Author's note: Just got back from the beach. I feel so mellow. Steady. Sorry this chap took so long, it was supposed to be up last week but my comp went ahead and committed suicide. I want to surf…
Previously on…
The Astonishing X-Men are a team of mutants, led by CYCLOPS and EMMA FROST, who fight to protect a world that has long feared and hated them. Their recent rise in popularity though, thanks in part to their recent ream-ups with the celebrity/superhero team Fantastic Four, as well as the trendy new lease on what people call "Mutant Culture", have made their lives all the more bearable. The resurrection of their long dead teammate COLOSSUS, has also improved their morale.
On the morning of September eleven, the world was horrified to witness the fall of the Two Towers, the result of two passenger airplanes getting commandeered directly into them. The death toll was flew past the thousands. After recognizing that it was an act of terrorism, the American Government and her close allies, have decided to wage a war on Terror. This was four years ago. The War on Terror still rages on.
When an American brigade find themselves under heavy attack from Iraqi guerilla, one of them, CHRISTIAN LEWIS, suddenly begins to feel the thoughts and emotions of every one surrounding him. Unable to take the enormous strain, he sees a glimpse of four women covered in blood red burkas, right before uncontrollably releasing a psychic shockwave that kills everyone in a four hundred mile radius.
When Emma Frost and SCOTT SUMMERS are contacted by the CIA regarding the problem, they remain conservative as to whether or not they should investigate the case. They spend the evening to argue about whether or not to go, even though Scott and Emma are the only ones who knew about the offer. All the while, the women in burkas are plotting to change the world, and they plan to use Cerebra to do it…
Chapter 4: "Slowly Getting There"
"I'm going to kill them!" Nicky Fury slammed his fist onto his desk in aggravation. "And I'm going to kill you for telling me! And then, then I'm going to your house, and I'm going to shoot your dog!" he further snapped, pointing menacingly at the middle-aged operative who stood in nervous attention in front of him.
"Careful, Fury, you're eye patch is starting to wobble loose again." Interrupted a cold, female voice, thankfully enough, before the operative could soil himself out of trepidation. "And we know how well that went the last time."
"Co-director Hill…" Fury greeted, rubbing the bridge of his nose as a signal for his distaste of the woman. Fury was too annoyed at her to acknowledge the fact that testicular fortitude aside, she was a very beautiful woman. Though her jet black hair was cut short, it still didn't detract from the feminine features of her face. Not to mention that she preferred to wear leather to the office, which usually leave little room for the imagination. Besides, rumor has it that she had a thing for the Black Widow.
"The X-Men have been causing quite a stir lately." She remarked, as she signaled for the operative to leave them alone. He eagerly complied. "Their recent involvement with the superhero hijinks, especially that one time they tag-teamed with the Fantastic Four to take on the Brood…have given them a rather marked boost in popularity."
"Thank you for telling me that. I never even knew." Fury sarcastically retorted.
"They're capturing the people's imagination. And since it's your department in charge of watching them, I do hope you have a plan to deter them from doing anything stupid. We can't risk another superhero team wanting to step out of the mold and start tackling problems about diplomacy and international relations."
"I can take care of my own problems co-director." Fury immediately responded, sitting back down on his leather chair, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"You could just call me ma'am, make it easier." Co-Director Hill teased, leaning forward on his table.
"Or I could call you by how everyone else does, but that would risk getting a boot to the testicles…"
"That's so charming. I hope you exercise that degree of chivalry when I get to be full time director."
"Uh…don't you have a militant, splinter cell to worry about? You know, the renegade soldiers who were working under your nose all along? How goes that?"
"…I'll see be seeing you later, Fury."
"You really don't have to co-director. Ever." Fury responded, as he watched the unwelcome woman leave. Even though he hated to admit it, he knew that she had a point. The X-Men were public figures now, and their public statements, supposing they do have the support of a strong following, could prove to be extremely dangerous. "…They're doing it…they're actually going to do it.
Faculty Lounge/Last Night
"Let us vote." Peter declared. "The team over the individual. That is how the professor always trained us. Now, let us apply it."
"…Okay, guys…" Kitty stepped up. "Those of you who want to show the world that we can actually make a difference…fix this broken world…raise your hand." And as such, she was the first to do so. Peter was not shy about raising his as well, even though it was clear to the world that he only did so for the benefit of the young X-Woman.
"War…it's been a long time." Logan tilted his head and followed suit. Emma turned to Scott, and looked at him in silence. Scott took a deep breath.
'This is insane!" Henry protested, prompting the three to lower their hands and groan. "Any super human involvement with matters like this could only lead to disaster! We don't need escalation! And Logan, you've been to war! You know what it's like, how could you just sit Kitty and encourage her like this?"
