(Six)

At about the same time the SHIELD truck was pulling up to the front of the X-men Mansion to drop off the new arrival, Kyle jogged quickly to the convenience store on the corner. He squinted in the new morning sun, exhausted from tending to Kimble all night. He went to the side of the store and used the pay phone to dial his boss. Cameron was an early riser and picked up after the first ring. "Hello?" he greeted in his old man's thick growl. Cameron was well into his fifties.

"Hey, Cam. It's me, Kyle."

"What's happening? Is he all right? Your people said he was sick."

"Yes. He's here. He's okay. At least I think he is. He got hit by one of Leon's plasma bursts."

"I know. I told Leon to hit him."

"What? Why? Jeezus, Cam! He almost melted him! Don't ask me how he walked away from that!"

"Relax, Joshua said that the ShaRain feeds off of energy. I made sure he found the plasma to his liking. Now it will be all he wants."

Kyle's rage just about exploded. "Are you sure? It made him sick. He was barfing up all over the place!"

"Of course the amounts may have to be adjusted. Joshua told me all about it."

"When were you going to tell me? That's so unfair!"

"Is he okay now?"

Kyle tried to calm himself down. This was the boss and he had to be careful. "Yeah, I think so. I hope so."

"Let him sleep it off and bring him by the club later. We have to talk anyway."

"What about Leon?"

"What about him?"

"I don't think it's a good idea keeping him around Kimble."

"Who?"

"Kimble. That's his name. Kimble. I think Leon's going to be a problem."

"Why?"

"He's violently homophobic."

"That's an issue? Joshua said nothing about our friend being gay."

"Yeah, well. Maybe it was the plasma making him crazy, I don't know, but he made a pass at me. Fortunately, Leon didn't see it, but..."

"He made a pass at you? Well, that's a surprise," Cameron interrupted, sounding anything but. "That's not necessarily a bad thing. I wanted to talk to you about being his handler anyway-"

"Forget it, Cam. No way. I'll bring him in, but that's it." To make his point, Kyle hung up.

He paced for a few minutes, quietly fuming, but was disrupted by a loud message from his stomach. He took advantage of opportunity and walked into the store, his mind still racing. He was pissed off at Cameron's audacity and manipulations. He disliked being used. He roamed the shelves, calming down and casually wondering what a creature like Kimble would consider breakfast or if he even ate at all. He grabbed a few items and left quickly, not wanting to leave Kimble alone for too long. He hoped he hadn't been gone too long already.

(break)

Back at the tall building that housed the Ricochet Club, Cameron Bishop paced in his lofty office. He was an older man, in his early fifties and balding. He was round in the middle and finely dressed with the merry eyes of a fatherly Santa Claus. He was a mutant, but not a very powerful one. He was more of a master manipulator and con artist. He had maneuvered his way to this high position by cleverness alone. He had a way of knowing the right thing to say or do to get what he wanted. He built this Club and training ground as a power base to increase his own wealth and power. He used the Club to lure his people in and filled their heads full of popular anti-human rhetoric, building his army. He blackmailed and used people, siccing his brainwashed thugs on those who either didn't join him or stood in his way. He had more than a few skeletons in his closet, but wasn't as murderous as the Brotherhood or Jael. He didn't want to take over the world, he just wanted his share of the pie...for now.

He grabbed his suit coat from a chair and walked out. He went to the elevator and stepped inside. The elevator looked normal but had a special keypad that was activated by a palm scan. He scanned his hand and clicked one of the buttons. The car moved swiftly and smoothly and he began to pace restlessly. He was very excited that Kyle had come through for him.

Kyle was one of his major assets and best finds. How he had laughed when he saw what Xavier's people had let go. Kyle was one of the most powerful telekinetics on the planet, and one of the easiest people Cameron had ever tried to manipulate. Kyle had wanted to work for someone who wouldn't tie his hands as Xavier did. Kyle loved working with teenagers and was a good leader on his squad. Cameron knew he was going to get Kimble placed with Kyle just as he wanted, in spite of Kyle's reservations. He knew Kyle was just nervous about handling such a rare find. The key to keeping Kyle steady was to dole out the facts as needed. If Kyle knew the entirety of Cameron's ambitious plan, he was sure to balk and bail out as soon as possible.

