Time To Advance the Plot
Not long afterwards the adult X-Men and the Misfit Joes gathered together in a meeting at the Institute. "I hate to admit it but I'm a little worried about this information," Roadblock said. "Something tells me whatever Bucket Head is planning won't be a vacation."
"If Magneto's sniffing around the Morlocks he's gotta be up to something," Logan grunted.
"Agreed," Xavier folded his fingers. "But we can't exactly barge in on the Morlocks and spy on them. So we'll just have to try and keep track of them as best we can with Cerebro."
"But why would he want to recruit Morlocks?" Shipwreck asked. "I know he's looking to increase his army but they're not exactly known for just following anybody."
"He's been laying low mostly since the attack on that North Korean Mutant Interment camp," Cover Girl said. "I don't know where he's hiding all those mutants he freed but wherever it is it's pretty hard to find."
"His mutant cloaking technology is keeping pace with Cerebro, maybe even beyond," Xavier admitted. "What about the Hellfire Club? Hank have you found anything about that crystal they retrieved from the volcano in Italy?"
"Nothing," Hank shook his head. "My research is at a dead end on this one."
"What about asking Cypher?" Spirit asked. "He might know something."
"First thing I did," Hank told him. "Doug may have worked on a lot of projects but nothing he did had anything to do with crystals."
"Well what did he work on? Besides the Bio Pulse?" Spirit asked.
"Let's see," Hank thought. "He did a lot of translating old documents. Mostly Ancient Greek and Latin texts which the Hellfire Club either sold or kept in their private collections."
"Greek and Latin," The Blind Master thought. "The Mediterranean. Go on, what were the contents of those texts?"
"You know I'm not really sure," Hank thought. "I only asked about if he knew anything about crystals."
"He's in class now with Scott and Jean," Ororo said.
"Class will be over in about ten minutes," Xavier thought. "I'll tell Jean to send Douglas here when he's finished." He sent a telepathic summons to Jean informing her of what he needed. "He'll be with us shortly."
"Why do you want to know about some old translations?" Shipwreck asked the Blind Master.
"Just a hunch," The Blind Master said. "So how are things around here?"
"As well as can be expected in a town that hates mutants," Hank sighed. "We've had a few incidents with vandals and some hate mail but nothing as bad as it was during the riots."
"Speaking of which they're starting to rebuild some of the streets that burned down," Warren said. "In fact I think there's a ceremony of some sort on TV this afternoon."
"Turn it on," Shipwreck told him. "Might as well watch it."
Warren did so. On TV there was the Mayor as well as a small crowd of people in front of a row of house frames. On the podium with the mayor was a man in a dark suit and large black hair and long sideburns. "People of Bayville, Lobo Industries and Technology is happy to provide new and better homes with state of the art security. From the ashes of tragedy we shall make Bayville rise again into a better, safer, more modern community."
"Who's speaking?" The Blind Master asked.
"Guy with big bushy black hair," Roadblock told him. He read the caption under the picture. "Name's Maximus Lobo."
"His company's in charge of rebuilding all the houses destroyed in the Bayville Riots," Logan growled.
"Something disturbs you," The Blind Master noted. "You do not like this man? Is he anti-mutant?"
"Never really said much about us," Logan said. "How…?"
"The tone in your voice indicates that you do not find him trustworthy," The Blind Master told him.
"Something about that guy…" Logan frowned. "Something about his eyes…I dunno. Kind of reminds me of…Nah it's probably nothing."
"I know how you feel. Lobo. Why does that name sound familiar?" Warren thought.
"Maybe because he runs one of your subsidiaries?" Shipwreck shrugged.
"WHAT?" Everyone in the room shouted and looked at Warren.
"Didn't you know that Lobo Technology is a subdivision of Worthington Industries?" Roadblock asked.
"This guy works for you and you don't even know him?" Logan's jaw dropped.
"Technically he probably works for my father," Warren said.
"He doesn't work for him," Shipwreck said. "He works with him. He's one of the main shareholders of Worthington Industries."
"WHAT?" Warren shouted.
"Even Shipwreck knew that!" Logan pointed out. "How did you know that anyway?"
