Previously on…

The Astonishing X-Men are a team of mutants who have dedicated their lives to protecting a world that hates and fears them. Led by Scott Summers, AKA CYCLOPS, and EMMA FROST, the X-Men have overcome threats not only to their race, but to the entire universe as well. Nonetheless, at their core, the X-Men are still teachers, mentors to thousands of children who wake up to find their world turned upside-down and inside-out. And in order to locate these children, the X-Men have under their use a small, helmet, CEREBRA, which increases telepathic awareness to near omniscient level.

Three night ago, a splinter cell born from the Government faction which fought off against Hitler's supernatural division, who called themselves the RING OF FATIMA, have come to the decision that world peace could only be achieved by sheer force of will. And that a device which could alter minds on a global scale wouldn't hurt either. That's why one of the Ring's members, LILAH GRAHAM, hatched an intricate plot which saw the X-Men out of the country, and their home utterly defenseless. Or so she thought.

The NEW X-MEN. Students who have learned the use and control of their uncanny powers under the best. Left alone, and with an entire army at their gates who want to take capture Cerebra, they do the only thing that the world has ever taught them to do. They fight back. With the STEPFORD CUCKOOS on the helm of Cerebra, it would seem that they could easily push the threat in the campus back. That was until Lilah Graham used her telepathy to heighten the violent urges of the students who didn't agree with the majority that Cerebra should not be used in order to force world peace. A riot broke out. Twelve students died, and much, much more were critically wounded. But more than that, the PHOENIX FORCE, which was hiding in MINDEE, one of the Stepford Cuckoos all along, re-emerged to devastating effect. Still, the small team led by Julian Keller, AKA HELLION, and Mark Vasquez, manage to beat Lilah and her soldiers. The X-Men finally come home to find the school in ruins, and the three sisters, who are now apparently hosts to the Phoenix, have disappeared…

Astonishing X-Men: "Beloved"

Prologue:

Two months ago. It was a long day, made even longer by the most recent resurrection of Jean Grey, and the additional agitation posed by the reconstitution of an Omega-level student. Both of them came back looking for love. And in the end, it was love that ended the threat of their existence as well. At least that was what everybody thought. Nightfall came, and with it, a few hours rest for three beautiful, identical sisters. The Stepford Cuckoos. Celeste and Phoebe were already asleep, exhausted from backing up the X-Men earlier that day when they fought back the Phoenix. Mindee on the other hand only kept her eyes closed. Something was preventing her from sleeping that evening. A distant fire. A fire as cold as ice. "…snap out of it…" she muttered to no one in particular, shifting to her body to the side facing the window. A few moments after emptying her mind, she thought she could finally rest. That was, until her eyelids forced themselves back open. And the first thing she saw was a great fire. She immediately sat up, remarkably calm at the sight of the raptor, which was only one thin pane of glass away. "Oh…it's you." murmured Mindee, as the image if the Phoenix reflected on her snow-white eyes. "What took you so long?" she then asked, before standing up and opening the window.

One month ago. Mindee tilted her head as she watched the pencil's lead slide against her notebook's empty page. By then, she had already forgotten about the dream she had with the Phoenix Force. Her sisters were in different classes from hers at that time, which was the only sure proof way to separate them. Together, they were the Three-in-One. Divided, they were just four smart, and extremely beautiful blondes. The professor, a balding, middle-aged man in a plaid suit that reminded her of dead grass, went on about the specifications of the class' final project. Meta-human Genders. His voice wasn't at all deep, a characteristic which betrayed his large frame and imposing figure. He was talking about love. Not that Mindee felt it in her to listen. The seat in front of her was empty. It was the seat of the student she had been crushing on since the beginning of the term. His best friend had just died two days before. It was probably the reason he was absent as well. She missed them both.

"Okay then. Now, before anything else, do you all remember the assignment we have for today?" asked their professor, as he took out a small, black organizer from his bag. His question quickly snapped Mindee out of her trance, as every student other than herself began to look for something in their bags.

