That Which Never Was - X-Men fic (PG rating)

[NoAzMale]

X-MEN
“That Which Never Was”
By J. B. Tilton (a.k.a. NoAzMale) and Teri Thibeault (a.k.a. Tessalynne)
Emails:
noazmale@isot.com evilgidget_2000@yahoo.com
Rating: PG

Disclaimer: “X-Men” and all related characters and events are the property of the Marvel Comics and Stan Lee, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

(Authors note: This story is based on the X-Men trilogy movies. It takes place immediately after the events of X-Men 3: The Last Stand.)

* * *

Following the events at Alcatraz Island, a mysterious intruder breaks into the X-Manor and the X-Men discover this intruder may be as powerful as the Phoenix was. And he may be planning to restart Magneto’s war against humanity.

* * *

Prologue

It was a bleak, barren landscape covered in snow and ice. No vegetation would have been seen even if the sun had been up. But the full moon overhead illuminated the area nearly as well as daylight. Nothing moved in this desolate desert except for a biting cold wind that dropped the temperature to a frigid -40 degrees. Few things could survive this freezing landscape at the top of the world.

Suddenly a ball of light appeared in the frozen wilderness. There was no apparent source for the light. It was approximately 8 feet in diameter and with each passing moment its intensity increased until it was a blinding radiance that would have blinded anyone who might have witnessed it. The light illuminated the surrounding countryside for several moments and then suddenly blinked out as if it had never been. In its place stood what appeared to be a man of average height and build.

The man was dressed casually, wearing only an overcoat that was much too flimsy to ward off the chilling cold of this barren expanse. Yet he hardly seemed to notice the cold. His jet black hair glistened in the moonlight and his yellow eyes were a stark contrast to the almost snow white look of his skin. He looked around the area as if searching for something. Then he turned his gaze skyward. For several moments he studied the stars and constellations overheard. A small smile played about the corners of his mouth.

He had extensive knowledge of the stars and their positions. Even a cursory examination told him he had arrived exactly at the destination he had intended. In this lifeless, desolate land there would be no prying eyes to witness his arrival. And more importantly, no satellites overhead to document his presence.

Confident he had arrived unnoticed and unannounced the man began to walk south. The only direction he could possibly go from this particular point on Earth. It would take him many days to reach his true objective. But he had timed his arrival precisely. He would have plenty of time to complete his mission. All but ignoring the bitter cold he walked confidently through the piercing wind and blowing snow moving ever closer to his destination. And those he knew would ultimately try to stop him.

ONE

“I don’t know how you think you’re going to pull this off,” said Logan staring at Ororo. “The Professor’s gone. So is Scott. And I had to kill Jean to stop her. If you ask me we should just close this place down. It’s more like a God-damned mortuary than a school anyway.”

“Logan, I’m sorry about what happened,” said Ororo. “I know you loved Jean. And if I could change things I would. I loved her, too. I also loved Scott and the Professor. But the Professor started this school to help teach young mutants how to control and use their powers. He wouldn’t want it to close just because he’s gone. It’s his legacy and I intend to do everything in my power to see that it continues for a long time to come.”

“You’re no Charles Xavier,” said Logan, a hint of bitterness in his voice. “I didn’t always see eye to eye with him on some things. Hell, we usually didn’t agree on most things. But he’s the one who kept this school running. You think you can just walk in and take his place?”

“He thought I could. He told me as much just before he . . . died.” She nearly had to choke out the last word. “But we have enough instructors here that I think we can keep his dream alive. We could use your help, Logan. The students here need help and guidance now more than ever.”

“She’s right, Logan,” said Hank McCoy, sitting in a chair on the other side of the office. “Charles was one of my oldest and dearest friends. I mourn his passing as do we all. And if he felt that Ororo was the best one to continue in his stead then I for one will not second guess my old mentor. Not only was he a good friend he was also one of the wisest men I ever met. I’ve always trusted his judgment.”

“So, are you going to stay and help run this school?” Logan snapped at Hank. “You’ve been off in Washington playing politician. Are you going to give that up to make sure that the Professor’s dream stays alive?”

“Right now the best place for me is in Washington,” said Hank. “Or rather in New York. I’m the new ambassador to the United Nations. The recent events at Alcatraz Island have left not only the entire country uncertain of the future, but the rest of the world as well. If Magneto can do what he did here there are quite a number of people who are afraid it could happen elsewhere. That another mutant might try to seize power somewhere else. My high visibility as the ambassador will help calm a lot of people. Show them that not all mutants are like Magneto.”

“You think one fur ball at the U.N. will do all that?” Logan asked sarcastically.

“That’s not fair, Logan,” snapped Ororo. “Hank has always been a good friend. A lot of people, human and mutant alike, trust and respect him. His appointment as ambassador went through Congress in record time. And, I might add, he was approved by the widest margin ever for an American Ambassador. People are going to listen to what he has to say and as a mutant himself he will be in the best possible position to make sure that Alcatraz never happens again.”

“By forcing all mutants to take the cure?” questioned Logan.

“That isn’t going to happen,” said Hank. “I’ve all ready spoken to the President and key members of Congress. While they will still manufacture the cure, only those mutants who willingly accept it will get it. No one will be forced to take the cure unless they prove themselves to be a viable threat.”

“And who decides if they’re a viable threat?” Logan asked.

“The courts,” responded Hank. “Legislation is being drafted right now that will require only mutants legally convicted of a felony to undergo mandatory injection. It’s no different from a human that say murders someone with a gun. You take the gun away from them. Only in this case the weapon will be the mutant’s power. So if they’re convicted of a felony then their ‘weapon’ will be removed from them. Otherwise no mutant will be forced to accept the so-called cure.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question,” said Logan. He looked at Ororo. “How do you expect to keep this school up and running?”

“The Professor left his entire estate to the school,” said Ororo. “There’s more than enough money to keep this school solvent for many, many years. Right now we’re a little shorthanded on staff but that will change. There are a great many adult mutants who will be glad to help. And I know some of the students plan to stay on once they graduate.

“Logan, you of all people should be behind me on this. Professor Xavier took you in when you had no place else to go. You fought the evil mutants and risked your life to keep everything the Professor believed alive. How can you just turn your back on it now?”

“I didn’t say I was turning my back on it,” said Logan. “I’ve never said anything before but this is the first place that’s felt almost like home. But with the Professor gone I just don’t see how you can keep the school open. There are still a lot of humans out there that see us a threat. And probably more than a few that would like to see us all take ‘the cure’. Or worse.”

“Then help us change their minds,” said Hank. “Help us show them that not all mutants are like Magneto and those others. Show them that mutants can be taught to use their powers responsibly. A mutant’s power is like any other tool. The power itself is not a threat or a danger. It’s how it’s used. Help Ororo and the others teach young mutants to use their powers to benefit mankind.”

“There’ll always be a Magneto out there,” said Logan. “Some mutant who thinks they’re better than everyone else. Who thinks they have the right to tell others how to live. Keeping this school open won’t change that.”

“But it will help keep us prepared to deal with them when and if it does,” said Ororo. “Alcatraz Island proved one thing if nothing else. The only ones capable of dealing with a mutant threat are mutants. Most humans aren’t equipped to deal with rogue mutants. We are. Keeping this school open will not only help us to teach young mutants to use their powers correctly but will also give us the means to stop anyone else that tries to do what Magneto tried to do.”

“Besides,” said Hank, “as you said, nothing can stop someone else from trying something similar in the future. It’s just as true for humans as for mutants. History has taught us that. The only way to guarantee the peace is to be prepared for war. The fact that this school is still open might actually deter someone from trying anything.”

“Speak softly but carry a big stick, huh?” questioned Logan.

“Something like that,” said Hank. “All we’re asking is that you help us try.”

“And what if it doesn’t work?” Logan asked. “What if after your best efforts you can’t keep the school running?”

“Then it will close,” said Ororo. “But we at least have to try. We owe that much to the Professor, Scott, and Jean. So that at least their deaths will have some meaning.”

Logan looked at Ororo and Hank. He knew they were both right. And he had never run from a challenge in his life. It wasn’t his nature. Jean’s death still festered inside him. The thought that her death would be in vain was not a thought he was willing to accept. He had been forced to kill the woman he loved to save not only mutants but humans as well. Her death had to have some meaning; some purpose. Perhaps they were right. Maybe this was exactly what would give her death some reason.

“On one condition,” he said finally.

“And that is?” questioned Ororo.

“I want the fridge stocked with beer,” said Logan. “A fellow has to be able to unwind after a long day in the classroom.”

“I think that’s a small price to pay,” said Hank, smiling at Ororo.

“As long as you don’t drink while you’re on duty,” said Ororo. “And not in front of the students. They’ll pick up enough bad habits as it is.”

“Deal,” said Logan. “Then again, it does beg the question just exactly what is it you want me to teach these kids?”

“How about etiquette and manners?” Hank suggested wryly, a hint of a smile on his face.

“That’s enough, Hank,” said Ororo. “We don’t want to push Logan away. Well, you do seem to be very good at taking care of yourself. What about physical education? Maybe with a little self-defense thrown in?”

“You mean the Danger Room?” questioned Logan. “I guess I can handle that. What about Cerebro? What do you plan to do about that?”

“I’ve all ready sealed if off,” said Ororo. “Like the Professor’s private quarters, they are off limits to everyone. Anyone who had any chance of properly using Cerebro is dead. I don’t think we should dismantle it. The Professor felt it was important to have. I’m not sure what we’ll do about it. For now we’ll just keep the room sealed and let no one in until we do decide.”

“Well, I need to be going,” said Hank, looking at his watch. “I have a meeting with the President this afternoon to discuss my new ambassadorship and then I’m scheduled to address the entire general assembly tomorrow. Logan, thanks again for staying on. You won’t regret it.”

“That has yet to be proven,” said Logan. “But you’re both right. We should at least give it a try. Maybe we can make a go of it, who knows? But we won’t know if we don’t try.”

“That’s the spirit,” said Hank. “Ororo, it’s been a pleasure. I’ll try to get back this way again soon to see how things are going. And if you need anything, you know where to reach me.”

“Thanks, Hank,” said Ororo. “I will.”

“He’s not so bad once you get to know him,” said Logan after Hank had left.

“Hank’s a good friend,” said Ororo. “I really wish you wouldn’t refer to him as a fur ball. He can’t help the way he is any more than you or I can.”

“I don’t mean anything by it,” said Logan. “And he doesn’t seem to mind.”

“Excuse me, Ms. Monroe,” said a little girl about 12 standing in the doorway to the office.

“What is it, Claire?” Ororo asked.

“You told us that Professor’s room was off limits,” said Claire.

“That’s right,” said Ororo. “Until we decide exactly what we’re going to do the room is going to remain sealed.”

“Oh,” said Claire. “Who was that man going into his room?”

“What man?” Ororo asked.

“The strange man,” said Claire. “He had white skin and yellow eyes. And he just went through the door into the Professor’s room.”

“I thought you locked that door?” Logan questioned.

“I did,” said Ororo. “No one has the key to it but me.”

“No, he went through the door,” said Claire. “You know, like Kitty can.”

“He phased?” Ororo asked. “I wasn’t aware that anyone else had phasing ability.”

“We’d better get down there,” said Logan. “This guy sounds like another mutant. But what would he want in the Professor’s room?”

“We’d better find out,” said Ororo. “Claire, would you contact Piotr and Bobby and ask them to meet us there please.”

Claire closed her eyes for a moment. Then she opened them again.

