A/N ~ Playing loose and fast with several timelines in this chapter. Huzzah for obsolete history lessons. Also, I'd like to draw attention to the response to Hootild's review. Suggest away, people, please.
UnknownSource ~ I think you're the only real fan of the kiddiwinks, and for that I thank you. I like the little 'uns, even though they're not *especially* important or prominent.
Cheesy Monkey ~ Grasshopper's Council is exposed in this chapter (no, not like that for all the pervs in the audience). Thanks for the reviews of STFIWTGO, I really do appreciate it. Your review just wasn't showing up when I wrote the previous chapter's author notes. CH34 was an expository chapter, really, so yeah, it was uninteresting in some parts. Oh well.
Ezrajade ~ Grasshopper's an enigma wrapped up in a bad attitude – like my old P.E. teacher, really. Only less fearsome.
The Phantom ~ Perhaps a Dudeling? S.W.A.T. totally stole that from JD. Seriously. I could get them for copyright theft… ;) Daisy gets some attention in a few chapters, as does Ariel, so watch this space.
Hootild ~ Actors for characters? What, you mean voice actors (a la Evo) or the live action variety? Hmmm, have to give that one some thought. Animation-wise, Spidey would have to be voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes, who voiced Peter Parker in the 1990s Spiderman animated series on Fox. Always thought him more believable than other Spidey incarnations – and that includes Tobey Maguire. Dazzler's mute, so she doesn't need a VA… original Evo voices where necessary, of course. Um… still as VAs, Rupert Everett as Brian Braddock, maybe Bob Hoskins as Alvin (can we say 'wishful thinking'?)… Actually, Alvin's a difficult one to call. Anybody got a better idea? Lenore Zann strikes me as a voice for Daisy, provided she could do the accent (she played Rogue in X-Men: TAS), and maybe Frankie Muniz as Ariel. Grasshopper… I don't know. Edward Asner, perhaps? Ooh, ooh, actually, I'd like Brian Drummond to play Grasshopper. He's got both gravel and emotion on tap – nifty little trick when your face can't be seen. Hank Azaria as Sneak, and if she were still able, Susanne Pollatschek as Robyn (she played Olivia Flaversham in 'Basil the Great Mouse Detective' back in 1986, so a time warp or two may be involved to get her on the payroll). Ach, I'll have to relegate any characters I've missed to the next A/N. In the interim, suggestions for VAs greatly welcomed. I'd be interested to see other people's takes on characters and their voices.
Ice Princess ~ You will indeed find out in this chapter. Insert maniacal cackling here, if you wish.
Gerri ~ 'After all, Nature makes mistakes, but Man makes far worse ones. One day I'll try and figure out why.. :P' Because we're short-sighted, ephemeral creatures out for our own interests above those of the rest of the world? Thick-skinned… yeah, I can see that.
Tenshiamanda ~ A bitch in more ways than one. Sorry to hear about your cat :(
AerinBrown ~ The ending is… atypical. And that's all you're going to get out of me for now.
Yma ~ I know. Grasshopper is da man! Uh, insect… mutant. Whatever. Yep, Yodelbean is responsible for most of his sarcastic verbal skillz. And we're past 300 revies now – WOOT! Go our reviewers!
Ambrosia ~ The little girl back on Asteroid M was called Jane, an empathic healer missing pinkies and little fingers. Watch out for more of the Dazzler/Peter/Wolfsbane triangle in later chapters. That catfight might not be so far away as people think…
DemonRogue13 ~ You'll have to read on to find out. ;)
Springwarrior ~ That's an… interesting theory you have there. Definitely unique, though. Mr. Hoppers… *snickersnort*.
sPoOkZ13412 ~ I'm glad you like it. Thanks.
SSam ~ Yup, Rogue absorbed Wanda without touching her back on the bridge, as well as when they first broke out of the labs. Hence the flashbacks sequence a hella chapters ago. ;)
ChaosCat ~ 'Most people don't understand that you don't have to have romance between a male and a female character in order for a relationship of any sort to work.' Yes! Finally, someone else who gets it. That's something that really, *really* annoys me in movies – there are virtually *no* male-female partnerships that don't end up in romance or at least lust by the end credits. Are the scriptwriters compensating for something?!? Leave 'em alone to be friends! They don't need to fall in love or do the humpy-dance, dammit! Thank you so much for writing that, it really made my day. ^_^
sycommansonboy ~ Thank you.
*******************
Thirty-fifth Fragment ~ Providence
*******************
Grasshopper had been and gone, leaving a wake of despair, frustration and rage.
