Chapter Four

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Bayville, NY USA
Friday, 3 October 2034
0602 GMT

The alert signal flashed on the control panel, accompanied by a soft BLEEP.

Marti lowered her over-large feet from the control panel and deactivated her holographic game cube, leaning forward to flick the switch that would activate the intercom.

"Dad, wake up! There's a signal coming in for you from New York. It's not marked private or anything. Do you want to take it in here or would you rather I directed it to your room?"

Marti smirked as the sound of her father's yawn echoed tinnily over the intercom.

"I'll take it in there, Marta," he said at last. "And, sweetheart, do you think you could scrounge me up a mug of that mud we so affectionately refer to as coffee?" He yawned again, louder this time. "I think I'll need it if this call is what I think it is. Though why Scott would call here so early is beyond me. It must be one in the morning where he is!"

Marti responded with a short salute, even though she knew her father couldn't see it.

"Sure thing, Dad," she assured him. "I'll be back before you can say BAMF!"

Reaching out with her long, indigo tail, Marti quickly flicked the switch to break the intercom connection and teleported to the kitchen in search of Meggan's infamous morning coffee.


Kurt Wagner stretched out his sleep-stiffened muscles and rolled over in bed, pecking his wife's cheek with a brief 'good morning' kiss.

"Duty calls, Liebchen," he said, rolling out of bed and pulling a sweatshirt over his pale-blue pajama top. "See you at breakfast, OK?"

"Yeah...breakfast...sure," she mumbled sleepily. She blinked her heavy eyelids and looked blearily up at him. "Just do me one favor, my dear?"

"Anything, meine Liebe," Kurt assured her, hopping up onto the footboard and curling his four long, fuzzy toes about the rounded wood.

"Don't 'port 'till you're out in the hallway. Between you and Marti it's a miracle my sense of smell is still intact."

Kurt's narrow, aristocratic features fell into a mock pout as he theatrically clapped a tridactyl hand over his heart.

"Ach, this from meine own Frau!"

The agile leader of the British superhero team Excalibur tumbled onto the bed, crawling under the blankets and gathering his wife up in his arms.

"But I thought you said you liked my cologne," he teased, kissing her gently.

His wife giggled.

"Not when it's Ode du 'Port, and not at six in the morning!" she exclaimed, shrieking as his tail crept around her waist and playfully began to tickle her through her nightgown.

"Stop that!" She squirmed, near breathless from laughing. "Quit it, Kurt! Honestly, you act more like a child than the children themselves!"

"That never seemed to bother you before, Liebchen," he retorted, unwrapping his tail from her slender waist and leaning in to kiss her neck. "Have I told you that I love you yet this morning?"

"Not quite," she said with a wickedly suggestive smile, "but I've always been told that actions speak louder than words."

Kurt's pale, yellow eyes opened wide, his expression one of exaggeratedly scandalized shock as he jumped up into a crouch, his spade-tipped tail swaying behind him.

"Meine Dame!" he gasped. "Don't you know there are children sleeping in the next room?"

His wife fixed him with a playful grin, tossing her dark hair and propping her head up on her palm.

"That never seemed to bother you before, Liebchen," she shot back at him with a wink.

Kurt grinned at her, deep affection shining in his glowing eyes.

"Ach, meine Liebe," he sighed. "As much as I would like to stay and play, I'm afraid that duty calls me. Scott is no doubt wanting my monthly report and I've already kept him waiting nearly ten minutes. You know how agitated he gets when I keep him waiting."

She laughed.

"I know," she said, and smiled. "That annoyed look he makes when his lips get all tight at the edges - it's priceless!"

"So, if I am to avoid getting treated to yet another lecture on my so-called irresponsibility from Herr Tightwad himself, I am afraid I must leave you, meine Frau." He kissed her hand, then started traveling up her arm. "Ach, but I don't want to go!" he whined.

Laughing, his wife pushed him away.

"Go on, get out of here you fuzzy elf." She grinned. "We'll have plenty of time to play later. Think of this as just another of the many burdens of command."

Kurt grumbled good-naturedly and leaped gracefully from the bed.

"I never asked to be the leader, you know," he said.

"I know, my dear. But you were the one elected to the post - a unanimous decision if I remember correctly - and we couldn't ask for better. Now, go talk to your friend. I'll get dressed and meet you in the kitchen when you're through."

Kurt stepped out into long corridor and graced his wife with a formal, parting bow.

"Your wish is my command, meine Dame!" Then he laughed. "I guess now we know who the real leader is around here," he said, his words fading as he vanished in a theatrical BAMF of sulfur-scented smoke.

Alice Wagner chuckled affectionately and set about making the bed.


"Hey, Dad!" Marti greeted with a pointy-toothed grin, holding her father's favorite coffee mug out to him with her tail. "It's Uncle Scott on the line."

"I thought so," Kurt said, "and thanks for this." He took the steaming mug from his eldest daughter and ruffled her short, red curls. Aside from her red hair and green eyes, with her fuzzy, indigo skin, pointed ears, tridactyl hands and feet, and her long, spade-tipped tail the young teenager was the very image of her father.