"Wait, what?" Mindee turned to her seatmate, a blue-skinned boy who was busy rummaging through his bag. "What assignment?" she asked again, though getting no answer. She had half the mind to pry it out of his brain, but the telepathic line that the headmistress installed to prevent any psychics from cheating during class hours kept her at bay. And now her perfect CGPA would suffer for it.

"Mindee?" the professor called, lowering his glasses with a suspicious stare.

"I…I'm sorry sir, but I wasn't aware that there's homework…" stammered the beautiful blonde.

"…huh…well, perhaps there is a first time for everything." the old man then stated jokingly, before turning to another student in the class. "Well then, Dallas, perhaps you can show your classmate what she has forgotten today…"

"Yes sir." the brown haired-boy politely responded, before standing up with his bag. With a goofy grin, he crossed the three tables that bridged the gap between Mindee and himself. The professor looked out the door and nodded at someone from the corridor, signaling him in.

"Here you go." Dallas whispered, taking out a single, long-stemmed rose from inside his bag. A look of confusion was clear in Mindee's face, as she was handed the rose. Ten other students then stood up, each one taking a rose out of their bags, and handing it to the young woman one after another. "What is this?" Mindee asked, unable to hide a wide smile.

"It's called a surprise." whispered a handsome young man from the doorway.

"Mark?" Mindee was barely able to sound off his name as she slowly got up from her desk. With a smile as big as hers, Mark Vasquez rubbed the back of his shaved head, stepping into the room and slowly making his way to Mindee.

"What is this?" she asked again, blushing as a thousand thoughts raced into her head.

"…just thought I'd tell you how special you are." whispered the young man, pulling out a pristine, white rose, and he gently placing it in Mindee's hand. "You really helped me out through a rough patch." He then explained, referring to the recent death of his best friend. "I guess it's just now that I noticed how you were always there for me…and now, if you'' let me…":Mark took Mindee's hand. "I'll always be here for you too."

Two nights ago. "I'll always be here for you too." A bolt of thunder crackled over head. Mindee screamed as the riotous students stormed Cerebra. The telepaths on hover discs pleaded to be let go, only to be pushed off the edges of the platforms they stood on. "Crowd control!" Phoebe shouted, as she attempted to reconnect the Three-in-One's mind in order to neutralize the threat at hand. A powerful blast of concentrated photons put a halt to her plan. Celeste called after her, only to receive a savage, clubbing blow to the back of her head from another of the frenzied students. Another pair of strong hands then grabbed her from behind, not hesitating to cop a feel as he did. Mindee attempted to pull the young man off of Celeste, when she felt someone behind clutch her hair. "Teacher's pet!" one of the students shouted, before the person who grabbed a hold of her pulled down hard, slamming her to the bridge's floor with a loud crack. A pile of boots followed her down, as the rampaging students brutally stomped on her thin frame, keeping her on the ground. And as the pain surged through her body, a sudden numbness overwhelmed her entire being. A feeling of dead cold. "Mark?" she desperately thought as a frightening darkness overcame her. "No." responded a woman. "It's me." And just like that, a brilliant flare broke through the pitch black void.

"…stop…I'm waiting for someone else…" protested the young woman, as she felt conflagrated tendrils reach out and pull her. "He said he'll always be here for me…"

"I know. He said that to me too…or don't you remember? The reason why I came to you…"

"That was a dream! You do not belong here!" Mindee argued, trying her best to fight the fire off.

"It is time." the voice then proclaimed, as the fire consumed the young woman. Back in reality, Mindee's eyes snapped open, and even though she tasted her own blood against her cracked lip, and felt it stream down the top of her forehead, she did not feel any pain. "It is time."

Chapter 1: "In the Mourning"

Seven o' clock. The sun was already so high, it was practically raining sunlight. The birds tapping on the window seemed to enjoy it though, trying to make a nest from the ledge, instead of the numerous tree branches that tried to shield the room from the sun's bright glare. They should be thankful enough, that the windows do not open outwards, or else their new house would suffer a sudden fall. Beneath those windows were the feet of the occupant's bed. Seven o' one. And he hasn't blinked a second's worth of sleep for all the six hours that he spent lying down. He didn't like where his dreams took him anymore. He hated seeing the fire. Though it should be noted that he did not need to dream to be in a nightmare.

