her thoughts, Rahne had pressed and neglected those abilities, avoiding them. She understood that as a teammate and as a friend, she was using people, giving them her problems. Nothing was returned. This review of herself made her feel like some burden, something that was not to be tolerated in her own mind.
Rahne had had enough of crying and feeling loss. It was true that the grief she felt for Larry was still keeping its cold, unrelenting grip on her. However, she could no longer obey the usual characteristics she made, like crying or refusing to get out of bed. All these tragedies, from the Beyonder to now, were bad for her health. If she faced more tragedies like this the same way, by breaking under pressure, she would be destroyed. She had to be a stronger person. She had to be someone her friends could depend on, rather then one they could give their shoulders to cry upon.
It appeared that she was rebelling against the past of herself. She could not be a child anymore. As Dani once said, the life of a New Mutant was not normal, though one could desperately wish it were. This meant that she could not run away from her problems. She had to face them, not as a child, but as a young woman. No more acting like the meek and mild child! Rahne had to grow up; she would take after Dani or Illyana. They covered up their feelings behind a mask of self-restraint (well, at least Dani did). It did not matter if they hurt from inside, they were strong by acting strong.
This was a hard decision. Rahne felt like she should just lie down, cry, and act like the child she was. This was not an easy transition for her. Then again, her life with the New Mutants, where Rahne found her beliefs and traditions questioned and changed, was a road full of bumps. She persevered in the past. She shall persevere again.
She looked at the mirror. The reflection showed a fawn. Rahne must be like the wolf (which she was). She strutted out of her room, determined.
===
Here I go!
Danielle Moonstar jumped upon the horse. She perfected the excellent ability to lift her body by her arms, without any part of her body connecting with the leather harness. Bending her arms to the metal hooks, she aimed her legs upward, achieving a better exercise. Dani had learned how to better herself before she even met Charles Xavier and the New Mutants. The past events had stolen a good wealth of control in her powers, but her physical abilities remained intact.
Dani wished she had better luck with her feelings. Even though she was head leader of the New Mutants, it did not make her secure in her abilities. If there was a list of principles that she had to uphold, Dani believed that she flunked them all.
A leader was supposed to solve her team's problems; that she had not done. Right now, her best friend was emotionally upset over the death of a guy she just met. There was nothing she could do to help. A leader is supposed to be forward and commanding. That test she also failed; When the Beyonder came, what tactics did Dani organize to fight back? She just flew around on Brightwind while her team was killed one by one (and what a perfect view of their deaths she had!).
During the time Magneto sent the New Mutants to the Massachusetts Academy- a future she dreaded- how did Dani treat it? Simple. By leaving friends and school behind and going home.
When Spiral and Mojo kidnapped Bobby, what did Dani improvise in the rescue? Getting kidnapped along with Bobby. When that gruesome twosome took on the senior team, how successful was Dani in leading her team to their elder's rescue? By getting herself zonked out by Betsy, leaving dumb luck to save the X-Men and themselves (never mind that pep talk she gave to Bobby about helping out in that caper; Dani needed some convincing herself).
In all of these failures, it was either the help from others or chance that made the spirits give the New Mutants the mercy of survival. If that was a degree, then it was only a matter of time before they overstepped their limits and get permanently screwed. Dani had already failed normal people like her old, estranged friend Pat Roberts and Larry Bodine, a guy she didn't even meet, except that it was permanently marked into the memories of Rahne and Kitty. In both places, she had a grim feeling brought on by her Valkyrie powers to foresee death. In one she made a vain attempt, but failed. In the other she barely noticed it in time.
Dani had once told Doug that she had no clear idea of what role she was supposed to be: a mutant with the ability to create mirages, a Cheyenne, a Valkyrie, or an ordinary girl? This mixed and unclear decision was still within her mind, with not a final definition to resolve it. She better soon, or something bad might happen.
Her concentration was broken by the sound of a speaker. "Dani, sugar," spoke the voice of Rogue in her usual southern drawl. "Wolvie an' ah would like t' use the Danger Room."
"I'm off!" gruffly yelled Dani, resentment lining her choice. The X-Men always had their way, being the senior team and all. If they wanted to use the Danger Room, even when a New Mutant was using it, then the novice had to leave it for the older student. Guess she shouldn't complain that much; the elders seemed to get away with everything, but at least had the training and discipline to get away with it. Something the New Mutants, despite their determination, did not.
Walking off the floor, Dani left the shutting door. She entered the Locker Room, settling herself to change…when a cold chill entered her body. It was a chill that was not from temperature, considering the thermal armor in her uniform. She knew it well. In quick comprehension, the Native American thought about the precise place it might happen, the probable reason, and perhaps the likely victim.
Dani frantically ran back to the Danger Room.
===
"TENCHFRIEND'S- life- ANALYZED- in- GRAVE- urgency!" the techno-organic creature screamed in distress over the ill selffriend before him/it. "ENDANGERMENT- close- PROXIMITY- in- LIFEGLOW- termination!"
"Uh, Locke?" Doug asked with a red face. "I think you're taking a li'l too much out of this. It's just a cold."
Sure enough, the patient lay on his bed with his face a little pale. However, there was no sign that proved that Tenchi was near Death's door at this moment. Warlock always took things way too seriously, a habit that was just as advantageous as it was sometimes embarrassing.
Tenchi wished his illness was that exaggerated. His eyes drowsy, his nose red and running, the constant sneezing, complete with an utter feeling that he was just one big piece of waste, was not for the most optimistic persons. He hoped this was one of those colds that lasted one day, with the promise of good health the next.
Everyone was being helpful, though Tenchi felt it wrong playing master to his servants. Doug sat on a chair, with Warlock constantly moving around, peeking his/its face in every place that existed in the room. Also present was this woman with hair of purple. Tenchi's eyes, drowsy with wet fuzziness, played their tricks. If he squinted hard, he could mistake this person (named Betsy) for Ayeka! Luckily, Tenchi could tell the difference: this 'Ayeka' was not going through any great lengths to help him. This 'Ayeka' also had eyes on someone. That 'someone' made a lot of blushing, confirming his idea.
"It's too bad you're sick," Doug looked on with some flashy shades he suddenly possessed. "I was gonna have such fun with you in the Danger Room."
Tenchi sarcastically whispered some Japanese. Hearing this, Doug responded with the translation. " Yes, you can hardly wait!" he joked with fiendish glee.
Betsy proved to be sociable. She related how she had been kidnapped and enslaved by the dimensional wizard Mojo and her servant Spiral. How Doug rescued her, with help from Warlock. Betsy also recounted about her trip over the weekend; she and several of the X-Men dropped off Longshot. Tenchi had learned of this person last night. He was this dimensional kid who was teleported into the X-Mansion late last week. This led to an incident where the X-Men (including Betsy) were transformed into kids and kidnapped by Spiral and Mojo (These people must be determined to mess with the same people twice in one week!). This time, it was the New Mutants who helped save the senior team in the process. Doug then ad-libbed about how the team dressed up in what they considered their graduation costumes.
"I thought your uniforms were your costumes," asked Tenchi.
"Well," Doug made a smile, "we were forced to give 'em up, since we haven't graduated yet."
