New York, New York

Fifteen minutes ago, the city of New York was put into total chaos. The highly secretive S.H.E.I.L.D Hellicarrier plummeted onto the streets and made a group of buildings crumble to the streets also. Unbeknownst to the people of New York, the Hellicarrier held some of the most dangerous criminals the world has ever seen. Some decide to stay in the carrier and avoid the police officers. Others feel the need to stretch a bit and cause a bit of trouble in the midst of the turmoil.

"Oh it feels good to be free again," Electro says draining the electricity from nearby power lines. He could the energy dancing through his body and he loved every second of it. It had been so long since he was able to breathe the New York air and see the people run in fear.

"Who you tellin' Sparky?" the Sandman asks pouring pounds of sand onto the oncoming police officers. He has been waiting to get out of that thing and see his family for years now, and his dream has finally come into fruition. "I've been wanting to cause a little trouble for while now."

"Quit all you're yammerin'. I think we should be focusing on the task at hand," Hydro-Man says dousing the civilians his watery fist at full force. He was free! He couldn't believe it at all. But the reality was that he needed to get away from the two psychos' and try to live a normal life. He told himself he wasn't going back to jail. 'So why am I trying to kill these people?' he thinks to himself.

"He's right. We need to quit all the talking and start causing a hell of a lot more trouble for these saps," Electro agrees shocking everyone Hydro- Man has just wet. Watching them writhe in pain was making his heart beat faster.

"How about you don't and say you did," a voice says from behind the trio. A red beam of light passes through Hydro-Man with ease.

The three villains turn around to see the mutant Cyclops standing there with his hand on his visor. "Don't move a muscle," he says ready to fire another one.

"Take a look boys," Electro says with a chuckle. "We're getting a mutant and the spider. Aren't we moving up on the hero list?" Electro steps on top of the Hellicarrier and sends current after current of electrical energy in Cyclops direction. "How 'bout a bit of shock value?!"

The mutant known as Shadowcat, begins to rise through the Hellicarrier and stands behind Electro. "Oh what a pun. I bet you've been working on that for a while," she says sending a swift kick to his temple knocking him out cold. "Maybe you can work on some more back in the pen."

"Electro is down. Emma, Beast you two handle Sandman and we'll take care of...." Cyclops is interrupted by a powerful force of water that sends him flying into a nearby building.

"I'M NOT GOING BACK!" Hydro-Man screams at the top of his lungs while he begins to drown Cyclops.

Cyclops tries to reach his visor but the water was holding his hand back. He opens his mouth to breath but the water begins to enter him. His lungs start to fill with the liquid and he starts to pass out.

A hand from beneath grabs his foot and he sinks into the ground. A few seconds later he his laying on the ground in the sewers.

"Scott, can you hear me?" Shadowcat ask slapping his face softly. "Scott wake up. Shit."

Her mind reaches out in search of their resident telepath, Emma Frost. {Emma its Shadowcat ...}

{I'm aware of that Katherine.} Emma responds.

{Don't start! Anyway Hydro-Man filled Scott's lungs with water. We're in the sewer as we speak. I'm going to start CPR. You two will have to stop Hydro-Man and Sandman. Got it?}

{I understand clearly. Just make sure he's alright.} Emma says cutting of their mental connection.

"Scott I don't know what you see in that bitch," she says as she puts her mouth on his.

Meanwhile, above the sewers, Beast was trying to talk some sense into his fellow former Avenger, the Sandman. "You can't start being a villain again. You were so close to your release and I'm pretty sure that Captain America would have put on the Avengers team as soon as they return from England."

"That's a bunch of bull and you know it. Cap gave up on me a long time ago. And you know you only get one chance with that asshole," Sandman replies punching the Beast with his massive fist.

"That's enough," Emma says softly as she dodges more of Hydro-Man's water. Using her telekinesis she redirects the water towards Sandman. The water hits him turning him into mud.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH," Sandman screams melting to the ground. Beast rises from the ground covered in mud. He shakes it off as if he was a dog, quite a coincidence considering that's what he looks like. Emma redirects the water towards the unconscious Electro, sending a current of electrity through his body. He falls to the ground still shaking from the experience. She tosses his body over to the mud like Sandman with her telekinesis and walks over the Beast to help him up.

"Good thinking," Beast says knocking the dirt out of his fur. "It's going to a week to clean my fur."

"So is that all of them?" Cyclops asks emerging from the sewer with Shadowcat behind him.

"Only the ones who decided to escape," Emma answers walking up to her lover. She caresses his face and says, "Are you alright? Do we need to rush to the infirmary?"

