The Arrival
Setting: The mansion has been fully rebuilt, and the students are back at school. The Brotherhood has also fully recovered. Magneto and Mystique are temporarily gone, searching for new recruits.
Kitty happily walked into her last period class: painting. It was her first day back to school, as well as for the others, and they were quite surprised by the reaction they received. Although some people feared and hated them, the young mutants looked at the new semester as a good time for a fresh start.
About halfway through the period, a knock came from the door. The students stopped working to watch the teacher open the door. After speaking to what looked to be the principal, the teacher turned around to face her class.
"Well, class." She tried to keep her composure, but everyone could tell how uncomfortable she was. "Apparently, we have a new addition to our class. Please welcome…Lance Alvers."
Kitty was actually the only one who hadn't looked up, but she did when Lance's name was said. Lance walked into the room with an annoyed look on his face. The teacher told him to sit in the open spot next to Kitty.
"Lance," Kitty whispered. "Since when are you interested in painting?"
"Believe me," Lance replied rolling his eyes. "This is the last place I want to be."
"Then what are you doing here?"
"Let's just say I turned Home Ec. into Home Wreck," Lance smiled.
"You were taking Home Ec?" Kitty was trying to hold in the laughter.
"Hey. Someone in that house has to know how to cook." Kitty thought of the idea of Lance in an apron and burst out laughing.
"Is there something you'd like to share Miss Pryde?" the teacher asked.
"Huh." Kitty stopped laughing to see that everyone was staring at her. "Oh, uh…sorry." Kitty slouched behind her canvas and continued to paint and giggle.
When the bell rang, Lance escorted Kitty outside.
"Say, Kitty. You want a ride home?"
Kitty saw him blush a little, which brought a small smile to her face. "Thanks for the offer, but the girls and I are going to go to the mall. Jean's driving."
"Some other time then."
"That would be nice."
Kitty walked off to join Jubilee and Jean. Lance watched them drive away and then turned to go to his locker.
"Oh, Kitty," Pietro mocked Lance. "I would love to take you home."
"Oh, Lance," Todd played along. "You're such a hunk. Of course I'll ride with you."
Lance didn't even look at them. He just raised his hand and Pietro fell on his face, while Toad fell out of the window. Lance opened his locker and found a note addressed to him.
"What ya got there?" Fred asked, peeking over Lance's shoulder.
"Nothing, Fred." Lance crumpled up the note and threw it behind him. "Just someone's lame idea for a joke. Let's get out of here."
As Lance walked out of the school with the others, a figure emerged from a classroom, glaring at them.
**********
The next day, Lance said he would meet his friends at his car, so he was alone when he went to his locker. He found another note addressed to him. Annoyed, he didn't even bother to read it. He slammed his locker shut. At this point, a cloaked and hooded figure grabbed him and slammed him into the lockers on the other side of the hallway.
"Hey!" Lance protested. 'What's your problem?"
"Do you really think I was joking?"
"Lay off man! You don't know who you're dealing with!"
The cloaked figure slammed Lance harder on to the locker.
"Wrong! You don't know who you're dealing with! Now unless you want to make things worse, I suggest you take your punk ass friends and get the hell out of town!"
"No one threatens me!"
Lance unclenched his fists and the ground began to shake. The cloaked figure jumped back and disappeared out an open window. Lance rubbed his shoulder and left.
**********
"Hey, Wanda." Todd hopped into her room from outside. "Look what I got for ya." He held out his hand, and in it was a bouquet of wilted flowers. "Ain't I romantic?"
Lance, who was about to go downstairs, stopped before he got to Wanda's door. Just as he did, Todd went flying out Wanda's and into the next. Upon reaching the living room, he sat down, and grabbed the remote. Before he could press a button, Pietro ran into the room, sat next to Lance, and snatched the remote. Not wanting to deal with his quite spontaneous friend, Lance got up while Pietro turned on the TV.
"Early this morning," the reporter said. "This very prosperous supermarket was attacked and demolished."
"Wait a sec," Pietro said. "Isn't that where Freddie went?"
Lance slowly turned around, hoping not to see what he expected to see.
"Not much is known about how, why, or who committed this violent act," the reporter continued. "The only clue police have is this mysterious mark and an ominous warning left behind the culprits."
Lance's eyes widened when he saw that the mark left by the criminals was the same on the note telling him and his teammates to leave. The warning was addressed to them, and it even called them by name.
