BACK TO SCHOOL

CHAPTER 11: MEET THE MORLOCKS

So far Evan's day hadn't been going like he planned. First was the new security system, then getting jumped by some shadow powered mutant and now he had to be led around like a newbie cause the placed had been upgraded since he left. He was led by the new guy that had jumped him, they pretty much kept to the silent treatment. Of course he was led to Xavier's office, which seemed to be a bit bigger with a few new things in it.

Evan entered the room as the Japanese kid left them alone, "Evan it is nice to see you but if you plan on visiting in the future please try to give us a little warning." Xavier said a bit amused smiled on his head.

"Yeah well I'll keep that in mind," He told him. "Well looks like the place has done well, what's with all the new upgrades and why all the new hardware out there?"

"We've had many more students join us lately and we needed to expand for more room. As for the upgrade in the security…well we've had some unwelcome guests here and we didn't want anymore showing up," Xavier told him. So far Mystique had infiltrated once more not to mention Selene, Kurt's father, so Xavier had gone with updating the security as well.

"Yeah well I wish this was a social visit but the Morlocks are having some trouble," Evan said seriously. He told him all about how they were getting sick and how one was already dead and most likely that more would be dead by morning. Xavier didn't like this at all, he had been afraid of something like this happening but he didn't know why the Morlocks seemed to be further along.

He also told Evan of their own that were sick. Evan had been afraid that it wasn't just with the Morlocks.

"I will gather a team together to help with matters Evan," He told the young man in front of him.

Evan nodded feeling a bit better at the moment, "Since I'm here you don't mind me seeing Auntie O do you? I…haven't kept in touch as much as I should have." Xavier nodded his head and Evan waited for a moment wondering what would happen when a black portal opened up. A lavender skinned girl with pinkish hair came about of it.

"You wanted to see me Professor?" Blink asked after hearing his mental summons. Then the was surprised to see the bone covered mutant in the room.

"Yes Clarice this is Evan, Ororo's nephew," Xavier told her, Evan didn't notice the surprise in her face. "Can you take him to Ororo?"

"Uh, yeah sure," She said a bit nervously, she hadn't known what to do when she met him to be honest. How do you tell someone that their aunt adopted you? She just opened a portal and gently took his hand leading him into the portal.

They came out into her room, Ororo sat up seeing the portal but seeing Evan step out was a much better surprise. "Evan! Well it is good to finally see you."

"Hey Auntie O, sorry for not showing up sooner," By the looks of things she looked sick and his heart sank a bit. He never thought that she would be one of them that were sick. Then he turned to Blink, "Hey thanks but could you kind of leave us alone? Kind of want to be alone with my family."

"Actually," Ororo broke in, "She can stay. Evan a few things have changed…One of them is that Clarice, is my adopted daughter."

Evan's eyes widened at that, "What?" He turned to the shy girl that his aunt apparently took in.

"Uh…Hey…I guess that means…We're cousins," Blink said feeling his eyes on her and her nervousness was growing as well.

Evan just started at the girl for a moment only blinking before turning back to Ororo, "Okay…first I think I need to sit down and secondly…Can you fill me in on just what has been going on here?"

Elsewhere in the infirmary Hank was looking over the latest results as Gale was helping out the others. Her healing powers could heal lots of things but she was still learning to use it. So far she could help the others fight off sickness but whatever it was that was attacking their immune system was nasty. She could help them gain more white blood cells and that helped but they later on seemed to lose them slowly over time. Although Kurt and Vincent were the worst cases so far, although for different reasons, when she healed a person she kind of got an image in her mind and a feeling about the type of injury. But with those two it was different. Kurt's was more advanced but Vince's sickness was different.

She looked to Hank as the others in there Jamie, Dani, Kitty, as well as Roberto who had complained of dizziness had been brought in as well. Each one had different things wrong with them as their immune systems weren't fighting as hard as normal.

