Notes: I've been very careful, and so far I've only used ONE character that hasn't appeared regularly in an X-Book (even that one had appearances in X-Force).  With this chapter, the total goes up to two with the addition of Nitro the Exploding Man.  He's credited with giving Captain Marvel the cancer that led to his death, and has also tangled with Spidey.  I was introduced to him in the latest reincarnation of Heroes for Hire where he appeared in a whopping two issues, 2-3.  He won't be a major character, but he will serve an important purpose for the short time he is here.

Chapter 13: Escape from The Hill

Franklin Richards awoke with a rising feeling of dread in his stomach.  Had he been anyone else, he would've passed it off as a bad case of nerves.  But especially powerful psychics like him generally couldn't afford to ignore gut feelings.

The first thing he did was a head count.  Of course he knew how many there were in all, as he knew each of their faces.  So when he came up two short, who knew exactly who was gone.

Nearby, his best friend picked up on his concern, even in her sleep.  "What's wrong, Frankie?" Ray asked as she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Two of our number are missing."

"Oh.  Well, you said some might run away, right?"

Franklin shook his head gravely.  "You don't understand, Ray.  One of them is Boost.  He wouldn't just leave, not with the faith he had in me.  He had to have been forced.  I can sense his fear."

Ray frowned.  "So who else is gone?"

"He was only identified by a number, but I know his face.  A middle-aged man, with long, white hair and red eyes."

"…I knew him," said a voice.

Franklin turned to see a lanky, bald boy step forward.  "You saw him leave?"

The boy shook his head.  "I was in the cell next to him.  He called himself Nitro.  He was…angry a lot."

"Did he ever say anything about getting revenge?"

The boy nodded.  "That's all he ever talked about."

Franklin closed his eyes and looked away.

"What is it, Frankie?" Ray asked, touching his arm.

"I've been a fool."  He opened his eyes and sighed.  "I assumed that Mikhail was only taking psychics.  But if this Nitro had been one, I would've picked up on his thoughts instantly.  He must have some other power…and if his name is any indicator, Boost and the rest of us are in real danger."

"So what do we do now?"

"We do our best to stop Nitro and save Boost.  Without him…I'm not sure we can do this."

"Tell me what to do," Ray insisted.

Franklin smiled at her gratefully.  "Call Illyana.  Tell her we need her."

"What about you?"

"I have to go back to Sector 6.  It has to be where Nitro's going.  He wouldn't have seen any other place."

"But you can't go alone!" Ray cried.

"I will go as well," Lilandra volunteered at once, startling them both.  "You need someone to feed The Hill and convince the workers that everything is fine, correct?"

"Assuming Nitro hasn't already announced himself, yes," Franklin replied.  "The two of us should be able to generate enough psychic power to be convincing."

"Why can't I go?" Ray pleaded.  "You know I can help, Frankie!"

"You have to stay here, Ray.  If…something happens to me, you have to get the others home."

"No!  You're going to come back or nobody's going anywhere!"

"You know you don't mean that."  Franklin pressed his hand to her cheek.  "You're the second most powerful psi here, Ray.  You have to protect and guide them, in case I can't."

"But I won't know what to do without you," Ray whispered sadly.

He smiled.  "Yes, you will.  You're smarter than you give yourself credit for.  Once Illyana is here, you must do everything in your power to keep her safe.  Only she can defeat Mikhail and The Hill."

* * * * *

Nate sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair.  "Man, I'm beat.  I never thought staring at a bear would make me this tired."

Wanda leaned on his shoulder and picked at a blade of grass.  "Hey, you're not the only one.  I was stuck trying to get him to open up, too.  I'm beginning to think that maybe Illyana doesn't want to be found.  Maybe she's happy she's been reunited with Mikhail."

"That may be true.  But I'd like to think the rest of us had a bigger impact on Yana than that.  She might be happy at first, but eventually she'd start to miss us.  I just hope Mikhail doesn't get angry when that happens.  He must be pretty powerful, to grab her from another dimension."

"But she's his baby sister.  You don't think he'd really…hurt her, do you?"

Nate's eyes flared.  "If he does, my body count's going up by one.  That's a promise."

Wanda blinked and looked at her friend, gasping when she saw his eyes had taken on a golden glow.  "Nate…?"

There was no response.

For some reason, she did not like that look in his eyes.  "C'mon, Nate.  You're starting to scare me.  You're not seriously thinking about killing Mikhail, are you?  How do you think Illyana would feel?"