"We have to get Freddie now!" Lance ordered.
They jumped into Lance's car and sped off.
**********
"Guys!" Jubilee ran into the danger room. "Come with me, quick!"
The danger room sequence immediately shut off, and the teens followed Jubilee upstairs. She led them to the kitchen where Xavier and Ororo were already waiting. Jubilee pointed to the TV, causing most of the students to gasp when they saw what the TV was displaying. After watching the news report, the team discussed the situation.
"Looks like someone really has it in for them," Alex said.
"Yeah," Scott agreed. "But we're the only ones who know them as the Brotherhood."
"Meaning whoever is after them must know that they're mutants," Jubilee added.
"But why the Brotherhood?" Kurt asked. "Why not us?"
"That's a good question Kurt," Xavier responded. "Seeing as to how we know that Mystique and Magneto are out of the country, this may be more complicated than it appears…and I plan on getting to the bottom of this immediately."
Xavier left the kitchen, followed by Ororo, and headed straight for Cerebro.
"So what are we gonna do?" Alex inquired.
"I know," Jubilee said excitedly. "Let's do some investigative work and go to the scene of the crime."
"I'm not sure that would be such a good idea," Scott said.
"Yeah," Rogue agreed. "That place must be swarming with cops. There's no way we'd be able to get anywhere near there."
While the group debated, no one seemed to notice Kitty phasing herself through a wall.
**********
Kitty made her way to the Brotherhood's boarding house. She was a bit worried when she didn't see Lance's car, but that wasn't the only emotion she was going to feel. She planned to wait until they came back, but someone else decided to join the party. A hand touched Kitty's shoulder, causing her to turn around and jump back.
"Jean!"
"You didn't really think that no one saw you leave did you?"
"So, the others know."
"Fortunately for you, I'm the only one who noticed."
"I was just…"
"You don't have to explain. I get it. Well, it doesn't seem like anything exciting has happened."
Jean spoke too soon. Suddenly, the girls began to hear a loud rumbling. The earth didn't seem to be shaking, so they ruled out Lance. When the two turned to look at the house, they noticed that the rumbling was emanating from there. Jean and Kitty watched in paralyzing shock as the house caved in on itself.
"Whoa," Kitty gasped. "What just happened here?"
Before Jean could answer, both girls heard tires screeching and hid. Lance's jeep came into view, and stopped when, what used to be their home, came into view. Everyone jumped out of the car and ran to the remains.
"Was there an earthquake?" Todd looked confused. "Because…I, uh…I didn't feel one."
"Of course not you moron," Wanda said irritably. "Look around you. Someone target our house only."
"Hey, Lance!" Pietro called. "I think you better look at this."
The three walked over to where Freddie and Pietro were standing. The same symbol appeared on the grass, as well as another warning.
Lance clenched his fists. "This ends now."
The Brotherhood walked back to the car and drove off. Jean and Kitty ran over to see what the warning said. Upon reading it, they both looked at each other and then ran back to the mansion.
**********
The final warning had told the Brotherhood to go to a certain spot in the city, and that's where Lance drove the others. What was odd was that, the meeting place, which is usually bustling with people in the afternoon, was completely deserted. The groups stepped out of the car to survey their surroundings.
"Glad you could make it," said a voice.
The Brotherhood looked up to find five cloaked figures on top of a five-story building. All five jumped off and landed not too far from the Brotherhood.
"Where are all the people?" Wanda questioned.
"Let's just say that all the people within a mile radius have to spend their day elsewhere," replied a female voice.
"What is she talking about?" Freddie asked.
"Who do you guys think you are coming here and threatening us?" Lance demanded.
"We're the new bad guys in town," answered the same person Lance had encountered the day before. "This place isn't big enough for all of us."
"Yeah, well this is our territory, and we're not going to give it up with out a fight."
"Hah! We've seen your fighting capabilities, and they're pathetic. Your failed to defeat the X-Men proves it's time for some new blood to bring a whole different reign of terror."
"What are you talking about?" Pietro charged. "We've beaten the X-Men."
"But you couldn't have done it without your precious sister, and not even she is powerful enough to stop us."
"All this talk is getting us no where," Lance said. "It's time to get down to business."
