SPRING BREAK

Part II: Rematch

By Kimberly Leigh and Tony Thornley

It was early morning in St. Louis. The city was home to one of the more notable mutants on Earth, Everett Thomas. Also known as Synch, Everett is a former superhero with the ability to utilize other mutant’s powers on a limited basis. Everett used that power for the first time in months the previous night, fighting the mercenary Martyr. That threat dispatched, Everett and his Generation X teammates faced a new threat, but one they had faced before: Fatale and her New Hellions!

Everett glared at Fatale. This was the woman who had brainwashed his love, Gaia. This was the woman who had forced him to kill Gaia. This was the woman that would die that day.

Jubilation Lee had never seen such a look of hatred on her best friend’s face. But right then, she could see into Ev’s soul. And she could see Everett’s rage. Fatale stood no chance against Synch.

Clarice Ferguson had only been with Generation X for a short time. But in that time, she had learned that she had a destiny as a hero. Blink decided that her former allies, the New Hellions, were not going to screw that up. She drew the retractable staff that she had started to use from her pocket, and extended it.

Cordelia Frost was trying to keep from wetting herself. The Hellions had orders to kill her. Generation X wasn’t going to stop them. Cordy just hoped that the Hellions’ employer, the mysterious new White Queen, was far, far away.

The two groups circled each other for an instant, and then clashed in combat.

Yes. Monet had said yes.

And now she was strapped upon a table in a dark laboratory, still wondering whether or not she’d done the right thing. Mr. Sinister was briskly securing the straps and checking the numerous monitors surrounding her.

“Excellent. We’re ready for the blood transfusion,” the shape-shifting scientist said in a pleasant voice. It sent shivers up Monet’s spine.

“Just one problem. I’m still invulnerable.” Monet tried to sound confident, but it was hard to do so when, due to a power-dampening collar, she’d lost all her powers except invulnerability.

“Patience, Miss Saint Croix. As I was about to say, there is more to your powers than anyone’s ever imagined. Even your little sisters don’t realize that you’re infinitely more powerful than them.”

“How? They have the same powers as me, and they can merge together. I can’t do that.”

“Ah, but their parlor tricks pale in comparison to your power. The X-factor that resides deep within your DNA doesn’t give you flight, telepathy, or even near-invincibility. Instead, it gives you the power to… choose.”

“Choose what? I don’t understand.” Monet began to wonder if Mr. Sinister truly was mad.

“Choose whatever you want. Imagine! Any power you can concieve of, it’s yours. Weather manipulation, precognition, time-travel, energy blasts…”

“If my powers were like that, I would’ve found out long ago.”

“Sadly, that is untrue. When you were transformed into Penance by Emplate,” Monet winced at the mention of her brother, “your twin sisters merged together and masqueraded as you. Merged so, the twins have flight, superhuman strength – the powers you currently have. When you were returned to your true body, you simply accepted the twins’ version of you as the true one.”

“I don’t understand!” Monet yelled in frustration. “How do you know all this about me anyway?”

Mr. Sinister smiled mysteriously. “I make it my business to know things. To make it simple, you believe that you have the powers of flight, enhanced strength and speed, invulnerability, telepathy, and night vision because they’re what your sisters exhibited when they masqueraded as you. In reality, those powers are their powers, not yours.”

“So my real power, according to you, is…”

“The ability to gain any power simply by believing you have it.” Monet was silent as the realization hit her. If Mr. Sinister was telling the truth, then she could outfit herself with more powers than Everett could ever hope to synch up with. She could be more powerful than all the X-Men combined. She could be a demigod. “But, like all good things, this power of yours also is a double-edged sword. By NOT believing in a power, you can lose it.”

Monet finally understood what the scientist wanted. “So you want me to stop believing that I’m invulnerable?”

Mr. Sinister’s purple-blue lips curled into a cold smile. “Precisely.”

Monet closed her eyes. He was asking too much from her! She couldn’t just give up the one thing that’d shielded her from the outside world her entire adolesence. When she was Penance, her razor-sharp skin had assured that no one would touch her. After being returned to her real body, Monet had been thankful that her invulnerability still kept a distance between her and everyone else. Now to give that up, even for a few minutes…

But then she opened her eyes and looked at the cocoon above her. Inside, almost hidden by flickering nuclear activity was her comatose boyfriend, Alexander Roberts. He was dying. Mr. Sinister would save him only if she gave up her blood. Monet sighed. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?” Mr. Sinister merely shrugged. He already had the syringe ready in his hand.

Monet closed her eyes again and began to believe. She wasn’t invincible. She couldn’t shrug off bullets or walk away from explosions. She was just a mortal. Merely human…

She felt the needle pierce her skin.

Angelo Espinosa awoke in bed next to Paige Guthrie. Angelo instantly thought that he and Paige had consecrated their relationship the previous night. He tried to recall the previous night, and then heaved a sigh of relief.

