Hello my loyal fans. You have put up with the inconsistent updates and now I must share the bad news that it will only continue. The story is going on hiatus. It seems I have been forced to move again by the fates. I've written this chapter twice now and each time the power goes out and I can't bring the story back. Starting from scratch over and over is difficult.

Thanks to those of you who actually do review. It is comforting to know I'm still pleasing three readers. Three is better than none, or so I tell myself. For this I will try my best to get the chapters updated.

Chapter 24

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Living in the Past

Friends of Humanity Headquarters – Three days earlier

Inside the office of the current head of New York's Friends Of Humanity, F.O.H., Jessica Soranido sits facing a portly blonde woman. The blonde woman informs Jessica of the events currently taking place, her group's mutants are being attacked at their home.

"You did what!" Jessica screamed throwing herself upward and leaning over the desk. Her necklace of a friendship medallion dangling from her neck, swinging from her fury.

"Mutants are the scum of evolution. They are being cleaned off one by one. Starting with the 'Friends Of Mutants Everywhere.' Pathetic!" The blonde woman stated.

"What about Katie? She's your sister lettie! Your SISTER!" Jessica yelled, continuing to fume.

The woman, lettie, remained calm in her chair as she replied. "My sister will be cured of...her plague and then she will be my sister again."

Jessica was taken aback in horror. "You…your going to kill your sister?" Her stomach began to turn and she felt a sudden overwhelming feel of sickness canceling out her anger. "She's your sister." Jessica said in a near whisper as she sat back down covering her face in her hands.

Violet stood up and walked over towards her window overlooking the city. She quickly turned her attention to Jessica, causing Violet's necklace to fall off revealing the other half to Jessica's. "I did not say kill. We have made some wonderful advancements in technology and with her help we can find a way to make her normal again"

Jessica raised her head and with tear filled eyes began to scream however, once her mouth opened the doors to office burst open and a man rushed in dressed in uniform. "There's a problem."

Violet's face turned a deep shade of red as anger overtook her. "What kind of problem?" she asked trying to remain calm, despite the situation.

The man paused for a moment and looked towards Jessica. "Perhaps we should speak in private?"

Violet waved her hand. "Nonsense Stryker, what you need to say will matter not to this one."

The man, Stryker, nodded and informed the blonde woman of the situation. "Apparently after our men had rounded up the suspects the target got away."

"Katie got away!" Jessica asked holding on to the last bit of hope she had left.

"The girl and an unidentified male escaped us." Jessica gave a small squeal while Violet groaned aloud. Stryker was not done. "There's more. Shortly after they escaped and our men captured one of theirs the tide quickly changed. It seems all our men have been taken into SHIELD custody."

"What of the men who captured one of the mutants?" Violet asked sitting down in her chair again.

"There is no word. We assume they have been captured for we lost all radio contact with them. We have men scouring the city right now looking for this Bailey" Stryker replied before being cut off.

"Bailey! She's…" Jessica interrupted and sank downard into the chair again. "Oh Zack…"

"Send more men! I want that mutant!" Violet ordered. Stryker immediately left the office shutting the door behind him. "Now then," Violet opened a drawer and pulled out a small box, "Shall we go over the past?" she asked taking out some photos from the box.

FOME Apartments – Present

Hawk filled in the SHIELD officer about the situation between the F.O.H. soldiers and the rest of the mutants. "The others are all present and accounted for."

The SHIELD officer nodded and looked over the report. "And what about Shift? I did not see him earlier when the medical officers checked the others out."

Hawk paused briefly before continuing his report, "I have decided to stay on with the children to make sure the situation does not happen again."

"That does not answer my question. Where is Mr. Zachary S-" Once again in New York someone in high power of an organization was interrupted.

"BAILEY!" Came the scream.

"There is your answer, sir." Hawk replied.

Zack yelled at the top of his lungs again. It had been many days since she'd died he hadn't slept at all since the day before. He hadn't eaten or even bathed for that matter. He had finally returned to the team after taking some time off.

He gave one final scream from one of the skyscrapers around NEW York before leaning forward and letting himself fall off. The moment before he hit the ground his shape changed and his lower body was spinning in a cyclone propelling him through the air. He flew low to the ground and between cars until he arrived at the Mutant Apartments.

Taking a deep breath he opened the door to the café and walked towards the elevator pressing the up button. When the doors opened SHIELD officers occupied it. One of them smiled in seeing him. "You missed your chance to be checked by our doctors. You have a psychiatry appointment tomorrow. It's mandatory." The man replied before stepping out of the elevator with his fellow men. "I'd like a report by 1300."

"I don't even know what that means." Zack said dejectedly as he pressed the button for his floor and the doors closed leaving him alone in the elevator. As he looked around he sighed, "We made out in this elevator." In his mind he saw the two of them in the corner trying to suck the air from each other's mouth. "We made out everywhere."

