Family Forgotten
Chapter 8: Rebirth a Legend is Born
So I proposed, cool eh? To tell you the truth Kitty couldn't have been any happier. News of our engagement spread quickly and soon Ororo and my father proposed that we hold our weddings on the same day, not only would it cut down on cost but we wouldn't have to hold two ceremonies. Kitty and I were thrilled and accepted their offer. Up to this point I was glad to say that my X-genes had still remained inactive and that I didn't expect them to do anything anytime soon.
I awoke one morning to find the bright sunlight of the early morning cascading through our window into the mansion, it was warm and comforting as I gently placed Kitty's arm from upon my waist back onto the warm impression in the bed that my weighty body made from a good night's rest. Tossing on a pair of slacks I quietly made my way out of the room and down the stairs into the foyer of the mansion only to find that someone was already awake and sitting quietly gazing dimly out of the window before them into the courtyard. I could tell from the distinctive wheelchair and lack of hair that it could be none other than that of the professor sitting before me.
"Good morning Jack, how was your evening?" he asked without even turning his head to look.
"Good morning to you too professor I take it you slept alright," I deducted taking a seat on the windowsill so that I could face him.
"Oh it wasn't that bad, but something has been troubling me though," he noted pulling up closer to the window.
"Really? What is it?" I asked. "That is if you wouldn't mind sharing."
"Well it's Magnus, you know of how I was able to help him forget about the mutant and human battles and show him to our side?"
"Yeah what of it?"
"Well I got a call from him not long ago, he wanted to show me a project that he had been working on, but I grow uneasy because it was also not long ago that Mystique went rogue and has tried her hardest to dispose of us, permanently," he informed me.
"You believe that she will try something if you go?"
"Yes it is a possibility," he mentioned now turning from the window and slowly making his way towards his office. "I am going to go and meet with him but I want a few people to come with me. I was thinking you, Logan, and possibly Scott as well just to be safe."
"Sounds good to me, when do we leave?" I asked seeming anxious to go.
"Well I think we'll leave later today and we'll make it out to Siberia early tomorrow morning," he told me.
"Sure thing do you want me to tell the others or do you want to do that yourself?" I questioned.
"You can do that, I'll get hank to help stock the Blackbird for our flight," and with that he left and I was left to my own devices.
I jogged to the kitchen to find that Scott and Kitty were up and eating so I decided no time was better for me to explain our little trip. The way I looked at it I knock out three birds with one stone, I could talk to Scott, I could talk to Kitty, and I could eat!
"Morning guys, how was your sleep?" I asked the two of them as they grabbed plates of food.
"Not bad honey, I take it you slept well."
"Yeah I was fine," I told Kitty giving her a kiss. "How about you Scott?"
"Wasn't bad but I got a bit of a kink in my neck, I think that I slept on it a bit funny," he replied taking a seat at the table.
"That's good to hear. When I got up this morning I found the professor at the window, after chatting with him he informed me that, Scott, you and I, plus Logan will be going with him to Siberia to se what latest gadget Magneto has been cooking up," I told him grabbing a plate of grub.
"Why are all three of us going with, usually he just takes Hank?" he asked me.
"Well I guess since Mystique went A.W.O.L it's got him spooked so he just needs a bit of insurance," I informed him taking a bite of the rock hard toast. "By the way who's turn was it to cook this morning?"
"Ugh, I think it was Rogue's turn," Kitty replied taking a forkful of eggs only to pull bits of eggshell from her teeth.
"Sorry to say but that girl can't cook," I stated as I picked up my plate and dumped it into the trash.
"Agreed," said the other two as they were quick to follow.
From there the day went just as planned as I informed my father about the trip and he reluctantly agreed. Hank, Logan, and myself finished loading the gear as Scott programmed the flight computer for our remote destination into the barren regions of Siberia. We were just finishing up and getting ready to board when Kitty came out into the hanger for one last goodbye and to see us off.
"Hey don't think that you're going to get away that easily," she told me throwing her arms around my neck, pulling my face down to hers and laying a big one on my lips before letting go and pushing me up the stairway into the cockpit of the plane. "Now you boys go have fun alright."
"Sure thing honey see you in a couple days, love ya."
"Love ya!" she called back before running out of the launch area.