Again, there was no reply.

Wanda was about to blast Nate with one of her hex bolts when they were interrupted.

"Nate!  Hey, Naaaaate!"

Wanda looked up to see Musty heading straight for them with Marrow riding on his shoulder.  She was about to warn them to stay away when Nate suddenly groaned and shook his head.  "You okay?" she asked suspiciously.

"Um…headache, I think.  Bad one."  Nate blinked a few times.  "Must be more tired than I realized."

Marrow hopped down and ran up to Nate.  "You have to read my mind!" she insisted, tugging on his arm.  "I had a dream last night, and Yana was in it!  There might be some clues in it!"

"Sounds like a long shot," Wanda murmured doubtfully.

"We can't afford to ignore any options right now," Nate replied, placing a hand on Marrow's head.  "Try to recall the dream, Marrow."

Marrow shut her eyes tightly.

Wanda and Musty looked on in silence.

Finally, Nate removed his hand.  "If Marrow's dream is any indicator, Yana's safe for now.  Wherever she is, she has friends…powerful friends.  I think she's going to be fine.  No idea how to get to her, or where she is, though."

"Maybe we should ask if someone else had a dream?" Marrow suggested hopefully.

"Good idea…but you'd better get Dr. Grey or Professor X to do it," Nate said, rubbing his forehead as he stood up.  "I'm no good when I use my powers this much.  I'll see you guys in…maybe a week."

"A week?!" Wanda cried.

"Yeah.  That's how long I'll probably need to sleep in order to recharge.  In fact, I could use a lift, Musty."

The Wendigo easily picked up Nate and headed back to the mansion.

Wanda watched them go with a look of concern.  For a moment, Nate had definitely not been himself.  Or perhaps he HAD been himself…and if so, she didn't know him half as well as she thought she did.

* * * * *

Deathbird had just finished eating breakfast when the communicator on her shoulder began to warble.

Illyana made no attempt to hide her curiosity.  "You gonna yell at 'em for calling you at home?"

"They know better, unless it's an emergency."  Deathbird tapped the communicator.  "What?"

"My Lady, there's a major problem in Sector 6.  All the prisoners are gone, and-"

"ALL of them?!" Deathbird snapped.

"…forgive me, My Lady.  Your sis—I mean, the primary generators are still online, but the others are gone.  Also, we have…something of a hostage situation."

"Mikhail is away on business.  Who could else could even be worth bargaining for?"

"…it's Nitro, My Lady.  He's threatening to combine with Boost and blow up The Hill itself."

Deathbird's face darkened.  "Boost is to be taken alive.  If he is harmed in any way, I'll have your head."

"Understood, My Lady.  And what of Nitro?"

"Him, I want dead by the time I reach Sector 6.  You have thirty minutes."  Deathbird slapped her communicator and stood up.

"Who's Nitro?" Illyana asked.

"Someone who will cease to matter or exist very shortly.  I must attend to this matter personally, child.  You will stay here.  My home is well-guarded; you will be perfectly safe."

"Okay," Illyana replied easily.

Deathbird raised an eyebrow at that, but chose not to comment on it.  "I should be back shortly."

"I'll have the chessboard set up when you come home!"

The Shi'ar woman smiled, if only slightly.  "Be good," she said, touching the girl's head briefly as she left the dining room.

Illyana ran to the den and began to move pieces on the chessboard.  ~"She's gone, Ray.  Should I come now?"~

Her answer came in the form of being yanked through what seemed to be a swirling black hole, only to land in soft grass.

"Sorry about that," Ray apologized with a smile, helping her up.  "Frankie said you shouldn't use your powers unless you had to, so I brought you my own way."

"I thought you two were only telepaths?"

"We're not 'only' anything," Ray replied, smirking.  "You'd be surprised what Frankie could teach you…if he had the time."

"Where is he?" Illyana asked.

"He and Lilandra went to save Boost and stop Nitro."

"But…that's what Deathbird's trying to do!" Illyana cried.

Ray frowned.  "Then I hope she gets in his way."

* * * * *

Boost wisely shrank back as Nitro stomped past him again, muttering to himself.  The young mutant had learned very quickly that everything about his captor was explosive, including his temper.  While Boost was relatively safe, as Nitro needed him, it was best not to test his luck.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING, NITRO!" an amplified voice outside the locked room shouted.  "SEND OUT BOOST OR WE COME IN SHOOTING!"

Boost looked anxiously at Nitro, who stopped pacing and smirked.

