Episode Three

'Cain, I need your help.'

Charles Xavier stepped out on to the lawn. It was late October, but in the sunshine it was quite pleasant.

'So?' Cain Marko replied. He picked up another rocked, about the size of his brother's bald head, and sent it skimming across the lake. Down at the water's edge, Sammy jumped up and down and cheered. Cain grunted in acknowledgement.

'I think he likes you, Cain,' Xavier remarked.

'So?' Cain looked about for another rock to hurl. 'What do I care what the runt thinks?'

'I think you do care, Cain,' Xavier commented. 'I think you care a great deal.'

'What is this,' Cain shot back, hefting a larger rock, 'Psychology 101? You think that just cause you can't get in my head the usual way I'm a prime target for some kind of psychoanalysis?' He threw the rock and it sailed halfway across the lake, before strike the surface and skimming almost all the way to the opposite bank. 'Well maybe I don't care what you think either.'

'Perhaps.' Xavier folded his hands on top of his walking-cane and waited.

'What?' Cain demanded after a couple of minutes of silence.

Xavier stared at the birds flying across the lake.

'You're not going to go away, are you?' Cain asked.

'Well, it is my school,' Xavier pointed out.

'Okay, okay, if it'll get rid of you,' Cain complained. 'What is it you want my help with?'

'My X-Men have run into some trouble concerning a Russian mutant. It would appear that the boy was a prisoner of the Russian secret service who wanted to utilise his mutant gift for assassinations, his mutant gift, incidentally, being the power to create solid images of deceased loved ones and then use them to kill. It would appear, however, that his time in capacity has had an unfortunate effect upon his mental condition.'

'In English, Cueball,' Cain said.

'The boy is psychotic,' Xavier explained. 'He enjoys nothing more than murdering large numbers of people in public places while he watches their suffering.'

Cain laughed.

'And that's what you call an 'unfortunate effect', is it?' he said. 'So what's the problem? The little X-nerds need some help bringing this freak to heel?'

'It's not quite that simple, Cain,' Xavier continued. 'It would appear that the Brotherhood of Mutants have learned of the boy's abilities and wish to utilise him for their own ends.'

'Their own ends being wanton acts of terrorism and violence?' Cain said. 'What can I say? I'm something of a fan.'

Xavier released a slow silent breath.

'Be that as it may,' he said, 'it is imperative that the Brotherhood be stopped before more people are killed. It would be a great help if the X-Men could count on the strength of the Juggernaut.'

'No doubt,' Cain replied, 'but I still don't see what any of this has to do with me. I didn't sign on to be a hero.'

'Few people do,' Xavier said, 'but that doesn't stop them from doing what's right when the situation demands. Take little Sammy for example. He hadn't even set foot inside my school before he showed were his allegiance lay, risking his life to save another. Your life, as I recall.'

'What of it?'

'So what's your decision, Cain? Will you help me or not?' Xavier asked. 'Perhaps we should ask Sammy what you should do. You are his idol, after all. But then, we both know what he would say, don't we, Cain? But what about you? What do you say?'

Cain stared down at the lake, at Sammy swimming happily in the sparkling water. The fish-faced boy spotted him watching and waved at him. Cain started to raise a hand in response, then got a hold of himself.

'I'll help,' he said at last. 'But let's get one thing straight. I'm not doing this for Sammy and I'm definitely not doing it for you. I'm only doing this because it's been far too long since I had a good rough and tumble.'

'Of course, Cain,' Xavier said, turning to go back inside. 'I wouldn't have expected anything else.'

* * *

Tokyo was always a riot of light and colour, but tonight was even more intense than usual. The city was playing host to a celebration of cultural diversity, with a focus on the mutant minority living in Japan. Mutants had always had an easier time in Asia. The culture was more ready to accept the presence of gaudily-clad superheroes than to demonise them. As such, Tokyo prided itself on being one of the more forward thinking and tolerant capitals in the world. The last thing it expected was to be a target for mutant terrorism.

A stage had been erected in preparation for a massive pop concert planned to close the festivities. The stage was currently being demolished by the Blob.

Toad bounded over to a TV camera, knocked the camera-man flying and then pointed the camera in the direction of Avalanche, who was standing in the centre of the stage.

