A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to update. Things have been a bit hectic at the moment. I hope you like it. I tried to make the beginning a bit lighter, more relaxed than the rest of it, but the end, well. you'll just have to read on and see.

Disclaimer: Yet again, I do not own the X-Men nor am I (or will I ever be) making money from this.

The professor was waiting for them when they entered the mansion. He had sensed them approach, but he would rather discuss what they have been doing in person than psychically, so he did not sense their guests.
Cyclops and Jean were the first into the mansion. The others were either showing the X-Knights around the lower levels for a while. Cyclops was talking, a cup of coffee in one hand. Jean was half-listening to her husband, half lost in thought. Neither of them noticed Xavier sitting across the room at first.
"I assume there was some emergency that called everyone away?" he asked them.
"Professor!" Jean exclaimed. "You're back early. I thought you were returning tomorrow."
"Things went quicker than I anticipated," he admitted.
"How did things go at Washington?" Scott asked, pulling up a chair and sitting down.
"As well as could be expected. After the recent tragedies, there is a lot of fear of mutants. I hope that I have done something to help calm things slightly. What has been happening here?"
Scott was about to reply when Jean cut him off. "I think that we had best let out guests explain." Curious, the professor sent out a mental probe to try to identify the guests. "No peeking," Jean mock-chided him. "I want it to be a surprise."
Smiling, he accented to her request. He turned his wheelchair to the door, awaiting the arrival of the mystery guest. He ran through a number of possibilities, but when the doors opened, he was completely surprised.
"Good evening, Professor Xavier," Ebony smiled. "You're looking well."
"As are you, Captain Valmont." He smiled kindly. "Considering our last meeting, I hope you are not offended if I don't say I'm pleased to see you."
She chuckled softly. "I don't blame you. That was rather inconvenient, wasn't it?"
"At least. I must admit your presence quite astounds me. I would assume the others are here, as well?"
"They're being given the grand tour."
"I trust there is an explanation for your presence?"
"Not really. I think it best if I try explain everything, though." As she stepped forward, her smile turned into a grimace and she clutched her side. Jean and Scott leapt up to help her, but she waved them away. "It's nothing," she assured them. "Just an old wound woken up by the struggle."
"Are you sure?" the professor asked. "Perhaps you would like Beast to take a look?"
"The good doctor has more important things to do than look at an old war dog like me," she said, grinning. "No, it's just been a long day. I arrived here immediately after the battle with Lord Sumner, and a couple of things have happened since then, as well."
"Then I suggest that you get a good night's sleep," the professor commented, only slightly surprised that an event that had happened half a lifetime ago to him was still today to her. They had dealt with time- travellers before, after all. "As long as there is no immediate threat, explanations can wait till the morning. Jean will show you to your room."
"Thank you." She had straitened up again and followed Jean out of the room, gingerly holding her side.
Cyclops turned to the professor, who was silently musing. "I imagine that it's been an interesting day," the elder man said after a moment.
"Yes," Cyclops replied.
"I believe that it will get even more interesting shortly." He turned to leave. "Show the others to rooms near each other," he called over his shoulder as he left. "I'm going to get some rest. It's been a long day for all."

The next morning the X-Men woke to the smell of breakfast. Curiously they all emerged from their rooms to explore this strange occurrence.
Beast, who had fallen asleep in the lab (again) while trying to analyse the readings taken from the appearance of the X-Knights, was the first to make his way to the kitchen. The smell had reminded him that he hadn't eaten in quite a while, and he was suddenly ravenously hungry.
He found all the X-Knights in the kitchen. Shadow was leaning back in a chair against the wall, drinking a beer. Druid was sitting cross- legged on the floor by the window deep in meditation and Ebony was reclined in another chair reading yesterday's paper (which had been left out the night before) and holding a burning cigarette in one hand. Berzerker, stripped to the waist as always, was doing one-handed push-ups and chatting amiably with Rebel. The young woman was in the kitchen, cooking.
The breakfast she was cooking would easily feed all the X-Men and X- Knights, even considering some of their ravenous appetites. Bacon, eggs, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, toast. the list goes on. Rebel was somehow managing to cook it all, hold a conversation with Berzerker and try to badger someone into laying a table.
"Fascinating," Beast muttered.
"Hey!" Berzerker said, noticing him. "Doc. How ya doin?"
"Passable," he said, distracted by the wealth of smells teasing his senses.
"I'd appreciate some help here!" Rebel called from deep in the kitchen.
Ebony snapped her paper closed sharply, took one last puff from her cigarette before putting it out, and smiled. "Good morning, Doctor. Shadow, go give Janet a hand. Doctor McCoy can show me where they keep the cutlery and I'll lay the table."