Kurt seemed to be showing the latter two of these emotions particularly.
He was currently occupied in storming round; grumbling and kicking whatever furniture came within reach.
"Kurt," said Kitty softly, hearing his feet connect with the table, a chair, and the bed respectively. "Kurt, calm down. It's over, Kurt. There's no use in - "
"Nein! It's not over! I won't *let* it be over! I - we travelled so many miles, went though so much pain, so much death... for this?! To get stranded here?! Nein, I won't let that happen! I *won't*! We need a plan - any plan, to get us out of here."
"I have a plan," Raven said quietly, hands folded in her lap in a semblance of restraint. Grasshopper's audience had meant all the adults moved into the one room, and as yet, they had yet to be separated again.
"Ja?" Kurt's ear was instantly attentive, and he plopped down to lean close.
She sighed, turning her eyes to the ceiling, as if still working out the kinks in her idea while she spoke. "With my shapeshifting abilities I could probably escape, turn into a hawk or some other suitable animal, and be away before anyone knew it. Then I could travel towards the Goddess' lands; take news of what's happening. From what Alvin said, it's possible that they'd put together a rescue party of some sort."
Alvin shook his head. "That's not a good plan," he said simply, playing with the frayed edge of his sleeve. "Don't get me wrong, my people would do that if you asked them, but we're not warriors. We're farmers, primarily - and, more important, human. We don't have the power to infiltrate or make war upon Mutie Town. Or if we did, our casualties would be great."
"So that plan's out." Kurt snorted and folded his arms. "Next?"
A few dozen ideas swapped brains; refining and then dying as problems were spotted and pointed out. Outside, the world grew yet darker, and still nothing emerged.
Then Kurt sat bolt upright, an idea popping unannounced into his head. "Hang on... ach, it's so simple. Why didn't we think of that before? What if I was to go talk to them myself?"
"Talk to who?" asked Logan, quiet and surly in the corner.
"The Council. Perhaps it I was to put across our argument in person - "
"No chance, Elf. I talked to Grasshopper 'bout that as he was leavin', but he just said no. Apparently the Council lives separate, in that old library buildin', away from the rabble. Only *he* gets to see 'em. You won't be let in there."
"Fine. Then I go in uninvited."
"And how d'ya propose to do that?"
Kurt just gave Logan and incredulous look, like he was a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket. "I *can* teleport, you know."
"Blind? What about poppin' into the middle of a wall?"
"Given our situation, it's a risk I may have to take."
*******************
The door to the makeshift prison slammed open, admitting the Defender of Mutie Town, Grasshopper. Logan lounged against the door to the room they were gathered in; the rest of the inhabitants huddled together, hoping he wouldn't notice the absence of one of their members.
"Back so soon? So what's the word, bub?"
Grasshopper narrowed his coal black eyes. "Okay, fun's over. Bubbles told me you lot were up to something. Where's the blue one?"
Raven rose. "I'm right here, or are you blind as well as incompetent?" It was not difficult to fake the anger in her voice.
"Not you," he hissed, wings beginning to buzz irritably. "The other one, with the tail."
Logan smirked and popped a single claw to pick something out of his teeth. "We figured you wouldn't get the job done, so he went to go talk to your 'Council' himself."
Grasshopper's eyes went wide with fear.
Logan continued, his smugness growing with every moment. "What's got you so scared, Grasshopper? That they'll let us go? Think they'll favour outsiders over you, their precious mouthpiece?"
"No... I think they'll kill him," Grasshopper managed, before Raven's arm snaked out and grabbed him.
"Who?" she demanded, voice eerily calm. "Who will kill my son?"
"The Council!" he gasped. "The Ladies!"
*******************
{BAMF!}
Kurt coughed up a lungful of dust, thanked the Lord he'd made it to open space in one piece, and then got his bearings.
The library might once have been an imposing place, but now looked like it hadn't been touched in years. Dust covered every inch, except for a well-worn trail from the door to the front desk - presumably made by Grasshopper. The footprints certainly looked like he could have made them.
"Hello?" he ventured. "Is anyone here?"
Nothing and nobody answered.
Kurt's eyes narrowed. It was a set up. There was no Council here - maybe never had been. His lip curled in a growl - that Grasshopper had kept them here while Ororo lay dying, if she wasn't dead already! When h got hold of him he was going to -
"...intruder..."
_What?_
He whipped around, and then cocked an ear.
Nothing. Maybe it was just the w -
"...outsider..."