"Because the world can't live without war, Hank." Logan retorted. "And besides, if you happened to forget, meta-humans have been going to war ever since a little guy named Captain America showed up."
"Yeah, I remember, I also remember that he had an underage sidekick who he led to the frontlines and never came back!" Henry shot back. "You want the same thing to happen to Kitty?"
"Oh my God, don't you dare make me an excuse, Hank!" Kitty snapped. "I may have the smallest body count here, but that doesn't mean I don't know how to fight…!"
"Kid's right." Logan defended. "The only thing these guys have are AKs and second-hand RPGs. Do you really think that either of those could hurt a girl who cold phase through solid? And who also happens to have a fire-breathing dragon as a pet? Or a guy who can turn into steel, and break through stone with his bare hands? Hell, this won't be a war, it'll be a goddamned invasion."
"Enough." Scott interrupted, forcing them to turn and face her. "You bicker worse than the students." He then scolded, as he proceeded to stand. "This discussion is over. Emma and I have seniority in this team."
"…" Logan rolled his eyes.
"That means you take orders from us."
"…" Kitty shook her head for the inevitable disappointment.
"And we just made the decision."
Xavier Institute, Auditorium/Now/13:00
"I'm sure everyone's heard the news." Emma started, as she stood behind a podium, overlooking the student body. Behind her, sitting on wooden chairs, were the rest of the senior staff. And behind them was proudly emblazoned the insignia of the X-Man. "But for those of who you who need to hear it from the mother's mouth, then here it is. The X-Men are going to Iraq." The students exchanged glances between each other, some worried, a few overjoyed, and a small number seemingly indifferent. "And seeing that any super human or mutant involvement could escalate the danger of the war, we shall be only going as an investigative unit. We will not be directly participating in any way. Also seeing as how some of our young telepaths can't seem to keep information to themselves…yes, the tragic event two ago days was caused by a mutant telepath."
Emma stopped for a moment to lick her lips, before going on. "He or she underwent some sort of psychic spike that forced a complete mental shutdown in more than a four hundred mile radius. A lot of people died. The mutant who caused this however…is still alive, and is being kept hidden from us, either by a judicious application of telepathy, or some very high-tech machinery. The type that Governments usually carry. Either way, we will find our mysterious mutant. And we will hold him, or her, answerable, should it be proven that the massacre perpetrated was an intentional act."
"…" Kitty surveyed the students with her eyes in silence. It made her a little self-conscious that a lot of the young mutants stared back at her, their eyes quizzical; giving her a hint that it would be a busy day for her as the school guidance counselor.
"Any questions? Suggestions? Violent reactions?" Emma asked, as she scanned the sea of youth before her. "None? Good. We will be leaving first thing tomorrow morning. Miss Pryde will be free until five in the afternoon to hear any concerns you may have." Kitty turned to look at the headmistress, whose attention remained fixed on the students. "While we're gone, we expect the best behavior from each and every one of you. Should any of you wish to begin a riot in our absence just to make a name for yourself, please be reminded that the last student who did so is now a puddle of swirling atoms, currently trapped in the basement. Do have a nice day."
Cerebra/13:10
It was an intimidating chamber, to say the least. A round room, filled with light blue panels, and a small bridge that extended right to its middle. In this room was housed on of the universe's most potent weapons, a device which could access any mind, limited to only the ability of the user. The Stepford Cuckoos, three identical, blonde, beautiful sisters, wielded Cerebra with little difficulty. For the past two days, they've taken it upon themselves to trace the whereabouts of the mysterious mutant who caused the massive telepathic shutdown. They are becoming a little frustrated. With the entire world nothing but bright lights, they encountered more difficulty than they would ever admit as to ascertaining where the mutant was. "This is pointless." Mindee remarked.
"I agree." Phoebe, who stood behind her, responded. "They are leaving in less than twenty-four hours, chances are, and they'll have more luck tracking our mutant down when they're actually there."
"Well, they're still here, Phoebe." Celeste responded, as she continued to scan the face of the Earth, using Cerebra. "And since we have nothing better to do…"
"I miss my boyfriend." Mindee commented, clearly wanting to be somewhere else at the moment.
"You just spent the whole morning with him." Phoebe replied.
"Only in his mind…" Mindee quickly pretested.
"Both of you concentrate!" Celeste suddenly snapped.
"What are- -" in an instant, the eyes of the three sisters lit up with light blue energy. Telepathy, in its most basic form, was the ability to manipulate the mind by attuning oneself to the same frequency that the electronic pulses in the brain emit. Over time, and extreme practice, a telepath could discover a wide spectrum of frequencies that they could learn to manipulate. Including electronic wavelengths. In an instant, every plugged television in the school automatically turned themselves on, each one tuned to the same channel.