The elevator dinged and opened on his floor. Stepping out into the hall he stopped in front of her apartment and once again sighed. She really was gone. After entering his apartment he groaned so loud it turned into a yell. His roommate, Olivia, had changed his apartment again. Everything was pink, there were pictures of animals everywhere, and heart pillows adorned every surface of the apartment.

He let out a few tears and collapsed onhis bed, the one place not affected by Olivia. The bed did have a fuzzy pink blanket but that was all Zack's doing.

"You go talk to him." Chance said to his sister. The two were outside his door and were arguing about which person should tell the shape shifter his services were required.

"I'm not going to talk to him! You're closer to him than I am!" Lissa replied.

Chance shook his head, "We talked about making some inventions that's it! You're the girl you should do it!"

"What that doesn't even make sense!"

"You've got the boobs, if he gets mad you can distract him." Paul replied from the kitchen as he ate a sandwich. "It's like hypnotizing him."

"That is so sexist!" Caeda said from her spot on the couch. "Just because girls have boobs doesn't mean they hold power over men."

"You're only saying that cause you don't have these." Lissa said motioning to her woman parts. "They do so have a power over men but it does not mean I should have to tell him!"

"You're right. Paul, you do it!" Chance said motioning to the Canadian.

"What! Why me?" Paul asked defensively, after swallowing his food.

"Cause you've been eating all his food!"

"Hey someone has to! He's not going to, so I figure it should go to his best buddy."

"We could always late a fire to get him out…" St. John suggest flicking open his lighter.

"NO!" Everyone declared in unison.

The door to the bedroom swung open and Zack looked at each of them. "I may be depressed over Bailey's death, but I'm not deaf."

"Ah good Zack you're up! Lissa has something to tell you!" Chance said pushing Lissa forward.

She looked at him for a moment that stuck out her chest. "How are you feeling? You okay? Good. Listen they want to speak with us about a mission and they want ALL of us." Lissa explained.

Zack nodded and made his way through the people. "Well that was easy…" Katie said as she watched him leave.

"See those things have a crazy power over people!" Griff said before stepping out into the hall.

"Maybe that's your mutant ability."

Zack stood in the office with the SHIELD official currently in control of the FOME, the shape shifter had just resigned. "You can't quit." The official said in a humorous tone.

"The hell I can't! This is volunteer work, I didn't sign a contract, we're not being paid." The mutant replied unhappily.

The man grabbed a remote from his desk and turn on the television set in his office. On it was a news report, the official turned up the volume so Zack could hear. "Investigators in Canada are still searching for the killer of Raymond Greburger. The only eyewitness Greburger's daughter, said that the killer of her father accused him of rape. There was no other comment at this time. In other news, Colonel Nick Fury has created a super team made completely of mutants inhopes of strengthening human-mutant relationships." The new report quickly turned off.

"Greburger? What kind of name is that?" Zack asked forcing a smile onto his face, it was a strain.

"Interesting how this man was attacked and killed while you were in Canada with you're friends wasn't it?" The man asked while sipping his coffee and smiling smugly at the mutant before him.

Zack's eyes turned to a glare as he looked at the man before him. "So what are you saying?"

"It would be a shame for you to lose your girlfriend and then to lose your freedom because of a murder."

Zack sneered his upper lip twitching while he seethed in anger. "So if I stay the case will miraculously not fall on me?"

"I merely wish for you to stay with those that care for you instead of winding up in a place with no love. Even if you did kill a rapist you wouldn't get much love in there…not as one of the 'good' guys."

Inside Chance's lab the entire team was gathered around a television screen with their commanding officer looking at them. "Good the whole team's here. As some of you may know the Shriekers, as they were once called, have started a life of fighting crime instead of committing them. Well their original leader, Shriek, has disappeared. She's not the only one, Professor Xavier of the X-Men, and even your former leader, Beelzebub have disappeared." He waited a moment to let it sink in before continuing.

"We have not found the other two but Shriek has managed to turn up in New Zealand. An organization known as Weapon X has set up a base near Australia, where some of you may have met their operative, and have held Shriek there. The reason for such is unclear, that is what you will be finding out. You will retrieve what information you can and rescue Shriek."

"Isn't Sabretooth out of our league? Even as a team…he has the whole healing factor and he's killed many." Chance said shaking slightly.

Griffin stood up and only reinforced Chance's point. "Zack, Caeda, St. John and I met him and we barely escaped."

"You will be getting some outside help, just in case you kids can't beat him. A former member of Weapon X himself."

"Wolverine?" Chance asked excitedly. "With him we'll surely win!"

"No."

"Silver Fox?" Griffin asked.

"No. It's a man named Kane."

After his name was called a man stepped through the elevator doors and towards the group of mutants. His arms and legs were completely metal, his body was covered in some sort of combat armor and his right eye had a small eyeglass device covering it.