There it was again! He crouched low in a defensive posture. "Hallo?"
"...a visitor..."
It couldn't be his imagination. The voices were too real. Kurt stood up straight and addressed where he thought they may be coming from in the deceptively echoing space.
"Excuse me? My name's Kurt Wagner, of the… travellers. My family wishes to leave Mutie Town. Will you hear us out?"
"...Wagner..."
"...hear us..."
"...yes, we will hear you..."
He smiled, and bowed his head. "Thank you," he said, eyes darting behind him to pick out something - anything in the all-encompassing gloom.
"Thanks?" The voice was clear now and tinged with amusement, as if the speaker was right in front of him.
Kurt quickly looked up and gasped in amazement. The library was now a grand hall; impeccably furnished and with dust disappeared. A huge chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling, shining diamonds of colour and white light across gold fittings and polished wood. It was breathtaking, like stepping back in time.
Three figures also now stood in front of him.
The first was a young lady, perhaps a year older than himself, and she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen - with the notable exception of the late Jean Grey. Her hair was golden, and cascaded down her back like a river of molten sunlight.
The next woman had aged gracefully, with gentle, motherly curves. She could easily have been mistaken for a cousin of his foster-mother or Layla. Her eyes were kind and soft, and her face edged in wrinkles made by past smiles.
The last was an old crone, bent and wrinkled with age. Her eyes were icy and quick, boring a hole through him as though she could see his very soul by stare alone. Her hair was wispy grey and smoke-like, loose around her face, but still looked impossibly austere.
The crone cackled, a chilling sound that sent shivers all the way down to the base of Kurt's tail; and for the first time, he wondered whether he'd made a mistake.
"Oh dearie," the middle one picked up from where the first had left off, shaking her head, "you don't thank the Fates."
*******************
Wolfsbane's ears pricked up at a sound only she could hear. The door to the warehouse was open, and the Jamie that was not theirs peered out, incredulity etching his face.
"The others... they're fighting their way out."
Peter and Dazzler turned to her suddenly, both surprised by this revelation. They might have spoken, but a shrill yell from the street called their attention.
Magneto merely stood and turned to the bars holding them. "Then it appears the Council has decided to try and keep us all here."
He gestured, and the bars flew from the frame.
*******************
"The... Fates?" Kurt echoed, unbelieving.
"Yes, yes," said the old crone. "The Fates. What's wrong, boy? Going deaf?"
"I doubt it," crooned the young maiden. "Not with ears like that."
Kurt shook himself. "But... but you're... you're just legends..."
"No, no, love," said the middle, motherly one. "We're just very, very old. Though not all of us look it." This last comment was directed at the youngest woman, who merely smiled and pouted like the supermodels of the Old World.
"The Fates… So... so you're the ones running Mutie Town? *You're* the Council?" Kurt thought back to his spotty history lessons and vague textbooks, dredging up all he could remember about the three sisters now apparently stood before him. "And... and you can see into the future?"
"Yes, yes and yes," snapped the oldest. "Who else do you think runs this place? That old warrior, Grasshopper? Or maybe the Tooth Fairy?"
"Uh... there's a Tooth Fairy? Is there a Santa Claus too? Because if there is - "
"Oh, settle down, young one," the maternal woman smiled. "You seem to be a bit hung up on our appearance here, yes? Thought we were just part of old folklore? Didn't think we existed? Am I right?"
Kurt nodded dumbly. This was impossible. Just a mind game – a trick of his senses. Grasshopper had mentioned something about the Council and telepaths, after all…
"Well, let us tell you a story. Urd, this is your department I believe?"
The old one nodded, and began to speak in a voice like crackling paper. "The tale begins many thousands of years ago, in Egypt, where the first mutant was born. His real name is unimportant, but he was a creature of great power, and went by the title of En Sabah Nur. Later on, when his power grew more, he adopted the epithet 'Apocalypse'. True to his name, he did indeed seek to bring about the end of the world, or near as damn it. Luckily, with the rising of a massive army and one of great power, he was captured and imprisoned in a tomb, where he lies still. But before this he sired three daughters, three second-generation mutants."
"The first second-gens, us," the youngest sister smiled, until the one called Urd glared her down.
