The Formidable Four: The Terror Bears

(A/N) This one's a crossover! (Daria and Jane shine a flashlight on a dark background revealing

4 new characters A la /The New Scooby Movies/. "Today, Daria and the gang meet The X-Men!")

They team up with some of the guys from /X Evolution/. The action takes place long before the

episode"Impact" and shortly after "Self Posessed". And in this reality, Duncan was hit by a bus

shortly after the events in "Strategy X". (I hate him even more than I hate Tom!) Thus, Scott

and Jean are in a very close relationship.

Daria, Trent and Jesse waited in the Lane's living room. Jane would give them the news any

minute. Trent looked at Jesse. It was hard to get a read on him; he was standing there, staring

out the window. If I was him, Trent thought, I'd be sweating bullets. Jane finally came out of

the bathroom. "We got lucky this time." she said. She went over to Jesse and put her arms around

him. "Congratulations, you're not going to be a father yet."

Jesse gave a weak smile. "That's good." he said and kissed her forehead.

"Yeah," said Jane. "I don't know what I'd do if I came up preggers. Lousy happy hypnosis. We're gonna have to be more careful. I wanna go on the Pill."

"OK." said Jesse.

"Break out the phone book, Daria." said Jane. "We've gotta find me a gynochologist."

Jesse went outside and sat on the porch. Trent followed and sat next to him.

"Y'know, Jess," he said. "A lot of guys in your position would jump on a table and scream

'Yahoo! Party at my place!'"

"Yeah, well, I've never been much of a party animal."

"You seem almost disappointed."

"The more I thought about it, Trent, the more I liked the idea of being a daddy."

"Really? Personally, I find the idea-scary."

Jesse shrugged. "I just like the idea of having someone small and helpless to take care of."

"You've already got a hamster."

"It's not quite the same."

"And you've been both mother and father to Danny since you were kids. Don't you think it's

time for a break?"

"You're right. But, someday, me and Jane are gonna have kids, or at least one."

"Someday."

"Yeah, someday."

"Summer's coming up. That means concert season. Think the girl's will be up to some sidewalk

camping by Ticketmaster?"

"We can ask. Jane likes 3 Doors Down, They're on tour this summer."

"So's Def Leppard. Daria likes them."

"Don't know if we should take Max. You know how he gets all weepy when he talks about what

happened to Rick Allen."

"We could see if he and Nick are up for 3 Doors Down. How 'bout Danny?"

"He's going to computer camp for most of the summer."

"Computer Camp, huh? Jesse, remember when we were 14 and went to Camp Kookamunga?"

"I remember that it sucked."

"It wan't a total loss. It was the first time we got to see real live naked girls."

"Oh yeah. Poor Danny, all he'll see is some cyber-porn, if he's lucky."

A week later, the Formidable Four plus Max and Nick were setting up a dome tent outside the

Ticketmaster. Several other people were there, setting up sidewalk camps to buy tickets early the

next morning. Daria found Max and Nick's argument over where to put the chaise lounges mildly

amusing. She saw a van crammed with five people pull up. "Here come our neighbors." she said to

Jane.

The driver was a short but well muscled man with a "don't mess with me" look on his face.

Four teenagers got out of the van and helped him unload camping equipment. One boy looked about

18, had a mop of brown hair that threatened to fall in his eyes-if they weren't covered by the

oversized red sunglasses he was wearing. The other boy was smaller and slighter. He had long

bluish-black hair, finly chisled facial features and wore baggy clothes. One of the girls favored

the goth look. She had a white stripe in her coppery hair that kept falling in her face. She wore

a black tank top with a black skirt and tights and a green see-through blouse. She also wore gloves.

Who wears gloves in the summer? Daria wondered. The last person in the group was a pretty, slender

red-head in a lavender top and cargo pants. Great, thought Daria. A Quinn clone.

"Thanks for the lift, Logan." said the boy with the red sunglasses.

"Anything to get you kids outta my hair for the weekend." said the driver.

"Oh, come on, Logan." The boy with the bluish-blak hair hugged Logan. "You know you love us!"

He spoke with a thick European accent.

"Yer wrinkilin' the material, Elf." Logan warned.

"This spot taken?" The gloved girl asked Daria, indicating a blank space on the sidewalk.

"No, go ahead."

"Jean!" yelled the gloved girl. "Help me with the tent!" Daria noticed she had a southern drawl.

After camp was set up, Logan got back in the van and drove off.

"Wish he could've stayed." said Jean. "He seems to like 3 Doors Down."

"Ah, you know Logan." said the one he called Elf. "If there's no chance that a grizzly bear

might try to maul him, it's just not camping."

The boy with the red sunglasses looked over at the Formidable Four. He took a piece of paper

out of his pocket and looked at it. He called Jean over and had her look at the paper. Daria watched

them carefully. The four new kids got in a huddle. Daria listened in, trying to look like she wasn't

listening. The only words she could make out were "Professor X" and "It's them."

The boy with the red sunglasses approached with a disarming smile. "Hi!" he said. "My name

is Scott Summers. Looks like we're gonna be neighbors tonight."

"Looks like." Daria said warily.

"I'm Jean Grey." said the red-head.

"I'm Kurt Wagner." said the smaller boy. (He pronounced it vog-ner.)

"I'm Rogue." said the gloved girl.

"No last name?" Daria asked.

"Don't need one."

"I think I know who you are." said Scott, setting up a deck chair and sitting down. "You're

the Formidable Four. Prof said we might run into you."

"I'm Trent Lane." said Trent. "Also known as Sir Stretchalot. You from around here?"

"No, we're from Bayville, a town not too far from here. Professor X said that if we meet

you, he'd like to talk to you all some time. He's...interested in cases like yours."

"Just how interested?" Daria asked skeptically.

"You don't have to worry at all." said Jean. "Professor X is a good man. He only wants to

know more about you so he can help you." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "We're mutants, too."

"What did she say?" asked Jesse.

"She said," said Daria. "That they're mu-"

Jean cut her off. "We'd rather not advertise it."

"People around here seem OK with us." said Jane. "By the way, my name's Jane Lane, Flamin'

Jane to the press."

"I'm Jesse Moreno." Jesse introduced himself. "Better known as Hercules."

"Daria Morgendorfer." she said. "Codename, Phantom."

"Cool!" said Kurt, having a seat on the ground, leaning on his backpack. "Some of us have

code-names too. I'm Nightcrawler."

"You're...named after a worm?" asked Daria.

Kurt smiled and shrugged.

"I'm also known as Cyclops." said Scott.

"I'm just Jean Grey." she said with a smile.

"Rogue is my first, last and only name." said the girl in the goth wear.

"So, what happened?" asked Daria. "You all get slimed by toxic waste too?"

"Maybe we can start a support group." Jane suggested.

"We were just, born this way, sorta." said Jean.

"According to Professor X," said Scott. "Many people being born withen the last hundred years

have developed something he calls the X Gene. It's usually dormant untill puberty. In some people,

it doesn't show up at all unless triggered by something-radiation, chemicals, things like that."

"So," said Daria. "The only reason the four of us aren't a group of glow-in-the-dark skeletons

laying by the side of the road is because we were all born with this X Gene?"

"That's- pretty much it." said Scott.

"Having powers is pretty cool." said Jane. "For one thing, I can go sidewalk camping and

have my own portable campfire." She conjured up a ball of fire, letting it rest in her hand. Jesse

took a bag of marsh-mallows out of his backpack, stuck one on a straightened out coat hanger he

had brought along for the purpose and started toasting the marshmallow over Jane's fireball.

"Anyone for S'mores?" he asked.

The two groups shared snacks and talked long into the night.

"So, Kurt." said Daria. "I thought your codename might be Elf. That's what the big guy

called you."

"Logan, you mean?" he said. "Oh, he gives everyone nicknames. Except girls. He calls them

'Darlin'. I guess he thinks I look like an elf. Can't argue with him." He sighed sadly.

"You don't look bad at all." said Daria. "I guess you kinda look like an elf. A high fantasy

elf, not a Santa Claus elf. Ever read Tolkein's /Lord of the Rings/?"