Tenchi softly breathed. It was a good thing the kids were back in their old costumes. He wanted a chance to wear his alongside them.
"Too bad," Betsy gave an interested look over Doug. "Your graduation costume looked rather manly." Although his eyes were covered in black shades, Doug blushed again.
Betsy then continued about the fate of Longshot. Since the guy had no place to go, and the X-Men had little to understand about him so far, they decided to send him to Muir Island, a Mutant compound in Scotland.* Betsy felt that was a shame; the guy looked rather cute to have around. This remark restored the normal complexion to Doug's cheeks.
The opening of the door called the entrance of Sam. In his long hands was a tray with a steaming bowl of soup.
"Ah got some Chicken Soup f'r ya!" Sam brightly presented. Tenchi sat up straight on the bed. "Thank you Sam,"
"Think nothin' of it," Sam responded as he lowered the tray on Tenchi's lap.
Such hospitality was not widely accepted, a fact made clear by Doug's question: "You made chicken soup for Tenchi, Sam?" he said with a smirk.
"An' what's wrong wit' that?" Sam asked back.
"Nothing, Mama Guthrie," Doug laughed.
Sam blushed at this attack on his masculinity. "Take that back, Doug!" he screamed with a lunging hand.
Doug dodged it. "Couldn't you have Rahne or any of the girls make it?"
"Rahne's not in the mood," Sam explained with no remorse, "an' the other girls don't know how to make it."
Tenchi decided to play mediator again. "Cut it out Doug! Sam was just trying to be hospitable." Unfortunately, his words fell to deaf ears, as the two boys charged around the room. Tenchi re-considered the weight of his failure. At least no one was blowing things up.
As the boys had their fun, Betsy Braddock walked closer to Tenchi. "Doug told me a lot about you," she spoke in an accent that Tenchi had already recognized as a British one.
Tenchi returned his focus to Doug. "Is there anyone you haven't told about me?" he yelled.
"I made you the talk of the town!" Doug laughed as Sam gave him a headlock. This position made it easy for Tenchi to throw a pillow at the younger boy. Laughter was made by all.
===
Outside, Illyana Rasputin listened with a careful posture of discretion. No one but Sam knew about her position, but he decided not to reveal her to those inside. She overheard every word, coming from Tenchi's illness riddled voice. Her face kept a stoic expression. Her thoughts and feelings did not.
===
Rachel Summers was once a hound. In her time where mutants were killed at sight, humans brainwashed the poor girl from young childhood. They honed her mind to use her latent telepathic/telekinetic powers for purposes of the most depraved and cruel character. On human orders, Rachel hunted other mutants. Because of her, some mutants were captured, while others were killed. Some were family.
As one can probably guess, such exploits left their mark on this girl. These were generally the most torturous scars ever inflicted on anyone. To this time (set before she was even conceived), Rachel still remembered her evil actions. She swore never to use her telepathy on innocent mutants. Doing such a thing was too nostalgic…in the worst way possible. Unfortunately, being a member of the X-Men had forced her to cross this terrible boundary. If someone had to be located, if secrets were to be learned, or if rapports with friends had to be made, those feats could only be found from her.
Today, she wanted to stay within that rule. Rachel could not bear using Cerebro on her own. The apparatus was supposed to connect with any mutant mind over the world. It was for that reason she withheld.
This reluctance left a vacancy on who would use the machine to locate her father. It was a role not universal, for Cerebro was only programmed to work for those with some sort of telepathic talent. Ororo, Kitty, and Wolverine just didn't count in that. Rachel ignored Psylocke. No way was that telepath going to step on her territory! Betsy Braddock was only a novice. Rachel was an X-Man.
Dani Moonstar couldn't be of any assistance either. She might find out the connection between herself and Scott Summers (a secret only the X-Men knew). As a result, the only person who can provide help was Magneto; he knew and understood Rachel's problems, as well as possessing some mental talent. The fact that Cerebro was also in Magneto's office room didn't hurt either.
Magneto placed the Cerebro headset on his head to find her father. In his reasoned mind, if Scott was not in Alaska, he must be in the United States. Rachel agreed. She had to find him. This intention was not based on some obsession, as the reader might think. Rachel was worried; the facts of mystery that she had learned proved that her father and her little brother might be in trouble. It appeared that Rachel was the only one who cared about what happened. Why did not the X-Men even bother to continue the search? Were they busy, or did they just not care?
At first reluctant about seeing them again, Rachel was now determined to know if Scott and baby Nathan were alive. This determination was not stable however; as much as Rachel wanted to believe what the conclusion of her search should be, would she actually go through with her intention to actually tell Scott who she really was? She had broken so many plans before; repetition of rejection was possible.
So far, no luck was made in discovery. Magneto found it hard to locate Cyclops' mental signature beyond New York. The atmosphere was too limiting, a fault of Magneto's own. Before he reformed, the self-styled Master of Magnetism had warped the magnetic fields around the Earth, dispelling some sort of 'static' that made any long-distance telepathy next to impossible. At this point, Rachel decided not to mention this detail to bug Magneto. However, she might do it soon if he found nothing.
Unfortunately, that was Magneto's reply. "I am sorry to admit that Scott Summers cannot be located among this area."
"Can't you increase Cerebro's range?" Rachel cried.
This made glares come out of Magneto's eyes. His cold voice spoke, "I have made so far a distance as to stretch upon the whole United States, Miss Summers. It is probable that your father is nowhere on this continent."
Rachel acted more fussy and intolerant. She blamed him for his lack of success. Nevertheless, her whine was more pleading than vengeful. "Can't you increase the proximity?"
Magneto returned his look to the machine. "It is very difficult, considering the fields-"
"Can't you just fix the damn fields with your magnetic powers!" shouted Rachel.
Magneto's strained face kept a stern fixture throughout the search. This outburst made it sterner. "In order to do that," he spoke with restraint. "I would have to harness mechanical machines in my possession in order to change the magnetic fields. Machines that are no longer in working condition."
This, Rachel thought, was not good. "Then let me do it!" At this, her body changed red, a yellow bird-shape flashing on her chest. This was a sign of the energy possessed from her heritage- the Phoenix Force. Presently, she only had a fraction of this immense power, but she probably had enough to probably give Cerebro an extra energy charge to decrease its limits. Her powers were more powerful than some stupid field.
With a telekinetic nudge, Rachel pulled invisible strings upon the switches and buttons that controlled Cerebro. Before Magneto could realize what was happening, events told it for him. A flurry of sparks blew from the machine. It was now apparent that an overload was in the future. At that, smoke started vaporing out of the console.
Magneto shouted for Rachel to stop this manipulation. Using his own defense, he cut off the two tendrils connecting his helmet to the machine, keeping the overload from hurting his own mind. Magnetically, he forced the machine to make an abrupt shutdown.
Cerebro smoked with squeak sounds and small light bleeps. Rachel looked with concerned eyes the error of her ways. Cerebro was damaged. She decided that the power of Phoenix was too much on the machine. The ramifications came when she saw Magneto looking at her. She shivered at the sight; The Cerebro headset on the Headmaster's head resembled his old helmet. Oh, how it brought memories of stories Rachel knew as a child, nightmare-inducing whoppers about the 'mean, old monster called Magneto' who came to harm her parents. Of course, her later memories of the fatherly Magneto who lead the X-Men of her timeline, as well as the one from this universe downplayed the bite of these stories. Now, it was different!
