A Force Unleashed

by darkstorm5000

The X-Men Past, Present, and Future band together, as the government-sanctioned Project: Wideawake goes online with it's ultimate weapon-The Sentinels! (Contains both classic couples, and unlikely pairings). Final Chapter Added.

7. Alternative School pt 3, The School Ties...

A Force Unleashed

Written by Darkstorm5000

Disclaimer: The X-Men and related characters in their various incarnations are the property of Marvel Comics and Marvel Enterprises.

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Chapter 7- Alternative School Part 3, The School Ties That Bind

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"So, this is the Massachusetts Academy?"

This was the comment made by Bobby Drake, as he drove along the lengthy road from the entrance gate of the school to the campus, in a late-model, silver-colored luxury SUV. It had been rented to bring him, Professor Charles Xavier, and Kitty Pryde from Logan International Airport, where they had arrived in Boston, to this private institution.

"That's what the sign out front says." Kitty responded from the passenger-side seat next to Bobby, as the rental turned onto a driveway in front of the school, "It's not too shabby, though, and it's definitely bigger than our school, Professor."

"The Massachusetts Academy, at one time was a very populated private school, attended by children from the wealthiest and most elite families in the country." Professor Xavier replied, as the utility vehicle slowly came to a stop in front of the school, "But it apparently ran into financial difficulties a number of years ago, and had to eventually close its doors. Recently, a successful business-woman named Emma Frost bought the academy, quietly re-opening it as a school for disadvantaged and troubled youths."

"Sounds pretty charitable." Bobby said, as he put the SUV into park.

"She probably only did it, so she could get a choice photo-op out of it." Kitty asserted, as she opened the passenger door and was about to get out of the vehicle.

"I think that there may be more to Ms. Frost's motivations than merely receiving good publicity." Professor Xavier said, which made Kitty pause for a moment and look back at her teacher, "I have strong reason to believe that her students, like mine, are actually mutants. If my suspicions are correct, given the current climate and attitudes towards us, she is actually taking a substantial risk with such an endeavor."

As Kitty now stepped out into the partly cloudy late-spring morning, both she and Bobby were dressed far more casually than they were the day before in the nation's capital. Kitty was wearing a maroon red, basic knit sweater, which had a high-cut v-neckline with a tan and red diamond design intertwining across the front of it. Her outfit was completed with a matching pair of trendy corduroy pants.

Bobby got out next, wearing a long-sleeved dark blue, rugby-style polo shirt, which had a yellow horizontal stripe across the chest area, and a pair of denim-colored cargo pants. Bobby immediately went to the back of the SUV, so that he could get the Professor's wheelchair for him. While helping the Professor into his chair, the trio heard someone greet them from the top of the steps in front of the school.

"Welcome Professor Xavier, I trust that your trip was a pleasant one." Emma Frost, the platinum-blonde headmistress of the Massachusetts Academy said, as she walked down its front steps to the exterior of the institution. She was dressed in a white soft linen pantset, her long blazer covering a spandex sleeveless tank, which clasped from behind at a tapered collar around her neck.

"As pleasant as air travel these days can be, I suppose." Professor Xavier warmly replied, as he maneuvered his motorized chair over towards her. He was wearing a black three-piece suit, white dress shirt and a black and gray diagonally stripped tie.

"As CEO of Frost International, I have to travel to various destinations around the world, and I know all to well what you are talking about." Miss Frost revealed, as she went over to the Professor, and then looked over to the two individuals walking up behind him, "And these must be your students."

"Yes, this is Bobby Drake to my left, and Kitty Pryde to my right." Professor Xavier replied, as he motioned towards the teenagers standing nearby him.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both." Miss Frost said, as she shook each of their hands. Then, she turned around to introduce a silent observer, who had kept herself at a small distance from the group, "I would like to introduce you to one of my most gifted students, Angelica Jones."

As Angelica walked down the stairs towards the group, dressed in a front-buttoning turquoise blouse with small French cuffs and black front faux pocket pants, her fire-red locks seemed to naturally flow behind her with each step. But, the girl who had earned the sensational moniker of 'Firestar' from Emma Frost herself, didn't think of herself as even being pretty, let alone beautiful. Not helping her self-esteem was the fact that she was surrounded every day by girls who, in her eyes, were thinner, taller, and more attractive than she was. Girls', such as her fellow classmates Roulette and Boomer, and also her seemingly flawless headmistress. Angelica had always been self-conscious about her looks before she came to the Massachusetts Academy, and now that she was there, she felt as though she just didn't rate in comparison.

But, despite her own self-perceptions, Angelica was in fact a voluptuously attractive young woman. It was a detail that most definitely caught the attention of a certain young man standing at the bottom of the stairs, who himself originally hailed from the state of Massachusetts, but now resided at another school in New York's Westchester County. But more important than her looks, Angelica seemed to possess a wholesome aspect to her being, which instantly shone through. It was a quality that more than a few would agree was far more appealing, than those attributes that merely ran skin-deep.

"Charles, I think that it would be a wonderful idea if Angelica gave Kitty and Bobby a brief tour of the school, while you and I went and continued our conversation." Miss Frost proposed.

"That is an excellent suggestion." Professor Xavier replied.

"Well then, if you'll kindly join me on the veranda, Angelica will bring Kitty and Bobby along a little later." Miss Frost said, as she and Professor Xavier started down a small sidewalk on the side of the main building, which led to the rear of the campus. This left the three teens alone at the school's anterior.

"Um, it's nice meeting you, both of you." The characteristically introverted Angelica nervously said, as she stood in front of Bobby and Kitty.

"Same here." Kitty politely replied, as she shook Angelica's hand.

"It looks like we lucked out, what with getting you as our own personal tour guide." Bobby said, as he shook Angelica's hand as well.

"Wow, uh, thanks." Angelica happily replied, as she smiled and blushed briefly, before releasing Bobby's hand. "Hey, why don't I show you our student lounge first?"

"That sounds like a great place to start." Bobby responded to Angelica, as she stood gazing up at him.

With Kitty nodding in agreement, Angelica then led the way to an area inside of the school where her classmates liked to gather, so that they could relax and blow off some steam.

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After a very lengthy and leisurely stroll, where Angelica had pointed out many of the numerous antique items that Miss Frost had furnished the main campus building with, the trio finally made it to the student lounge. The room was similar in appearance to the student's rec-room back home at Xavier's, but the one at the Massachusetts Academy was nearly three times larger. This one also had a very large flat, plasma-screen television on the wall in the center of the room, and there were also two slightly smaller T.V.'s at each end of the room. One of the side-T.V.'s had both a PS2 and an X-Box video-gaming console hooked up to it.

"Is this a student lounge, or an electronics expo? Not that I'm complaining, or anything." Kitty quipped, as the trio walked into the room.

"Some of the stuff in here is from Miss Frost's own company." Angelica revealed, as she walked over to one of the side-T.V.'s, which was manufactured by the headmistress's electronics company, "When she's about to put out something new, we get to see it here first. Like this for example, Miss Frost personally came up with a system to connect entertainment devices, like VCR's, DVD players, stereo's, and video game systems to a television, without wires or cables. Instead, you just connect this little digital relay box on the back of each device. It sends a signal to the main switch on the back of the T.V., which makes it easier to set up, and gives you more flexibility with your entertainment system."

As Angelica picked up the various components linked to the T.V. and showed Kitty and Bobby what she was talking about, something suddenly occurred to Kitty.

"Oh my God, I just realized who your teacher is! She's the owner of Frost Technotics, isn't she?" Kitty surmised.

"Yeah, that and about a dozen other companies." Angelica replied, "But, she seems to be proudest of her electronics company, she's a real wiz when it comes to that kind of thing."

"You guys are pretty lucky to have her for a headmistress." Kitty stated, as she was definitely able to relate to Miss Frost's love of technological innovations.

Just then, a couple of students in the lounge noticed Angelica and the two visitors. They paused the video game that they were currently playing, and came over to talk to the newcomers.

"Aren't you going to introduce your new friends to the rest of us, Angelica?" The first young man asked, as they stood in front of the group.

"Sure. This is Bobby Drake and Kitty Pryde, they go to Xavier's down in New York." Angelica said, as she began the introductions, and then turned back towards Bobby and Kitty while pointing towards her classmates, "This is Haroun al-Rashid to your left, and Matthieu Everard to your right."