"He's fine," Shadowcat answers for him. She was getting sick of the way those two were falling all over each other. Especially so soon after Jean's death. But from what she hears from everyone, this little relationship has been going on while Jean was alive.

"Do you think we can salvage anything?" Beast asks looking at the destruction around him.

"Don't know," Shadowcat responds picking up a piece of scrap metal. "If I knew were Fury was, I would ask him what caused the carrier to fall."

"You think he's not in there?" Cyclops asks.

"I know he's not," she says. "Knowing Fury, he probably has a backup carrier up there as we speak. Look we better get back to the mansion before the crowd gets any bigger."

Emma turns around and realizes the citizens have stopped running and started watching them stop the villains. They watch them watch them in silence. Emma mind is being filled with mixed emotions from the people. Some people want to cheer for them while others want them to leave. Some people even think that they caused this thing to fall from the sky.

"She's right. We need to leave," Emma says as she lifts them up in the air. She shivers from the looks of the people watching them float away. 'I hope their moods change once we become real heroes.' She thinks while they head home.

As the X-Men leave a set of eyes watch the people in disgust. The man known as Chaos couldn't believe what he just saw. In just a few seconds, these people went from total panic to being pleased that the villains had been stopped. He wasn't getting the reaction he had hoped for.

"So, what do we do now?" his companion, Chimera, asks. She swung her blonde hair over her shoulder and began to rub his shoulders.

"They reacted so quickly," he says scratching his chin. "I wasn't prepared for that at all. We need a bigger diversion. Something they won't be ready for."

"Like what?" she said.

"I'm thinking," he said with annoyance in his voice. He needed her just for the plan and that's all. She was an extra something that could be dealt with after he was through with her.

"Hey!" she yelled in his ear. She walked in front of him and started jumping up and down in excitement. "Okay, what if I go the Institute, and distract them while you do whatever you're going to do."

"That could work but are you going to do to distract them?" he asked.

She walked over to the phone and started dialing. "Who knows? I'll make something happen," she paused as the other end was answered. "Hello room service, can you send up two cheese steaks and two slices of key lime pie to room 1034? Thank you." She turns to Chaos who looks at her with an evil eye. "What? Did you want anything?"

"Okay," Kitty says pulling off her gloves. "Do you have a lock on that mutant signature Cerebra found?"

"Not a thing," Emma replies. "It's as if the signature never existed. It was near the Eden Hotel, but it's nowhere to be found. And I bet it had something to do with the hellicarrier falling."

"Why is that," Scott asks pulling his mask off his head.

"The power is displayed was off the charts," she answers.

"Should we go back and help with the clean up," Hank asks still picking the dirt out of his fur.

"I don't think they people of New York are ready for us to help out," she says turning on the large monitor. "Besides, it looks like the Avengers are taking care of it. The best thing for us to do is to just wait and see what happens next."

"We should be out there trying to figure this situation out!" Kitty yells slamming her fist down on the table.

"Emma's right," Scott says getting from the table. "We should just sit it out."

"Are you kidding me," Kitty says looking him in the eyes. "You know we should be out there. Why are you..."

"As co-leader of this group, I say we will sit it out," Scott says in his stern voice. He heads for the door with Emma right behind him. She turns around and smirks at Kitty as the door slides closed.

"I am going to kill her," Kitty says through her teeth.

"Kitty you have to understand..." Hank tries to explain.

"No you need to understand!" she yells as her rage reaches its boiling point. "This is a woman who tried to kidnap me and make me one of her Hellions. This is a woman who was tried to kill us time after time and you guys are letting her run this school like clock work. I couldn't do anything about it when she was running the Massachusetts Academy with Banshee, but she's in my school. The school I grew up in. She will not be here to turn these kids into Hellions. Not now not ever."

Kitty storms out of the room with fire in each step. Hank holds his head down. He knew this was going to happen. There was way too much bad blood between those two. 'I hope they can work this thing out,' he thinks.

"Emma I think that you and Kitty should sit down and work your problems out," Scott says taking off his costume. They had just entered their bedroom and were getting out of their outfits. "I don't think the team is going to work with all this animosity between you two."

"Then why don't we take her off the team?" She asks pacing back and forth in the bathroom. The open door lets Scott see each one of her pieces of clothing come off.

"No." Scott retorts pulling off his boots.

"Think about it Scott, there are plenty of people who deserve to be on our team." She replies walking up to him naked. "Jubilee can do a better job than Kitty."

"No," he replies.

"Why not?" she asks slipping on a pearl white halter top.

