I.

"What the hell was going on out there?" Scott Summers slammed his hands on the desk and glared at the seven teens now standing in front of him. He looked from face to face and took a deep, impatient breath, his question answered with silence. "Someone needs to tell me something within in the next thirty seconds."

"Why don't you ask Frosty?" Jubilee motioned to Emma who sat by the window with a smug expression on her face. Jubilee had never wanted to punch someone as bad as she did now.

Graylon stepped forward and Alicia followed suit. "Mr. Summers, this is probably partially my fault. I came here because I needed help. I suspect that something is happening to one of our old friends in England. There have been a series of events which led us to believe that he and his family could be in some kind of danger. We came to ask for a lift to England on the Blackbird."

He wasn't sure how revealing his entire plan to Scott would abate his anger, but Graylon hoped that Scott would see past the skirmish on the front lawn and give them the benefit of the doubt, which meant that they would get the ride to England on the Blackbird. But the unflinching frown told Graylon that his explanation didn't win Scott over at all.

"We'll talk about your situation later. As for you all fighting the Hellions, just what were you thinking?"

Paige answered through tight lips. "Mr. Summers, I'm not sure if you're fully aware of the situation, but Ms. Frost ordered those Hellion brats to use force to remove Graylon and Alicia off the grounds. When have the X-Men ever used force on civilians? Besides that, it seems they were quite ready to teach us a lesson. We aren't supposed to be fighting each other. I thought that was saved for the hundreds of bad guys that try to take over the world every other day. And don't even get me started on Bobby's attitude. I don't know what's going on around here, but this isn't the X-Men I ever wanted to be a part of."

Paige's words had rushed out so quickly, she had to stop for a breath. She breathed deeply, but the flames of anger kept her from relaxing. She looked back and forth from Scott to Emma, hoping that one of them would say something, anything to dispel her opinion of the situation.

Scott finally moved. He sat down at the chair behind the desk and folded his arms. Though Paige initially thought he was going to reprimand them more, she soon realized that he was thinking about the situation. She remembered their conversation from earlier that morning and hoped that Scott would be sensible.

"Well, I think that—" Emma began, but Scott sat forward on his elbows and spoke.

"We're not here to use force against civilians. And we're definitely not here to fight each other. I'm familiar with the Hellions, and I know they can be rash. I think Logan and Kurt are nearly done servicing the Blackbird. Graylon, you and your posse can go down as see if they can give you a lift." He looked at Jubilee and Paige. "Since you two are inactive right now and if things are as dangerous as he thinks, you two should go with him. Monet, it's up to you whether you go or not. I know you came here for a bit of a break, but they may need your help."

Monet nodded.

Scott, I can't believe you're letting them go. They violated several rules ad their unruly behavior injured one of my students, Emma telepathically said to Scott. Plus, I can't believe you're going to allow them to use the Blackbird.

If your students hadn't attacked them and if Bobby had acted a bit more maturely, I'm sure the situation wouldn't have taken the turn it did. We'll talk about the rest later.

Monet pretended that she hadn't overheard the conversation, but a sharp look from Emma told Monet that she knew.

Before Emma could protest further, Scott dismissed them. They hurried out of the office and into the hallway, where they grabbed their respective bags. When Scott was sure they were out of earshot, he turned to Emma.

"What were your students trying to prove out there?"

Emma sat back casually, which only agitated Scott more. "My students were simply protecting this school. We've had enough public humiliation at the hands of the press. Don't you think it's about time we stopped opening our doors to any and every person that wants to come here."

"They're not just anyone. They're students. And they are always welcome in this mansion. That was the Professor's original intention for this school, and I plan on keeping it that way. Besides, they were your old students."

Emma frowned. "I have a lot more people to worry about, not just some ex-students looking for adventure. Things are dangerous out there. If being cold toward them will get them out of the playing hero mindset, then that's what I'm going to do. I don't want any of my students, new or old to get hurt the way my first students did. To everyone, including you, I probably look like a bitch. Well, that's just the way I am."

With that, Emma stood and strode out of the office, slamming the door behind her. Scott ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. What had happened to them? Had they really lost sight of Professor Xavier's original dream?

Scott pondered it only for a few minutes before a headache crept in. Despite the throbbing behind his eyes, a clear thought broke through the pain. As much as he wanted things to be simple and to go back to the way they were, they never would.

II.

The ex-members of Generation X headed down the hallway, bags in hand, heading towards the express elevator that would take them straight to the Blackbird hangar.

