Back to Normal, Whatever That Is
"How could we have lost?" Alexander moaned as he sat on the cot in the cell. His helmet was gone revealing his shaven head, his chocolate skin beaded in sweat. "How?"
"You screwed up that's how!" Lillian growled. "I told you that you shouldn't have made that broadcast! Why the hell didn't you listen to me? Your ego went too far!"
"Don't blame this all on me!" Alexander snapped. "You were with me every step of the way! So don't…" He stopped. "I hear something! Is someone there! We need water! Food! Anything!"
"You'll be getting neither," Destro walked in, fully restored. "Not until you've done some serious explaining."
"You know why I did it!" Alexander shouted. "My plan was perfect!"
"Not that," Destro told him. He held up a small vial. "This!"
"What is that? One of the nano-mites?" Alexander asked.
"A few of them actually," Destro told him. "Specifically programmed to destroy my DNA!"
"What are you talking about?" Alexander shouted. "I sent those probes in to cure you!"
"Really?" The Baroness waltzed in with Cobra Commander. "That's not what I discovered. That 'virus' was really the programming of the nanites."
"I don't understand," Alexander said. "I personally programmed those nanites to help you father! The only other person who had access to those nanites was…Lillian…" He looked at her.
"Oh I get it now," Baroness folded her arms. "Of course! Why didn't I see it sooner?"
"Why?" Alexander asked her.
"Why do you think?" Lillian snapped. "You were obsessed with him! Somebody had to get your mind back on track!"
"And with Daddy out of the picture, the grieving Alexander would lean on you dear Lillian," Baroness snorted. "And the two of you would rule the world."
"I hate to admit it but it was a masterful plan," Destro sighed. "Worthy of me."
"Yeah well Sonny Boy and his little girlfriend's little plan backfired," Cobra Commander hissed. "And nearly wrecked Cobra! Do you have any idea how many millions of dollars of damages and lost troops he's caused? Do you?"
"I apologize for my son's actions my dear Cobra Commander," Destro sighed. "I take full responsibility for this mess."
"My dear Destro," Cobra Commander said in a smooth voice, recomposing himself. "I wouldn't hear of blaming you for your offspring's insane behavior. Obviously we were both used! Of course maybe if you were a more attentive parent…"
"Look who's talking," The Baroness glared at him.
"Let's not go there shall we?" Cobra Commander glared at her. "Needless to say the boy obviously needs to be supervised."
"Do not worry my dear Cobra Commander," Destro glared at his son. "I will personally make sure that we spend a lot of father-son 'quality' time."
"You ain't letting us out are you?" Lillian gulped.
"My son is staying right where he is," Destro said. "Where I can keep an eye on him. You my dear, are another kettle of fish."
"That's right!" Cobra Commander snapped his fingers. Two Crimson Guards appeared. "I'm going to enjoy instructing her what happens when you betray Cobra!"
"Hey! I have first dibs!" The Baroness snapped. "You said I would back in the cell!"
"Well we're not in the cell now are we?" Cobra Commander snapped as Lillian was dragged out of the cell.
"Lillian no!" Alexander tried to stop them. Destro backhanded him and he fell to the ground. "Lillian!"
"Quiet boy!" Destro snapped. "Or it will be your hide as well!"
"Don't worry Alexander," The Baroness told him. "You can have her back after we're finished. What's left of her that is." She sneered at Lillian. "What's the matter dearie? Not so brash and rude as you were the other day?"
"Bite me witch," Lillian growled.
"Don't give me ideas…" The Baroness growled right in her face.
"Oh what a glorious day!" Cobra Commander laughed. "I have Cobra back, the world fears us again, Destro's in my debt and I have a new victim to play with! Hahaahahah!" He laughed as he took Lillian away.
"Quite easy to please isn't he?" Destro sighed.
"Well Destro, Cobra Commander is back in charge," The Baroness said. "Everything is as it was before."
"I know. Maybe I should have let the boy kill him…" Destro grunted.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"It has been two days since the Cobra attack on the nation," The Anchorman spoke on the television. "Although the attack only lasted less than nine hours and there has been very little loss of life the property damage is staggering. It is estimated over a billion dollars worth of military equipment and buildings has been destroyed."
"The real Speaker of the House and Secretary of Defense were discovered bound and gagged in a janitorial closet in the Capitol Building. Aside from minor cuts and bruises they are in good condition. However they are unclear exactly who their attackers were."
"Needless to say much of the nation is still in a state of chaos. However thanks to GI Joe and the quick assistance of the mutant hero teams the Misfits and the X-Men, much of the country is back up and running." A scene of Ororo and Ray using their electric abilities to help recharge an energy plant's mansions was shown, followed by shots of the X-Men and Misfits helping with rescuing people and rebuilding various parts of cities.