Lance looked at Pietro, who acknowledged by dashing towards their enemies and running around them. His incredible speed caused a tornado-like reaction. The wind was strong enough to rip the cloaks off their enemies, but it didn't seem to have any other effect than that. In fact, the expression on their faces was as if they weren't impressed. One of them, a man, outstretched his arms. The moment he did so, Quicksilver stopped running. Well, he was still running, but in slow motion. A green-haired female magnetically lifted a fire hydrant and smacked it on to Pietro's chest, sending him flying into Lance's car.
"They're mutants!" Todd exclaimed.
A devious smile crossed Lance's face. "Looks like this battle just got more interesting."
Lance now took the initiative and outstretched his arms. The tremor resulting caused the building on other side of the enemy to fall on them. The result, however, wasn't what was expected. The same mutant that slowed down Pietro also slowed down the crumbling buildings. The girl with green hair once again took action by flinging all the metallic pieces at the Brotherhood. Freddie stayed where he stood and effortlessly punched the debris away from him. Toad had to continuously jump, even using his tongue to slap away smaller objects.
A blonde woman dressed completely in white created a psychic javelin and threw it at the Brotherhood. Wanda looked at it intently and it flew back at its thrower. All five had to escape because, when the javelin hit the ground, it caused a small explosion.
The leader held out one of his hands, and the four remaining of the Brotherhood began to float, as if gravity had suddenly let go of them. Wanda immediately used her powers to reverse the effects. She couldn't get very far, however, because the white-dressed woman psychically knocked her out.
Seeing their most powerful member incapacitated, Lance, Todd, and Freddie decided to go all out. Freddie and Toad charged, while Lance prepared to cause an earth-shattering tremor. The final member of the new team finally decided to do her share. Circular waves began to emanate from her body. Upon reaching their targets, the waves cause hallucinatory visions that made her foes dizzy and sick in the stomach.
The leader stepped up, and placed his hands in front of him. A swirling orb of energy formed between his hands. "Now…it ends."
The X-Men reached their destination as soon as they could. Kitty ran to the front and peered out the window. She couldn't see much because they were high up, but she could see the ball of energy.
"Quick!" she commanded. "Get us out of here!"
"What's going on?" Scott asked.
"Just do it!"
As the jet turned around, the ball of energy grew into an expanding dome. The dome had an incredible gravitational field, drawing everything to it. Lance and his teammates were flung on to buildings and other objects, and the force was so great, that every building the dome touched crumbled. The dome was able to reach the X-Jet, but the plane was far enough so that it didn't feel the full effects. It was strong enough, however, to cause the jet to crash.
The X-Men wearily and shakily stepped off the X-Jet.
"Is everyone alright?" Scott asked. He looked around as everyone nodded.
Kitty ran to Kurt. "Hurry!"
With a puff of smoke, Kitty and Kurt disappeared. They materialized at the epicenter of event. Storm, carrying everyone else, arrived moments later.
"Lance!" Kitty yelled frantically. "Lance! Answer me! Jean!"
Jean nodded and put her fingers to her temples. "Pietro is about a quarter of a mile that way, and he's in plain sight." Kurt grabbed Alex and jubilee and teleported. "Todd and Freddie are under the coffee shop. Wanda's buried in the police station. Lance is…Lance is…"
"Lance is what?" Kitty demanded.
"Lance is beneath us."
The X-Men immediately spotted a large hole in the street not far form them. Kitty slid through the asphalt.
"Shouldn't someone else go down there too?" Bobby asked.
Scott gave him the signal to go help Kitty. Scott then ran to where Todd and Freddie were, firing his optic blasts as soon as he arrived. Jean then used her powers to bring the two to them. Meanwhile, Storm was creating a mini-tornado to uncover Wanda. When the debris was cleared, Rogue went over to Wanda and carried her. Kurt and the others showed up soon, leaving Bobby and Kitty. Minutes passed before the two finally appeared.
Bobby came out first on his ice slide, followed by Kitty and Lance. Once on the ground, she held him in her lap. The team was getting ready to go back to the jet when something blasted them back. They looked to see five figures standing on a fallen building.
"What have you done?" Kitty screamed.
"You know as well as we do that they're not dead," the leader replied. "But they might as well be."
"The Brotherhood may have been our enemies," Scott said. "But they never deserved this."
"This…was just a demonstration. They were a minor nuisance that needed to be taken care of. Next time, we're coming after you." The five turned to leave.
"Wait!" Jubilee called. "Who are you?"
The leader smiled. "The Marauders." With that, the woman in white psychically knocked them out.