She went on, clearing her throat as if in dire need of a glass of water. "He wanted to use us to bring about the end of the world, but we would have nothing of it. We're immortal, you see – tied to the fate of man. We live on until the human race itself dies. Whilst one person still lives on this Earth, so shall we. And so, even after En Sabah Nur's incarceration, we live still, using our powers across the globe to ensure the survival of both man and Mutantkind - as well as keeping ourselves amused." She gestured at her wizened chest. "I am Urd, seer of all that is past. I remember all. My sister there, the middle one, is Verdani. She sees all that is, and communicates with those mutants sensitive to such callings, such as Seer, Scry, and the now dead Destiny. Finally there is our youngest sister, Skuld. It is her power to see into the future, to gather the data the past and present give her, extrapolate the odds, and from it predict what will happen."
"Ahem."
Grudgingly, Urd added, "She's very good at it."
"Thank you, sister dear."
Kurt said nothing, still struck dumb by awe. For some reason, the words rang true, despite the pure impossibility of it all. There was an aura about these three – an atmosphere of wisdom gained through experience and great age.
Then he found his tongue. "But aren't you supposed to live in Greece or someplace? Why live here, on the other side of the world, in a little nothing town like this?"
The motherly woman - Verdani - answered. "Why not? We've lived a long time, Kurt Wagner. You think we stayed all our thousands of years on the same continent? Mutie Town is our home for the present, just as Greece, Rome and Egypt have been in the past. We even dabbled in the place now called Britain for a while, though I can't say it much took our fancy."
Kurt swallowed, drawn in by their stares. He *felt* the truth behind their words, despite the unfeasibility of it all, and couldn't help but believe what they said. "Then... then if you see all that is, if you see all that was, why do you want us to stay? You've seen all we've been through on our journey. You've seen all the death, suffering, and pain we've had to endure. You have to know how much we *need* to get to Ororo, before it's too late! You can't deny us that. Not after all this... bitte... please let us leave?"
There was a deep silence. The three sisters looked to one another, and Kurt sensed that words were being spoken without need for voices.
"Very well," Skuld said at last. She sighed, and it was like rippling silk from her lips. "You may leave. Perhaps it was foolish of us to try to prevent our own prophecy anyway. But we had to try. Go then. Leave Mutie Town. You have our permission, and soon that of Grasshopper's, too."
"Danke," Kurt said hastily, struck by the swiftness in their decision's change. Then he found himself asking, "What... what prophecy were you trying to prevent?" He thought back on all that Alvin's book had told them. If they had informed Seer enough to make such claims, then which one was so important?
Verdani's words made his breath catch in his throat.
"That of our own death," she breathed sadly.
"But... but you said you'd live as long as humanity..."
"Exactly."
Kurt paled. "Gott im Himmel!"
Skuld smiled again. "Don't worry, Kurt Wagner," she said. "The future is almost certain anyway, whether or not you leave. You're not the last link of the chain, nor are you its burning fuse. You're merely one of the many, many steps leading along that ultimate road. It matters little, in truth, whether you stay or go. And there is still hope. While random chance, while luck, and while love remain in this world, there is always hope." She turned her face to the ceiling, as if watching the clouds in the night sky pass through the roof. "Go now. There's a jailbreak going on even as we speak. You may want to be there."
Kurt swallowed the lump in his throat. "Is there anything I can do? Anything..." he asked, the sentence hanging unfinished in the gloomy air.
"Follow our portents dearie," said Verdani. "Listen to what our servants say, and try your best. That's all that can be hoped for."
"All that can be expected," Urd snapped.
"You can't give me any more help?"
"Actually, yes," said Skuld. "I *do* have one more piece of advice for you. If you want it, that is."
Kurt nodded so hard his head nearly fell off.
Skuld started forward, moving out of the line she and her sisters formed. Years of dust spilled from her simple, grey smock, and her skin seemed to glitter with some hidden light. Bending down a little, she brought herself eye level with him, and Kurt smelled the strange fragrance of dust over rose petals.
He couldn't move, even if he had wanted to. Skuld leaned forward; her scent filling his nostrils, intoxicating, as her lips barely brushed the pointed tip of his ear.
"Live," she whispered. "Enjoy and make the best of each hour of every day of every week of every year. Live and take pleasure in life, and the lives of those around you."
With that, she straightened up and moved back to her place, almond shaped eyes mournful and liquid.
Sensing that nothing more could be said or done there, Kurt left hurriedly, his mind busy with thoughts. He went through the door this time, seeing no reason for subterfuge or wasting energy – though in truth, he felt strangely revitalised after his short spell in the sisters' company.
The three women watched him leave. Then the room turned once again into an old and abandoned library, and all seemed as it was, save for an extra set of footprints, and some damp patches on the floor where salty tears had mixed with the thick dust.
