Stranger and Stranger

Attention: Generation X and their villains, as well as any other mutant mentioned in this story, is property of Marvel Comics. The character Richard Cale is named after family relations. Any other reference to anything copyrighted is a chance happening.

Stranger and Stranger

Chapter 3: Trapped

I. Emplate

Emplate stood there watching the scene unfolding before him. His plan was going exactly as he had planned. As Elane had said, coming to Godiva's museum did bring Richard Cale down here, and as he figured, Yvette would be right by his side. He relished that they were both obviously afraid. There was also the fact that they were not fully prepared for this. He had a feeling that they might have come to the conclusion on how he found out about the place.

Ironically, he hadn't expected his father to be here, but it helped to expedite his plan. He was surprised that his father hadn't fully outed him, but it was most likely due to the fact that his father didn't know how he managed to achieve his cover. Right now, things were going as he figured. He could already sense the fear in the two. The fact that Jubilee was trying to keep them calm was almost comical to him. They were obviously scared.

He kept focused on the group, which was easy due to the position he was standing in. He was also aware that he wasn't the only one listening in on this conversation, but he had a better vantage point to hear everything. It was obvious that Godiva was still in the dark about how much danger she was in. It was just highlighted when she asked "Alright, what exactly is going on here?"

It was his father who answered, and to both his surprise and pleasure, he saw worry on his face. "Godiva, this statue isn't a statue at all. It is a mutant that feeds off other mutants. This is why I had you call the Xavier School."

He watched as Godiva turned to look at his father, and from what he could tell, she was confused, but also a tad bit upset. Of course, with this town being a veritable smorgasbord for him, it was understandable. Besides, he delighted seeing his father in this situation, especially as she asked the question, "Cartier, how exactly do you know this?"

To his surprise, Emplate heard his own sister answer the question. "Because Emplate is my brother." He knew it pained her to say that, especially since the fact had become well known to her friends. He figured she did that to save their father from admitting it.

This revelation caused a shocked look to cross Godiva's face as she processed this revelation. In that moment, he allowed himself to focus on Richard and Yvette. The duo still kept their eyes on him. They were obviously watching him for some sign of movement. They would obviously be denied that due to the ace he had up his sleeve. He wondered if the duo suspected that particular ace, not that Generation X would be ready for it, or at least not in the way they suspected.

When Godiva finally recovered from the shock, he watched as she turned to his father and the group and said, "So he's a vampire of sorts? If that's the case, how is he being so stationary?" The two questions caused some to nod, but also caused them all some confusion. They were all trying to figure that out.

His father, who did look troubled about it, put a hand to his chin and said, "I have no doubt that he's come here because of the high mutant population in this area." For the moment, he felt his father was trying to hide something. Emplate had kept that in mind when he came here, but his reason was much different, and as his prey started to back away from him, he knew they were aware of his plan.

It was Sean Cassidy who was first to say that his father's assumption was incorrect. "Nae. He came for a completely different reason. He specifically came to the museum to lure us down here. Or more specifically, to lure certain people in our group down here."

Emplate saw that this revelation had an impact on both Godiva and his father. Godiva was obviously hit with more shock, but his father looked a little more worried. There was something he was hiding that he was very concerned about. Secrets were not uncommon in his family, but he wasn't entirely sure of what was worrying his father.

It was his own sister who spelled it out. "You see, Godiva, my brother came here to lure your cousin down here. He found out about your cousin's abilities and decided to capture him in an attempt to increase his own numbers. His interest in Richard was increased when Richard fell in love with Yvette and helped her control her abilities. I feel his plan was to lure Richard and Yvette down here without us, in an attempt to abduct them." Emplate had to give his sister credit for figuring out a good part of his plan, except she didn't realize how much was planned for this.

To his surprise, he saw Godiva turn to Richard, and remark, "You just seem to make enemies wherever you go. First was Elane, then Davis, and now this monstrosity." The mentioning of the second name made Richard flinch, and that peaked Emplate's curiosity. He wondered if he could find out more about this figure.

He watched, however, as Richard said nothing, but he saw the young man's features start to take on a reddish hue. No doubt he was reacting to the name. He did see Yvette move to comfort him, no doubt reacting to something said between the two in an unspoken way. Everyone else seemed puzzled by that statement, and it looked like Jubilation was trying to get an answer by asking Yvette, "Penny, ask him who Davis is."

He listened as Godiva answered the question, no doubt wanting to save her cousin from having to explain. "Davis was at one time Richard's best friend. That ended when he revealed he was a mutant criminal. I won't say anymore since it was such a shock that he doesn't even want to talk about it." He saw Yvette nod in agreement, which told him that she was let in on this secret.

Again, his sister spoke up, this time a bit upset at hearing this news. "You have a mutant criminal after you? Is he hunting you down? This is something you should have told us all about. What if he attacks the school?" He was almost amused by her reaction, as she never revealed their relation until he forced its revelation.

