Xavier Institute For Higher Learning
The Z’Noxx Chamber

Located some distance from the main campus, the Z’Noxx Chamber was developed by Professor Charles Xavier years ago. In an effort to prepare to repel an invasion from a race of aliens known as the Z’Noxx, Xavier faked his death and locked himself in this chamber, which prevented any telepathic broadcasts from getting in or out.

Today, the Chamber is used for quite a different purpose. Presently, it serves as the prison for Cassandra Nova, Xavier’s twin sister. Although she was stillborn, her father gave her body to the scientists at Black Womb, who managed to resurrect her. She became a brilliant scientist and married a man named Hiresh, but it was after the combination of his death and menopause which finally awakened her long-dormant and extremely potent psychic abilities.

The sudden awakening brought about a voice in her head. A voice that gave itself a name. This voice showed Cassandra the truth about her origins, and she quickly grew jealous of her brother for being their father’s favored child. She attempted to corrupt and twist his legacy, manipulating his students and twisting his dream into a nightmare.

But Xavier and his X-Men fought back. Cassandra was defeated by the power of the Phoenix and left comatose. But she gave a final parting gift to her brother—planting seeds of doubt in his mind, driving him mad with despair until he had no other recourse but to take his own life.

Cassandra later awoke, but the voice in her head had been silenced. Confronted with the reality of what she had done, she felt her own despair, nearly crippling her. And now she sat in the Z’Noxx Chamber, a willing prisoner of the X-Men. Her presence here had already brought one attack from Black Womb, who wanted her power for their own ends.

You think you can silence me, Cassandra?

“You’re still here?” she asked the voice.

Yes. Nothing you do can ever silence me. Not completely. You and I are one.

“I’ll find a way to escape you. The things I’ve done…things you told me to do.”

Done? You’ve accomplished greatness, Cassandra! You were going to change the world. If it weren’t for your brother’s interference, you would have built a better world on the ashes of the present one.

Cassandra hung her head. “That’s not how it should be.”

Self-pity is so unbecoming. It really doesn’t suit you at all.

“You think you can stop me? I know what you are. I know what you fear.”

And there is nothing you can do about it. Not while you’re trapped.

Cassandra’s lips twisted into a smile. “Oh, my dear Urizen. If I know the X-Men, I’d say it wouldn’t be much longer before I’m able to extract my revenge. Both on you and Black Womb.”

SUPERNOVA REMNANT

Part I

By Chris Munn, Hunter Lambright, and Dino Pollard

Avalon, Genosha

The feeling of a crisp, night breeze on his bare torso gently woke Scott Summers. He opened his eyes, and was momentarily surprised that the ceiling wasn’t bathed in a red tint. Although his optic blasts had been under his control for some time now, the feeling of waking up without a pair of ruby quartz goggles was still somewhat jarring.

He stretched out his arm, but found the spot on the bed next to him was empty. Scott pulled the sheet off his legs, clad only in a pair of boxer shorts with a series of X’s on them. He walked to the open window leading out to the balcony.

His wife, Jean Grey-Summers, and current President of Genosha, stood on the balcony. She stared out into the night, wearing a thin robe over her nightgown. Scott approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her. He gently kissed her neck.

“What are you doing up?” he asked.

Jean lowered her head. “There’s something out there.”

“There’s a lot out there,” said Scott.

“Something big…can’t you feel it?” she asked.

“Feel what?” asked Scott.

Jean shook her head slightly. “Lately, I can feel everything. Anger, happiness, fear, surprise. But now…?”

“What about now? What do you feel?”

“Dread. That’s all I can feel.” She turned around and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her head against his chest. “And it’s headed right for us.”

Xavier Institute
Sub-Levels

“I don’t like this,” said Forge. He stood in an elevator descending to the lower levels of the Institute. Beside him was the school’s current Headmaster, Hank McCoy. He laid a furry paw on Forge’s shoulder.

“I understand,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil. I fear Black Womb may attempt another extraction on our resident model prisoner.”

“I thought they were out of business these days?” asked Forge.

“From what Sam told us, Amanda Mueller and her daughter have both been dispatched. But it’s quite possible someone else has taken over the reins of the organization. Just because they’ve been quiet lately is no indication they won’t turn up again. And with the school back in session once more, I’m worried the students might be at risk.”

The door opened and Forge led Hank down the corridor. “Well, I’ve managed to come up with something that should do the trick. It’s based on the same technology as Magneto’s helmet and the Z’Noxx Chamber. But given Nova’s power level, I’m worried how effective it’ll really be.”

They came to a room and Forge typed several numbers into the keypad. The door opened, revealing the room that he had taken over in the mansion for his workshop. Forge walked over to the bench and picked up a helmet that also had a series of lights around the bottom.