After Angelica had introduced Haroun al-Rashid, the young man from Morocco known as Jetstream, and Matthieu Everard, the French citizen who was called Bevatron by his fellow students, Bobby greeted them.

"It's nice to meet both of you." Bobby said, as he shook Haroun's hand first. But, when Bobby shook Matthieu's hand next, he felt a small surge of electricity flow through his body, which caused him to quickly release the handshake.

"Excusez-moi! Sometimes I forget that I can have a rather…shocking personality." Matthieu said with a mischievous smirk, as he referred to the mutant bio-electric energy that his body generated.

"We were just talking about Miss Frost, and how she keeps your student center over-stocked in hi-tech goodies." Kitty now said to the group, in particular Matthieu and Haroun.

"I, more than anyone, owe much to her generosity and technical ingenuity." Haroun obliquely replied, referring to how Emma Frost had found and helped to heal him. It was after his mutant ability to fly had first emerged, and had nearly gotten him killed as a result.

"Let's see, you've met Haroun and Matthieu. Over on the sofa is Joanna." Angelica said to Bobby and Kitty, as she pointed over at Joanna Cargill, the young lady code-named Frenzy, who was seated on the sofa in front of the largest television in the room.

"Uh-huh…" Joanna simply said when Angelica called her name out, but didn't bother to look up at the school's visitors as she continued watching the program in front of her.

"Well, I think I've shown you everything there is to see inside of the school. I guess I can show you the commons area outside next, especially since it's such a wonderful day out today." Angelica suggested, as she had finished introducing everyone in the student lounge, and the novice tour guide prepared to take her tour group to its next destination.

Just as they were about to leave the lounge, Bobby saw the strangest thing walk by in front of him.

"Where'd you get the lavender cat from?" Bobby asked curiously, as the tabby with lavender-hued fur walked by them, into the student lounge.

"Oh, um, Miss Frost found her and brought her here. Don't worry, she's not dangerous or anything." Angelica replied, as she quickly led the group out the room, without elaborating any further about the mutant known as Catseye. Born Sharon Smith, the young mutant preferred to remain in one of her various feline forms, as opposed to her human state. What Angelica didn't realize was that to Bobby, and especially Kitty, it was a situation that they understood all too well back home.

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While Angelica, Bobby, and Kitty were on their way to a part of the school that looked like a small park on the campus, Professor Xavier and Miss Frost were overlooking that very part of the school, from up above on the outdoor veranda.

"From what I have seen, the Massachusetts Academy appears to very much be a first-rate institution of academia." Charles commented, as he sat facing Emma. They were both seated together at a small patio table, which had a large umbrella centered in it, which was opened up over them.

"Coming from such a revered expert in the field of education, I consider that to be more than an honor." Emma said, returning the compliment, as she and Charles both sipped beverages that had been brought by her personal staff to them.

"I also assume that you have, by now, figured out the other reason for my visit?" Charles posed to her.

"Yes, it no doubt has to do with the single defining trait that all of my students share, the presence of an X-gene in their DNA." Emma replied.

"I had been hearing rumors, through very reliable sources, about a school in Massachusetts that took in mutants. I wanted to come and see if that was, in fact, true." Charles revealed.

"You are correct, Charles." Emma straightforwardly confirmed, "As you know with your own school, we cannot openly advertise what it is that we do. But, through underground sources like the ones that you were referring to, the Massachusetts Academy is becoming known for its work in helping young mutants, many of whom require specialized assistance in learning to use their mutant abilities."

"I am curious, what is it exactly that motivated you to open a school such as this?" Charles asked her.

"I suppose, in part, I have you to thank. But, it most likely goes back to when I was a young girl, and my mutant gift first emerged." Emma said, as she took off her sunglasses, which she had put on while sitting on the sunny patio and began her explanation, "I was terrified of this newfound ability of mine, and I had no idea how to control it. Nor, did I know where I could turn to for help."

"And what ability would that be?" Charles inquired, a brief moment before he received his answer.

As Emma began to smile a little, Charles could feel a burning sensation at the base of his brain, which was painful and increased in intensity with each passing moment.

"I am a telepath, gifted with the ability to communicate with the power of my mind, just as you are." Emma said to Charles telepathically. Then, she noticed the anguished look on Charles' face.

"Charles, are you feeling okay?"

"I…am fine now." Charles telepathically replied, "It has been some time since I've had the opportunity to communicate with another telepath, via psi-link. A recent injury has made it somewhat painful to do so, however."

"If conversing in this manner is too taxing for you, I can terminate our psi-link." Emma mentally offered.

"No, the discomfort seems to have passed." Charles psionically responded, "Now, you were telling me about your decision to re-open the Massachusetts Academy as a place of learning for mutants."

"Well, there I was, thirteen years old and unable to stop the constant barrage of thoughts that were flowing through my mind." Emma telepathically continued, "I was terrified, as I'm sure that you can relate to from your own experience, when you first discovered that you were a mutant."

"I remember that day quite vividly." Xavier empathized.

"Eventually, I did learn how to create psi-shields on my own, to block the rest of the thinking world out of my mind. I also taught myself how to use and control those abilities to their fullest potential." Emma psychically stated, "It wasn't until years later that I even heard of your school's existence."

"You appear to be around the same age as many of my first students. It is a pity that I did not discover you then." Charles telepathically told her.

"Indeed. Who knows how differently our lives would have turned out?" Emma answered, this time in a genuinely wistful tone. She was thinking back to her turbulent childhood growing up in Boston, and about the difficult choices that she was forced to make once she finally decided to leave that home for good.

"But, I've had always had an intense desire to become a teacher, to help mold the next generation." Emma continued, "After the experiences of my own youth, I decided to dedicate my life to ensuring that no other young person would have to go through what I did. Many of my students already come from troubled home lives, which become further complicated by their mutant powers suddenly appearing. While your school is highly revered, you are only one man and cannot do it all on your own. I simply want to do my part to assist, by taking in those children that could surely benefit from a fresh start in a wholly new environment."

"In that case, it sounds as though we are lucky to have you." Charles telepathically complimented her, as he held his beverage in hand, "You said that you are from Boston?"

"Yes, I was raised there." Emma replied.

"Are you related to a Winston Frost, whom I believe is from Boston?" Charles inquired.

"Well, he was my father." Emma answered, surprised by Charles' connection, "Did…you know him?"

"I recall meeting him once, many years ago." Charles mentally revealed, "It was right after I had been offered membership into an organization known as the Hellfire Club. Have you ever heard of it?"

Emma was stunned that Charles would choose to bring up that particular subject with her. But now, she wanted to learn what Charles was getting at, and decided to play along to see.

"Yes, what socialite hasn't? The Hellfire Club is known worldwide for attracting only the most powerful and elite as its members." Emma psionically stated.

"As was pointed out to me. Your father and I talked for some time that night, with him informing me of the benefits to membership." Charles said to her telepathically.

"Did you become a member?" Emma inquired.

"Oh no, it seemed more suited for those individuals that like to lead a more, how would you say, 'active' lifestyle." Charles jokingly replied, "What about you, Emma?"

"Well, I'm a member of the Hellfire Club, as are all of my siblings. It was passed down to us through our father." Emma telepathically answered, "But, I find myself only able to attend functions there on occasion. Running this school, on top of my responsibilities to Frost International, I find leaves little free time to myself."

"That is very understandable." Charles responded.

Just then, Professor Xavier and Miss Frost saw Kitty, Bobby, and Angelica walking by, off in the distance. They were apparently engaged in a very interesting conversation, at least Bobby and Angelica were, judging by how engrossed in their discussion they appeared to be.

"You know Charles, I think that it would be a good idea if perhaps we put together a joint function in the near future, so that all of our students could get to know one another better." Emma suggested to him, as they watched the three teens pass by.

"I believe that can be arranged. What did you have in mind?" Charles mentally asked her.

"I was thinking of a dance, perhaps a formal soiree." Emma clarified, "Since we have been talking so much about it, I'm certain that I could secure the use of the ballroom at the Hellfire Club in New York City for the evening."

"I think that my students would very much appreciate, and enjoy, such an invitation." Charles said, as he gave his approval to her proposal.

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Meanwhile down in the commons below, Bobby and Angelica were oblivious to the conversation that was taking place up above, as they were currently very busy with their own.