That amusement caused him to be caught off guard when Richard responded to her statement. There was anger in his voice when he said it, but Emplate could tell Richard was holding back. He heard something amazing when Richard spoke. "Shut up! At least Davis is imprisoned. You two never said anything about that smeghead of a brother when you arrived at the school. I've heard of that since I got to the school." He watched as Richard even glanced at his father but stopped speaking at that point.

What Richard had said told him a lot. He addressed Monet as 'You Two'. He had often wondered what happened to Claudette after that incident years ago. He knew now what had happened, and why Monet seemed so much older. Claudette was forced to use her power with Monet, creating the older looking girl. A glance at his father told him that his father had been surprised that that particular information was found out. This changed only one detail in some of Emplate's plans. He was going to have to spare Monet for the time being.

II. Cartier

Cartier St. Croix had been surprised by what he had just heard, especially of all the implications it included. Ever since they had an inkling of Marius's future, all precautions had been made to keep him separate from the son of Richard Cale Sr. He had been informed when his friend's son had developed mutant powers, but he had done all he could to keep that from his own son. They were also well aware of Monet's secret, or at least the basics of it.

He took that moment to look at Monet and asked her, "How did they find out about that?" He watched as she looked down, most likely ashamed by the fact that he found out they knew. It worried him a bit that it was Richard Cale Jr. who had said it. Had it been his mutant power that pick up on what Monet was, and how much had he figured out?

After a moment, Monet answered his question, but it didn't confirm everything. "Richard found out about the twins, and after his cousin Elane attacked the school, I told them about it and Richard revealed what he could about her." That made him relax only slightly, since there would be no doubt that Monet might not tell them everything about Claudette. He did not, however, know how much Richard might have picked up on.

He was momentarily distracted from that thought when Godiva looked at her cousin, and said, "Wait. Elane attacked the school and you survived, Rich. I want to say you're lucky, but I'm trying to figure out if that's a good thing or bad thing. How did she even find out you were there when we didn't know you were at the school?" Cartier had a nagging feeling about that, and he glanced over at what he was sure was his son.

To his surprise, the redheaded girl named Yvette answered the question. "We suspected that Emplate had enlisted her to help capture us. Since she failed, we believed she was dead." He would have agreed with the young lady on that one, but he had a feeling that it might explain how Marius remained motionless for so long.

He was about to turn his attention back to Monet to inquire exactly how much she might have revealed about her deepest secret when he saw Godiva start to collapse. He knew she complained about feeling tired yesterday. He was also sure she was working a bit harder today than yesterday. Kyuukai had run over to Godiva's side to hold her up, saying as she said, "She had said she was feeling a bit drained today, more so than yesterday. She was also working like a madwoman today."

Cartier hadn't put it together, until now. He had put it off to all the work she'd been doing here, but he quickly put two and two together. His son was feeding off Godiva, but he never saw the marks of such a feeding. He did realize, however, that one person did put it together, and he wanted to stop Richard as the young man rushed forward with claws out. The last thing he wanted to see was Richard Cale Jr being captured by his son.

III. Richard

Richard Cale was upset. Truth be told, he was furious. Emplate had come to his hometown and targeted his cousin. Richard was always protective of his family and knowing that this happened to her because of him angered him. He was just about lunge at Emplate when he heard Yvette yell, "Richard, stop."

He started to slow down, but he was then tackled to the ground by someone. He glanced back to see that it wasn't just one person, but two. One was Monet, while the other was Everett. Everett had both of his legs, but Monet looked at him in the eye, and said, "This is giving my brother what he wants. The second you would have made contact, he would have disappeared with you, and if he's been feeding on your cousin…"

He understood the implication from that possible fact, and for a moment, he eyed Emplate's dreadlocks. He let that thought cool his thoughts as he considered the idea of those dreadlocks being super strong tendrils. Right now, he wanted to be sure he wasn't in a neutral state and made his way over to Yvette. Once he was close to her, he was thankful that she locked arms with him. It gave him both comfort, and security.

After he took a few deep breaths, he looked at his cousin with both concern and urgency, and asked, "Godiva, is there somewhere more private that we can discuss things? We need to get a better plan of attack together, and I have a feeling that while things are still active, he's not going to make his move." He glanced back at Emplate, still unsure how he could remain there in that position so long.

He saw Godiva nod, and respond, "Yes. Almost every room has a secret passage to where I have some living quarters. It's something I set up for guests, as well as for us. For some reason, the passageway in here doesn't work." That bit of news meant something, in his mind, but he wasn't going to say anything yet.

They all followed Godiva and Kyuuaki out of the exhibit room, and into the one devoted to the Bermuda Triangle. He watched as they all were led over to a UFO display in the room and watched as Godiva pushed a panel on it. Soon, a nearby door opened up, and they all proceeded into it. As they followed Godiva, Richard took a moment to glance back in the other direction, and he was not surprised to see no visible obstruction behind them in the passageway.

As they made their way through the passage, he heard Sean ask a very important question. "Godiva, I take it ye have a security system in place for these secret passages and the museum." It was something he was wondering since he wanted to know if the cameras might have caught Emplate moving.