"Oh, certainly my dear lady," Beast replied. "And please, call me Hank."
"In that case, please call me Elena."
Shadow grunted and stood up slowly from the chair. He shuffled over to the kitchen where Janet swiftly put him to work. Soon he was chatting with the young woman while he swiftly diced and chopped various ingredients.
"What's goin' on?" A yawning Rogue asked as she came into the room.
"Our guests have been so kind as to cook for us," Beast replied, helping Elena get the table ready.
"Have they?" she glanced in the kitchen. "Well Ah never."
"Now that's what you call a welcome guest," Angle commented as he came in. One by one the X-Men filtered in. Soon they were seated around the table, discussing everything from the current news to world history as Elena tried to glean some idea of this new world. Gambit had already tried to 'help' cook, but when a globe of darkness had enveloped his head he gave up and left, food unspiced. Scott had agreed to show Kyle the Danger Room and set up a training program for him. Peoples' orders for eggs had been taken, and Janet and Shadow were kept busy for quiet a while. By the time the last X-Man had arrived, smoking a cigar and grumbling about all the racket, the food was ready.
The food was laid out on the table and everyone tucked it. Druid and Storm were deep in a conversation about nature, both so interested in the discussion that they merely picked at their food. Janet was chatting with anyone and everyone, while Kyle was so busy eating (he ate enough for three people, and only stopped because Elena told him too) that he didn't really say much. Shadow spent more time listening than talking, but he did agree to a poker game with Gambit and some of the others. Elena spent much of her time catching up on the differences between this world and hers.
"So what are your plans for the day?" Xavier asked when it seemed everyone was finished.
"I was hoping to have a chance to go shopping," Janet said. "I need some new clothes." She grinned. "I don't actually wear this all the time."
"Me too," Kyle said around a mouth of food. He swallowed. "I need to buy some music. This reality has some great stuff."
"How do you know?" Bobby asked curiously.
"I only need about an hour or two of sleep," he replied, stuffing another mouthful of food in his mouth. "I spent most of the night watching music TV."
"Oh."
"I imagine Shadow and Druid will amuse themselves," Ebony said wryly, producing a nod from the two. "There are a few things I could use, but I was also hoping to catch up on things. I also imagine that you'd want to discuss yesterday's events." The last was directed to the professor.
"Indeed," he replied. "I'm sure many of the X-Men will be more than willing to help you with the shopping. And don't be concerned with money. We will provide enough."
"No need," Shadow said. He pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and dumped it on the table.
"Where did you get that?" Cyclops asked suspiciously.
"Do we want to know?" Jean commented.
"No," Elena, Janet and Kyle replied together.
"I don't sleep," Shadow stated simply.
"Do you mean to say that you were up all night robbing people?" Cyclops asked indignantly, standing up. Janet sighed and put her head in her hands in despair while Elena shook her head.
"The owners didn't need it anymore," Shadow replied, shrugging.
"Why not?" Many of the X-Men had already guessed the answer, and the rest of the table had hushed as everyone stopped what they were doing to watch.
"They were dead."
Cyclops almost exploded. Only a calming hand from Jean kept him from lashing out at the calm man.
Shadow grinned tersely. "I went down into New York to see what was going on. I happened to be in the neighbourhood when a couple of hoods tried to rape a young girl." His smile faded. "I don't approve of that kind of thing."
Elena sighed. "How long, Shadow?"
"Only an hour," he shrugged. "I was in a good mood."
Elena growled in anger and lent forward. "I've told you not to do that! We need to talk. Now." She stood up and marched purposefully out of the room. Shadow followed close behind. After a moment Elena's raised voice could be heard from a few rooms away.
"What was that about?" Rogue asked.
"It's complicated," Janet said. "Shadow has a sense of honour," Druid said. "It is not a normal one, but it is strong."
"He's actually a bit of a gentleman," Janet added. "He thinks women should be protected, looked after. And his powers, well, they gave him the knowledge to make him the perfect assassin. It taught him how to do other things. Not nice things."
"He tortures 'em," Wolverine more stated then asked. Janet nodded wordlessly.
Everyone at the table blanched slightly. There was a deafening silence in which only the slow ticking of the clock Elena's raised voice could be heard. Eventually, Janet spoke. "Elena's been trying to get him to stop it, but, well," she sighed and looked a bit ashamed. "It's been useful occasionally."
"It is not a particularly nice practice," Druid admitted. "But our world was not a particularly nice place. On the way back from the Amazon, Ebony had a word with Shadow about these things. However, I fear our friend rarely listens when other people give him advice."