"I don't think I've sever seen him so angry," Jubilee mentioned as they passed several other students in the hallway. They had been silent up to this point, still absorbing and mulling over their run-in with the Hellions and Bobby Drake. Now, Jubilee reflected on Scott's reaction and was amazed that he almost seemed to contradict Emma's attitude about them.

"Sorry about earlier," Graylon apologized. "I don't know why I shot off at Mr. Drake."

Paige replied, "He was upset before he even came outside. You didn't do anything wrong."

"For a change," Jubilee added.

"Being vexed seems to be the perpetual status of the personnel here," Monet commented.

Paige wanted to disagree. She wished that she could argue back and say that Bobby was just having a bad day. If someone had suggested to her before that one of the steadfast members of the X-Men would simply have a bad attitude and attack an ex-student and civilian reporter, Paige would have laughed it off. But now, she didn't know what the X-Men were capable of. And that didn't sit well with her at all.

"It looks like a lot has changed since we were here last," Eric mentioned. "Who were those other kids that attacked us?"

Jubilee made a gagging sound then explained. "Those pukes are like Frosty's pet squad, the Hellions. They're bad news from what I hear, and I'm not surprised she's taken a special interest in them. Her other pet students, the Stepford Cuckoos, totally blew her off and wanted nothing else to do with her."

They went to the same elevator from earlier, but instead of pushing a button, Jubilee input the code that would take them to the hangar.

"Ms. Frost seems to have changed quite a bit too," Jason mentioned.

"That's like a whole other story," Jubilee rolled her eyes.

The seven teens, nearly stuffed into the elevator, feel into a contemplative silence. The situation with Bobby and Emma's reprimand finally seemed to sink in as they arrived at the bottom floor. Each one of them in their own way realized that the X-Men were vastly different from the X-Men they had battled alongside only months ago.

The doors to the elevator slid open with a muffled hiss and the teens found themselves inside a large hangar. Though they had seen it several times before, the Blackbird's magnificence still impressed each of them.

"Stop gawking and move it, kids," Logan stepped from the recesses of the hangar, puffing on a cigar. A could of smoke rose in the air, masking his face until he stepped into the light with a smirk on his face.

"The infamous Wolverine," Alicia smiled. She had only seen articles and news reports on the X-Men and their members. But now, she finally saw the White Queen and Cyclops face-to-face. And, no other reporter could say that they fought against Iceman and the new Hellions. This day was just getting better and better.

"Mr. Summers said you'd give us a lift to England. Easton to be exact," Graylon said.

Logan nodded. "Kurt's in the pilot seat already. Ol' one-eye called us on the intercom. We'll toss your bags in the back." Logan turned and led them into the Blackbird, every bit as magnificent on the inside as on the outside.

Everyone put their bags into a compartment in the back and buckled themselves in after introductions to Kurt.

The plane roared to life as the basketball split in two. Rising slowly out of the hangar, the cockpit and coach area were filled with bright sunlight. Then with a burst of force, they were on their way to England.

III.

After dinner, Michael found himself in the rear grounds of the Cale Estate. Freshly mowed grass, well-kept shrubbery, and unique flowers extended in every direction, making Michael wonder just how much land the Cales owned. But the thought was pushed to the back of his mind as he focused on his attacker.

"So Kai, what exactly is your power?" Michael circled Kai, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. Though he protested having sparring practice, Kai insisted since her usual sparring partner, Sean Rogers, wasn't home yet. Michael agreed to be nice, but then realized that he could be in over his head. Tasha watched from a safe distance near the castle, already cheering and encouraging them to work hard.

Kai replied, "Well, I'm somewhat of a psi too. I can break down mental blocks and inhibitions and bring out the real desires a person wants. I can also block certain areas of the brain, like fear, hatred, pain and the more common ones, like vision, memory, and language. In addition, I can heighten the sensory areas of your brain, making a mere cut feel like an amputation without the anesthesia."

"Interesting," Michael genuinely commented. She had psychic powers too, but hers had a different focus than his and Tasha's. Michael was sure that both he and Tasha could do the things that Kai could do, but she could naturally pinpoint specific brain functions and control them but not focus on the basic elements of her psychic power, such as mind reading and telepathic communication.

"Lucky for me, we're not using powers, right?"

Kai smiled mischievously. "Who ever said that?"

Michael smiled in return. There was something about Kai that ignited his curiosity. She was a pretty girl with her long jet black hair and sharp Asian features. But her confidence and almost flirtatious way of talking made her stand out from anyone Michael knew up to this point.

Michael shrugged. "Your choice then. But your psi attacks won't work on me."

Kai raised her left eyebrow a fraction of an inch. "Who said anything about using it on you? I can break down my own mental barriers to fight at peak condition every time."