Godiva took a moment before she answered. "Well, when the museum's doors are set to close at closing time, which right now is set at five o'clock. Once those close, cameras scan each room, and eventually land on all the secret doors, checking to see if any are open. During the day, the secret doors have a trigger that switches from exhibit to exhibit. At night, they all disable, and in order to open them, they need to be accessed through a trio of puzzles. Only one exhibit room is not connected to the secret passages."

That last statement came as they started up a set of stairs but knowing some of Godiva's own interests as they were growing up, he knew she was probably entertaining some rather unorthodox intimate practices. It was something he was going to keep to himself, for the time being, but he said, "And for that particular exhibit room?"

He heard Godiva pause for a moment before responding. "Well, Kyuukai and I have passwords for each door. Anyhow, the one secret door hasn't fully closed recently, but we can't figure out why. I've already put a call in to help fix that door. Also, I set up collapsing stairs on the way up to the rooms. Once we get up to the rooms, I can switch the steps into a slide." He noticed that she had said that as they turned up another set of steps, noticing a set of steps going down, most likely to the other half of the secret passages.

As they reached the top of those steps, Godiva added one last point. "I want you all to realize that I had things built to withstand the strength of my hair. It can be quite the force of nature." After that, he took in the area around him. This floor looked like a huge living area, which meant that Godiva was intending to live in the museum, and had rooms to allow others to stay there, most likely saving on some costs for those special guests.

As they spread out, he noticed all the open room in the place, as well as marked rooms for individuals. He noticed that Kyuukai had a separate room, no doubt because they were still not really established as an intimate couple. Either that, or she hadn't fully moved into the place yet. As he took it all in, he heard Godiva address them all. "Once everyone is up for the night, this door is locked, and nothing can get through." Given Emplate's ability to phase out of reality, he wondered if that security protocol was enough.

As he was wondering about that, he noticed that Godiva approached him, and said, "Now, cousin, care to tell me why you when into a rage down there?" It was a question he was sure he couldn't answer properly. He was still trying to figure out how Emplate might have pulled it off.

To spare him the problem of answering the question, he heard Everett answer the question. "I think that Richard thinks that Emplate is feeding off of you while he's been here. The only thing is I don't see any marks." It was the same thing that was bothering him. There was no visible marks.

Even Jubilation spoke up on that, getting close to Godiva. "Ev's right. I don't see any marks. There are usually marks that look near circular." He remembered that, recalling the marks he left on Jubilation while he was under that dark influence. The thought still nauseated him. The thought that Emplate was doing that to his cousin also bothered him.

At that moment, Richard had a very disturbing thought. He looked at his cousin and kept his tone as neutral as possible. "Godiva, do you still use your typical sleeping attire?" He really didn't want to state what he knew about her habits aloud, since he was sure that some of the others might react in certain ways.

Judging by the look on her face, she could tell he was being serious, and was trying not to openly reveal some of her preferred life choices. He knew she would try to crack a joke about it as well, as she responded. "Wow. You pulled out the Ben Stein voice. To answer your question, yes, I still use the usual sleeping attire, and I keep the door locked when I'm like that here." He then saw a horrified look cross her face as she said, "You don't think he…."

He didn't want to vocally answer, and he really didn't want to confirm her fears. He knew the thought of a man outside the family seeing her like that disgusted her. Hell, any man looking at her naked disgusted her, and his chance encounter seeing her like that unnerved both of them, even though it led to her calling herself Lady Godiva. Still, he had to confirm her fears, and nodded while saying, "It could be the most likely scenario, but it can only be confirmed by a cursory examination, and only a few of us here know what to look for." He just had to figure out who might be best to check her out.

IV. Angelo

For a brief moment, Angelo Espinoza saw an opportunity, and was about to volunteer to examine Godiva. He then recalled how Richard reacted to the realization that Emplate might have fed on Godiva and held his tongue in check. He knew better than to tempt fate. Besides, he didn't want to be a creep about things.

Angelo looked at the group, and then looked over at Richard, and said, "Richard, why not have Miss Frost do it? She's aware of what to look for, and she can be professional enough for it." He saw a slightly surprised look cross Richard's face, no doubt expecting him to suggest something completely different due to the little bet fiasco.

He wasn't entirely sure if his suggestion would be taken seriously or not, but to his surprise, he heard Miss Frost say, "That is a very sound reason, Angelo. I will also add that I would not have expected that out of our resident joker." He shrugged but enjoyed the fact that he surprised them. He figured that most of them probably expected him to volunteer himself for the job.

He watched as Richard took a moment and walked over to her. "Miss Frost, are you sure you should do it? I mean, I am probably the safest person to do it, since I've, albeit accidentally, already seen her in the…." Angelo noticed that Richard trailed off on his last statement, probably not wanting to make the situation more awkward than it already was.

Angelo looked at Richard, and said, "Ricardo, relax. I know this is a tense situation, which is why I'm holding back on my usual banter. Emma is the best choice, since I'm sure we don't want you going into a rage again. This is the best course of action." He watched as Richard nodded, and then stepped back over to Yvette. Seeing how this was affecting his teammate made him forgive him for the trick earlier.