Rachel hoped things couldn't get worse. The door slammed open. That gave her a premonition: Uh, oh!
Ororo had now entered the room, followed by Shan. Hearing Magneto's words, Ororo's cold eyes showed to Rachel that she was not happy with the younger X-Man's actions. This displeasure was not the first time; for a while, Rachel had noticed that everyone in the team had been not been hiding their disapproval over her actions. It almost appeared that the X-Men were expecting such mistakes to happen for the sake of reproaching her!
Well, Rachel was not going to be an obedient and accept whatever gripes Storm was clearly going to give. It was a sad fact, as neither person wanted to intentionally fight with the other.
Before any words were spoken, a smoky burst and the stench of brimstone signaled the coming of Nightcrawler who yelled in need. Both girls turned to what their fellow X-Men and friend wanted.
"Kurt, what has happened?" Ororo spoke in stilled tones.
Her elfish friend tried to be just as stoic, but the concern in his face only blended with his personal problem. "Logan has collapsed!"
This brought shock to all. The secretary ran out of the room. Magneto took the helmet off from his head. He could fix Cerebro later. The X-Man was his new priority. This was the same for Ororo. With no priority to any verification, Ororo placed her friend's problem to her attention.
"Quickly, Kurt!" she commanded, "Teleport us to him."
With the sound of a BAMF, Nightcrawler carried his comrades away.
===
The laughter caused by Tenchi's pillow throw was interrupted when Betsy dropped her cheerful expression. All the inhabitants noticed this, asking her what was the matter. Betsy just stared. A glow instantly grew upon her face, taking on the cover of a mask, butterfly-shaped. "Wolverine has been injured."
Tenchi had learned Betsy was a telepath. (Seems the school was full of them!) He saw her run out of the room. So did Doug, Locke, and Sam. Tenchi started to arise from the bed as well, moving his tray away. But the last person made a warning. "You're not well, Tenchi," Sam advised. "Best ya be 'n bed." Then he was out of the room.
Tenchi returned to his comfortable spot with thoughts that did not match his position. He wished this cold would go away soon; staying in bed was not how he expected to spend this week!
With nothing better to do, Tenchi thought about the complex nature of telepathy. It was interesting how some people had powers to read other people's minds and control them, but it was also very disturbing. He remembered when Kagato controlled Ryoko, showing the dangers of such free travel in mind. Although he knew that some people like the Professor and Karma were not willing to use their powers for personal gain and immoral purposes, the potential of telepathy was still a frightening concept.
===
In the infirmary, the X-Men were with their wounded friend. The New Mutants, however, stayed outside. Most of them would not have known this had not Shan overheard the conversation in Le Professeur's office. The knowledge did not grant them access, however. Magneto and Ororo made their decisions clear: Wolverine's injuries were such that no child should see. Now that cleared things rather well! Never mind that Kitty was about their ages (or younger), the novices had to be crowded outside of the room.
"Once again," Roberto moaned, lurching on the wall. "We X-Babies get no respect."
Sam looked to the more important matters. "What ah don't understand is why Wolverine? Don't he have that healin' factor?"
"The guy's been through a lot lately." Illyana responded. "Maybe it blew out his power? It didn't help that Logan's so stubborn to admit how badly he's hurt."
"But remember when we fought the X-Men last week?" Shan answered her doubts. "M'sieu Logan looked perfectly well when I faced him."
"But like the rest of the X-Men," Amara countered, "he had been under an enchantment by Spiral."
"It would be just like that witch," snapped Betsy. "Whatever good health Spiral gave him under her control, she probably took it away when she recanted the spell. Could've made it worse." She spoke this with some relish, such hostility understandable in her view. The bitch had kidnapped and enslaved her twice. However, this was the tip of the iceberg; the telepath was also miffed by her noninvolvement in this situation. The older team still thought of her as some child, unable to tread dangerous grounds. This was especially stressed with Rachel's remark. "You stay here, Betsy. The X-Men already have one telepath," the girl tongued her message clear. That hurt, and it did not go away despite Amara's pleading. "Do not think wrongly of Rachel. She is a good girl."
"At any rate, he'll pull through it," Rahne abruptly answered with a very cool manner.
"Ah don't know 'bout that…" Sam made a kind sympathy.
"An' if he died, it happens."
This response came as a sharp surprise to all her friends, unaccustomed to this unpredictable behavior (with the consideration of Rahne's recent travails). The out-of-character status brought an awkward silence, broken only by Sam's confused "Uhh...right."
The head leader Dani barely noticed this, instead keeping a stoic façade of her own. When she saw Rogue holding the wounded Wolverine (arriving too late), she had seen white balls of fire travel upon him. That was a new one, Dani thought. Death seemed to be no slouch in variety. All that was missing was a guest appearance from Hela (Still, a part of her worried mind pondered on why Logan would consider such a thing his death. Maybe it was some Japanese custom?).
"Let's hope he pulls through," said Dani, with an emphasis on the hope.
===
Inside the room, Ororo, Kitty, Peter, Rogue, Kurt, Rachel, and Magneto aided the bedraggled and bloodied body of their friend. The scene was hectic as it was fearsome. The whole group devoted themselves in retaining their comrade's life, a definite sign of their respect and love. While Magneto used his powers to keep Logan's blood loss from increasing (due to the iron fibers within the life-stabilizing liquid), the others wrapped bandages around his limbs, and connected life-saving equipment upon him. A justifiable theory that was plainly obvious to all was that Logan's overexertion of his abilities must have caused some temporary overload on his healing factor. This not only failed to mend his present injuries, but it also reopened wounds that he could have received from the cyborg Lady Deathstrike. Kitty couldn't believe such a person could inflict so much damage on her friend. This was just the topper of her day, having just come home after a solemn visit to the Bodines. Hugging her mentor's torn costume, she hoped Logan's fate would not be similar to Larry's.
With a fortunate chance, Kitty related that the solution was just as conspicuous as the problem. The work of the Morlock Healer was desperately in need, and definitely reliable due to the leadership of Storm.
"That'll take too long!" spoke Rachel with egotistical disagreement. "I'll help him with my powers. I'll psionically supercharge his healing factor and put it back in motion."
This decision was not met with agreement. Ororo said it was too dangerous; Kitty added that Rachel probably no longer had the energy, considering that the last time she pulled this stunt, she had been possessed with the full power of the Phoenix Force. It was something she presently lacked in complete wielding.
Rachel, being herself, completely ignored it. The team seemed to not really trust her abilities. She had to prove it to them. After all, Rachel had used her telepathy to successfully save Logan before, in San Francisco! It would be like getting back on bicycle.
===
A scream sounded from the infirmary. The pain and magnitude that was formed brought forth a huge echo that vibrated upon the unwary. A flash of pain threw its claws. The doors swung open, banging the walls they hit. The lights shattered. The surge of psionic energy found no mercies on any of the school's unprotected inhabitants.
===
Tenchi grabbed his head, feeling as if someone batted his head like a baseball. The latter looked more possible, since the rest of his body was flying like one! The tray of soup went flying, the blankets upon him wrapped and pulled on him during his ascent. The whole room came to life, with dressers opening, doors swinging, and props jumping by invisible forces.