"My girls were playing around with the stock market about a week ago," Shipwreck said.
"I didn't think they were old enough to actually invest money in the stock market," Xavier said.
"No, they were actually playing around with the stock market computers and…" Shipwreck began. "Don't ask."
"How could you not know what's been going on in your own company?" Hank asked.
"Well I haven't exactly been home for a while," Warren said.
"So what exactly have you been doing all those times you had to leave the Institute on business?" Hank snapped.
"Worthington Industries handles a lot of different industries," Warren said. "And since my family has sort of kept me out of the loop on a great deal of them…"
Douglas knocked on the door and walked in. "You wanted to see me, Professor?"
"Yes, come in," Xavier said. "We wanted to ask you a few questions. This will only take a moment."
"Those texts you translated for the Hellfire Club," The Blind Master asked. "The ones in Greek and Latin. What was in them?"
"Well nothing much," Doug scratched his head. "A lot of it were original documents of these old poets. Mostly mythology."
"Mythology?" Spirit asked. "What sort of myths?"
"Well the usual, the gods and ancient powers and stuff…" Doug began. "No wait, there was something else. Now that I think about it a lot of what I did was centered about one certain mythological animal. The Phoenix."
"Really?" Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Go on…"
"Well most of it was poetry like I said," Doug shrugged. "All about the legend and stuff. Did you know the Phoenix story originates in Ancient Egypt? But it was carried over to Greek, Islamic and eventually European legend."
"Wait a minute…" Shipwreck stopped him. "Stop the History lesson. The Phoenix? Isn't that what Rachel called herself?"
"Yeah and that power she had, the one she's supposed to get from Jean?" Roadblock thought aloud. "She did look a lot like a bird when she was fighting."
"There was one other thing I found was interesting," Doug said. "From what we can figure out the legend of the Phoenix started roughly around the reign of the Egyptian Pharaoh Rama Tut."
"Rama Tut?" Hank said. "He's the pharaoh before…"
"Before En Saba Nur," Xavier's eyes darkened. "Otherwise known as Apocalypse."
"Wasn't he also the guy that had all that fancy technology that he wasn't supposed to have?" Shipwreck thought.
"Yes," Xavier thought. "I wonder…"
"There's another thing I just thought of," Doug added. "During the Reign of En Saba Nur nearly all the writings and references to the Phoenix were destroyed. But despite a royal decree people wrote and talked about it anyway."
"A royal decree?" Low Light asked. "You saying Apocalypse was against the Phoenix?"
"From what I've read…" Doug told him. "It was more like he was afraid of it."
"I just got a very bad feeling about this," Logan grunted.
"Okay let's think this thing through," Shipwreck got up and walked around. "Here's what we know: The Phoenix legend starts around when Rama Tut is in charge. Rama Tut had this alien technology he somehow got his hands on. Apocalypse overthrows him, and tries to erase everything dealing with the Phoenix story. But at the same time he tried to make normal people into mutants."
He thought a moment. "I got nothing."
"It's simple you idiot," Cover Girl snapped. "Somehow Rama Tut and his technology create the legend of the Phoenix. This power is a threat to Apocalypse so he tries to suppress it. But then he gets greedy and decides to use this power or at the very least the technology that created this power for his own devices."
"He gets a God complex," The Blind Master thought aloud. "And now the Hellfire Club wants this power for their own uses."
"And something tells me they ain't gonna use all of it for the good of mankind," Low Light said sarcastically. "More like the good of their wallets."
"And something also tells me they're not above using the X-Men to do it if they have to," Ororo said. "That crystal, could it have been part of the technology used by Rama Tut and Apocalypse?"
"Five will get you ten it was," Low Light remarked. "No wonder the Hellfire Club wanted it so bad."
"Jean…" Xavier frowned. "They may go after Jean."
"But why her?" Shipwreck said. "I can see your logic but they got a ton of other psychics over there. Why kidnap one telepath when they've probably got a dozen of 'em?"
"They may not specifically target her," The Blind Master said. "She may merely get caught in the crossfire…"
"Which explains the vision I had while we fought Apocalypse…" Xavier added. "You're right Logan, this is very bad."