“They’re on their way,” she said.

“Come on, Logan,” said Ororo, a hint of anger in her voice. “I want to see who dares invade the Professor’s room.”

Together she and Logan left the office and headed for the sealed room of Professor Xavier.
 

[NoAzMale]

TWO

“What’s going on?” Bobby Drake asked as Logan and Ororo approached the door to Xavier’s room. He and Piotr were all ready there when the others had arrived. “Claire contacted us and said someone was in the Professor’s room. I thought you said the room was off limits to everyone.”

“It is,” said Ororo. “Claire said that a strange man went into the room. Only according to her he phased through the door. Like Kitty. Which means he’s probably a mutant.”

“I thought Kitty was the only known mutant with the ability to phase,” said Piotr.

“As far as we know she is,” said Ororo. “This could be an unknown mutant.”

“Well, the door hasn’t been messed with,” said Logan, examining the lock. “So if anyone is in there he didn’t get in that way.”

Ororo took a key out of her pocket and unlocked the door to the room.

“We’d better be careful,” she said. “If he is a mutant he’s probably up to no good otherwise he wouldn’t be skulking around the school like this.”

She opened the door to the room and stepped inside. As she did Logan, Piotr, and Bobby followed her in and stepped to either side of her. The room was exactly as the Professor had left it the last time he had been there. Nothing seemed to be disturbed. Ororo reached over and flipped the light switch on the wall. That’s when they saw him.

Standing at the Professor’s desk in the corner was the stranger Claire had mentioned. He was dressed casually wearing a light tan overcoat. Just as Claire had said his skin was stark white and his eyes were a brilliant yellow. His black hair glistened in the light overhead. He was running his hand over the Professor’s desk as if looking for something. As the light came on he suddenly turned and looked at the four standing in the doorway.

“Who are you?” Ororo demanded. “What are you doing here?”

“Well this is awkward,” said the man. “I had hoped to be here and gone before anyone was the wiser. Looks as if I may have underestimated the students in the school.”

“Answer the woman’s questions, bub,” said Logan, stepping up to the forefront of the group. “No one’s supposed to be in here.”

“Relax, Logan, I’m not a threat,” said the man. “I was just . . . looking around. The Professor was a great man. I never had the opportunity to meet him personally. I was just wanting to get a sense of who he was, that’s all.”

“So why sneak in like this?” asked Ororo. “Why not just come to us and ask us?”

“Good questions,” said the man. “Unfortunately I don’t have any answers for you. As I said, I had hoped to be gone before anyone knew I was here.”

“Who are you?” demanded Peter. “Claire said you phased through the door so you must be a mutant. If you are then you must also know this is a safe haven for mutants. All are welcome here.”

“Yes, about that,” said the man. “I’m not exactly a mutant.”

“Then how did you phase through the door?” demanded Ororo.

“Let’s just say I have certain gifts at my disposal,” said the man. “But as I said, I’m not a threat. To you or anyone else.”

“I’ve had enough of this,” said Logan, extending his claws and stepping toward the man. “You’d better start giving us some answers right now. I’m getting real tired of this runaround.”

As he stepped up to the man, the man suddenly raised his hands. Three claws virtually identical to Logan’s suddenly sprang from each of the man’s hands and he held them up in a defensive manner.

“You might want to rethink that, Logan,” said the man. “You’re not the only one capable of defending themselves. And I can assure you I’m better equipped for it than even you are. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I have what I came for. I just want to leave peacefully.”

“Not likely,” said Ororo. “You break in here unannounced and come into the one room in the entire school that’s off limits. We’re not about to just let you leave without getting some answers.”

“Not the only room,” said the man. “There is another room that’s off limits. As for me leaving, I’m afraid you really don’t have any choice in the matter. Not even the four of you are a match for me.”

“We’ll see about that,” said Bobby. Without another word he raised his hands and a spray of ice shot from both hands. The spray covered the man in ice and in an instant he was frozen in a thick covering of ice. The ice was thick enough to instantly immobilize virtually any living creature.

Except the man wasn’t immobilized. The four watched as the man inside the ice casing suddenly vanished and reappeared across the room leaving the ice coating empty.

“As I said,” said the man, “you aren’t equipped to deal with me. Now, I’d love to stay and chat but I am very busy. And I’m on a tight schedule.”

Suddenly the man simply dropped through the floor as if it wasn’t there.

“Okay, what just happened here?” Piotr asked. “He teleported just like Kurt. And Bobby’s ice shield didn’t have any effect on him. If he’s not a mutant what is he?”

“I don’t know,” said Ororo. “But he seemed to know that we’d also sealed off Cerebro. He couldn’t have known that. Only the students knew we had sealed off that room. No one is capable of using Cerebro now that the Professor and Jean are gone.”

“He said he had what he came after,” said Logan looking around the room. “But nothing in the room seems to have been disturbed. What could he have been after?”

“I don’t know,” said Piotr, “but shouldn’t we be going after him?”

“I don’t think it will do any good,” said Ororo. “With his abilities he’s probably long gone by now. We need to find out who he was and what he was after. It doesn’t look like anything in here has been disturbed. So what was it he was after?”

“Maybe you should inventory the room,” suggest Bobby. “It’s possible that whatever he was after was in the desk or something.”

“I’m going to do that,” said Ororo. She turned to Logan. “While I’m doing that I need you to go down to the records room and go through the records we have on known mutants. If we can figure out who he is maybe we can figure out what he was after.”

“You really think he’s in there?” questioned Piotr. “He said he wasn’t a mutant.”

“He broke in here and apparently stole something,” said Ororo. “I’m thinking he might not have told us the truth about that.”

“You think we should call McCoy?” Logan asked.

“Not yet,” said Ororo. “Not until we have something to go on. Hank has a lot on his plate right now. I don’t want to bother him unless we have to.”

“I’ll let you know if I find anything,” said Logan.

“Bobby, Piotr,” said Ororo. “You’d better let the rest of the students know we have an intruder. If anyone sees him again let Logan or me know immediately.”

“Right,” said Bobby.

Bobby and Piotr headed out to inform the rest of the students as Logan headed for the records room to see if he could identify their intruder. As they did Ororo began to look through the room to see if she could figure out what it was the intruder was after.

[NoAzMale]

THREE

The intruder that had been in the school looked around the empty building he had just entered. The building had apparently been abandoned for a number of years. Not surprising with the way the economy was at the present time. After making sure that he was alone he moved over to an old table standing in the room.

Very carefully he wiped the dust from the table. Once he had cleaned the dust from the table he pulled a small metal box out of his coat pocket and sat it on the table. He opened the box to expose a small amount of dust inside the box.

He pulled another box out of another pocket of his coat and laid it on the table next to the first box. This second box was unlike the first one. It was some kind of device with several dials and colored lights on it. He opened a small compartment on the second box and carefully poured the dust from the first box into the compartment. Then he adjusted a dial on the second box and pressed a button. The lights on the second box flashed in an apparent random fashion for several moments.

Suddenly the lights stopped flashing and a single green light continued to blink. He pulled a small cylinder out of the box and examined it for a moment. The cylinder was about 2 inches long and about ½ inch in diameter with a small opening on one end.

He placed the cylinder against his arm and pressed a small button on the cylinder. For a moment he closed his eyes and stood in the empty building. After a moment he removed the cylinder from his arm. He opened his eyes and looked around the building. The first part of his plan was finished. It had been difficult to collect enough of the material he had needed. The school was unusually clean for having so many children in it.

It was time to put the second part of his plan into effect. That was going to be a bit more difficult. Besides the Professor’s room Cerebro was the only other room in the school that Ororo had sealed off. Only the Professor and Jean Grey had been able to use Cerebro. And Jean had been less than successful with it. Ororo didn’t want any of the students attempting to use Cerebro. The consequences were simply much too dangerous.

But he had no choice. Of all the people on the Earth – human and mutant – he had to locate one single individual. And it would take too long and be too difficult to search in any conventional way. His time was limited and if he was to accomplish his goal he had to use Cerebro. And now that they were aware of him going back into the school was just that much riskier. But it was the only way to find who he was looking for in time.

He stepped to the doorway of the building and looked around. The sun was beginning to set and people were busily making their way home. Little did they know what was about to befall all of them. Confidently he stepped into the street and started to make his way back to the school.

* * *

“Well, I didn’t find any known mutants that fit our intruder’s description,” said Logan, walking into the office that Ororo occupied. “Most mutants only have a couple of powers. This guy seems to have more than his share of them.”

“I couldn’t find anything out of place in the Professor’s room,” said Ororo. “It just doesn’t make any sense. He said he had what he came for but it doesn’t seem he took anything.”

“Maybe he was after some kind of information,” suggested Logan. “Maybe it was in a book or file the Professor had in his room. Once he found the information he wouldn’t have needed whatever it was he found it in.”

“That’s just it,” said Ororo. “There wasn’t anything that would have been useful in the Professor’s room. And all of his books could be purchased at just about any bookstore. There would have been no need to break into the school to look through them.”

“Maybe the Professor had something written in one of his books,” Logan said. “Something that wouldn’t have been in any book at a bookstore.”

“I don’t think so,” said Ororo. “The Professor rarely wrote in his books. If he wanted to make notes about something he’d use a notepad. But he usually kept those in his office, not in his room.”

“Don’t know what else it could be,” said Logan. “This guy came out of nowhere and apparently went back to the same place.”

“Everyone in the school has been told about the intruder,” Bobby said, coming into the office. Marie D’Ancanto was with him. Since giving up her powers she was no longer considered a mutant but Ororo had said she could stay on at the school anyway. Unlike Magneto, they didn’t abandon their friends. “They’ll all be on the lookout for him and let us know the moment they spot him. Assuming he returns. Did you find anything?”

“Nothing,” said Ororo. “Logan couldn’t find him in the mutant database and I couldn’t find anything that had been disturbed in the Professor’s room.”

“Maybe you interrupted him before he could find whatever it was he was looking for,” said Marie.

“No, he said he had what he had come after,” said Ororo. “But nothing is missing from the Professor’s room.”

“Maybe it wasn’t in the Professor’s room,” said Bobby. “Maybe whatever it was he was after was someplace else and he was in the Professor’s room for some other reason.”

“Kid’s got a point,” said Logan. “When he said he had what he came after we just assumed whatever it was was in the Professor’s room because that’s where we found him. He could have been anywhere in the school before going in there.”

“Something’s just not right,” said Ororo. “He phased like Kitty. And he teleported like Kurt.”

“Don’t forget those claws like the ones Logan has,” said Bobby. “Could he be another experiment of Stryker’s?”

“I suppose it’s possible,” said Ororo. “But Stryker is dead. And as far as we know none of those working with him are still active. At least not in that way. I just can’t figure out what it was that he was after.”

“You said he didn’t take anything from the Professor’s room?” Bobby asked.

“Nothing as far as I can tell,” said Ororo. “About all I found was some places where he had apparently brushed the dust away. No one’s been in the room since it was sealed and the dust was starting to accumulate. I guess someone should go in and clean it up.”

“Dust?” questioned Logan. “He brushed some dust away?”

“Yes, why?” asked Ororo.

“It’s just something I learned a few years back,” said Logan. “My sense of smell is greatly enhanced. I’d always wondered about that. A guy I knew was a medical student or something and he told me that most dust in a home isn’t actually dust at all. It’s dead skin cells that people shed all the time. The cells have a person’s scent on them and that’s how I’m able to track them.”