*******************
To Be Continued…
*******************
UnknownSource ~ I think you're the only real fan of the kiddiwinks, and for that I thank you. I like the little 'uns, even though they're not *especially* important or prominent.
Cheesy Monkey ~ Grasshopper's Council is exposed in this chapter (no, not like that for all the pervs in the audience). Thanks for the reviews of STFIWTGO, I really do appreciate it. Your review just wasn't showing up when I wrote the previous chapter's author notes. CH34 was an expository chapter, really, so yeah, it was uninteresting in some parts. Oh well.
Ezrajade ~ Grasshopper's an enigma wrapped up in a bad attitude – like my old P.E. teacher, really. Only less fearsome.
The Phantom ~ Perhaps a Dudeling? S.W.A.T. totally stole that from JD. Seriously. I could get them for copyright theft… ;) Daisy gets some attention in a few chapters, as does Ariel, so watch this space.
Hootild ~ Actors for characters? What, you mean voice actors (a la Evo) or the live action variety? Hmmm, have to give that one some thought. Animation-wise, Spidey would have to be voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes, who voiced Peter Parker in the 1990s Spiderman animated series on Fox. Always thought him more believable than other Spidey incarnations – and that includes Tobey Maguire. Dazzler's mute, so she doesn't need a VA… original Evo voices where necessary, of course. Um… still as VAs, Rupert Everett as Brian Braddock, maybe Bob Hoskins as Alvin (can we say 'wishful thinking'?)… Actually, Alvin's a difficult one to call. Anybody got a better idea? Lenore Zann strikes me as a voice for Daisy, provided she could do the accent (she played Rogue in X-Men: TAS), and maybe Frankie Muniz as Ariel. Grasshopper… I don't know. Edward Asner, perhaps? Ooh, ooh, actually, I'd like Brian Drummond to play Grasshopper. He's got both gravel and emotion on tap – nifty little trick when your face can't be seen. Hank Azaria as Sneak, and if she were still able, Susanne Pollatschek as Robyn (she played Olivia Flaversham in 'Basil the Great Mouse Detective' back in 1986, so a time warp or two may be involved to get her on the payroll). Ach, I'll have to relegate any characters I've missed to the next A/N. In the interim, suggestions for VAs greatly welcomed. I'd be interested to see other people's takes on characters and their voices.
Ice Princess ~ You will indeed find out in this chapter. Insert maniacal cackling here, if you wish.
Gerri ~ 'After all, Nature makes mistakes, but Man makes far worse ones. One day I'll try and figure out why.. :P' Because we're short-sighted, ephemeral creatures out for our own interests above those of the rest of the world? Thick-skinned… yeah, I can see that.
Tenshiamanda ~ A bitch in more ways than one. Sorry to hear about your cat :(
AerinBrown ~ The ending is… atypical. And that's all you're going to get out of me for now.
Yma ~ I know. Grasshopper is da man! Uh, insect… mutant. Whatever. Yep, Yodelbean is responsible for most of his sarcastic verbal skillz. And we're past 300 revies now – WOOT! Go our reviewers!
Ambrosia ~ The little girl back on Asteroid M was called Jane, an empathic healer missing pinkies and little fingers. Watch out for more of the Dazzler/Peter/Wolfsbane triangle in later chapters. That catfight might not be so far away as people think…
DemonRogue13 ~ You'll have to read on to find out. ;)
Springwarrior ~ That's an… interesting theory you have there. Definitely unique, though. Mr. Hoppers… *snickersnort*.
sPoOkZ13412 ~ I'm glad you like it. Thanks.
SSam ~ Yup, Rogue absorbed Wanda without touching her back on the bridge, as well as when they first broke out of the labs. Hence the flashbacks sequence a hella chapters ago. ;)
ChaosCat ~ 'Most people don't understand that you don't have to have romance between a male and a female character in order for a relationship of any sort to work.' Yes! Finally, someone else who gets it. That's something that really, *really* annoys me in movies – there are virtually *no* male-female partnerships that don't end up in romance or at least lust by the end credits. Are the scriptwriters compensating for something?!? Leave 'em alone to be friends! They don't need to fall in love or do the humpy-dance, dammit! Thank you so much for writing that, it really made my day. ^_^
sycommansonboy ~ Thank you.
*******************
Thirty-fifth Fragment ~ Providence
*******************
Grasshopper had been and gone, leaving a wake of despair, frustration and rage.
Kurt seemed to be showing the latter two of these emotions particularly.