"Halfway through it!" He took a paperback book out of his backpack. The cover said "Meister

der te Ringe". "Bit of summer reading." said Kurt. "I understand English OK, but German is easier

for me. It's a good book. Someone should make it into a movie."

"Not in a million years." said Daria.

"Hey, that was my Mountain Dew!" yelled Nick.

"I don't see your fricken name on it." replied Max.

"That stopped being funny when we were 10. Now give it up, asswhipe!"

"Daria," said Kurt. "Who are they?"

"Merry and Pippin." she replied deadpan.

Kurt whispered to Daria "Where I come from, the word 'fricken' is not a euphamism." He noticed

the way Trent was looking at him. "The tall one," Kurt whispered to Daria. "Trent, I think he's

called. Your boyfriend?"

"Fiance." Daria showed him her ring. "Why?"

"He keeps staring at me, like a dog who thinks another dog may take his bone. Tell him not

to worry. I have a girlfriend." He took out his wallet and showed her a photo of a pretty

African-American girl with a sweet smile and large dusky eyes. "Her name is Amanda. I wanted her

to come with us, but, her parents don't like me very much."

Daria couldn't imagine why Amanda's parents didn't like Kurt. He seemed decent enough. Maybe

they don't like Germans. she thought. Or they don't want her to date outside her race. There's

no way they could tell he's a mutant.

Late that night, everyone went to their tents to sleep. They were up in the morning, waiting

in line for tickets. "I heard a scream from your tent last night." said Scott to the Formidable

Four. "Was everything OK?"

"Everything was fine." said Trent. "Until Jesse started molesting me."

"Look, I said I was sorry," said Jesse. "I thought you were Jane." Jane laughed.

"And you thought Jesse was me at first." Daria smirked.

They were in for a long wait. At one point, Trent went back to the tent and brought back

his guitar. He tuned it and plucked out a few notes. "You gonna play somethin'," asked Rogue.

"Or are ya jus' gonna pluck at it all day?" Trent played "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."

"Are we having 'fun' yet?" asked Daria.

It was after noon by the time they got their tickets. Both groups picked up their camp sites.

"The concert's not for two days." Trent said to Scott. "Where you staying?"

"With our money, probably the Motel No-tell." Scott laughed.

"Hey, Janey," said Trent. "What do you think about putting these guys up for awhile?"

"Well, Dad's on assignment in Madagascar." she said. "Mom's around, but she's pretty

easy-going. There's Penny's old room and the couch turns into a bed. Do you guys mind bunking up

together?"

"I don't mind." Scott said with a smile. "Do you mind, Jean?"

"Not at all." she replied with a smile.

"Ferget it, Blue Boy." growled Rogue.

"What?" said Kurt. "I wasn't going to ask. Besides, it would be incest."

"Oh no, not that again!"

"You're related?" asked Daria. "You don't, um, sound like you're related."

"I was adopted." said Rogue. "That's all I'm sayin'."

"Oh, don't be like that, sister!" Kurt begged, hugging her.

"Just drop me off at home." said Nick. "Mom made me join the church choir and rehearsle's

tonight. By the way, Trent, could you hold on to my ticket? Mom would probably find it and burn it."

"Dude, you gotta cut the apron strings sometime." Trent took the ticket.

"Just as soon as I can scrape up enough money to haul ass to New York."

"I'll lend it to you." said Trent.

"I gotta go too." said Max. "My Dad has some work he wants me to help him with and he's gonna

pay me for it."

The Formidable Four came to Casa Lane with four of the X-Men. Amanda Lane greeted them at

the door. "Hello." she said pleasantly. "Trent, Janey, would you like to introduce me to your

new friends?"

"Sure, Mom." Jane beamed, glad that her mother had finally taken an interest in her life.

"This is Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Kurt Wagner, and Rogue-uh-just Rogue."

"Well," said Amanda to her children's new friends. "How do you do. My name is Amanda Lane,

feel free to call me Amanda. I went shopping today so there's food and drinks in the kitchen. If

anyone needs me, I'll be in the basement working on my new sculpture."

"Same name as my girlfriend." commented Kurt. "Small world."

"Janey," said Trent after their mom left. "Am I dreaming, or did Mom just say we actually

have food?"

"What can I say," Jane shrugged. "Mom's acting like a mom now."

Before long, everyone was in the living room eating and watching videos. "So," said Daria.

"You're all mutants too? What are your powers?"

"Well," said Jean. "I can do this." She caused a tortilla chip to levitate, dip itself in

picante sauce, and float towards her mouth, where she took a big bite.

"You have the power to control junk food?" teased Jane.

"I have telekinesis." said Jean. "I can move things with my mind."

"Cool." said Trent. "Just like the Force, or something."

"I'm also telepathic." said Jean. "I can read minds."

"Really?" said Daria. "What number am I thinking of?"

"42."

Daria's eyes popped open. "OK, harder one. What am I thinking right now?"

"I am nobody, who are you." Jean recited. "Are you nobody too? You like Emily Dickenson

too, huh?" Daria was completly shocked. Someone could actually see into her mind. "Don't worry."

said Jean. "I would never pry into your personal thoughts without your permission." Daria's first

impression of Jean was fading. She had already learned that Jean was not like Quinn, more like

Jodi. She was an honor student, active on the school council and the soccer team.

"Let me try something." Trent went into the kitchen. He came back wearing a folded paper

hat made out of tinfoil. Daria had to bite her cheeks to keep from laughing. "What am I thinking,

Jean?" he asked. Jean looked amused, and then puzzled. She began to recite.

"She was a fast machine, she kept her motor clean, she was the best damn woman I had ever

seen. She had the sightless eyes, tellin' me no lies, knocking me out with those American thighs.

Taking more than her share, had me fightin' for air, she told me to come, but I was already there?"

The words made absolutly no sense to her.

"The lyrics to 'You Shook Me All Night Long' by AC-DC." said Trent. "Guess this doesn't work

after all." He took off the hat and put it on Daria's head.

"That's my brother." said Jane. "The Rain Man of rock lyrics."

"How can you come when you're already there?" asked a confused Jean.

"Depends on what he means by 'come'." said Scott. Jean blushed.

"Hey, Scott." said Jane. "I'm guessing your power has something to do with those red sunglasses.

You haven't taken them off once."

"You're right, Jane." he said. "These ruby quartz lenses keep my laser vision in check. Without

them, a red energy blast would shoot out of my eyes, blasting everything in it's path."

"I'll take your word for it." said Daria. "Kurt, what about you?"

"I can do this." he said proudly, just before vanishing in a puff of smoke. He reappeared

in the air and tumbled gracefully to the floor.

"Show off." said Rogue.

"One more thing." said Kurt. He went for a heavy black watch he wore on his wrist. "Uh, do

you girls promise not to scream or anything?"

"Kurt," said Daria. "I have been brainwashed, swapped bodies with a mongoloid idiot, knelt

before the Wart Goddess against my will, been kidnapped and nearly forced to marry a disgusting

creature from the deep and was nearly raped and murdered by some maniac who wanted to get back at

Trent through me. There's not much you could do that would make me scream."

"And, you, Jane?" he asked. "I mean it, I really hate it when girls scream."

"What if she's screaming 'Oh, Kurt! Oh, Kurt!'?" asked Daria. Kurt laughed.

"I won't scream." Jane promised.

"OK." Kurt took a deep breath and pressed a button on his watch. He turned into a furry

blue creature with pointed ears and a spaded tail. To his relief, no one screamed.

"That's-um-different." said Daria. "What about you, Rogue?"

"I don't wanna talk about it." she said morosly.

"Have four psionic and psychopathic bear cubs really robbed this man's grocery store?" the

TV announcer asked. A quaking, wide-eyed man in an apron was shown on TV. "It's the Terror Bear's

Countdown! Stay tuned for Sick, Sad World!"

"This looks promising." said Daria.

"We have with us," said journalist Beulah Faulkner in her plummy voice. "Mr. Sylvester Casey,

manager of the Goosey-Loosey, a grocery store in Northern Lawndale, Massachusettes. Mr. Casey, is it

true your store was robbed by a quartet of small brown bears?"