"Although several Cobra soldiers have been captured, Destro and all other high ranking officers have escaped and their whereabouts are unknown. Also known mutant terrorists Sabertooth and Mystique were spotted with Cobra during the attack but escaped," The Anchorman said as pictures of them flashed onscreen. "And known Cobra mutant terrorist Zartan was placed at the scene as well. This leads officials to wonder exactly what role mutants had in the entire affair."
"WHAT?" Rogue shouted as she watched the television. Several of the X-Men were resting in the living room. "He's kidding right?"
"Although the X-Men and Misfits were instrumental in the defeat of Cobra," The Anchorman continued. "Anti Mutant hysteria has actually increased among the public. Several FOH demonstrations have appeared in several cities all over the country. A new group calling themselves the Purifiers has claimed responsibility of a bombing of a carnival freak show at Coney Island that claimed the lives of several people including three suspected mutants."
"Good god…" Jean was stunned as she saw the footage. "How could this happen?"
On television was a psychologist. "The attack by Cobra has demonstrated how vulnerable our national defenses truly are," He explained. "True we did repel the attack but people are feeling frightened. Cobra is a very powerful. Even though they are mostly human they are extremely dangerous. Mutants are dangerous and so there is this transference of fears."
"That's just…" Bobby was frustrated. "That's just stupid!"
"You got it kid," Logan sighed. "But the public wants a scapegoat and it's easier to take it out on us than Cobra."
Graydon Creed was next. "Cobra's attack and it's willingness to use mutants as weapons only proves the point I have been trying to make, mutants are a menace! If a terrorist organization is willing to use them, who's to say someone else won't do it as well? What do you want to bet that all our enemies will now be using them, if they aren't already? They're hiding among us, just waiting for the chance to strike. We need to take steps to make our country strong again. And the first step is to pass the Mutant Registration Act. That way we can hunt these menaces down and round them up, incarcerating them so that they can never harm decent Americans again!"
"Mr. Creed is not alone in those sentiments," The Anchorman said. The next scenes were several on the street interviews with people.
"This whole thing has just scared me to death," One elderly woman said. "It's like something out of a whole horror movie. It's frightening."
"The guys we sent up to Congress are just sitting on their butts doing nothing while these freaks run rampant," A construction worker said. "Sure the destruction they cause is good for business but at what price, you know what I mean?"
"Okay the X-Men helped us out," Another man said. "I mean there are good and bad mutants but how do we know which are which? I mean if we make a mistake and let the wrong ones run around loose that could be even more dangerous."
"How do we know that those mutants weren't in on it from the beginning?" One man said.
"They could have been playing both sides of the field," Another man standing next to them said. "Seeing which side came out on top. I still don't trust 'em."
"We just saved the world like twice this year and we're still considered the bad guys?!" Kitty threw the remote away after shutting off the TV. "What is it with people?"
"Hey we need that!" Bobby protested.
"Tough!" Kitty snapped at him. "Besides they're hardly saying anything about Evan's trial."
"Not that it got much done in the past few days," Bobby said. "Did you hear? During the attack one of the jurors had a heart attack and they had to bring in another alternate."
"Well at least the new prosecuting attorney's not a member of the FOH," Kitty sighed.
"Are they going to be calling any of us for character witnesses?" Rahne asked.
"Not for a while. They're going to be arguing about DNA and technical evidence for weeks before we get to the good stuff," Tabitha sighed.
"But we all know what it boils down to," Jubilee said. "Evan's spike was at the scene of the crime but there was no other DNA evidence to prove that he was there. The jury can interpret that either way."
"Well at least it will give us time to work on Evan's case," Hank sighed.
"What's to work on?" Logan snapped. "Evan was with Creed at the time of the murder. He ain't exactly gonna volunteer that information!"
"He could if I scare him out of it," Danielle said.
"That's not exactly going to help Danielle," Xavier wheeled in with Ororo.
"No but it will make me feel better," Danielle told him.
"I take it you have seen the news?" Xavier sighed.
"Yeah who are these Purifiers anyway?" Jubilee asked. "I mean the FOH is bad enough but now they're branching out or something?"
"Not exactly," Ororo said. "From what we can tell the Purifiers are religious fanatics that believe that mutants are creations of evil."
"Let me take a wild guess, they're followers of Reverend Stryker," Logan scoffed.
"Your assumption is correct," Xavier said. "He will not be an easy man to deal with."
"What do you mean?" Kitty asked.
"Next week Charles will be debating mutant rights on television," Ororo explained. "It will be seen coast to coast. I think it will be good if some of you to come watch with us."
"Why not," Kitty shrugged.
"Who's he debating against?" Scott asked. "As if I didn't already have an idea…"
"The Reverend William Stryker," Ororo said.
"Oh this is going to be fun," Scott groaned.
You have no idea Scott, but first let's have some real fun shall we? What am I talking about? Some humor and fluff! Wait and see!