"Don't be hard on him," Kyle said, noticing the looks on some of the X-Men's face. "He's a good guy, but he's had a tough life."
"Its not his fault, either," Janet said. "He's got a darkness in him. He tries to hide it, but its there. It comes out when he loses his temper. If he had a choice, I think he'd get rid of it in an instant, but he can't."
"I think we understand," the professor said, noticing Elena re- entering the room. "Many of us have done things we are not proud of, and some of us have dark sides which we struggle to contain. Part of what we do here is learning to control that, so that we only use our powers for the good of mankind. Perhaps we can help Shadow overcome his demons."
"You won't get a chance today," Elena said grimly. "He's taken off." She sighed sadly and sat down. "I may have been a bit harsh with him. I guess that I just don't want him messing things up, both for us, and you. The last thing you need is rumours of some horrible mutant murderer out on a rampage."
"I agree," the professor nodded. "But we must try to understand him rather than judge him."
"You mean you're going to let him get away with what he did?" Cyclops demanded.
The professor shrugged. "It is not much worse than what many of us have done," he stated blandly. Most of the X-Men looked guilty. "He needs our help. We cannot do that if he is not here."
There was the sound of grinding of metal and then a quick roar of an engine. "I think Shadow has taken one of the jets," Storm commented.
"If one of you will go with me, I'll go get him back," Janet said.
"No, you need your rest," the professor said. "I suggest that you take the day off to do some shopping, as you planned. Some of the X-Men can follow him. The jets all have tracking devices on them, so it shouldn't be too difficult."
"I'll go," Rogue volunteered.
Gambit shot her a suspicious glance. "Gambit shall also go," he stated.
The professor nodded. "Take one of the jets and follow him. Don't force him to come back, but keep an eye on him, and don't let him hurt anyone." They nodded and exited.
Elena sighed and shook her head. "I'm really sorry, professor," she said.
He held up a hand. "There is nothing to be sorry for," he assured her. "Now, I think we all have things to do today. I think it best if we get started."

Kyle hummed softly to himself as he wandered around the music store. Ever so often, seemingly at random, he grabbed a CD from the rack, looked at it briefly, and put it in the basket he was carrying. Already it was fairly full. Bobby and Scott had joined him, and were wandering aimlessly among the aisles. Bobby had a pair of CDs in hand, but they had been there for over an hour already and Kyle showed little sign of being ready to leave. Kyle was flirting outrageously with an attractive young woman who had been watching him for the past ten minutes. He grinned and laughed as he not so subtly appreciated her physical attributes. After a few moments she scribbled her number down on a piece of paper, handed it to him and sauntered off with an inviting wink. "He's good," Bobby admitted to Scott as they watched the exchange. "Jean explained it to me," Scott said a bit disapprovingly. "It's his mutant power. It makes all women attracted to him." "You mean.?" Scott just nodded. Bobby gave a short whistle. "Now that's a nice power." Scott glared at him. Bobby shrugged and grinned. "I think it's time to go," Scott said darkly. He obviously didn't like the young X-Knight. Bobby chuckled softly as they walked over to where Kyle was perusing the shelves. "Are you done yet?" Scott asked shortly. "Hmmm?" Kyle grabbed another CD. He looked up and saw the X-Men leader's dark scowl. He grinned evilly. "Hey, Scotty! How's it hanging?" Scott glowered. "Are you done yet?" He repeated. "Yes, sir!" he said, ripping off a rather impressive salute, not losing his grin. "By the way, I just met a nice young girl. She's got a sister, if you're interested. I'm sure a cute young girl like that would just die to meet you. And you should have a bit of fun, don't you think." "I'm married." "So?" Scott frowned and stormed off. Kyle laughed loudly to himself and leaned back against the wall. "I like him," he said to Bobby. Bobby laughed as well. "Well, we'd better go," he said after a moment. "We've got a lot to do." Kyle nodded. "Go tell captain one-eye that I'm going to buy everything now and I'll be out in a minuet." Bobby nodded, still smiling and walked away. Kyle wandered over to the cashier's desk, picking up a couple of more CDs on the way. "Can I help.you.?" the woman at the counter's voice grew very soft and quiet as she turned noticed Kyle. She felt her heart began to race as she stared at his rippling muscles, broad grin and beautiful blond hair. She felt herself melt as she lost herself in his deep blue eyes. The entire world seemed to stop as she beheld this pinnacle of masculine perfection. "Yes, my dear." he paused and looked at her nametag. "Pauline." He grinned boyishly at the passingly attractive young woman. He heaved the pile of CDs onto the counter effortlessly. "I'd like to buy these." "Hmm?" she replied dreamily. "Oh, yes, buy. How nice." She shook her head to clear the warm, fuzzy thoughts that were clouding her mind. "Um, yes, right, I'll just ring these up." she reached out to get one of the CD's and her hand brushed his as he tried to hand it to her. She felt a jolt of electricity run through her entire body. She took the CD as she blushed furiously, trying to get the job done. But she couldn't take her eyes off him. She wanted to say something, to be smart or sexy, or, or. but her tongue was like lead in her mouth. It took a while, but eventually she had all his CD's bagged and handed to him. "Um. that will be. um." Kyle caulked an eyebrow and chuckled softly. He got this from time to time. He handed her a handful of money. "That should take care of it. And keep the change for yourself, beautiful." Pauline only blush in response, silently cursing herself. Talk to him, say something! At least say thank you. But just as she was about to reply, he turned and left, not giving her a second glance, or a second's thought. She stared longingly at his retreating back. Somewhere not very far away soft, lonely, lovely music began to play. The sound of haunting flutes and poignant violins seemed to waft through the air. Pauline shook her head clear. "Stop that," she snapped irritably. The music stopped. Sighing a long, lonely sigh, she pushed the thought of this perfect man from her mind and got back to work.