"Idiots," the older man spat.  "They'll all be dead before they can blink." 

"I would have to advise against that, Mr. Robert Hunter."

Nitro spun around to see Franklin Richards standing behind him.  "You!  How did you get in here?!"

"I'm not actually here; this is just an avatar of sorts."  Franklin's eyes narrowed.  "You know how I got your name, and you must have some idea of what I can do.  Which is why I'm going to give you a chance.  Let Boost go and you can have whatever you want."

"Well, that's a problem," Nitro replied.  "Boost IS what I want."

"Why?  What could a man with your power possibly need Boost for?"

"I've seen what he can do.  I need total control of my power to do what I'm planning.  Quickly, anyway."

"Then you don't intend to harm him?" Franklin asked.

"That would defeat the purpose of using him, so no.  I have every intention of letting him go once I have my revenge."

"Revenge on whom?"

Nitro sneered.  "Every being that calls The Hill home.  If any survive, they'll know what it feels like to be taken forcibly from your home and dumped in an alien wasteland."

"Then…you can see through The Hill's illusions?"

Nitro shook his head.  "No.  But I blew up my share of them when they brought me here.  The illusions draw back briefly when The Hill is damaged.  With Boost's help, it'll take a lot longer for it recover from the damage I cause.  I should be able to destroy The Hill if I keep exploding and reforming faster than it can heal itself."

"…that's actually not a bad idea," Franklin murmured thoughtfully.  "It should work, if Lilandra & I stop feeding The Hill just before you begin.  But I must ask you for two favors first: announce your intentions to The Hill's population and give me an hour to create protective shields for the other former prisoners."

The man scowled.  "I have no ill will against the others, but why warn our jailers?  What makes you think they'll wait an hour?"

"They're smarter than you think.  Many will actually give up and back off, once they realize what you're capable of.  Those, at least, should be given a chance to leave and live.  Anyone here after an hour will suffer the consequences of their stupidity.  And I know they will wait.  They know as well as I do that you could explode whenever you wanted to.  They're not going to risk you destroying Boost.  They brought him here for a reason, after all."

* * * * *

Wanda opened her eyes as Professor X withdrew his hands from her head.  "So?  What do you think, Uncle Chuck?"

Professor X frowned and sat back in his chair.  "I think Nate is a deeply disturbed young man.  At least, half of him is."

"Half?" Wanda asked, a puzzled expression on her face.  "What do you mean?"

"I now sense two distinct thought patterns within him.  One belongs to the Nate we know…and the other assumedly belongs to the entity that you glimpsed this afternoon."

"Are you saying there's something living inside him?"

"Not exactly.  If my guess is correct, Nate himself IS two joined entities.  Either he was born that way, or this second, darker half developed slowly over time.  It's not that surprising, considering he claims to come from an alternate Earth.  Possibly, his crossing over had an effect on his body and mind that he didn't notice."

"Then…we can't trust him?" Wanda asked, looking worried.

"Half of him, at least.  Nate has always had the potential to be dangerous, but we have yet to actually see him do anything to harm anyone.  For now, I don't think we have anything to worry about, so long as he keeps the darker side suppressed."

"And if he doesn't?"

Xavier closed his eyes.  "Let us just hope that Illyana is returned to us safely.  Otherwise, I could no longer consider this school a safe haven with Nate on the grounds."

* * * * *

"Are you sure we shouldn't do something to help Franklin?" Illyana asked.  "I know he's strong, but…"

"I wish we could," Ray sighed.  "But he told me to stay here with you and the others."

~"And I am glad that you listened to me, Ray."~

Ray's eyes lit up.  ~"Frankie!  Is everything okay?  Did you find Boost?"~

~"Nitro has agreed to work with us.  In a little less than an hour, he's going to blow up The Hill."~

~"What…?  But we'll still be on it!"~

~"I know.  He will blow up everything but the valley where you are currently.  Once we are a safe distance away and ready to leave, he will blow that up as well.  I need you to prepare a telekinetic bubble big enough to carry everyone.  It shouldn't be too hard for you."~

~"Okay.  But how are we going to leave?  Are you going to open a hole in space again?"~

~"I won't have to.  Illyana will be able to transport us, with some assistance.  We'll take everyone back to their proper worlds."~

Ray looked over at Illyana, who seemed to be scratching her forehead.  ~"Can she really do that?"~

~"If she can't, Boost and I will help her.  I must go now, Ray.  I'll call again right before the detonation."~

~"Okay.  Be safe, Frankie…"~

~"You as well, Ray."~

"Oh, poo," Illyana said with a pout.  "I'm getting a pimple.  No, two of them!"