"Something the matter?" teasingly asked the young, blonde woman who sat at his bed's edge.

"…" Mark rubbed his forearm against his eyes, in an attempt to shut out the memory of the girl he lost. It was the story of his life after all. Maybe it was his secondary mutation, even. To lose the people he cared for most. "Christ…" he mumbled to himself, before groggily sitting up, flinching at the sudden glare of light that came his way. "….fucking sunlight…" he then whispered, as he wearily scratched the back of his head. At the rate that his black hair grew, he was shaving with an electric razor every two weeks. With the weather a shot as it is, having one's hair not more than an inch's length was a blessing. Seven o' five. Mark sat at the edge of his bed, his bare back now facing the sunlight.

"…good morning." he muttered, though his voice was no louder than a rattling leaf. Every day before three mornings ago, the young woman will always come into his mind and return the greeting, also giving him a telepathic kiss on the cheek to go along with it. It made getting out of bed all the more easier. "…no one's going to answer you anymore, you stupid fuck." came a bitter thought, as Mark finally found the strength to stand. His roommate was still asleep. Not that they ever talked.

With as much determination as a zombie, Mark shuffled his way to the closet in order to grab what he needed for the shower. By then, he and his girlfriend were supposed to be staging a mock argument about her not looking while he cleaned himself. Mark grabbed the knob to the closet door, but stopped before he could turn it. "Okay, I won't peek…" She was supposed to say those words to him by the time he opened his closet door. Every time. "…" The silence was deafening. "Snap out of it!" he urged himself, pulling the door open and grabbing a towel from inside. "She's gone. She's…she's gone…"

Headmaster's Sleeping Quarters/07:08

Emma Frost opened her eyes. "Mindee's disappearance is really taking a toll on him." she stated, before turning to face her lover, who unlike her, was still resting comfortably in bed. Both of them were still relatively undressed, with the beautiful, blonde headmistress not yet finding it in her to slip out of the white lingerie she had on. "…it's difficult to probe deeper into his mind, thanks to the mystical shields he had somehow erected on his own, but I believe it's safe to assume that he blames himself for what happened. He's a really big mess."

"They had a psychic rapport didn't they? Any chances of you repairing it? It's got a better chance of us finding them than Cerebra." suggested Scott, sitting up after his girlfriend, who was now already on her feet. "Maybe I can call in Doctor Strange to help with those shields you're talking about."

"If Mindee doesn't want that connection alive and kicking, then there's little chance anyone alive can do anything about it." replied Emma as she picked up a silk robe that she left on a chair the night before. "I'm actually quite surprised that she hasn't made her presence felt yet. It's been three days, and there hasn't been any sign of giant firebirds in the sky… or for that matter, any apocalyptic hootenanny."

"Yeah. I guess so." Scott mumbled as he pulled on a pair of black sweatpants. "But just because our planet's safe doesn't mean the rest of the Solar System is. Could be the reason we're having trouble tracking her down with Cerebra is she isn't even on the planet anymore."

"Yes, well, if she's in a different planet, then it's their bloody problem now."

"Emma!" Scott scolded, clearly put off by her less altruistic side.

"All I'm saying is, for all we know, the Phoenix could be doing the rest of the galaxy a favor by bringing rapture to a planet populated with sodding Hilton heiresses! She is meant to erase cosmic obsolesces from the grand stage after all…besides, Scott, I will not go back to space. Again. It'll be the third time this year!"

"…at any rate, we really can't do much until the Phoenix makes herself known. That or the Shi'ar come down here and start complaining again about somebody eating their sun."

"Right. That means we do what we are supposed to. We're still teachers Scott. We have children that need taking care of."

Basketball Court/07:15

"Ready for another round of getting your ass kicked?" Julian Keller taunted as he stepped into the court. The young Hellion, who had short, black hair and a perennial smirk on his attractive face, stretched his hand, and telekinetically snatched the basketball away from his opponent's grip. Joshua Foley, a student with blonde hair, golden skin, and raging teenage hormones; shouted in protest at his rival's use of powers. Not that he ever listened. "Give it back." Josh reiterated, clearly not backing down. Julian readied himself for another witty comeback, only to stop as he opened his mouth. Josh stopped as well.