“We learned about that in health class the other day,” said Marie. “Something like 80% of dust in homes, schools, any place where there are a lot of people or where people are in close contact is actually dead skin cells.”

“Okay,” said Ororo confused at the turn of the conversation. “So it was mostly dead skin cells. That doesn’t explain what our visitor was after.”

“Maybe it does,” said Logan thoughtfully. “Skin cells contain DNA don’t they? Something about the epithelios or something being able to identify the DNA of the person they came from.”

“He’s right,” said Bobby. “The police use it all the time. If they have enough skin cells from a person they can actually profile a person’s DNA from it.”

“And just how would you know that?” Ororo asked. “That’s not exactly something we teach here at the school.”

“Oh, I, uh, I kind of like those true crime shows on television,” said Bobby. “Real interesting stuff.”

“Is that what he could have been after?” Marie asked. “The Professor’s DNA? It stands to reason that there would be a ton of skin cells from the Professor in his room. I know I’ve started changing my sheets more often when I learned how much a human body can shed in just one day.”

“Why would he want the Professor’s DNA?” Ororo asked. “You don’t think he’s planning to try and clone the Professor, do you?”

“I didn’t think we had come that far yet,” Logan commented.

“Well, they have cloned a sheep,” said Marie. “And I’ve read where they’ve actually cloned a couple of other animals, too. It’s only a matter of time before someone figures out how to clone a human being.”

“Or a mutant,” said Ororo. “The Professor was one of the most powerful mutants in the world. He could actually get into people’s minds and make them do whatever he wanted them to do. He never did it, of course, except under extreme circumstances. But a lot of evil mutants escaped from Alcatraz. Maybe this guy is working with one of them. Planning to clone the Professor and use his telepathy to finish what Magneto started.”

“What if it’s more basic than that?” asked Bobby.

“What do you mean, kid?” Logan asked.

“The cure,” said Bobby. “It’s supposed to permanently suppress a mutant’s power. Look at Marie. Ever since she took the cure her power has been completely gone. What if whoever this guy is thinks that the Professor’s DNA can reverse the cure? Or make mutants immune it? They wouldn’t have to worry about the cure.”

“Which means we’d be hard pressed to stop them if they decided to continue with Magneto’s plan,” said Ororo. “Imagine an entire army of mutants immune to the cure. They could use the cure against good mutants effectively reducing our numbers. While they wouldn’t have to worry about it.”

“Oh, there’s a nice thought,” said Logan. “We still don’t know who this guy was or who he’s working with. It could be just about any mutant anywhere in the world.”

“Which means we need help,” said Ororo. “We need someone who can help us find anyone anywhere in the world who has the knowledge, expertise, and equipment to replicate the Professor’s DNA. And who also may be in league with other mutants.”

“I guess you’ll have to call McCoy after all,” said Logan. “He’s the only one we can trust who has those kinds of connections.”

“You’re right,” said Ororo. “I’ll call him right away. In the mean time have everyone search the entire school. Let’s make sure that the Professor’s DNA was the only thing this guy was after. There are a lot of things in this school that can do a lot of damage in the wrong hands.”

“That’s going to take time,” said Logan. “Searching the entire school.”

“Then you’d better get started on it right now,” said Ororo. “I have a strange feeling we haven’t seen the last of our mysterious intruder. I want to be ready the next time he shows up.”

She picked up the phone and began dialing Hank’s number. Logan stopped at the door for a moment and looked back at her. The Professor had made the right choice putting her in charge of the school. Still, he didn’t like all the subterfuge. He was a man of action and it was frustrating when there was no opponent to face.

[NoAzMale]

FOUR

Three days passed and they were no closer to finding out who their mysterious intruder was than they had been when they had first encountered him. Hank had promised to check with all of his sources and see if he could find out anything. As an ambassador to the United Nations and a former Secretary of the President’s cabinet his contacts were extensive. And that didn’t even count his numerous professional and personal contacts. As a world authority on biochemistry and genetics he was uniquely qualified to discover anyone capable of cloning a human being. Or a mutant. He had arrived at the school a little while earlier and was currently in Ororo’s office with her and Logan.

“I’ve checked extensively,” said Hank. “While there are a number of medical researchers and scientists working on cloning projects, as far as I can determine none are near ready to make an attempt.”

“I ran some tests on the amount of dust our intruder apparently collected,” said Ororo. “I gathered the same amount of dust and ran it through our lab. He would definitely have enough skin cells from the Professor to manufacture a clone. He would just need the right technology and equipment to do it.”

“And the people with that technology and equipment apparently don’t have any contact with a mutant like you described,” said Hank.

“You sure?” Logan asked. “Is it possible some of your contacts are being less than truthful with you?”

“There is always that possibility,” said Hank. “But I don’t think so. Most of them are colleagues that I’ve worked with before. And most of them have no political agenda. They’re researchers, pure and simple. Are you sure this intruder intends to clone Charles?”

“No, not really,” said Ororo. “It’s the only thing we could think of that he would want the Professor’s DNA for.”

“There are other possibilities,” said Hank. “Genetic material can also be used for genetic engineering. The genetic material from one organism can be spliced into another organism changing the first organism’s characteristics. Many researchers routinely use genetic manipulation to try and make an organism more resistant to diseases, for example.”

“Is that what you think he wants the Professor’s DNA for?” Ororo asked.

“It’s impossible to say,” replied Hank. “It’s risky enough doing it with human DNA. A mutant’s DNA – especially one that was as powerful as Charles – would increase that risk exponentially.”

“How so?” Ororo asked.

“Theoretically everyone is born with the ‘X’ gene,” said Hank. “The gene that gives a mutant their powers. We still aren’t sure why it manifests itself in one person and not in another. But it also interacts with a person’s unique DNA. This interaction is different for each person. It’s why you can control the weather while Logan, here, apparently has an increased resistance to injury and disease.”

“And why you have blue skin and fur,” said Logan.

“Precisely,” said Hank. “And if a mutant has multiple powers all of those powers are interconnected somehow. From the way you described this intruder it would appear that his ‘X’ gene has affected him in multiple ways. Something that allows him to manifest totally unrelated powers.”

“Is that even possible?” Ororo asked.

“I didn’t used to think so,” said Hank. “Stryker’s experiments on mutants proved that trying to activate multiple powers in a single mutant has disastrous effects. Normally any mutation in an organism will eventually destroy that organism. Mutants are different. Their mutations are part of their DNA code so the changes they go through are perfectly normal for them. Trying to induce artificial mutations in an organism could never truly be successful because that organism’s DNA wouldn’t accept it as normal.”

“We found that out when Magneto tried to mutate the world leaders,” said Logan.

“And we all know what happened to Senator Kelly because of it,” said Ororo.

“Exactly,” said Hank. “I don’t see how anyone could expect to use Charles’ DNA with any measure of success. If they used it to genetically alter another organism they would necessarily have to meet with failure.”

“Okay, so if this guy doesn’t want to clone the Professor and if he can’t use his DNA to genetically alter someone else, what does he want the Professor’s DNA for?” Logan asked.

“That’s a very good question,” said Hank. “We need to find this intruder. What about trying to use Cerebro to locate him?”

“Out of the question,” said Ororo. “Only the Professor could effectively use Cerebro. Jean tried once and it nearly killed her. I don’t know of anyone – human or mutant – who would be capable of using it. I’ve had the entire room sealed off and no one is allowed in it for any reason.”

“Of course,” said Hank. “It was just a thought. I’ll continue to check and see if I can discover anything. A mutant with his abilities can’t stay hidden for long. He’s obviously after something. We have to find out what it is.”

“Good luck with that,” said Logan. “We can’t even find this guy. How do you propose we find out what he’s after?”

“I’m afraid I’m at a loss at the moment,” said Hank. “He pops in out of nowhere, apparently collects some of Charles’ DNA, and then simply vanishes as if he never existed. And there’s absolutely no record of anyone – mutant or human – that fits his description. It’s as if he doesn’t even exist.”

“Oh, he exists all right,” said Logan. “We both saw him. So did Bobby and Piotr.”

“Don’t forget Claire,” said Ororo. “She was the first one who noticed him.”

“I don’t doubt you,” said Hank. “I’m just saying that whoever – whatever – he is he’s gone to a lot of trouble to keep his identity hidden.”

“What about Magneto?” Logan asked. “You think he knows who this guy might be? Maybe they were working together before.”

“I don’t think so,” said Hank. “If he and Magneto were working together I’m sure he would have been at Alcatraz Island when Magneto tried to take control of it. He was nowhere to be seen. Besides, whatever this man is after he’s going after it covertly. Magneto is much more straightforward than that. Not unlike you, my friend. He prefers a more direct approach.”

“I’m not sure I like being compared to Magneto,” said Logan.

“Only in the most rudimentary ways,” said Hank. “Not dissimilar to comparisons I could make of any number of mutants. But in answer to your question, no, I don’t think Magneto and he are connected. At least not directly.”

“So what is our next move?” Ororo asked.

Before she could answer the door to the office suddenly opened and Bobby came rushing in.

“We have another intruder,” he said.

“What?” questioned Ororo. “Where?”

“I saw Marie on one of the lower levels,” said Bobby. “She said you had sent her down there to get some files. I didn’t think anything of it until I saw her again as I passed her room. She was sitting on her bed reading a book. And she said she hadn’t been on the lower levels in several days.”

“What is this?” Logan asked sarcastically. “Grand Central Station?”

“What lower level?” Hank asked.

“The corridor outside of the Cerebro room,” said Bobby. “Piotr and Simon are standing guard to make sure whoever it is doesn’t get away again. I came here as quickly as I could to let you know.”

“The Cerebro room?” questioned Logan. “What would they want there? You don’t think they’re foolish enough to try and use Cerebro, do you?”

“If they are we have to stop them,” said Ororo. “Cerebro’s much more than just a device for locating mutants. With a powerful enough mind it could actually kill mutants. Or humans. And if the mind isn’t powerful enough it could destroy them.”

“I remember Charles telling me that if the mind were strong enough, it could potentially kill every human or mutant on the planet,” said Hank.

“We’d better get down there,” said Logan, heading for the door. “This time whoever it is doesn’t get away.”

As he ran out the door, Ororo, Hank, and Bobby followed quickly.

* * *

Marie stood just outside the gates to the school looking in. There were children playing on the grounds of the school as she surveyed the scene. A basketball game was currently in progress and she smiled slightly to herself. One of the students was cheating. Using their powers to give themselves an edge. Definitely a no-no. Students weren’t allowed to use their powers in public without very good reason.

Several other students were sitting at various places apparently studying. Sitting in groups of 2s and 3s they were busily going over the material in the books they had. Many of them were taking notes and even a couple were having an animated discussion over one topic or another.

Marie moved quickly onto the grounds and headed for the main house. Some of the students looked in her direction but gave her very little attention. After all, she was just another student on the grounds. A student that most, if not all, had seen countless times. She reached the door to the house and proceeded inside.

She navigated the corridors in the house with ease. She was intimately familiar with the layout of the house. The room she was looking for was on one of the lower levels. Besides the Professor’s room it was the only other room in the house that was sealed off. She exited the stairs to the level she was looking for and as she rounded the corner nearly ran head first into Bobby and Piotr.

“Hey, Marie, slow down,” said Bobby. “Why in such a hurry?”

“Oh, uh, I, uh, need to get a file for Ororo,” said Marie. “She thinks she might know who the intruder was the other day. I was just on my way to the records room to get what she needed.”

“Who does she think it was?” Piotr asked.

“She didn’t say,” said Marie. “She said she wanted to check before she said anything. In case she was wrong.”