"Because I put the teams together and this is what I want," he answers putting on a fresh pair of boxers.

"Well, what about what I want?" she wonders aloud rubbing his chest.

He pushes her away and walks into the bathroom. "When it comes to my team of X-Men, it doesn't matter what you want." He says closing the door in her face.

She puts on her jeans and slips on her shoes. She couldn't believe how this day was turning out. Her kids were being punished by that ungrateful toe rag, Kitty. Then, her boyfriend has just rejected her for the third time this week. Could this day get any worse?

"And he just agrees with everything she says. I don't know how much more of it I can take," Kitty says lying back on the bed. She closes her eyes and rubs her forehead trying to make it feel better.

"Well, can I have your spot on the team?" Jubilee asks plopping down next to her.

"We'll see," she says with a chuckle.

"No I'm serious," Jubilee says. "I can't be a student advisor for the rest of my life. I need some kind of action in my life. These kids aren't making it any easier."

"I like the way you make yourself sound older than you really are," Paige says emerging from the bathroom. She has her hair in curls and a beautiful light blue dress on.

"Don't we look hot tonight," Kitty says giving her the once over.

"Why thank you," Paige responds doing a quick 360 spin. "Warren and I are going out tonight. He leaves for Genosha tomorrow and I want to give him the proper send off."

"You are such a slut," Jubilee says tossing a pillow at her.

"You're just jeloeous," she retorts throwing it back at her. Paige walks over to the bed and takes a seat next to Kitty. "Look Kitty, just give it some time. It may take a while but Emma will prove to be a good person."

Kitty rolls her eyes and says, "Was she a good person when she started her relationship with Scott or when she killed her own sister?" Kitty gets up and opens the door. "Don't stay out to late Paige. You got detention tomorrow afternoon with Julian Keller and Rockslide."

"Emma let you punish them?" Jubilee asks in amazement.

"Emma Frost does not run me. They'll be waiting for you in the Danger Room at noon sharp," she replies closing the door behind her.

Emma was finally beginning to relax. She had just opened a book and was sipping on some herbal tea when the doorbell rang. She exhaled and got up from her chair. 'I can never have a moment to myself,' she thinks opening the door.

There right in front of her eyes, was a reflection of herself. A younger reflection of herself. Same blonde hair, same blue eyes, it was eerie. Yet her blonde hair had black roots. Suddenly it dawned on Emma who she was.

"So Cordelia," Emma says. "When did we decide that we want to be a blonde?"

Cordelia walks into the house and says, "Well hi to you too, big sis. So where do I sleep?"

"Anywhere but here," Emma says in a fake sweet voice.

"Aww come on sis, put me up for he night."

"No."

"Why not," Cordelia ask bringing the bag in using her telekinesis. "I promise I won't cause any trouble."

Emma gets in her sister's face and says, "My sweet Cordelia. It's not that you cause the trouble. The trouble follows you where ever you go. So I won't be putting my students in danger. Goodbye."

"Emma, what the hell is she doing here?" Jubilee ask coming down the steps.

"Jubilee," Cordelia says waving at her. "Long time no see. How you been doing?"

"She just showed up Jubilation," Emma tells her trying to calm her down. "And she was just leaving."

"Come on Emma," Cordelia begs. "I won't be any trouble."

"Emma!" Hank bellows from the stairwell. "There's an emergency."

"What is it now?" Emma asks eyeballing her sister.

"What?" Cordelia says.

"California is beginning to sink into the Pacific Ocean!" He tells leaping over the banister landing in front of the three women. "We have to go now!"

"Why doesn't the LA branch of the X-Corp handle it?" Jubilee asks.

"Because the X-Corp building just collapsed," he answered.

"Huh," Emma says.

"I was talking to Roberto, when I lost the connection. Then I had the satellite show me if anything was the matter. And when the picture came up, there was nothing there but ruble." He explained to the women.

"Then let's go!" Cordelia says with urgency in her voice.

"You aren't going anywhere," Emma says. "Jubilee go get ready, you're coming with us. Hank, get Scott and I'll get Kitty."

The three of them disburse and Cordelia is left standing by herself. She looks around a bit and walks around. She hears footsteps and sees someone with long brown hair come down the stairs. 'Katherine "Kitty" Pryde,' her telepathy told her. Using her illusion powers, she makes herself look even more like Emma. Exactly like her.

"Emma," Kitty says coming down the stairs. "Can we talk?"

"Okay Katherine," Cordelia answers.

Could Cordelia be Chimera? And what (or should I say who) do the X-Men find when the go to LA? Find out in Chapter Three: City of Devils