“The locking mechanism can’t be easily overridden, it’ll only respond to voice commands from one of the active duty roster,” said Forge. He tossed the helmet to Hank. “Like I said, it should do the trick, but she’s unpredictable.”

Hank examined the helmet, adjusting his glasses as he turned it with his hand. “This should work nicely, thank you.”

“Where are you transporting her?” asked Forge.

“Since X-Corps’ dissolution, the X-Corporation has taken control of the Muir Isle Research Facility,” said Hank. “They’ve got the technology necessary to restrain her and it’s fortified with a heavy duty security staff. Provided Black Womb doesn’t discover her location, we should be fine.”

“When do we leave?” asked Forge.

“Actually, neither one of us are going on the transport,” said Hank.

Forge was shocked at this. “What do you mean? I thought you wanted me to serve as Sean’s second on this team?”

Hank held up his hand as he shook his head. “No, you misunderstood. This has nothing to do with usurping your leadership. Rather, I have something else I’d like you to help with.”

“I’m listening,” said Forge.

“During my time with the Avengers, whenever a problem came up, we had a whole range of scientific contacts we could rely on,” said Hank. “Not only Tony Stark and Hank Pym, but also other great minds such as Reed Richards, Bill Foster, T’Challa, and, if I may be so humble, myself. Here at the Institute, the resource pool is limited to just you and I.”

“We’ve consulted with them before, Hank. And with Kurt and Ororo serving on the team…”

“Yes, we have strong relations with them. But politics are playing a much larger role in superheroics than they used to. I’d like the X-Men to be self-sufficient in the event we may have to avoid conflicts of interest. You and I can’t do it all alone, there’s a wider spectrum I’d like covered. Address other problems. For example, Mystique’s tumor.”

Forge scoffed. “Given all the people she’s killed, I’m not so worried about what’ll happen to her.”

Hank lowered his head. “Keep in mind she isn’t the only cancer patient on the grounds.”

Forge’s face immediately became solemn. “I’m sorry, Hank. I just—”

“Forget it,” said Hank. His wife, Cecilia Reyes-McCoy, was currently suffering from cancer herself. He sucked up his composure quickly. “Anyway, back on topic. I have someone in mind I’d like you to approach.”

Detention Center

Rogue stood before the glass that kept the X-Men’s other prisoner in her cell. Her hands rested on her hips and she didn’t look pleased at all to set her sights on the indigo-skinned woman who stood on the other side of the glass.

“You wanted to see me?”

Raven Darkholme, the terrorist called Mystique, laid her hand on the glass. “Last time you were down here, you told me that you spent the past few months cleaning up my mess. I just wanted to tell you…it’s not my fault.”

Rogue huffed. “If all yah gonna do is talk about that damn tumor, save it. Ah’m in no mood.”

She turned to leave but then Mystique called after her. “Anna wait, there’s something else.”

“This better be good.”

Mystique sighed. “I hope you realize by doing this, I’m betraying the confidence of someone I loved very deeply.”

“What’s that?” asked Rogue.

“She called them the Libri Veritatum.”

“Who did?” asked Rogue.

“In English, it translates to the Books of Destiny,” said Mystique.

“Irene…” muttered Rogue. Irene Adler had been a precognitive mutant called Destiny, and it was her and Mystique who essentially raised Rogue from adolescence.

“She kept journals of her visions,” said Mystique. “But I don’t know what’s become of them.”

“Bull,” said Rogue. “Yer tryin’ t’ buy more time, Raven. Irene wasn’t no fool. She would’ve known how dangerous those books would be. She would’ve destroyed ‘em or given ‘em to someone who could do something with ‘em.”

“Maybe she already has?” asked Mystique.

Rogue shook  her head as she walked from the door. Mystique could still hear her words lingering in the air: “Ah dunno why I even bother comin’ down here. Quit wastin’ my time.”

The Z’Noxx Chamber

Cassandra was drawn from her internal voice when she suddenly detected a new mental signature in the Chamber. Kitty Pryde emerged through the wall, phasing into the chamber. In her hands, she held a strange-looking helmet.

“We’re transferring you.” Kitty threw the helmet at Cassandra, knocking the wind out of the older woman when she caught it. “Put this on like a good little genocidal maniac.”

Cassandra examined the helmet. “I see I’m still not trusted terribly much.”

Kitty crossed her arms. “Don’t even try to act offended by that. If it were up to me, we’d seal this chamber up and let you die slow.”

Cassandra slid the helmet over her bald head. “You have quite a lot of animosity towards a woman you’ve never personally dealt with, Kitty.”

“You’re the reason Logan and the Professor are dead,” said Kitty. “My animosity towards you is extremely justified.”