“Oh, okay,” said Bobby. “Hey, you going to be at dinner tonight? I thought afterward we could watch that movie we rented. It has to be back tomorrow and if we don’t watch it tonight we’ll have to re-rent it.”

“Yeah, sure,” said Marie. “Looking forward to it.”

“Great,” said Bobby. “Well, we need to get going. I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Sure thing,” said Marie.

She watched as Bobby and Piotr turned the corner and headed up the stairs. She stared after them for a moment as if expecting them to suddenly turn and come back down the stairs. Confident they weren’t going to return she turned and headed down the corridor.

After a few moments she game to a large round door. She surveyed the door carefully. The massive machine called Cerebro waited beyond that door. One of the largest and most sophisticated machines ever constructed. And also one of the most dangerous. With Cerebro the right person could locate virtually anyone in the world. And just as easily they could kill that person without even the slightest hint of who had done it.

Marie looked around to make sure she was alone. Ororo had sealed the door so that no one could open it. Without Xavier or Jean using the machine would mean nearly instant death to just about anyone who attempted it. Satisfied that there were no prying eyes about she turned and headed directly for the door. When she reached the door she didn’t stop but proceeded through the door as if it wasn’t there. Within an instant she stood in the massive room that housed Cerebro.

[NoAzMale]

FIVE

Marie stood just inside the door to the Cerebro room. The room was huge. Thousands of panels covered the walls. Panels that would help the user locate whoever they were looking for. The short walkway led to the chair where the user would sit .

Confidently she walked the short distance and took a seat in the chair. She picked up the helmet that was used to tap into the awesome power of this magnificent machine. Without hesitation she placed the helmet on her head and began to manipulate the controls to the massive machine.

She knew her time was limited. It wouldn’t take them long before they discovered that someone was in there. Inside a room that was supposedly sealed from all intruders. But she wasn’t concerned. Cerebro was the only machine in the world that would help her locate the one person she needed to locate.

Thousands of small red and white dots appeared on the walls around her. She knew that each red dot represented a mutant somewhere in the world and the white dots represented humans. Most were intermingled with each other. There were hundreds or even thousands of unidentified mutants walking the streets. Mutants that the humans around them had no idea were mutants.

She also knew that the machine would help her identify the specific person she was looking for. She simply wasn’t sure where that person was. It was a simple matter to discount one after another of the dots as not being the one she was looking for. As she did, whole sections of the dots simply vanished.

Eventually she had the field narrowed to what appeared to be a very small area. But that area was, in fact, the state of New York. More precisely, it was Westchester County, New York. The very county where the Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters was located.

This perplexed Marie. How could the person she was looking for be so close and yet she not be able to sense them? As quickly as she could she eliminated first one and then another of the red dots. She had all ready eliminated all of the white dots. The one person she was looking for was a mutant. In only a matter of moments she would have the one mutant she was searching for.

Suddenly the dots changed. Instead of a field of red dots that had originally appeared there was a field of red dots with a single blue dot in the very center. Once again she was perplexed. A blue dot? That shouldn’t be there. White dots were humans. Red dots were mutants. Blue dots were . . . nothing.

After a moment only the blue dot remained. She had discounted all of the red dots and eliminated them leaving only the blue dot. And a quick check told her that the single blue dot was the one individual she was searching for. Only she had no idea what a blue dot meant. It shouldn’t even be there and yet it stared back at her against the field of black like a beacon beckoning to her. But she had found who she was looking for and knew exactly where he was.

Suddenly she turned her head toward the door. They were on to her. Even now two of the students at the school were waiting just beyond the door. She closed her eyes for a moment. Ororo, Logan, and Bobby were headed for the Cerebro room. And someone else. Hank McCoy was with them. He could be as formidable as either Logan or Ororo. Patiently she waited as she knew the door would open within mere moments.

* * *

Ororo, Logan, Hank, and Bobby exited the stairs and headed for the Cerebro room. Piotr and Simon turned as they hurriedly approached the room.

“Bobby said someone was in there,” said Logan, moving up to check the door.

“Yes,” said Piotr. “We think it’s Marie. But we don’t know how she got in there. She doesn’t have her powers any more and Simon says no one has opened the door.”

“Are you sure, Simon?” Ororo asked.

“Yes,” said Simon. “The lock hasn’t been touched.”

“He’s right,” said Logan looking at the door. “It’s still in place. And it doesn’t look like anyone has jimmied it.”

“Then how did she get in there?” Ororo asked.

“I suggest we ask her,” said Hank. “There’s only one way in or out of that room. If she’s still in there then she has to come out this way. I suggest we open the door and find out what she’s doing in there.”

“Wait a minute,” said Logan, sniffing the air. “That scent. I recognize it. It’s the same one I detected when we had that intruder the other day.”

“You mean he’s back?” questioned Ororo. “Logan, where is he?”

“In there,” said Logan, pointing at the door.

“But Bobby said that Marie was in there,” said Hank. “You mean they’re in there together?”

“No,” said Logan. “I’m not detecting Marie’s scent. Just the one of our mysterious intruder.”

“No one has come in or gone out since we’ve been here,” said Piotr.

“Come on,” said Ororo, opening the lock to the room. “This isn’t making any sense. I want some answers and whoever is in that room has them.”

Cautiously she opened the door and stepped into the room. The others followed close behind, prepared for whatever lay beyond that door. As they entered the room, Marie stood up from the Cerebro chair and turned to face them.

“Marie, what are you doing in here?” Ororo asked, looking around for their intruder. “You know that no one is supposed to be in here.”

“That’s not Marie,” said Logan. “It’s not her scent. She has the same scent as the intruder.”

“There’s just no fooling you, is there, Logan?” questioned Marie, smiling at them.

Suddenly Marie changed form. Standing in her place was the same intruder they had faced only days before.

“Your heightened senses was the only thing I couldn’t prepare for,” said the intruder. “Still, it doesn’t make much difference. I have what I needed. I’ll just be on my way and I won’t be bothering you again.”

“Not this time,” said Ororo. “You have a lot of questions to answer.”

Suddenly her eyes clouded over. The temperature in the room began to drop rapidly. A thin sheet of ice began to form on the edges of the catwalk the group stood on as the moisture in the air began to freeze.

“I can’t allow that,” said the man as his eyes, too, clouded over.

Just as suddenly the temperature began to rise. The ice that had formed only moments before melted instantly and began to drop off the catwalk. Ororo struggled for a moment and then her eyes returned to normal.

“Who are you?” she demanded. “You said you weren’t a mutant. But only a mutant could do what I can do.”

“Ordinarily you’d be right,” said the man. “But as I also said, I have certain gifts at my disposal. Now if you’ll just step aside, I’ll be going. I have no desire to hurt any of you.”

“Not this time, bub,” said Logan, extending his claws to their fullest. “You’re going to answer some questions even if I have to cut the answers out of you.”

Logan launched himself at the man. Before he had moved more than a couple of feet the man simply raised his right hand. Logan simply froze in place. Then, to the astonishment of everyone, Logan rose several feet in the air, his arms stretched out at his sides.

“I told you,” said the man, “I have no desire to harm anyone. But I cannot allow you to interfere with my plans. My time is limited and I have a lot to accomplish. And I can allow no one – not even you – to interfere with me.”

“Let him go,” said Hank.

“Or what, Dr. McCoy?” questioned the man. “I can assure you I’m more than capable of defending myself even against someone of your extensive abilities. Now please. Simply step aside and allow me to leave. I promise you this is the last time you shall see me.”

“You seem to be a reasonable man,” said Hank. “You mentioned a plan. Whatever it is perhaps we can be of assistance. You’ve gone to an awful lot of trouble to get whatever it was you were after. If you’d explain what you’re after we might be able to work something out.”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” said the man. “Suffice it to say that I have the best of intentions. But it is something I must accomplish on my own. And as I said, I won’t be bothering you again. But I really must be going now.”

“Not on your life,” said Ororo. “You break in here, steal God knows what, attack us, and then expect us to simply let you walk out. That’s not going to happen.”

“I truly am sorry,” said the man. “I had hoped to avoid any unnecessary violence. But you seem to have left me little choice.”

The man bowed his head slightly and suddenly shooting pain coursed through the brains of everyone in the room. The pain was so intense that everyone dropped to their knees holding their heads in their hands. Everyone except Logan. He remained suspended in midair. Within a few moments the pain subsided and everyone stood up just as Logan dropped to the platform.

“What happened?” Piotr asked.

“It would seem that our intruder has even more abilities than we suspected,” said Hank. “That intense pain was obviously telepathic in nature. You never mentioned he had any telepathic abilities.”

“That’s because we didn’t know,” said Ororo. “He hadn’t exhibited anything like that. Or like what he did to Logan.”

“It was strange,” said Logan. “It was exactly like those times when Magneto controlled me. I couldn’t move.”

“Where did he go?” Bobby asked. “The pain was so intense I couldn’t even think straight.”

“Once you guys doubled over,” said Logan, “he simply left the room. Once he was out of the room his hold over me vanished and I dropped to the floor. Apparently he stopped the pain he was giving you guys at the same time.”

“Which means he’s probably long gone by now,” said Hank. “Logan. You didn’t experience any pain?”

“No,” said Logan. “I was suspended in midair like some side of beef. I guess he figured he didn’t need to cause me any pain since I wasn’t a threat to him.”

“Curious,” said Hank. “That’s at least 5 different mutant abilities he’s exhibited. You said he phased the first time he was here. And he’s got some type of telepathic ability. It would also seem he has Ororo’s control of the elements. And some sort of shape shifting ability. You also said he teleported like Kurt did. Not to mention the very same claws that Logan possesses. Which suggests he may have some – if not all – of Logan’s other abilities as well.”

“This is quite perplexing. None of these abilities are connected. It’s almost as if he’s 5 different mutants rolled into 1. Which, according to everything we know about the genetics of mutants, is not even possible. That much power contained in one body would have disastrous effects on even the most powerful mutant’s mind. The human body just isn’t designed to contain that much power.”

“But he’s not human,” said Bobby. “He’s obviously a mutant.”

“His body is still human,” said Hank. “The mutant abilities originate in the mind. While their effect can cause some rather obvious physical changes, the body is still basically human.”

“There’s more,” said Ororo, checking the Cerebro machine. “He apparently used Cerebro.”

“I suspected as much,” said Hank. “When he said he had what he had come after. My guess is that the what is actually a who. He’s looking for a specific person and Cerebro would be the quickest way to locate that person.”

“He used Cerebro?” questioned Simon. “I didn’t think anyone but the Professor could use Cerebro?”

“It appears out mysterious intruder can,” said Hank, checking the machine. “And just as effectively as Charles could. Yet another piece to the puzzle. But who or what was he looking for?”

“According to these readings,” said Ororo, “he located a person just east of here. About 2 miles away. But this is strange. The dot representing the person is blue, not red or white, like it should be. I’ve never seen a blue dot before. What could it mean?”

“Maybe a more powerful mutant?” suggested Piotr.

“No, that can’t be it,” said Ororo. “No matter how powerful the mutant is, they would still show up as a red dot. And if they were human they’d show up as a white dot.”

“Perhaps it’s neither mutant nor human,” said Hank. “Perhaps it’s something different. An animal perhaps. Or perhaps a machine of some type designed to mimic or duplicate a human or mutant.”

“There’s one way to find out,” said Logan. “We know who or what he was looking for. And we know where they are. I’m guessing that’s where he’s heading right now. And I for one would like another shot at him.”