He then watched as Emma walked to Godiva and said, "Are you alright with this, Godiva? Given how we are almost all strangers to you, I can understand how awkward this can be." He noticed there was an absolute calmness in Emma's voice.

He saw Godiva nod at the statement, and then said "Would you like me to extend my hair so we can do this out here? I can make sure no one can see and keep an open pocket around us." It was obvious she was thinking this all over, with the young kids in the room.

He saw Emma nod, and then watched as Godiva's hair lengthened, forming a shell around the two. Watching it happen was literally amazing and made Angelo wonder if such a thing was possible with all his extra skin. Yes, he could become a virtual blanket back during the whole Phalanx event, but he didn't attempt it that often.

Once the shell was complete, everyone watched, wondering what might be happening in the shell. Everyone looked tense from what he could observe. He saw a concerned look on Kyuukai's face, as well as on the face of Monet's father. What he also noticed was that Monet's father was glancing between Monet and Richard, as if he wasn't sure who to be more worried for. He had noticed that he seemed worried when he saw Richard, as if he knew something more about what might be happening.

While he was observing this, he noticed Everett coming over to his side, and softly saying, "I would have figured you would have volunteered to check Godiva." His friend knew him a bit too well.

He quietly said to Everett, "For a moment, I considered it, but it wouldn't lighten the mood. It would have made it worse. Besides, I can forgive Richard for that sucker bet right now and maybe get him back later." He wanted to keep the tone upbeat and hopeful, since the way things were going, the worst outcome was becoming more and more possible.

Before anything else was said, a scream was heard coming from the now shifting shell of hair. Once it was clear, Godiva dashed off to one of the obvious bedrooms, saying, "You need to give me a few moments." With that, the door slammed shut, and Angelo already had a bad feeling about what was found.

As everyone drew together, Emma looked at the group and shook her head. "He's been feasting on her. He was clever about it too. He left marks on her back, around her spine, and on the underside of her breasts. Strategically, those are spots that are hard to look at. I can only imagine that some of those marks are more for shock value or planned to enrage certain individuals." He noticed she was glancing at Richard, whose eyes were closed. Angelo could only imagine how much anger he was in at the moment. He just hoped Richard wouldn't do anything rash right now. If Emplate was feeding off of Godiva, he really didn't want to see Emplate's dreadlocks lashing about like whips.

V. Yvette

Yvette had been processing all the information as it happened. She could even feel Richard's mind racing as he was process it. They knew Emplate was there, posing as a statue. They now knew he had been supping on Godiva, and that would mean he would have her powers, at least for a time. So far, he could have nabbed them at any moment. She could even envision his dreadlocks snaking their way up here to wrap around them and pull them away.

That fear was coursing through her, making her react when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around, almost tensing up, but stopped herself when she saw it had been Jubilation touching her shoulder and pulled her hand back just as she reacted. She saw a concerned look on her face as she said, "Penny, what's wrong? You do realize Emplate won't get you here, right?"

She didn't realize how tense she had gotten until she went to reply. "H-h-how d-d-do y-y-you kn-kn-know?" She paused for a moment, and took a deep breath, inwardly thankful that she wore a part of her team uniform under her clothes. She had no doubt what with how tense she was, some of her outfit would have been shredded. She took another deep breath, and then continued. "With Godiva's power, his dreadlocks could have followed us."

She saw Jubilation give her a reassuring smile. "That is not his style. He thinks things out, so I have no doubt he won't try that lame move. Besides, if he had tried it, there is probably a way to stop him from doing so."

She took a moment to relax a bit more before responding. "You're right, 'sis'. I forgot about that." Her friend Jubilation was the closest thing to a sister she could recall having. It was true that Emplate was a thinker. He would plan his attacks accordingly, judging what he would need to do. She just didn't know what all he was planning here.

She looked at Richard and noticed that he was starting to tense up as well. She also noticed that he was thinking, as if he was trying to figure out a problem. She squeezed his hand, hoping that would relax him, while asking, "What's wrong?"

She already had the feeling it was linked to Emplate, but was confused when he just said, "He should have moved. It is impossible for a person to stand perfectly still and motionless for hours. Even observations should be able to detect breathing, but he's even posed. How is it that he can do that?"

She thought about that. Even though they hadn't been in the room long, as well as not wanted to devote much time to looking at Emplate, he hadn't moved at all. The fact that he fed off Godiva meant he was still alive. It was possible that his respirator hid his breathing, but that pose couldn't be easy to maintain.

She heard her 'sister' bring up something she hadn't thought of. "What about those British Guards? They manage to stand all day without moving." Jubilation was right. She had remembered seeing image of the British Guards, always standing at attention in those fuzzy black hats. They did manage to stand straight for hours without moving.

To her surprise, she heard Jonothan respond to that. "I recall seeing one faint once. Still, there must be a reason why he mentioned that. Also, Emplate is maintaining a pose so there is something more to it." She then recalled the pose Emplate was in. It was nothing like standing straight up, and even in her own practiced gymnastics with some of the other girls, she realized how difficult it can be to hold a pose.