The elevator came to a stop and Cameron got out. This was an exclusive floor that very few had access to. Here was where Cameron kept his most valuable asset, his special advisor, Joshua. This floor was dark and gloomy, painted in tones of dark purple and black. There were only very dim electric lights, but some candles burned merrily on some small tables here and there. Joshua's apartment was sparsely furnished, most of the objects around were made of fine wood in the oriental style and low to the floor. The walls were bare except for sconces that held scented candles, all lit. One wall did have an extraordinary painted dragon on it, all gold and twisted in the oriental style. The atmosphere was one of sorcery and mysticism which was the intent. Joshua seemed to fancy himself as some kind of wizard and dressed the part as much as possible. It made Cameron laugh to himself to see it, but if it made Joshua happy he would put up with it. The man was just too valuable to make open fun of.

Cameron sat on a large cushion at a large low table in the living area and rang a small metal bell that had been placed there. A few moments later, Joshua glided from the gloom of the back room to greet him. Joshua was dressed in long dark blue robes, hooded of course. He smiled at his Master and sat, pulling the hood from his face. Joshua was a strange sight. He was tall and very thin, but more than that he was an albino, the whitest and brightest thing in the room. "Master," he purred and blinked his soft, pink eyes at him.

"Joshua, I have such good news."

"The Guardian had been found."

"No keeping secrets from you, my friend."

Joshua just laughed softly. "Is he intact?"

"Kyle says he is, but he might be damaged. Are you sure it was such a good idea for Leon to hit him like that? Kyle said the plasma made him sick."

"He will be all right. Now he will have a taste for it. He won't want anything else and will be easy to control."

"He will do as I want?"

Joshua shrugged. "Some persuasion may be required, but I think so, yes. He has been a servant before and will be one again most easily. He is as a child and should be treated like one."

"You said he was a warrior."

"I said he would become one," the albino politely corrected.

"Well, he'll have to be trained before I let him go back out. I don't want any of the other factions to have him."

"It's Jael you must be wary of. This one he seeks as well. Don't give in, my Master. If you do this correctly, you will be the Master of Jael and he will lie at your feet as a dog."

Cameron smiled in the gloom of Joshua's strange room. This was something he desired greatly. He had decided he wasn't satisfied with his standing in the mutant society. To advance, he had to take Jael down, something that wouldn't be easy, but would win him the respect of all. Joshua had predicted Kimble's coming...and the power he would find. It was this power Cameron wanted desperately to attain.

"Did Kyle tell you his name?"

"Oh? Uh, yes. His name is Kimble."

"The Lover," Joshua whispered softly to himself and laughed.

"What's that?"

"He will make good use of the Club and the pleasures within. Do not be afraid of him. I See that there is more to him than first appears. He is a Channeler of the highest quality."

"A Channeler? Is that good?"

"Yes, Master. That is good."

"What does that mean? Explain it to me again."

Joshua squinted as he tried to think. This area was fuzzy, he hadn't gotten all of it. He used a mirror to see things. What he got back was a picture of Kimble and a series of words. ShaRain, LaRoo, and Channeler. "I'm not sure, Master, but I believe he will be able to use the plasma as a weapon. You must make sure he gets it, that he becomes addicted. It shouldn't be difficult. He is weak. Do not be surprised if he speaks with more than one voice. He is fragmented, damaged. He was this way before Leon struck him, but now those voices have been set free. Your goal will be to stabilize him and bend him to your will. As a precaution, Kyle should be warned of his condition. We do not want him to be frightened."

"Kyle is easily spooked. I'm afraid if I tell him Kimble's crazy, he'll back off."

"If you are too spare with the facts, you will drive him away. He will distrust you."

"Don't worry, Joshua. I know how to handle Kyle. He won't be a problem."