"B-b-b-bears." Mr. Casey stammered. "Big teeth. Sh-sharp claws."

"Is it also true, that while your registers were left untouched, the store's supply of honey was

taken, the fish case emptied and every last candy bar was stolen?"

"B-bears..." Mr. Casey stammered. "Don't let them get me!"

"Uh, there are no bears here, Mr. Casey." Ms Faulkner tried to pry the frightened store manager

off her. "Can you tell me what happened that night?" Mr. Casey gave a earsplitting scream. "Right,"

Ms. Faulkner smiled. "Why don't we just watch the surveilance video?"

The surveilance video was, predictably, black and white and grainy. Mr. Casey was seen,

apparantly preparing to close. Four short figures in overcoats and slouchy hats entered the store.

"We're about to close, kids." Mr. Casey said to them. "So make it quick." One of them grabbed a

paper bag from the counter and started filling it with candy bars. "You're gonna rot your teeth,

kid." said Mr. Casey. "Hope you have the money to pay for all of that." The "kid" merely looked

at Mr. Casey. Mr. Casey suddenly screamed and fell to the floor, writhing as if in pain.

"I read something like that in the paper." said Jane. "This guy at the Gas&Gulp was robbed

late at night. They took the cash, a bunch of comic books and every single candy bar. The security

video showed four short people in hats and coats acting pretty much like the crooks here. When they

asked the clerk what happened he just mumbled something about bears and then yelled that spiders

were crawling on him.."

"These aren't ordinary kids." said Trent.

"No shit, Sherlock." said Daria.

"Keep digging, Watson." he replied.

"If they're kids," said Scott. "They obviously have mutant powers. And a hell of a sweet tooth."

"But," said Jean. "Why didn't Professor X detect them with Cerebro?"

"Could be," said Rogue. "They're not even human. Didn't get a good look at their faces."

Jane changed the channels. Channel 7 News was on. Diana Wolfgang was interviewing Captain

Bruce Granger of the Lawndale Police Department. "Captain Granger," she said "what do you have to

say about the recent rash of robberies?"

"I don't believe we're dealing with ordinary criminals." he said. "Last night they robbed the

Diamond Domicile, a local party supply store. They took the till, an armload of lollypops and

several items that I suppose just captured their fancy. The night before, Ell-See Toys was broken

into and ransacked. The night before that, the First National Bank was robbed of $20,000. Not a lot,

considering. They seemed to just want to grab the money and run. Though these criminals may seem

immature, I'd like to tell the citizens of Lawndale that they are dangerous. In every case, at least

one or two witnesses were found. Let's say they were in no condition to give a statement, and leave it

at that."

"Captain Granger, do you believe the Formidable Four could apprehend these criminals?"

"Well, those kids have done a lot for this city and it's citizens. I wouldn't want them to

put themselves in danger. These-things-are not typical creatures. But, if anyone can do it, they can."

"That's our invitation." said Daria.

"May we be your guests?" asked Scott.

"More the merrier." shrugged Trent.

"Great." said Scott. "I suggest we rest up first and form a plan in the morning."

"I like that plan." said Trent, standing up.

"OK, sleeping arrangments." said Jane. "Scott and Jean can have Penny's room. Gotta warn you,

it's a pretty narrow bed. Hope you don't mind getting close."

"Wouldn't want it any other way." said Scott.

"Is your mom OK with this?" asked Jean.

"She's cool." said Jane. "She doesn't mind Daria and Jesse sleeping with us, we're engaged

after all. Rogue and Kurt will have to fight over the sofa-bed."

"She can have it." said Kurt. "The loveseat looks good. I've got a flexible spine, I can

sleep nearly anywhere." He took his sleeping bag out of his pack as Trent helped Rogue with the sofa.

Upstairs, Trent and Daria got ready for bed. "Should I get Grandma's nightie out for you?"

he teased.

"Trent, you know very well that I've been keeping a couple changes of clothes over here."

She opened a drawer Trent had set aside for her things.

"Not the shirt and shorts set." he frowned. "Why don't you wear that cute baby-doll I got you?"

"Because I want to sleep tonight."

Jane and Jesse got ready for bed. "You should start remembering to leave some pajamas or

something over here." said Jane.

"I usually sleep in the nude anyway." he said as he undressed. "And I've left some clothes

here. I think Trent's been borrowing them. He'll do anything to get out of doing laundry."

"Just remember, we have guests. So, if you get up in the middle of the night for anything,

slip something on." She turned out the light and got in bed with him. "Sing me a song." she

whispered, cuddling close to his bare flesh.

"Well, OK." he said as if indulging a child. He sang for her.

In Penny's room, Scott was getting more than affectionate with Jean.

"We're in someone else's house." she protested.

"I'll try not to wake them." he smiled.

Jean ran her fingers through his full brown hair, her fingers trailing the elastic strap

that held his visor on. "Did you bring protection?"

Scott opened his backpack and showed her.

"Rogue?" Kurt asked downstairs.

"Mmmph?" she mumbled.

"Tell me a story."

"Once upon a time there was an annoying blue elf who wouldn't let his adopted sister sleep.

So she killed him and lived happily ever after. The end. Good night!"

The next morning, around 10, the crimefighters met in the dining room. Amanda was making

pancakes. "Who wants sausage?" she asked.

"Me!" Kurt enthusiastically raised his hand.

"Mom cooks now?" Trent asked Janey.

"I went to the Goosey-Loosey the other day." she said as she fried up some Sizzlers. "They

were completly out of honey, can you imagine that?"

"Yeah, imagine that." said Jane.

"Do we have time for this?" asked Scott.

"Even super heroes need a good breakfast." said Amanda. "Now sit down."

Scott did as Amanda said, but talked plans over breakfast. "What we need to do," he said

between bites of buttermilk pancakes. "Is find out where all the places that were robbed are.

The Formidable Four should be the most familiar with the area. Do you have a map?"

"Here's a street map." Amanda took a map from a utillity drawer. "Does that help?"

"Yes, thank you Mrs., I mean, Amanda." said Scott. "Now, I don't think the 'Terror Bears',

as SSW calls them have a car. They looked too short to see over the steering wheel."

"There's ways around that." said Daria.

"True." said Scott. "Could one of you show me on the map where the robbed places are located?"

"The report on SSW said The Goosey-Loosey in Northern Lawndale was robbed." said Jane. "Hey,

Mom, did you go to the Goosey-Loosey on Thurmond Street?"

"Yes, I think that was the one." She answered.

"It's located about- here." Jane drew an X on the map.

"And the Diamond Domicile is practically next door." Trent drew an X near Jane's.

"The Gas&Gulp is a block down the street." said Daria. "About here." She drew an X.

"And the bank's here." said Trent, adding another X. "A couple blocks the other way. Seems

everytime we go near it, it gets robbed. Does anyone know where Ell-See Toys is?"

"It's a couple blocks down from the Goosey-Loosey on Manheim Street." Jesse drew an X on

the map not to far from the cluster of X's on Thurmond. "Danny's always bugging me for a ride

there. He collects toy robots."

Scott looked at the map. "All within walking distance of each other." he said, sipping some

orange juice. "I'll guess that these bears are not to far away. Maybe two mile radius or less."

He looked at the maps legend and drew a circle around the X's. "Here's where we need to look.

Are there any residences in that area?"

"There's an apartment complex and a suburbian area." said Trent.

"That's where we need to go." said Scott, getting up.

"Uh-uh," said Amanda. "Not untill Trent and Jane do the dishes."

"But Mom!" complained Jane.

"They're your guests." Amanda said gently. "I was nice enough to make breakfast, now you

can clean up."

"Oh, no more sausage." Kurt said sadly.

"I'll wash, you dry." Trent told his sister.

After the dishes were done, the eight crimefighters piled inside the Tank II. "Have fun and

be careful!" Amanda shouted as she waved good-bye.

They drove to Thurmond Street and parked in the lot outside Goosey-Loosey. Trent opened the

glove box and handed what looked like pens and earrings out to the X-Men. "Danny made some spare

communicators. Just talk into the pen and use the earring to listen."

"Eat yer heart out, James Bond." said Rogue as she put her earring on.