After another moment, she heard Mondo state something that she hadn't considered. "Is it possible that this is related to Godiva's power?" She noticed that he didn't seem totally convinced with his own idea, but she felt he was trying to help figure out how Emplate was managing to stay still.

She watched as Sean Cassidy shook his head at that question, but also noticed that he seemed puzzled by the problem. "Nae, Mondo. It wouldn't explain how he remained still when the blighter arrived." She wouldn't say it, but that was the flaw she had seen with Mondo's idea.

Yvette then heard Monet's father say something important. "When Godiva went to show me the new arrival, she remarked that he was out of the crate, informing me that he was in a crate when he arrived." That fact said a lot. It said how Emplate had gotten there, but since the crate was apparently gone, there was no way to examine it.

She then voiced a conclusion that just came to her. "Emplate could have removed the box, stashed it inside the secret passageway in that room, and then returned to his position." It at least explained the disappearance of the crate, but not how he remained still.

It was then when Miss Frost that voiced something about that. "The only problem with that would be that the cameras in that room would have caught any movement or noticed him going out of synch with reality." She had to admit that was true. Emplate's actions would have been noticed by the camera, becoming an immediate red flag for his actions.

They were all surprised when Kyuukai spoke up at that moment about the situation. "Normally, it would. When Godiva told me about that bit of oddness, I went to check the security cameras in the room. For some reason, they all went haywire in there, and aren't even lining up with the secret door. It is why we are having someone come in to check it out."

Somewhat to her surprise, she heard Daria ask, "How large is the opening that is left?" She watched as Kyuukai held up her hands to demonstrate the gap, and it did seem noticeable, depending on the angle. She realized why Daria was asking. Depending where the door in that room was in relation to Emplate, it would be the perfect way to keep an eye on him to help him. Daria had been exposed to tactical thinking having been in Zero Tolerance.

Yvette glanced over at Richard then and noticed on his face that he realized what this meant. She had even been coming to the same conclusion. She then heard him in their mental connection. "Yvette, I need a little time to think. I feel Daria is on the right path. Given what I've observed, there is only one room I believe is the safest for us at this moment. I'll be in there." She then watched as he quietly left the group. At first she thought it was crazy, but they had to be all correct about the issue right now. Emplate wouldn't move, but no doubt if the conclusion was right, he wasn't alone, and would work to isolate them. If Richard already knew the safest place to be, then she would let him go there first, and then join him. It was no doubt he was thinking this would be the best plan. She just wished he would have said something to the others first.

VI. Godiva

After spending the better part of a few minutes in her personal bathroom retching, and splashing her face with water, Godiva left her quarters. She still wasn't thrilled with what had happened to her over the past day or so, and upset that this Emplate used it as a way to attack her cousin. It also made her wonder if the universe just liked to pick on her. She had had her own fair share of jokes and negative remarks thrown her way. It also made it difficult for her and Kyuukai to go on dates, but those she had grown used to. Stuff like her father's suicide, and then her grandfather's passing had been disastrous events that some used to poke fun at her.

She put those out of her mind as she went over to where everyone was talking about what had been happening. As she surveyed the crowd, she noticed that one particular person was missing. Her cousin had not been in the group. Right away, she started to panic. She knew about how he sometimes needed alone time to think something through. This was not the best time to do that, especially if he was the target of this Emplate character. She spoke up immediately. "I know we are discussing the Emplate issue, but did anyone take notice that my cousin is not present?"

She was not surprised when Yvette said, "He told me he needed to go someplace to think." She looked at the girl and noticed she didn't seem flustered by this. Since Godiva knew Richard had Yvette's power right now, he might have also picked up on some of her traits. No doubt if she didn't appear worried, it meant he might have spotted something they could use to their advantage.

She momentarily rubbed her temple, inwardly cursing her cousin's action, and then said to the group, "So what was being discussed when I was dealing with that bastard coping a feel, and feeding off my power?" She shuddered as she thought about it, and inwardly cursed not locking her doors.

It was the girl, Daria, who answered the question. "We've been talking about how Emplate was staying still, and how he managed to uncrate himself without being spotted by the cameras." It was something that she had been trying to figure out, especially since Kyuukai had told her the cameras in the room were not functioning.

She crossed her arms, wanting some answers quickly. "I hope you have an idea of what might have happened. The sooner we figure it out, the sooner we can get a plan to stop them." She also hoped with Richard pulling his disappearing act, they could find him before anything went down.

It was Sean Cassidy who responded to the statement with a grimness in his voice. "I think we have all come to the same conclusion that Emplate isn't here alone. It appears that Emplate brought Aura with him." It took her a moment to put two and two together, but Aura had to be Elane.

She thought about that, and even tried to recall the crate. It had been a big crate, and when she saw the statue, she tried to piece it together with the size of the crate. It did seem to her that the statue was only half the size of the crate, which meant there was room for a second person.