"You know, this is a really huge campus. It's a lot for only four students going here." Bobby said, as he and Angelica were walking side-by-side, with Kitty trailing right behind them.

"Oh, we're not the only ones that go here. All of the older students are just away for the day." Angelica responded, "They're off on a field trip, for a class assignment. Miss Frost said they had planned it a few weeks ago, and she didn't want to disappoint them by canceling it. It's too bad though, I think one of them would've probably done a better job of showing you two around, than I did."

"What're you talking about? You did an awesome job giving us the grand tour of this place." Bobby told her, as they stopped walking for a moment, "In fact, if you ever want to visit our school, I'll return the favor and show you around there."

"Sure, that'd be really neat!" Angelica smiled, as she felt an enormous amount of elation inside.

Angelica and Bobby stood facing each other, with her blue eyes gazing up at him, once again. But, the two teens glanced away from one another, when they noticed Kitty making a gesture at somebody.

"Who are you waving at?" Bobby asked Kitty.

"The Professor and Miss Frost, up on that patio. They're over on the other side of the clearing." Kitty replied, as she now brought her arm back down and pointed at their teachers, after the Professor had acknowledged seeing her.

"Oh no, I completely forgot! I was supposed to take you two back to where they are, when we were finished with our tour inside. Miss Frost is going to be so disappointed with me." Angelica said in a worried tone, as she turned to hurriedly lead Bobby and Kitty over to the Professor and Miss Frost.

But in her desire to make a quick return, Angelica whirled around a bit too quickly, and nearly tripped over herself when she lost her balance. Luckily for her, she was in the company of someone with fast reflexes, and who was in the right place, at the right time.

"Are you okay?" Bobby asked, as he was close enough to Angelica to grab her from behind with both arms, and prevent her from taking a nasty fall.

"I'm…fine." Angelica sighed, now very much embarrassed by her klutzy display.

"You're not hurt, or anything." Bobby further questioned her with concern in his voice, as he continued to hold Angelica in a tight embrace.

"Nothing major. Except for my pride, I guess." Angelica answered, now that Bobby had finally released her, once she had regained her balance.

"Well, don't feel bad. It just means I get to return my favor a lot sooner than expected." Bobby jokingly said, as he tried to lighten up the situation. It was obvious to him that Angelica appeared mortified at her clumsy exhibition.

But despite his pleasantry, Angelica didn't respond to his remark. Instead, she just pushed her hair back around to the side of her face from its front, and stared down at the ground.

"Come on, let's go up and join the Professor and Miss Frost." Bobby said, as he took Angelica by the hand, "And this time, you don't have to try to run off and leave your tour group."

"Okay." Angelica finally responded, now looking up at Bobby and managing to give him a partial smile, as the trio started off together.

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With their sightseeing trip around the campus completed, Angelica reappeared on the large balcony patio with Kitty and Bobby. Professor Xavier then told Miss Frost that he believed that he had taken up enough of her time, and that they would soon be departing for home in New York. While the headmaster and headmistress finished discussing some last minute business, Bobby and Kitty went on ahead to the SUV parked in the front of the school.

"I don't know what it is about you 'Icehead', but you sure have a way of making some girls fall head over heels for you." Kitty said to Bobby, as they walked along a small path on the side of the school, which led from the veranda in the back to the driveway in the front.

"What are you talking about?" Bobby inquired.

"I'm talking about the way Angelica was actin' around you today." Kitty responded.

"She just got a little embarrassed about her near-accident." Bobby replied, as they continued their trek.

"Heck, I'd be embarrassed too. Especially, if I nearly fell flat on my face in front of the guy that I had the 'major hots' for." Kitty giggled.

"She does not have the 'hots' for me." Bobby replied with a smile, as he looked over at Kitty.

"Face it, Angelica's totally crushing on you." Kitty said, half-teasing Bobby.

"She was just being nice to us." Bobby told her.

Kitty then stopped, as they were now on the sidewalk close to where the rental car was.

"You boys are always so clueless." Kitty happily pointed out, "Angelica was checking you out the entire time."

"I didn't see her checking me out." Bobby challenged Kitty, as he went over to lean back against the side of the SUV.

"Yeah, because unlike boys, most girls have the good sense to not be completely obvious." Kitty laughed.

"I think you have an over-active imagination." Bobby replied.

"No, us girls are actually trained to notice this kind of thing." Kitty confidently told him.

"So, is that what they teach all of you on sex-ed day at school? You all learn secret observation techniques, while the boys get taken into some overcrowded classroom and are shown a badly-acted film about the birds and the bees?" Bobby jokingly inquired.

"Yeah that, and how to take a sheet of paper, and fold it to make those little origami puzzles." Kitty very sarcastically replied, as she folded her arms in front of her.

"Anyways," Bobby responded, "Angelica is cute, but I don't think I'm ready to get involved with anyone new, just yet."

"You won't know until you get back on that horse, or pony, or small donkey, or whatever it's supposed to be." Kitty said, as she continued with her light-hearted comments.

"After getting bucked off last time, I just want to concentrate on getting my saddle fixed first." Bobby told her.

"You're still hung up on Rogue, aren't you?" Kitty unabashedly asked him, point-blank.

"No, I'm not. I do still care about her alot, but I've accepted that she's moved on to, 'what's his name'." Bobby humorously replied.

"Oh, you know his name." Kitty said to him.

"Okay, that she's moved on to 'Remy'." Bobby obliged, "But, it's not just that. I've had other personal stuff going on with me, which I'm just now getting a handle on how to deal with."

"Like what?" Kitty asked him.

"Without rehashing the whole thing, I'll just put it this way. Don't bottle up what you're feeling, it only makes things worse and ends up hurting the people that you care the most about." Bobby answered and advised her.

Bobby was vaguely referencing his own personal issues, which had contributed to the end of his relationship with Rogue, but Bobby's point was one that hit very close to home with Kitty. She immediately thought about her own inner-turmoil, which she had been keeping a secret from Peter. But, she was sure that nothing like what happened to Rogue and Bobby, would ever happen to them.

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Once Miss Frost had bid Professor Xavier and his students' farewell, she immediately returned to her luxurious private residence, which was located on the campus. After the short walk, Emma went inside and up the staircase to her private study on the second floor of her mansion. But, once she opened the door to the very large room, it was apparent that her study was not as private at the moment, as it normally was.

"This is some setup you've got in here." Tabitha, who was also known as Boomer said, as she was seated in front of a large T.V. in the headmistresses' beautifully-decorated study.

"If you are referring to the television, it is identical to the one located in the student lounge, and also in the senior-student's residence hall." Miss Frost said, as she went and sat down at her desk in the room.

"Not that, I just meant that this room has a certain…finesse to it, is all." Tabitha clarified, as she was dressed in a light pink sweatshirt with the Massachusetts Academy's logo on it, and a pair of black shorts.

"Thank you, Tabitha." Miss Frost responded, "I trust that the rest of you managed to find a way to keep yourselves occupied, while you were in here?"

"Yeah, me and Tab actually went through every single one of the hundreds of satellite channels you've got." Jennifer, the young lady code-named Roulette, who was wearing a yellow cut-off t-shirt and white spandex tights told her, as she had been seated on a small sofa next to Tabitha.

"Meanwhile, others of us were able to find more constructive ways to pass the time, Mistress Frost." Manuel, the mutant known as Empath said, as he held a book in his hand that he had been sitting and reading through. He was attired in a conservative cobalt, long-sleeved dress shirt and midnight-blue dress pants. Manuel was also wearing pieces of fine jewelry on his hands and wrist, like an expensive gold, custom-made wristwatch.

"What a dork, reading a book on a Saturday!" Lance, known as Avalanche rudely laughed, as he stood close to the window in the study and looked out of it. He was donning a sleeveless denim vest, over a simple black t-shirt, a pair of faded denim jeans, and a pair of black leather gloves that had the finger holes cut out of them.

"I would not expect an illiterate buffoon such as yourself, to appreciate the satisfaction received from exposure to classic literature." Manuel replied, in a tone that matched the attitude of Lance's remark.

"What'd you say, Pretty boy?" Lance angrily asked, as he turned back around from the window to face Manuel, who was on the other side of the room.

"I didn't stutter, Cretin!" Manuel answered, as the tall and athletically built Spaniard quickly stood up, and threw the book that he was reading down into his chair.