"Four of us will take the apartment complex." said Trent. "Four of us will take the 'burbs.

Ask around, see if anyone's seen anything strange, especially at night."

"We should partner off." said Scott. "So everyone has at least one person to look out for them."

Trent picked up a notebook he had been keeping in the Tank II and tore out a sheet of paper.

"We'll draw lots to see who teams up with who." He tore the paper into strips and wrote names on them.

He crumpled them up and mixed them up. Scott chose two names at a time and announced the team ups.

Daria would pair with Rogue. Jane would pair with Jean. Jesse would pair with Kurt. Scott would

pair with Trent.

Trent, Scott, Jane and Jean went for the apartments. The others went to the suburbs. At the

apartments, Trent and Scott went one way, Jean and Jane went another.

"Dude," said Trent. "It's gotta be weird having a girlfriend who can read minds."

"It is, man." said Scott. "But I know Jean would never purposly read my thoughts if I didn't

want her to. When we first met, her powers were out of control. She just couldn't help reading

other people's minds. Imagine what that's like, having your head constantly filled with the stray

thoughts of others. On the bright side, I never had to worry about how I would tell her I loved

her. She knew from the begining."

"Yeah," said Trent. "But did she like you back? That's the hard part."

"I think she did. Remember, at the time, she wasn't having it so good. She had left her

parent's house for the first time, started a new school, and was constantly bombarded by other's

thoughts to the point where she couldn't sort out her own. Professor X has helped her a lot. He's

helped all of us."

"Scott, how do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Doing this whole leader thing. You seem pretty comfortable with it. Everyone wants to call

me the leader, but I'm not."

"What makes you say that? You seem to be handling things well."

"Scott, calling myself the leader would be like saying I'm better than the others. I'm not,

believe me. Daria's smarter than I am. Jesse's stronger. And Janey is our fire power, literally.

I'm not the smartest and far from the most responsible. If I screw up, that would mean everyone

screws up."

"Trent, have a little faith in yourself. It doesn't take a psychic to see your friends have

faith in you. I think you're a good leader myself."

"I don't lead. I come up with a few suggestions, let the others come up with a few, and we

reach a consensus. That's all."

"Trent, that's exactly what a good leader would do."

Meanwhile, Jane and Jean checked out the other side of the apartments. "Weird how our names

are kinda simular." said Jane.

"Yeah." said Jean. "Did you know there once was a princess named Jane Grey?"

"What happened to her?" asked Jane. Jean smiled and slashed a finger across her throat,

making a cutting sound. "Oh. Hey, Jean, you could use that mind-reading thing to find out if the

crooks we're looking for are here."

"Jane, that would be an invasion of privacy."

"What good is having power if you don't use it?"

"Oh, alright." Jean opened up her mind to the local residents. It was garbled at first, but

when she concentrated, she could sort them out."

"Any criminal activity yet?" asked Jane.

"They're selling heroin out of that apartment." she said, pointing to number 57. "We'll call

the police later and let them handle it." Jean concentrated, and then looked horified.

"What is it?" asked Jane.

"You don't want to know what's going on in there." she said, pointing to number 55.

"Well, now I'm curious."

"It involves a sheep."

"Ugh."

Meanwhile, Daria, Rogue, Jesse and Kurt checked out the suburbs. Daria caught the attention

of a man who was mowing his yard. "Hello." he said. "You kids new around here?"

"I'd like to ask you, sir," said Daria. "Have you noticed anything strange in this area?"

"Well, I heard about the Goosey-Loosey down the road being robbed." he said. "Poor Sylvester

Casey, word is he's being institutionalized. Did the police send you here?"

"We're private investigators." said Daria. "Did anyone strange move into the neighborhood

recently?"

"Strange short people, perhaps?" prompted Rogue.

"No, no, you kids are the only people I've seen around here I don't know. Now, the Huntleys

moved out not to long ago, at least I think they moved."

"You think?" said Rogue.

"I haven't seen any of them. A couple with three kids, used to yell at them for running

through my garden, now, I kinda miss 'em. Real strange, just took off and left one night. Barely

took anything with them."

"Where did they live?" asked Daria.

"That big white house just down that road apiece. But, I wouldn't go there if I was you.

There's nothing there. Best to just stay away from it."

"Thank you, sir, you've been very helpful." said Daria as they walked away.

"That man has been totally mind fucked." said Rogue. "There's something in that house and

he and probably everyone in the neighborhood has been manipulated to keep away from there."

"We'll call the others." said Daria.

Trent and Scott had gone door to door in the apartment complex. So far, they met a blonde

in black leather who asked them if they wanted to party, a creepy guy who asked them if they wanted

to get high, and some scraggly guy who asked them if they knew that Jesus was coming. Nothing out of

the ordinary. They heard Daria's voice on their communicators. "We found their hideout." she said.

"Come to 384 Odessa Drive. It's a big white house."

"We'll be there." said Trent.

Jean and Jane had also got the message and were more than glad to get out of the sleazy

apartment complex. The four met at the Tank II and headed for the suburbs.

It was a nice looking house. Big, white, two stories, with a wrap around porch and a picture

window shaded with venitian blinds. The paint was just starting to peel and the lawn was a bit

overgrown. It was hard to say if anyone lived there. "I see a door on the other side of the porch."

said Scott. "Kurt, you and Jesse go there. Jean, you and Jane take the other side. Rogue, you and

Daria come through the back. Trent and I will enter through here."

Everyone ran to their areas. Rogue and Daria scaled the chain link fence into the back yard.

It seemed the only way in through that direction was a single window.

"Rogue," said Daria. "This is going to call for stealth. If I need to go invisible, I can

make you invisible by holding your hand."

"Nothin' doing."

"Look, I'm not especially thrilled about holding hands with a girl either, but..."

"It's not that. Daria, last night, when I said I didn't want to talk about my power? Well,

it happens every time I touch someone. I absorb their thoughts, their memories, their skills, their

very souls. If I were to touch you, I could turn myself invisible. I'd also know of every experience

you've ever had as if it were my own. You, however, would be in a coma for an hour. That's why I keep

myself covered up. So I don't touch anyone by accident. It's a pain in the ass."

"Oh." Daria felt a huge amount of sympathy for Rogue, but didn't know how to word it. "Look,

I'm sure it will work through the glove. I make clothes invisible, so it doesn't have to be skin on skin."

Rogue looked through the window. "No one's in this room. We can save the stealth for later."

She opened the window and crawled in. Daria followed. They found themselves in what appeared to

be a den. A distressed black leather couch was on one side, a computer desk was on the other. An

empty plastic bottle shaped like a bear was lying on the floor. Were they on the right track? A

deer's head hung on the wall and there was a pool table in the middle of the room. A rack of cue

sticks stood in one corner. Rogue picked up one of the sticks and twirled it like a baton. She

did a few practice feignts and parries. She had been well trained in using the staff as a weapon.

Daria decided to take one too. The only two ways out of the den were a pair of folding doors and

a passageway past a staircase. They took the passageway; it seemed quieter.

They cautiously stepped past the staircase to the less-than-tidy living room. The TV was

set on /Friends/. Rogue and Daria shared a disgusted look. What kind of taste did these people

have? What caught their attention was some smacking and gobbling sounds coming from the couch.

Whoever it was, was to short to see. Ever so often, a crumpled candy wrapper would fly over the

back of the couch, joining several others that littered the floor. Daria grabbed Rogue's gloved

hand, willed the both of them invisible, and approached the couch. Sitting there was a tubby

bear-like creature. Had it not been for his fierce claws, cruel eyes and sharp teeth that were

devouring one candy bar after another, he would've looked like a big teddy bear. Oddly, he had a

picture on his stomache. It was of a skull with its top being blown off with a mushroom cloud.

Suddenly, it stopped eating and sniffed the air. It growled. *Someone's hiding in here.*

Daria and Rogue heard the voice in side their heads. *They'd better stay away from me!*

"He can smell us."said Daria, letting go of Rogue. The bear let out a yelp and tried to

get away from them. The two girls trashed the already trashed living room trying to catch the

bear. Rogue cornered it.