Auditorium/13:14
Emma turned to her back, just in time to find the holographic projector turn on, covering the X-Insignia hat was on the wall. The rest of the senior faculty did as well, standing up from their chairs in order to do so. "What on Earth?" Kitty furrowed her brows as the static image gave way to an image of a woman. A woman covered in a burqa that was darker than blood. Her eyes were bright green, showing a silent ferocity that could put a stop to the most courageous of men. Behind her stood three others, each one wearing the same, with the only difference being that their eyes were covered by a net.
"Oh, dear…" a sudden wave of emotion began to bombard Emma, forcing her to concentrate just not to break down in front of the television screen.
"Murderers.Rapists. Infidels." The woman started, her voice in a toner as menacing as humanly possible. "We have watched idly for too long, as you spread across our land, polluting our rivers, blackening our sky. You violate everything we hold dear in the name of your precious freedom. Enough. We are the Ring of Fatima… the daughters of destiny, and we will no longer stand by as you subordinate our people to your blasphemous ways. The blood of a thousand men is already on our hands. And we will not stop until the land is cleansed of sickness. God has given us the gifts to carry out His will. We are mutants. And we will show you what it means to be your superior. It is time for the tide to turn, pigs. It is time for us to kill you all." Then as quick as it came, the image gave way to blind static.
"…" Scott bit his lower lip, and slowly turned to the shocked student body. "Okay… nobody panic."
War Room/14:00
The sound of trumpets played with subtlety in the background, an endless expanse of light blue that helped the X-Men calm their nerves. With the Danger Room currently out of commission, the team needed to find a place where they could easily discuss sensitive matters in private. Emma' mind was one such place. "Crazy jihad? It's nothing new." Logan muttered as he rested comfortably against a white chair that floated beside a couch of the same color.
"Nothing new indeed." Emma responded, sitting, as usual, beside Scott. "Just be reminded that bad things happening because of 'crazy jihads' are nothing new either."
"This is wrong." Kitty whispered, as she sat opposite the headmistress.
"Oh? What makes you say so? Was it the part where they hinted at being responsible for the death of a thousand men, or that they're planning to kill us all, too?" Emma sarcastically retorted.
"I meant it didn't sound right, Miss Frost." Kitty immediately rebutted, keeping her nerves cool. "It sounded…the way she spoke, it was…too…"
"Forced." Peter surmised, finishing Kitty's statement for her.
"They did sound like they came from a bad Uwe Boll movie, but that doesn't mean we can't hold them to their word…" Henry noted. Emma raised her eyebrow. "First of all, Henry, you don't need to make any distinction about Uwe Boll's movies. They're all bad. Secondly, I agree. We can't let a case of them employing a witless scriptwriter impede the gravity of the situation. When they went on the air, I felt their power. I felt what they could do. And it's nothing to be calm about."
"Besides. They called us out. A group of wild mutants are taking responsibility for this disaster. We need to do something to make things right, before the world begins to blame all of us for something three or four people did. If we stop them from doing anything stupid, then we can at least salvage the situation." Scott commented.
"Didn't know you cared so much about humanity, slim." Logan retorted.
"Scott's right." Henry chided. "This could be a major setback for human and mutant prosperity."
"So, when do we leave?" Kitty asked. "Because frankly, the whole sitting here and talking about it is just getting dull."
"On a side note, how exactly do we get there?" Henry inquired. "The X-Jet is under repair after it trying to kill us and all, and it's not like we can just teleport all the way to Iraq. Not to mention we'd be breaking some international laws…"
"We have it covered." Scott responded. Kitty frowned. "Covered?"
"Government's going to fund us on this thing." Scott responded.
"What do you mean fund?" Kitty then asked. "Since when?"
"Someone seems to hold the same interests at heart." Scott replied.
"And here she comes now." Emma noted, as she gazed into some far off distance.
Xavier Institute, Front Lawn/13:15
Cady Mitchell narrowed her eyes as she peered though the closed gates. As a field trainee, it was one of her duties to make sure that no one was to pass through the front gates unless they were supposed to. And thanks to her telepathy, though limited compared to most other students, she usually does a good job. But there was something about the jet black limousine slowly heading her way that made her feel uneasy. It was as if the trees warped behind it, trying to move out of its way. Cady brushed a strand of her short, red hair from her face, as she took a cautionary step back, while the vehicle pulled up right in front of the gates.
"Uh…" Cady licked her lips and pressed her palm against a small panel against the one of the pillars that held the gates. It was a device designed to project a small hologram that could open the lines of communication between the gate attendant and the visitors, should they approach in a vehicle.
"It's quite alright, Ms. Mitchell." Emma telepathically declared, feeling the trainee's discomfort as she watched her from inside the headmaster's office. Cady lowered her hand and turned to the direction of the school. "I've already told Mr. Darren to open the gates. Now, be a dear and head to Cerebra. My girls will instruct you what to do next."
