Revenge of the Shadow King
"It was awful," Jean shuddered as Scott handed her some cocoa. "I never felt anything like that."
"It was like some one scratched their nails on a very loud chalkboard," Betsy said. "And then hit you on the head with it."
"Boy you psychics are really on edge," Ray noticed. All the X-Men were up that morning. They were all reacting to the previous night's events. Every mutant with psychic ability was shaken.
"It's not just the psychics," Logan noticed. Ororo was pacing back and forth by the window. He walked over to her. "Whatever happened to the psychics happened to you too didn't it?"
"Is it that obvious?" Ororo sighed.
"I've only seen you this jumpy once before," Logan admitted. "And that was when that Hungan character was trying to take over your brain."
"It feels like that's what's going to happen again," Ororo admitted. "Only…It's a force much more powerful."
Xavier wheeled in with a grave look on his face. "You were right. He has returned."
"Goddess no…" Ororo went white. "Not the Shadow King!"
"I could feel his presence in this world like a hammer to the brain," Xavier's eyes narrowed. "We are all in very grave danger."
"Who's this Shadow King?" Scott asked. "And why has it got you and Storm all worked up?"
"It's a very long story…" Ororo sighed as she sat down. "Both Charles and I encountered him in our youth. When my sister and I lost our parents, we were both forced to survive by stealing on the streets of Cairo."
"You were homeless in a strange country?" Tabitha blinked. "I didn't know that."
"There is much you don't know about me," Ororo gave her a weak smile. "The man who ruled our lives, in fact the lives of nearly every citizen in Cairo was a man named Amahl Farouk who many believed was some sort of sorcerer. In reality he was a powerful mutant with extreme telepathic abilities. He was the crime lord of the city. He called himself the Shadow King and all the street children were forced to do his bidding. Many times we were forced to risk our lives to satisfy his greed. Many of my friends did not survive."
"So what happened?" Jean asked.
"I guess you could call it fate," Ororo made a slight grin at Xavier. "One day I picked the pocket of a young soldier who happened to have psychic abilities."
"You?" Scott was surprised as he looked at Xavier.
"Yes, although this was long before Ororo's mutant abilities had appeared," Xavier nodded. "Using my powers I managed to track Ororo to Farouk. Needless to say I was appalled at how he used his powers to control and manipulate people. When I refused to join his criminal empire, Farouk saw me as a threat. I will never forget that battle. It was a battle between two telepaths, something I had never encountered before. In the end I was forced to use a fatal psychic bolt against him."
"You killed him?" Jean's eyes widened.
"Only his body," Xavier explained. "His mental powers were so great his mind could exist outside of it. He attempted to take over my body but I was able to banish him to another plane of existence where he could do no harm, hopefully forever."
"Is that how you came to the Institute?" Kurt asked Ororo.
"No, shortly after Farouk's death my sister and I left Cairo and wandered Africa until we came to my mother's village," Ororo shook her head. "We did not meet again until years later. Needless to say we both thought our days of being controlled by the Shadow King were over. We believed he would be trapped in the Astral Plane forever."
"The what now?" Tim asked.
"The Astral Plane is like another dimension within a dimension," Xavier explained. "It is where all thoughts, memories, dreams and fantasies are thought to exist. Nearly all telepaths are able to access it. But few can truly experience it."
"And now this guy broke out somehow and he wants revenge?" Logan asked.
"Precisely," Xavier folded his fingers. "It will not be long before he attacks us. I suspect he is planning something."
The doorbell rang. "That's my sister," Ororo sighed as she went to answer the door. "I told her to come here."
What she wasn't prepared for was who she brought with her. "Hello Auntie O," Evan said as he walked in without his spikes, wearing the Massachusetts Academy uniform.
"Evan?" Ororo's eyes widened. "You're…"
"Another perk of being at the Massachusetts Academy," Evan told her. "They give me a serum to help me control my powers."
"Ororo," Vi sighed and gave her sister a hug. Ororo weakly hugged back. "Carl's at work. I told him not to come. I had to bring Evan with me. He said…"
"Don't worry Mom," Evan put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll explain to them."
"Why don't you take Mrs. Daniels to the kitchen?" Ororo asked Jamie. "Evan and I need to…Talk."
They waited until Mrs. Daniels was gone before anyone else spoke. "My mom filled me in on the whole Shadow King story. I know I'm not exactly welcome here," Evan said with an edge to his voice. "But considering the circumstances I thought it would be best if I came."
"So she doesn't know anything about the Hellions or your little 'field trips'?" Rogue asked bitterly.
"No, and I'd appreciate it if you kept that information quiet," Evan glared at her.
"You're just lucky I care enough about your mother not to tell her about all the things you've done!" Ororo glared at him.
"Not that she would believe you anyway," Evan told her. "Besides you people aren't exactly all that innocent either. You should take some sage advice and not stir things up."
Ororo tensed. Xavier's eyes widened. Logan frowned. Only Jean and Betsy seemed to notice something had transpired but most of the other X-Men were too angry with Evan to see it.