“What’s the matter, Logan?” questioned Hank. “Once wasn’t enough for you? As long as he can do the things he can I fear we are little match for him.”

“I’m not about to just give up,” said Logan. “We didn’t give up with Magneto and I’m not about to turn tail and run now. We’ll just have to find some way to deal with this guy.”

“I think I might be able to help with that,” said Hank. “Get us some transportation. I’ll meet you out front in a few minutes. The next time we meet this intruder our meeting should be considerably different from what it has been.”

Hank turned and headed out of the room for the stairs up to the living quarters of the school.

“Now, what to do you suppose he meant by that?” Ororo asked.

“I suppose we’ll find out soon enough,” said Logan. “But I agree with him. This guy has all ready proven he’s a threat to us. And possibly to others as well. We have to stop him. Since we know where he’s most likely going we should get there as quickly as possible.”

“I’ll have a car out front in 2 minutes,” said Bobby.

“I’ll get the address and meet you out front,” said Ororo. “We’d better hurry. He’s got a pretty good head start on us as it is.”

Together the group headed for the front of the school.

[NoAzMale]

SIX

“Logan, you need to slow down,” said Ororo nervously. “We won’t do anyone any good if we get ourselves killed.”

“And this will all be a fat waste of time if we don’t beat this guy to his target,” said Logan. “Don’t worry. I’m a good driver. Nothing’s going to happen.”

As much as she disliked it, Ororo had to admit that Logan was right. They couldn’t waste any time getting to their intruder’s target. She had to rely on Logan’s driving skill to insure that he didn’t wrap the car around a tree. To distract herself from his driving she turned to Hank.

“So,” she said, “what was it you went after that will help us fight this guy?”

Nervously Hank reached into his coat and removed something. He had been hesitant about it because he wasn’t sure how Ororo, in particular, would react. But considering what they had been through all ready, he considered it a necessary evil. The others in the car just looked at him in surprise as he pulled a pistol out of his coat.

But this was no ordinary pistol. The most noticeable thing about it was that it was made of plastic. And while it had been a recent invention, they had all seen those types of pistols before. They were the very same ones that the military had used against Magneto and his army of mutants at the battle at Alcatraz Island.

“Is that what I think it is?” Ororo asked, shock in her voice.

“Yes,” said Hank. “I picked it up after we had defeated Magneto. I wanted to study the serum they’ll be using to suppress a mutant’s power. They won’t let anyone have a sample of it and it was the only way I had to secure one. I wanted to do some tests on it to make sure there weren’t any undue side effects from it. I also wanted to see if there might be a way to reverse its effects in the event a mutant takes the cure and then later decides they would like to have their powers back. I think that option should be available if the situation arises.”

“And you want to use that against our intruder?” Ororo asked, anger in her voice. “Hank, you of all people should know how dangerous that is. That ‘cure’ shouldn’t even exist. If it got into the wrong hands there’s no telling how much damage it could do.”

“I’m fully aware of the ramifications of this serum,” said Hank. “It’s why I need to study it. I’m sure the government did adequate tests on it before they made it available for public consumption. I just wanted to run some additional tests. It is quite possible there are long term effects from it that we can’t even guess at. Even now they’re beginning to discover long term effects from Dr. Salk’s polio vaccine that couldn’t even have been guessed at when he developed it. If this reacts similarly we need to be prepared for it.”

“But to use it against another mutant,” protested Ororo. “It just doesn’t seem right.”

“You didn’t say much when we used it against Magneto,” Logan said, glancing at her.

Ororo had to suppress her anger. As much as she hated that the serum even existed, she couldn’t argue with Logan. Using the serum had been the only way to stop him at Alcatraz Island. And while she hadn’t liked it, she also had to admit it was the right choice under the circumstances.

“But to permanently take away a mutant’s abilities against their will,” said Ororo. “Where does it end? Where do we draw the line?”

“When it’s the only option left to us,” said Hank. “I know. I cautioned the President about how dangerous it was to have the cure in the first place. And while I don’t like it any more than you do, I don’t think we have a choice. Until we know what this intruder is up to we can’t risk that he’ll start Magneto’s war all over again. He’s dangerous enough by himself. If he gathers an army we may not be able to stop him the next time.”

Ororo fell silent again. She could see the sense in Hank’s words. This intruder was proving to be every bit as powerful as Phoenix had been. And if his skeletal structure was coated in Adamantium as Logan’s was – a very distinct possibility considering he had Logan’s claws – he might prove unstoppable. If they waited to find out what this intruder was up to it might be too late to do anything about it.

“I don’t like it,” she said finally. “I can see your point, but I don’t have to like it.”

“No one’s saying you do,” said Hank. “I can’t say it’s my first choice, either. But we’ve gone up against this guy twice and both times he’s stopped us cold. If you have an alternative, I’d be glad to listen to it.”

Ororo knew she didn’t. This small group comprised some of the most powerful mutants on the planet. And they had been little more than an annoyance compared to what this man could do. He had to be stopped and this appeared to be the only way to do it.

“Very well,” said Ororo. “But just make sure you know where you’re pointing that thing before you pull the trigger. I don’t want any accidents that might rob one of us of our abilities.”

“I will be very careful,” promised Hank.

“For what it’s worth, fur ball, I agree with you,” said Logan. “We have to stop this guy and this seems the only way.”

“Speaking of which,” said Hank, “could you stop referring to me as a fur ball? I do have a name, you know? And multiple degrees. Not to mention that I’m the Ambassador for Mutant Affairs to the United Nations. I don’t think I’m out of line in asking that you show me just a modicum of respect.”

“Okay, okay,” said Logan. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“I understand,” said Hank. “It’s just that it’s more than a bit annoying. It’s bad enough looking the way I do without other mutants constantly pointing it out.”

“Fair enough,” said Logan. “I’ll try to do better in the future.”

“That’s all I ask,” said Hank.

Ten minutes later Logan pulled the car to the curb and shut it off. He looked around and finally settled his gaze on a house sitting across the street.

“That’s the address Ororo gave me,” he said. “That’s where the whatever it is this guy is looking for is at. Doesn’t look like anything special to me.”

“As we are painfully aware, looks can be quite deceiving,” said Hank. “Any sign of our intruder?”

“I don’t see anything,” said Bobby looking around the neighborhood. “Maybe he’s not here yet. We really don’t know if he has any special movement abilities other than his teleportation. And as I recall, initially Kurt could only teleport to places he could actually see. If it’s the same with this guy it will take him some time to get here.”

“We can’t count on that,” said Ororo. “After what he’s all ready demonstrated he can do I don’t think we can afford to underestimate him. I’m willing to be he’s around here somewhere. Maybe even in the house all ready.”

“Or just going in,” said Piotr, pointing to the side of the house.

They all looked and saw a figure crouching in the dark bushes. The figure looked around furtively. For just a moment the eyes of the figure glowed. A glow that was distinctively yellow in color. Apparently satisfied he was alone, the figure turned and walked to house, passing through the side of it as if it wasn’t even there.

“Hank,” said Ororo, “you, Piotr, and Bobby take the back of the house. Logan and I will go in through the front. Once we’ve entered we’ll distract him long enough for you to use the cure on him. This time we take the upper hand. We hit him hard and we hit him fast. Keep him off balance so he can’t use his abilities against us. Once we have him subdued maybe we can then find out what he’s after.”

Hank, Bobby, and Piotr moved around to the back of the house as Ororo and Logan headed for the front. They could hear voices coming from inside the house but couldn’t make out what was being said. When they were sure the others were in position at the back door Logan tested the door handle. The door wasn’t locked. He looked at Ororo who simply nodded once to him. Extending his claws, Logan turned the knob and threw the door open. He and Ororo moved into the house without so much as a word.

The man who had broken into the school was standing in the middle of the living. Another man, presumably the owner and apparently quite human, was standing against one wall, fear on his face. The man seemed to be trying to push himself into the wall in an attempt to get away from what must surely appear to be a monstrosity coming for him.

Ororo’s eyes were all ready clouded over as she and Logan entered the house. She immediately raised her hands and lightning shot from her fingertips striking the intruder. At the same instant Logan launched himself at the intruder intent on taking the man down before he was even aware of their presence.

But Logan never got the chance. Despite the massive amounts of electricity that must be coursing through his body, the man simply turned and raised one hand. As before Logan was caught in midair by some powerful unseen force not unlike that used on him by Magneto. The man raised his other hand and Ororo suddenly doubled over in excruciating pain.

This lasted only a moment, however. Suddenly the man lurched forward slightly as if someone had suddenly hit him from behind. He turned to see Hank, Bobby, and Piotr standing in the back of the room. Hank still had the plastic pistol raised and a small dart was sticking out of the man’s shoulder. At that same instant Logan dropped to the floor and Ororo apparently stopped feeling the pain as they both rose to face the man. He reached up and pulled the offending dart from his shoulder and looked at it for a moment.

“Really, Dr. McCoy,” said the man. “Did you think I wouldn’t be prepared for this? I told you before, I came prepared for any contingency. And I must admit that this ‘cure’ was actually the least of my concerns. It won’t work on me any more than it will work on our friend here. And that is my actually concern. I know why it won’t work on me. What I don’t know is why he will appear to be immune to it. That’s what I came here for.”

With the man momentarily distracted, Logan saw his opportunity. He launched himself once again at the man. But the man moved with blinding speed. He raised his hand and some invisible force knocked Logan back against the far wall. The others just stared at the man in disbelief. Their one guaranteed shot at stopping him had apparently failed. The cure seemed to be ineffective against him. And from everything that Hank knew about the cure, that simply wasn’t possible. They had lost their only chance to stop him once and for all.

[NoAzMale]

SEVEN

“I told you,” said the man. “I came prepared for any contingency.”

“What do you want with this man?” demanded Ororo. “What’s he done to you?”

“Nothing,” said the intruder. “Not yet. But he will be the cause of the greatest catastrophe this world has ever seen. I’ve come to prevent that.”

“Catastrophe?” questioned Bobby. “You talk like it’s all ready happened.”

“For me it has,” said the man.

“Of course,” said Hank. “It explains everything. Including why the cure didn’t work on you.”

“What are you talking about?” Logan asked, rising from the floor and joining the others.

“Our friend here,” said Hank. “The cure didn’t work on him because he’s not a mutant. Used on anyone else it would be little more than a placebo. Absolutely no affect whatsoever.”

“Wait a minute,” said Ororo. “Of course he’s a mutant. We’ve seen the powers he has. Only mutants have those kinds of powers.”

“Ordinarily you’d be correct,” said the man. “But I’m far from ordinary. I am the way I am because of some very specific genetic manipulation. Mutants gain their abilities when their bodies go through a metabolic change usually during puberty. This is not the case with me. I was designed with my powers in mind. Nothing has changed in me so the cure isn’t effective. The cure suppresses the changes in a mutant’s metabolism and since my metabolism hasn’t changed there’s nothing to suppress.”

“I suspected as much,” said Hank. “The specifics of how the cure works are a very closely guarded secret. And it can’t be reproduced artificially. But you couldn’t have known for sure that you’d be immune to it. Not without testing on yourself. And to my knowledge, no one can get a sample of it without submitting to the treatment. And since I’m willing to bet there’s no record of you ever taking the treatment it begs the question. How could you possible have known it wouldn’t work on you?”

“Call it an insurance policy,” said the man. “I was inoculated with a vaccine that can reverse the effects of the cure. If taken before the cure is administered it effectively immunizes the host from the effects of the vaccine.”