"I gotcha now, Teddy Ruxpin!" she said, aiming her pool cue at the bear's head. The bear

slashed at her arm with his razor sharp claws, causing her to drop the stick in pain. While she

was distracted, the bear leaped on her chest, pinning her. It raised a paw to claw at Rogue again

when Daria struck him with the butt of her cue stick.

"Fur ball in the corner pocket!" she said.

*You'll pay for that, human!* The psionic voice was back. *Face the wrath of Doom Bear!*

Daria fell to the floor. "What did you do to her?" Rogue demanded. Doom Bear ignored her.

"Oh, that is it!" Rogue took off her gloves. "You an' me are gonna tangle!" She ran at the bear.

It turned and ran for a door on the other side of the room. She chased the bear into a large

white tiled bathroom. "Yer jus' makin' it harder on yourself!" She yelled as she chased the bear

around the room. He happened to slip on some soap carelessly left on the floor. Rogue tackled him.

"Gotcha now!" She pressed a palm against Doom Bear's shiny black nose.

Horrific memories flooded Rogue's mind. Suddenly, she was a helpless bear cub being torn

from his mother, cries callously unheeded. She knew what it was to be injected several times a

day with harsh toxins, to have electrons attatched to her brain, to have cold scientists experiment

on her pain threshold. She also rememberred the experiments making her and her 3 brothers get

bigger, stronger, smarter. In fact, they developed awesome psionic powers. After subjecting the

scientist to the same Hell they endured for years, the lab was burned to the ground and the Terror

Bears escaped. She rememberred hypnotizing the family that lived here into believing that an atom

bomb was going to land on their house if they didn't leave immediatly. It was the scariest thing

she could think of. She had been living in this house with the other 3 ever since. They went out

at night to steal food and money to pay what Buzzy (Who was Buzzy?) called an "Electric Bill."

She was Doom Bear, Sammy to her brothers.

Rogue blinked. Those are not my memories. She reminded herself. She looked down at the

unconscous bear. "GOD DAMMIT, WHY CAN'T I DIE?!"she heard Daria yell. She knew the bear would be

out for an hour, so she went to check on Daria. She was sitting up in the living room, with the

expression of someone who had been to Hell and back.

"You OK, Daria?" she asked.

"They, they were all dead." she said. "Everyone." She took a look around. "But, it didn't

really happen, did it?"

"Sammy put you in a mind trap." said Rogue. "That's one of his powers."

"Sammy?"

"Doom Bear's real name. He's a mutant bear, the subject of an experiment gone wrong. He's

constantly afraid of a nuclear holocaust killing everyone but him."

"How long was I out?"

"I dunno, a few minutes."

"Felt like hours. You're hurt." Daria ripped some upholsty from the couch that looked like

the bears had used it to sharpen their claws. "Let me cover it up."

"Daria, you can't touch me, remember?"

"We need to get that wound dressed. Now, into the bathroom."

Daria pushed Doom Bear to a corner of the bathroom and went to the medicine cabinet. She

found a bottle of peroxide and some gauze. Rogue sat on the edge of the jacuzzi sized tub, nursing

her injured arm. "Hold out your arm." Rogue did as Daria said. "This may sting a little." Rogue

bit her lip as her wound foamed over. Daria handed her the gauze. Rogue placed it where it needed

to be. The gauze quickly absorbed her blood. "It's pretty deep." Daria tied the strips of uppholstry

around the gauze covered arm, careful not to touch Rogue's skin. "Squeeze it right here." Daria

said, showing her. "And lay down and elevate it."

"I ain't got time to play patient!" Rogue said. "There's three other psycho bears on the loose!"

"You're bleeding pretty bad where the bear scratched you. It may have nicked an artery. Just lay

back and calm down. I'll find something to tie Sammy down with."

"But Daria..."

"Rogue, people kill themselves by slashing their wrists. Now be a good little patient and

lie down and shut up!"

"You sure are stubborn, you know that?"

"I have a feeling you are too." Daria went back to the den and brought back some extension

cords she had found. She began hogtying the bear.

"Daria," said Rogue as she layed in the empty tub. "Could you come here a sec?"

"What is it?"

Rogue looked directly into Daria's eyes. "I'm really not hurt all that bad. Look, the

bleedin's stopped already." She showed Daria the wound, it appeared much smaller than she rememberred.

"Listen, it ain't good for either of us to be alone here. I'm OK, so let's go."

"Well, if you really think you can." Daria helped Rogue out of the tub. As they left the

bathroom, Rogue looked down at her bloody wound. She felt bad about manipulating Daria with Sammy's

hypnotic suggestion powers, but she didn't know what else to do.

Meanwhile, Kurt and Jesse climbed the steps to the kitchen door. It was a glass sliding door

they could easily see through. The spacious kitchen was littered with remenants of junk food.

Someone was looking through the refrigerator. Whoever it was was hidden by the refrigerator door.

"Ok," said Kurt. "We've got the drop on him." He took a good look at the interior. "I can just

'port right in."

"And what about me?" asked Jesse.

"I'll take you with me, of course." Kurt grabbed Jesse's arm. There was a puff of smoke

and suddenly thet were in the kitchen, right behind a small bear that had just shove a whole salmon

in its mouth. It turned and faced them. "Mein Gott!" said Kurt. "It's Paddington!"

Jesse had to agree, this creature did look like a teddy bear, only without the cuddliness.

He had a strange marking on his stomache. It was a skull with the top removed and replaced with

a ghostly character. It reminded Jesse of a painting he had seen in one of Jane's books- Munch's

/The Scream/.

The bear glared at them, fish still in his mouth. Kurt heard a voice in his head. *You have fur,

like us.* it said quietly. *I may let you live, but get that filthy human out of here!*

"Vas?" Kurt was shocked. He didn't expect the bear to talk-no, not talk. It put it's thoughts

into his head, as Professor X was capable of doing. The bear stared at Jesse. Jesse started to tremble.

He was breathing faster. "Jesse, what is it?" he asked.

"I-i-it's not my fault, Matt." he stammered. "Matt, please, don't do it again!"

"Who is Matt?" Kurt looked at the bear. "What are you doing to him?" Jesse collapsed and

started to hyperventalate.

"Oh, God, oh, God." he gasped. "All the blood. M-make it go away."

"Jesse, there is no blood." said Kurt. He saw the bear calmly eating the salmon, seeming to

enjoy Jesse's torment.

"Du Sohn der un Luder!" Kurt cursed at the bear. "Stop this! Stop it now!"

*Make me.*

Kurt rushed at the bear. Suddenly, he found himself back in Bayville high. He didn't have

his holo-watch on him. "Get him!" someone yelled, pointing at Kurt.

"Kill the demon!" someone else yelled.

Kurt found himself running for his life.

Now, let the Watcher reveal what was happening on the floor above.

As soon as everyone broke off into four groups, Scott and Trent assesed the situation.

"Coming in through the front door probably isn't a great idea." said Trent.

"Right." Scott agreed. "That window on the upper floor is open. If there was some way to

reach it..." Scott rubbed his chin as he tried to think.

"Can you climb?" asked Trent.

"Not a sheer wall like that."

"I meant with a rope. I can stretch up that high and you can use me as a rope. Done it before."

"Let's do it."

Trent stretched up to the window. Scott got a grip on his elongated body and started climbing.

When he got to the top, Trent motioned for him to stop, put a finger to his lips and pointed to the

open window. Scott looked over Trent's shoulder. The interior seemed to be a pre-teen boy's bedroom

complete with Gundam Wing posters and several toys and clothes strewn on the floor. What caught their

attention was a bearlike creature sitting on the bed. He had a Gameboy lying on the nightstand as he

attempted to play with his clumsy clawed fingers. Scott silently climbed in. Trent followed.

The bear growled at his game, obviously not winning. Then he sniffed the air and turned.

When he saw the two human intruders he let out a roar and threw the Gameboy at them, missing.

"This is what we're going up against?" asked Trent.

"Don't let it's small size fool you, Trent." said Scott.

The bear stood on the bed and roared louder, gnashing his fangs and raising his arms to look

bigger than 3 foot 5 inches. He had a marking on his stomache- a skull with a clump of thorny vines

growing from it.