"Children, Kane is more machine than man. With his hands he can create just about any weapon needed. The metal on his body is made of Adamantium, the stuff covering Wolverine. Sabretooth will be no problem for him. As for the agents…well team that is your job."

The members of FOME, minus Hawk, each sat in their seats in the large SHIELD carrier. Each was in uniform ready for battle at a moments notice. Kane was flying the ship, leaving the team alone for the most part.

"So does anybody have any skeletons in their closet?" Paul asked breaking the silence. Each member looked at him with a dumbfound expression on their face. "What? We may not live through this so I figured we might as well get it all out now."

There was a collective groaned and Shift spoke up. "I had a sister once." He stated, his eyes drawn to the floor. "She…she was raped and killed herself shortly thereafter because the man was never caught. Police said it was her word against his. I ran away from home after that."

"I'm sorry." Paul a.k.a. Lighting said putting his hand on his friends hsoulder.

Shift didn't look up from his spot on the floor he just gave a nod. "Nothing you could have done."

"I have a sister." Katie, Animala, said trying to change the subject. "She…forgot about me I guess and left me alone when a bunch of anti-mutant people came after me. Jessica managed to save me and we eventually found Jack." She said finishing her story while twisting her ring absentmindedly.

"I worked for Magneto once, and he allowed me to make such beautiful fires." St. John the former mutant terrorist Pyro, said.

"We know!" Each person said one after the other.

"I love all you guys." Griffin said smiling at everyone.

"Fighting crime and beating the bad guys makes me feel like a god. It seriously is like a drug for me." Paul said punching his hand into his fist.

"That's nice." Pyro replied.

"I lost my dad in a car crash." Hyacinth said, her voice however did not change to a depressed tone like Zack's or Katie's.

There was another moment of silence before Lissa spoke up. "I was married once." She said. Everyone burst into laughter, even Masque gave a small laugh. "What's so funny!"

"Sorry sis, but it's not really all that surprising." Chance aka Scope replied drying tears from his eyes.

"Yeah, kind of like Zack and hitting on every girl on the street. It doesn't surprise anyone but its funny as hell." Griffin or Knockout replied pointing to Shift.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Shift said defensively.

"Yeah it's even funnier when he gets turned down BY EVERY SINGLE ONE!" Pyro added.

"Hey! That's not that funny!" Came Shift's response. He looked at everyone and smiled. "Yeah ok it is a little funny."

The plane came to a stop and doors opened followed by a ramp that lowered to the ground. "WE're here kids, let's hurry." Kane said getting out of the pilot's seat and making his way out of the plane and down the ramp.

The others soon followed and found themselves on a small airstrip on the water. "I thought we were supposed to be in New Zealand?" Chance asked looking around at his surroundings.

"They'd know something was up and shoot us down. From here we go by boat. Hope none of you get seasick." Kane replied as he walked down a set of stairs and onto a black sppedboat with a large SHIELD insignia painted on top of it.

"Oh right that's not obvious." Shift mocked as he followed the other's onto the boat. "A little cramped don't you think?"

"Sorry but we need speed instead of size on this one." Kane replied as he started the boat up. "Time is of the essence."

"I thought being quiet and being stealthy was the plan?" Shift replied.

"That too."

The waves of the ocean splashed against the SHIELD speedboat and upon Lightning's face as he hung his body over ready to once again vomit over the side. Shift sat near him in the back, making sure not to be downwind from him.

"They say that staring at the horizon helps with seasickness." Shift said as he tried to fit on one of the children's life jackets.

The Canadian orphan lifted his face up towards the horizon and felt his stomach churn again and he once again lurched. "They lie.

Shift nodded, "I never said they were right. I merely said its what they say." Shift looked down the boat towards Pyro who was laying in the fetal position on the seat. "At least your not Pyro. Guess he doesn't like water."

Paul groaned and wiped the sides of his lips. "Neither do i."

The boat continued to break through the waves with no other sounds besides Paul's vomiting. Kane suddenly cursed as the boat stopped moving and made no sound. "It just stopped!" He said kicking the boat.

"Paul!" Shift accused. The other teenager gave only the response of coughing.

Suddenly a loud gravelly voice broke the silence through the ocean, the voice was amplified by a loud speaker followed by two spotlights landing on the boat, "Attention my fellow mutants I am in a bit of a hurry and so I have no wish to be funny. So just stay out of my way and we'll be fine. " The voice went quiet and a blur of black and red jumped from the spot lights and landed on the SHIELD boat.

"This would be the part where I taunt you." Said a figure dressed in black and red holding two swords.

"Spider-Man?" Kane asked.

Well what did you think? Was it a lower quality than usual? Or was it the most beautiful piece of words assembled ever? Please do review. For those of you who wish not to wait through my hiatus then if you ask nicely I will send you the final chapter, it's all written in my head just not down on digital information. If you wish for it then just drop me a line via IM, E-Mail, or one of the many options available through Hope to continue soon.