"…hey, you okay?" asked Josh, not used to seeing his greatest enemy seemingly lost in thought. It was unnerving to say the least. Julian licked his lips, before turning his attention once more to Josh.

"…it's just one-on-one." the Hellion muttered, his mind clearly at a distance. "First time we're doing this without the gang. I mean, really without."

"Yeah." Josh bowed his head, recalling the siege at the school just three nights ago. The siege led by a woman whose idea of world peace meant giving up free will. It was a battle that sent more than half the student body, including both Josh and Julian's squads, straight to the ICU. And those were the lucky ones.

"How's Santo?" Josh then asked, recalling how the granite-bodied Hellions member nearly died to save two other students. "Big guy's a real hero, you know?"

"…" Julian bit his lower lip and began to dribble the ball.

"…come on…" Josh encouraged in a soft tone. "…one on one. Our squads are going to beat us back and blue if they find out we're whimpering like pansies."

"…hey." Julian pointed with his lips at something behind Josh. "…third floor."

"…?" Josh followed the Hellion's line of sight, and found a girl who was watching them through the windows of her room. It didn't take long for her to disappear behind the curtains, leaving the two boys to their game. Julian shook his head, as if to shake off some violent thoughts in his head. "…it's her."

Women's Dormitories/07:18

She hasn't been out of her room all day. All day for the past two days. She was too ashamed. Too scared. Thick, green curtains were drawn to a close, keeping the room in the dark, save for the soft, orange light from the lamp on the desk where she sat. Beckah Adamson was a pretty girl with a captivating smile and long brown hair that danced to the wind. Her GPA may have just been average, but her extra-curricular more than made up for it. She likes Lacrosse. But that was before her father died in Iraq through an accident orchestrated by the United States Government. And that was before she led a group of students into Cerebra and nearly tore it down in an attempt to make sure that it wouldn't be used to by those who would risk seeing another war just for the sake of retaining their precious freedom. It was a battle that resulted in the death of two students. Both of whom were barely sixteen.

"…" Beckah took a deep breath, before leaning her head downward, and using her teeth in order to pull against the other end of a pink string. She tried her best, but she couldn't do it fast enough before the sweat that formed on her brow dripped on top of the gift-wrapped box in front of her. She didn't even wish that her right arm wasn't held together by a sling. She knew she deserved much worse. "…" Beckah leaned back, and grabbed a small, light-blue card on the upper corner of her desk. It was where she wrote the words 'I'm Sorry' earlier on, which even through all her meticulous attempts, still looked like it was inscribed by a third-grader. She wasn't left-handed after all. "…" She closed her eyes and sighed, before she turned to her bed to stare at the dozen other boxes that she was yet to gift-wrap. All of them in a vain attempt to conceal the fact that she didn't have the stomach to look the people she wronged in the eye. But perhaps, perhaps, she thought, this could be a good enough start.

Forest Area/ 07:20

Piotr Rasputin gazed at the institute from beneath the cover of tall trees, catching a glimpse of the court where the two students played basketball, before his mind returned to other things. Much like the team's oldest member, Piotr, more commonly known simply as Peter, has taken a liking to the serenity that his surroundings offered. He even thought it ironic that a man whose mutant power was to turn himself into living metal had taken such a liking to nature. And no matter how lost he would seem in his immersion with the beauty around him, he always seemed to know when there was somebody stalking up to him.

"How long have you been there?" the black-haired man asked, as he turned to the direction of the oncoming mutant. "It is still very early to be walking around."

"You don't sound happy to see me." Katherine Pride murmured as she stepped into the Russian's view. A small, purple dragon sat on her shoulder, sniffing the light brown hair that she kept in a ponytail.

"…you should be resting, Katya." answered Peter, as he watched the team's youngest member take a seat beside him. Lockheed, the dragon on her shoulder, took a whiff of the air.

"I'm fine." Katherine replied, waving her cast-bound hand in front of the Russian mutant. "It doesn't hurt so much anymore." she further stated, even though the thought of her hand recently being crushed was in itself, enough to make her flinch.