He was currently occupied in storming round; grumbling and kicking whatever furniture came within reach.
"Kurt," said Kitty softly, hearing his feet connect with the table, a chair, and the bed respectively. "Kurt, calm down. It's over, Kurt. There's no use in - "
"Nein! It's not over! I won't *let* it be over! I - we travelled so many miles, went though so much pain, so much death... for this?! To get stranded here?! Nein, I won't let that happen! I *won't*! We need a plan - any plan, to get us out of here."
"I have a plan," Raven said quietly, hands folded in her lap in a semblance of restraint. Grasshopper's audience had meant all the adults moved into the one room, and as yet, they had yet to be separated again.
"Ja?" Kurt's ear was instantly attentive, and he plopped down to lean close.
She sighed, turning her eyes to the ceiling, as if still working out the kinks in her idea while she spoke. "With my shapeshifting abilities I could probably escape, turn into a hawk or some other suitable animal, and be away before anyone knew it. Then I could travel towards the Goddess' lands; take news of what's happening. From what Alvin said, it's possible that they'd put together a rescue party of some sort."
Alvin shook his head. "That's not a good plan," he said simply, playing with the frayed edge of his sleeve. "Don't get me wrong, my people would do that if you asked them, but we're not warriors. We're farmers, primarily - and, more important, human. We don't have the power to infiltrate or make war upon Mutie Town. Or if we did, our casualties would be great."
"So that plan's out." Kurt snorted and folded his arms. "Next?"
A few dozen ideas swapped brains; refining and then dying as problems were spotted and pointed out. Outside, the world grew yet darker, and still nothing emerged.
Then Kurt sat bolt upright, an idea popping unannounced into his head. "Hang on... ach, it's so simple. Why didn't we think of that before? What if I was to go talk to them myself?"
"Talk to who?" asked Logan, quiet and surly in the corner.
"The Council. Perhaps it I was to put across our argument in person - "
"No chance, Elf. I talked to Grasshopper 'bout that as he was leavin', but he just said no. Apparently the Council lives separate, in that old library buildin', away from the rabble. Only *he* gets to see 'em. You won't be let in there."
"Fine. Then I go in uninvited."
"And how d'ya propose to do that?"
Kurt just gave Logan and incredulous look, like he was a few sandwiches short of a picnic basket. "I *can* teleport, you know."
"Blind? What about poppin' into the middle of a wall?"
"Given our situation, it's a risk I may have to take."
*******************
The door to the makeshift prison slammed open, admitting the Defender of Mutie Town, Grasshopper. Logan lounged against the door to the room they were gathered in; the rest of the inhabitants huddled together, hoping he wouldn't notice the absence of one of their members.
"Back so soon? So what's the word, bub?"
Grasshopper narrowed his coal black eyes. "Okay, fun's over. Bubbles told me you lot were up to something. Where's the blue one?"
Raven rose. "I'm right here, or are you blind as well as incompetent?" It was not difficult to fake the anger in her voice.
"Not you," he hissed, wings beginning to buzz irritably. "The other one, with the tail."
Logan smirked and popped a single claw to pick something out of his teeth. "We figured you wouldn't get the job done, so he went to go talk to your 'Council' himself."
Grasshopper's eyes went wide with fear.
Logan continued, his smugness growing with every moment. "What's got you so scared, Grasshopper? That they'll let us go? Think they'll favour outsiders over you, their precious mouthpiece?"
"No... I think they'll kill him," Grasshopper managed, before Raven's arm snaked out and grabbed him.
"Who?" she demanded, voice eerily calm. "Who will kill my son?"
"The Council!" he gasped. "The Ladies!"
*******************
{BAMF!}
Kurt coughed up a lungful of dust, thanked the Lord he'd made it to open space in one piece, and then got his bearings.
The library might once have been an imposing place, but now looked like it hadn't been touched in years. Dust covered every inch, except for a well-worn trail from the door to the front desk - presumably made by Grasshopper. The footprints certainly looked like he could have made them.
"Hello?" he ventured. "Is anyone here?"
Nothing and nobody answered.
Kurt's eyes narrowed. It was a set up. There was no Council here - maybe never had been. His lip curled in a growl - that Grasshopper had kept them here while Ororo lay dying, if she wasn't dead already! When h got hold of him he was going to -
"...intruder..."
_What?_
He whipped around, and then cocked an ear.
Nothing. Maybe it was just the w -
"...outsider..."
There it was again! He crouched low in a defensive posture. "Hallo?"