Using her abilities on herself? That was pretty ingenious, but before Michael could marvel any more, Kai charged Michael. He stepped back defensively and blocked the beautiful high roundhouse aimed at his head. Kai continued with a barrage of kicks, both mid-level and high, never losing her grace or focus.

Michael used his powers as well to make split second predictions of her next move. He blocked or dodged each kick, even surprising himself at his own fighting prowess. He realized that it had been quite some time since he had found himself in such a tense battle. But he wasn't as rusty as he thought he would be. In fact, maybe he was better than he thought. Or maybe it was the effect of the residual Phoenix tattooed on his soul.

Despite being proud of his own performance in this fight, he was even more impressed with Kai. Her speed and flexibility never waned even for a moment as she advanced with attack after attack. In a real battle, Michael knew she would be a force to be reckoned with.

"Why can't I hit you?" Kai yelled through gritted teeth as Michael blocked a backhand.

"I can predict your every move," Michael smiled, his normally brown eyes now enveloped with a burning blue hue. He could hear Tasha in the background still cheering and gasping with amazement as the two fought.

Kai smiled seductively, "I like an unfair fight."

Michael immediately felt another presence behind him. Someone was going to attack.

He immediately focused and took flight as whips cracked in the spot he was standing. Michael inverted and looked down on his new whip-wielding attacker. The whips weren't whips at all, but tightly wound locks of hair which retracted back to their owner, Godiva Cale.

Michael remembered that Godiva had the unique ability to control her hair. She could lengthen or shorten it at will and psionically control every strand. She stepped behind Kai and placed an arm intimately across Kai's chest. Her hair caressed Kai's face and body.

"Two against one, huh?"

Godiva gave a half-smile, "Now, now. My lover and I operate as one. If you attack her, you attack me as well."

Michael raised an eyebrow. Lover? That's right...he remembered that Kai and Godiva were...intimate partners. Rich had mentioned briefly, but Michael hadn't even thought about it until now. This was the first time that he had heard Godiva and Kai speak of it themselves. Their relationship wasn't a secret, but they didn't flaunt it in front of everyone, which helped people to be much more comfortable with the situation. However, the public was not aware of their relationship. To them, Kai was simply a close friend of the family and trusted confidant to the Cales.

"Well, I think I can handle the both of you. Are you sure that you can handle me?"

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Godiva, I think I like this one. We'll have to tell Rich to bring more of his friends by."

"I agree," she replied.

Rich!

The psychic cry startled the trio and they immediately turned to the house. Tasha ran Rich's side as he half-tumbled out of the back door. She caught him before Rich completely collapsed, but she didn't have a steady hold. She thought they both would fall on the ground, but a soft telekinetic force kept them standing.

Godiva and Kai dashed toward them and helped Rich to a patio chair, where he nearly collapsed.

"He's so weak and pale. Tasha, grab some water and bread from inside," Godiva directed. "Kai, can you call the doctor—"

"No!' Rich croaked out. "I'm not sick. There's some disturbance, evil energy. It's here in Easton."

Godiva took the water from Tasha and tilted Rich's head back, carefully giving him only a few sips. "Just calm down, Rich. You're not making any sense. You haven't eaten in several days."

Rich reluctantly drank some of the water then refused to drink any more. "Listen to me, I'm not crazy. There's something wrong. I don't know how to describe it, but I can feel something evil that just appeared."

"When?" Yvette asked from the doorway. Godiva was surprised that Yvette was so calm and seemed to know exactly what Rich was hinting at.

"Last night."

Yvette frowned.

"What's wrong?" Michael asked.

"There are news reports of the sighting of a strange armored knight that took out several police officers last night. They say that he appeared nearly the same time that an unidentified man apparently fell from the sky. They tried to track the knight, but it suddenly disappeared. I also just got off the phone with Detective Harris and he told me what's going on. But I would rather hear it from you, Rich."

Rich averted his eyes, something that he did when he was trying to be stubborn. "It's none of anyone's concern. I can work though it myself."

"You're not doing a good job of it," Tasha shot. "Rich, we're worried about you and we want to help. But we can't if you won't let us."

"Where is the man that fell from the sky?" Rich abruptly changed the subject.

Yvette shook her head. "Don't worry about it, because you're not going anywhere. Michael and I are accompanying Harris to the hospital. You're going to stay here and explain to your sister, your cousin, and our closest friend why you've shut yourself off from the world. Maybe they'll be less angry with you than I am."

