Chapter 6: The Uncanny X-Men

Wolverine slept fitfully. It had not been long since his mutation had completed it's course. He was now more beast than man. Therefore, his instincts were heightened to the Nth degree. And his instincts told him that something really bad was about to happen. His eyes snapped open.

What was wrong with him? He knew better than to ignore his instincts. They'd never lied to him before. He sniffed the air, and growled. He no longer slept in the mansion, but even out here, he could smell them. Whatever they were, they weren't human, or Shi'ar. And they were close. He followed the scent to a man hole cover. Of course! The Morlock tunnels! He knew someone would have to raise the alarm, but his feral side took control. These things were invading his territory, they would have to pay. He ripped off the cover and jumped into the dark sewer tunnel.

Charles Xavier sat in his room reading. He'd been filled with a strange and unnerving sense of foreboding all night. It had something to do with the disturbing dream that he and Jean had been having. The dreams were different but they all had one thing in common. A huge, terrifying creature that stalked them, and unlike most dreams, in these the creature caught them. He'd never believed that if you died in your dreams that you'd die in real life. And now he was certain. In the past three days, he and Jean had died in their dreams.

He glanced out the window across the lake. The light was on in Jean and Scott's cottage. Apparently she had given up on sleep as well. Suddenly, he snapped his head towards the door. Something was in the mansion. Several somethings. At first he could not guess at how they had gotten in without activating the security systems. Then he realized, the Morlock Tunnels! They weren't as protected as the rest of the grounds.

X-Men! he said telepathically. There are intruders in the mansion! You must use extreme caution, we know nothing about our adversaries!

Jean snapped her head up at the Professor's summons.

Scott! she made use of her psychic rapport she had with Scott Summers, her husband.

"I heard Jean." Scott said calmly. He entered the room, fitting his visor over his eyes. "Do you think it might have anything to do with that `little brown monster' that was reported in the paper?"

"Worse than that Scott. I think that we're about to face whatever wrecked that subway yesterday!"

Scott and Jean, otherwise known as Cyclops and Phoenix ran towards the mansion, whose outside appearance was deceptively peaceful.

Gambit awoke to the Professor yelling inside his head. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but all he needed to know was that there was someone in the mansion that Xavier wanted stopped. Piece o' cake. He flicked the light switch, nothing. He felt around in the dark for his coat and cards. Once he found them, he charged up a card for light. In the soft light, he found his staff.

Now fully armed, he crept to the door and eased it open. He peered into the corridor, but saw nothing. He walked calmly but cautiously into the hallway. He looked around for any sign of his enemy, but saw and heard nothing. He went down the stairs carefully, briefly wondering where the other X-Men were. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a low, threatening hiss. He turned looked strait into the face of a nightmare.

"Mon Diu!" He hurled his card at the creature. It struck the creature in the chest and exploded. The creature had been close, so Gambit jumped back with the aid of his staff just before the explosion. When he charged up his next card he was glad that he had. Pools of the creature's blood were eating through the floor. He hated to think what would have happened if any of that had gotten on him. A hand grabbed his shoulder.

Gambit whirled around, ready to kill another one the nightmare beasts that were invading the house. Instead he found himself facing Bishop.

"Are you all right?" Bishop asked.

"Oui Bishop, Gambit just fine. He loves to wake up in de middle o' de night to fight monsters. It what Gambit lives for." Gambit's eyes widened when he saw what was behind Bishop. Bishop's eyes narrowed when he saw what was behind Gambit.

"Merde!" Gambit yelled, and threw another card at the creature that had been sneaking up on Bishop.

"Look out!" yelled Bishop at the same time and shot the creature that had been sneaking up on Gambit. Both dodged the spray of corrosive blood that resulted from the twin explosions.

Gambit smiled. "Look like we still make a pretty good team Bishop."

"I suppose you're enjoying this." Bishop said sarcastically.

"Like I tol' you Mon Ami, this what Gambit lives for."

For Bobby Drake, a.k.a. Iceman, this had to be the worst night on record. These things were even worse than the Brood. And he hadn't thought that was possible. Like the others, he'd been woken by Professor Xavier's warning. Unlike the others however, he'd woken to find one of the damn things in his room. He now had a disturbing ice sculpture in his room. Cold did not slow them down in the least, but at least being frozen solid stopped them. He and Storm had worked out a workable strategy for dealing with the things.

Since her lightning attacks didn't faze them, she kept them wet so he could freeze them. It was a strategy that was working wonders.

Now, he thought. If there weren't so damn many of them.

Beast dropped from the ceiling onto his prey. One of the many black insect-like creatures that had invaded the mansion.

And I thought it would be safer hiding with the X-Men. He thought. For unbeknownst to the X-Men, this was not the Beast they knew and loved. Rather he was in effect, his evil twin.
He grabbed the alien, for that was surely what it was, by the shoulders with his feet. He sprung forward onto his hands, and flung the alien the length of the room. It struck the wall, bounced of with great force, and got to it's feet.

"Oh dear." he said softly as the alien ran towards him, arms outstretched as if to embrace him.

It's advance was checked by the living human rocket known as Cannonball. He hit the alien with the force of his namesake, his blast field protecting him from the acidic properties of it's blood.

"My thanks Sam." Beast said. He wiped imaginary sweat from his brow in a show of relief. Sam just stared at what he'd done.

"I...I killed it!" he said with dismay.

"Exactly. It." Beast reassured him. "It's nothing more than a large, vicious bug. And what does one do with bugs? One squashes bugs. Besides, it wouldn't have thought twice about killing you."

Cyclops blasted the thing away from the door.

"Jean we have to make sure they don't get out of the mansion! Are there any more outside?" There was no immediate answer. "Jean?"

Jean Grey stared in horror at the fallen creature.

"Scott! These are the same creatures that were in mine and the Professor's dreams! These things are telepathic!" She shouted. And, she thought. That may be our key to stopping them.

"That's very interesting Jean! But again, we have to make sure that these things don't get loose!"
It's all right Scott. Xavier said telepathically. Cable and X-Force are taking care of that.

Next: X-Force!