"...a visitor..."
It couldn't be his imagination. The voices were too real. Kurt stood up straight and addressed where he thought they may be coming from in the deceptively echoing space.
"Excuse me? My name's Kurt Wagner, of the… travellers. My family wishes to leave Mutie Town. Will you hear us out?"
"...Wagner..."
"...hear us..."
"...yes, we will hear you..."
He smiled, and bowed his head. "Thank you," he said, eyes darting behind him to pick out something - anything in the all-encompassing gloom.
"Thanks?" The voice was clear now and tinged with amusement, as if the speaker was right in front of him.
Kurt quickly looked up and gasped in amazement. The library was now a grand hall; impeccably furnished and with dust disappeared. A huge chandelier hung from the middle of the ceiling, shining diamonds of colour and white light across gold fittings and polished wood. It was breathtaking, like stepping back in time.
Three figures also now stood in front of him.
The first was a young lady, perhaps a year older than himself, and she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen - with the notable exception of the late Jean Grey. Her hair was golden, and cascaded down her back like a river of molten sunlight.
The next woman had aged gracefully, with gentle, motherly curves. She could easily have been mistaken for a cousin of his foster-mother or Layla. Her eyes were kind and soft, and her face edged in wrinkles made by past smiles.
The last was an old crone, bent and wrinkled with age. Her eyes were icy and quick, boring a hole through him as though she could see his very soul by stare alone. Her hair was wispy grey and smoke-like, loose around her face, but still looked impossibly austere.
The crone cackled, a chilling sound that sent shivers all the way down to the base of Kurt's tail; and for the first time, he wondered whether he'd made a mistake.
"Oh dearie," the middle one picked up from where the first had left off, shaking her head, "you don't thank the Fates."
*******************
Wolfsbane's ears pricked up at a sound only she could hear. The door to the warehouse was open, and the Jamie that was not theirs peered out, incredulity etching his face.
"The others... they're fighting their way out."
Peter and Dazzler turned to her suddenly, both surprised by this revelation. They might have spoken, but a shrill yell from the street called their attention.
Magneto merely stood and turned to the bars holding them. "Then it appears the Council has decided to try and keep us all here."
He gestured, and the bars flew from the frame.
*******************
"The... Fates?" Kurt echoed, unbelieving.
"Yes, yes," said the old crone. "The Fates. What's wrong, boy? Going deaf?"
"I doubt it," crooned the young maiden. "Not with ears like that."
Kurt shook himself. "But... but you're... you're just legends..."
"No, no, love," said the middle, motherly one. "We're just very, very old. Though not all of us look it." This last comment was directed at the youngest woman, who merely smiled and pouted like the supermodels of the Old World.
"The Fates… So... so you're the ones running Mutie Town? *You're* the Council?" Kurt thought back to his spotty history lessons and vague textbooks, dredging up all he could remember about the three sisters now apparently stood before him. "And... and you can see into the future?"
"Yes, yes and yes," snapped the oldest. "Who else do you think runs this place? That old warrior, Grasshopper? Or maybe the Tooth Fairy?"
"Uh... there's a Tooth Fairy? Is there a Santa Claus too? Because if there is - "
"Oh, settle down, young one," the maternal woman smiled. "You seem to be a bit hung up on our appearance here, yes? Thought we were just part of old folklore? Didn't think we existed? Am I right?"
Kurt nodded dumbly. This was impossible. Just a mind game – a trick of his senses. Grasshopper had mentioned something about the Council and telepaths, after all…
"Well, let us tell you a story. Urd, this is your department I believe?"
The old one nodded, and began to speak in a voice like crackling paper. "The tale begins many thousands of years ago, in Egypt, where the first mutant was born. His real name is unimportant, but he was a creature of great power, and went by the title of En Sabah Nur. Later on, when his power grew more, he adopted the epithet 'Apocalypse'. True to his name, he did indeed seek to bring about the end of the world, or near as damn it. Luckily, with the rising of a massive army and one of great power, he was captured and imprisoned in a tomb, where he lies still. But before this he sired three daughters, three second-generation mutants."
"The first second-gens, us," the youngest sister smiled, until the one called Urd glared her down.
