Taking Refuge at the Xavier Institute
"Don't think I'm not still angry at you Ororo," Vi told her sister as they drove up to the mansion. "But considering the situation I guess I should thank you for putting us up for a while."
"It's the least I could do," She told her sadly.
"The very least," Vi's husband Carl frowned. "Ororo we sent Evan to you so that he could learn control, not get involved in some kind of crazy war."
"Believe it or not, the last thing I intended was for him to get involved in a conflict like this," Ororo told him as she parked the limo. "I really don't know how things got out of control."
"COME BACK HERE AND DIE YOU LITTLE LUNATIC!" Ray screamed while chasing dozens of Jamie clones. He was covered with green shaving cream. "JUST TELL ME WHICH ONE OF YOU IS THE REAL ONE SO I CAN CLOBBER YOU!"
"What in the…?" Vi gasped. She then heard some shouting and saw some teens playing basketball. Of course one of them looked like he was on fire and when he made the shot another boy who froze over the hoop solid blocked it.
"Um, they're just playing," Ororo said quickly. "Maybe we should just go inside?"
"Yeah…inside…" Carl blinked as he got the bags.
"Okay which one of you turkeys programmed the Danger Room to look like the ride from 'It's a Small World'?" Logan roared as he walked out of the house. Immediately all the kids took off. "COME BACK HERE!"
"What happened this time?" Ororo sighed.
"Just what I said happened," Logan told her. "And what's even worse my kid was training with me at the time."
"You have a child?" Vi asked.
"Technically," Logan sighed. "Sort of."
"She's a clone," Ororo explained. "Didn't I tell you about her?"
"Along with a lot of other things you didn't tell us…" Carl grumbled. "Wait if she's a clone then wouldn't she be a…"
"Not in this case," Ororo said. "It's…complicated. Where is she now?"
"Rina's kind of having a little breakdown," Logan sighed. "Charles and Jean are with her in what's left of the Danger Room. Although in this case I can't blame her! I hate that song! I kind of did some of the damage myself…"
"So she's finally picked a name?" Ororo asked.
"Yeah and she let Boom Boom of all people name her!" Logan groaned.
"Rina is a nice name," Ororo told him.
"Boom Boom?" Carl asked.
"That's Tabitha Smith's code name," Ororo explained. "She's another student here."
"What exactly does she do?" Vi asked.
A series of explosions could be heard. "Does that answer your question?" Logan asked as they walked inside. "TIME BOMB!"
"Not me!" Tabitha said while she was reading a magazine on a couch and chewing gum.
"Don't play innocent with me," Logan snapped. "We all know you can set those things in advance as long as you want! What did you blow up this time? Or should I ask who did you blow up this time?"
"I didn't blow up anybody," Tabitha said. "Just some garbage that was left behind."
"Garbage?" Logan asked. "What kind of garbage?"
Kurt teleported in (Inducer on) covered with bras. "VERY FUNNY TABITHA!" He shouted.
"Well maybe next time you won't barge in on a girl's private conversation," Tabitha said matter of factly.
"New fashion statement Elf?" Logan sighed as he took one off Kurt's head. "I'm not even going to ask what you did to deserve this. But who owns these?"
"Dr. Reisman's," Tabitha grinned. "Must have left them behind."
"Oh well in that case…" Logan grinned.
"Logan!" Ororo admonished sharply.
"And you have no idea how things got out of control?" Carl asked Ororo sarcastically.
"STORM!" A loud shout could be heard. Amara ran downstairs. "You'd better come quick! Remy did something stupid again and Rogue wants to beat him up and so does Scott. Actually they're both fighting over who gets first crack at him."
"What happened this time?" Ororo asked.
"I dunno but there's a big hole in Scott's wall," Amara said.
"Fine I'll handle this!" Ororo groaned. "Kurt could you please take their luggage up to their room? Logan…" She said as she went upstairs with Amara.
"Don't worry," Logan waved. "So can I get you folks a beer?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Carl replied.
"Fine the kitchen is…" He was interrupted by a rumble and some dishes breaking. "On second thought you might want to stay here. I'll get it for you…Tabitha…Oh forget it!" He ran to the kitchen.
"Is it always this hectic around here?" Carl asked Tabitha.
"What do you mean?" Tabitha asked.
"What the hell is that?" Carl gulped pointing to Doop who floated in.
"SHEILD Agent," Tabitha said without looking up from her magazine. "Hey Doopster!"
Doop waved and whistled. "What did he say?" Vi asked.
"Don't have a clue," Tabitha shrugged. "Almost nobody does. Logan and the telepaths understand him but the rest of us can't figure out a thing he says. Don't worry he can understand everything you say. And he's pretty harmless. Usually."
"Usually?" Vi yelped as Doop kissed her hand.
"Mr. and Mrs. Daniels…Oh I see you've meet Agent Doop," Xavier remarked as he rolled up to them. "He's here on official business."
"What kind of business?" Vi asked. "What's SHEILD?"
"A super secret spy agency," Tabitha explained and popped her gum again. "We get a lot of spies dropping by around here."
"A spy?" Carl did a double take. "That's a spy?"