"Hey, cool tattoo." Trent commented.

Trent heard a growling voice in his head. *You dare mock me, human? Have a taste of the wrath

of Pain Bear!* Before Trent could react, he was seized with the sensation that every one of his nerve

endings were on fire. The unexpected pain crippled his movement. *This is but a fragment of what

pitiful humans did to me!* Pain Bear's psionic voice roared in Trent's head. *I can do worse, much worse!*

"Trent, what is it?" asked Scott.

"Nothing I can't handle." Trent gasped. "I've been tattooed, pierced and frost bitten on 90% of my body.

I can-" He yelled out in pain. The sensation was as if a million needles were impaling him. "I can work through

the pain."

"You're lying through your ass, Lane." said Scott. He looked over at the bear and raised

his sunglasses. A red optic blast knocked the bear off his feet and demolished the bed he had been

standing on. Trent relaxed as the pain suddenly went away.

*You hurt me!* Scott heard the reproachful voice in his head.

"You can dish it out." said Scott. "Can't you take it?"

*I'll show you, human!*

The next thing Scott knew, he had his hands tied together with a thick rope. They seemed to

be attatched to a pully system. He was suddenly being lifted higher, higher, and higher. Scott

felt his arms give under the pressure. His head spun with vertigo. Then he was dropped.

Trent saw Scott collapse to the ground, as if he had blacked out. Trent looked around for

a weapon. He saw a Gundam model on the dresser and grabbed it, intending to throw it at Pain Bear.

Another shot of white hot pain caused him to drop it. He felt as if he were being crushed on all

sides. His knees buckled. It took all his strength to remain semi-upright. *Impressive.* the voice

was in his head again. *Most humans would've fainted or at least begged for mercy by now.*

"I won't beg mercy from you." Trent said through gritted teeth. "You'll get none from me."

*I expect none! I wonder how much you can take before you snap.* Trent felt as if a double

edged blade had been thrust into his stomache. He nearly choked trying not to yell out in pain.

He didn't want to give the bear the satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Jean and Jane checked out their appointed side of the house. "The only way in there,"

Jean observed. "Is one of those three windows on the top floor."

"I can fly." said Jane. "It might be difficult to do while carrying you. I can only do it

when I've flamed on."

"That's OK.'' said Jean. "I can use my telekinesis to lift myself pretty high."

"Flame on!" Jane turned on the flames and flew up to the center window. Jean floated up

beside her. Jane tried the window. "Locked." she said. Jean smiled. The latch inside the window

seemed to turn on it's own. The window slid open. "That works." Jane turned off the flames and

went through the window. Jean followed her.

They landed on a water bed. "Wow," said Jane. "Whoever lives here likes to live in comfort."

She gave the bed a small bounce, riding the wave.

"C'mon, Jane," said Jean. "We have to find..."

*Who's in my room?* a psionic voice entered their minds. The door creaked open. In stepped

a little bear, not much more than 3 feet tall. He was covered in rough brown fur and had a picture

on his stomache. It was of a skull with the top cut off and a pteradactyl-like boogeyman jumping

out of it. It grinned at them, showing sharp white fangs. *Somebody's been sleeping in my bed, and

here she is!*

"Flame on!" Jane threw a fire ball at the bear. It calmly ducked. The fireball hit the carpet,

causing it to light up in flames.

*You idiot! You'll burn the house down! You will face the punishment of Nightmare Bear!*

Jane collapsed. She looked like she had fallen asleep. Jean tried to wake her. *Don't waste

time with her, you stupid human!* said Nightmare Bear as he tried to stomp out the growing flames.

*Do something to put out this fire!*

As much as Jean hated being bossed by Smokey the Bear, she knew she had to do something.

She used her telekinesis to unravel some stitches in the waterbed. Water rushed out. She used her

telekinesis to direct the water onto the flames. *Stupid human! That was my bed! I have nowhere

to sleep and you've ruined the carpet! Pleasant dreams.* The last statement was meant ironically.

Jean found herself walking the halls of Bayville High. A cacaphony of voices filled her head.

She was hearing everyone's thoughts at once. She tried to get away from it. She went into the

lunchroom. She saw Scott sitting at a table having lunch. She approached him. She wanted to tell

him that she had lost control of her powers again and needed to go home and tell Professor X.

If I find Jean visiting Duncan's grave again, he was thinking. I am so calling it quits.

No, she thought. I have complete caontrol over my powers. This can't be happening. An

epiphany came to her. This isn't happening! It feels real, but it's not. That Nightmare Bear has

me in a mind trap! She sent out a telepathic scream. *GET OUT OF MY MIND!*

Jean came to. She saw Nightmare Bear, shocked that a human could escape his mind trap. Jean

summoned up her TK to pick the bear up and throw him against the wall. For the first time since

his cubhood in the science lab, Nightmare Bear was afraid. "OK, Buzzy," said Jean. "That's your

real name, isn't it? Take the mind trap off Jane now!"

*What will you do if I don't?* he asked petulantly.

"This!" Jean used her TK to throw the bear across the room where he smashed into a mirror

on top of a vanity. Jane groaned as she came to.

"Good, it was only a nightmare." she said. Then she looked around. She remembered her present

situation. "Uh-oh."

*That's seven years of bad luck.* said Nightmare Bear, picking glass out of his fur.

"Maybe for you." Jean and Jane prepared to fight the wounded bear.

After Daria had treated Rogue's wound they went back to the living room and retrieved their

cue sticks. They heard noise in the kitchen. They saw another bear standing by the refridgerator,

calmly picking his teeth with a fish bone as Jesse and Kurt lay on the linolium, shivering and

mumbling in hysterical fear. With a fierce cry, Rogue struck it on the head with her cue. Daria

jabbed at the mini-monster with hers. Kurt snapped out of his mind trap. He suddenly realized

what was going on. He saw Rogue and Daria beating up on Fear Bear with pool cues. Daria's broke.

Kurt teleported to the action and grabbed the bear from behind by the ears. *Let go of me!* it

yelled.

"Take your mind trap off Jesse!" Kurt demanded, digging his knee into the bear's back.

*He is out of the mind trap! As soon as those two females started wailing on me, I lost my

concentration! Keeping up two mind traps is difficult enough!*

"Then why's he huddled up in a corner mumblin' 'bout someone named Matt?" asked Rogue.

*Kurt's fear of persecution is a mere anxiety.*

"It didn't feel 'mere' to me!" said Kurt.

*Jesse's fear of blood is severe enough to be a full blown phobia. He's quite mad now.*

"Daria, who's Matt?" asked Kurt.

"Jesse's older brother." she answered. "He shot himself when Jesse was a kid. Jesse walked

in on the aftermath."

"Gott en Himmel." Kurt said sympathetically as he watched Jesse quake in a corner.

Rogue thrust her cue into the bear's chest, pinning him to the floor. "You'll pay for what

you've done!" she yelled. Fear Bear grinned at her.

*Care to see what your biggest fear is, Rogue? Or should I call you Marie?* Rogue's eyes went

wide. *Yes, I know all about you, Rogue. How your Daddy beat you senseless when he found out you were

a mutant. How your Mama cried but did nothing to stop it. How you're gnawed by lonliness everyday.*

"SHUT UP!" Rogue screamed, bringing the cue stick down on the bear's head. She hit him again,

again and again. She hit him untill he went unconscous, but she didn't stop. She hit him untill her

stick broke, punctuating each blow with "Shut up!"

"Rogue, that's enough!" said Kurt, trying to calm her down. Rogue dropped her stick, shaking

with fear and anger. "I'll find something to tie him up with." said Daria, going into the dining room.

Rogue felt dizzy. She began to sway and nearly fainted. Kurt caught her.

"Rogue, what is it?" he asked. He saw the field dressed arm. "Daria let you fight with a

wound that bad?" he said angrily.

"Sh!" Rogue hissed. "She didn't let me, really." she whispered. "I absorbed Doom Bear's

powers and hypnotized her into thinking I'm alright."

"Rogue, you are hurt very badly." Kurt closed his eyes and turned away. "Don't try to

hypnotize me. Rogue, you just don't realize when someone is making you do something for your own

good."