Ray looked at Illyana's head and frowned.  "Those aren't pimples."

"Well, what else could they be?" Illyana asked, fingering the two small bumps on her forehead carefully.

"They aren't pimples," Ray said after a long moment.  "That much I'm sure of."

* * * * *

"We're in position, Mystique."

"Good, Pietro," a man that looked exactly like Senator Robert Kelly said into the radio.  "Then it's time to activate our little sleeper."

"You're sure you can control him?"

The senator laughed merrily.  "Of course I can't.  That's the whole point, dear boy.  No one CAN." 

"I suppose…"

Kelly lifted a small, odd speaker to his lips.  "Ernie," he whispered in a soft, silky, motherly voice.  "Ernie, dear.  Can you hear me?"

"Yes, Raven," came a young, hushed voice. 

"It's time, sweetie.  Time to remember.  You remember that night, don't you?  How much fun you had?"

"I…I…yes…I remember…"

"Good.  Then show them.  Show them they shouldn't tease you or exclude you.  Show them you're just as good a mutant as any of them.  Show them your true power!"

"I…I will, Raven," said a startlingly different voice.  "I'll show them all…"

Kelly put the speaker down and chuckled softly.  "Of that, my young friend, I have no doubt."

* * * * *

Mikhail smiled slightly as he set the ship down.  "Home sweet home.  Everyone out, lads."

Behind him, a small boy with bright eyes and dirty brown hair shrank back against the wall.  Most striking about him was the shock of white hair hanging before his eyes, and the middle finger of his left hand, which seemed to be made of metal.

"Come now, don't be afraid," Mikhail said gently.  "Look, your friend there isn't."

The boy glared up at him.  "My friend is an android."

"Yes, well, he isn't afraid.  Now come along."

The boy swallowed nervously.  "Let's do as he says, Seven."

The white-uniformed android stepped forward at once, clearly following the boy's suggestion.

Mikhail smirked at that, but said nothing about it.  "That's more like it.  We should hurry and-"

Anything else Mikhail said was lost in a huge, rumbling roar from somewhere close by.  He spun around, shocked to see that where Sector 6 once stood, there was nothing more a blood-red cloud of destruction.

"NO!" he shouted, grabbing both their arms.  "Take us there at once!"

The boy looked uneasy, but after noticing the manic look in Mikhail's eyes, he nodded.

The android spread its arms wide, and a swirling wormhole opened up before them.  It had barely formed completely when Mikhail dragged them both into it.

* * * * *

Piotr was almost finished with yet another sketch of Jubilee when he heard the terrified scream.

Jubilee looked up at once.  "That was Kitty!"

Storm touched down in front of them a second later.  "Jubilee!  Lead the students back into the school!  Piotr, with me!"  She was off a moment later, followed by the steel-skinned Colossus.

Upon rounding the corner of the mansion, they found a scene of utter chaos.

Students were screaming and running in all directions.  In the midst of the scene was the obvious cause of the disturbance: a hulking, gray mass of muscle, bone, and rage.  Logan had managed to get a strong grip on its neck, and Musty was doing his best to hold it at bay, but it was clear they weren't having much luck, from the way they were being flung around like rag dolls.

"What is that thing?!" Piotr cried as he charged forward.

"Ugly all day!" Logan shouted back.  "Get yer shiny butt over here, kid!"

"No, get clear!" Storm ordered.  "I'm going to hit it!"

Logan shook his head as best he could.  "Do yer worst, darlin', cuz I don't think it'll do any good!"

Storm flew higher and raised her hands.  Seconds later, several bolts of lightning tore from the sky and struck the gray behemoth in the head and chest.  When the dust cleared, there was not a scratch on it, nor had it even slowed down.

With a yell, Colossus barreled into the walking monstrosity's ribs with all his strength.  He was more than a little surprised when he heard a crack, but as pain clouded his mind, he realized that the crack must've been in his own armor.  Quickly, he stumbled back, trying to get away.

But it had seen him weakening, and pressed the attack at once, bringing a fist the size of a car down onto Colossus's shattered shoulder.  Steel turned to flesh, and Piotr dropped to the ground like a stone.

Roaring in triumph, the gray beast raised a fist to crush the fallen student.

"You've done enough damage for one day, mister."

A beam of furious crimson energy flew across the yard and slammed into the behemoth's chest, pushing it back a foot.