'Good evening, Tokyo!' Avalanche shouted, a microphone in his hand. 'Tonight's broadcast is being brought to you by the Brotherhood of Mutants. You've probably heard of us. We just wanted to let you know what we think of your little celebration. Do you really think we care what you humans think of mutants? Do you really think we want to live in peace with you? Get real. We're the next stage in evolution and we're here to take over. Humanity is already in its final days, but what the hell, we thought we'd try speeding up the process anyway.'

Phantoms started to appear amid the panicked crowd and the screaming only intensified.

* * *

'So what's the plan?' Jono asked from his seat at the back of the Blackbird.

'We hit 'em fast and we hit 'em hard,' Logan growled from the co-pilot's seat.

'That's a plan?'

'Works for me,' Cain commented.

There were five X-Men aboard the jet. Kurt was piloting, eyes focussed determinedly ahead. Logan sat next to him, popping his claws in and out at irregular intervals. Jono, Bobby and Cain occupied seats at the back of the cabin. Warren and Jean-Paul were back at the school recovering from their injuries.

'I've known Jubilee to come up with better,' Jono muttered.

'You want to argue with Logan, you be my guest,' Bobby remarked.

'Quiet down back there,' Kurt ordered. 'We're closing on target.'

'Hey, what's that shaking?' Jono asked.

'Well, either Juggy here forgot to eat before we left,' Bobby quipped, 'or it's déjà vu all over again.'

'Déjà vu?'

'Remember what happened to the last X-Jet?' Logan growled. 'Time to bail, crew. Elf?'

Kurt reached out and put a three-fingered hand on his friend's shoulder. Then he and Logan disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

'You coming, Jono?' Bobby asked as he popped open the hatch.

'Do I get a choice?'

'Well, you could stay here and die,' Bobby pointed out as he froze the moisture in the air to create an ice-slide.

'You've never heard of a rhetorical question, right,' Jono remarked just before he leaped from the plane and onto the ramp. His feet slipped out from under him on the slick surface and he travelled rapidly to ground level on his backside.

'Now that's class,' Cain said.

'Your turn, Juggy,' Bobby told him.

'Like hell,' Cain replied. The armoured mutant stepped off the jet and dropped straight down. There was a huge crash as he landed.

'Guy knows how to make an entrance,' Bobby said to himself. 'Gotta give him that.'

He took a running jump from the X-Jet and landed on his ramp like a surfer, sliding downwards with a grace born of much practice. Above him, the plane finally shook itself apart and fiery wreckage rained down towards the crowd below.

'Jono?' Bobby shouted.

'I got it.' Jono was lying on his back at the bottom of the slide. He used both hands to tear the bandages away from his chest and unleashed a bio-blast straight up, disintegrating what remained of the aircraft.

'Smokin',' Bobby said. Then Mimic slammed into him, knocking him from his perch.

* * *

When Kurt and Logan reappeared, they were almost knocked off their feet by the fleeing crowd.

'Looks like most people still have enough sense to run away,' Logan commented.

'That suggests that K32's power is limited,' Kurt deduced, 'which is undoubtedly a good thing.'

'You think? Where do you suppose their hiding the guy, anyway?'

'Beats me,' Kurt replied.

The ground started to shake and Kurt ported to the top of a streetlight. Logan dug his claws into the ground and rode out the wave.

'You know, that guy's really starting to piss me off,' Logan said, indicating Avalanche with a nod of his head.

'He's all yours, my friend,' Kurt told him.

'And what'll you be up to, elf?' Logan asked.

'I feel like snaring me a Toad.'

* * *

'Blob.'

Cain stomped down the street towards the vast mutant.

'Juggernaut,' Blob said. 'What are you doing here, man? I thought you'd be on our side.'

'Now why on earth would I want to do that,' Cain retorted. 'When are you people going to get it through your thick skulls that I'm not even a mutant? I couldn't care less about your stupid little squabble.'

'Then why are you here?' Blob asked.

'I'm just here for a good scrap,' Cain told him, 'and you look like a prime target.'

'You're more than welcome to try,' Blob shot back, 'but I wouldn't fancy your chances.'

'Really?' Cain sneered. 'Let me show you why they call be the unstoppable Juggernaut.'

'Yeah, well, unstoppable, meet immovable.' Blob folded his flabby arms over his chest.

