Author's Note – I do not own any of the characters, Marvel and DC do.
And Nintendo own Mario Kart. Great game, but the battles in MK8 just suck. Using the tracks rather than actual arenas... Really, Nintendo?

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Chapter Thirty

Plans In Readiness

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Lance laughed in excitement as he sent his kart into a barely-controlled skid, passing Alex Summers on the inside as they raced round the corner towards the finish line. Glancing behind him, he drifted slightly left and then hit the button that dropped the banana peel that he had held back for just this moment.

Alex yelled in horror, then frustration as he failed to avoid the banana and spun out, allowing the two other members of the Brotherhood who had been trying to overtake him to zoom past and let the Brotherhood claim all three top positions.

"Whoooo! Yeah!" He shouted as he coasted to a stop and thrust his hands up in victory. "Once again, the best there is!"

"You've been practicing more." Alex grumped as he pulled up beside Lance.

"It's a great game." Lance shrugged, looking round at the cheering crowd of short mushroom people. "You heard that Nintendo and K-tech are producing special VR-karts? We'll soon have more people to race against."

"It'll be cool." Todd agreed as he lounged against the handlebars of his bike. "Sure, I like racing against you guys, but going against others from all over the globe? Looking forwards to it."

"Peter said that he's going to upload the programme to the Angels Rest Danger Room soon, so we'll be able to see how his Spider Sense works against red shells." Kitty added from where she was sat with her feet on the steering wheel. "Feels weird not being able to use my power, though."

Several of the others laughed as they remembered how Kitty had bounced off almost every single wall on the first two tracks before finally realising that her normal style didn't work.

"Alright then." Lance said, turning to look at Fred Dukes. "Blob, you came second, so you get to choose the next course."

Fred nodded. "Menu, courses."

A holographic screen appeared before him and he tapped one of the pictures as everyone else got ready to race. The stands flanking them flickered out of existance, then reformed into a totally new course as their Karts and bikes slid into position on the starting grid.

"Dino Dino Jungle." Alex commented as the cloud-riding turtle holding the starting lights floated down.

"I like dinos." Fred shrugged as he revved his engine.

"So do I! They're cool!" Chris Kent chirped from his position near the back of the pack.

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"How do you feel?" Moira asked and Tyrone smiled.

"It… doesn't hurt as much."

"I've used a special medicine to reduce the amount of damage the metals are causing." Moira explained and Mariah nodded in understanding. "At the moment, I'm buying time to do more tests but if there's a cure, we'll find it. I've also sent a message to Medic Hara Chi-Sho on New Krypton, she's one of the ones working on adapting their med-pod technology so that we humans can use it as well."

"I'd like to visit New Krypton some day." Tyrone commented and Moira smiled.

"I've visited it briefly and it's… incredible. They've used crystals to build tall towers… hang on. Fortress, please display a slideshow of pictures of New Krypton, five-second intervals."

Tyrone half-turned as one of the wall-screens lit up showing a large building with crystal walls and metallic highlights.

"That's their Hall of Representatives." Moira said. "It's where both the New Krypton Council and the Triumvirate meet."

"Triumvirate?" Mariah asked and Moirah nodded.

"The leaders of New Krypton, New Isreal and New Olympus."

"What's New Olympus?" Tyrone asked.

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Clark leaned back as Mystique snuggled against his side.

"You know," She giggled, "Ever since you got that new game set up, the Brotherhood have almost been camped out in the Danger Room. Even Wanda is addicted to it."

Clark laughed. "I may have to install a cut-off so that they don't end up turning into techno-hermits. Heck, Chris is spending quite a bit of time in there. Laura as well, although I suspect that she's there simply because Chris is."

"Ah, there you are." A voice said and Clark waved as Xavier floated in on his chair. "I was hoping to get your opinion. Havoc has been quite vocal over the fact that the Brotherhood have a motto and the X-Men don't and I decided that he may have a point. After quite a bit of thought, I think that Mutatis Mutandis might be a good motto, but I could use a second opinion on that."

"Changes which changed." Mystique translated and Xavier nodded.

"I thought it catches the essence of mutantkind. However, Generation-X still needs a motto of its own."

"Mutare Sortem." Clark supplied after a moment's thought. "It means…"

"To change destiny." Xavier said just as Mystique supplied "To change fate."

"Appropriate." Xavier smiled. "I think that it'll be quite popular. Especially if I tell them that you came up with it."

"Awwww, look at him blush." Mystique laughed.

"Clark, you really should try to get used to praise." Xavier said as he tried (and failed) to grin. "You, more than anyone else, have changed the world."

Clark tried to look away, but Mystique cupped his cheek in her hand, pulling his head round so that she could look him in the eyes.

"He's right, Clark. I'd still be on the other side if not for you. You gave me a new life."

"Eeeeeew!" Chris exclaimed from the door and all three adults jolted in surprise or shock. "They're about to go kissy-kissy!"

Clark gave his adopted son a fake glare, then he grinned.

"As you grow older, you'll find that kissy-kissy isn't eeeeeew."

Chris snorted in disbelief as Laura smirked beside him.

"Be several years. He still baby at times."

Chris blinked, then spun as Laura sprinted off laughing.

"Oy!" He shouted. "I'll get you for that! I'm not a baby!"

Clark shook his head as Chris sprinted down the corridor.

"Well, at least his super-speed hasn't activated ye…"

A whoosh followed by a thud interrupted him, then Chris' voice echoed.

"I'm okay!"

"…I suppose I was just asking for that." Clark sighed as he closed his eyes.

"He didn't…"

"He did." Clark replied and Mystique started giggling. Xavier turned his chair so that he could peer round the doorjamb, then he sighed.

"I think that I will need to call in a plasterer tomorrow."