Michael looked from Yvette to Rich and wondered exactly what was going on. As tempted as he was to simply read their minds, he learned that dancing through people's thoughts without their permission was unethical and just plain rude. He figured that Yvette would tell him later on anyways since she volunteered him to go with her to the hospital.

Yvette broke the eye contact with Rich, turned, and retreated back into the castle. Michael gave everyone a puzzled look and a shrug then followed her. Before the night was out, both Michael and Yvette would come face to face with the horror Rich only hinted at.

IV.

"You shouldn't be so angry with him," Grimore stepped in front of Yvette and Michael as they silently strode down the hallway toward the front door of the castle. Michael had been startled by the cat's sudden appearance since he was immune from psychic detection.

He hadn't changed a bit since the last time Michael saw him. Yellow-orange coat, dark green eyes, and a fluffy tail. Though he could have been anyone's cute little cat, he was much more than a domesticated pet.

As Michael later found out, Grimore was the feline form of a family that served alongside the Cale family as protectors of the Earth. They assisted the Cales and served as bodyguards to every generation. Michael didn't know the details, but somehow, he was cursed to a feline form. Though it limited some of his abilities, Grimore gained several others. One of them presumably being immortality or a long life span at least. This same cat had been with the family for several generations.

"Maybe I should be angry with you because I'm sure that you know exactly what's going on," Yvette shot. "What makes you think that I wasn't worried about Rich? That I didn't deserve to know so I could help him? He's helped me through so much, and this is the first time that I could've have been there for him, yet I couldn't because he was too proud to let me in and you were being too loyal to tell me."

Grimore frowned. "Yvette, you are well aware that I cannot directly relay the visions I'm privy to. Bound by the Watcher, I can only guide Rich and all of you. You know why Rich didn't share his situation with you. He didn't want you to worry."

"It's much too late for that, isn't it?"Yvette marched past Grimore without a second glance.

Michael mouthed to Grimore, "What's going on?"

Grimore lowered his voice. "A vast evil has entered this world and is after the Cales."

"But that would mean it's after Rich and Godiva, right?"

"No, there is another. Go to the hospital with Yvette. A piece of the puzzle will be revealed there. Plus, your friend will need your help. Be ready."

Grimore turned and trotted down the hallway.

"Grimore, wait? What do you mean, my friend? What's going on?" The feline didn't respond. Grimore disappeared around a corner without a second glance.

Michael sighed. That was the problem with Grimore's predictions. Maybe it was some curse or maybe he just liked being mysterious, but Grimore never just came out and said what was to come. Instead, it was veiled behind warnings and elusive statements. Michael could understand Yvette's frustration with Grimore. He would give just enough information to make you ask a million questions then leave you high and dry.

Michael sighed again then jogged to catch up to Yvette. "I can see why you're so aggravated with Grimore. I don't want him not to tell us what's going on, but then again, I feel more confused now than I did before."

Yvette sighed, her anger giving way to fatigue. "I've just been so worried about Rich. I just wish I would've known what he was going through."

"Yvette, what's going on?"

Yvette stopped walking and turned to Michael, her expression pensive. "You know that when Rich came to the school, his parents had passed away."

"Yeah, it was several years before he came to the school. What does that have to do with now?"

"Rich's parents didn't just pass away. They were murdered right here in this castle. And Rich, he saw his parents after they had been killed. Michael, he saw their bodies. It must have been horrible. Anyways, when Harris called me a few minutes ago, he alerted me to the appearance of the knight and the strange man."

Michael followed the story up to the point where Yvette interjected in the knight and man. "I don't understand how the two relate."

"Harris has received reports that the man that appeared has been identified as Thomas Cale."

"Another Cale?" Michael instantly remembered Grimore's vague prediction.

"Thomas Cale is Rich's grandfather, but he disappeared thirty years ago. And in only two days, the ten-year anniversary of his parents' death will pass."

Everything suddenly became clear for Michael. Now, he understood why Rich had been acting so strangely. But if the knight and his grandfather had appeared suddenly, there was something much bigger going on than they realized.

"That's what's been bothering Rich," Michael said to Yvette. "Remembering that horrible day of his parents' death. I'm no warlock by any means, but usually the tenth and hundredth anniversary of events are important in rituals and whatnot."

"It may just be coincidence, but Harris isn't so sure. And neither am I."

Michael nodded in agreement. "I think we need to get to the hospital fast. Grimore said something about the knight being after another Cale. If that man is actually his long-lost grandfather then that knight may be after him. And I have the feeling that something may have already happened there."

"Let's hope not. Harris should be here in a few minutes. The hospital is about forty-five minutes from here."