“Like vaccinating a child against disease,” said Ororo.

“Precisely,” said the man. He looked at the man still cowering against the wall. “Only in his case the cure will apparently not work. When it’s discovered that it doesn’t affect him there will be such an outcry from the human population that the war which Magneto tried to start will occur. Thousands will die on both sides.”

“What do you mean ‘will’”? asked Ororo.

“Because our friend here isn’t from out time,” said Hank. “He’s from the future.”

“About forty years to be exact,” said the man. “From a time when the Earth is little more than a burnt out shell and most people struggle simply to continue to live from one day to the next. And as I said, I’m here to prevent that.”

“By killing this man?” questioned Logan. “I don’t think so. I don’t care what powers you have we aren’t simply going to stand here and let you murder someone.”

“Murder him?” questioned the man, surprise in his voice. “That’s not my function. My imperative is to determine why the cure didn’t work on him and prevent it if possible. So that humanity won’t begin running in a blind panic as they did before.”

Logan extended his claws.

“And if you can’t do that then you just kill him,” said Logan. “Seems the most effective way to prevent this so-called war you’re talking about. Well, like I said, we aren’t about to let you do that.”

The man raised his hand and the claws he possessed extended. He simply smiled at Logan.

“At our first meeting I told you that I was better equipped than even you,” said the man. “You’re quite a formidable opponent with your Adamantium claws, Logan. Capable of cutting through virtually any known substance. Unbreakable. But you’ll find that my claws are more than a match for yours.”

“Okay, so you have Admantium, too,” said Logan. “Let’s settle this. One on one. You and me. Adamantium against Adamantium. None of your fancy powers. You win, we walk away. I win, you leave this guy alone.”

“It wouldn’t be a fair fight,” said the man. “You see, my claws are not Adamantium, like yours. Mine are made of a substance called Vibranium. Infinitely stronger than even Adamantium. I’m afraid even you would stand little chance against me.”

“Logan, back off,” said Hank. “I’ve heard of Vibranium. If he’s telling the truth he’s right. Not even your Adamantium skeletal structure would be able to resist his Vibranium claws.”

“I’m willing to take that chance,” said Logan.

“Hank’s right, Logan,” said Ororo. “We have a chance to end this peacefully. Let’s not go off half cocked.”

“A very wise decision,” said the man retracting his claws. “As I said, my imperative is to discover why the cure didn’t work on this man and to prevent it. But I can assure you that killing him is not part of the program.”

“What program?” Bobby asked.

“His program,” said Hank. “It all makes sense now. It explains how he can have so many abilities. He’s not human.”

“Of course he isn’t,” said Ororo. “He’s a mutant, like us.”

“I’ve all ready explained that I’m not a mutant,” said the man.

“He’s not a mutant either, Ororo,” said Hank. “He’s an android.”

“I see the stories about your intellect were not exaggerated,” said the man. “You’re quite right. I’m an android. So you see, you really stood little chance against me. If I had wanted to I could have killed any or all of you at any time. I was given a great many powers to assist me in my mission. Enough powers so that not even your combined strength could stop me.

“You’re still alive because my creator did not wish any harm to come to any of you. My programming prevents me from using violence except as a last resort and I am forbidden from killing unless there is no other alternative. And unlike humans – or mutants – I can usually find an alternative.”

“Hold on a second,” said the man whose house they had broken into. With the fighting stopped he was becoming a bit more relaxed. “Androids? Mutants? Look, I’m just an accountant. I don’t know anything about this stuff. But there’s no way I could cause this catastrophe you’re talking about. I don’t even have any powers.”

“Now, that’s not exactly correct, is it?” asked the intruder. “You do have one ability. You’re invulnerable. Nothing can pierce your skin, can it?”

“How . . . how could you know that?” questioned the man.

“Because it will become public knowledge very soon,” said the intruder. “In a few weeks there will be a fire in the building where you work. Most people will get out safely. But you go back into the fire to help one of the secretaries who seems to be trapped on the third floor. While you’re in the building part of it will collapse. Onlookers will believe you killed although we know that is extremely unlikely.”

“What’s that got to do with this catastrophe?” asked Ororo.

“When he comes out of the building he will be seen,” said the intruder. “People will believe he is a mutant because he was uninjured when the building collapsed on him. Many of his friends and co-workers will feel uncomfortable around him because they fear and distrust mutants. In an effort to console them he will take the cure to convince them he’s human.”

“I assume there’s a problem in this respect,” said Hank.

“Yes,” said the intruder. “Several weeks after that he will be involved in a car accident. When he is again uninjured a panic will start. It will be believed that the cure either did not affect him or that it has somehow worn off. There will be a public outcry from the human population for the government to do something. After the battle at Alcatraz Island people will begin to fear. They will think that if the cure can wear off then the evil mutants will regain their abilities and the war will start all over again.

“Many people will overreact. Hundreds will be killed out of fear and suspicion. Riots will break out in dozens of cities across the country. Eventually the government has to declare martial law to maintain order. But this won’t be enough. The fear and suspicion that humans feel toward mutants will continue to grow. The mutants that have taken the cure will be looked upon with loathing. In order to console the population the government will pass a law requiring all mutants to take the cure and to receive periodic boosters to make sure the cure remains in effect.”

“That terrible,” said Ororo. “It’s not right. I told you that would happen, Hank. Today it’s voluntary. Tomorrow it will be mandatory.”

“I ain’t taking no ‘cure’,” said Logan. “I don’t care what anyone says.”

“Many will feel that way,” said the intruder. “Many will refuse to take it. The government will move in and attempt to force them to take the cure. The mutants will, of course, defend themselves. And very soon a war between humans and mutants has erupted. Everyone will be forced to choose a side. No one will be able to remain neutral. Those who try will be hunted like animals since the humans will feel they are siding with the mutants.”

“This is terrible,” said Hank. “All this because one mutant appeared to be immune to the cure? It’s hard to imagine.”

“It was never proven he was immune,” said the intruder. “There was speculation that he had not actually taken the cure. That it was a ruse to placate those he worked with. But as I said, most will believe that it either didn’t work on him or that it wore off. What I find most perplexing is that our friend here has all ready admitted his ability.”

“Many mutants have a similar ability,” said Piotr. “Me, for instance. When I change it’s nearly impossible to penetrate my skin. And Logan has his Admantium skeleton. Virtually nothing can penetrate that.”

“This is all true,” said the intruder. “And I can sense that about each of you. One of the abilities I was given was the ability to sense a mutant and their powers. Except I can’t sense that in our friend here. And that is impossible.”

They all looked at the man waiting to see if he was going to say anything.

[NoAzMale]

EIGHT

The man stared at the group nervously. He glanced around and they all had the same thought: he was hiding something.

“I . . . I don’t have an explanation,” the man said finally.

“You’re a poor liar,” said Hank. “You’ve all ready admitted you have at least one power. Which would normally mean you’re a mutant, not a human. But if our friend here can sense a mutant’s power and he can’t sense yours there has to be another explanation.”

“What about Cerebro?” Bobby asked. “This guy showed up as a blue dot instead of a red or white one. Do you think that has anything to do with it?”

“Makes sense to me,” said Ororo. “But if he’s not a mutant and he’s not human, what exactly is he then?”

“Could he be another android?” Logan asked, glancing at the intruder.

“Unlikely,” said the intruder. “He’s definitely organic. Which means he’s alive. And Dr. McCoy is correct. He’s lying. His blood pressure is elevated, his eyes have dilated, there’s perspiration on his skin, and his heart rate has increased. All indications of lying.”

“You can tell all that just by looking at him?” Logan questioned.

“Actually, my sensors are able to detect physiological changes in the human body,” said the intruder. “I’m just at a loss to explain the discrepancies with this individual.”

“You’d better start explaining,” Ororo said to the man. “We aren’t leaving here until we have some answers. The sooner you tell us what we want to know the sooner we’ll be out of here.”

The man looked around at the group for a moment. He was obviously nervous. Suddenly the look on his face changed. From one of nervousness and fear to what appeared to be resignation.

“Well,” he said finally, “I suppose I have little other choice. But I must ask you to keep what I am about to tell you in the strictest confidence. If it should get out the mutant-human war you mentioned could pale in comparison.”

“What could be worse than a mutant-human war?” Bobby asked. “We’ve all ready seen what that could entail. The battle at Alcatraz Island took a heavy toll on both sides.”

“My name is William Johnson,” said the man. “I’m an accountant for a rather prestiges accounting firm. At least that’s what you’ll find out if you were to run a background check on me. Except that information isn’t exactly accurate. My real name is Chil’Ta Norran’Chi. And I’m from a small planet in Orion’s belt called Telcore.”

“You’re an alien?” questioned Piotr.

“Yes,” said Chil’Ta. “My ship crashed here some years ago. I was able to effect repairs on it but my fuel source was severely depleted and unfortunately your science has nothing that even approximates the type of fuel we use. So I’ve effectively been stranded on your planet for some years.”

“That would explain a great many things,” said the intruder. “Not being human it’s quite possible that the cure would have no effect on him. That’s why the cure seemed to have worn off.”

“I have no intentions of taking the cure,” said Chil’Ta. “No one is aware of my unique physiology on this planet. I’ve been keeping it a secret. And quite frankly, after seeing how you treat each other, I can’t say it was the wrong decision. I can certainly imagine how your people would treat me if they knew I wasn’t even human.”

“You might be quite justified in your assessment,” said Hank. “Humans can be quite unforgiving about things and people they don’t understand. It’s probably best if they aren’t aware there are other races in the galaxy.”

“So let me see if I have this right,” said Ororo. “He’s an alien from another planet. And some time in the near future he’s going to be exposed. Only people will think that he’s a mutant. So to calm them down he’ll take the cure to placate them. Only the cure won’t affect him. And when the human population finds out about it it will start a war that will destroy the planet. Is that about the size of it?”

“Partially,” said the intruder. “I had multiple objectives in coming here. The first was to identify why the cure didn’t seem to affect him. I seem to have completed that objective. My second objective was to find out who altered the cure.”

“What do you mean who altered the cure?” Hank asked. “Altered how?”

“When a law was passed that required all mutants to take the cure,” said the intruder, “many resisted. But many decided to take the cure to help keep the peace. Unfortunately someone secretly altered the cure. Very subtly. It wasn’t even noticeable. At first.

“Several months after the altered cure was administered, the mutants that had taken the cure began to die. The cure no longer simply suppressed a mutant’s power. It began to destroy it. That was a death sentence to any mutant that took the cure. Trying to destroy their power was tantamount to destroying a human’s ability to breathe. None of them were able to survive it.”

“That’s horrible,” said Ororo. “But I have to admit it’s not totally unexpected. I told you, Hank. I told you something like this would happen.”

“You may have been right,” said Hank thoughtfully. “Initially you said the planet was a barren rock. I can’t believe that killing off mutants would have that effect.”

“You would be right,” said the intruder. “Unfortunately the altered cure didn’t remain confined to mutant’s for long. It mutated. Became an airborne virus. And because the mutant body is basically a human body, it also affected humans. The wind caught it and spread it around the world. Within months it infected everything. All plants, animals, any form of biological life form. And it did exactly what it had been designed to do. Kill off those that were infected with it.”

“The end of the world,” said Logan. “That’s what you’re describing. The end of the world.”

“Basically, yes,” said the intruder. “That was my second objective. To locate and identify the individual responsible for altering the cure. And to prevent it. Without the altered cure, everything that happened could be averted.”