Cyclops paused, frowned, and fired again, this time knocking the beast onto its back, nearly crushing Logan in the process.  "I can punch through a mountain at full power.  What's HE made of?!"

Logan landed beside him with a grunt, having been thrown clear.  "Ain't snails and puppy dog tails, that's for sure."

"Can he even feel pain?"

"I'll let you knew when we manage to hurt 'em, Cyke.  You've had the best luck so far…and I'm not even sure you gave him an itch to scratch."

"So no holding back?"

Logan bit his lip.  "I'll put it like this.  If HE'S holding back, we're dead."

* * * * *

"Not good," Wanda muttered as she watched the fight from the War Room's display screen.  "I don't think anyone can stop that thing.  We still don't even know what it IS yet."

"Ernie," Professor Xavier said after a moment.  "At least, it used to be.  I suspected his mutation had something to do with transformation, based on what he showed me.  But I had no idea he could take it this far—that he could even exercise that much control over it."

"If that's control, I'd hate to see what he's like without it," Jubilee muttered.

"Why is he doing this?" Marrow whispered, tears in her eyes.  "Ernie isn't like that.  He wouldn't just hurt people!  He's my friend!"

"Maybe he don' have a choice, petite," Remy murmured softly.  "But you stay here wit Wanda.  Remy got a few questions for your pal."

"Remy, you can't!" Jubliee cried at once.  "Even Cyclops can't hurt him!  What can you do?"

Remy's crimson eyes seemed to glow.  "He a boy, non?  So he never had a hot flash before."

"Don't hurt him, Remy," Marrow pleaded, tugging on his hand.  "Please?"

He leaned down and tousled her short red hair.  "Don' you worry, petite.  Remy jus' gonna get his attention."  With that, he turned and walked out of the room.

"Remy's power may actually give him an advantage," Xavier noted.  "He's the only energy wielder here that can channel it directly into a living being."

A moment later, Jean Grey entered the room with Piotr's body floating beside her.  "His arm's broken for sure, but that's all I know."

"Hang in there, Petey," Jubilee whispered.

Amazingly, Piotr opened his eyes.  "I have…nothing better to do, Jubilee."

"You showed extraordinary bravery out there, son," Xavier said.

"You'll have to forgive me if I don't share your pride, Professor.  That…thing…is unstoppable."

"I can stop him," Marrow said at once.

"Not a chance," Wanda replied.

"You have to let me!  I'm the only one that understands him!  I know I can get him to stop!  Ernie would never hurt me!"

"I bet a lot of people believed that until today, sweetie, and you saw how they fared."

"His mind is untouchable, Marrow," Xavier explained.  "Not unlike his body.  I don't even think Nate could penetrate his mind.  We may never find out, since he has yet to wake up." 

"Just let me ask him what he wants!" Marrow pleaded.  "I know he'll tell me!  He trusts me!"

"I can't allow that.  Too many have already been hurt at Ernie's hands."

"What about Nate's shield?  Wouldn't that protect me?"

"…possibly.  But as your friend seems to have a talent for turning back our powers, I'm concerned he might be able to break through it."

"But he wouldn't even try!" Marrow insisted.  "He doesn't want to hurt me!"

"Looks like we're gonna find out," Jubilee whispered.

On screen, the gray creature that was once Ernie pounded Logan into the ground, and then headed straight for the mansion.

* * * * *

The Hill was alive.  That much was obvious, as it was clearly in the process of dying.

As far as the eye could see, there was only mud, muddy water, and dead and dying trees.  The thought that any of it had ever seemed like anything else was almost laughable.

Mikhail was not laughing.

"This can't be," he whispered.  "My home…our home…"

"I warned you." 

He turned to see Deathbird glaring at him.  "What?"

"You actually have to wonder who did this?!  I told you from the start that we should've killed Richards, but you wouldn't listen.  You NEVER listen, and now look where it's gotten us!"

Mikhail shook his head.  "He was too powerful, and The Hill wanted him too much.  I couldn't just get rid of him.  He was too valuable…"

"How valuable was your sister?  She's gone, too."

"WHAT?!"  Mikhail grabbed Deathbird by the throat.  "I left her in your care!  You swore to me that you would protect her as if she were your own!  If one hair on her precious head is misplaced, so help me, I'll…"

"Let her go, Miko!"

