Disclaimer: I do not in any way, shape, or form own X-Men, X-Men: Evolution, or their characters; all of it belongs to Marvel Comics and their individual creators. The characters of Stacey Lofton and Vicki Byrne belong to Stacey Lofton (read our Evo/PotC crossover story on her name!). Aliana LeBeau belongs to Aliana LeBeau. Mithra Gale belongs to stormelle. I reserve the rights to this fiction, its story line, Leila Stone, Leonora Traviata, Carolyn Darjay, Niccolò Traviata, Pricilla Kenes, Christopher Swainison/Meltdown, Toby McGrath/Phantom, Karl Angler/Armour, and Glint.

A/n: 11 Chapters! Whoot! I never really expected myself to actually get this far, I guess school is good for something though, right? Anyways, I hope the last chapter wasn't too hard to understand for you. This one is hopefully better. Anyways, enjoy this instalment!

Confessions of a Future Past

Chapter 11: Stormy Weather

2015

"What're you doing home?" Stacey asked as Lelia walked into the apartment. She was sitting on the couch with her laptop on her legs and a plate of half-eaten pizza on the table in front of her.

"Running really late. Jamie's going to pick me up here. Let him in will you?" the redhead quickly explained as she hurried to her room.

"Sure," Stacey agreed then returned to typing her article on the new senatorial candidate, Angela Wainright and her involvement in that morning's press conference disaster. Once her fingers started clicking on the keys again a muffled voice came from down the hallway, interrupting her thoughts.

"So, did you see Cole?"

"Yeah, I stopped in real quick, but we didn't stay there long. He was on his way out to hear some speech. I didn't catch the speaker's name, but he was good. And I mean really good. The whole speech was pro-mutant too. We caught up with the guy afterwards and offered him a chance at politics and other public speaking. He turned us down at first, but he said he'd think more on the speaking debut. I'm going to try and get this guy as the main speaker for the cause."

"Seriously? That's fabulous Stace!" Ghost's excited cries echoed down the hallway.

"What's so fabulous?" A voice said as the front door opened. A woman with deep green eyes and bouncing brown curls walked in and closed the door behind her.

"Stacey found a forerunner for her revolution," Lelia answered.

"It's not a full-blown revolution," Stacey corrected.

"Not yet," Lelia said as she emerged from her bedroom in a more casual, yet still dressy outfit of a blue and turquoise peasant top and crème pants.

"Stacey, you're my hero just for trying," Aliana complimented, "An' Miss Lelia, what are you doin' home? I thought you had a date tonight?"

"You two act like you're trying to get rid of me. Yes, I do have a date tonight, and I'm still here because we're both running really late-"

"He missed the bus again, didn't he?" Stacey laughed.

"Well, yeah, I'll never understand how he does that so much. But as soon as Jamie gets here I've got something to tell y'all," Lelia said as she secured her hair with one final clip.

Aliana headed for the couch to join Stacey and the doorbell rang its solemn tune. Lelia walked passed both girls and answered it. "Hi Jamie," she said cheerfully as she opened the door to reveal him waiting in the hallway.

"You ready to go?" he asked with a smile.

"Yeah, but I want to tell you guys something first, mind coming in for a second?"

"Of coarse not," he walked into the apartment and Ghost closed the door behind him. "Hi Stacey, Hi Aliana," he said as he took a chair adjacent to the couch. Both girls returned his greeting, Stacey still tapping on the keys of her laptop.

Ghost took the remaining chair and prepared to make her announcement. "Okay, I've got good news, bad news, and worse news. Let me start with the bad news.

"Stacey was at the presentation with me today, so she knows how it went. Mr. McCoy set up to do a speech on how humans evolved into mutants, and, well, it basically turned into an anti-mutant mob. And the board wanted someone to blame for it, namely me. So, I got fired, and that's why I'm running late tonight."

"What? Why didn't you tell us?" Stacey interjected quickly, ceasing her typing.