Gale a bit tired brushed some of her shoulder length blue hair out of her face. She had let it grow since she first got here a few months back so it was a little longer now. She looked to Mr. McCoy who she had come to think of as a mentor for herself. He was so kind and compassionate man, with great intelligence and a need to help. Beast kind of reminder her of her father back home, although maybe a bit smarter and of course furrier.

"Have you found anything?" Gale asked him when he came back into the room looking thoughtful.

"I believe so my dear," Hank looked at Kurt and Vincent. "Kurt's level of sickness I believe we can attest to his higher metabolism. Whatever entered his system was worked through it faster then the others. But Vincent gave me the much needed clue as to what I am looking for."

She looked confused as she looked at the sleeping dark haired boy. He was a bit pale and in his arm was an IV, his body was so weak that they found they could easily get it in without the device Forge came up for him. Basically it was a small gun-like device that fired a small and local EMP discharge weakening parts of his body. "How so?"

"His reaction wasn't like the others, in fact it was more of an allergic reaction." He looked over his notes on the young man. His blood work was strange as there were still trace amounts of chemicals bonded to his blood even today. This also had negative reactions to certain other chemicals that came in contact with him. "From his reaction I believe I may have been looking at this the wrong way."

"I thought this was a virus or something else like that but from his reaction…I believe it's more chemical in nature. More like a toxin to be exact."

Gale looked horrified as he put it all together. "Are you telling me someone is poisoning us?" She was abhorred to such a thought.

"I believe so but I'm not sure how much work I can get done here. I don't have all the equipment or an expert in this field," He sighed rubbing his tired eyes.

"But you're like the smartest guy I know." She told him.

She smiled at her, "I am intelligent but I do have my limits. I know many things but I am no expert in this field unfortunately. That is why we will have to gather up all the research and send it to a friend of Xavier's who is."

At that moment Rogue walked into the room looking a little warn out. She had spent the last hour just trying to reassure Amanda that things were alright. All the while trying to assure herself as well, she looked over at Hank and Gale. "Tha Professor wants ta meet ya in his office. He wants ta set up a team ta go to the Morlocks. Gale, he wants ya to help with this one, there are a lot of sick people down there that need help."

"Of course," Hank nodded rising up.

"Can…Can ah see them for a moment?" the goth asked him and he nodded his head. Gale went to help get some supplies as well to leave them alone. She walked up to the two beds were the two most important men in her life lay. Her brother and her love, and it broke her heart seeing them lay there unmoving.

She didn't want to cry because she didn't want to succumb to the fact that one or both may die from this thing. They both looked sick and despite her wanting to wake them she didn't want to, they would need all their strength. It just wasn't fair, why were their lives so hard? Why had there to be so much pain in life? It seemed that no matter what happened she always had something in her life happen.

First her powers, a crush on a boy she could never have, being used, her mother…It was all too much at times, how sometimes she just wanted to be alone and shut out the world so she couldn't get hurt. But Kurt gave her something she never had before. A sense of family, he kept on reaching out to her and now that she accepted him as her brother here he was sick. Then in the bed next to him was a boy that looked past her skin, past her tough exterior to see the woman she was beneath. They both had suffered in life for so long, both knowing what it means to be truly alone in the world.

He had opened up her heart and for the first time her feelings were given back to her. Now she may lose this as well. She felt the anger in her rising but fought it off, punching a hole in the wall wouldn't help matters. She just gave each of them a squeeze with her hand before leaving silently.

Back with Evan he was sitting down trying to absorb everything that has happened since he was gone. "Okay…let me get this straight," He sighed trying to put it all together. "The Brotherhood place is gone and these Hellions guys are here, while they joined up with Magneto. There is some town where humans and mutants live together in secret, Colossus, Gambit, and Wanda left. Colossus has a younger sister learning to control her magic abilities of all things, and Kitty has a pet…I can't even say it!"

Evan threw his hands up at all the insanity that had happened since he was gone. Magic, dragons, evil immortal mad scientists, and a lot of other stuff was just a bit much. Plus the fact he had a new family member as well. It was just a LOT to take in at the moment.