I took my seat in the plane and buckled up, it was only then that I turned to find my father sitting beside me giving me that look of disbelief.
"What?" I asked him.
"Oh nothing, nothing, it's just that I would have never taken you as the lovey dovey sort of person," he informed me. "Gezsh I'm never like that."
"Sure, what ever, say all that you want. But I can say that I have seen it with my own eyes between you and Ororo, she does the exact same thing with you and you enjoy it," I noted to him.
"WHAT!!! No, not me, never," he exclaimed almost taking offense to it.
"I'm not going to go any further with this just for the sake that you will deny it till the bitter end and I will have to resort to video footage just to prove you wrong."
"Now with that little moment behind us, do you two mind if we actually get off the ground now," noted the professor as he fired the engines sending us hurtling out of the long mountainside hanger.
From New York we went East out towards the coasts of Europe and on into the vast lands of Russia. The flight was long but comfortable; we had full rations and the autopilot worked like a dream. For the ten hours that it took us to get there, we did quite well at least we kept ourselves occupied. You would not believe how many rounds of poker you can get in over ten hours.
. . .
As we entered Russian airspace we stayed low just over the tops of trees that way we wouldn't be picked up on radar and be mistaken for a military aircraft. Our scope was quick to pick up the latest of Magneto's bases as the large steel dome stuck out of the cold dense landscape before us. Scott gently set the Blackbird down near the base and shut down the primary systems. Just looking beyond I noted to the others as a round port in the side of the dome began to open and a single man appeared from within, it could be none other that him, Magneto. Swiftly we made our way down the ramp to face him...
"Ah Charles so nice of you to drop by, I see that you have brought a few friends over with you, Logan, Scott, Jack nice to see you again," he said approaching the plane.
"It's good to see you as well Magnus, how have you been holding up?" Xavier asked making his way to the bottom of the ramp.
"Oh not too bad, here let me help you with that," he noted picking both the professor and his chair up allowing them to coast just over the snow.
"Thank you," Xavier noted as the rest of us followed the two of them into the dome.
The structure was vast and well spaced allowing ample room for his experiments and living quarters. Escorting us inside he brought us into the main hall where there sat the creation that the professor had mentioned. Looking to my father and Scott there were both in awe but my father had a growing look of concern upon his face as I could tell he knew what the machine was.
"Hey dad, what's wrong? It looks like you already know what this thing is," I asked him as we followed the two of them.
"Yeah I do, I seen this thing back in the war. The Americans designed it and used it to create an artificial mutant," he explained to me.
"Oh yeah who?" I asked him.
"His name was Captain America, he was a result of the rebirth project. Before the project he was a normal human, extremely patriotic, but normal. Once they cycled him through that tank it changed his DNA and gave him special abilities, but the machine had a downside it caused massive cellular decay, dramatically shortening the person's life span in the process. After him and I did a tour in Europe he collapsed into a coma and in a hope to save him he was cryogenically frozen," he told me as we approached the open chamber.
"So what is this little creation of yours Magnus?" asked Charles.
"Well it's called the rebirth machine, it was a world war two relic that I discovered a few years back and that was what allowed me to return to my younger self," he said standing by the computer console and setting the machine up.
"So what happened to the other one?" questioned Xavier.
"Yours truly over there blew it up," Magnus replied pointing to my father.
"Then why rebuild it?" Xavier asked looking it over.
"Because I would like you to go through it like I had done years ago just before the other one was destroyed," he explained showing Xavier to the tall vertical cylinder.
"I wouldn't do it Chuck, I seen a good friend of mine get really messed up from sitting in that thing," my father insisted.
"But what if it works dad?" I questioned taking a closer look at the containment cylinder.
It was then that the lights went out and we heard a dark chuckle. Then my father and I both caught scent of her, it was Mystique. I have to admit when it came to espionage and sabotage that she could teach even the greatest of spies how to perform their jobs. Removing my glasses I was able to get a decent look around the room unfortunately I couldn't see her as she must have taken the form of something else.
"Jack can you see her?" Charles asked as I scanned the room.
"Unfortunately no, I can't smell much of her either. What about you dad, can you get anything?" I asked.
"I'm out of luck as well, hey chuck can't you reach her telepathically?" Logan asked.