"Let me finish. The good news is Professor Xavier and Jean still want me to teach at the Institute. Apparently they still haven't gotten a permanent flying teacher since back when I needed one. So, really, I have a better job than before. The thing is though that I wanted to keep an eye on Ms. Lenoir and I can't do that as easily from the Institute."

"Wait, why do you want to watch her?" Aliana asked confused.

"Because towards the end of my speech I sensed a mutant in the room, and it kept pointing to her. I know she's not a mutant, she's flatline. And on my way home I sensed the same thing again, over Mutant Town. But I still couldn't put my finger on what powers they were."

"An' there's only two you can't sense, right?" Aliana questioned.

"Shapeshifters and telepaths?" Jamie suggested.

"I'll tell you one thing, that wasn't a shapeshifter."

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2029-New York City, Mutant Town

"It's faster the other way," Stacey grumbled as she and her comrade, Lelia, walked onto the streets of Mutant Town.

"Yes, it is. But this way is safer. No one will notice two mutants walking this way, the other way is harder to hide," Lelia explained.

"Not by much. This place is a ghost town…it's kind of creepy," Stacey said quietly.

"I know," her friend answered grouchily.

"I wasn't accusing you," Stacey said after a moment of silence.

"Didn't have to."

"Look, it's not your fault. I was there; I saw what happened. It-"

"We're here."

"Just where exactly is here?" Stacey looked warily at the old, dilapidated building they were in front of. She looked around and didn't see a single window without bars on it. Lelia reached to push a button on the wall; one of the few that looked like it worked.

"Hello?" came a static-filled voice from the intercom.

"Open the door, Gale, we need to ask you something," Ghost said as she depressed the button that almost stuck down. A buzz came from the door and Ghost quickly grabbed it and held it open for Stacey to enter.

"Thought I wouldn't see you for a long time, butterfly," a light-haired woman called from the top of the stairs.

"Mithra, is that you?" Stacey asked as she squinted in the dim light to see the mutant as she and Lelia ascended the stairway.

"Stacey, Stacey Lofton? Wow, this is a treat," the woman said as she ushered the two into a doorway quickly. She motioned for them to have a seat on the few chairs in the kitchen as she locked the door. "Alright, what's going on?"

"Mithra, we need your help. We need you to come back to the X-Force," Ghost said, refusing to sit down, they didn't have long. Her words brought back memories for the other two girls of the team she had once led at the Institute they were all a part of.

"Lei, I'm sorry, I can't come back. Xavier himself could show up on my doorstep and ask and I would still say no," Mithra Gale answered stubbornly.

"You saw what the Futurians did here. And you can see how many mutants are left; we're a little short on troops. We need you to help rescue some of the people who were captured here," Lelia insisted and looked out the dirty window up at the sky. The sun was clouding over with strange clouds mixed with what looked like a nebula. "And we need to hurry, there's a storm coming." As if in answer one cloud lit up with lightning, a few moments later followed by a loud peal of thunder.

Mithra flinched at the noise and walked over to the window. She easily brushed back the curtain hiding the other half of the window and looked out between the iron bars. "I'm coming," she said simply with a worried look on her face as she looked up at the sky.

"Really? I was expecting to do at least a few more minute's worth of begging," Lelia looked at her old friend curiously.

"That's no regular storm. They're coming."

"Who is?" Stacey asked, but was afraid she already knew the answer.

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2029-New York City, outside Emmeline and Vicki's apartment

Pricilla keyed the microphone quickly as a burst of light filled the room she was watching. "They're back, I repeat Drake, Byrne, and Hayes are back in the apartment. There's someone with them. Nick, you're not gonna believe this, but it's your mother."

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A/n: Well all, how was that? Please leave me a review to let me know. Stormelle, congratulations, Mithra has made her second appearance in this fiction, this one with a speaking part! Expect her to be in the next chapter for sure. And for all you that are constantly waiting for (and bugging me about) the next chapter, I'll try to get up the twelfth quickly. Since mangoes are more expensive these days, being out of season, each of you gets a cookie for reading.