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"Incredible." Stryker breathed as he looked at the lorry-load of racks filled with vials. "How did you make so much of this?"

"Master Mold was able to reverse-engineer the Cure from bits of technical data, but it only had an eighty-percent effect, meaning that on average the target still had access to a fifth of their powers." Trask stated. "After I managed to acquire a sample during the Angel Island incident, it was a simple matter to tweak the production system so that the end result was the fully-effective version of the Cure."

Stryker nodded, his gaze still transfixed by the ten pallet-loads of meticulously racked vials.

"Each vial contains ten standard doses." Trask added, then he smirked. "There is enough of the Cure there to de-power every single known mutant in the USA."

"It will prove invaluable once the Mutant Registration Act is passed." Stryker agreed, then he paused. "Your expression… tell me."

"Master Mold has calculated that there is only a forty-four point two one percent chance that the MRA will be passed given current trends." Trask sighed. "And with Kent remaining in the public eye and raising the public's approval ratings for mutants due to his partnerships with them and his marriage to one… each month that passes reduces the chances by approximately four point three percent."

"Damn!" Stryker cursed before he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. After a few moments, he nodded slowly.

"What if there was a mutant attack?"

"The ones I aided in setting up backfired spectacularly." Trask noted.

"It did, mainly because you didn't take all the variables into account." Stryker agreed. "The presence of the X-men, how fast various super-teams can respond… things like that are very difficult for us humans to calculate. However, I have an answer."

Trask raised an eyebrow and Stryker turned, pulling out a small remote from his pocket. In response to the button-push, a large door on the other side of the meeting room slid open to reveal a hovering shape.

"Trask, meet MODOK, the Mechanised Organism Designed to Outmaneuver Kryptonians. He has been tasked with safeguarding humanity from all threats, internal and external."

"i have indeed. i have already generated a decision-tree with over fifty-seven thousand permutations to ensure that humanity is preserved" MODOK stated. "of course, any information that you can provide could be of assistance in reconfiguring the current protocols to ensure a more optimal approach"

Trask stared at the floating being.

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Master Mold's processing cycles seemed to stutter as she hastily re-compiled all the data available from her servant's senses, especially the sensors that he himself did not know about. After several seconds, she mentally nodded.

The location of the stolen bio-computer was no longer unknown.

The plans that she had developed for if she had managed to acquire it were no longer possible and could be discarded.

At least it would free up several hundred terabytes of memory for other uses.

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Fury sat back with a sigh, placing the e-pad on his desk.

The official notification that the galaxy-level threat Thanos was safely ensconced in a stasis pod located in a new (and near-impregnable) facility on New Krypton had finally percolated through the layers of government bureaucracy and reached his desk. Although his other sources (including Samual Wilson) had relayed the news to him earlier, it was still somehow reassuring to have official documented evidence.

Picking up his pad, he scrolled to the next set of reports. The Howling Commandoes had returned from the preliminary exploration of the Savage Lands in Antarctica and the reports were quite startling. Pictures and DNA samples proved that many species believed extinct (including Dinosaurs) were still in existance. Only the combination of the location of the Savage Lands, the ferocity of its inhabitants and the strange quasi-magical field that surrounded it had prevented news leaking out about it until recently. One finding of note was the unexpected presence of Vibranium ore, something that had previously only been found in Wakanda.

Another flick of the screen brought up a new file, one titled "NWRTV". Fury nodded slowly as he perused the data on the new team, then he reached out and tapped a control on his desk.

"Connect me to Superman."

"One moment, sir." A female voice replied and then a moment later, a male voice spoke.

"Director Fury, can I help you?"

"I believe you can." Fury replied. "A new team has formed and I was hoping that you could arrange for them to receive some training."

"If you'll give me some details, I'll see what I can do."

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Clark put down the phone and sighed.

"What is it?" Xavier asked and Clark sighed again.

"Reality TV." He growled. "A television company has decided in it's infinite wisdom to follow a superhero group, one that it has put together itself. The New Warriors, and if that name isn't an omen then I don't know what is."

"Oh dear." Xavier frowned. "So… who was calling you about it?"

"Director Fury." Clark replied. "He wants me to head to their HQ and give them a 'This is what being a hero is truly about' speech. Why me, though…"

"Because you have experience." Xavier said, hiding his smile. "You effectively set up and trained the X-Men, Generation-X follows your lead almost religiously…"

"What?"

"Oh yes." Charles nodded. "The two most respected statements used by Generation-X are 'Clark says…' and 'Clark would…'. They look up to you, Clark. More than they look up to me, in fact."

Clark looked away and Xavier continued. "It isn't just them, either. I've spoken to my brother several times and he actually asked if I thought that you would be willing to take over his position as ruler of Genosha if anything happened to him. I pointed out that you prefer to remain independent so that you can help as many as possible without worrying too much about politics, but he hasn't withdrawn the offer as far as I know. Then there's the West Coast Guardians, you set them up."

Clark mumbled something and Xavier fought down inappropriate laughter as he picked up the name Doreen.

"And then we have the Gargoyles, with their human members, Elisa Maza and Fox and David Xanatos."

"Wait." Clark said, his attention arrested by that statement. "What?"

"Fox and David Xanatos recently petitioned for entry and were provisionally accepted into the Wyrvern Clan." Xavier smiled. "They both have powered armour that they use for patrolling, although they apparently alternate so that they can look after Alex."

Clark blinked. "I… don't know what to say about that."

"Moving on," Xavier continued, "We have the New York Guardians, another group that you helped to set up. Face it, Clark, right now, almost everyone sees you as the pre-eminent specialist in creating superteams."

"You are enjoying this far too much." Clark grumbled as Xavier finally lost his battle against laughter.