"I can try," he noted as he began to concentrate. "It's strange I can't pick up anything she must be wearing something that can block my thoughts."
"I thought one of my helmets went missing, she must have duplicated the design and then returned the original," Magnus said.
Then from out of nowhere came a crash as Scott was sent flying back into one of the far walls. It was then I seen her, she was using the cover of the crates around the room blocking my view of her form as she slunk around the room slowly getting closer and closer. Then suddenly everything went quiet as the lights and power came back on and we were left questioning what had just happened.
"Logan go check to see if Scott is alright," said the professor.
"Why would she do something like this, if she were smart she would have left the power off and kept attacking," I noted replacing my glasses and scanning the room.
"I don't know Wolf, but I think the rebirth machine has something to do with it," Magnus noted.
It was then that a cloaked figure came from amidst nowhere and in the process of attacking the professor and Magnus, knocked my backwards into the rebirth machine's tube.
"Aw shit!" I exclaimed as I looked to find the door to the booth locked shut and the command console coming to life.
"Jack get out of there!" yelled the professor. "Magnus shut the machine off."
"You can't it's automatically set to run the duration of the program," he noted as a buzzer sounded just before the process activated.
The machine kicked in just as I was about to punch the glass tube, a bright white light filled the tube and the room as I felt a constant warmth move over me lasting for the duration of a minute. Aside from the hum of the rebirth machine I heard another alarm as I looked down to find that my monitor was going off and my X-genes had become active. Finally the machine finished it's cycle and it released me from its confining pillar of glass. I tumbled outward, falling to my knees, a defining pain wretched as my gut as all I could do was curl into a ball and hope for it to quit.
"Jack, Mystique fled are you alright?" I heard the professor ask.
"No...X-genes...went active...triggered by the machine," was all I could bear to squeak out as more pain flooded my body.
All over I could feel things moving around inside of me as my change continued, bones popped and muscles stretched as looked down to find my knees changing shape, they began to shift and move as they began to bend the other way. Next was my feet as my toes extended and my whole foot lengthened. Next was my upper body as I began to feel my spine stretch outward and grow becoming more flexible, it was then that my pelvic bone shifted and a new tail appeared in place of my old one. Seconds felt like hours as my change proceeded, I kept getting mental and verbal support from my father and Xavier as my mind kept trying to subdue the pain. I then felt my neck stretch out and then my jaw boast outward forming a long snout, I then could feel my ears stretch and pull standing upright and tall. From there I gave up I couldn't handle any more and I just blacked out into unconsciousness...
. . .
From my peaceful slumber I awoke, pulling my body up off the bed and thrashing outward along with a feral growl the escaped along with it. It was then that I stopped and looked around, I was back in the mansion, but in the medical wing. I had not realized that the sound that I heard was from my throat until I noticed that I was the only one here, in the dark and alone. Not really looking I took the sensors from my body and the I.v from my wrist. Maybe what had happened to me back there was just a dream and I didn't really mutate into some deformed creature, but it was then when I went to wipe my eyes that I noticed my face was different. Slowly, foot-by-foot I made my way over to the bathroom, where I knew there would be a mirror. Clicking on the light I was disturbed by the sight that was before me I was staring right into the eyes of a blue wolf. The only part I recognized was my polished eyes that remained in my large skull even after the change. I collapsed to the floor and brought my hands to my face, they were bigger and each of the five digits had what appeared to be an adamantium claw on the tip of it. I just broke down, how could this happen to me, what did I ever deserve to gain this type of punishment. I honestly couldn't tell you how long I was there, just sitting on the floor crying to myself but I felt it was a while. It was then that I heard my name being called, it was a bit distant but it was just out from the hall, they must have heard my whimpers and decided that they better look into my welfare.
"Jack...Jack honey, are you alright?" I heard a voice ask as a hand gently touched my face.
"Kitty is that you?" I asked in return not looking past my own brutish hands.
"Yes...yes I'm here everything is going to be alright. Just stay calm, we seen your heart monitor jump then go dead so we got down here as quick as possible," she told me embracing me in a hug, I let go long enough to wrap my own arms around her and we just sat there in silence as I cried but I she also shed tears as I felt them delicately drop onto my shoulder.