The boy slammed against the wall. Gravity making its role, the pressed Tenchi dragged down to the floor. His subsequent thoughts jumbled and moved with chaotic rules that strived to find order. With luck, he pressed his head with both hands, hoping that it could make the huge headache change into something pleasant. Fortunately, he was able to make some comprehension. Had Tenchi been living a normal life with normal families and friends, this phenomenon would have been- or eventually- trivialized to just some weird coincidence. Since it wasn't, Tenchi realized that something bad had happened.
He had to get up. Nothing happened from this wish. His body felt a numb independence from his mind. It passed; so did the numbness, for all of a sudden he felt really raw, as if everything inside his body was rendered sore and weak. Throwing whatever strength remained within him, the boy moved. He grabbed and pulled the bedpost as a ladder. Trying to remember, Tenchi searched for his Tenchi-Ken. Luckily, he had left the thing inside the traveling coat, to which he now relieved the weapon.
He stumbled to the door, which was closed, and worse, had to be open at the direction opposite to Tenchi's leaning. Darn these American doors, cursed Tenchi, which one had to open by swinging instead of sliding! With effort, he got out of the room.
He slowly moved, his legs having forgotten how to walk normally. It was all just limps, sudden losses of balance, and uncontrolled impacts on the walls around the hall. "Sam!" Tenchi cried out. "Doug! Warlock!" he sounded his friend's names, but only hearing silence. The boy questioned this: Where could they be? Then he remembered; there was an infirmary all the way downstairs. Why they couldn't just go to a regular hospital was beyond his understanding.
The stairs were before him. He walked and hobbled down it. By now, his legs had remembered their abilities- though it was still a gathering of memory. The awkward walking was due to this fuzzy recollecting.
Finally downstairs, Tenchi turned toward the rooms with the lift. It had been a long time since he used this. Luckily, Doug gave him a memory-refreshing tour this morning. With an exhausted lean, he fell upon the wall near the door. Slumping to the floor, he felt relived to be sitting down. His arm lunged to the button console. The activation called upon a door to slide open. Tenchi then crawled into the box.
His head on the floor, Tenchi could feel the vibrations of the elevator moving downward. This position was bad; if something bad was downstairs, Tenchi certainly could not fight it lying down. He strained himself up. He stood with his legs straight if leaning. He turned on his Tenchi-ken, summoning the light blade. Tenchi had to be ready for whatever was awaiting him.
He limped rather slowly. He dragged in pace so much that the elevator door started closing, a direction reversed by Tenchi's crossing the electric eye. To his mixture of glee and disappointment, nothing was in the hall facing the elevator. It had to be in the infirmary, which was around the corner. Time for some more moving, Tenchi sluggishly enforced his resolution. In this basement level, he headed for the secret passageway.
Getting closer, the voices became louder as the lights got dimmer. There seemed to have been some trouble with the lights, as most were out. As Tenchi moved passed the corner, he found a group of bedraggled New Mutants sitting around the hall. Some lay unconscious like Sam and Karma. Others like Dani, were making attempts of standing up. Warlock was helping his/its friends to their feet.
Walking with an increased speed, Tenchi called out, his balance turning left and right. "What happened?"
Dani and Doug gained support through a crutch courtesy of Warlock. "Rachel happened, Tenchi." Dani moaned with a face cursed of sore thinking.
Betsy called out. "It was a psionic shock Tenchi." Betsy said in answer. She was with the other mutants near the infirmary door. Tenchi walked closer, looking at the inside. The infirmary was a wreck. Gurneys were turned over, machines were damaged, and cabinets were shattered. The inanimate objects were just as shaken.
One of the inhabitants was Magneto, who strutted into the hallway in some silly purple and white costume. He gave the news. "Rachel and Logan are both injured to a point that the infirmary's technology cannot treat. Illyana has teleported the X-Men to the Morlock caverns."
===
After most of the mutants were given some mild medical assistance (Despite the wrecked facilities, there was no wounds in physical terms, and Tenchi felt his mental shock soothed by Betsy's telepathic treatment), Magneto gave the information on what had just happened: Wolverine (or Logan, Tenchi realized the real name; it was going to be confusing knowing all these code-names!) was badly injured. Rachel, being a telepath and telekinetic, was trying to heal him of his injuries (seemed Logan had some healing factor like Ryoko, and Rachel wanted to augment it). However, the painful ordeal proved too immense for Rachel, throwing her into shock. This upset caused a lashing of a telepathic/ telekinetic outburst that affected everything to her knowledge. Being a telepath, that meant every mind she could contact. The Headmaster was able to throw a magnetic shield over the X-Men, but it gave little against any mental attacks. Luckily, the New Mutants were given the reverse effect, as Betsy was able to protect the minds of everyone in the hall. That didn't save them from the successive telekinesis, though.
It was then said that Rachel was reaching out to every mind nearby, which made Tenchi a likely victim. The contact with him gave Rachel's onslaught a target to unleash some telekinetic wizardry. Tenchi didn't like this candidacy. "Couldn't you have just used your powers to protect me too?" he asked Betsy.
"The attack was too surprising," Betsy made a surprisingly firm argument that revealed some spunk in the delicate beauty. "I was only able to protect those with me." However, she made amends by soothing Tenchi's mind pains. Still, it looked like he was going to have a headache for a while. As if his condition couldn't get worse.
During this unusual medical assistance, Tenchi heard the other mutants ask Magneto on what happened to Rachel and company. He explained that much of the X-Men were able to recover from the aftershock due to their mental defenses. Seeing Rachel unconscious, and Logan's condition even more deteriorated, Ororo had Illyana teleport the whole X-Men to the Morlock caverns.
"Morlock?" Tenchi sure was going to expect some weird answers!
"Underneath Manhattan lives a secret band of outcasts called the Morlocks." Dani described. "Some are mutants like us. Ororo's their leader. They have a healer who can do wonders on injuries. He saved me from bein' crippled once."
"However," Betsy spoke with directness, standing over Doug. "We shan't ignore the state of their critical injuries."
"You underestimate the X-Men, Ms. Braddock," Magneto made a stern correction. "By my experiences, they are far stronger than one can normally imagine. If you are to be part of this school, you will have to be broaden your horizons."
The Headmaster's implore threaded greater the web of isolation on Betsy. She felt like an amateur; an inferiority made especially plain by her maturity over these more experienced children.
It didn't help that Roberto agreed with the teacher (for once). "We New Mutants have been in big scrapes before, but we have always come out standing."
Several of the mutants made forlorn expressions in coincidence to this declaration, much to Tenchi's attention. Although his mind was still a little queasy, the boy could still think. He was reminded of the suspicions he had last night. Could Roberto be wrong? Was there something the New Mutants faced that they could not overcome? It was a curious question that Tenchi considered discovering. However, with the way everyone wanted to hide it, was it right for him to ask his friends about matters they wished not to discuss?
The present inhabitants looked over the disordered remains of the infirmary. It was a good thing Nurse Sharon was on vacation. Magneto acted with a fatherly authority. "I will take care of this mess. The rest of you go upstairs. Ms. Hunter will be coming."