“Identifying who altered the cure should be rather simple,” said Hank. “It would require someone who has extensive knowledge of the cure and how it works. It would also require someone with the knowledge and expertise to be able to alter the cure so that it wouldn’t be noticeable.”

“There must be a lot of scientists with that information,” said Ororo. “How would it be possible to locate the one responsible?”

“It would also require someone who has access to the actual cure,” said Hank. “And with the necessary access to switch the altered cure with the real one. It also means that whoever altered the cure wants mutants dead instead of just powerless. Most people working with the cure honestly believe they’re helping. It shouldn’t be difficult to identify someone with ulterior motives. I know a couple of psychiatrists who can help make that determination. It should be relatively easy to find someone who fits all of these requirements.”

“Very logical, doctor,” said the intruder. “I must admit I was in a quandary about exactly how to locate the individual responsible. My records of the individuals working with the cure are sorely lacking. It would appear that you are better equipped to identify the individual than I am.”

“A few discretely placed inquiries should do the trick,” said Hank. “I’ll get started on it the first thing in the morning. With a little luck we should be able to find out who it is within a couple of days. In the mean time I can let the President know. He can make sure that any cure made available is the genuine article and not the altered one.”

“Then I would submit that two parts of my objective are completed,” said the intruder. “One question remains, however.” He looked at Chil’Ta. “What is to be done with him? Simply knowing what is going to happen is not enough to insure that it does not occur. If he remains where he is the risk is too great that he will precipitate the very war I have returned to prevent.”

“My people are on their way to get me,” said Chil’Ta. “They will arrive in a few months and I will leave this planet. No one will ever know who I actually am. Save for you, of course.”

“That is unacceptable,” said the intruder. “Your actions in the previous timeline indicate that you are a caring individual. That is why you risked your life to save those you perceived as being in danger. It is conceivable that such an occurrence could happen again. Any incident that would expose your identity to the humans could have the very repercussions I have been sent to stop.”

“He could stay at the school,” suggested Ororo. “He’d be around other mutants. I mean, mutants. Any abilities he exhibited wouldn’t be considered unusual. And it’s unlikely that he’d be put in a position to expose himself unnecessarily. Even if he did, he wouldn’t have to feel that he needed to take the cure to fit in. He could wait there until his people arrived to get him.”

“That’s a good idea,” said Hank. “Right now only those mutants who wish to will be given the cure. No one will be forced to take it except under the most extreme circumstances. As long as Chil’Ta is around mutants he should be safe.”

“That would be acceptable,” said the intruder. “You would be able to prevent his identity from being exposed. That would prevent the holocaust that happened the first time. Assuming that he is willing to accept the arrangements.”

“Well,” said Chil’Ta, looking at the others, “my only purpose is to remain hidden until my people arrive. I never intended to be a concern to anyone. If staying at your school will help to prevent what he has described I’m more than willing to accept the arrangements.”

“I guess that settles it then,” said Ororo. She looked at the intruder. “Do you have a name? I feel funny just saying ‘hey you’.”

“My creator never actually gave me a name,” said the intruder. “Although she did refer to me by the name of the central processor she used to construct me. So much was destroyed during the war between humanity and the mutants. But my creator was able to salvage enough of my central processor to construct me.”

“What was the name of your central processor?” Bobby asked.

“Cerebro,” replied the intruder.

[NoAzMale]

NINE

“You’re Cerebro?” Ororo questioned.

“Yes,” said the man. “A much scaled down version, of course. That is why I was able to so easily interface with your Cerebro. The only problem was that your Cerebro was encoded to allow only Professor Xavier to properly use it. It was designed for him. That is why Jean Grey was not able to utilize it as effectively as the Professor. She did not have the necessary control of her power to use it.

“In order for me to effectively use your Cerebro I needed to convince it that I was the Professor. That is why I was in his room when we first met. I needed to collect enough of his DNA to integrate it into my own. So that when I interfaced with it it would accept me as Professor Xavier.”

“So that’s why you needed his DNA,” said Hank. “And you can effectively integrate his DNA into yours?”

“Yes,” said Cerebro. “The organic material that comprises my outer layer is designed to integrate any DNA I introduce into its own matrix. I currently have 23 different DNA patterns incorporated into my outer structure. Most of which are the various mutants whose powers I am able to utilize. But the Professors body was destroyed in his conflict with the entity called the Phoenix. It was necessary for me to collect enough to incorporate it into my matrix to use your Cerebro in order to find Chil’Ta.”

“”She?” questioned Piotr. “Your creator was a woman?”

“That’s correct,” said Cerebro. “And it was quite a challenge for her. As I said, the Earth is little more than a burnt out rock in space. Collecting enough material to construct me was difficult. Fortunately she was successful.”

“So, this future you mentioned,” began Hank.

“Has been altered hopefully,” said Cerebro. “Of course, there is no guarantee that something else won’t initiate a war between humans and mutants. The peace between them in so tenuous as it is. But at least this incident has been avoided.”

“So if another incident occurs I suppose your creator will just send you back to correct it,” said Ororo.

“No,” said Cerebro. “I am essentially a machine. A very sophisticated computer. As such I can be programmed to perform just about any function. Or reprogrammed. My creator foresaw the possibility, however remote, that I could possibly fall into the wrong hands. With my abilities I could do a great deal of damage if my ethical programs were circumvented.

“In order to prevent this I was designed with a unique power source. It is not rechargeable. And in the event that someone attempts to replace it with a different power source my central processor will immediately shut down and all information contained on my hard drives will be deleted. It was designed as a safeguard to prevent me from being used by unscrupulous individuals.”

“So when your power source runs out you will effectively die,” said Hank.

“I suppose that is not an inaccurate assessment,” said Cerebro.

“I’m sorry,” said Ororo. “I didn’t know.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me,” said Cerebro. “I was designed and created for a specific task. I have completed that task. My continued existence would be redundant. Once I return to my own time my creator will be able to retrieve all of the information I have gathered here.”

“Will we see you in the future?” questioned Bobby.

“I cannot answer that question,” said Cerebro. “My programming will not allow me to relay any information about future events beyond what I have all ready told you. This is to prevent any pollution of the timeline. Assuming I have been successful in altering past events, there is no telling what ramifications there will be from it. To that end, I have one more objective my creator programmed me with.”

“What is it?” Hank asked. “Maybe we can help you with it.”

“Indeed you can,” said Cerebro. “However, there is only one person who can assist me in this matter. And his assistance must be voluntary.”

“Who is it?” Logan asked.

Cerebro held out his arm and a small compartment opened in his forearm. He removed a small vial that looked very much like a test tube with a small rubber stopper in the end.

“You,” said Cerebro, looking at Logan. “As I said, it is possible that my actions here have not been enough to alter future events. In that event, my creator has determined that it may be possible to reverse the effects of the initial virus that has infected the world. But in order to do that I need a sample of your blood. The antibodies in it will help to produce a vaccine that can reverse the effects of the virus.”

“Why not just get it from me in the future?” questioned Logan. “Unless. . . .”

“I need an untainted sample,” said Cerebro. “Anyone still alive in the future has had their blood tainted by the virus. Even you, Logan. The sample must be from a time before the virus is released to the populous. I cannot answer whether you are still alive or not. I cannot answer that about any of you. I can only say that it is your blood from this time that can help reverse what has happened in my time.”

“What he says makes sense, Logan,” said Hank. “Even assuming you are still alive in the future, you blood would be tainted with the virus. You may be immune to it but your blood would be useless for creating an anti-virus for the disease. That small vial of blood may just be enough to save mankind.”

“Well, since you put it that way,” said Logan. “I suppose I can spare a little blood.”

“I was sure you’d be reasonable,” said Cerebro. “Now, if you’ll just hold still, this won’t hurt a bit, I promise.”

“We should be getting back to the school,” said Ororo. “Considering that Cerebro isn’t the menace we thought he was there are still quite a few problems that demand our attention. Not the least of which is housing all the mutants that have been coming to the school since the incident at Alcatraz Island. Chil’Ta, considering the circumstances, it’s probably best if you come with us now.”

“It will only take a few moments for me to collect my things,” said Chil’Ta. “I’ve tried to keep my possessions at a minimum since I won’t be able to take any of them with me when I leave. I should be ready shortly.”

“What will you do now?” Bobby asked Cerebro.

“My mission here is completed,” said Cerebro, putting the vial of Logan’s blood back in the compartment he had taken it from. “I must be returning to my own time. My power cell is down to 26%. I should have just enough power to open a portal that will return me to my time.”

“I wish you could elaborate on that,” said Hank. “Einstein’s Theory of Relativity does allow for the possibility of time travel into the past. But as yet our understanding of the mechanism of such a feat is severely limited. It would be fascinating to discuss it with you.”

“I’m afraid,” said Cerebro, “that even should my energy cell and time permitted, I would be unable to answer any of your questions regarding it. I simply cannot alter the timeline any more than I all ready have. The results could be even less favorable than what it was when I left the future.”

“Oh, I understand that,” said Hank. “But it’s still fascinating to consider.”

“I completely understand,” said Cerebro. “I’m afraid I must be going now. I wish you all the best. Perhaps when I return to my time we will meet again. I cannot say. But as long as you survive there is always hope.”

“Goodbye Cerebro,” said Ororo. “I’m glad to see you aren’t the villain we thought you were. And tell your creator when you get back that she did a wonderful job creating you. Except for the obvious physical differences, you could easily have been one of us.”

“I shall tell her,” said Cerebro. “I’m sure she’ll be quite pleased with your words of praise.”

Cerebro turned and left the house. They all watched him leave until he disappeared into the darkness. A few minutes later Chal’Ta came back into the room with a single bag. The entirety of his belongings that he had collected since arriving on the Earth. Together they got into the car and headed back to the school.

[NoAzMale]

TEN

The light subsided and Cerebro looked around. He was standing in the yard of the school. To his right were three headstones. One for Professor Xavier, one for Jean Grey, and one for Scott Summers. The headstones, like the grounds around them, had been meticulously maintained.

“Cerebro?”

Cerebro turned to see a young girl of perhaps 16 standing just a few feet from him. Her long dark hair was braided down her back. The setting sun cast a soft glow on the girl as she looked at him expectantly.

“Yes,” said Cerebro. “I have returned. My power cell is at approximately 3%. That should be enough to transfer the information I have collected before I shut down. It would appear that I was successful in my mission.”

“It sure was,” said the girl. “And the temporal generator worked exactly as I knew it would. It protected me from the changes in the timeline although it’s going to take me some time to separate the two sets of memories. It’s weird knowing what happened before and having a second set of memories from what it’s like now.”

“Exactly as predicted, as I recall,” said Cerebro.

“Charli,” said a woman walking up to them. The woman appeared to be in her mid to late 40s and had a single strand of white hair in the front. As she approached the two she looked suspiciously at Cerebro. “Who’s your friend?”

“He’s my proof, mom,” said Charli. “Proof that everything I’ve been telling you and dad for the last few months is true. My Universal Field Theory is valid.”

“Charli, we’ve had this discussion,” said her mother. “Scientists have been working on that for decades. Scientists with a great deal more training and experience than you have. They all agree there simply is no current theory that fits all the available information.”

“But he proves I’m right,” said Charli insistently, pointing at Cerebro.

“What’s going on?” demanded a man running up to the three. The man was dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt. As he rushed to the two women long silver-colored claws extended from his clenched fists. He took up a defensive posture between Cerebro and the two women. In all the years since Cerebro had first appeared at the school, Logan had changed very little. “The alarm sounded that there was an intruder on the grounds.”