As if on cue, Detective Randall Harris strode into foyer area followed closely by Sean Rogers. Yvette quickly introduced the two of them to Michael.

Reflexively, Michael glazed over both their minds to ensure that there wasn't something amiss. The scan gave him plenty of insight into the two gentlemen standing in front of them.

Sean Rogers was deaf and had been so since as early as he could remember. Sean was also mute. Both of these ailments were a result of a severe sickness he had when he was younger. Even though he could not hear, he had trained himself to be able to feel the different vibrations created by sound. It was so keen that he could understand and put together the sounds and understand words and conversations. In addition, his sense of sight, touch, and taste were well above the average person and he found that he could do something no one else could.

Sean could absorb the sound around him to create a void of silence. That sound could be re-amplified through him and projected as pure energy.

As he grew older, school became harder, but he finished. He found that the best way to make a living was to be a private investigator. He used his power to effectively sneak into buildings and follow people, making him very successful.

His ability, coupled with his martial arts training, and a handy weapon in the form of a chain made him a formidable foe against anyone.

As for Randall Harris, he was a single thirty-five year old working with the Easton Police Department. He had worked with the department about fifteen years now and was their lead detective. Well known for his tenacity, hard-nosed attitude, and his excessive force tactics, Harris had defined himself as an asset to the success of the police force. Opting to remain a detective, Harris continued to crack the hardest cases that other officers couldn't figure out.

But Harris had a well guarded secret. He was a mutant. Michael couldn't fully define his mutant ability though. It seemed to be some kind of adaptive type of mutation, which meant that he could develop abilities suited to whatever situation he ran into. But Harris had some constant abilities, such as enhanced agility, strength, dexterity, vitality, endurance, and speed. Such abilities like night vision, claws, wings, and other monstrous mutations were variable and could be summoned at any time. Michael wasn't really sure what kind of a mutant he was, but it was evident that Harris was dangerous.

Both Harris and Sean worked closely with Rich and his family. Michael was impressed with the fact that Rich had surrounded himself with some powerful friends, who not only wielded dangerous mutant powers but had a good head on their shoulders. But Michael wouldn't have expected any less.

Detective Randall Harris gave Michael a curt nod then turned to Yvette. "Are you ready to go?"

Yvette nodded. "This is Michael McNeal. He attended Xavier's too. He's coming with us to the hospital."

Harris's natural frown deepened. "Does he know what's going on?"

Michael waved his hands and scowled. "Hey, I'm right here. And yes, I'm fully aware of what's going on."

Harris sized Michael up then, obviously not impressed, said, "We don't need anyone getting in the way."

Michael met Harris with a challenging glare. Who the hell did he think he was? Of course, it was that hard-nosed cop attitude coming out. Even though Michael knew exactly what it was, he still didn't like it. But before Michael could ask him, Yvette stepped in.

"Harris, relax. Michael's more than capable of handling himself. And he's a nice guy."

Despite Yvette's attempt to liven the situation, Michael frowned. He wished that Yvette would just give him five minutes to give Harris a piece of his mind. Michael knew that before the day was over, he and Harris would have words. Harsh words.

Harris impatiently glanced at his watch and shrugged. "Fine. Let's go. I'm driving." Harris spun on his heel and strode back toward the front door. Sean fell in behind him and Yvette and Michael slowly followed.

Yvette leaned in to Michael and whispered, "Harris is a really good guy. He's just a little rough around the edges."

"Yeah, just like a certain royal pain in the ass I know," Michael replied, referring to Rich.

Yvette was caught off guard and let out a snicker. "Now, now. He's a sweet royal pain that I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Michael smiled. Despite his comment, he had a lot of respect for Rich. Not only because he was royalty in England, but he had so much responsibility placed on his shoulders at an early age. Yet, he handled all of it with grace and maturity. Michael wondered if he would've been able to do the same thing.

Once outside, Michael noticed the blue sky, bowing gracefully to a dusky evening. They quickly piled in the car and Harris sped from the castle.

Though on the surface, all of them expected everything to be fine, underneath it all, everyone's nerves were on edge, wondering just what they were going to find when they got to the hospital.

Notes:

Angel: Thanks for the review. Man, this story is getting no love from the masses. As you see, Jubilee, Monet, and Paige are off to England. And believe me, they will get their fair share of action!

Richard B. Sampson Jr.: Hey, it's been a while since you reviewed! And it's been a while since I posted. Anyways, we talked about some changes a while ago, and I think I came to a good compromise (i.e. Godiva and Kai's relationship and Michael's reaction and some of the other smaller details). You'll have to let me know what you think of the chapter.