Blink looked over at Ororo, "Should we tell him about Vivian?"

"What about my mom?" He asked them both as each one wasn't sure what to say to him. "Oh come on, what else has happened?"

Ororo decided to break it to him, "Evan…Vivian is pregnant."

Evan's jaw just dropped and hung there in the air. He felt like he was just kicked in the chest by a horse, "My mom…She's going to have anther kid…I'm…Going to have a kid brother or sister?"

"Yes that is correct," Ororo told him. Evan just sat there totally blown away by this, how long was she into it? Did they know the sex? There were so many questions and it was then that he finally felt a bit ashamed at not keeping in touch. It was something that he would have to change, but now he just wanted to make sure that the Morlocks would survive.

It was an hour later that Xavier called together certain individuals together in his office. Evan was there with Logan and Hank. So far the X-Men there were still up and walking were Scott, Rogue, Wanda, Warren, Bobby, and Colossus. The others were too sick to attend.

So to help round out the team Xavier had called up those that had been showing some real promise in the Danger Room lately. Since he had been thinking of splitting the team up he had been choosing those that had shown leadership skills and talent. So far Sam AKA Cannonball was one such person, lately he had shown that he tried to look after his team mates as well as well as a great improvement in his skills.

Oddly enough Alex Summers was also part of it. Lately he had shown to be very adapt at leadership exercise and Logan once commented that maybe it was something in the family. He was more laid back and relaxed then Scott but he did have some talent. This would help to determine if they truly were going to be the new team leaders or if they had to pick a few others.

Ray was also there as he was known to the Morlocks, as well as Sarah Logan and Rahne given that they're healing abilities would be useful in this mission as well since they were immune, Gale after giving Kurt and Vincent a boost to their immune system would also go to help out. Xavier had laid out the plan, Evan would lead them to the quickest route to get to the Morlocks while they took stock of things there.

They were bringing some equipment along to help out as well as a few supplies they could spare to them as well. "Well now that that's all set up how about we go?" Evan asked a little impatient to get back to the others. The sooner they got back there the more of a chance they had to save some of them.

"We will Evan we just have to load up the HX." Scott told him since that would have the most room for them all and what they needed to take with them.

"The…what?" Evan asked him.

"You'll find out when we get there," Bobby said to him grinning knowing that seeing the new Hummer they got would be cool. Evan just shrugged, he still couldn't believe that they gave Bobby his spot on the team.

Logan before he left wanted to check on someone, he silently made his way to the room and opened the door. He walked in silently to Ororo's bed and looked down at her, she was sleeping soundly and he sighed. Why did seeing her like this seem to turn him inside and out on the inside? Sure she was his friend for the past few years, someone that he found that he could spend the time with. Her calming aura had even helped him a few times and her words of wisdom over the years as well.

But he just didn't know what was going on with him lately. Whenever he was around her things just seemed to get so mixed up in his head. He usually was a very simple man but with her around she just fogged everything up. He kept on having conflicting thoughts and emotions and he didn't like it, he didn't know how to act on them. "Stay strong darlin'," He said to her gently as he left her alone in her room. Whatever was going on he would figure it out later.

-Bayville Sewers-

"Oh god this stinks," Gale said from the smell of the sewers. She had tried breathing through her mouth but it wasn't working. She swore that even holding her breath she could still smell the place. They were all in their uniforms. She in her all black one, although she was wishing that her arms were covered. At least she had on gloves and she was carrying her new weapons.

She had been learning stick fighting techniques lately, since it was non-lethal and she could use them to take down most enemies. Mainly they were just foot long sticks. They looked kind of like a short version of the police nightstick only it was straight and a bit shorter. One was strapped to a holder in each of the side of her thighs.

"Try havin' enhance sense o' smell." Rahne cringed at the smells she was getting. From the looks of Logan and X23 they too weren't too pleased.

"You get used to it," Ray said over his shoulder in his new uniform. An all black one with the arms exposed with blue lighting pattern on the upper torso. "After awhile you tend to just ignore it."

