Chapter 1
Prelude
Part 2
15 May, 2003
Charles Xavier, founder of Xavier's Institute of Gifted Individuals, sat inside the super computer Cerebro. He was glad that the mansion was quiet so he could conduct his nightly scan. The kids had been a little out of sorts lately with The Brotherhood and the Acolytes moving in. Hopefully, he thought to himself, I won't have to deal with Mystique again for a while. Charles settled into his chair and concentrated on what he was looking for.
Something touched him. Faint at first but it grew to almost painful increments. Someone was calling out for help. An unfamiliar mind but a strong telepath nonetheless. Charles reached out for the call and answered. The sender's mind reeled back from his touch.
*Please help us. We seem to have lost our way* it pleaded.
*How did you lose your way?* Charles asked.
*A wormhole took our ship and threw us back to Earth, please tell me how that could have happened?* it asked.
*Wormhole? You are in a spaceship?* Charles asked.
*Of course I am in a ship! How else do you get from one place to another?* it answered rather waspishly.
*Please come to these coordinates and land your ship. I will meet you there and we can figure out how you came to be here.* Charles told the alien mind. He fed it the coordinates of a small cove off of New York Harbor.
When the alien said that it would meet them there, Charles said goodbye and cut the connection. He realized that he was sweating. That must have been one hell of a session. He called for Ororo and Logan to come to him. Jean and Scott just happened to be listening in and followed the two instructors to Cerebro.
"Listen up. We have some visitors. They need help. We will have to go t o the cove to help them though," Charles told the small group.
Logan snorted. "I don't like this, Charles. Something smells fishy about the whole thing."
Ororo grinned and touched his arm. "Logan, you always think things are fishy."
Jean and Scott snickered but clammed up when both Charles and Logan turned to them.
"Gear up and get the jet ready. We leave in five minutes," Charles told his kids and left Cerebro to hit the jet.
Leona sat back and sighed. Well, it seemed that at least one person on this planet had the talent to listen to her. She sank into her seat and waited for the person to come to her. Luckily she knew of the cove that it wanted her to go to. She had been there right before she had shipped out for S.I.C.O.N.
"Leona!!" CM cried as she floated into the cockpit. Leona stared and watched as CM slammed into a bulkhead and cut her head. She hit the deck with a thud.
"Charlie! Get in here!" Leona yelled down the hatch. Leona reached into CM's mind to make sure she was at least aware. Glad that she was she moved over for Charlie to take over.
Charlie laid her hands on CM's head and stared in amazement as Charlie's touch seemed to make the cut heal on it's own.
"What's going on here?" Major asked as he waltzed into the cabin.
All three women jerked at his voice. "Nothing," Leona said. "Charlie, how's our two sleepyheads?" telling Charlie and CM with her eyes to say nothing to corporal.
Charlie cleared her throat and said, "They are fine. It was a good idea to put them out when you did. They were at each other like cats and dogs. The tranqs should wear off in a few hours and no ill effects should be felt."
"Good. We are to have visitors in a few minutes. Please get those two comfortable before they arrive, Major. We girls have something to talk about," Leona told the bewildered corporal.
As soon as Major turned to go, Leona felt the presence of the psychic again.
Charles contacted the alien mind again and waited for it's response. When he got it he was slammed with terrified garble from two other minds besides the contacts mind. Before he could dampen the mind field the other contact effectively cut the chatter and focused on him.
*Welcome back. Sorry for the chatter, my crew seem to be a little scared. How far out are you?* it asked calmly.
*Just arriving, but you don't seem to be here.* Charles observed.
*Damn it! I knew I forgot to do something. Give me a moment.* it said.
Charles watched enthralled as a small transport ship, not unlike the X-Jet faded into focus. It was a black and purple color and the name of the ship read, Wolves Tears. Strnge name, he thought.
*Sorry about that. I had to stay cloaked or I would have been tracked to this location.* it said.
*Of course. May we come aboard?* Charles asked carefully.
*How do I know that you are even human? For all I know, you could be a chimp that walks and talks like a man!* it answered.
*I assure you, I am having the same thoughts.* Charles told the creature.
"Logan, land us near the transport and turn the bay toward the bay of the Wolves Tears. I am about to suggest something to our visitors," Charles ordered.
*We are going to open our bays at the same time and we can have a pow-wow like that. Does this suit?* Charles asked.
*Sure thing. Let me assemble the crew. We are minus two. Had to put them to sleep to keep from killing each other. Opening doors.* It answered with a cheery tone.
"Open the doors, Logan,"Charles said, with a small smile, thinking that this may be a bad idea.
The doors opened slowly. At first Charles thought he was seeing things. He blinked several times and then realized he wasn't. Standing before him was four humans in weird armor. One was different than the other three. She was in a purple and black skinsuit under plastic looking arm and leg guards. he couldn't tell much about her face from where he was sitting but she seemed to be rather comely.Her three companions, two girls and a young man, were in similar but in green tones.
"Hello," the one in purple called out. "I see that we were both wrong. Please can we go somewhere that I feel less exposed?" She called out in a soft Scottish burr.
Charles found his voice and answered,"Yes, of course. Please though, we need to exchange one of ours for one of yours. Not as a hostage but so we can see to the two boys that are drugged."
Leona wasn't sure about the whole deal but she agreed.
But before the exchange was to go through, she wanted to know who she was dealing with.