"What's very bad?" Jean asked as she walked in.
"Oh boy…" Hank gulped.
"Jean…" Xavier sighed. "We need to talk."
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"Where the hell could that Leech brat be?" General Kincaid, the head of the GRSO slammed his fist into the desk. He was a tall thin balding man with a deep hatred of mutants. "Top priority my ass. Because of this we had to pull back our operations in New York?"
He glared at his team of superior officers that worked under him. "The Mutant Detection Scanners are working quite well," One soldier told him.
"Apparently not well enough," Kincaid snapped as he grabbed a cigarette from his pocket. "We're supposed to be the a god damn elite mutant hunting team and we can't find one lousy kid?"
"We have captured 38 mutants in the Chicago area," Another soldier reminded him.
"Yes, but there are still dozens more we can't find. We've now narrowed down their hideout to only three possible sections," He pointed to the map. "And they're using the sewers somehow to try and avoid detection."
"Sir is it possible that the mutants are actually living in the sewers?" One solider asked. "You know like in Bayville and New York?"
"Possible," He took a drag from his cigarette. "However if they were living in large numbers underground our MDS would have pinpointed them by now."
"What about the Leech kid?" Another asked. "He could be screwing it up with his freaky powers?"
"Another possibility but I doubt it," The First soldier said. "From what we know the boy's powers disrupt machinery as well as mutant powers. We haven't had any reports yet of disrupted machines so…"
"So all we have to do is go through every single sewer system in Chicago until we find them," Kincaid said. "Fine. Do it."
"Sir…" One soldier said.
"They have to be in the sewers and are somehow blocking our technology. It's the only possible explanation. If that's what it takes to finish this operation then we'll do it. It's only a matter of time," Kincaid turned his back and looked out the window. "In less than three months we'll hunt down every single mutant in this city. And once our operations in Chicago are finished, New York is next."
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Later that evening….
"I've never felt so happy," Rahne twirled around after changing from her wolf form. "I had no idea I could feel like this."
"It felt good didn't it? Bringing down that stag," Aiden changed into human form and licked his chops.
"You have no idea what these past few weeks have meant for me," Rahne sighed as she sat down and looked at the stars. "It's like, I've lived my whole life in a cage and now…"
"And now you're free?" Aiden sat down next to her. "Is that how your family made you feel?"
"I suppose. You see, my real mother died when I was born," Rahne told him. "I never knew my father. My grandfather raised me. He was a Catholic minister in our village. A very…religious man."
"A real fire and brimstone type?"
"Aye, he thought everything that wasn't in the Bible and wasn't normal was the work of the devil. He called me the child of an unholy union, and that was before my powers manifested. You see…I was born out of wedlock."
"Bah! You and half the people on this planet," Aiden growled. "Hell may be big, but it ain't that big!"
"I always tried to please him but nothing was ever good enough for him," Rahne sighed. "And one night when I was thirteen I lost my temper and…The next thing I knew I turned into a wolf."
"And your loving grandfather called in the local lynch mob to wipe out his aberration of a granddaughter?" Aiden asked. "Am I right?"
"Aye, if it wasn't for Moira who took me in," Rahne shuddered. "Don't get me wrong. I love her like she was my own mother. She adopted me and took me in…Away from Reverend Craig. And she treated me so well, but sometimes she…Well she's a bit overprotective. When the X-men were revealed she took me away from the Institute back to Muir Island where she thought I'd be safer."
"But it didn't work did it?" Aiden looked at her. "Sometimes I think the folks who mean well and want to save people do even more damage than the ones who outright hate us. A wolf can't be smothered like it's some kind of pet. A wolf needs to run free. Even if it's the most dangerous thing in the world, that's where a wolf belongs."
Rahne's heart was beating wildly as he leaned towards her. But something inside her held her back. "I…I have to go," She pulled away, getting up.
Aiden frowned. "Did I do something wrong?"
"It's not you, it's me…I want to but…" Rahne sighed. "I guess I still have some hang ups about…You have to understand, the way I was raised…"
"I see," Aiden nodded. "The way you were conditioned to fear sex is the same way you were conditioned to hate your powers. It's all right. I can wait."
