Kurt's words echoed out through the airwaves and in to the minds of his viewers.
"I – AM COMING – FOR YOU!"
"Oh, Kurt…" Emma herd her hands to her chest fretfully. The club will not like this at all…
"I – AM COMING – FOR YOU!"
Wolverine smiled. Well look who went and grew up to be Elliot Ness! Then he chuckled.
"I – AM COMING – FOR YOU!"
Rogue smiled wistfully. Go get 'em Fuzzy.
"I – AM COMING – FOR YOU!"
Amanda reached out and stroked the television screen. "I wish you were still coming for me." She said sadly. Then a horn blew outside. It was her boyfriend Eddie. She was late for their date.
"I – AM COMING – FOR YOU!"
Sebastian Shaw was livid. "YOU'RE! COMING! FOR ME?" He screamed in anger at the screen. He reached out and grabbed his desk by the top. "YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAARRRRRR!" He hefted the great desk up off the floor, his eyes consumed with madness. He didn't even feel the strain of the action, just the pressure and force of the action flowing through him.
"YYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAARRRRRRRR!" He managed it over his head and in a fit of madness he hurled it at his television.
The desk and the TV met with a mighty crash that blew out the screen. Then the desk shattered the poor television and sank itself deeply in to the wall.
Sebastian stood seething and breathing heavily. I'll need a new desk…
Then his phone rang.
He straitened his hair and composed himself before answering. "Yes. Sebastian Shaw here. Who is calling please?"
He smiled. "Trevor. My newest recruit. Yes I…" The smile fell from his face. "You're what?" He paused. "Perhaps I didn't explain myself properly… When you join The Hellfire Club, you do so for life."
The man on the phone said something he didn't like at all.
"There is no 'out'!" Sebastian said quite loudly.
"Hello?" He tried. "Hello?"
He hung up slowly. Wagner…
"I – AM COMING – FOR YOU!"
"Wouldn't want him on my bad side." Said Tommy the sod as he edged himself back up to the bar. "Or you either." He told the maid from the boat.
"Humph." She looked away… and then caved a little. "Even you're not the type they'd ever have to go after." She said. "They're about something greater than any of the lot of us."
"Aye!" Several people called out and several mugs were drained to the idea for good measure.
"I – AM COMING – FOR YOU!"
A young mother looked down at her sleeping daughter. "He came for you. Didn't he, my sweet one?" Her face twitched toward a smile. And now… He's going after the type of people who took you. She allowed herself that smile. I hope he haunts their dreams!
"I – AM COMING – FOR YOU!"
The woman from the party swallowed hard. The publicity will never die down now. She shivered. Where am I going to go? Her throat tightened. What am I going to do?
She took a deep breath and made a decision. She grabbed her coat and hat and pulled both on, keeping her collar high to hide her face.
She locked the apartment behind her and slipped down to the street. It must have been raining… The streets are slick…
She looked nervously about, but most everyone seemed to be at home watching the show.
Three blocks down she turned to the left, hopped over a puddle and crossed the street.
It was only eight steps up the granite walkway and she found herself in the police station.
She looked at the man across the counter. "I'm Bella Edwards." She said softly. "And I need to be arrested."
"Wot eva for?" The man behind the counter asked.
"Conspiracy." She answered. "I helped frame the new Mutant Advisor for sexual harrassment."
The man looked her over for a long moment. "Yeah… That's you all right." He tapped his pencil in annoyance and she bowed her head.
"I'd tell you to take a seat and we'd be with you soon…" He said very carefully. "But you're liable to get lynched if anyone recognizes you." He sighed. "I'd better get you booked before we decide to do it ourselves."
He sneered. "That girl he saved is me niece you know."
She pursed her lips and began to cry. "She's a lovely little girl." She volunteered.
The police officer paused. "Yeah." He said softly. "She really is."
She smiled softly as he came around the counter and took her by the arm. "Come on then." He said, his anger slipping slowly away. "Let's get you processed."
She took several rapid breaths. "Can… Can you tell him? Mr. Wagner? That I'm here and I've confessed?"
He nodded slowly. "I suppose that's the right thing to do."
She nodded. "Thank you." Her chin wrinkled in sorrow as she began to cry again. Because he'll help me… And… I have to tell him… She broke and let out a fantastic sob. I'm SORRY!
"I – AM COMING – FOR YOU!"
The reporter jumped when he heard the audio feed report Kurt's final words via his ear-piece.
Okay. He thought. Freeze-frame, hold for a long second and Five, four three, two…
The light on the camera blazed to life.
"The child in all of us has heard the stories of Camelot." He began, the heroes framed in the distance behind him against the ocean with the lighthouse towering over head. "And we have all wanted to believe that, somewhere out there, Excalibur lay sleeping until the need arose again for it to rise once more from the waters to defend us."
This is gold. The cameraman smiled. He's on fire tonight, we're right on cue…
He smiled. "But the truth is that Excalibur no longer sleeps. Excalibur stands ever ready and vigilant to insure that Britain has the chance to bring all that we cherish safely through these troubled times we find ourselves in."
The cameraman shot a look behind him. No one was there. He's not even using cue cards… This is LIVE! And he's just… 'THERE'. In the moment. He's not reporting news… He's making it up as he goes along.
"I know that I, for one, will sleep better tonight just knowing that these people have dedicated themselves to making sure that none of us would have to face the uncertain future alone. When I stand among them, the feelings of warmth and friendship is undeniable… But there is an element of danger to each of them as well. Not because they have these strange abilities, but because they are so dedicated to what they're doing."
Where are you going with this? The cameraman thought.
"Now, if you take a look behind me, you'll see a few new faces in the crowd."
The camera panned wide and Excalibur, bless their hearts, waved affectionately.
"Illyana?" Emma demanded out loud. That Bitch! She… She… Her anger flared. She beat me to it!
Illyana! Colossus thought, turning to cast a glance at Magneto. My sister! I have found you!
Sebastian had turned on the television in his den. "ILLYANA!" He coughed, as though the idea caught in his throat. And then he coughed some more. Someone on the inside indeed!
"And we'll be bringing you their stories in the very near future." The reporter smiled. "Now, should you see these people on the street during an emergency situation – you know who they are – and you know what they're here for. So be sure and act accordingly."
He smiled, more sincerely and more genuinely than he had in the last ten years. "And remember, you are guarded by Excalibur itself. You have nothing to fear from anyone. Good night Britain. This has been David Essex, for channel twelve, reporting."
"And we're out!" The cameraman laughed, leaned the camera out of his line of sight and extended his hand in excitement. "Great show tonight."
"You too." The reporter smiled, clasping his hand firmly and giving it a quick shake. "I couldn't have done this without you. Your profiles and dramatic full face shots made this piece a masterpiece."
And the reporter hugged him quickly with his microphone hand. "Really. God Bless Rodney." He said in his ear. "I mean it. You've made history here tonight.
Get out of town! Rodney couldn't believe it. "Are you all right?" He asked the reporter. After all, you've been treating me like a slave for years.
"For the first time… In a long time… Yes. I am. I'm great." He smiled. And I think I just quit drinking too…
Rodney looked up toward Excalibur. "You want to see if they'll let the new folks interview tonight? We could can it by morning."
The reporter smiled. "It's up to you. Do we do it tonight?"
Rodney nodded. "Tonight. If they're up to it. By tomorrow it'll be old news."
"Good man!" The reporter laughed, clasping him on the shoulder. "Good man!"