The dispersing began. "I shall pray to Zeus and Pluto for Logan and Rachel's safe recovery," Amara spoke in a sentence that only to her didn't sound ridiculous. Then realizing what Tenchi had gone through, she asked if any of the other rooms shared the same status.
"Nothing looked wrong when I came down," Tenchi limped on with some relieving advice.
"Because Tenchi was the only one upstairs," Betsy added. "His room was the only casualty."
Tenchi took this with mixed feeling. He did not like being singled in this disaster's wake, but at least no one else was harmed.
"I don't think I'll ever understand these mindgames," Tenchi pondered with an unpredictable snort of the nose.
"You think I haven't?" Doug mutually agreed. "I've been inside a person's mind once, and I still can't make heads or tails of this."
With the shock of a skeptic seeing the antithesis of his convictions, Tenchi stared at Doug. He then composed his differing views, using the evidence of his adventures as resolve-fuel.
Dani approached him. "By the way, Tenchi," she breathed grimly. "In your culture, what do balls of light mean to you?"
With a frank and naïve answer, Tenchi said, "It signifies that someone will die soon."
"Perfect," Dani breathed in a pissed reaction, making Tenchi a little puzzled. This time, Sam took the role of explanation. "Tenchi," he advised, "Ah think we should have t' talk 'bout a few things."
===
Much of the mess in the infirmary could be salvaged thanks to the school's built-in repair systems, as well as Magneto's ability to restore any metal damage. The Mutants were not able to do more out of their headmaster's fear of infection. This was especially pressured upon Tenchi's choice; he had to go back upstairs. The kid had to remain alone. Most of the Mutants were at some class at the other side of the mansion. Dancing lessons by a visiting teacher named Stevie Hunter. Tenchi couldn't bother them in that session. That is, he didn't want to bother them.
Tenchi tried to comply with the loneliness. The frenzied elation of meeting old friends had cooled, revealing the cost of his trip. He missed the girls. He missed Ryo-ohki. He missed Grandpa (weird as that means). He tried calling them again, but the extension was limited- probably by accident. Tenchi wondered if Washu was going to try any technological communications. Maybe it was around here somewhere? Tenchi then stopped this, realizing it was paranoid.
He tried to comply with the solitude. He went back to his chaos-inflicted room. He picked up fallen items, threw away a damaged vase, and made his bed. Like Amara, Tenchi made a prayer for the safety of Rachel and Logan. He also prayed for Larry Bodine, wishing him safe journey in death (although he hardly knew them, he prayed for the sake of the friends who did). He seemed well enough now; the whole mind-boggling incident must to have shocked his sinus problems out of work, though some coughs and sneezes were still present. Hopefully by tomorrow, these last traces would be gone.
What Tenchi could not abide to was his sudden uselessness. Even if he was a guest, he still felt inclined to aid his hosting friends. All he did most of today was wash the dishes, go places, and sneeze himself into being bed-ridden.
Some friend he was. Seemed the place had a lot of problems. A friend of theirs had killed himself. Now two of their senior team was badly injured, getting help from some underground healer or whatever. Now he learned that one of the New Mutants had the premonition of death on future victims of that fate. The balls of light Dani had witnessed with her power was a mortal sign to those persons of Japanese culture.
It was a sad power to have, but the consideration that it was in Dani's possession was a matter that Tenchi did not find it surprising. In his last association with the team, Dani concerned herself with predicting the factors that would lead to a future demise of Tenchi's family. That fate would be successfully averted, though before its resolution, Tenchi felt fearful and nervous about its possible fulfillment. The possibility that in Dani's case, this clairvoyance gift was indefinite made Tenchi feel sorry for the girl.
It looked like Death had decorated the school with its grim and depressing mood. Tenchi wanted to change that, or at least, bring some light into the darkness. In order for that to happen, Tenchi wanted to be some sort of assistance somehow, but how? Tenchi thought for a moment, then he got an idea. First he needed to give some acknowledgement of his actions to the Headmaster. Luckily, Magneto was in his office- formerly Charles Xavier's office. That previous owner haunted the boy's attempts to accept the new order. No doubt it labored upon the mutants as well. Even for an acquaintance like himself, the old Professor had made a strong impression.
===
In his office, Magneto attempted to repair Cerebro. Already his magnetic abilities had re-fused and restored all broken circuitry to stability. The device would not work in contacting the X-Men, due to a psionic barrier in the Morlock caverns, but at least it would be of use for other matters. It was the one thing he could fix at the moment, considering the endangered Rachel and Wolverine.
What irony that he was conducting such business with a group he opposed and tried to slay with the greatest vendetta! When he was Magneto, the great patriot to Mutantkind and the enemy of humankind, the X-Men and their teacher Charles Xavier were his prime inhibitor toward his plan to conquer the world for their kind's protection. Now he was Magneto, the Headmaster of the School for Gifted Youngsters, the successor to Charles Xavier's dream of mutant-human coexistence, and an ally of the X-Men, whom he fought alongside with the firmest of assistance.
Such an unusual shift of fate did not promise the easiest of change. Even now it appeared that he was not ready to take on the role Xavier had left in his care. The shoes were ill fitting, the role even more so. How easy it would be to drop all this responsibility he was unaccustomed to and return to his original life. How unfair this rejection would be as well, considering his wish for atonement.
A knock came at the door. Magneto, knowing that Shan was taking lessons, answered the door himself- by opening it through his command.
It was Tenchi, standing with astonishment at this feat. Magneto stood to meet the boy with regret. Without wishing to, he had left some strong impressions upon a young man who was only a guest. He understood from Charles' files that this kid would do nothing to harm the students.
With the utmost determination, Magneto implemented the portrait of civility to the boy. "What is it you want, Mr. Masaki? Are your rooms not to your liking?"
Tenchi shook his head. "No, they're nice. I'm not here for any complaint. At this moment, you probably don't wish any." The young man walked closer to the desk. "I would like to order some Japanese food for the gang's dinner. I want to inform you of my wish."
"Of course, Tenchi." Magneto's face nodded with compliance. "I will pay for your order."
Tenchi's brow went upward. This man- now dressed in normal clothes- was willing to give him money that he already possessed? Although such an offer was hardly similar to Kagato, Tenchi refused. "It's okay, Professor, I have the money."
"I insist," Magneto knitted his fingers together. "The students have made you a part of the New Mutants. That makes you temporarily my responsibility. I have to carry this out as is my role as teacher."
Tenchi nodded with surprise. The Headmaster walked slowly out of his desk. "I fear that we have started on bad terms since we met," he predicted with best intentions. "I am sure that your impressions on me have not been agreeable. I wish that such opposition will change by the time the week is over."
Tenchi kept finding all this kindness hard to accept. The way Magneto moved, the way he talked, suggested a menace. Peter, despite his hostility, showed a compassionate nature. This man appeared to be far from it. Tenchi hoped that such fears were misguided. After all, his previous considerations on Ryoko and Warlock were as monsters.
His answer, slow but direct, was "I would like to, Professor."
===
Like a young child given the permission, Tenchi excitedly executed his plans to serve dinner. Finding a phonebook, he looked for any fast-food Japanese restaurants. To his success, he found one. He dialed, asking for twelve orders. He did this without any permission from the team; it was going to be their surprise.