She then thought about Elane's powers. The girl could manipulate an invisible aura around herself. She supposed it was possible to use it to keep Emplate in place. It still wouldn't explain how she could move undetected or hide from them for the past few days. "I suppose that could explain the malfunctions, but how is she hiding?"

Godiva started to glance over in Yvette's direction, but she heard Monet start to say something, "Maybe she can …" She heard the girl trail off in her statement and looked over at her. Monet was apparently staring straight ahead, as if in a trance of some sort.

She heard Jubilation say, "Oh great. Monet spaced out again. She picks the worst times to do that." She heard a sigh of exasperation come out of the girl, as well as a few others.

She was surprised when Cartier said with an urgency in his voice, "Somebody get her attention, and hurry." It made sense for them to get her out of this state in a hurry.

The feeling seemed to be concurred by Emma Frost when she spoke. "Indeed. We will definitely need her help in stopping Emplate." It was no doubt that she was upset as he was, but she was managing it better than he was.

She watched as Jubilation walked over to Monet with an 'I've Got This' look on her face and yelled in Monet's ear. "Hey M, your brother is coming to kill us all, and force you to watch the whole thing." To the girl's astonishment, Monet didn't seem to react at all. Jubilation looked a little surprised by that. "Huh. I thought that would do it."

She heard Cartier mutter something, but she didn't catch it. She then saw Everett walk over and say to Jubilation, "Listen, I know she's had a crush on me, and thinks herself a princess, so forgive me if I try this." She already had a feeling what was going to happen, but kept her mouth shut.

Sure enough, Everett leaned in and kissed Monet right on the lips. It wasn't anything overly dramatic in her opinion, but if they were expecting something to happen, they would be disappointed. The only thing the kiss caused was embarrassment, as well as guilt on Everett's face.

What followed after that was what had to be an hour's worth of time to break her out of that state. Some of them tried some rather simple methods, like Angelo trying to tickle her, to some more drastic ones like Daria turning her arm into a steel pipe and hitting Monet with it. Godiva had to momentarily stifle a laugh as Daria shuddered when she connected with Monet and finally yelped in pain. Some of them even tried pushing her, but she was amazed that the girl didn't even budge.

During this time, Godiva noticed two things. The first one was that Cartier was looking more and more worried about this situation. It was the kind of worry that she would associate with something secret being revealed at the wrong time. She had similar worries before she finally outed herself as a lesbian. Thankfully, her mother and brother had been accepting of it, but she had worried a little that Richard would reveal it before she said so.

The other thing she had noticed was that at some point, Yvette had headed down the steps to the museum. She didn't doubt that the girl knew where she was going. She had a feeling Richard might have told her where to meet him, and she had no doubt that Richard wouldn't be anywhere near the last exhibit room in the museum. Still, she had a feeling they might even know where to hide wherever they were.

Eventually, she decided that this process was taking too long, so she walked over and said, "Let me try something." She then walked over to Monet and leaned in close. She wanted to be sure no one would overhear what she was going to say, since she wasn't sure how anyone would take it. Still, she wanted Monet to know that if anything bad happened now, she would hold the girl personally responsible for it, and she wouldn't hold back.

The statement had the desired effect as Monet apparently blinked and jumped in astonishment. It was punctuated as the girl uttered "Mon Dieu." She also saw the girl look at her, and for a moment, she was certain she saw something in her eye. It was just for a moment, but it made Monet seem like another person.

Before anything else could be said, Godiva held up a hand and said, "I'm not going to say what I had said to her, but I think we need to start searching for my cousin, as well as his girlfriend. While we were all trying to get Monet out of her state, Yvette snuck off, no doubt to wherever Rich has gone into hiding." That statement caused everyone to react by looking around the room.

She saw Sean take charge of the group in that moment. "Alright everyone, we need to find Skitz and Penance before Emplate decides to hunt them down. We don't want that blighter capturing them. We'll split into teams, staying in touch with the communicators. Each team will take one room." She then watched as he looked at her. "Godiva, any insights?"

She nodded, recalling the reactions to the various exhibits in the museum. "Well, I'd say we rule out the Demon's Exhibit, as well as the Inhumanities Exhibit." She only ruled that one out due to the effect it had on Yvette, whom they must be calling Penance now. "I'd also rule out the Lobby and Presentation Room, as they really don't have a lot of hiding places."

She saw Sean nod and then turn to the group. "Alright, ye heard Godiva, so let's split up into groups. We have nine rooms to search, and we don't know how soon Emplate is going to make his move. Keep in touch with the communicators, and if Emplate does start to move, hide. If he's searching, he doesn't have them." With that, Godiva watched as he set up the groups, and each gave them a room to search.

VII. Yvette

Yvette cautiously entered the room she was sure Richard had gone to. The theme of the room still unsettled her, but the fact that the room had no secret passages, and passwords on the doors, told her that Richard deemed this room the safest. That did very little to calm her down, but if Richard was braving it, she would too. She just hoped it would keep the room safe from Emplate's phasing ability.

As she crept through the room, she spied Richard sitting on a step, staring at a device she knew about. It was a Guillotine, or a model of it. The replica of the blade also made her shiver. Why did the blade captivate him so right now?