"Oh no," Tabitha folded her arms. "Just cause you nearly killed me that's no reason we can't all be friends!"
"To be fair I was trying to skewer Cyclops here," Evan growled and pointed at Scott. "And only because Empath gave me a push."
"Did he give you a push when you offed Spears?" Rogue asked.
"You people are never going to let go of that are you?" Evan snapped.
"Well betrayal does tend to stick in your craw," Rogue told him.
"Oh look who's talking…" Evan threw up his hands.
"That's enough," Xavier interrupted. "Right now we have bigger problems."
"I know. That's why I've also brought some help," Evan sighed.
"What kind of help?" Logan raised an eyebrow and sniffed. "Oh no…"
"Well it looks like I've returned to this lunatic asylum sooner than I anticipated," Emma Frost gracefully strode in.
"YOU!" Ororo growled. "What is she doing here?"
"I've started to sell Avon door to door," Emma said sarcastically. "I have some lovely foundation that would hide that shade of green on your face, Storm."
"You have no right being in this house," Ororo's eyes flashed.
"Yeah especially after that stunt you pulled the last time we crossed paths!" Kitty spoke up.
"And the time before that," Tabitha added. "And the time before that…"
"Ms. Frost is the best telepath the Massachusetts Academy has," Evan stood up for her.
"You can't possibly expect us to work with her!" Scott snapped.
"Oh like the X-Men has never worked with their enemies before?" Evan asked sarcastically. He indicated Peter and Remy.
"Listen X-Men," Emma growled. "I'm not exactly thrilled about this either. But even I can't ignore the threat of the Shadow King. The Hellfire Club had dealings with him a long time ago and barely survived. My mission is to help you put him back into that psychic prison once and for all. So let's try not to kill each other shall we?"
"She's right," Xavier admitted. "It's going to take every bit of psychic power we have to defeat him. All this time in the Astral Plane has made him stronger. We have no choice but to work together."
"Fine but I'm watching you," Logan growled at Emma.
"Oh dear me," Emma drawled. "There goes any chance of me stealing your secrets. Oh wait, you don't have any. They've all been broadcast on the six o'clock news!"
"Listen you two bit…" Logan flashed his claws at her.
"Yes, please do threaten me," Emma reverted to her diamond form. "Typical X-Men mentality. Your first response to any situation you are uncomfortable with is violence."
"Don't start anything Frost…" Ororo growled.
"Especially without your little pep squad to watch your back," Logan added.
"I don't need to start anything," Emma growled back. "But believe me I will finish it! I don't need my students to…"
"I said that's enough!" Xavier shouted. "Like it our not we have to work together. It's the only way any of us will survive."
"None of you will survive…"
They turned towards the sound. Vi was standing there, her eyes glowing a deep purple. She held and unconscious Jamie in her hand. "Hello Xavier, long time no see…"
"The Shadow King…" Xavier realized too late what had happened.
"VI!" Ororo shouted. "NO! But how…?"
"I managed to find her as soon as I escaped the Astral Plane," The Shadow King spoke. "I knew if I possessed her body it would allow me easy access to all my enemies. Surprised? I may have been locked away on the Astral Plane but that didn't stop me from being able to monitor current events."
"MOM!" Evan shouted.
"He's possessed her," Emma frowned.
"That's right my dear Emma," The Shadow King gave a deep hoarse laugh. "Ah a representative of the Hellfire Club, my former apprentices and the man who condemned me to the Astral Plane all in the same place."
"Don't forget us!" Scott moved a hand to his visor.
"Are you crazy?" Evan blocked his way. "You'll hit my mom!"
"Indeed…" The Shadow King laughed. "I suppose I should thank you Charles. In a strange way, you made me even more powerful than I could have ever dreamed! Let me show you…"
Suddenly everything around them went black. The room seemed to spin around and around faster and faster until it stopped suddenly. When it did they found themselves in a strange dark world with pale purple white walls that were transparent and endless rooms and corridors. "Where the hell are we?" Tim looked around.
"Are we where I think we are?" Jean was shocked.
"Yes…" Emma told her. "Somehow our physical beings have been transported to the Astral Plane."
"Not just us," Kurt noted. "Some of this furniture looks familiar."
"Incredible…" Hank looked around. "It seems that the Shadow King is able to manipulate the Astral Plane itself."
"Meaning…?" Bobby asked.
"Somehow he has managed to yank a part of the Astral Plane through the created tear and engulf is in it," Hank told him.
"So the entire mansion is like stuck in another dimension?" Kitty's jaw dropped.
"A rather simplistic explanation but yes, I fear that is the case," Hank nodded.
"I am going to enjoy every minute of this!" The Shadow King laughed as Vi's body flew into the air holding Jamie. "But before I destroy you completely let's have a little game of hide and go seek! With this young one as the prize!"
"NO!" Xavier shouted as they disappeared.
Coming up next: The X-Men, trapped in the Astral Plane are forced to fight the Shadow King! What will happen next? Tune in to find out!