Janet grinned as she stood, waiting for the X-Woman's appraisal. Jean carefully studied the young woman's choice of apparel. "Interesting," she said after a moment. Janet wore a long, leather trench coat over a pair of jeans and a small, gauzy, brightly coloured top that showed, in Jean's opinion, too much bellow and much to much above. The red silk scarf was once again tied around her neck, and a matching one was tied around her waist. Her shoes were comfortable and with only a moderate heel, but stylish none-the-less. A pair of gold earrings, shaped like crescent moons, dangled from her ears and a gold chain bracelet adorned her right wrist. Her raven hair was lose and hung strait down her back. "Ah, what do you know?" she grinned at the beautiful X-Woman. "Oh, I like it," Jean assured her. "It's just. unusual." "And the costumes you guy's wear are normal?" she arched an eyebrow. "That's different," Jean said, a bit defensively. Janet laughed, a lovely, tinkling sound. "I understand. I'm just teasing." Jean smiled as well. "I know." Janet sighed and looked at the large pile of clothes they had accumulated. "Do you think we have enough?" "I don't know," Jean replied. "What do you think?" Janet took out the large wad of cash Shadow had given her, flicking through it. "I think this should do. I've got a few more things I want to pick up at some other places." Janet got changed back into her clothes and the two women gathered up the clothes and took it to the counter. They patiently waited while the cashier totalled the price. Janet seemed a bit distracted and Jean could feel the concern radiating off of her. "What's wrong?" Jean asked as the two of them, shopping in hand, left the store. "Nothing," Janet replied automatically, flashing a brief smile. "Don't lie. I can tell. I'm a telepath, remember?" Janet gave an unladylike snort and a rueful grin. "I forgot about that." There was a short pause. "I guess I'm just worried about what's going to happen to us." "How do you mean?"

"We don't belong here," Janet stated flatly. "We're from another world. We shouldn't be here. We shouldn't be." She paused for a moment. "I don't think we fit in here. Things are too different. but too similar." "That will change," Jean assured her. "You'll become used to it here." "I don't think that's the main problem. Our purpose was to stop Lord Sumner from changing the world, from making things different. But by us being here, things are going to change. We may cause more damage than Lord Sumner." "You may not. Maybe you're supposed to be here." "Maybe." She sighed, staring at the crowds around them. "Maybe not."

They had followed him for half the day. He was good, they had to give him that. Despite the homing beacon, they couldn't catch up to him, though they never lost him. After a while, though, he stopped somewhere in Texas, near the Mexico border. Rogue got out of the jet and looked at the empty one sitting near by. "This ain't good," she murmured. "Merde!" Gambit swore. "How we find him now, chere?" "Ah don't know, swamp rat." She thought for a moment. "Well, he's got to come back here eventually. Why don't we just wait here for him?" "Non, chere, not good. What if he does something while we here waiting?" "Good point. You got any bright ideas?" "Oui. Gambit goes looking for him, and you wait here till he returns." "No way, swamp rat. Ah'll go looking for him. Ah can fly, so Ah'll cover a lot more ground than you." Without waiting for a response, she took off into the air, leaving Gambit behind. "Merde," he swore again. Sighing, he leaned against one of the jets, shuffling one of his many decks of cards.