"Both of you settle down, now! Or, I will settle things for you." Miss Frost loudly commanded Lance and Manuel, and received immediate compliance from both of her students.

"You two should probably save all of your energy. If Xavier's lookin' the place over, then it'll only be a matter of time before the X-Men are breathin' down our necks." John, one of Professor Xavier's former students who had been nicknamed Pyro, told them.

The deputy leader of the Massachusetts Academy's senior-squad was sitting back, in an extremely contemplative position. He was seated in a corner of the room, close to where Lance and the window were, dressed in an olive-colored, long-sleeved cotton shirt and a pair of black jeans. John also had a very familiar metal cigarette lighter in his hand, which happened to be closed at the moment.

"I wouldn't be too concerned with that at the moment, dear Jonathan." Miss Frost said to John, from behind her desk.

"Why not? Isn't that why you had us hide out here during the Professor's visit?" John asked her.

"I didn't keep the five of you in here because I was afraid of your former teacher. I wanted to know exactly why he decided to pay us a visit, and I didn't want to tip my hand, if it wasn't yet necessary." Miss Frost confidently told him.

"Do you think he's figured out I'm here?" John continued to inquire.

"I don't believe so. But, even if he has, it will only save us the trouble of making a formal announcement to them later." Miss Frost responded, "Xavier and his X-Men, despite what they may believe, are not the sole group of powerful mutants on the planet. If they desire a confrontation with us, then they will be taught that fact, beyond any shadow of a doubt."

"Do you really think we're a match for them?" Tabitha now asked her teacher.

"More than likely, yes. But, I wasn't necessarily referring to the Brotherhood." Miss Frost intimated to her.

"Who, then, are you talking about?" Manuel inquired.

"Let's just say that I am associated with other individuals who are more than up to the task, and leave it at that." Miss Frost said, with a mysterious smile, "Just make sure that all of you are prepared to do your part, should the need arise."

"It looks like we won't get to find out whether we're a match or not, at least not today. They're loading that Xavier guy into their SUV, and gettin' ready to leave." Lance said from over at the window. Then, something totally unexpected caught his attention, and he spoke again.

"John?"

"What's up?" John responded from the chair in the corner, as he replied to Lance.

"You never told me you went to school with Kitty Pryde. I didn't recognize her at first, since it's been awhile and because she had her back turned towards me, 'til now." Lance said, as he looked down at the young girl, who originally hailed from Deerfield, Illinois.

"Well, there's a lot of kids at Xavier's that I haven't talked about. I just told you guys about the oldest ones, because Xavier was so strict about us using our powers. He wouldn't even let us run any of the combat training sequences in the Danger Room back when I went there, just the basic obstacle course-type stuff. I figured we had at least a couple of years before we'd even have to deal with the other ones in a fight." John explained, "Why, do you know her or somethin'?"

"Yeah, back in a whole 'nother life man." Lance confirmed, as he continued to closely observe the three visitors outside.

Once Kitty and Bobby had helped Professor Xavier into the rented SUV and then got in themselves, the trio soon departed. Miss Frost then spoke to her students once again.

"Go ahead and return to your quarters, I have an important call that I need to make. I will talk with all of you again, later this afternoon." Miss Frost instructed her charges as the five students, who were also secretly members of the Brotherhood, got up and left.

Once outside of Emma Frost's residence at the Massachusetts Academy, Lance, Jennifer, John, Tabitha, and Manuel started down the concrete path that led to the Senior-Residence hall. The special dormitory had been set-aside by the headmistress for students, whom she deemed were the most excelled at the institution. To the other students that didn't reside inside of that dorm, it was simply called the Senior-Residence. But, to the ones that did live there, they had secretly christened it 'The Brotherhood House'. On their way back, the senior-students ran across one of those younger, unsuspecting classmates.

"Hi guys." Angelica greeted them, as she stopped in front of them on the walkway, which was surrounded on both sides by large oak trees, "I thought you were all off on a field trip?"

"I guess it means that we got back early then, doesn't it 'Wall-flower'?" Lance said to Angelica in an insulting tone, calling her by the nickname that she despised.

But, Angelica was determined that nothing was going to ruin the delight that she was feeling today. So, she just continued on, marching through the group towards the regular dormitory building and without bothering to respond to Lance's remark. But, one of her classmates couldn't help but notice Angelica's present state of exhilaration.

"It appears that our little Firestar is smitten with someone." Manuel said to Jennifer, as the two of them stopped on the walkway, halfway between the headmistress' campus residence and the Brotherhood House, so that they could talk while Lance, John, and Tabitha continued on.

"Really? And how do you know that?" Jennifer questioned him.

"Need I remind you that I am called Empath for a reason. My powers are such that they are linked directly to the emotions of others around me." Manuel rudely reminded her.

"Let me guess, she's falling in love with you?" Jennifer teased him.

"I think not. I would say, however, that given her close proximity to him throughout the day, that Miss Jones has become enamored with the Iceman." Manuel revealed, with a wicked grin on his face, "Now, I wonder what Mistress Frost would say, if she were to learn that her favorite student possesses such amorous feelings for a potential enemy of ours?"

"Oh, Manny forget about her, let Angelica have her little fantasy boyfriend." Jennifer responded, "Why don't the two of us go out tonight and have some fun, maybe to a movie or somethin'?"

"Very well, but don't delude yourself into thinking that this is a date." Manuel sneered.

"A date? C'mon, I said that I wanted to have fun tonight." Jennifer sternly and sarcastically replied, letting Manuel know that not every girl that met him automatically found him irresistible.

-------------------------

In almost no time, the silver luxury SUV that Bobby was driving had made it to the entrance ramp of a major highway that ran southeast towards New York. He, Kitty, and Professor Xavier were now officially on their way home.

"Westchester, here we come!" An excited Kitty said from the car's passenger seat, as she was very eager to get home and see Peter. Although they had only been apart for a few days, to a teenage girl in love, that could feel like an eternity.

"How long do you think it'll take us Professor?" Bobby asked, as he sat on the driver's side of the automobile.

"If there is no major traffic congestion, I would say no more than a few hours." Professor Xavier replied from the backseat.

"Well sit back and relax. Even though I haven't been driving as long as that guy you hired to be your part-time chauffeur, I'll do my best to live up." Bobby said, as they now were merging onto the interstate highway traffic.

"Don't worry, Robert. So far, you've demonstrated that you possess top-notch driving skills." Professor Xavier said, as he complimented his student.

"You know, the Massachusetts Academy seems like a pretty cool place to go to school. But, don't worry Professor, I'm not thinking of transferring or anything." Kitty said jokingly to her teacher.

"It seems that a former classmate of yours has already beaten you to that distinction." Professor Xavier responded, which immediately drew the curiosity of both Kitty and Bobby.

"What are you talking about, sir?" Bobby inquired.

"Right before we left, I detected the presence of John Allerdyce at the Massachusetts Academy this afternoon." Professor Xavier revealed.

"Pyro! How do you know he was there?" Bobby asked in a very lively tone.

"Thanks to a telepathic nudge from Emma Frost, my own abilities seem to have gotten a jump-start as a result. When at their normal levels, I could always telepathically sense the presence of my students when in a nearby vicinity, former or otherwise." Professor Xavier explained.

"Do you know what he's doing there? Why didn't we see him during our tour?" Bobby continued to inquire.

"That, I am not sure of, as of yet." Professor Xavier stated to them.

"Could you tell if other members of the Brotherhood were there?" Kitty asked, as she turned around to look back at the Professor.

"I cannot be certain of that either. I only felt John's presence for a brief, passing moment. My telepathic abilities still aren't strong enough to allow for a more thorough scan. But, I think it is safe to assume that there is more to the Massachusetts Academy, than meets the eye." Professor Xavier answered.

This gave all three individuals in the vehicle a new prospect to ponder, during the last leg of their journey home. Professor Xavier, Kitty, and especially Bobby, wondered how they would handle that first face-to-face meeting with their former classmate, ex-student, and uncertain friend. At one time, they thought John had shared in their dreams and desires to help create a better world, one where humans and mutants could live together peacefully. That was, until he left them at Alkali Lake, so that he could follow the radically different vision of another man.

----------------------------

Later that evening back at the Massachusetts Academy, many of the students there were now starting to settle in for the night. But one student, on the other hand, was still very busy. He found himself engaged in one of his favorite activities in his bedroom, one that he had come to look forward to nearly every single night.