'Immovable? Right,' Cain drawled. He activated his communicator. 'Kurt? This building here, is it empty?'

'Yes, I think so,' Kurt's voice crackled back. 'Why? Is it important?'

'Not really,' Cain replied before running straight into the skyscraper.

The building collapsed around him, falling back into the street.

Blob looked up and screamed as he saw the masonry tumbling towards him. His screams were soon silenced when he was buried deep beneath the remains of the building.

'Now you're immovable,' Cain remarked.

* * *

Bobby was caught up in Mimic's clutches. Jono wanted to help him, but did not know how to do so without hitting them both.

Then he noticed movement beneath the stage. Tentatively, he crept over and ducked under the support beams.

'Hello?' he called out. 'Is anyone down here.'

'Only me,' said a bald black kid.

'Everett?' Jono said.

'Long time no see,' Everett replied as he plunged a knife into Jono's chest.

* * *

'Hold still will you,' Toad snapped as his tongue snaked out and struck the wall Kurt had been crouching on moments before.

'Now why would I want to do that?' Kurt asked as he reappeared on top of a neon side on the other side of the street. He teleported again and then reappeared in a cloud of purple smoke above Toad.

'Tag, you're it,' he laughed, tapping Toad on the shoulder as he fell past him. Then he teleported again, reappearing on top of a taxi cab.

'You think you're so clever, don't you,' Toad claimed as he shook his head to clear the smoke away. 'And by the way, this stuff stinks.'

'This from the master of personal hygiene,' Kurt quipped.

'Oh, you are so going to pay for that,' Toad said.

'Catch me if you can,' Kurt replied, bounding away. 'On second thoughts, please do.'

Toad's slimy tongue shot across the street and Kurt grabbed hold of it with his left hand before giving it a sharp tug. Toad lost his grip on the wall and was snapped across the street by the elastic nature of his own tongue.

'This is gonna hurt, isn't it?' he complained.

'Yes, I'm afraid it is,' Kurt told him as he slugged him in the face with his free hand.

* * *

'Avalanche!' Logan roared as he sprinted towards the stage. 'I'm gonna tear that armour of yours apart piece by piece!'

He sprang upwards, sailing through the air towards his quarry.

Avalanche stretched out his hand, sending waves of vibrational energy through Logan's frame.

'Got bad news for you, bub,' Logan said as he landed, cat-like, next to Avalanche. 'Adamantium's unbreakable.'

He slashed upwards with both sets of claws and Avalanche's armour fell away.

'What do you fancy losing next, bub?' Logan asked. 'I'm quite happy to keep carving you up till Christmas, but you might want to end this early by telling me where you've hidden K32. You know, your new Russian friend.'

Avalanche took another couple of steps backwards and fell off the edge of the stage.

Logan jumped down after him.

'Dammit,' he sighed after examining the body. Avalanche had struck his head when he fell and he was out cold. 'Now what?'

'Well, I was thinking that maybe you and I could talk, Logan.'

Logan spun round. A Japanese woman was approaching him from beneath the stage.

'Mariko?' he breathed.

* * *

'How's it feel to know you're beaten?' Mimic asked.

'Dunno,' Bobby replied as he struggled to free himself from Mimic's crushing grip, 'but you can tell me yourself in about sixty seconds.'

'Keep making the wisecracks, Ice-Man,' Mimic said. 'They're all you've got left. Me on the other hand, well I've got the powers of all five of the original X-Men. And that includes Cyclops' optic blasts.'

Mimic's eyes began to glow red. Then he threw back his head and screamed in pain. He let go of Bobby, who immediately created a platform of ice to stand on.

'Whatwhat have you done?' Mimic demanded.

Bobby shrugged.

'Nothing much,' he replied. 'I've just frozen all of the liquid in your eyeballs. Try blasting anybody now, sunshine.'

'I'll kill you,' Mimic insisted.

Bobby shook his head.

'No, I don't think you will. See, those five original X-Men you keep going on about, seems you've forgotten than I was one of them. I trained with those guys for years. You think I didn't figure out ways to beat them. Right now, I'm cooling you brain, slowing down the reactions going on in there. That takes care of Marvel Girl's telepathy and telekinesis. And Beast's strength and agility aren't much good if you're shivering so badly you can't control your own muscles. And as for Angel's wings, well there aren't many birds that can fly through a blizzard.'