"They seem to be enjoying each other's company." Elena turned from the window where she watched Druid and Storm talking quietly in the garden. She smiled. "Druid's been waiting most of his life to find someone who looks at the world the same way he does." "Do you think Storm does?" the professor asked her. Elena thoughtfully sipped at her tea. "No," she said, after a moment. "Not quite. Druid looks at the world the way he does because of his powers. Storm has a similar connection to nature, I know, but it's not the same." "Do any two people ever see things the same?" "You have a point. I think she understands him better than most people, though." The professor nodded. They were silent for a moment, the professor taking time to absorb the information Elena had just told him. He looked at the beautiful woman, still wearing her costume, as he though about all the things that she and her friends had accomplished in the past day. "How have you been?" she asked the professor after a while. He smiled wryly. Though it had been only a few hours between their last meetings for the young woman, it had been half a lifetime for him. "As well as can be expected," he replied. "And Magnus? How is he?" Xavier winced. He had been expecting this question for a while now. "There have been problems." Elena turned to him curiously. "Not dead, I hope?" "No, not dead. I am afraid that our paths split not long after you aided us. He feels that mutants and humans cannot peacefully co-exist." "And so now you fight each other, both trying to make your dreams come true." "Exactly." Elena shook her head in sadness. "How horrible. And you two seemed such close friends. It seems sad that that had to end. I would have liked to speak with Magnus again." "And he would probably wish to speak with you. Perhaps you shall have the chance." "Perhaps." She smiled and sat down. "I think that's about enough chat. I still want to know as much about this world as possible. Now, lets start at the beginning. what happened after we left you last?" The professor began a brief outline of history since that day, paying special attention to the development of mutants and the effect that had on 'normal society.' Elena listened intently and chimed in occasionally with questions.

"Truly beautiful," Druid stated as he admired the garden Storm so carefully tended. He knelt down to admire a particularly beautiful rose. "Thank you," she replied humbly. "All it takes is a little effort and a little patience." He smiled softly. "I would have loved to have had time to properly tend to a garden such as this. Alas, ever stern duty kept me constantly active, and I was unable to devote any time to such a pleasurable pursuit." "But surely you would not need time? Doesn't your power mean that you could create a garden at a whim?" "Yes it does. I could create the most beautiful of gardens in the space of a heartbeat if I so desired. But the joy of a garden is as much in the time and effort it takes to create it as it is in the beauty." Storm nodded. "I understand," she said simply. They paused for a moment, letting the silence entwine them. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but rather a peaceful one. Neither felt the need to speak, both comfortable in the presence of each other. After a while, though, Storm asked a question that had been bothering her for a while. "Why do you aid Ebony?" "Why do you aid the professor?" Druid replied with a mysterious smile. Storm thought about this briefly. "I believe in what he is doing. Also, he and the others are good friends to me." She paused, and stared at the enigmatic mutant. "However, from what you have said, much of your actions are driven by Nature itself. What interest could Nature have in the actions of a band of mutants?" Druid was still smiling. "You seem to have forgotten that I myself am a mutant. Does it not seem reasonable that I would fight for mutant rights?" "Perhaps. But I feel that nothing you do is quite so personally motivated." Druid laughed, a warm, rich laugh that echoed through the trees. "Well done, my dear, well done. I have spent many years with Ebony and the others, and they have yet to ask these questions of me. I was wondering how long it would take someone to realise. My joining with them was indeed motivated by the need of Nature. It is not very complicated. Lord Sumner changed the natural course of events significantly, in a way that would endanger Nature herself. Thus, I was given the task of setting things right again. I could sense that Ebony was important, and that by working with her I could reach my goal. I am pleased to say that it took less time than I expected." Storm smiled. "I had assumed it would be something like that. But what now? What new task has nature set before you?" "None," he replied sombrely. "There is aught wrong with Nature that I could fix." "Surely there is much damage man has done to Nature?" Storm asked, a bit surprised. "True, but I would be ill advised to deal with it, for a two-fold reason. First, Nature herself shall heal her wounds in time, though we, and all our descendants, may be long gone. Secondly, there are those humans who are dealing with things in a peaceable manner. I am afraid that I am ill equipped to deal with such delicate, draw-out negotiations, and should I interfere it would be more direct." "And you think this would do your cause more harm than good?" "Exactly. So I wait, confidant that Nature will right herself in time." Storm nodded. Once again there was that calm, stately silence. Druid seemed lost in though, and Storm considered this strange man gravely. Once again, it was Storm that broke the silence. "It must be hard, living with so much pain," she said softly. Druid raised an eyebrow slightly and turned to look at her. "I am assuming that Jean informed you of my power?" Storm nodded. "It is nothing. I have grown used to it. I barely even notice it now." "All the pain in the world and you barely notice it? It drove you mad for uncounted years." "True, but the mind is a wonderfully adaptive thing. Remember, also, that I feel all the joy of the world as well." "Still, it is so heavy a burden for one man to bear." Druid smiled kindly to the African Goddess. "My dear lady Munro, your beauty and your power are surpassed only by your wisdom and your compassion. I am glad that I have been fortunate enough to have met you." With that, he held out a clenched hand. "Please accept this as a token of my appreciation." He opened his hand slowly, and a flower bloomed from inside it. It was a beautiful white rose with jagged yellow stripes like lightning running down the side. Storm took the rose gravely and held it gently in her hand. She took a gentle sniff of its fragrance and was overwhelmed by the unearthly beauty of it. She smiled. "A noble gift." "For a noble woman," Druid replied simply. "It shall last you all your days, living e'en though it has not water or light." "Thank you," she replied simply. Druid bowed floridly. They stood together, Storm hold the rose gently in her hands, watching as the sun set over her lovely garden.