Prelude
Part 2
15 May, 2003
Charles Xavier, founder of Xavier's Institute of Gifted Individuals, sat inside the super computer Cerebro. He was glad that the mansion was quiet so he could conduct his nightly scan. The kids had been a little out of sorts lately with The Brotherhood and the Acolytes moving in. Hopefully, he thought to himself, I won't have to deal with Mystique again for a while. Charles settled into his chair and concentrated on what he was looking for.
Something touched him. Faint at first but it grew to almost painful increments. Someone was calling out for help. An unfamiliar mind but a strong telepath nonetheless. Charles reached out for the call and answered. The sender's mind reeled back from his touch.
*Please help us. We seem to have lost our way* it pleaded.
*How did you lose your way?* Charles asked.
*A wormhole took our ship and threw us back to Earth, please tell me how that could have happened?* it asked.
*Wormhole? You are in a spaceship?* Charles asked.
*Of course I am in a ship! How else do you get from one place to another?* it answered rather waspishly.
*Please come to these coordinates and land your ship. I will meet you there and we can figure out how you came to be here.* Charles told the alien mind. He fed it the coordinates of a small cove off of New York Harbor.
When the alien said that it would meet them there, Charles said goodbye and cut the connection. He realized that he was sweating. That must have been one hell of a session. He called for Ororo and Logan to come to him. Jean and Scott just happened to be listening in and followed the two instructors to Cerebro.
"Listen up. We have some visitors. They need help. We will have to go t o the cove to help them though," Charles told the small group.
Logan snorted. "I don't like this, Charles. Something smells fishy about the whole thing."
Ororo grinned and touched his arm. "Logan, you always think things are fishy."
Jean and Scott snickered but clammed up when both Charles and Logan turned to them.
"Gear up and get the jet ready. We leave in five minutes," Charles told his kids and left Cerebro to hit the jet.
Leona sat back and sighed. Well, it seemed that at least one person on this planet had the talent to listen to her. She sank into her seat and waited for the person to come to her. Luckily she knew of the cove that it wanted her to go to. She had been there right before she had shipped out for S.I.C.O.N.
"Leona!!" CM cried as she floated into the cockpit. Leona stared and watched as CM slammed into a bulkhead and cut her head. She hit the deck with a thud.
"Charlie! Get in here!" Leona yelled down the hatch. Leona reached into CM's mind to make sure she was at least aware. Glad that she was she moved over for Charlie to take over.
Charlie laid her hands on CM's head and stared in amazement as Charlie's touch seemed to make the cut heal on it's own.
"What's going on here?" Major asked as he waltzed into the cabin.
All three women jerked at his voice. "Nothing," Leona said. "Charlie, how's our two sleepyheads?" telling Charlie and CM with her eyes to say nothing to corporal.
Charlie cleared her throat and said, "They are fine. It was a good idea to put them out when you did. They were at each other like cats and dogs. The tranqs should wear off in a few hours and no ill effects should be felt."
"Good. We are to have visitors in a few minutes. Please get those two comfortable before they arrive, Major. We girls have something to talk about," Leona told the bewildered corporal.
As soon as Major turned to go, Leona felt the presence of the psychic again.
Charles contacted the alien mind again and waited for it's response. When he got it he was slammed with terrified garble from two other minds besides the contacts mind. Before he could dampen the mind field the other contact effectively cut the chatter and focused on him.
*Welcome back. Sorry for the chatter, my crew seem to be a little scared. How far out are you?* it asked calmly.
*Just arriving, but you don't seem to be here.* Charles observed.
*Damn it! I knew I forgot to do something. Give me a moment.* it said.
Charles watched enthralled as a small transport ship, not unlike the X-Jet faded into focus. It was a black and purple color and the name of the ship read, Wolves Tears. Strnge name, he thought.
*Sorry about that. I had to stay cloaked or I would have been tracked to this location.* it said.
*Of course. May we come aboard?* Charles asked carefully.
*How do I know that you are even human? For all I know, you could be a chimp that walks and talks like a man!* it answered.
*I assure you, I am having the same thoughts.* Charles told the creature.
"Logan, land us near the transport and turn the bay toward the bay of the Wolves Tears. I am about to suggest something to our visitors," Charles ordered.
*We are going to open our bays at the same time and we can have a pow-wow like that. Does this suit?* Charles asked.
*Sure thing. Let me assemble the crew. We are minus two. Had to put them to sleep to keep from killing each other. Opening doors.* It answered with a cheery tone.
"Open the doors, Logan,"Charles said, with a small smile, thinking that this may be a bad idea.
The doors opened slowly. At first Charles thought he was seeing things. He blinked several times and then realized he wasn't. Standing before him was four humans in weird armor. One was different than the other three. She was in a purple and black skinsuit under plastic looking arm and leg guards. he couldn't tell much about her face from where he was sitting but she seemed to be rather comely.Her three companions, two girls and a young man, were in similar but in green tones.
"Hello," the one in purple called out. "I see that we were both wrong. Please can we go somewhere that I feel less exposed?" She called out in a soft Scottish burr.
Charles found his voice and answered,"Yes, of course. Please though, we need to exchange one of ours for one of yours. Not as a hostage but so we can see to the two boys that are drugged."
Leona wasn't sure about the whole deal but she agreed.
But before the exchange was to go through, she wanted to know who she was dealing with.