"The healer was been well rested. You should have him fix that." reminded Peter. Katherine shook her head. "No. The kids need him more than I do. This I can handle. Besides, I'm not really up for resting in our creepy new home. I think it's haunted. Logan said that the parallel universe that it was from was one where the institute was a mental asylum or something. And that the inmates like, rioted because the head examiner, their professor X, did all sorts of crazy things to them."

"…we rebuild mansion so many times. I think it is relief for Scott not to do it again."

"Yeah, well…I just kind of wish that the M.E.T.S. gave us some other alternate reality house to live in. Like the Big Brother house. That'd be nifty."

"…M.E.T.S? American baseball teams have access to parallel universe?"

"Oh. No! No, it's, uh, Logan told me that General Fury felt bad about what happened, so before he disappeared, he authorized for a S.H.I.E.L.D. branch to replace our home with the home from an alternate reality's X-Men. I think it's 'Multiversal Extraction Transit System' or something."

"I would like to visit a parallel universe. Just for change. Perhaps there is one where I am homosexual."

"Yeah right." Kitty chuckled. "You'd be into Logan and I'll be married to Spider-man."

Avengers Tower/09:30

"And Cap is out?" asked Logan Howlett, a little agitated that the Avengers' leader wasn't present at the moment. The only one who was there, though out of costume, was a brown-haired school teacher with a super-model for a wife and an uncanny ability to see the humor in any situation. Peter Parker, uncommonly known as the amazing Spider-man, slumped on the sizable couch of their team's penthouse.

"Yeah. He said something about meeting an old friend, or, hey, are you here to see my wife?"

"What? No." Logan quickly responded.

"Because you know, being my wife and all, she's not available. For you. Ever." Peter reminded, before tilting his head to stare at Logan's. "And did you know your hair goes straight up?"

"Indeed it does." added another voice who emerged from entryway to the den. It was Henry McCoy, a world renowned geneticist trapped in the body of a large, blue-furred feline. "I actually tried to scan it for mutant life forms once. Apparently, even Logan's dandruff has psychic shields."

"Shut up." Logan quickly retorted, clearly lacking in the witty banter department. Henry chuckled through closed lips, while leisurely walking up to the glass wall that overlooked the rest of the city. Like Logan is now, Henry too was a member of the world's most popular superhero team. Years before the Scarlet Witch tore it apart. Perhaps it was the search for a little nostalgia that prompted Henry to tag along when he learned that Logan was dropping by the Avengers HQ for a little spiel.

"…just tell Steve that I'm gonna' be busy the next coupla' days." Logan muttered in his usual, gruff manner, making it clear that he wasn't interested in prolonging their conversation. "So don't expect me to be in any Avenging missions or whatever." he then said, before turning toward the door.

"Hey Logan!" Peter called before he could leave. "…I heard about what happened to the school." He then stated, with a hint of genuine concern evident in his voice. "Is everyone okay? I mean, are the kids…?"

"…" Henry's ears lowered, hinting the sadness covered by his silence.

"Couple didn't make it. Dozen or more on the line. Other than that…" Logan closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the fateful night. "…it doesn't matter. Send everyone my regards."

Unknown/Unknown

"Everyone's going to die." Agent Brand stood in front of an elevated panel as she uttered those cryptic words, staring at the figures of the men who were hidden behind shadows. A bright light shone down on her, setting her long, green hair seemingly aglow. 'Green' in fact, would be the very first thing to enter one's mind at the sight of the agent, as not only was it the color of her hair, but of her leather suit, lipstick, and eyes as well. "That's your report?" one of the men asked, his clenched hands the only part of his body visible to the woman at the center stage. "Because if you're simply referring to the inevitable nuclear holocaust, or to how the sun will implode in four hundred years, then I'm afraid you need some catching up to do. And some possible demoting as well."

"The Phoenix is back." Brand chided, clearly in no mood for any further theatrics. Her sudden proclamation was potent enough to catch the attention of her superiors.