It took most of the rest of the day to find Shadow. When Rogue finally found him, the sun was already setting. Shadow was standing in a small village, the street empty around him, looking into the south. A great sadness seemed to radiate from him. Rogue landed softly behind him and walked up slowly, trying not to disturb him. "I grew up here," he said suddenly, not moving at all, his voice filled with a kind of clinical detachment that barely hid the deep sadness beneath. "I know it's hard to believe. I spent a fair few years trying to erase all traces of a southern accent. Something about it reminded me of home, and I guess that I had too many bad memories." He stopped for a moment, and Rogue inched closer. "It's different," he continued. "The fort's gone, for one," he said, pointing to the south. "They built it to protect us. The Mexican boarder isn't very far away, and Apocalypse's troops tended to raid the villages around here. Not that the fort proved much use in the end. "Most of the rest of the villages were abandoned by the time the attack came. My mother had been in the army until a fight against some of Apocalypse's mutants where she lost one of her legs. She moved here with my father, who died not long after my younger sister was born. I guess she didn't want to leave, and she convinced most of the people to stay. "So we continued on as if nothing was wrong, only a day's travel away from the enemy. Then, one day, the attack started. First, they bombed the area. The first building to go was the corner shop over there. My best friend had been inside buying a box of chocolates for his girlfriend at the time. She was at home, waiting for him. It was their anniversary. They were supposed to go to the cinema afterwards, and I was going to meet one of her cousins. They were always setting me up on blind dates. "The next bomb nearly got me. I was thrown across the street and knocked out. Next thing I remember I'm in some makeshift hospital converted form someone's bomb shelter, and being tended by one of the girls from my school. The people are frightened, terrified, but they're banding together and working. "My mom's wandering around, using her simple walking stick. I remember that she could move surprisingly fast. She was organising things, getting things done. People are rushing around, crying, dying. Everything is so confusing. Sometimes, the ground shakes with an explosion and dirt and dust dance around the room. "Then someone in a uniform busted in. The army was coming. They had fought the mutants and lost. Some had left for reinforcements, but the others had orders to hold the town against the mutants. They were supposed to last until the others arrived. We had to evacuate. "As we were leaving, another bomb hit. This time, it hit the officers in charge of the rear-guard. The army was battered, tired and defeated. They were facing overwhelming odds, and they knew they were going to lose. Some ran for it. Most would have joined them, but my mom had other ideas. "She took charge. She had been army once, and she would do it again. As the bombs burst around us, she had people build barricades and dig small trenches. Everyone decided to stay. This was our home, and we were going to protect it, or die trying. "We drew the line right here. I stood at this very spot, a gun from a dead soldier in my hand, and a large carving knife at my belt. We were about half army, half civilians, and all scared. My mom was pacing up and down the line, my sister supporting her. She lost her walking stick at some point, I don't know when. She was giving instructions, telling people what to do and where to stand, even as the bombs exploded around us. "It wasn't long before the bombs stopped. We only got a moment's peace before they came. There were hundreds of them, and they were only the advance party. They outnumbered us two to one at least. Those that had weapons had ones far better than ours; most didn't need them. They were all genetically enhanced mutants, and very powerful ones at that. "But somehow, we held for a while. I don't remember much. It was all a blur. I don't know how long we fought. The soldier next to me fell pretty quickly, as did the old man on my other side. I remember seeing my sister fall against a mutant with red skin and flaming hands. They surrounded my mother, and the dead bodies were piling up around her. She had picked up the weapons of one of the fallen mutants and was using it better than they did. She was standing on one her leg now, furry and desperation giving her the ability. "I got hit hard by something I couldn't see, but somehow I knew where it came from. A red-head mutant with skin like ivory and a cruel, haughty face was standing on the hill by a tall, powerful looking man with glowing red eyes that shot forth powerful bursts of energy. They were obviously the leaders. "I hit the ground hard, and I felt my head swim. I was sure I should be dead, and obviously others thought so as well, for I was ignored. I felt a dead body fall on top of me, and then another. I tried to rise, but I was weak and could shift the bodies on top of me. "My mother saw me fall, just as she had seen my sister fall, and she gave a heartbroken cry. She threw herself forward at the mutants, hacking through them, killing them by the score. The attack faltered for a moment as she cut through them, using sheer rage to propel herself forward on her one leg, leaning on enemies and the shattered remains of the buildings for support. "The powerful man watched her clinically until he got a clear shot. I tried to rise, to warn her, but I was still having trouble breathing and my voice wouldn't come. The redhead waved her hand and my mom seemed to rise up from the ground. The powerful man aimed carefully before he shot. His burst tore her apart instantly. "I gave a short cry, but it was lost in the din of battle. Most of the rest of us tried to run, but got cut down by the mutants. Those that stood didn't last much longer. I felt numb as everyone I ever knew lay dead around me. I couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even breath. "I heard a pair of footsteps in the sudden silence. A pair of boots appeared in front of my vision. 