"Say John, what the hell are you doin' in there?" Lance shouted, as he stood outside of John's room on the second floor of the Brotherhood House.

"Somethin' kind of private. Look, I'll talk to you later, okay?" John replied briefly from inside of the room, hoping that it would be enough to get Lance to leave.

"Oh man! In that case stud, I'll let you and Tab get back to business." Lance grinned, as he faced the door and drew his own conclusions about what John was currently doing in his bedroom.

"Alvers, what exactly are you rambling about?"

Lance then quickly spun around when he heard the inquiry, and his jaw nearly dropped when he saw Tabitha standing there in the hallway with him. She had just come from her room, which was located on the other side of the upper-level corridor. Tabitha was now standing in front of Lance with one of her hands on her hip, as she blew out a bubble with her bubblegum and looked him squarely in the eye.

"I…thought you were in there with John. You know, gettin' together." Lance said to her, as he pointed back at the bedroom door with one hand, while holding a brown paper sack in the other.

"Gosh, I hate to be the one to wreck your little pervo-fantasy, but as you can see, I'm standin' out here with you." Tabitha told him, as she ran her other hand through her medium-length blonde hair, which had small rose-tinted highlights in it.

"Then, what is John doing in there?" Lance asked her.

"Sorry, but he made me promise not to tell anyone. Anyways, I'm headin' downstairs to watch T.V. with Irene, while she listens. I just hope she doesn't have another one of her premonitions, and ruins it by telling me how the show ends." Tabitha said, as she turned and headed for the staircase a few feet away.

As Tabitha descended downstairs, the now extremely curious Lance wheeled back around to face the bedroom door.

"All right, Pyro. You gonna tell me what's goin' on, or do I have to start bribin' people?" Lance, once again, shouted through the door.

"Fine, just a second." John responded, as Lance could hear movement within the room and the sound of footsteps heading towards the door.

The door then opened, with John standing in the doorframe for a very brief moment, before he turned to go lie back down on his bed in the well-lit room.

"Now, what's this big secret that you're keepin' in here?" Lance said, as he walked into John's room behind him, and tossed the paper sack down on another, spare bed in the room.

"Like I said, it's kind of private." John answered, as he went back to writing in a notebook on his bed.

"What, you doin' homework? I don't know why you couldn't just say that to begin with." Lance told him, as he now sat down on the spare bed.

"It's not homework. It's something I'm writing, for me." John finally revealed.

"You're keepin' a diary!" Lance said, with a loud laugh, "You want me to get one of Tab's skirts for you, to go with it."

"It's not a diary, it's a journal, ass." John clarified for him, "I like to write about random stuff in here, short stories and things like that."

"So, are you and De la Rocha in some sort of teacher's pet contest then?" Lance responded.

"I don't know what your big deal is about education, I mean in case you haven't noticed, we do live at a school." John said, as he stopped writing and sat up on his bed, "Didn't you come here to try and at least learn something new?"

"Shit no. I came here because Mystique showed up, and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I figured anything had to be better, than spending the rest of my teen years rotting away in juvey." Lance replied, "After Mystique got me sprung from that hole, she took me to Magneto, and he said that they knew I was a mutant. That was something I hadn't told anyone, especially around the guys I was in with. Anyways, Mags said he wanted to recruit me for this school to help teach me how to use my powers, so here I am."

"Speaking of which, I know Mystique's in D.C., but where's Magneto been?" John asked Lance, as he grabbed the journal on his bed, and once again started writing in it.

"Beats me, I don't think anyone's heard from 'The Old Man' for awhile. Maybe he's gone off on a vacation, or somethin'?" Lance said, as he ventured a guess. Then, Lance saw an item sitting on the night table next to John's bed, and couldn't help himself as he took the object to inspect it more closely.

"What do we have here? Well, if it isn't the famous Allerdyce lighter." Lance stated, as he quickly grabbed the lighter, and proceeded to taunt John with it.

"You have two seconds to put that back exactly the way you found it." John warned Lance, while still looking down and writing in his journal.

"And if I decide I want to keep your fuckin' pacifier, then what?" Lance challenged him.

"Then, they're gonna be scrapin' you off of the front lawn of the school, after I knock your ass all the way out there." John threatened him, as he threw his journal down on the bed, and quickly stood up with his fists clenched tightly.

"Then, let's see what you got, Pyro." Lance responded in a very serious tone, as he also stood up from the spare bed, and fearlessly flipped up the lid and flicked the lighter on.

John and Lance then stood there facing each other in a standoff, one that had the potential of turning very ugly, very quickly. But after less than a minute, the stalemate was finally broken by one of its participants.

"Here." Lance said, as he closed the lid on the lighter and tossed it back over to John, "You need to learn to lighten up, literally. It's not like it should be hard for you, of all people, to do."

"Whatever." John replied, as he took the lighter and laid it back down on his night table, before sitting back down on his bed.

"I've always wondered why you're so uptight about that lighter? It's nice, I guess, but its not like someone could take it and hock the thing for a load of money." Lance said, as he sat back down on the spare bed, and reached over into the paper bag next to him.

"It's valuable to me for other reasons." John replied simply, as the lighter held sentimental value for him, with Tabitha being the only person at the Massachusetts Academy that he had revealed those exact details to.

"Anyways, here's the reason I came up here." Lance said, as he now tossed a beer to John, which he had brought with him in the bag.

"Where'd you get this from?" John asked.

"I 'borrowed' a few from Fred's room." Lance revealed.

"Don't you think he's going to come lookin' for these?" John questioned him.

"No way, he's totally passed out in there already. Sometimes I wonder why Magneto sent us to break him out of prison, I would've been more than happy to take the job of house beer-taster. Besides, you don't have to worry about Blob, his room is a total disaster area and I doubt he'll even realize they're gone." Lance assured John, as he opened the beer in his hand.

"Yeah, his room is the exact opposite of Irene and Raven's room." John responded, as he opened the can in his hand, "I just hope Miss Frost doesn't do one of her random mind-scans and catches us."

"Damn, quit actin' like an old lady! And, quit worryin' about Frosty, I know I'm not." Lance said as he took a sip.

"You can talk big, but you do remember what she did to Matthieu, don't you?" John reminded Lance, as he referred to their classmate code-named Bevatron.

"Who could forget? I remember when 'Frenchie' thought it'd be a good idea to mouth off to Frosty in front of everybody." Lance recalled, "Before he knew what hit him, Frost totally screwed up his mind with one of her mind-blasts. In no time, she had that kid singin' Be True to Your School in front of the whole student body. Then later on, she booted him back down to the junior squad and telepathically wiped his memories of ever bein' part of the Brotherhood. Good thing is, we got a real looker like Roulette as his replacement."

"I think Tab was happier about it than you, since now she's not the only girl on the senior-squad anymore." John added.

"So, you want another one?" Lance asked, as he had finished his first beer and opened a second one, before offering John a second one as well.

"Nah, man." John replied, as he went back to writing once again.

"Just means more for me." Lance said, as he chugged the second beer, tossed the empty can into the paper bag, and got up to head for the door, "Anyways, I'm gonna leave you with your diary, so I can go and finish unwinding in my room with my new friends."

"Later." John replied simply, as Lance left with the paper bag, while John continued with his writing. Then, John paused for a moment, as he thought back to what had started this hobby of his in the first place.

It was during one afternoon, back when he was still at Xavier's. Bobby and Rogue had been spending more and more time near-kissing each other, and John had had enough of being a spectator to that. So, he sought refuge from their display, in another one of the school's smaller rec-room's. When he got there, John came across another one of his classmate's, Piotr Rasputin, busily sketching as he sat on the sofa. Upon seeing him, John finally decided to ask Peter why he spent so much of his time drawing, which Peter was more than happy to explain. He described how his artwork allowed him to express himself, in a way that he found himself unable to do with spoken words. Peter even offered to give John a few pointers, handing him his sketchpad and grease pencil. After nearly an hour, it was apparent, both to John and to Peter, that it would take many more lessons to get John to the point where he could draw a convincing stick figure. And, so ended John's brief art career.