“It’s okay, dad,” said Charli. “He’s a friend.”

“It seems your daughter has been defying us again, James,” said the woman.

Logan looked at his wife. He knew she was upset. She rarely used his given name unless she was. Like everyone else, she normally just referred to him as “Logan”, the name he preferred.

“How come every time she’s in trouble she’s my daughter?” questioned Logan, looking at Cerebro with a perplexed look on his face. “Charli, what is she talking about?”

“This,” said Charli, pointing at Cerebro. “He proves my hypothesis of a Unified Field theory.”

“Cerebro?” Logan questioned, looking more closely at the android, suddenly recognizing him.

“For you it has been many years, Logan,” said Cerebro. “Of course, for me, it’s only been a short time. It is agreeable to see you again.”

“Logan, what’s going on here?” asked Charli’s mother. “Do you know this man?”

“He’s not a man, Marie,” said Logan. “If I remember correctly, he’s an android. He’s the one I told you about. The one that came to the school just after the incident on Alcatraz Island.”

“But you told me that he had come from the future and that his creator was a woman,” said Marie. She looked at Charli, and then at Cerebro, and then back at Charli. “Chalene Ororo-Jean Howlett what have you done?”

“Uh oh,” Charli said, suddenly looking around. “It’s kind of a long story. And one I don’t think you’re going to like parts of.”

“Charli,” said Logan, “we discussed this. At least you discussed it with Hank. Sending someone,” he glanced at Cerebro momentarily, “something back in time was simply too dangerous. I know because of your mother and me you’re the smartest person who’s ever lived. I know that you think all of your theories and hypotheses are always right. But you still have a lot to learn before you can try something like this.”

“But I didn’t try,” protested Charli. “I did it. I sent Cerebro back in time and he’s just returned. No paradox, no time dilations, no time distortions. I was very careful. I took everything into account and took every conceivable precaution. The fact that he’s here is proof of that. And it proves that my hypothesis for a Unified Field Theory is right.”

“I’ve heard enough,” said Marie, barely keeping her temper in check. “Every time you get one of your hair brained ideas you go off on a tangent. And you simply take too many risks. This is the last straw, young lady. You’re grounded as of now. And you’ll be very lucky if I let you out of your room before you’re 50.”

“Dad,” pleaded Charli.

“Your mother’s right,” said Logan. “You’re always doing something like this. God knows we’ve tried everything we can think of to get you to take things more seriously. Every time we turn around you’re pulling some stupid stunt that can have very serious repercussions. And you just don’t think of the consequences of your actions. I’m with your mother on this. You’re grounded and it’s going to be a very long time before you will be able to earn our trust back.”

“I think waiting until she’s 50 might be a bit extreme. You might want to think about letting her out before then. She has a lot of things to explain and she can’t do that locked in her room.”

They all turned to see a man standing nearby. He was in his mid-60s and was wearing a suit and tie. Charles Xavier was smiling at the group.

[Ti88]

that was wow!!!!! i mean oh man. i'm still processing it all. this fic rocks. and to leave me hanging like that. but i should be use to it from reading your other stories. but i'm not. ok so i'm guessing they did one thing and started something else? i love the title. and charles is back. let me tell you in the spirit of true fiction you have taken something i wasn't crazy about and made me fall in love. now i want to go and and rewatch the movies so i can be totally on point with the changes and things happening. how crazy is that. Lol.

[NoAzMale]

ELEVEN

“Charles?” questioned Marie. “What are you doing here?”

“I came by to help my namesake with a few explanations,” said Charles. The new body he had been able to transplant his consciousness in after his original body had been destroyed by the Phoenix had served him well in the 40 years since. “She’s right, you know. Cerebro is proof that her theory is correct. I should never have doubted her. And I’m sure Hank will be more than willing to admit he underestimated her as well.”

“Uncle Charles,” squealed Charli.

“What is this theory you keep rambling about?” questioned Logan, his patience wearing thin. He never did have much patience when it came to scientific stuff. “She’s had so many theories it’s hard to keep them straight.”

“A Unified Field Theory,” said Charles. “When Einstein proposed his E=MC2 theory he also suggested a Unified Field Theory. It’s a theory that allows all of the fundamental forces between elementary particles to be expressed in terms of a single field. Einstein was never able to come up with that theory. And up until now, no one else has either. It seems that has changed.”

“You mean she actually did it?” questioned Logan.

“You tell me,” said Charles. “You did meet Cerebro in the past. Before anyone knew I had survived Jean’s assault on me. I remember you telling me about meeting him and wondering if you’d ever see him again. Is he the same Cerebro you remember from 40 years ago?”

“He appears to be,” said Logan, looking at Cerebro. “But it’s been a long time. It’s hard to say for certain.”

“Perhaps this will help,” said Cerebro, lifting his arm and removing the vial from a compartment in the arm. “It would appear that the cataclysm never occurred. Therefore it would also appear that this will be of little use.”

Logan took the vial and looked at it.

“That’s the vial of blood you asked for,” he said. “The one you said could be used to create an anti-serum to the disease that was plaguing the world.”

“See, I told you I thought of everything,” said Charli, still hugging Charles. “I knew I could send Cerebro back without any serious repercussions. And that proves that my Unified Field Theory is right. I have all the proof I need in Cerebro’s memory chips. Everything he went through is recorded there. All I have to do is download it.”

“Be that as it may,” said Marie, “there’s still the matter of your disobeying your father and me. Despite the outcome you have to learn that you can’t just do whatever you want and not expect there to be consequences. Perhaps grounding you until you’re 50 is a bit extreme. But you are going to be punished for your disobedience.”

“I understand,” said Charli, kissing her mother on the cheek. “But can it wait for a bit? Cerebro’s power cell will only last a few more days and I need to get his memory chips downloaded right away.”

“We can talk about your punishment in the morning,” said Marie, her temper softening considerably. “But I wouldn’t make any serious plans for at least a few weeks.”

“In the mean time,” said Charles, “I think Charli and I need to spend some time alone together. If I remember correctly, part of your hypothesis involved a temporal generator that protected you from the changes in the timeline?”

“That’s right,” said Charli. “And it worked perfectly. I remember everything that happened before the change and I also have all of the memories I would have had with the change. They can be a bit confusing.”

“Not to mention dangerous,” said Charles. “Such overwhelming memories of two timelines can cause an emotional and mental imbalance even in someone as smart as you. I realize that because both of your parents were mutants you were born with mental faculties far beyond anyone who has ever lived. But even you aren’t immune to the damage something like that can cause. I can use my mental powers to help you sort through the confusion. And prevent any dangerous repercussion later on.”

“Okay, if you say so,” said Charli. “It does kind of give me a headache when I think about it. Trying to decide where each of the memories belong.”

“Hold on just a second,” said Logan. “You’re not messing around in my little girl’s mind. You’re a good friend, Charles, and I appreciate that friendship. But you know how I feel about that sort of thing. We had a similar discussion about Jean, if you’ll remember. And we all know how that turned out.”

“I understand, Logan,” said Charles. “And I can understand your misgivings. But this isn’t the same. I was suppressing Jean’s alter ego, if you will. The malevolent side of her powers that made her a danger to everyone, including herself. I won’t be doing that with Charli. All I’ll be doing is organizing her memories, so to speak. So that she’ll be better able to keep things straight in her head.”

“I don’t know,” said Logan. “It still sounds like your messing with her mind. And you’ve always said that was dangerous even with the best of intentions.”

“I know it’s hard for you to understand but I won’t be messing with anything,” said Charles. “You don’t really think I’d do anything that would put Charli in danger do you? Besides, if I don’t do this her dual memories could have serious repercussions. It could cause a mental imbalance not unlike a form of mental illness.

“Look at Cerebro. See what she’s accomplished with him. Now imagine what she could do if she didn’t have the best of intentions. If she were evil, if you will. With her intelligence who knows what she might come up with? The threat by Magneto 40 years ago could pale in comparison.”

Logan looked at Charles and then at Charli. Then he looked at Marie. She had long ago stopped trying to change his mind. Once he set his mind to something it was nearly impossible for anyone to change it.

With the exception of Charles Xavier. He never used his mental powers to change anyone’s mind. He relied on logic and reasoning. Right or wrong everyone had the right to make their own decisions. And in the years since he had come back into their lives Logan had developed a strong respect and admiration for the mutant’s mentor, as he had come to be known.

Logan thought for a moment. He knew that Charles would never do anything that would intentionally harm his goddaughter. And the memory of what Jean had become was something that none of them could ever forget.

“You give me your word you won’t mess with her mind in any way?” Logan questioned. “That all you’re going to do is sort out her memories so she doesn’t go crazy?”

“You have my word,” said Charles, smiling, knowing he had won Logan over, even if he wasn’t completely convinced. “You won’t notice anything different in her. And the only thing she’ll notice is that her jumbled memories will no longer be disorganized.”

“Well,” said Logan grudgingly after a moment, “we wouldn’t want a repeat of . . . well a repeat of what happened before. And I do want my little girl to be healthy. I suppose if you’re very careful this one time won’t hurt.”

“Thanks, daddy,” said Charli, hugging Logan.

“Then we should get started right away,” said Charles. “It shouldn’t take more than a few hours and there will still be time for you to download Cerebro’s memory chips later.”

“It looks like we underestimated our little girl,” said Marie as Charles and Charli walked back into the school. “It seems she might even be smarter than we initially thought.”

“Well, she didn’t inherit any physical powers from us,” said Logan. “Other than my immunity and longevity. But I can kind of understand what she’s going through. Since I got my memory back it’s sometimes hard to distinguish what’s real and what I imagined. I can only guess how difficult is must be for her.”

“Charles will help her,” said Marie. “But we still have to decide on her punishment for disobeying us.”

“We shouldn’t be too hard on her,” said Logan. “After all, we never really did give her a chance to prove anything to us.”

“I suppose you’re right,” said Marie. “I’m sure we can settle on something appropriate.”

“In the mean time,” said Logan walking over to Cerebro. “Cerebro, old buddy. How would you like to help me with something?”

“How can I be of assistance?” questioned Cerebro.

“I was thinking,” said Logan. “The first time we met, you had broken into the Professor’s room to collect some DNA samples.”

“I did explain that 40 years ago,” said Cerebro.

“I know, I know,” said Logan smiling suspiciously. “And I’m sure Ororo would love to see you again. What say you wait for her in her room and I’ll go tell her we have an intruder who’s broken into her room? I can hardly wait to see the look on her face when she gets there and sees that it’s you.”

“Are you sure that’s a wise course of action, Logan?” questioned Cerebro.

“Sure it is,” said Logan, leading Cerebro into the school. “Trust me. She’s going to love it.”

“Ororo hates surprises,” said Marie to no one in particular. “And I forgot my umbrella.”

The End

If you’ve enjoyed this story, you can find more “X-Men” stories at my website, Creative Passions, listed in my bio. You can also post your own “X-Men” stories or other stories if you like to write fan fiction.

[majiklmoon]

Jerry my bland friend - you are totally making me wish I was familiar with the whole x-men franchise

[Ti88]

this was wanderful. and here i thought something bad was going to happen. i have to check out your site. great job. a happy ending something our xmen esp wolverine deserves.

tracie you don;t know xmen. oh no. the jean, wolverrine, scott tri-what ever is the stuff legends are made of. poor logan never gets the girl or he gets a girl and she's killed, stolen, time changes...you name it. they have more drama then daytime soaps.