"I'd better go," Rahne felt very warm. "They'll wonder where I am."
"Until tomorrow night then?" Aiden asked.
Rahne nodded and changed into wolf form. She ran off. Aiden watched and waited. Another wolf soon sided up to him and changed into Maxwell. "Well?"
"Considering what she's been through I'm making remarkable progress," Aiden told him. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
"She'll be a fine addition to the pack," Maxwell nodded. "I was told to fetch you. We have to get up early again and acquire some more property."
"All right, let's go…" Aiden changed into a wolf along with Maxwell and they sided off into the night.
Rahne made it back to the Institute without anyone seeing her. Or so she thought.
"I told you something was going on," Kitty phased her head out of the closet after Rahne passed to her room.
"Yeah can we get out of here now?" Danielle asked. Kitty phased both Jubilee and Kitty
"I told you she was sneaking out at night," Jubilee said. "I can't believe her roommate never said anything."
"Paige sleeps like a rock," Kitty told her. "You know nothing sort of an explosion would wake her up."
"How long has she been going out like this?" Danielle asked.
"About a week," Kitty said. "I first noticed it when I was talking to Lance on the phone one night and she came in at two…Well it was late anyway."
"A whole week? And you haven't said anything?" Danielle looked at her. "That's a record for you."
"I just want to get my facts straight," Kitty said. "I want to know why she's doing it, or more importantly who with."
"What? You think Rahne has a secret boyfriend or something?" Danielle asked.
"Well she's been sneaking out for some reason," Kitty folded her arms. "I say we follow her and see what's going on."
"This may be a radical idea," Jubilee said. "But how about we actually ask her what's going on?"
"Where's the fun in that?" Kitty looked at her.
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The following afternoon…
"For the last time we're not interesting is selling our house!" Mr. Sefton said to the two 'real estate agents'.
"But Mr. Sefton," Maxwell put on his most charming smile. "Aren't you tired of all the…odd occurrences in Bayville?"
"You have no idea…" Mr. Sefton moaned.
"Dad what's going on?" Amanda walked in with Margali.
"These men want to buy our house," Mr. Sefton said.
"Really?" Margali raised an eyebrow.
"Here's an offer you might find interesting," Maxwell handed him a piece of paper. "An estimate of what your property is worth."
"Look I told you…" Mr. Sefton looked at the paper. "Is that a comma or a period?"
"Period," Maxwell grinned.
"Well I suppose it couldn't hurt to think about it," Mr. Sefton said.
"Dad! We can't leave here! All my friends live here! My boyfriend lives here!" Amanda said.
"This idea is sounding better and better," Mr. Sefton thought.
"I'm sorry but this house is not for sale," Margali quickly took the paper from her husband's hands and handed it back to Maxwell.
"But…" Maxwell began.
"Of course, I understand," Aiden spoke. "Sorry to have wasted your time." He took Maxwell by the arm and they moved off.
When they were nearly out of hearing range Maxwell exploded. "What the hell are you doing? I nearly had the father eating out of my hand! It would have been easy to convince…"
"Quiet you fool!" Aiden hissed at Maxwell. "If you had half a nostril working you could smell the magic on 'em a mile away!"
"Magic users?" Maxwell gasped. "Here?"
"I know," Aiden said. "Witches in Bayville are about as likely as wild polar bears in Florida. But they're magic users all right. At least the two females are."
"They could cause trouble for us," Maxwell frowned.
"You think?" Aiden snarled. "Call Maximus. He needs to know and he needs to tell us what to do with 'em."
Margali frowned as she watched the two men leave the house. "Well there goes our once chance to get out of this place…" Mr. Sefton moaned. "Who am I kidding? I'm gonna be stuck here forever!"
"Those weren't normal real estate agents," Margali narrowed her eyes. "Amanda I need you to call your boyfriend. Tell him we're coming over tonight."
"We are?" Mr. Sefton gasped. "Why?"
"Something very bad is coming to Bayville," Margali told them. "Very bad…"