They had fallen asleep while talking. Nothing had happened. At least, nothing that either of them would regret later on down the road. Angelo turned over to face Paige. Her eyes fluttered open. When she saw Angelo, she turned white.

“Ange,” she said, “what are you doing here? Did we…?”

“No chica,” Skin smiled, “we didn’t. I’m pretty sure we fell asleep while we were talking.”

“Thank goodness!” Paige sighed. “Oh, sorry, no offense to you.”

“None taken,” Angelo said, “I think we were talking about whether or not, we ever should, you know… when we fell asleep.”

“Yeah, Ah remember now,” Paige muttered.

“And I’ve decided I want to save myself for marriage,” he said. “Maybe to you. Maybe to someone else. But I’m saving myself.”

“Agreed!” Paige stuck her hand out, and the two shook.

Sean Cassidy sat at the computer monitors much like he had the day before. He had the same soda next to the monitors. He had the same radio station in the background. The only difference was that he wasn’t watching his students Skin and Husk discussing their relationship on the lawn.

Today was very different though, for Banshee had a relationship to think about beyond that of his students. His own, with the headmistress Emma Frost. The previous night after a movie, the two had shared a passionate kiss. Sean didn’t push away like he expected he would, but rather, he savored the kiss.

Emma’s lips tasted like… a kiss. Something Sean Cassidy hadn’t shared with anyone besides Moira MacTaggert for a long, long time. Sean took a sip of his soda. He suddenly spit it out.

Moira! What would she think of Banshee’s new relationship? Would she approve? Would she gut him for being unfaithful? What was Emma thinking last night? Bloody hell, woman!

Sean felt Emma enter the room and tried to cast any thoughts of Moira out of his mind. He thought he was successful until Emma was at his side.

“You know what I think you should do about Moira?” Emma said.

Sean cursed to himself. “What?”

“Dump her,” Emma said. “You two have been going nowhere for ages. You either need to dump her or…” Emma trailed off.

“Or what?”

“Nothing,” Emma said, suddenly white. Sean realized what she meant, though.

“Or propose,” Sean said. “That’s what ye were going to say, wasn’t it? Well, Emma, let’s give it a little time. After all, Moira and I aren’t exclusive. I can date other women. I hope.”

“Okay then, Cassidy,” Emma said. “Lunch, today, my office. You bring the food. I’ll bring everything else.” Sean nodded, and Emma left.

Sean had things other than lunch on his mind though. First he called Charles to see where Moira had gone since she left Muir Island. Then, he called a jeweler in Snow Valley.

“Hello,” Sean said, “Diamonds Are Forever? This is Sean Cassidy, I’d like t’see some of yer engagement rings. Yes, this morning.”

Jonothon Starsmore was having a killer headache.

He slowly opened one eye. Every part of his body felt bruised. His blurry sight registered that he was in an empty white room. Jonothon opened his other eye and saw that the rest of the room was equally white and empty. Except for a small computer and the red-haired girl standing next to it.

Wait. She was in a wheelchair. Jonothon squinted, and his eyes painfully came back into focus. The girl was dressed completely in black and studying the monitor intently. Her hair was different – it was cropped to her jaw and streaked with a clashing shade of pink – but Jonothon would’ve known her anywhere. She was Gayle Edgerton.

Immediately, the memories of his recent abduction came flooding back into Jonothon’s frazzled mind. {Gayle!} He reached out towards her, but was immediately shocked back.

Gayle finally noticed that he was awake. “I wouldn’t do that again if I were you. The force field packs a nasty electrical charge.”

{W… where am I?}

“In the London headquarters and laboratories of Essex.” Gayle gave the monitor one last look and floated – Jono realized that her wheelchair in reality was a hoverchair – over to her prisoner. “You know him better as Mr. Sinister. Oh, and don’t even try to blast the force field away,” Gayle added as Jonothon reached up for his bandages, “It’s also a power-neutralizer. All you have now is your telepathy.”

{Wha… what do you want with me?} Jonothon felt as if he was having the hangover to end all hangovers. He dimly realized that it was probably a side effect of the power amplifier that Gayle’d knocked him out with.

“To be honest, you’ve already served your purpose.” Gayle held up a vial holding some mysterious fluid. “This was taken from you while you were out. It’s your brain fluids.” Jonothon stared at the vial with revulsion and interest. “But we still have some things to talk about.”

{Yeah.} Jonothon’s head was beginning to clear. {Namely, why you’re working for Sinister.}

“He says he can, with your and Monet’s DNA, help me walk again. So I’m working for him.”

{Monet’s here, too?}

“Oh, I’ve said too much,” Gayle said in an unconcerned voice. “Now I have to kill you. Really, I was planning to kill you all along anyway. It doesn’t begin to equal what you did to me, but I’ll take it.”