The lad waited in the hall for the messenger to arrive. Suddenly, the phone floated before Tenchi. It then lowered upon his lap. This was a rather bizarre thing to behold. Magneto was probably responsible.
Tenchi picked up the receiver, speaking with alarm. "Hello?"
He received the Japanese greeting from his father.
"Hi dad," Tenchi mellowed to his natural language. "How was the meeting?"
The voice showed the strain. "It was fine. A long day, but I think I made some results."
"That's…great, dad!" Tenchi's voice paused, due to a small cough.
The voice heard that. "Are you okay, son?"
"I'm just suffering from a cold," Tenchi answered. "I've been through the rain yesterday."
The receiving end was silent, followed by a sad "I'm sorry for that, Tenchi. I decided not to take an umbrella with us."
"I made the same mistake," Tenchi offered to console. "Don't worry, my friends at the school are taking good care of me. Right now, I'm ordering dinner."
The response was silent for a few seconds. "Oh," Nobuyuki slowly continued. "I'm having dinner myself. I thought I might invite you to come along with me…but it's all right."
"Oh, I can still join…" Tenchi's attempts were once again interrupted by a sneeze (so much for being in better health!).
"No, no, if you're sick, it's not good for your health to go." Nobuyuki's voice changed into one of demand. "You go take care of yourself."
Tenchi thought about this with some regret. "If that's okay with you."
"Don't worry," Nobuyuki promised. "You get well, and I'll visit you tomorrow. I'll give you something from my client."
Sensing no ill will, Tenchi changed his tone. "Oh, really?"
"With a kind heart, my client sent me five tickets to a show."
"That's great Dad!"
"I thought that maybe you, me, and three of your friends can come."
Tenchi nodded. "I'll ask them. When's the show?"
"Tomorrow evening."
"I'll be there, even if no one else comes," Tenchi offered his promise. As soon as his father gave his goodbyes, Tenchi gave his; "Bye Dad." He hung up the phone. With anticipation, he felt okay about pleasing his father.
===
A half hour later, the eight mutants (and their alien friend) entered the kitchen and received Tenchi's fast food cuisine. With enthusiasm, the boy handed out cups of noodles and cartons of food, saying that he was serving them dishes from his country.
On hearing this, Sam made a lament. "Chopsticks?" Tenchi's nod confirmed it, much to his problem. But he accepted. Shan didn't. "Sorry, M'sieu, but I'm afraid I'll pass. I have to get home." Getting some acceptance, Shan than eyed the presenting cups. "Any meatless products?" Shan asked with interest, of which Tenchi gave her a cup of noodles. "I'll give this to Nga and Leong," she walked out with the meal. With a goodbye, she left.
One person gone, another entered. Betsy was most surprised when Tenchi said he ordered food for her as well. "I almost forgot about you."
"Kind of you not to," Betsy smiled with this involvement.
Warlock was not to be forgotten. "Here's a token for the breakfast you gave me, Locke," Tenchi handed him a cup, even though he knew that his friend's way of consumption was through the transmode virus.
A stepping disc introduced Illyana back to the group. Dani asked about the two X-Men's condition.
"They're okay…for now," said Illyana, her words more reassuring then the cold tone that said it. The chief breathed a sigh of relief, as everyone else. Tenchi offered Illyana a cup of noodles with sincere intentions. She simply snatched the cup, ran to the living room, and jumped onto the couch.
With the satisfying news (sort of), the gang followed her destination, getting to the couch and sofas to dine together. Like the last time, Sam had problems using the sticks. He kept crossing the sticks together, rather than connecting them by the tip. Tenchi then softly touched this hand, trying to help Sam learn the correct way.
While eating, Illyana related about the two X-Men's condition. Rachel was safe and asleep, but Logan was a near miracle. It seemed that the Healer had been overtaxed in his abilities, so he couldn't do that perfect a job on the guy. For right now, Logan was alive, but very weak and fragile. This necessitated the X-Men's decision to remain in the sewers until he was well enough to be moved.**
"Why don't you take him to the hospital!" Tenchi asked, proving his naiveté to everyone.
"And what?" Dani answered with a question. "So the doctors could find out that he's a mutant, endangering our identities?" She then stilled at her words, realizing her pro-choice to Kitty's speech intentions this morning. Today's death vision was really getting to her.
"At any rate," Rahne saved her friend, "I dinna think the doctors would have saved him. Wolverine's fine where he is." She then swallowed some food with some pleasantry. "Wha' this dish?"
"Sushi," Tenchi frankly answered. It caused a commotion as Sam, Doug, and some others started to put down their food with the understanding of what sushi meant.
Tenchi did not understand. "What's wrong?"
"Raw fish," Doug said with fear of indigestion.
"That's not raw fish." Tenchi corrected. "Sushi is seasoned rice; it can be placed on fish, but it also can be put on vegetables."
Rahne ate more with a smirk. "Well, TV's been lying to me," a smiling Doug announced, resuming his eating.
As the food was dined, Tenchi gave his news about the tickets. Their responses were positive. The limit of tickets caused some disappointment. Fortunately, Sam, Dani, and Rahne (despite several pleas to reconsider) made sacrifices. Doug pondered about how he could be able to get himself, Locke, and Betsy into winning the seats.
Luck smiled on him; Tenchi said that Betsy could come, because of her help as a telepath. He also added that she could bring a friend. Doug had made it. Warlock than asked if he/it might go. Tenchi agreed. The losers, Roberto and Amara, did not take this rather well.
Illyana on the other hand, was indifferent. She didn't want to go. When Tenchi attempted to confirm it, the girl sharply rebuffed him.
After the dinner was finished, the team got settled for what followed. Roberto flamboyantly wielded the remote control. "And now to make this evening complete..." The television then flipped on by this method.
It was Washu!
Everyone (except for Betsy and Warlock) gave astonishment to what they were seeing. Tenchi made a facefault. He knew somehow Washu was going to make communications (scientist that she is), but his surprise was not little.
On the screen, Washu spoke with no words or sounds. Roberto worked the controls of the remote, while Tenchi got closer, trying to work the sound controls on the TV. Neither found success.
This silence lasted for a few seconds. "CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME!!!!" sounded Washu with the equal footing of a jet breaking the sound barrier. This had an effect on the room. Tables, chairs, mutants, were all strung to the wall behind them.
"Was that too much?" Washu kidded an apology.
The mutants arose from their ruins, given some protection by Warlock. "Don't worry 'bout it, Washu." Illyana got to her feet. "After all, the infirmary and Tenchi's room were already totaled. Why not this room?"
The doors boomed open, revealing Magneto. Once again he was in that purple suit with white gloves and boots. This time however, it did not look silly. Tenchi thought he was seeing a force of nature.
"By the eternal!?" roared the Headmaster, demanding his questions to be answered.
"It's okay, Magneto," Sam revealed. "One a' Tenchi's friends has called." For some obvious reason, the Headmaster was not pleased, seeing the end of this means.
Tenchi ignored this. He moved to the screen, saying "Hi" to Washu. "I knew you would find a way to reach me since your phone is down."
"A genius like me will not suffer such primitive means," Washu smirked. "This is my way to get to you."