Chapter 8: Rebirth a Legend is Born
So I proposed, cool eh? To tell you the truth Kitty couldn't have been any happier. News of our engagement spread quickly and soon Ororo and my father proposed that we hold our weddings on the same day, not only would it cut down on cost but we wouldn't have to hold two ceremonies. Kitty and I were thrilled and accepted their offer. Up to this point I was glad to say that my X-genes had still remained inactive and that I didn't expect them to do anything anytime soon.
I awoke one morning to find the bright sunlight of the early morning cascading through our window into the mansion, it was warm and comforting as I gently placed Kitty's arm from upon my waist back onto the warm impression in the bed that my weighty body made from a good night's rest. Tossing on a pair of slacks I quietly made my way out of the room and down the stairs into the foyer of the mansion only to find that someone was already awake and sitting quietly gazing dimly out of the window before them into the courtyard. I could tell from the distinctive wheelchair and lack of hair that it could be none other than that of the professor sitting before me.
"Good morning Jack, how was your evening?" he asked without even turning his head to look.
"Good morning to you too professor I take it you slept alright," I deducted taking a seat on the windowsill so that I could face him.
"Oh it wasn't that bad, but something has been troubling me though," he noted pulling up closer to the window.
"Really? What is it?" I asked. "That is if you wouldn't mind sharing."
"Well it's Magnus, you know of how I was able to help him forget about the mutant and human battles and show him to our side?"
"Yeah what of it?"
"Well I got a call from him not long ago, he wanted to show me a project that he had been working on, but I grow uneasy because it was also not long ago that Mystique went rogue and has tried her hardest to dispose of us, permanently," he informed me.
"You believe that she will try something if you go?"
"Yes it is a possibility," he mentioned now turning from the window and slowly making his way towards his office. "I am going to go and meet with him but I want a few people to come with me. I was thinking you, Logan, and possibly Scott as well just to be safe."
"Sounds good to me, when do we leave?" I asked seeming anxious to go.
"Well I think we'll leave later today and we'll make it out to Siberia early tomorrow morning," he told me.
"Sure thing do you want me to tell the others or do you want to do that yourself?" I questioned.
"You can do that, I'll get hank to help stock the Blackbird for our flight," and with that he left and I was left to my own devices.
I jogged to the kitchen to find that Scott and Kitty were up and eating so I decided no time was better for me to explain our little trip. The way I looked at it I knock out three birds with one stone, I could talk to Scott, I could talk to Kitty, and I could eat!
"Morning guys, how was your sleep?" I asked the two of them as they grabbed plates of food.
"Not bad honey, I take it you slept well."
"Yeah I was fine," I told Kitty giving her a kiss. "How about you Scott?"
"Wasn't bad but I got a bit of a kink in my neck, I think that I slept on it a bit funny," he replied taking a seat at the table.
"That's good to hear. When I got up this morning I found the professor at the window, after chatting with him he informed me that, Scott, you and I, plus Logan will be going with him to Siberia to se what latest gadget Magneto has been cooking up," I told him grabbing a plate of grub.
"Why are all three of us going with, usually he just takes Hank?" he asked me.
"Well I guess since Mystique went A.W.O.L it's got him spooked so he just needs a bit of insurance," I informed him taking a bite of the rock hard toast. "By the way who's turn was it to cook this morning?"
"Ugh, I think it was Rogue's turn," Kitty replied taking a forkful of eggs only to pull bits of eggshell from her teeth.
"Sorry to say but that girl can't cook," I stated as I picked up my plate and dumped it into the trash.
"Agreed," said the other two as they were quick to follow.
From there the day went just as planned as I informed my father about the trip and he reluctantly agreed. Hank, Logan, and myself finished loading the gear as Scott programmed the flight computer for our remote destination into the barren regions of Siberia. We were just finishing up and getting ready to board when Kitty came out into the hanger for one last goodbye and to see us off.
"Hey don't think that you're going to get away that easily," she told me throwing her arms around my neck, pulling my face down to hers and laying a big one on my lips before letting go and pushing me up the stairway into the cockpit of the plane. "Now you boys go have fun alright."
"Sure thing honey see you in a couple days, love ya."
"Love ya!" she called back before running out of the launch area.