"Dad!" she squealed, her London accent thickening in her annoyance. "Get off! I have enough trouble controlling my hair without you tousling it."

Kurt laughed.

"If you got out of my chair, Liebling, your lovely curls wouldn't be so easy for me to reach," he said, gingerly sipping at his coffee.

"Ack!" he sputtered, his tail shuddering in reaction to the bitter taste. Even with cream and sugar it was awful. "Urg! Yeech!"

Marti giggled at the expression that crossed his face as he struggled to swallow.

"Tell Meggan her coffee improves by the day," he said cheerfully, once he'd recovered. "I don't know if it's her recipe or the number of tastebuds this stuff is killing off, but by the end of the year this muck might even be drinkable!"

Marti laughed harder and got up out of the control chair.

"If you and Mum woke up earlier, you wouldn't have to worry about killing your tastebuds," she said. "You could beat Meggan to the kitchen and make the coffee yourselves."

Kurt raised his eyebrow at his daughter.

"Or, since you always seem to be up and about at the crack of dawn, you could prove yourself a thoughtful, considerate daughter and make it for us."

"Who, me?" Marti exclaimed, her green eyes theatrically wide. "Condone the use of a harmful drug like caffeine?"

Kurt snickered, taking his place in his chair and risking another sip.

"Your mother and I taught you too well," he said. "Now it's coming back to bite us." He waved her away with his spaded tail. "Go wake up your brother and sister, and check to see if Eliza and Samuel are up yet. You've all got to get ready for school, and I've really got to take this call."

Marta snapped to attention with a quick salute, then vanished in a BAMF of familiar blue-black smoke.

Kurt grinned with proud affection as he turned to the control board. He was still chuckling when Scott's holographic image appeared before him.

"Guten Morgen, mein Freund!" Kurt greeted the spectacled man cheerfully. "I am very sorry to have kept you waiting."

Scott shook his head, waving off the apology.

"No, Kurt, it's me who should be apologizing. I'm afraid I woke you up for some bad news."

It was then that Kurt noticed the drawn, pale look that had taken hold of his friend's stoic face. The few strands of silver that streaked his brown hair at the temples looked more prominent than they had the last time Kurt had seen him. Even with his ruby-quartz glasses shielding his eyes, it was clear that whatever this news was, it had hit the elected leader of the international X-Men organization very hard.

Kurt instantly sobered, straightening his posture and placing his coffee mug down on a small table.

"What is it, Scott?" he asked, his golden eyes wide with concern. "Is everything all right at the mansion?"

Scott sighed.

"Yes, yes, everything here is fine. Jean's good, the kids are good, everything's fine." He sighed again, reaching up under his glasses with a long finger to wipe a tear from his eye.

Kurt felt a cold hand grip his stomach. He swallowed hard as a sudden feeling of foreboding entered his heart.

"Scott, is it...it's not the Professor?"

Scott drew in a sharp, shaky breath, turning his gaze to the ceiling.

"I'm afraid you've hit the nail on the head," he said with a miserable attempt at a smile. "It happened just a few minutes ago. I just got the call myself. Professor Xavier d-died at..."

He trailed off, trying to regain control of his trembling voice.

Kurt found himself blinking back tears of his own. He wished he could reach out to touch his friend's shoulder, to offer him some support in his grief, but he was stuck in Excalibur's control room. An entire ocean separated him from his friend.

"It's OK, Scott," he said softly. "Professor Xavier was a father to us all. It was his dream that made this world what it is today. You don't have to hide your tears from me."

Scott gasped out a strangled sob, leaning against his own control panel.

"I know, Kurt. I know."

He took in a deep, strengthening breath and straightened, a mask of professionalism settling over his anguished features.

"It was an aneurysm," he said, his voice completely devoid of inflection. "He was at his home in Hawaii. It came suddenly and the doctors assured us that there was no pain." He bowed his head for a brief moment, then looked back up at Kurt. "The funeral will take place here at the mansion, next Saturday at three o'clock. It'll be a huge affair; international dignitaries in attendance and so on. Jean's insisting on handling the organization. Your team is invited, of course."

Kurt nodded.

"Of course. I will make the travel arrangements and alert the government that we won't be available at that time." He smirked. "MI-6 will just have to handle things on their own until we get back."

Scott raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, dear. Are you sure that's a good idea? Remember what happened when you took time off last Christmas and they lost the Underground Bomber. And that guy wasn't even a mutant!"

Kurt chuckled half-heartedly.

"Well, we'll just have to take that chance. This is a time to be with family, and that means you and the rest of the X-Men. Have you contacted Storm and Evan in Africa yet?"

Scott shook his head.

"No, you were the first. Is Rahne still in Scotland?"

Kurt nodded.

"Yes. And Logan has been staying with us here at the manor for the past two weeks. I'll tell them."

Scott sighed.

"Thanks, Kurt. I'll see you soon."

With that, Scott ended the transmission. Kurt sat back in his chair and curled his knees to his chest. How could he tell the children?

To Be Continued...