Tenchi nodded. "Is anyone else with you?"
As if to answer his question, Washu's head was pushed aside. The pusher was Ryoko. Her face moved closer. "Tenchi!" she screamed with ecstasy.
Tenchi felt a little nervous at this display. Illyana felt so too. Roberto, on the other hand, was all too willing, zooming closer to the TV to see the beauty. On screen, Ryoko was given a shove by Ayeka. "Tenchi are you all right? You don't look well."
Tenchi revealed his ailments. Ayeka startled with a swoon. "I hope you are well!"
Amara then waved to the TV. "Good to see you again, Lady Ayeka!"
Ayeka greeted this. However, her "Nice to see you as well," greeting was interrupted by Washu and Ryoko, all wanting a part of the screen. It made Tenchi feel a little embarrassed.
Suddenly, Sasami popped in the middle. With a face of innocence, she spoke her greeting with a warm smile. To Tenchi's delight, the little Princess revealed Ryo-ohki, who meowed.
Tenchi was happy about being able to see his friends. "Is Mihoshi there as well?" he asked.
"I'm here!" said a squeaky voice. "I'm coming!" This was followed by warnings voiced by Washu "Don't touch that!"
"Touch what—Wwwhoooaa!"
The image buzzed with snow. Then faded completely in the winter of static.
"Oh boy!" Tenchi moaned. Looks like he was not going to see them for tonight, unless Washu comes out of the toilet or something.
"Mihoshi," Bobby exclaimed with view. "Beauty without brains."
Tenchi glared at him. "Takes one to know one, eh, Roberto?"
Roberto returned the glares. He then moved away.
By now, with help from Magneto and Warlock, the group managed to restore much of the furniture to its original status. Everyone got back to their seats (what's left of them), as Magneto departed with his food.
"As I said before," Roberto repeated, with less excitement "To make our dinner complete…"
A channel switched to a voice from the screen. "The X-Factor team have just reached JFK airport after a trip from Russia!*** News at eleven!"
For such a brief commercial, its effect was made with somber moods. "Spaleens," Rahne sneered. Tenchi could understand her decry. He had heard of this 'X-Factor' before. They were supposed to be some agency set on eradicating Mutants. As Tenchi learned from Sam, the joke that sent Larry Bodine to his fate was the conviction that X-Factor knew his secret.
The very knowledge of this agency left its lukewarm effects on the dinner. What could be more depressing than a program that glamorized people who wanted you dead?
"Just what we need to make life more miserable," Doug breathed with a moan.
Tenchi nodded, "How can they do this? I don't like to be hated for what I am."
"Join the club, Tenchi," Dani spoke with dry sarcasm. "It's the story of my people's life. Just like redskins, a good mutant's a dead mutant."
"Or any race that don't measure up wit' another's views," said Sam.
"Selffriend's- TONE- of- WORLD- entwines- TOO- great- A- comparison- WITH- self's- WORLD."
"However," Amara proposed a counter-response. "Such intentions are not without reason. We have fought evil mutants like Farouk and that monstress Selene."
"There's a thin line between having a point or being nuts." Illyana loudly considered this with some unfairness. "More like the latter."
Doug agreed. "When Tenchi's people bombed Pearl Harbor, the Americans placed every Japanese in this country to prison camps under suspicion of espionage."
The off-colored mention erupted Tenchi. "Thanks for the honorable mention, Doug!" he snapped rather tightly. The aftershock made Doug realize his error with regret. With best intention, he apologized. "I'm sorry 'bout that."
"An' my hometown has problems wit' some folk on account that they're colored," Sam made his donation. "A lot a hooey ah say."
"Definitely," Roberto agreed. The fellow students of his former school attacked him because his father was black and his mother white. One hostile prank during a soccer game engineered his powers, making him feel even more isolated. "Sometimes I wish that we had never left Asgard. The people there treated us with the most respect."
"Yeah," Doug made his view. "They respected me enough to make me a kitchen slave."
"Adequate profession," Roberto said with a smirk.
"I agree with Doug," Amara spoke. "That realm leaves me with a shudder."
"And this world doesn't?" Roberto responded with sad fact. "People hate us for what we are, and now are doing something to fuel that aggression. What is to happen if they found us out?"
"Not a peaceful welcome, I implore you," Amara said with aggression.
"I'd dump some of them in Limbo," Illyana's tactic left some upset.
Sam attempted some restraint. "That's not what the Prof teaches."
"Which one?" Roberto commented with a point.
"Both of them," Dani answered. That is, she thought so.
All this talk of aggression and hatred left some grim bearings on all those present. Larry Bodine's death was not forgotten in this respect. It was not supposed to be something for kids like them to think about. Slowly, the subject changed to more trivial matters like discussing last weeks' episode of tonight's show and the like. However, the evening was ruined. One by one, the small party started dispersing, with Tenchi the firm remainder. One of the last, Doug, gave his apologies. "I'm very sorry for saying that, Tenchi. Talk about a reason for having a foot in my mouth!"
"What you said was mean, and it's really nasty when it's coming from a friend." Tenchi gave his reason.
Doug nodded. "I'm starting to like you as one, Tenchi. I hope you still think of me as a buddy,"
Tenchi's smiled, showing he still thought so. "If I'm supposed to be on your team, then we have to look out for each other."
===
In another room, Magneto heard all from this nearby, and he listened with serious foreboding. All this talk of mutant hunters troubled him greatly. Once again the majority is attacking a group they believed minor, a belief he had experienced with hard memory. It was mad to ignore it. And yet here he is now, following a cause this X-Factor (and once, himself) called madness. Perhaps he was mad to have accepted the job that Xavier gave him. Could that justify his present choice as something akin to insanity? Should he then quit and give up after trying so hard? Give up the students, despite the loyalties they had begrudgingly given to him, an attempt made without ease? All these questions were filled with barriers that inhibited any clear answer. The solution, to quit and return to evil, or to stay on against the undaunted pressures, could prove to be just as insane.
===
The soft steaming vapors arose from the waters. His back to the edge of the tub, Tenchi leaned his head with eyes closed in meditation. A small cloth draped his forehead, its wet moisture hopefully softening his edgy mind. His soft hands massaged the legs and arms that felt strained and stretched beyond its possible limits.
The boy was glad his room had a bath. He could have accepted the possibility that there was only a shower in the bathroom, but he was glad that there was a bath. He needed to relax. He wanted to forget all these bad thoughts about racism and being unjustly hated. Let his troubled mind be unraveled by the calm and soothing waters, he prayed in thought.
Tenchi breathed airs of relief from his mouth. In this relaxing position, his naked flesh touching the hot waters, the boy's edgy misbalance was now evening out into a smooth, comfortable tranquility.
Footsteps rumbled. The bather's eyes opened. "Who's there?"
"I am," answered a spunky voice.
"Illyana!?" Tenchi spoke dumbfounded. With a shock in modesty, the boy threw off his head towel, thrusting it under his stomach. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm a teleporter, remember?" Illyana spoke, a wicked smile pressed upon her lips. "I can go anywhere." To Tenchi's astonishment, she was clothed only in a red bathrobe. This was made more apparent the closer she came.