'We have one,' a voice stated in a firm, confident voice. "'Of course.' This voice was female, but cold and emotionless. 'Was there any doubt?' "'That woman gave me concern,' the man stated blandly. "'She was only human.' Then the coldness went out of the voice, and it had an eerie, unearthly purr behind it. 'I find it so appealing when you destroy humans so utterly like that." "I saw another pair of boots enter my vision and heard what I assumed to be a kiss. All the anger and despair welled up inside me broke at that moment. My mother's killers, sharing a passionate kiss over her death. I felt my hand coil around the knife at my belt. "I burst out of the dead bodies and slashed, blindly, twice. There was a twin gasp of shock as the knife hit home both times. The cold redhead and the powerful man looked at me in shock as they died, still holding each other in a passionate embrace. "The fell to the floor, their red blood leaking from them. As they fell, there was a second of shocked silence. Then a roar as the mutants charged me. A red haze seemed to fill my vision, and I swung wildly, with all the passion I could muster. I remember various attacks passing inches from my face or just over my head. I waded through the mutants like a man possessed. "I don't know how long I fought. It couldn't have been very long. After a while I was stopped and captured. I don't know why they didn't kill me outright. Maybe they wanted to punish me for killing their leader. "I was taken to their fort not far away in Mexico and given over to their overall commander, a white skinned demon-like creature with a strong British accent and a flair for the dramatic. He seemed particularly upset with me. Seems that the two mutant leaders were important to him for something. "So he tortured me. When he left Mexico and went back to South America, he took me with him. My friends think that I learned about torture from the dagger, and I'd prefer if they continue to do so. In actual fact, everything I know about torture I learned form that few years of my life when the mutants tortured me. After the first few weeks my mind retreated in on itself, but that didn't help. Have you ever been tortured by a telepath? They can do things to your psyche that would make the Spanish Inquisition blanch. "I lost track of time, but it must have been over a year before I was rescued. It seems that our little stand at the village made a difference. The army was able to break through the week defences there and make a base inside the Mexican border. Eventually they broke through to South America. "A couple of medics grabbed me and had me rushed to the nearest city, but the army kept going. I never got to see the white-skinned demon die, but I heard latter that they blew him up and then buried the various pieces of his body in concrete boxes scattered over the free world. Apparently he was quite powerful. "I hadn't actually suffered any serious physical wounds, but my mind was a wreck. I was put in a mental hospital for a year, raving and throwing myself against the walls. If we had lived in a smarter, crueller society they would have let me loose on the mutants. Instead they tried to 'cure' me, looking for ways to bring my mind back from the horrors I had seen. "Then, one night, I started to dream. I hadn't dreamed since they brought me here, largely because the only way they could get me to sleep was to drug me up to the eyeballs. But the dreams began to cut through the haze of my mind. The dreams of a single dagger. "My mind cleared up after that. The doctors claimed that it was their work that did it, and I accepted that. I passed off the dreams as part of my delusion, and left it at that. The dreams stopped after I left, and I never gave them a second thought. "I went north, enrolled in a university and got a degree in ancient and classical archaeology. As soon as I left the university, I got a job at a New York museum cataloguing ancient artefacts. It was a more important job than you might think, considering that we were still at war, though it was coming to a close. "The army had found a lot of stuff in Africa and South America that dated back to well before the war. They needed to know what had been put there by Apocalypse and what was just random junk. They also needed to know what it did and how. "I went up the ranks with surprising speed. I guess my hatred of the mutants drove me to understand them. And understand them I did. "You can tell almost anything about a people by their artefacts, and we had more than enough from the attacks in South America. I began to build of a picture of their society as it was then as well as how it was before. These