"Oh god I don't even want to know what I just stepped in!" Wanda hissed as she tried not to look down. She wished that she hadn't wore her coat with her uniform, she guessed that the bottom would pick up all kind of things from brushing up against the ground. "When you guys said I could join the X-Men you did NOT mention going to places like this!"

She really hated places like this, dark and confining. It just reminded her of those god damn cells they would put her in at the asylum. Colossus who was carrying a large bulk of the gear was thankful that in his metal form he didn't breath, although he could still see a few things that he wished he hadn't. Even though working on a farm gave him a strong stomach in certain things some things he saw gave him the urge to fight off his stomach contents coming back up.

"I can't believe y'all got to live down here," Rogue muttered also chosen for 'pack mule' duty.

"Not like we got many places to go," Evan told her, he had been surprised to see her lift so much then they explained a few of the things that Blink and Ororo forgot to mention. Sure it was cool she could touch but the fact she could bench press a bus made her even scarier then she had been before to him.

Just then out of the shadows came the form of Caliban as he had sensed them coming. "Hey man, I brought them like I said I would." Spyke said to him and the pale mutant just nodded as he led the way.

"Not much of a talker isn't he?" Cyclops stated who was next to Evan.

The younger mutant just shrugged, "Yeah well he's okay, just the quiet type."

They followed them deeper into the sewer system as they walked on. Then they came to some type of old metal door that looked like it was big enough to drive a small van through. It had to be have been from some type of old storage gate. Caliban entered through a smaller metal door and in a few seconds a grinding sounded as it was raised up.

The mutants enter into a large area with a jury-rigged lights on the ceiling. There were shanty looking shakes made out of various things. It looked a lot like some type of underground shanty town. There were kids and adults in the area in clothing that looked like it was from the Salvation Army and some that looked like they were well worn.

It was a sight for many of them that they hadn't seen before. Ray had remembered what it was like but to the others it was shocking to see the conditions they had to live in down here. Scott thought back to even how awful the orphanage was where he was and wondered who had the better childhood in a place like this.

Warren knew that some people had to life in conditions like this, his family made many charities but not once did they ever get their hands dirty and actually go to the places where they helped. Seeing all of this made him realize just how well off he had been all his life. It didn't seem fair that he had been born into wealth and the children he saw had to live in a place like this.

Even though the area looked like it was cleaned up somewhat it was far from totally clean. Colossus who his motherland was in economic decline knew how hard life could be sometime. His heart went out to these people who were forced to live under the ground just because of how they looked.

"So the X-Men huh?" Marrow said walking over to them. She looked them all up and down, although she did take a moment to look at Angel. She as well as a few of the other Morlocks looked at the man in the red and black costume with the beautiful wings and golden hair. She wondered what he looked like under that mask. Evan noticed how hard she was looking at him and didn't like it at all.

"Come on let's go meet Callisto." He said taking the girl by the arm that told them that they were together. That snapped Marrow out of her thoughts and to the matter at hand. They were led through the community into a room with a long table, it looked like a meeting room and at the head of the table was the woman Callisto.

"Callisto," Scott nodded to her.

She looked at them with her one eye and sighed mentally. She knew that they needed help and she hoped this would be worth setting aside their pride for this. They had already lost two more to this sickness and she feared for her people. "Well I do thank you for coming, but we got a lot of sick and dying people. So I think it best that we get to work right away." She told them standing up.

"Of course if someone would lead Gale and myself to where you are keeping your sick we can deal with them." Hank asked of her.

She nodded and looked to Marrow, "You take them to where the hospital is. Evan take them to where they can place all that other stuff." Both of her Morlocks nodded as they started to split off leaving a few of the X-Men behind with her.

Scott took a step forward, "I think we need to compare notes, other mutants other then the Morlocks are sick and we all need to know where this is coming from."

Callisto hadn't known that and even though the Morlocks took priority with her, the thought of even more mutants going through this wasn't appealing at all. "I guess we do have something to talk about after all."

NEXT UP CHAPTER 12: GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THINGS