A few weeks later in Mr. Summer's English class, when John actually happened to be paying attention, he heard his teacher mention that they could keep a journal and turn it in for extra credit. He even told his class that they could write about anything, as long as they were actually writing something, and not repeating the same word for an entire page. John decided to give it a shot, figuring that it couldn't hurt a grade point average that desperately needed all of the help that it could get. So, he got a notebook one night when he was alone, and wrote for a good two hours.

All of three sentences.

Then, he remembered what Peter had told him about expressing those emotions that were kept deep down, and something instantly clicked inside of John. He found that words were suddenly pouring out of him onto the page. He wrote about whatever came to mind, things that he never even realized were inside of him. Soon, John came to find that he thoroughly enjoyed this activity, and even experimented with different writing styles, including poetry. But, he definitely didn't feel comfortable in share his writings with another living soul.

That is, until Tabitha Smith one day happened to stumble across his new journal. It was one that he had started after arriving at the Massachusetts Academy, and she wanted to know what was inside of it.

After some convincing on her part, John agreed to allow her to take a look in it. Once she read some of its contents, Tabitha was blown away by the fact that John, who usually displayed a fairly hostile attitude towards the rest of world, could have the capacity to write things that were so tender and thought provoking. It was what helped to draw Tabitha closer to John, as she wanted to know more about this young man, who was apparently more complex than she had previously given him credit for. John, on the other hand, was just content with the fact that she hadn't laughed at his writings. But, John was also glad that he had finally found someone in Tabitha, that he actually felt at ease with sharing that part of himself.

(A/N: I based the whole thing about John being a writer on the original character, who was an accomplished author and free-lance journalist.)

-----------------------------------

"So, did'ja miss me?"

This was the question posed by Kitty, as she found herself in the welcoming embrace of Peter Rasputin, the two of them now in front of the mansion back home in Westchester later that night.

"Like that is not a loaded question." Peter playfully replied, as held Kitty up in front of him with his hands around her diminutive waist, while she had her hands clasped around the back of his neck.

"Not if you answer it right." Kitty told him, as she looked at him face to face.

"If I did not miss you, Katya, then why would I have been the first to come out here and welcome you home?" Peter pointed out.

"I guess I'll give you a passing mark with that." Kitty smiled, as she gave Peter a very passionate kiss, verifying that he had indeed given the correct response to her inquiry.

"Well, I don't have a greeting as sumptuous as that, but it is good to welcome you home Professor." Henry McCoy said, as he came through the front door next, to greet the returning travelers. He had seen them arrive on the school's video surveillance system, which had monitors throughout the mansion, including his laboratory down below.

"Your sentiments are still appreciated." Professor Xavier replied, as he wheeled up a small ramp on the curb of the driveway, after Bobby and Peter had helped him into his chair.

"I'm going to go park this rental in the garage for tonight. Peter and me can go turn it in tomorrow." Bobby said, as Professor Xavier nodded in approval. With that, Bobby got back into the silver SUV, and then departed in it for the school's garage in the rear.

"The students and myself were riveted by your address of the Senate committee yesterday." Hank revealed, as he and the Professor started towards the front door together, "Even many of those bureaucratic officials themselves, appeared to be thoroughly impressed by your performance."

"I merely spoke from the heart. Hopefully, I have managed to lay another new beam in a bridge of understanding between mutants and non-mutants." Professor Xavier replied, as he looked up at Hank.

"Speaking of understanding, the Professor understands a lot more when it comes to current music." Kitty interjected, as she had pointed out some of her favorite singers on the radio to the Professor on their ride home, "Now, you can impress your friends by being the first one to name a John Mayer or Alicia Keyes song when you hear it."

"I suppose I should thank you Kitty, for your efforts to help keep me hip." Professor Xavier lightly remarked, as Peter picked up most of the luggage that had been unloaded at the curb, and walked next to Kitty, behind the Professor and Hank.

"Ouch. Me and Jubilee are definitely going to have to work on your vocabulary next." Kitty joked.

"Thank you, but I believe I will pass on that particular offer." Professor Xavier politely declined, as the group continued on inside.

---------------------------

After parking the rented SUV in the school's garage Bobby got out, where he next ran into Logan. They talked for a moment there, with Bobby telling Logan about the trip to Washington. In return, Logan told Bobby about what they didn't find at Bolivar Trask's base, as well as going into great length about someone taking the blue motorcycle, which he and Scott were apparently sharing joint-custody of, out for a joyride and how it needed to be re-tuned to his liking. After their brief conversation was finished, Bobby made his way to the house, carrying a moderate-sized traveling bag with a long strap tossed across his shoulder. When he opened the kitchen door, Bobby decided to take a shortcut through the mansion. But, he soon found that he had a welcoming committee inside, one that neither he nor the welcoming committee itself were expecting.

"Hey, guys." Bobby said, as he entered one of the smaller rec-room's in the mansion near the kitchen and greeted the group gathered inside, which consisted of Amara Aquilla, Samuel Guthrie, Terry Cassidy, Rahne Sinclair, and Roberto Dacosta.

"How was Washington D.C.?" Sam asked Bobby first, as the group was gathered on or around the sofa in there, all of them watching one of the music video channels.

"It was nice. We even got to do a little sight seeing around the city, while we were there." Bobby replied, as he stopped to talk for a moment.

"Did ye get t'see the President?" Terry now questioned him.

"Not this time." Bobby answered her, "I think he's out of the country, at a summit with other world-leaders in Switzerland."

"That's a dumb question anyways. It's not like you can just walk into the White House and say 'I want to see the President'. You have to be someone important, just to make an appointment with him." Roberto said to Terry.

"Don't call my question stupid, I can ask it if'n I want to, 'Berto!" Terry angrily responded to him.

"It's alright, just calm down Terry." Bobby intervened, before Terry's yelling turned into a high-pitched sonic scream that would shatter windows as it rang throughout the entire house. Then, Rahne spoke next, although it had nothing to do with Washington or the President.

"I think the lass singin' this song should get some more clothes and cover herself, before she gets in trouble. The way she's movin' and dressed, tis indecent." Rahne said, as she had been so blown away at the sheer lack of inhibition by the music performer on T.V., that she hadn't even paid any attention to the conversation going on around her.

"She's just expressing herself artistically through her dancing, and by what she's wearing. It's what entertainers do." Amara said, as she was sitting next to Rahne on the sofa.

"Och, they have another name for it where I come from. Especially, with the way she's twirlin' about with that giant snake across her shoulders." Rahne replied.

"In case ye haven't figured it out Bobby, this is Rahne. She's part of the school's new modesty police force." Terry said to Bobby, as she teased Rahne from the floor below.

"And this is Terry, who feels the need t'introduce me to everyone, like she brought me in as some sorta bleedin' show-and-tell." Rahne immediately shot back at her.

"For the new kid, you catch on fast." Bobby laughed slightly, commenting on Rahne's ability to comeback to Terry's remark.

"Maybe Miss Blaire will teach us how to dance like this, in our music class with her?" Amara wondered aloud.

"Like we would be that lucky." Roberto remarked.

"I don't know, she did perform a lot, and she probably worked with a lot of these choreographers too." Sam pointed out, "We can at least ask her if she knows who helped Lila Cheney with her dance moves."

While everyone else inside of the rec-room continued the conversation, Bobby quietly left so that he could go up to his room, and unwind after his fairly eventful day. On his way upstairs he passed by the main living room, where he heard voices from within. Bobby decided to briefly look in, and see who it was in there. In the room, he saw that Kurt was seated next to Alison on one sofa, and Rogue was cuddled up next to Remy on another sofa that was perpendicular. Peter was sitting in a large chair that faced Remy and Rogue, with Kitty half-sitting on the cushioned arm of the chair, and half on Peter's lap.

"So, who'd you say dis was again?" Remy asked Kurt, referring to the movies that Kurt had selected for them to watch.

"These are from the early days of cinematography, some of them featuring a favorite actor of mine from that time named Errol Flynn." Kurt replied, as Rogue looked through the stack of DVD's in her hand, "Growing up in a circus, and looking the way that I do, meant that I didn't go out in public very much. I spent most of my time when I wasn't performing in the safe seclusion of my dressing room trailer, and I passed that huge amount of time by reading and by watching old movies. Amanda Sefton, a girl at the circus who I was very close with, would go out into whatever town that we happened to be performing in and would search for older, and rather inexpensive videotapes. The two of us would then spend countless hours watching them together, and it was something that we both eagerly looked forward to. Amanda and I came to especially love the stories that harkened back to an age of true heroes and dastardly villains, and of course, damsels in distress."