I took my seat in the plane and buckled up, it was only then that I turned to find my father sitting beside me giving me that look of disbelief.
"What?" I asked him.
"Oh nothing, nothing, it's just that I would have never taken you as the lovey dovey sort of person," he informed me. "Gezsh I'm never like that."
"Sure, what ever, say all that you want. But I can say that I have seen it with my own eyes between you and Ororo, she does the exact same thing with you and you enjoy it," I noted to him.
"WHAT!!! No, not me, never," he exclaimed almost taking offense to it.
"I'm not going to go any further with this just for the sake that you will deny it till the bitter end and I will have to resort to video footage just to prove you wrong."
"Now with that little moment behind us, do you two mind if we actually get off the ground now," noted the professor as he fired the engines sending us hurtling out of the long mountainside hanger.
From New York we went East out towards the coasts of Europe and on into the vast lands of Russia. The flight was long but comfortable; we had full rations and the autopilot worked like a dream. For the ten hours that it took us to get there, we did quite well at least we kept ourselves occupied. You would not believe how many rounds of poker you can get in over ten hours.
. . .
As we entered Russian airspace we stayed low just over the tops of trees that way we wouldn't be picked up on radar and be mistaken for a military aircraft. Our scope was quick to pick up the latest of Magneto's bases as the large steel dome stuck out of the cold dense landscape before us. Scott gently set the Blackbird down near the base and shut down the primary systems. Just looking beyond I noted to the others as a round port in the side of the dome began to open and a single man appeared from within, it could be none other that him, Magneto. Swiftly we made our way down the ramp to face him...
"Ah Charles so nice of you to drop by, I see that you have brought a few friends over with you, Logan, Scott, Jack nice to see you again," he said approaching the plane.
"It's good to see you as well Magnus, how have you been holding up?" Xavier asked making his way to the bottom of the ramp.
"Oh not too bad, here let me help you with that," he noted picking both the professor and his chair up allowing them to coast just over the snow.
"Thank you," Xavier noted as the rest of us followed the two of them into the dome.
The structure was vast and well spaced allowing ample room for his experiments and living quarters. Escorting us inside he brought us into the main hall where there sat the creation that the professor had mentioned. Looking to my father and Scott there were both in awe but my father had a growing look of concern upon his face as I could tell he knew what the machine was.
"Hey dad, what's wrong? It looks like you already know what this thing is," I asked him as we followed the two of them.
"Yeah I do, I seen this thing back in the war. The Americans designed it and used it to create an artificial mutant," he explained to me.
"Oh yeah who?" I asked him.
"His name was Captain America, he was a result of the rebirth project. Before the project he was a normal human, extremely patriotic, but normal. Once they cycled him through that tank it changed his DNA and gave him special abilities, but the machine had a downside it caused massive cellular decay, dramatically shortening the person's life span in the process. After him and I did a tour in Europe he collapsed into a coma and in a hope to save him he was cryogenically frozen," he told me as we approached the open chamber.
"So what is this little creation of yours Magnus?" asked Charles.
"Well it's called the rebirth machine, it was a world war two relic that I discovered a few years back and that was what allowed me to return to my younger self," he said standing by the computer console and setting the machine up.
"So what happened to the other one?" questioned Xavier.
"Yours truly over there blew it up," Magnus replied pointing to my father.
"Then why rebuild it?" Xavier asked looking it over.
"Because I would like you to go through it like I had done years ago just before the other one was destroyed," he explained showing Xavier to the tall vertical cylinder.
"I wouldn't do it Chuck, I seen a good friend of mine get really messed up from sitting in that thing," my father insisted.
"But what if it works dad?" I questioned taking a closer look at the containment cylinder.
It was then that the lights went out and we heard a dark chuckle. Then my father and I both caught scent of her, it was Mystique. I have to admit when it came to espionage and sabotage that she could teach even the greatest of spies how to perform their jobs. Removing my glasses I was able to get a decent look around the room unfortunately I couldn't see her as she must have taken the form of something else.
"Jack can you see her?" Charles asked as I scanned the room.
"Unfortunately no, I can't smell much of her either. What about you dad, can you get anything?" I asked.
"I'm out of luck as well, hey chuck can't you reach her telepathically?" Logan asked.