Crimson shade sparked on Tenchi's cheeks. No blood as yet dripped off his nose, but the arousal was present. "I didn't…mean that," Tenchi corrected before his emotions somehow started to drain. His words slowed in pace. "I…meant…why are…"
"Because you wanted me," answered Illyana. She sat on the edge of the tub that separated the dry floor and the wet waters that filled Tenchi's bath. She pulled one foot over the barrier. Tenchi saw her nude toe press itself upon his chest. It overpowered him.
She made a stare of hypnotic power. "Can I join you?"
In his addled senses, Tenchi nodded. In an instant, Illyana dropped her long robe…
===
Tenchi's eyes opened. He looked around. No one was in the bathroom but him. Pressing his forehead, the boy pondered what had occurred. The bath had become too relaxing, practicing its power to put the user unconscious. It was all a dream, Tenchi realized with a sense of…disappointment?
Though it may be hard to believe, Tenchi had dreamed about scenes of sensual imagination. Having three beautiful girls in one's house makes one liable for such ponderings. The difference here is that Tenchi was dreaming of a girl who seemed to resent him. As noted before, being hated for no reason at all was hardly Tenchi's preference. He had to do something about it.
He jumped out of the tub, clothing himself with a shirt, hakamas, and a robe. With garbed feet, Tenchi walked out of his room and into the destined place. The door was adorned with signs like 'Beware of Demon.' Considering the room's applicant, these placards were no joke. When he knocked at the door. Some noise sounded, with shrieks and hollow moans that would be part of any haunted house. Tenchi stilled his hand. Perhaps tonight was a bad time?
Before his doubts took on physical action, Tenchi saw the door open. Out popped the figure of Illyana. The dream appeared to be a synthetic being to the real thing, long blond hair streaking down her smooth skin, beautiful features, dark eyes beholding the embodiment of pure evil…
"This better be good," Illyana made a big lip to the greeter. It was obvious that this meeting was not to her liking.
Despite the negative considerations, Tenchi spoke up. "Illyana, I think it's time we talk about things."
"Things?!" Illyana peered with a puzzled but cross attitude. "I'm trying to get my beauty sleep, then you get me awake, just because you want to talk about some things?"
Tenchi fell silent. Boy did he say the wrong words! The beginning regret of this endeavor was materializing. Nevertheless, Illyana just stood there. She did not speak anymore for acceptance, nor did she shut the door in rejection. She remained, with a answer-attracting "Well?"
"I thought you and I were friends," Tenchi answered smoothly, "but you've been treating me as if I'm some leper. As if I'm Belasco. Can't we figure-"
Before Tenchi could finish, the mention of the sorcerer erected Illyana's decision. Her door began to close. Tenchi, however, threw his foot to peg it. Unfortunately, Illyana closed the door really hard!
The result caused Tenchi to scream; he squeezed his mouth in repressed pain. The doorwoman reopened with apparent remorse. "Are you all right?"
Tenchi was on the floor, with one bent leg. "I…think so."
Satisfied, Illyana shut the door completely. The mildly injured boy just stared away. Now he knew for sure: Illyana didn't just seem to resent him. She simply resented him, period.
Noise around the hall increased, introducing Tenchi's friends running to his side in their bedclothes. "What happen'd?" Sam asked.
"IS- self- INJURED?" asked Warlock.
Tenchi just rubbed his foot, his feelings sore as well. "A little. Do you guys always have to rush into a scene?"
"When you're in this school," Dani remarked, "It's a natural occurrence."
===============================================================================================
TO BE CONTINUED
*Even though I felt the issue where Longshot joined the X-Men (UNCANNY X-MEN ANNUAL 10) happened between the events of UXM 206 and 207, he is nowhere to be seen in issues 207-214. The staying at Muir Isle is my explanation about this character's whereabouts.
**The fates of Rachel and Wolverine have already been written about. As a result, I will not dwell much on that certain storyline. For those readers who want to know what happened to them in this case, I persuade you to read UNCANNY X-MEN 207-209. As for those who want to know what will happen to Tenchi and the New Mutants, I suggest you wait for my upcoming chapter.
***The X-Factor's trip in Russia occurred in X-FACTOR ANNUAL 1.
===============================================================================================
TIMELINE:
NM= NEW MUTANTS
UXM= UNCANNY X-MEN
FF= FANFICTION
Week beforeUXM 206 - X-Men (except for absent Logan/Wolverine) leave San Francisco.
FF (Chapter 1): X-Men go to Anchorage, find an empty Summers residence. Rachel persuades team to leave her behind to search for Cyclops/Scott Summers (she fails in locating him).
NM ANNUAL 2 – Mojo kidnaps Betsy Braddock/Psylocke and the New Mutants. Betsy joins the School. Rahne/Wolfsbane (after a hiatus in Scotland) returns to the New Mutants.
UXM ANNUAL 10 - Longshot joins the School. Mojo captures X-Men (except for absent Rachel). The New Mutants rescue them.
SaturdayFF (Chapter 1): Ororo/Storm and Kurt/Nightcrawler fly Longshot to Muir Island and Betsy to Great Britain.
NM 45 - Spring Mixer that night. New Mutants and Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat meet Larry Bodine. Larry commits suicide later in the evening. Karma/Shan is with her family.
FF (Chapter 1): Tenchi and Nobuyuki on plane to America.
X-FACTOR ANNUAL 1 - The X-Factor team are in Russia.
SundayNM 45 - That morning, New Mutants learn about Larry's death.
FF (Chapter 1): That afternoon, Tenchi and Nobuyuki land in New York. Arrive at Morgan Hotel in Salem Center. Tenchi takes the bus to the School.
NM 45 - Kitty, Sam/Cannonball, Dani/Mirage, and Illyana/Magik stop Rahne's revenge on pranksters.
FF (Chapter 1): Tenchi reaches the school that night, reuniting with the New Mutants. Illyana teleports Kitty, Sam, Dani, and Rahne to school. With permission from Magneto, Tenchi stays at the School. Meanwhile, Peter/Colossus and Rogue pick up Rachel at the airport.
MondayFF (Chapter 2): Magneto meets Doug/Cypher and Warlock that morning. Tenchi has breakfast, and gets formally initiated into the group, given the name "Light-Ken." Cleans dishes with Doug and Warlock. Tenchi meets Shan/Karma at her apartment.
NM 45- Kitty Pryde presents her memorial speech for Larry Bodine to the students of Salem Center High School, as Magneto, Sam, and Dani look on.
FF (Chapter 2): Tenchi, the New Mutants and the X-Men are also present in the audience. The New Mutants go to Harry's Hideout, than walk and race back to the School. Kurt, Ororo, and Betsy return.
FF (Chapter 3): Doug greets Betsy. Tenchi visits Peter and goes to bed. Rachel and Magneto try to locate Scott Summers via Cerebro (fails). Logan/Wolverine gets seriously injured (predicted by Dani). Rachel attempts to heal Logan, only to injure herself. Illyana teleports the X-Men (Ororo, Peter, Kitty, Kurt, and Rogue) and their injured comrades to the Morlock tunnels. Healer saves Wolverine and Rachel, but both have to remain underground. Tenchi serves a Japanese dinner to the Mutants. The X-Factor returns to America. ================================================================================================
Next time: What's with Illyana? Plus, an evening will be interrupted.