"D'ya think one person coulda stood a chance against Fear Bear? We all hafta stay together

on this, Kurt."

"I don't like it." Kurt shook his head. "You do know that once Doom Bear wakes up, Daria will

see your wound for what it is."

"Please don't tell her? Please...brother?"

"Oh, alright. But when the Scheisse hits the fan, you're on your own."

Daria came back. "I found a roll of duct tape." she said. "That oughta hold the bastard."

"Duct tape on fur," said Kurt as he helped Daria tie Fear Bear up. "That will not be pleasant.

Not that I pity the Schwiene."

"Whadda we do 'bout Shakes?" Rogue motioned at Jesse.

"We have to leave him." Daria sighed.

"We shouldn't leave him by himself." said Kurt. "Rogue, why don't you stay here with him?"

He eyed her wound, as if threatening to spill the beans.

"Alright, fine." she glowered. Great, just great. she thought as Daria left to show Kurt

where the pool cues were. While everyone's off fighting, I gotta stay here with Winnie the fuckin'

Pooh and baby-sit some muscle man who's practically wetting himself.

Trent gritted his teeth, trying to move despite the pain. That damn bear is laughing at us!

he thought. Trent looked at Scott. Tears were slipping under his sunglasses and he was begging for

mercy. "No, you can't ask me to do that." he muttered. "I love all of them."

Whatever I'm going through, Trent decided as he shivered with pain, Scott's getting it ten

times worse. "Please kill me," Scott wept. "Let them go, just kill me." That did it. Trent screamed

as he did it, but he stretched his arm across the room and grabbed the bear by the ear and pinched

hard as he shook it roughly. The bear sqealed in pain.

"Let him go." Trent growled through clanched teeth. "Let him go!"

*Stop it! You're hurting me! OK, I'll take it off him!*

Scott came to. He was shivering as his torment subsided. He saw that his shirt was in one

piece and looked down it. He smiled with relief to find no burns or scars. Then he turned his

attention to Pain Bear. "Stop what you're doing to Trent." Scott fired a warning shot. "Or else."

Trent gasped as the painful sensation went away. Not being hurt almost felt pleasurable now.

"Good bear." said Scott. "Now start talking."

*Up yours, you stinking human!* Trent twisted the bear's ears. *Ow! What do you want me to say?*

"Are you one of the creatures that's been robbing places after driving people insane?"

*Maybe.* Trent gave him a squeeze. *OK, yeah.*

"And the others?"

*My three brothers. Archie, Sammy and Buzzy.*

"So your name's not really Pain Bear?" asked Trent.

*It's Bertie, wanna make something of it?*

"Damn, you've got an attitude." said Trent.

They heard a crash outside the room. "What was that?" asked Scott.

"Better check it out." said Trent. "But first," Trent hefted up the bear and tossed him

in a closet and slammed the door. Pain Bear roared and clawed at the door as Trent struggled to

keep it closed. Scott pushed the nightstand over in front of the door. The two of them pushed a

dresser over to further baricade the door.

Daria and Kurt had come up the stairs just in time to see Nightmare Bear crash through the

bedroom wall and fly across the foyer. "Don't let him get away!" yelled Jean. Daria picked up a

vase and clobbered the bear as he ran at her. He went down. Trent and Scott joined the party.

"Trent!" Daria embraced him. Trent was pleasantly surprised. She usually wasn't this clingy.

"You're alive! You're alive!"

"Um, yeah, I'm alive." he answered.

"Jean!" Scott climbed through the hole in the wall to get to her. "Oh, you're alright!" He

hugged her close to him.

"Jane!" Kurt opened his arms to her.

"Kurt!" She hugged him in mock affection. "In case you four lovebirds haven't noticed, we

got a bear to take care of."

"Kurt," said Daria. "Did you bring the duct tape?"

"Ja." he said, producing it. The six of them made short work of tying up the bear.

"We've got another one in the closet." said Trent. "He can make you feel pain just by

thinking about it. But he's a pain wimp himself. The six of us can take him out."

They did, but it wasn't easy. Every time Pain Bear tried to put someone in pain, Trent would

slap him on the nose. After he bit Trent, Daria taped his muzzle shut. That didn't stop Pain Bear

from sending out telepathic curses.

As they went downstairs, Daria said "Jane, Trent, you better brace yourselves before we go

into the kitchen."

"What's wrong?" Trent asked.

"It's Jesse. He-"

At the mention that something was wrong with Jesse, Jane ran down the stairs and into the

kitchen. She knelt down beside Jesse and held him. "Sh, it's OK." she whispered. "I'm here now."

He didn't respond to her at all.

"Oh, I'm fine." said Rogue. "Nearly bled to death, prob'ly need a rabies shot, but I'm fine."

"Fear Bear drove him over the edge." said Kurt. "I'm sorry."

"This isn't fair." Jane wept. "My last memory of him is going to be a false one. Nightmare

made me think Jesse was leaving me. I guess he is."

"I might be able to help." said Jean, knealing on Jesse's other side. "If I can just get into

his mind. Proffesor X told me all about it. I've never tried it on a non-psychic before, but Prof says

it can be done. Here it goes." She put one hand on his head and the other to hers and concentrated.

Jean found herself in a great white void. She looked around and saw nothing. She walked. She heard

what sounded like a child crying. She followed the sound. She came upon a small boy, perhaps 10 years old.

He was lying face down and weeping. He had wavy light brown hair. Was this little boy Jesse?

"Jesse?" she said experimentally. He looked up, his huge brown eyes had seen far to much

sadness for a boy his age. Jean took the child in her lap. "Jesse, everything's OK. You're not

a child anymore. You're an adult. You're Hercules, possibly the strongest man alive. Whatever's

happened to you, it's the past. Let it go. Jane's waiting for you."

When Jesse came to, he found himself in Jean's arms, his head resting in a rather embarasing

spot. He let go of her. Jane held him for a long time.

"Now what do we do?" asked Daria.

"Well," said Rogue. "We might wanna tell the Huntley's their home isn't bombed, jus' looks

like it."

"The bears have made a mess." Daria commented. "What with candy bars and other junk just

lying around. Any ideas on what to do about that?"

"Spoils of war!" claimed Jane, grabbing an armload of candy bars.

"And what do we do with the bears?" asked Trent.

"Professor X could handle them." said Scott. "They can have Juggernaut's old room."

"Who's Juggernaut?" asked Trent.

"Long story." Scott replied. "We can call Logan to come pick them up. We might want them

pretty well sedated first."

"Dr. Phillips is cool." said Daria. "He's patched us up several times."

The four mutant bears were loaded on the Tank II and droven to Cedars of Lawndale. Rogue

stood guard over the bears, ready to sap one if it did anything funny. Dr. Phillips met them in

the ER. "Hey, Formidable Four." he said jovially. "And friends." Jean and Scott had accompanied

them. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"Dr. Phillips," said Daria. "We need you to sedate some-uh-captives."

"Care to give me just a little more information?"

"You might need to come out to the van to see this."

Dr. Phillips went outside with them. Trent opened the back door of the van. He was surprised

to see four hogtied creatures that looked like anthropomorphic bears. He also noticed they were

being guarded by a furry blue being with a tail and a goth girl with a white stripe in her hair.

"OK, this-this is, unusual."

"Should we see a veteranarian instead?" asked Daria.

"No, no, wait here. I'll get the sedative." He left and returned with gloved hands, a bag

of disposable syringes and a vial of sedative. He started on Pain Bear. *NO!* the psychic voice

shouted. *Get away from me, white coat!* Dr. Phillips suddenly felt like he was sitting on a

thousand burning needles.

"Bad bear," said Trent, giving Pain Bear a slap on the nose. "No treat for you!"

Dr. Phillips sedated the bears. "They'll be under for twelve hours." he said, whipping off

the now hair covered gloves. "Now, anyone need any patching up?"

"One of them bit Trent." said Daria.