"Looks like you've patterned yourself after your favorite movies then." Alison warmly commented, as she playfully tossed some popcorn at Kurt from the bowl that was in between them.

Alison was referring to what Kurt did everyday as an X-Man, but in particular, what he had done when she met them for the first time. When the X-Men showed up at her small apartment in the Hell's Kitchen section of New York, they ended up saving her from mysterious men that were shooting at her from a nearby rooftop. To Alison the X-Men, and especially Kurt, became cemented as heroes in her mind from that moment on.

"Okay, well these are the only ones I could find by this Flynn guy, when Remy and me went to the video store earlier today. You have a choice between Cry Wolf and The Adventures of Robin Hood." Rogue said, as she held each movie in her hand, "Cry Wolf, now that sounds like an interesting title."

"But, Robin Hood is a classic, Chere. I say we go wit' him, he's definitely my kinda hero." Remy said, as he sat next to Rogue.

"Figures you'd say that, 'Sugah'." Rogue giggled, as she handed the story of the thief who stole from the rich and gave to the poor to Kurt, so that he could place it into the player.

Bobby stood near the doorway and observed Kurt, Alison, Remy, and Rogue watch the movie on the televison, while Kitty and Peter were far more interested in gazing at each other and occasionally kissing, than actually paying attention to the adventure film. But, Bobby unexpectedly felt something well up inside of him, and he knew it had to do with watching Rogue and Remy, together. He knew it also had to do with her new pet name for Remy.

'Sugah', it was one of many expressions that Rogue used to hear her grandmother use frequently. Usually, it was part of a particular point that she would be trying to get across to the granddaughter that she loved so much. For example:

"Slick, fast talkin' men might look to be as sweet 'n fine as sugah, Marie, but think twice before you go and put some in yo' coffee…"

Rogue could still hear the words of her grandmother, as though they had just been spoken to her. For Rogue, using that expression now was sort of like her own little inside joke in describing Remy, a man that definitely had no problem in articulating himself. It was also a private tribute to the woman that she thought so highly of, and whose conversations that she sorely missed.

But, Bobby had never heard her use that term to describe anyone, and he quickly realized that while in his mind he might have believed that everything between himself and Rogue was done and over with, it was an entirely different matter to convince his heart of that fact. Bobby was getting a harsh lesson in the rules of love, rule number one being, that matters of the heart were rarely settled so cleanly, or very easily.

----------------------------------

Back at the Massachusetts Academy, Emma Frost had made herself more comfortable in front of the television in her study, now clothed in her white leather-corset and matching briefs, white leather gloves and knee-high boots, and a white faux fur-trimmed cape. It was the signature outfit worn by the White Queen of the Hellfire Club. But, she wasn't preparing to view a movie from a bygone era; rather, she was patiently awaiting a communiqué from another member of that same Hellfire Club. When the large-screened monitor in front of her flashed to life, it indicated the individual whom she had been awaiting, was now establishing contact with her.

"It certainly took you long enough to return my call." Emma said, as she was comfortably seated on the edge of her desk, with one leg resting over the other, and with a glass of the finest chardonnay to her side.

"My apologies Emma, but an unforeseen problem at Shaw Industries came up, necessitating my immediate attention." Sebastian Shaw, Black King of the Hellfire Club's Inner Circle, replied.

Upon first glance at Sebastian Shaw, the first thing that one would notice about him was the attire that he was wearing. It replicated fashions worn more than two centuries beforehand, a black suit made up of a short waistcoat with long coattails at the back, a white dress shirt with large ruffles that ran down the front button line and at its sleeves, a pair of tight fitting breeches and stockings, and a black pair of buckled straight shoes. But beyond that, what appeared before Emma on the monitor was a man who was forty-ish, yet whose head was brimming with thick jet-black hair. Sebastian Shaw, who had picked himself up from humble beginnings, struggled to build his company Shaw Industries into one of the world's leading military munitions manufacturers, and single-handedly turned it into a multi-million dollar venture. Sebastian was a man that possessed an innate understanding of power, in its many varied forms. He was also expert in both its acquisition, and in how to wield it once it was attained. If the pursuit of power was considered a pre-occupation for Emma Frost, then it was a downright compulsion for him.

"That will be all for now, Tessa." Sebastian said, as he motioned to someone that was off-camera to his right, before turning his attention back to the monitor that he was standing in front of, "I assume that you are calling to apprise me, in regards to your meeting today with the esteemed Charles Xavier?"

"We had a very interesting conversation, regarding educational theories and their real-world applications." Emma told him, "That, and he brought up the subject of the Hellfire Club."

"And what did you tell him?" Sebastian inquired.

"Nothing, of course." Emma responded.

"Well, you and I both knew from the day that you managed to 'appropriate' the designs for his Cerebro machine, that it was merely a matter of time before our paths would cross with Xavier and his ilk." Sebastian stated, "Judging by their previous interference in our dealings with Alison Blaire, perhaps the time has come for the X-Men to become better acquainted with the full power that the Inner Circle wields?"

"I'm not as convinced that a heavy-handed approach would be the most productive course of action at this juncture." Emma said, as she took a sip from the glass that had been placed next to her on the desk, "Diplomacy, for the time being, may prove to be far more effective."

"Diplomacy? The X-Men are most likely providing Alison Blaire with sanctuary, and you want to become friends with them? Have you forgotten what that Blaire-witch's treachery cost us?!" Sebastian reminded her, in a very enraged tone.

"Never! Her refusal to aid us in discovering what your predecessor, Edward Buckman was up to, nearly destroyed us. We barely survived Buckman's attempted purge of the Council of Chosen, when he had those Sentinels unleashed against us at Thunder Shore." Emma very much remembered.

"Unfortunately, my beloved Lourdes Chantel was not nearly as lucky as you, Leland and myself. She sacrificed herself, so that the Inner Circle could be born." Sebastian revealed, with pain apparent in his voice at the recollection of that day.

"I think that it would be truly poetic if those that Miss Blaire has come to regard as her protectors, were the ones to bring about her demise." Emma said with a wicked expression.

"What are you talking about?" Sebastian curiously queried her.

"It has been brought to my attention that there may be students at Xavier's school, who could be persuaded into joining us." Emma revealed.

"Really? And what would make you think that any of Xavier's students would betray the man?" Sebastian replied, questioning her assertion.

"Listening to the first one of those students to do so." Emma responded.

"Ah yes, the Allerdyce boy! I had forgotten about his prior allegiance." Sebastian remembered.

"During a conversation today, he intimated the dissatisfaction that he had felt with Xavier's over-protective guidance. And, in a previous conversation, Pyro went into other details regarding how he gained his, rather remarkable, control over his powers. He said that he mainly taught himself in how to use his powers in an offensive manner, stating that Xavier seemed only content in making sure that the boy's abilities did not pose a danger to himself, or to others. I would say that it begs to reason some of Xavier's other students most likely would share in John's sentiments, and could be persuaded to come here to master their abilities without any arbitrary limits being placed on them." Emma expounded.

"This proposal of yours sounds very logical, have you come up with a means of achieving it?" Sebastian asked.

"I've already begun a plan to swell our ranks, and it doesn't involve walking into Xavier's home and shooting up the place with those bungling idiots that you call mercenaries." Emma said in a somewhat scolding tone, referring to the hired gunmen of the Hellfire Club that Shaw had sent to Hell's Kitchen in pursuit of Alison Blaire.

"Trust me, they have been severely reprimanded for their failure." Sebastian told her, "On the subject of our ranks, how are our other young prospects fairing?"

"They are coming along. The girl named Joanna Cargill appears to nearly be ready for promotion onto the school's Brotherhood senior-squad." Emma revealed, "But, the most intriguing of my recruits has to be the one named Angelica Jones."

"The one whom you dubbed Firestar, I remember you mentioning her when last we spoke here at the Hellfire Club. She has the ability to generate pure fire from her own body." Sebastian remarked, as he sat down in a reclining chair, which was located in his office at the Hellfire Club in New York City.

"I believe that Firestar may have the most potential, out of all of my students." Emma boldly stated to him.

"And why is that?" Sebastian asked her.