were a people who, for the most part, were treated as slaves. Apocalypse gave his trusted advisors power, and they used it to beat the other mutants into submission. Most mutants who fought us didn't do it out of hate or greed or evil, like we were led to believe, but out of fear. "And the toys. There were none. Not a single one. No children's clothes either. This was a society of people that had been together since the war started, well over forty years ago. Yet there was no sign of children. From what I had seen of the mutants, this could only mean one thing: there where none. "It took me a while, but I put it together. As soon as a mutant was born, it was genetically enhanced to pass strait through puberty and into adulthood. A combination of technology, telepathic powers and scientific ingenuity were used to mould their mind into such a shape that they would be effective soldier. Like pawns on a chessboard, or cannon fodder, without a moment of love or compassion. "I think after I figured that out I began to hate the mutants less. I do know that one day, I realised that I didn't hate them anymore. In fact, I felt sorry for them. My hatred was completely reserved for Apocalypse and Lord Sumner. "Then, one day, an artefact was brought to us from the East. It had been found on one of Lord Sumner's convoys, but no one could figure out what it was. It was a dagger, with a golden hilt shaped like a dragon's head swallowing the blade. "We were told not to draw the blade, that the last person who did had died instantly, and painfully. I didn't pay attention to it, though. This was the dagger of my dreams, and I knew what I had to do. I slid it from its sheath with a strange familiarity. "The next few moments were darkness. I felt my mind under attack by another presence, and it swept over my feeble defences like a raging rapid over a pebble. After a moment, I surfaced, like a swimmer being pulled from the water just as he was dieing. "I looked around me at the dead bodies of my friends and co-workers. They had been slaughtered, mercilessly and efficiently, large cuts along them. I looked down at my hand. The last drop of blood was being drawn up the blade of the dagger, as though it was drinking. "My mind was dim and far away, like I was a passenger in my own mind. I couldn't quite seem to control what I was doing. The best way I can think to describe it was that it was somewhere between being drunk and having a dream. "I started my work as an assassin, taking the code-name Death. I know I had some kind of objective, but I don't know what it was. I worked for all three sides during the war, seeing and doing such things that I had never imagined possible. Such horrible things. "Then the war ended. There were still wars going on, though, as the petty Asian kingdoms fought amongst one another, so I had plenty of work. Also, there are always plenty of people willing to pay to have someone 'removed.' But I could feel something behind me growing stronger with each kill, breaking through. "That's when I found out something about the dagger. It was serving a creature called the Shadow Dragon from another world that brushed this one. The Shadow Dragon wanted to break into this world and claim it for his own. The dagger, however, was enjoying this world, and didn't want to give it up. It seemed that it had been abandoned for several centuries, or maybe even millennia, before Lord Sumner found it, and it wanted to make up for lost time. "So it decided to fight the Shadow Dragon. But it couldn't do it alone; it needed help. Partly, it needed me. The Shadow Dragon knew how it thinks, but not how I think. I was more than happy to help; the dagger might be bad, but the Shadow Dragon would have made Apocalypse and Lord Sumner look like Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny. I began to feel my consciousness given more room, more control. I couldn't completely control my actions, but at least I had some say in what we did. "We also needed an ally. We had heard of Ebony, and all she did. We decided that if anyone had the strength of character to help defeat the Shadow Dragon, it was she. So we sought her out. Our little battle with her was a test; to see if she was as good as we needed her to be. You know what happened next. "When we fought the Shadow Dragon my personality and that of the dagger had to merge in order to defeat it. We had become one, and our two minds were so inseparably linked that it couldn't shove me back into that corner of my mind any more than I could get rid of it. "So that's how things stand now. I'm a mixture of a homicidal dagger built to kill and a nice young boy whose mind was destroyed by a year of constant physical and mental torture." He turned a steely gaze to Rogue, the first he had looked at her since she had arrived. "If sometimes I seem a bit unsociable, I think you'll understand why." They stood there for a moment, silence surrounding them. The last rays of the setting sun disappeared beneath the horizon. Shadow passed a weary hand over his eyes. "I think it's time to return," he said simply, and walked away back towards the jets. Rogue hesitated for a moment. She wanted to say something, but all that she had heard had stunned her. She knew that there was an unspoken request in Shadow's story; she knew he didn't want he to share this story with anyone else. She didn't know if she could. A tear in her eyes, she turned and followed him.