Dr. Phillips had a look at Trent's hand. "Looks like it broke the skin. Have one of the nurses

disinfect it and wait in my office. I'll be around in a while to give you a rabies vaccine." Trent

groaned. He usually didn't have a problem with needles, but after the day he had, he could've done

without it. Dr. Phillips noticed Rogue's arm. "Looks like Daria's field dressing." he said admiringly.

"Nice work, but let me have a look at it." He started to untie the fabric keeping the gauze on.

"No! Don't touch me!" Rogue recoiled.

"Calm, down," Dr. Phillips said soothingly. "I just want to-" His fingers touched her skin.

He fell unconscous.

"Dammit! I tried to warn him!" said Rogue. She looked at her half-clotted wound. "This is

gonna need stitches."

"Wait," said Daria. "I thought it wasn't all that bad." Kurt looked the other way and whistled

tunelessly. Rogue looked embarassed.

"I-um-hypnotized you. It's one of Doom Bear's powers. Are you mad at me?"

"A little." Daria admitted.

"But you understand why I did it, right?" Rogue thought of the friend she thought she made

earlier that year, who turned out to be Mystique in disguise. Was she going to loose another friend

so soon?

"I guess." Daria sighed. "You might wanna go get your stitches now."

"Hell, I could stitch myself up and give Trent his rabies shot. For the next hour, I'll

know everything a liscensed physician knows." She left the van. "See y'all later."

Scott called Logan from a pay phone and filled him in. Logan told him to wait by Ticketmaster,

he'd be there in a couple of hours. Logan didn't say much when he came for the bears. He noticed Rogue's

stitches. "Whaja do to your arm, darlin'?" he asked.

"One of the bears clawed me." she responded.

"Gonna leave a scar." Logan said matter-of-factly. "'Less you wanna borrow my healin' powers."

"Maybe when I get home. I've absorbed enough people today."

When they got back to Casa Lane, Amanda was making dinner. "I hope you kids like fajitas."

she said. "Did you have fun crimefighting?"

"Fun?" said Daria. "Fun!"

"We had a great time, Mom." said Trent, taking a fajita.

After dinner they watched some movies, trying to put the ordeal behind them. They turned

in relativly early.

"How's your arm?" Daria asked Trent as they got ready for bed.

"A little sore." he answered. "No worse than getting a tattoo. I should be glad this isn't

back in the old days when they gave you rabies shots in the stomache. I was a little antsy about

having Rogue do it, but she sewed herself up pretty good." He got in bed with her.

"Trent, Doom Bear made me think Lawndale had been bombed. You-you died in my arms."

"Not a bad way to go." Trent secretly hoped that when his time came, that it would be in

Daria's arms.

"You were covered in radiation burns. Everyone was dead or dying."

"It was all an illusion, Daria. I'm here now." He kissed her and held her close.

Downstairs, Rogue lay on the sofa bed, unable to sleep. Kurt had the light on, reading more

of /Meister der te Ringe/. "Kurt, turn off the light." she mumbled.

"In a bit." He tried to read more, but couldn't concentrate. Flashes of Fear Bear's hallucination

kept slipping into his mind. "Wish I had a Lindt bar right now." he said idley. "I could use an endorphin

rush."

"What's a Lindt bar?"

"Chocolate brand. Available only in Europe."

"Here," Rogue gave him one of the candy bars Jane left on the coffe table. "It's a Watchamacallit."

Kurt made a face. "No offence, but after you've had German chocolate, American chocolate tastes like wax."

"Yer not goin' for taste, yer goin' for endorphins." He took it.

"I've got a private stash hidden under my bed back at the mansion." he said, taking a small bite. "I'll

share them with you every once in a while, if you don't tell anyone."

"Y'know, normal boys hide issues of /Spank/ under their beds, not chocolate."

"I got a couple of those too." he shrugged.

Later that night, Jane woke up abruptly. Jesse was thrashing next to her. She tried to wake

him up. He gave out a yell. He was covered in a cold sweat. He panted as he tried to tell himself

it had only been a nightmare. "Do you want to talk about it?" Jane asked.

"I, I u-usually d-d-don't remember my n-nightmares." Oh no, he thought. I'm stuttering again.

Jane put her arms around him. "It's OK," she whispered. "It's over now."

"I used to have horrible nightmares all the time." he whispered. "They went away after I became

Hercules. I had a few not long after we went on /Slashers/. In the only nightmare I remember, QB Doom

didn't just strip you topless, he slit your throat like he threatened. Jane, if that really happened,

I-I don't think I'd want to go on."

"Jesse, if-God forbid-anything does happen to me, I want you to go on. I love you."

"Janey," he whispered, pulling her closer to him.

Jean woke up with a small scream. "What is it, Jean?" asked Scott.

"It's Jesse, he had a nightmare."

"After today, I'm guessing a lot of us are gonna have nightmares."

"Jesse and I are going to be mind-linked for a day or so." Jean trembled with a fear that

wasn't hers.

"Jean," Scott stroked her long red tresses. "Pain Bear made me think I was in a torture

chamber. After nearly having my arms ripped out and being burned with a hot poker, I had to choose

whether you, Alex, or my parents-miraculously alive-would be hung."

"Who did you choose?"

"No one. I couldn't choose. It was mental torture combined with physical. I would rather

die than make such a choice." Jean embraced him. "Should we-uh-see if Jesse's alright?"

"He's fine. Jane's with him." Her green eyes flashed and went wide. "Oh yeah, she's definatly

with him." She blushed at the vicarious sensations she was picking up. Scott placed his mouth on

hers. The sensations were no longer vicarious.

By the time it was time for the 3 Doors Down concert, the young crimefighters were ready

for some fun to help them forget what they had been through. During the opening number, Jesse

offered to let Jane sit on his shoulders. "Hey, Daria," said Trent. "You wanna sit on my shoulders?

You'll get a better view."

"I don't wanna put you out." she said. Actually, I don't wanna put your back out.

"You're not heavy." said Trent. "And I'll put you down after this song."

"You have to see this, Daria!" Jane said from her perch. "Brad is just gorgeous!"

"If you're gonna be like that," said Jesse. "I'm putting you down."

"He's not as good looking as you, Jess." she said, toying with his hair.

Daria agreed to sit on Trent's shoulders. She was glad she had turned in the skirt for

jeans long ago. "Well," said Scott. "When in Lawndale, do as the Lawndalians do!" He hoisted

Jean onto his shoulders. She used her TK to make herself lighter for him. Kurt looked at Rogue

and opened his mouth.

"No way, uh-uh, ferget it." she said. "I do not wanna sit on yer scrawny shoulders."

"I wasn't going to ask you to." he said. He dissapeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared

sitting on Rogue's shoulders. "This is fun! Ooh, Brad /is/ good looking!"

"Get offa me you little-!"

"Hey Daria," said Trent. "I hear Brad's girlfriend personally pierced his navel. Would you-"

She bapped him on the nose. "Never mind."

The three couples slow danced to "So I Need You." while Kurt teased Rogue with a glow-in-the-dark

necklace. Before long the crowd was calling for "Kryptonite". The band obliged.

I took a walk around the world to

ease my troubled mind

I left my body laying somewhere

in the sands of time

I watched the world float to the

dark side of the moon

I feel there's nothing I can do, yeah.

"Well," said Scott, "Even with the Terror Bears, this has still been a good weekend. You

guys should come visit us at the X Mansion some time."

"Sounds like a plan." Trent said as he coaxed Daria into dancing with him. Kurt pogoed in

place and eventually got Rogue to join in.

I watched the world float to the

dark side of the moon

After all I knew it had to be something

to do with you

I really don't mind what happens now and then

As long as you'll be my friend at the end

IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE FORMIDABLE FOUR:

Look, gang! It's Don Knotts! (Just kidding! It's still in progress.)

(A/N) The Terror Bears belong to Eastman and Laird. (Yes, the same guys who brought you the Teenage

Mutant Ninja Turtles.) I saw their stats in a role playing book and thought they'd make interesting

psycholgical villains. X Evolution belongs to Marvel and WB.

German translations are as follows:

Ja = Yes

Mein Gott = My God

Gott en Himmel = God in Heaven

Sohn du eine Luder = son of a bitch

Schiesse = shit

Schwine = pig (Used as a general term of abuse)