"We already know that her ability is one that affords her the power to create, and then emit, microwave radiation. But recently, I had the opportunity to more thoroughly evaluate her for myself, here at the Massachusetts Academy. It appears that her unique talents allow her to affect the electromagnetic spectrum as well, and we've only begun tapping into her maximum limitations." Emma divulged.

"You said affect the electromagnetic spectrum, you mean like Magneto?" Sebastian inquired.

"If my suspicions are correct, in time her powers would become far greater than Magneto's, or perhaps any other mutant alive." Emma surmised.

"Now, this is most pleasing! A being with those capabilities, loyal to us and at our disposal, would prove to be a truly invaluable asset." Sebastian responded in a very satisfied demeanor.

"As will all of my students." Emma added, "My main obstacle with Angelica will be in altering her outlook on life. The girl genuinely wants to help the world with her powers, instead of using them to seize it by the reins, as she was born to do. I suppose it is an admirable quality, when you think about it."

"I am not worried, I have faith in your ability to enlighten the girl, as to which values that she should cherish." Sebastian replied, as he moved their conversation on to another subject, "Now that we've mentioned him, where is the latest applicant for membership into the Inner Circle?"

"It has been quite a while, since I or Mystique, last heard from Magneto. All he said to us was that he was off to take care of some 'unfinished business', whatever that was supposed to mean." Emma revealed.

"It is just as well. It wouldn't bother me in the least, if we never heard from Magneto again." Sebastian remarked.

"What's the matter? Don't tell me that you're scared of someone, who might actually give you a little competition in your bid for pre-eminence?" Emma slyly baited him.

"I fear nothing, woman!" Sebastian immediately answered her, "It's just that I still think it was a mistake in forming an alliance with him. I certainly don't want the Inner Circle dragged down with Magneto, when he decides to go on another one of his damned crusades against humanity."

"But, you can't deny the fact that a man like Magneto commands attention, from humans and mutants alike. His ability to rally followers to his cause may prove to be a useful commodity." Emma said to him.

"Or prove to be our undoing." Shaw, less than enthusiastically, countered.

"At any rate, I will be in contact with you again soon." Emma said, as she had finished discussing her planned agenda with Sebastian this evening.

"Very well. Leland was asking when we should expect to see you again, here in New York? It has been too long since The Inner Circle last convened." Shaw asked her.

"I've been pre-occupied with my own business affairs, and with running this school. But when I have another opening in my schedule, I intend to converse with all of you in person. And who knows, if things continue progressing with my young charges, I might even bring some company along." Emma told him.

"Until then." Sebastian replied, as he began to sign off.

"Give my best to Leland and Pierce." Emma parted, as her monitor went blank and shut down, leaving her in her spacious study, to consider what her next move would indeed be…

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Prologue-

In a small suburban neighborhood outside of Portland, Oregon, most of its residents were quietly settling in for the evening. At one house in particular, a mother and daughter were currently going through what had become their normal evening routine. It was a routine, however, that was about to be drastically altered at this day's end.

"Megan, honey, put your things away and wash up. Dinner will be ready soon." Megan's mother directed her, in her moderately-accented voice.

"Okay, Mom." Seven year-old Megan happily replied, as she got up from her coloring book on the living room floor, which had occupied her attention non-stop for most of the afternoon.

As Megan's mother gracefully continued with dinner preparations in the kitchen, the sound of the doorbell soon rang throughout the entire house.

"Coming…" Megan's mother called out, as she turned the stove off, before going to answer the door. This was a time of the day that she generally didn't receive any company, and she was curious as to who it could be.

Once she arrived to answer the door, she looked out through the keyhole. The young woman in her mid-to-late twenties was immediately overcome with both a sense of terror, and of sudden, impending danger when she saw the visitor.

"Not now! How on Earth did he manage to find me here?" Megan's mother silently lamented to herself, as she leaned back up against the front door.

Then, she shouted for her daughter to come to her immediately.

"Megan! Where are you!"

"Right here, Mommy." Megan replied, as the girl with slightly curly dark-brown hair, came skipping in from the living room and into the area by the front door. If Megan hadn't realized something was amiss with her mother before, she certainly did now, when she saw the panic-stricken look on her mom's face.

"Megan, I want you to listen to me and do exactly what I say." Her Mom began, "Go upstairs to your room and close the door. Whatever you hear, do not, I repeat, DO NOT come downstairs!"

"But why Mom?" Megan asked, as most children her age had a habit of wanting to know the logic behind the orders that their parents gave them.

"Do not question me! JUST DO IT!!" Megan's mother shouted at her, which was something rarely heard between the two. It somewhat frightened the young girl, hearing such an angry tone from her mom, and she did exactly what her mother had ordered of her without hesitation. Megan took off up the stairs, slamming her bedroom door after she had reached her destination.

When the doorbell rang a second time, Megan's mother listened to make sure that there was no sound of movement upstairs, and then took a deep breath before facing a part of her past, a past that she hoped would never come back to haunt her.

"What are you doing here!?" Megan's mother furiously yelled, as she opened her front door, to see an older gentleman standing there on the front stoop. He was dressed in a modest navy blue suit, and wearing a black fedora hat that hid his face to onlookers that observed him from a distance.

"Come now, is that any way to greet your father?" The older gentleman asked, as he turned the hat up to look at his daughter, whom he hadn't seen in a number of years.

"You ceased being my father years ago! Now, I suggest that you leave, before you find yourself on the receiving end of one of my hex-bolts!" The dark-haired woman angrily warned him.

"I will be going. But only after we have discussed something, which is of dire importance to us all, Wanda." Erik Magnus Lensherr said to her, with a small smile…

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Next Chapter: Magneto and The Scarlet Witch! (And you thought your family reunions were bad…)

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A/N: Special Thanks to everyone that reviewed my side-story The Work That We Did Together.

Lucas'sgirl- Glad you liked the story, I thought it was nice change of pace.

Madripoor Rose- Yeah, that's the main reason I wrote it. Ever since X2, I've wondered how exactly Stryker would fit into things.

HughloverX- Well, that's all Logan had figured out so far. The way the main storyline's been going, is that he keeps getting bits and pieces of his memory in the form of dreams, but nothing really extended or conclusive. If I continue this, I'll go further into that past with Stryker and Logan, and show some of the other major things that happened to them.

A/N: Special Thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter of A Force Unleashed.

Lucas'sgirl- Glad you liked Logan and Scott finally settling things, which was long overdue, and Remy's time with the guys, which I think showed a slightly different side of him. I didn't realize that Jamie was such a target by everyone, but it was all meant to be in good fun at any rate. Yeah, I think Kitty's going to have to deal with her problems sooner or later, but for whatever their reasons, she just like many other people simply have trouble in finding a way to ask for that kind of help. Well, John and Bobby's inevitable meeting may not have happened just yet, but it'll be taking place before too long. And don't worry, I could never be bored when people take the time to let me know what they think of this story.

Episodic- Glad you liked the male-bonding stuff, I think they were just as surprised by it as you, as well as Scott digging down deep for that sense of humor he had hidden somewhere. I'm also glad the shoulder pokes are helping, even if it is only a little.

ishandahalf- I'm glad you enjoy bar brawls so much, and that I could oblige. If you liked Remy and Rogue's date this time, I have something a bit more exciting in store for date number two, which I think you'll love…

Independent Fire- Glad you loved the scenes with Scott/Logan and Peter/Rahne, and of course, a healthy dose of Romyness. Sorry about Bobby and John not delivering, but hopefully I made up with an overload of Avalanche.

Digital Tempest- I'm glad you like what you've read so far, and I hope that I continue to please.

TheDreamerLady- I believe you about the review, this site was really acting up when I kept trying to post the last chapter. Glad you like the D.C. excursion, and the guards really were just doing their jobs. Graydon Creed for U.S. Senate? Actually, he did announce his candidacy for that very job in A Force to be Reckoned With. It's also an election year, where President McKenna is seeking re-election. With politics, you never know what's going to happen, but the people of this country wouldn't actually elect Graydon Creed as a Senator, would they?

I'm also very glad that you liked RemyandRogue dating, Scott over-working but finding time to notice Alison after losing his car and the woman he loves and bonding with Logan, Jubes enjoying her boytoy while keeping a secret from her roommate who doesn't know something about her own ex, RemyandRogue getting serious, while Scott beats the snot out of someone, while everyone wonders what's going to happen next. Anyway, I hope you (and Lanco) liked this chapter just as much!