The sky filled with whiteness as Mimic plummeted to the ground.

With a wave of his hand, Bobby carved steps in his icy tower and began to descend towards his opponent.

'Care to go a few more rounds?' he asked.

'I stillhave your powersIce-Man,' Mimic growled, covering himself with a layer of ice.

'I was hoping you would say that,' Bobby said.

He stretched out his hand and ice started to fly from Mimic to Bobby's palm.

'You see, my control's improved a lot since you absorbed those abilities,' Bobby explained. 'My power level's gone through the roof, too. I'm betting I could absorb all of you in this state if I wanted to. Course, I've never tried this stunt before so I don't know what would happen to you after that. So I guess I'll give you a choice: you can surrender now or we can continue this little experiment and pick up the pieces later.'

* * *

'Jono!'

Kurt sprang forwards as he saw Everett plunge a knife into his colleague's chest. However, he was halted in mid flight as a large hand clamped around his tail.

'Going somewhere, tovarisch?'

'Piotr?' Kurt turned and sure enough the steel giant also known as Colossus was standing behind him.

'Surprised to see me?' Colossus asked.

'Well, yes,' Kurt admitted. 'You're dead.'

Colossus cocked his head to one side as if thinking.

'Yes, that's right. I am dead, aren't I?' he mused. 'I committed suicide. Now, according to your precious God, doesn't that make me damned?'

Fangs sprouted from Colossus' mouth and his fingers curled into talons as he lunged at Kurt.

* * *

'I have missed you, my beloved,' Mariko said.

'It can't be,' Logan whispered as he stared at his deceased fiancee. 'You can't be real, but everyone of my senses is telling me otherwise.'

'Yes, that's just like you, Logan,' Mariko continued. 'When all else fails you fall back on your animal side. Where is the honourable man I fell in love with? What has become of the great samurai?'

'He'll always be a part of me, M'iko,' Logan assured her, 'just as you'll always be in there too.'

'Well then, let's cut you open and find out,' Mariko shouted. She had plucked a samurai sword from the air and was charging towards Logan with it.

Logan crossed his claws in front of him and caught the blade between them.

'Mariko,' he cried, 'what's gotten into you?'

Mariko threw back her head and laughed. A forged tongue snaked from her mouth.

'The Devil, Logan,' she said, 'the very Devil himself.'

* * *

'Was that supposed to hurt?' Jono asked. The knife hung suspended in the energy field that made up most of his body.

'There's precious little of me left that's flesh and blood,' he continued, 'or have you forgotten that, Everett.'

Jono took a step forward.

'Course Everett wouldn't have bleedin' forgotten,' Jono said. 'He was way to smart for that. But then you're not Everett, are you, mate? So why don't you bugger off back to hell where you belong.'

Everett's form wavered and then faded away into nothing.

'Nice party trick,' Jono shouted, 'but the games over now. Time to step into the light and show yourself.'

Subject K32, bundled in his coat and scarf, was standing by a support pillar. He pulled a gun from within his coat and fired again and again.

The bullets were absorbed harmlessly by Jono's energy field.

'I'm not like other guys, remember,' Jono said, walking slowly towards K32. 'You can't kill me, so why don't you just give it up.'

K32 turned and ran.

'Yoohoo, over here,' a voice called.

K32 turned and Bobby struck him with a baseball bat made of ice. The Russian mutant crumpled in a heap.

'Low quality finish, Drake,' Jono commented.

'Bite me,' Bobby shot back.

'Hey, children, over here!' Logan shouted.

He was running towards a man tied up beneath the stage.

'Your friend?' Jono asked.

'Got it in one,' Logan replied, slicing through Andrei's bonds with his claws. 'Soon as those ghosts disappeared, Andrei's scent registered loud and clear.

'Hey, what's the matter?' Bobby asked as he removed Andrei's gag. 'We beat the bad guy. All's right with the world.'

'No, you don't understand,' Andrei insisted. 'There is another. Nikolai...Subject K32...he has a sister.'

* * *

Paige was woken from her slumber by a knock at her door.

'Who is it?' she called out.

There was no answer, just more knocking.

'All right, all right, I'm coming,' Paige said.

She opened the door.

Everett was standing on the other side.