She decided to let him know she was there by quietly coming up behind him and leaning down to whisper in his ear. She figured he would also appreciate the playful humor in it as she said, "A Penny for your thoughts." She also figured he'd response to her nickname amongst the others at the school.

She wasn't surprised when he turned a little, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her down until she was laying across his lap. She looked into her lover's eyes and smiled at him. He returned the smile with his own wry smile and said, "A Penny for my thoughts? Did you want me to take you up on that offer?" She was pleasantly surprised when he gave her a quick kiss. After that, he kept his eyes on her and said, "So, you figured out this was the safest place in the museum."

She sat up on the step and took his hand. "Yes, but why are you so sure this is the safest place, and why were you looking at that device?" She pointed over at the guillotine model and sighed a little. She actually didn't want to see him being so morbid about this whole situation.

She felt him squeeze her hand and responded to the question. "I guess I feel it is a bit symbolic of this whole situation. The man who made this wanted it to be a painless execution to its victim. Sadly, sometime later, that same man was victim to its blade. A bit ironic that we could end up in a similar situation." That last statement made her shudder, but she felt him hold her a little closer to him.

They turned away from it, and she decided to ask a key question. "Why do you think this room is the safest? I know Godiva said there were passwords on this room, and no secret entrances to this room, but I don't fully understand why." It was the truth, and it didn't help with the fear this room was inducing in her.

She watched as Richard pointed to the various devices in the room. "Godiva stated she got these from some alternative club. It was probably to cover up the fact that this room has a dual purpose." She blinked, and Richard looked at her. "Let's just say Godiva has had a secret interest in stuff like this. Kind of hard to admit it when you aren't of age."

That made her gasp for a moment, and then thought about that revelation. If these devices weren't used, but made to order, it was possible that these devices could be built to withstand anything. She blinked, and said, "You mean that all these things could withstand Godiva's hair, and maybe…."

She watched as he nodded. "First thing I did was scratch at one of the manacles." She watched as he tensed up a hand to be claw like and twitch his fingers. "Didn't even leave a scratch. So this is something we can use to our advantage. Would make it difficult to separate us."

She nodded in response and felt a slight chuckle form in her. She looked at Richard and said, "The room I fear the most is the safest place in this whole building. Have you scoped out for some hiding spots in the room?" When he nodded, she started to feel a bit safer about the whole situation, hoping they would make it through this nightmare intact.

She then thought about it for moment, and said, "We better tell the others we are safe." She reached down to the communicator she had and tried to signal the others. She started to worry when she got nothing but static. She turned to look at him, and saw he was now doing the same thing.

After a moment, she saw him slap his hand to his face, as he just realized something. "Of course. They probably set up this room to jam any frequencies." He shook his head, as if he hadn't considered it. "To be honest, I should have expected that as well. People don't always want to share their private lives, or private moments. Hell, this place would probably be a blackmailing gold mine." She then watched as he looked at his watch. "At least they have time to find us. I don't think Emplate will move until the museum's set closing time."

She glanced around the room, and then looked up at something she hadn't noticed in the room before. "Do you think they would have been aware of the camera in the corner?" She pointed up to it, and watched as Richard looked up at it. She could tell he was mulling it over.

After a moment, he turned to her, "Well, we can disappear into the shadows. Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if they deactivate it when they are in here. We just have to wait and see." He then took her hand, and she felt she was safer with him right now in this room. "Besides, I will do all I can to keep you safe. I'd risk my life for yours."

She leaned in closer to him, and quietly said, "Kiss me." He did, and she felt safer than she ever felt before, despite how much this room scared her. He was right. This room was the safest place in the whole building.

VIII. Elane

Elane Bonstein looked over the camera console in the security room. She had headed over to the room after the others had gone up to the living quarters that Godiva had set up. Her eyes were focused on the camera in the Inhumanities exhibit, and she hated what she saw. She was looking at Richard Cale and Yvette holding one another, and even kissing. His happiness was disgusting to her. She looked away for a moment and faced her own lover. "They're alone, and in the Inhumanities room."

Emplate, the main enemy of Generation X, walked over to her and responded. "I see. No doubt they have realized that you are here with me. They obviously picked that room due to how secure it is. A shame that I know the one password for the room." She watched as he turned to look at her, and said, "You were correct in suggesting this plan, my love. Richard came when he heard I was here. A shame that he and Yvette didn't come down here alone. I did take that into account, though."

She looked at him and looked right in his eyes. She could see how much he enjoyed causing pain to others. She took his hands and said, "Don't worry. I already have a plan in place. I can use my powers to keep them contained in one area while you secure them. Remember that I helped you get at Godiva." She remembered that he had felt a bit leery about doing that, but she told him it would cause Richard a lot of emotional pain. While it did help that Godiva was a very sound sleeper, she would have delighted in the screams Godiva would have uttered when the feeding was happening.