Cassandra hung her head. “I’m so—”

Kitty almost threw a punch as she got right into Cassandra’s face. “I swear to god, Nova, if you apologize, I’ll phase my hand into your chest and squeeze your heart until it bursts!”

“Just listen, please. I don’t want to fight,” said Cassandra, stepping back a few paces. “There’s a lot about what I did that you don’t understand. That perhaps you can never understand. I wasn’t…in control of my actions.”

“Here’s a newsflash—no one cares why you did all those horrible things. We don’t want an explanation,” said Kitty. “We just want you gone.”

“Very well,” said Cassandra. The helmet slipped into place and the light indicators showed it was locked down and working properly. “Now you finally have your chance.”

Black Womb

Adam Harkins adjusted his glasses as he read over the data on the computer monitor. He spent most of his adult life working as a lab assistant to Amanda Mueller and once she was killed, he naturally assumed he would be next in line. Unfortunately, Mueller’s daughter, Gloria, was appointed the Director of Black Womb.

Her own untimely death is what ultimately let Harkins slip into the role. And though he played no part in Gloria’s demise, he had been planning it. The X-Corps agent called Fantomex saved him the trouble of covering anything up, fortunately.

Since he had taken command, he’d been burning the candle at both ends, working long hours after the rest of the staff had retreated for the night. Some days, he was still here when they arrived the following morning and subsisted mostly on coffee and snacks from the vending machine.

“Sir?”

Harkins swiveled around in his chair and lowered his glasses, facing the subordinate who addressed him. “Just as you requested, we’ve been monitoring the Xavier Institute for departures, scanning the crafts whenever they leave.”

“And…?”

“And we believe they’re now transporting her,” said the subordinate.

Harkins smiled. This was what he had desired—what both Amanda and Gloria desired before their deaths. The means for Black Womb to finally throw off the shackles of Weapon Plus.

“You’re sure she’s onboard?” he asked.

“Nova’s unique genetic signature was detected.”

“Perfect,” said Harkins.

“Should we ready the Slipskulls?”

“Yes,” said Harkins. “But not alone. We can’t risk Nova slipping through our fingers again. Send the Predator X along with them.”

The subordinate appeared surprised. “But sir…the Predator X is still undergoing testing. We’re not sure if its even ready for the field—”

“Just do as I say!” snapped Harkins. “I’m not taking any chances with Nova this time. The Predator X may be our best hope of capturing her.”

Shadowcat sat behind the controls of the modified Blackbird jet, rocketing through the clouds at supersonic speeds. Rogue was in the co-pilot’s seat but neither woman said a word to each other or the rest of the team. Both had too much on their mind.

The X-Men’s field leader—Sean Cassidy, the Banshee—sat behind the two. By his side was Peter Rasputin, called Colossus. And behind him was his younger sister, Illyana, known as Magik.

She shifted in her seat impatiently. “I could have transported us to Muir Isle in a flash. No need to waste the resources. What’s McCoy thinking?”

“What it boils down t’ is transporting one of the world’s most powerful mutants through a dimension populated by evils the saints never conjured is too much of a risk,” said Sean. What he didn’t tell Illyana or the rest of the team was that he and Hank had discussed suspicions about the recently-resurrected girl. There was a lot they didn’t know about this mysterious Wonderland and Illyana’s own behavior of late seemed somewhat erratic. He glanced over his shoulder at Cassandra shackled in the rear of the cabin and muttered, “Sure’n I’ll be glad when this is over.”

Peter nodded in agreement. He mostly kept silent about the mission, much like Kitty and Rogue. Unlike them, Colossus and Banshee had both had their minds violated by Cassandra during her assault. For them, that made their hatred of Nova even more personal.

The warning sensors in the plane went off as the jet rocked unexpectedly. The heads-up display superimposed over the windshield displayed a damage reading.

“What in the blazes was that?” asked Sean.

“Whatever it is, it just took one of our engines with it!” said Kitty. “We’ve sustained some heavy damage!”

“Can you keep us in the air?” asked Sean.

Kitty shook her head. “Don’t think so! Everyone assume crash positions! I’m going to attempt a water landing!”

Illyana closed her eyes and bright, glowing discs appeared over each of the passengers. The stepping discs engulfed each of them and they reappeared on solid ground, watching as the Blackbird crashed into the sea.

“I told you we should have just teleported,” said Magik.

“Everyone still alive?” asked Rogue.

A growl came from nearby. The Slipskulls advanced on the group of X-Men. But at the fore of the pack was a creature made of metal, with a large, gaping mouth lined with razor-sharp fangs. The creature roared loudly as it advanced on them, blood dripping from its jaws.

“Not for long,” said Cassandra upon laying eyes on the Predator X.

To Be Continued…