She went on, clearing her throat as if in dire need of a glass of water. "He wanted to use us to bring about the end of the world, but we would have nothing of it. We're immortal, you see – tied to the fate of man. We live on until the human race itself dies. Whilst one person still lives on this Earth, so shall we. And so, even after En Sabah Nur's incarceration, we live still, using our powers across the globe to ensure the survival of both man and Mutantkind - as well as keeping ourselves amused." She gestured at her wizened chest. "I am Urd, seer of all that is past. I remember all. My sister there, the middle one, is Verdani. She sees all that is, and communicates with those mutants sensitive to such callings, such as Seer, Scry, and the now dead Destiny. Finally there is our youngest sister, Skuld. It is her power to see into the future, to gather the data the past and present give her, extrapolate the odds, and from it predict what will happen."
"Ahem."
Grudgingly, Urd added, "She's very good at it."
"Thank you, sister dear."
Kurt said nothing, still struck dumb by awe. For some reason, the words rang true, despite the pure impossibility of it all. There was an aura about these three – an atmosphere of wisdom gained through experience and great age.
Then he found his tongue. "But aren't you supposed to live in Greece or someplace? Why live here, on the other side of the world, in a little nothing town like this?"
The motherly woman - Verdani - answered. "Why not? We've lived a long time, Kurt Wagner. You think we stayed all our thousands of years on the same continent? Mutie Town is our home for the present, just as Greece, Rome and Egypt have been in the past. We even dabbled in the place now called Britain for a while, though I can't say it much took our fancy."
Kurt swallowed, drawn in by their stares. He *felt* the truth behind their words, despite the unfeasibility of it all, and couldn't help but believe what they said. "Then... then if you see all that is, if you see all that was, why do you want us to stay? You've seen all we've been through on our journey. You've seen all the death, suffering, and pain we've had to endure. You have to know how much we *need* to get to Ororo, before it's too late! You can't deny us that. Not after all this... bitte... please let us leave?"
There was a deep silence. The three sisters looked to one another, and Kurt sensed that words were being spoken without need for voices.
"Very well," Skuld said at last. She sighed, and it was like rippling silk from her lips. "You may leave. Perhaps it was foolish of us to try to prevent our own prophecy anyway. But we had to try. Go then. Leave Mutie Town. You have our permission, and soon that of Grasshopper's, too."
"Danke," Kurt said hastily, struck by the swiftness in their decision's change. Then he found himself asking, "What... what prophecy were you trying to prevent?" He thought back on all that Alvin's book had told them. If they had informed Seer enough to make such claims, then which one was so important?
Verdani's words made his breath catch in his throat.
"That of our own death," she breathed sadly.
"But... but you said you'd live as long as humanity..."
"Exactly."
Kurt paled. "Gott im Himmel!"
Skuld smiled again. "Don't worry, Kurt Wagner," she said. "The future is almost certain anyway, whether or not you leave. You're not the last link of the chain, nor are you its burning fuse. You're merely one of the many, many steps leading along that ultimate road. It matters little, in truth, whether you stay or go. And there is still hope. While random chance, while luck, and while love remain in this world, there is always hope." She turned her face to the ceiling, as if watching the clouds in the night sky pass through the roof. "Go now. There's a jailbreak going on even as we speak. You may want to be there."
Kurt swallowed the lump in his throat. "Is there anything I can do? Anything..." he asked, the sentence hanging unfinished in the gloomy air.
"Follow our portents dearie," said Verdani. "Listen to what our servants say, and try your best. That's all that can be hoped for."
"All that can be expected," Urd snapped.
"You can't give me any more help?"
"Actually, yes," said Skuld. "I *do* have one more piece of advice for you. If you want it, that is."
Kurt nodded so hard his head nearly fell off.
Skuld started forward, moving out of the line she and her sisters formed. Years of dust spilled from her simple, grey smock, and her skin seemed to glitter with some hidden light. Bending down a little, she brought herself eye level with him, and Kurt smelled the strange fragrance of dust over rose petals.
He couldn't move, even if he had wanted to. Skuld leaned forward; her scent filling his nostrils, intoxicating, as her lips barely brushed the pointed tip of his ear.
"Live," she whispered. "Enjoy and make the best of each hour of every day of every week of every year. Live and take pleasure in life, and the lives of those around you."
With that, she straightened up and moved back to her place, almond shaped eyes mournful and liquid.
Sensing that nothing more could be said or done there, Kurt left hurriedly, his mind busy with thoughts. He went through the door this time, seeing no reason for subterfuge or wasting energy – though in truth, he felt strangely revitalised after his short spell in the sisters' company.
The three women watched him leave. Then the room turned once again into an old and abandoned library, and all seemed as it was, save for an extra set of footprints, and some damp patches on the floor where salty tears had mixed with the thick dust.
*******************
To Be Continued…
*******************