Her brief thoughts on that got interrupted when she noticed Emplate was now looking at the console again. She watched as he walked over to it, hearing him say "Something is afoot." She followed him and was surprised by all the activity she was seeing. At least two of all the people were entering all the rooms. The room devoted to Myths had her lover's father and sister in it. The Creatures Exhibit had the ones named Jubilation and Everett in it. The Extraterrestrial Room was being checked by Mondo and Daria, and Elane momentarily envisioned a very nasty fate for the girl who ruined her last attack.

The Ghosts exhibit was being checked out by Emma Frost and Godiva, while the exhibit room next to it had Jonothan and Paige in it. She licked her lips anticipating giving the girl another serious injury. She was also surprised the girl was moving now, unless Generation X had some good medical facilities.

On the other side of the Inhumanities room, the Inner Earth themed room had two strange boys in it. She wasn't sure which one was which, but Emplate had told her they go by the names Artie and Leech. The room for Ancient Civilizations had Sean and Kyuukai in it, and the room before the Demons Exhibit had Angelo and Franklin Richards in it. She remembered Angelo's skin trying to get at her, and inwardly she wouldn't mind inflicting some pain on him as well. Emplate had told her all their codenames, but right now she didn't want to use them. Using the codenames, in her mind, made things less personal.

She did, however, figure out what was going on. "Damn it. They must be looking for Richard and Yvette. They might even find them before we can act." This was not how things were supposed to happen. With them spread out like that, it would be tougher to keep them from stopping her and Emplate.

To her surprise, she heard Emplate laugh at that. She watched as he was looking over the console while explaining. "Quite the contrary. None of them are heading to the Inhumanities Exhibit. They probably got the idea from an exhibited discomfort that Yvette wouldn't go in the room. Richard, however, figured out the alternate purpose the room serves, so he probably determined how secure and private the room is. No secret passages, minimal cameras, and those doors have a password on them once activated. It is a literal fortress after hours."

She looked at her lover and asked the important question. "After hours. Which we aren't close to yet, or do you have something in mind?"

She watched as he pointed to one switch. "Godiva obviously planned for something as she has an emergency lock down on the console here. I also know Govida's password into that room." That made her smile, figuring he got it during his feeding sessions. "I should also note that Godiva and her lover, Kyuukai, are on the opposite sides of the room as their doors to the rooms are. Fate is smiling upon us."

Elane smiled an evil smile and went over to the control panel. "So, we close the museum early, then you get into the exhibit, change the password, and capture them. No doubt when they try to get in, I can join you and we escape with them." When he nodded, she pushed the button to initiate the lock down procedure.

In an instant, all the lights in the museum dimmed. A brief glance at the cameras showed a majority of them focusing on the secret doors as they closed with a click. She also saw the doors between all the exhibit rooms closing and sealing. Soon, an automated voice spoke through all the intercoms. "Attention. The museum has now been shut down due to an incident. All lockdown precautions have been initiated. Please remain where you are until security comes for you." Some of the other cameras placed in the room showed the confusion on the Gen X'er's faces.

She returned her eyes to the camera in the Inhumanities Room, and she saw the loving couple looking up at the camera. She was surprised when Richard then lunged at the camera with a claw out before it went dead. She heard Emplate chuckle then, and say, "He knows. They are probably taking measures to protect themselves." She then laughed as well, knowing that it wouldn't save them. Before the day was done, she and Emplate would be successful.

IX. Darrett

In the future, Darrett and his mother had managed to sneak into the structure. To his amazement, the interior had been relatively devoid of guards, but he had no doubt because the evil ones thought the place was secure enough. They did, however, stay out of sight of the windows, just to be safe

As they moved, he heard his mother say, "All the research says we need to get to the library, and then find the right spot." He glanced at his mother with a questioning look. He saw her give him a slight smile as she responded to the unspoken question. "It was one of the surprises we learned shortly after everything started. His family were one of those fighters of the dark forces."

Darrett let out a disgusted sound as the searched the building for the library. "Hard to believe they were ever possible of good. Look at what they've done to the world." The world was in chaos, as the number of free people and mutants could be counted on one hand. He had seen too many friends either die, get captured or worse, converted.

As his mother opened one door, he heard her say, "You never got to see them before this all happened. When Marius St. Croix realized how far he pushed them, he quickly turned to his former foes. We just didn't know how fast they moved." He then saw her motion him over to the door. "However, since then, we learned a lot about what his family was meant to do and found out his family had something that could stop all this."

Once they were inside, he quietly shut the door, and then looked around. It was a massive library, and he couldn't believe what all had to be in the room. Without seeing the titles, he could tell there was some sort of aura in the room. He actually had to keep himself from gasping aloud before he asked, "So this thing is in here?"

He was surprised when his mother responded, "No, the door to where it is is in here. I have an idea where the hidden switch is, but we need to find it to open the door." He sighed when he heard that. He just hoped they would have time to find the switch. Just because they hadn't encountered any guards didn't mean there weren't any about. He just hoped that they were going to find the item they sought to fix the mess. He didn't know what it would be, but it could stop the drastic moment that caused all this to begin with. It gave them one last hope.