"…I presume you have confirmation of this?" inquired an elderly woman. Her voice alone had an air of authority. Perhaps of all the five people in front of her, Agent Brand knew that the woman who posited the question deserved the most respect. "Three of our precognitives reported seeing a great fire that, according to them, 'will burn all the lands and oceans'. That was before they went insane and killed themselves. Concurrently, we've received word that oracles from our alien friends in the Breakworld have been bombarded with dreams of rapture. Of a great cleansing, bearing the ineffable mark of the Phoenix. The whole universe is about to be torn in fucking two. That's why we have to act fast. Because if we don't…then the concerned citizens of Breakworld won't be the only ones who'll try and stop this threat from becoming. And those others won't be shy about obliterating our entire solar system to do it."

Road to the Xavier Institute/10:00

The Mitchells drove to their destination in solemn silence. Tall trees of pine covered both sides of the road, watching the heartbroken parents weave through the narrow pass. They swayed gently with the wind, as if bound in silence, never to utter the many horrors that they've witnessed at the very end of the long road. Helen Mitchell, a rather large, brown-haired woman in her late thirties, stifled a whimper, trying her best to forget that the last time they came up that rode, their daughter was still with them. Cady was one of the students not fortunate enough to live through the siege at the mansion three nights ago. Her skull was cleaved wide open, after a tragic fall at the hands of a crazed student.

"…" Dave Mitchell, Cady's father, and Helen's husband, turned to his wife for a moment, and placed his hand over hers. It was from him that Cady inherited her beautiful, red hair. And to have something that even slightly resembles a certain feature of a person you lost, it was maddening. Perhaps that was why he kept his hair hidden under a brown hat. Even his hair reminded him of his painful loss. "We'll get those bastards for this, Helen." he gently reassured, while keeping his eyes on the road. "They took our little girl away…and we aren't ever going to let them get away with it."

Women's Dormitories/10:05

"…" Beckah bit her lower lip, as she attempted to hold the tears back. Her eyes were too tired. So tired that they hurt. It was the price for wondering how the families of the students who died were feeling at that very moment. How much they must want to hurt her should they ever find out. The teachers weren't talking about it. But she knew that her punishment would come. Sooner or later, it would come. And everyone knows that it isn't the bang of the gun that scares you, but rather, the knowledge that someone out there is about to pull the trigger. Bang.

"No. No. No." Beckah shook her head, and rested her temple on a tired palm. "No. I'm going to make this right." she thought to herself, still fighting to hold back the tears that were now at the rim of her eyes. "I'm going to make things right." she whispered, in a voice that was soft, but resolute. "Today. I'm finishing this today…" she then promised herself, smiling at the thought of how life would be the same again once all was forgiven. That was when a soft creak snapped her back to reality.

"…" Beckah narrowed her eyes at the door, wondering if there was someone outside. Another creak, this time louder, answered her suspicion. "…who's there?" Beckah weakly asked, afraid that a vengeful student would be on the other side of the closed door. "Who's there?" she asked again, only to feel somebody grab her from behind. A hand was quickly pressed over her mouth, preventing her from screaming, while an arm clasped tightly around her neck. Time slowed down, stretching the pain from her assailant's steel grasp to what seemed like an eternity. But still, she struggled, clawing desperately with her one free hand, while stomping both of her feet in hopes that a passerby should investigate upon hearing. No such luck. A second later, she was violently thrown face first to the full-body mirror that was in the corner of the room. The sickening crack was the sound of her nose getting shattered.

"…" her assailant crept forward, watching intently as Beckah began to crawl to the door, leaving a trail of blood on the wooden floorboards. She was muttering something about letting her live, pleading in fact, but the broken nose got in the way of any actual coherence. Perhaps that made it easier for her assailant.

"…pluhueez…elp…me…" Beckah prayed desperately, trying her best to ignore the pain that racked her body. "…I…dohun…wan…die…"

"…" a sudden crack against the back of her skull silenced her immediately. Another kept her down. And then another. Then another. Then another…

Chapter 1 - - End

Next Chapter - - Where old friends are lost, heroism is conducted, and a new threat arises…

Author's note: My goodness, that certainly took long! Well, hope you enjoyed that first chapter. Love it? Hate it? Don't have a clue what's going on? Drop me a line and tell me what you think! Mabuhay!