"Actually he's more like a…" Xavier struggled to say it with a straight face. "Administrative executive. He's one of the main figures in charge of a mutant task force that has recently been set up to monitor mutant activities."
"Oh…" Carl said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Look, uh... Mr. Xavier as much as we appreciate you putting us up for a while…Are you sure this is such a good idea?"
"You're perfectly safe here," Xavier told them. "I trust that Ororo has explained a few things?"
"You mean like one of your kids is blue and so is a teacher, yeah we know that," Carl remarked. "And not to go to the lower levels."
"Merely a few precautions. Naturally there are a few things we try to keep from the public," Xavier tried to explain. "Like the Mass Device the Misfits have."
"What does that do?" Vi asked.
"It allows them to come here every day and annoy the hell out of us!" Logan stomped out. "I swear the Half Pint really needs to learn how to have better taste in boys. Okay one out of two isn't bad but considering…"
"Wait is that the one that has two boyfriends you're talking about?" Vi asked.
"Kitty? That's her," Logan groaned. "And both of them aren't exactly eager to share."
"What do they do? Powers wise?" Carl asked.
"Ours can turn his skin into metal and is strong while Avalanche has the abilities of geographic manipulation," Hank walked in wearing nice sweater and pants.
"Geo-what?" Carl blinked. "And who are you?"
"He makes earthquakes," Hank told him. "I'm Hank McCoy, also known as Beast, for obvious reasons."
"Oh right," Vi nodded. By now she was getting used to mutants with obvious mutations. "You were Evan's favorite teacher. I remember him telling us about you. Hold on, did you say earthquakes?"
"Wasn't he the one that was in the Brotherhood or something?" Carl asked.
"Now he's a Misfit along with most of the others," Hank said. "It's a long story. It kind of happened after Evan…well left." He turned to Doop. "By the way I've finally finished that analysis you asked for. It turned out positive!"
"What some kind of new chemical or something?" Logan asked.
"You could say that," Hank grinned. "Somehow the Triplets and Forge have created a process for turning Twinkies into alcohol. It's delicious! Wanna try a batch?"
"Maybe later…" Xavier groaned. "Why would they do such a thing in the first place? Oh wait I know..."
"Shipwreck paid them to do it," Logan, Hank and Xavier said at the same time. Doop said the same thing in his language.
"Ask a stupid question," Logan said.
"Yes well if you excuse us for a moment I think I need to have a word with…some people…" Xavier said absently as he started to wheel away. "Ororo would you mind…?"
"Of course," Ororo said as she walked in. "Carl, Vi…I'll show you to your room upstairs. This way." They went upstairs. "Here's your room and…Oh no!" On the bed was Lockheed bouncing.
"Ororo I think I'm not feeling well…" Vi blinked. "I'm starting to see things."
"If you mean a purple dragon bouncing on the bed…" Ororo groaned putting her hand to her face.
"You mean it's real?" Vi gasped. "Thank god! For a minute there I thought the stress had finally caught up to me!"
"No that's a real dragon," Ororo sighed. "KITTY!"
Kitty ran into the room by phasing through the wall. "Lockheed! Bad dragon! Sorry Storm! He's been kind of hyper lately. Not used to all these people."
"I know how he feels," Carl moaned.
Kitty picked him up. "Oh he's really a sweetie once he gets to know you. Aren't you Locky? Yes you are! Yes you are!" She cuddled him as she left the room.
Ororo looked at them. "All right I admit things are kind of…hectic around here."
"No, Grand Central Station at rush hour is kind of hectic," Carl told her. "Disney World in the summer is kind of hectic. This place is insane! How do you get a moment's peace around here?"
"Well actually most of the people here are quite normal," Ororo said.
"ALOHA!" Shipwreck bounced in wearing sunglasses and a lei around his neck. "Hey Stormy! How's about inviting your sister and her hubby on a double date? We can take the Mass Device to Hawaii!"
"Let me rephrase that…" Ororo glared at Shipwreck. "Most of the people who actually live here and don't barge in uninvited are normal!"
"You're the one who told us Evan was working with underprivileged mutants!" Carl pointed at him.
"Well I didn't exactly lie," Shipwreck shrugged. "I mean the Morlocks live in a sewer for crying out loud! That's about as underprivileged as you get! You certainly can't get any lower than that!"
"Excuse us please," Ororo put on a smile for her family then grabbed Shipwreck's arm. "Come with me now!"
"Great! So you'll go to Hawaii with me?" Shipwreck beamed.
"Yes…if only to shove you into the nearest volcano!" Ororo snarled as she dragged him away. A second later a loud scream from Shipwreck could be heard.
Carl and Vi looked at each other. "This place is a madhouse…" Vi finally said. "Clones, spies, dragons…Odd characters…children that blow things up, create earthquakes and walk through walls! And we've only been here…" She looked at her watch. "Twenty minutes."
"I think I'm starting to see why Evan found the sewers appealing," Carl moaned.
"I'm seriously considering moving there myself," Vi moaned. The mansion resounded with a boom. "It's probably quieter!"
Next: While trying to find evidence to clear Evan, Duke of the Joes discovers a plot that may put not only his life in danger, but all mutants!