"Yes ma'am." Cady whispered, as she stood by for the gates to open, allowing the limousine to enter. And as she saw her image reflect against the windows while the vehicle passed, she began to feel her stomach churn. There was something dark inside. Something she did not want to be a part of.
Administration Building/13:15
"I find something odd." Emma noted as she and Scott began to make their way to the main lobby. "Last night, when we had our…dialogue with the team. I sensed Logan flash back to a memory where he talked to that Jessica Drew woman."
"You mean Spider-Woman? The New Avenger?" Scott stopped for a moment as he opened the door that led to the main stairway. "What about it?"
"I think Agent Drew mentioned that it was only the higher-ups who even know that a telepath caused the spike." Emma declared, as she began to descend the staircase, with Scott immediately behind her. "From what I understand, basic S.H.I.E.L.D. clearance is already on par with most high-level government officials." She further elaborated, midway down the wooden staircase.
"Yeah. And S.H.I.E.L.D. hierarchy goes up about ten levels above presidential clearance."
"Exactly. So, this woman, I ask you, this woman, this Lilah Graham, who does not happen to work for S.H.I.E.L.D, who as far as we know does not even approach presidential clearance…just how important is she to know about all this?"
"Well…well, she is a telepath. You said everyone felt the spike, right?"
"But not everyone knew the exact location where it happened, Scott."
"…well, whatever the case, we can't back down now."
"Bugger all then." Emma took a deep breath as she and Scott reached the ground floor. They could feel the limousine rounding up the rotunda, just in time for them to open the main door.
Lilah stepped out of her limousine with the aid of her chauffeur, flinching slightly as the sun hit her eyes. "Thank you, Simon." She whispered, as her chauffeur, a handsome brown-haired young man dressed entirely in black, closed the door after her. "The school for the gifted…" she then muttered to herself, her eyes lighting with what looked like hunger, right before the door opened to welcome them in. "Ms. Graham." Scott greeted, politely extending his hand to the woman, who immediately shook it in earnest. "Please, call me Lilah." She commented, giving him a smile so bright that it could win her an election. "Miss Frost." She then greeted.
"Let's keep it formal." Emma commented, as she shook Lilah's hand in a perfunctory manner. "One of the students should direct your chauffeur as where to park."
"Please, come in." Scott then offered, taking a step back so that the woman could accede. "The rest of the team is already in the conference room. They're pretty interested with what you have to say."
"Very well. Lead the way, Mr. Summers." Lilah then responded, taking a second to look around the main lobby before following Scott through the den. Emma allowed them to take a few steps ahead, as she turned her head as if to talk to someone in the air. "Is everyone there yet, girls?"
Cerebra/13:16
"Cady Mitchell just arrived. We feel she's terribly spooked." The Three-in-one telepathically responded, right as Cady stepped in to join them in the chamber. "Something about that Graham woman rubs all of us the wrong way. She is obviously evil. Shouldn't we be morally obligated to just make her brain explode?"
"Now, now girls. We shouldn't off a rather well-dressed official of the CIA in our own home. It would cause quite the scandal. Besides, I'll be watching her the entire tim, not to mention that our more…private facilities have been locked up for the duration of her visit. Now, be good dears and begin the pulse." Emma silently replied as she began to make her way to the conference room. "We wouldn't want anyone listening in…"
"Very well then." Celeste closed her eyes and put Cerebra on. Mindee and Phoebe stood silently behind her, all three of them wearing their specialized silver gear. The five other psychics stood on light blue hover disks as not to clog the narrow bridge. All of them wore the generic blue and yellow outfit which were given to them the moment they entered senior year. "Alright…let's take a look, shall we?" The Three-in-one asked. "Huh. There are two radars, five recording devise…and an entire telepathic unit quite ready to eavesdrop on the faculty's little talk." Celeste's eyes opened, revealing nothing but white. "Let's make them regret it." After a second's concentration the eight telepaths sent out a massive psychic chaff, effectively surrounding the institute in unsurpassable static.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier/13:17
"What the bloody f#ck?" Nick Fury nearly jumped back in surprise when all the monitors on the gigantic panel in front of him, the ones that focused on the X-men's mansion, suddenly lost their image.
"We lost transmission sir!" one of the agents working the console reported.
"Really? You must have earned a medal for such acute senses!" Fury sarcastically retorted.
"Recording devices are out too!" another agent declared. "They've blinded us!"
"Holy hell…" Fury slapped his forehead in frustration. "What in God's name or those mutants up to?"
Chapter 4, End
Next Chapter – Where the ball gets rolling, new people are introduced, subtle hints are dropped, and there will be a cliffhanger for once.
Author's note: There you had it. Sunburn sucks. Hope you review, it's really easy to do. Chow.