"I can try," he noted as he began to concentrate. "It's strange I can't pick up anything she must be wearing something that can block my thoughts."
"I thought one of my helmets went missing, she must have duplicated the design and then returned the original," Magnus said.
Then from out of nowhere came a crash as Scott was sent flying back into one of the far walls. It was then I seen her, she was using the cover of the crates around the room blocking my view of her form as she slunk around the room slowly getting closer and closer. Then suddenly everything went quiet as the lights and power came back on and we were left questioning what had just happened.
"Logan go check to see if Scott is alright," said the professor.
"Why would she do something like this, if she were smart she would have left the power off and kept attacking," I noted replacing my glasses and scanning the room.
"I don't know Wolf, but I think the rebirth machine has something to do with it," Magnus noted.
It was then that a cloaked figure came from amidst nowhere and in the process of attacking the professor and Magnus, knocked my backwards into the rebirth machine's tube.
"Aw shit!" I exclaimed as I looked to find the door to the booth locked shut and the command console coming to life.
"Jack get out of there!" yelled the professor. "Magnus shut the machine off."
"You can't it's automatically set to run the duration of the program," he noted as a buzzer sounded just before the process activated.
The machine kicked in just as I was about to punch the glass tube, a bright white light filled the tube and the room as I felt a constant warmth move over me lasting for the duration of a minute. Aside from the hum of the rebirth machine I heard another alarm as I looked down to find that my monitor was going off and my X-genes had become active. Finally the machine finished it's cycle and it released me from its confining pillar of glass. I tumbled outward, falling to my knees, a defining pain wretched as my gut as all I could do was curl into a ball and hope for it to quit.
"Jack, Mystique fled are you alright?" I heard the professor ask.
"No...X-genes...went active...triggered by the machine," was all I could bear to squeak out as more pain flooded my body.
All over I could feel things moving around inside of me as my change continued, bones popped and muscles stretched as looked down to find my knees changing shape, they began to shift and move as they began to bend the other way. Next was my feet as my toes extended and my whole foot lengthened. Next was my upper body as I began to feel my spine stretch outward and grow becoming more flexible, it was then that my pelvic bone shifted and a new tail appeared in place of my old one. Seconds felt like hours as my change proceeded, I kept getting mental and verbal support from my father and Xavier as my mind kept trying to subdue the pain. I then felt my neck stretch out and then my jaw boast outward forming a long snout, I then could feel my ears stretch and pull standing upright and tall. From there I gave up I couldn't handle any more and I just blacked out into unconsciousness...
. . .
From my peaceful slumber I awoke, pulling my body up off the bed and thrashing outward along with a feral growl the escaped along with it. It was then that I stopped and looked around, I was back in the mansion, but in the medical wing. I had not realized that the sound that I heard was from my throat until I noticed that I was the only one here, in the dark and alone. Not really looking I took the sensors from my body and the I.v from my wrist. Maybe what had happened to me back there was just a dream and I didn't really mutate into some deformed creature, but it was then when I went to wipe my eyes that I noticed my face was different. Slowly, foot-by-foot I made my way over to the bathroom, where I knew there would be a mirror. Clicking on the light I was disturbed by the sight that was before me I was staring right into the eyes of a blue wolf. The only part I recognized was my polished eyes that remained in my large skull even after the change. I collapsed to the floor and brought my hands to my face, they were bigger and each of the five digits had what appeared to be an adamantium claw on the tip of it. I just broke down, how could this happen to me, what did I ever deserve to gain this type of punishment. I honestly couldn't tell you how long I was there, just sitting on the floor crying to myself but I felt it was a while. It was then that I heard my name being called, it was a bit distant but it was just out from the hall, they must have heard my whimpers and decided that they better look into my welfare.
"Jack...Jack honey, are you alright?" I heard a voice ask as a hand gently touched my face.
"Kitty is that you?" I asked in return not looking past my own brutish hands.
"Yes...yes I'm here everything is going to be alright. Just stay calm, we seen your heart monitor jump then go dead so we got down here as quick as possible," she told me embracing me in a hug, I let go long enough to wrap my own arms around her and we just sat there in silence as I cried but I she also shed tears as I felt them delicately drop onto my shoulder.