Relief flooded Mikhail's face when he spotted Illyana a few feet away.  "Snowflake," he whispered.  "You're safe.  Thank goodness.  I thought-"

"You thought you could treat mutants like batteries for The Hill," she said coldly.  Her eyes were wet with tears.  "I just wonder, Miko…would you have done that to Piotr?  To me?"

"No…never," he stated firmly.  "You were meant for far greater things, Illyana."

"I know that now…now that I've met Franklin and the others."

Mikhail's face darkened.  "All lies.  They couldn't possibly know your true purpose here."

"No?  Well, they taught me to do this!"  Illyana vanished, and when she reappeared, Deathbird was beside her, gasping for air.

Strangely, Mikhail smiled.  "I see you have discovered your mutant power."

"No.  Franklin showed it to me.  He also showed me what you're doing to mutants.  And he showed me that I have to stop you."

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear, little one."

"Then look me in the eye and tell me you were going to send me home one day," Illyana challenged.

Mikhail stared at her.  "You are home, Illyana.  This is where you belong.  With me."

"No, this is just where you brought me.  My home is with Piotr and my friends.  If you won't send me back, I'll find my own way."

"You can't leave.  You don't realize how much The Hill needs you."

"You're the one it needs, Miko.  It's feeding off you, too!  Can't you see that?!"

"I can't let you leave."  Mikhail raised his hand.  "I would never hurt you, snowflake…but I can't let you leave."  Even as he spoke, tree roots shot up and wrapped tightly around Illyana and Deathbird.  "You just can't see what The Hill has in store for you yet.  But trust me, it's all for the best.  We are the rulers of this place, Illyana, and we will rule it together."

"If I am meant to rule here, why are you holding me prisoner?  And poor Piotr will never know what happened to me.  None of them will.  All because you were so selfish."

"I will admit I was overjoyed at the thought of spending time with you," Mikhail said.  "But that is not the only reason you are here.  I am part of The Hill…as it grows stronger, so do I.  With your untapped potential, we will grow even stronger.  We will never have to worry about death.  We will be gods, snowflake…immortal and untouched by time.  We can be together forever, the way we were meant to be."

"Franklin was right," Illyana whispered.  "You're insane, Miko.  I want to stay and help you, but…I have to take those mutants back to their homes.  I made a promise.  I won't break it for you, or anyone else."

While Illyana spoke, her face began to change.  What she had once thought of as pimples grew outward, revealing themselves to be a pair of small, yellow horns.  The curves of her face became angular and took on shadows that had not been there previously.  Her eyes took on a crimson hue.

Deathbird looked shocked.

Mikhail did not.  "Yes," he whispered, a giddy smile on his face.  "That's it, my snowflake.  This is your true power…the one that will make us gods."

"Pitiful fool," Illyana whispered in a voice totally unlike hers.  "There is only one god here, and she is MOST displeased."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Getting to some long overdue comments in the reviews:

Trish: Sorry, I forgot about the Bamf doll.  Miko suits my evil purposes better, so I used him instead.  I needed a plushie with a connection to Mikhail.  Didn't want to trick the 'Crawler fans into thinking he'd show up here, as he most likely won't.

RockerChica: I see you know your X-History.  Now hush, or you'll give away my entire plot.  Well, most of it, anyway.

Verthril: Actually, I hope you ARE curious as to what Magnus is up to.  If you're not yet, hopefully you will be by the time he takes a larger role in the story.

WildWolvie: If you don't know who someone is, please e-mail me so I can set you on the path to understanding.  This is in the movie section because when I planned out the story, I imagined it taking place in the movieverse.  I've added non-movie people, but in my head it's still the movie.  I have remained true to the movie: Rogue is young & has a bond with Logan (she wouldn't in the comics), Mystique has replaced the dead senator, and Magneto is in prison.  If this wasn't in the movie section, you wouldn't associate the characters with their movie selves, and certain things wouldn't make sense.  Rogue does not regularly go by Marie in the comics (or anywhere else BUT the movie), nor does she have a bond with Logan anywhere else.  If this story was in the comic section, people would ask me when Rogue & Logan got so close.  Keep in mind that the movieverse is very different from the comics in some ways.

Jeanne Marie: You probably DO have Ernie pegged.  I'll reveal him when the time is right.

Darlin: Boost is a Gene National, and not from AOA.  Easy to miss, as he only appeared once, ever.  I haven't even gotten close to finishing this story.  I could tell you who Musty is...but it's a surprise.  All I can tell you is that Musty is a mutant shape shifter. 

Any more questions for me?  Don't know who someone is or what's going on with Yana?