{You know it was an accident, Gayle. Bloody hell, the last time we ran into each other, we parted on good terms. What happened?}

“I changed.” Gayle’s voice took on a bitter edge, “When we made up, I was still addled from my transformation by Emplate and didn’t think about what it was like to be stuck in a wheelchair. But weeks and months went by and it became a prison. A cage I couldn’t escape. After a year, if it would’ve given back to me use of my legs, I would’ve killed my own mother without a single regret. Fortunately, Mr. Sinister came along.”

{Don’t you know what Sinister is like? You’re selling your soul to the devil!}

Gayle’s eyes were harder than steel. “Remember Emplate? I’ve already sold my soul to another devil.”

Jonothon was speechless. Just then, Mr. Sinister entered. “I see you two have gotten reacquainted.”

Gayle turned towards her master eagerly. “Where’s Monet’s blood?”

“Patience, my child.” Mr. Sinister unearthed from his metal-banded outfit a crimson canister and took from Gayle the vial holding Jonothon’s brain fluids. “The transfusion procedure must be precise down to the last drop.”

The scientist glided over to one empty corner of the vaulted room, which wasn’t empty anymore as the floor opened up and a strange contraption rose up out of it. Mr. Sinister went to one side of the machine and fiddled with some buttons. A small door slid open in the middle of the chamber and as he slipped the two vials in their respective slots, he gestured for Gayle to enter. She, looking like a child on Christmas morning, floated up to the entrance.

{Gayle, don’t!} Jonothon tried one final desperate plea. {You don’t know what you’re doing.}

Gayle paused just enough to look back at her old boyfriend. An inscrutable smile flickered across her face. Then she turned and disappeared into the gloom of the machine’s innards. The door clanged shut, sealing her in.

Jonothon wondered what kind of monster Mr. Sinister would create.

Synch faced Fatale, dodging her blades, trying to figure out which of the nearby mutants would be the best to sync up with. Everett remembered the first time he had Jubilee had been in St. Louis together. Everett had just discovered he was a mutant, and that he was being hunted by the Phalanx; Emma showed him how to access Jubilee’s powers and detonate matter on a molecular level. Ev decided to use that power.

“Fatale,” Synch said, summoning a large plasma blast, “you have no idea how bad I’ve wanted to beat the hell out of you. Now it’s time for you to get yours.” He blasted again, then came in closer for a roundhouse kick. Ev’s kick drew blood from her cheek, but Fatale was unfazed, following Synch’s attack with a slash across his gut. If Everett hadn’t been wearing his Generation X uniform underneath his clothes, the cut would have spilled his intestines.

“Come on, junior X-Man,” Fatale taunted, “have the revenge that I know you’ve dreamed of. Kill me. For your beloved Gaia!”

Fatale’s words were like salt in an open wound. Synch felt incredible guilt, which ignited incredible rage. Everett Thomas reached out with Jubilee’s powers and detonated the oxygen molecules all around Fatale. The woman screamed in pain.

Jubilee faced off against two of the New Hellions, Murmur and Bulwark. Jubilee recalled that Murmur was a teleporter, so no problem there, but Bulwark’s power was super-strength. That would present a problem. Jubilee fired a round of fireworks at Murmur’s head. He doubled over in pain, enabling Jubilee to use the bandaged boy as a springbar to attack Bulwark. Bulwark caught Jubilee’s leg in the middle of her flying kick and flung her to the ground mercilessly.

Jubilee rolled away as Bulwark stomped the ground where her head was. Jubilee propped herself up on one hand, and used her newfound leverage to sweep Bulwark’s feet out from under him. Jubilee jumped to her feet and was immediately grabbed by Murmur in a clothesline.

“Not smart, mummy-boy!” Jubilee cracked as she brought her heel up into his crotch. Murmur wailed in pain for the second time in under a minute.

Blink stared down the vaporous Vincente. He hadn’t been to much of an enemy after Blink had figured out the best strategy to use against him. She surrounded him with displacement portals, meaning whenever he tried to rush her, he found himself back where he started. Blink smiled to herself, until she felt an energy blast from behind her.

“Refrax!” Blink cried, turning to face the Cyclops wannabe. The boy had just placed his sunglasses back on the tip of his nose.

“You GenXers never quit, do you?” he said. “We come after Cordelia, like the White Queen orders, and we encounter you!”

“Hey, your boss is the one who hired the Martyr to come after Synch!” Blink retorted.

“Who?!” Refrax replied.

Cordelia matched the Hellion known as Buff blow for blow. Although Cordy didn’t know exactly what her powers were, she did know that her strength was enhanced. And at that moment, that knowledge was saving her life.

“The White Queen wants you dead, Frost!” Buff growled. “And I’m not one to disobey orders.”

“In your wildest dreams, lady!” Cordy retorted, punching Buff viciously in the stomach. “I don’t die for nobody, no matter how scared I am!” Buff swung blindly, still doubled over from Cordelia’s punch.

“I’m sorry I have to do this Buff, but you asked for it!” With that, Cordelia brought her elbow down at the base of Buff’s skull, knocking her unconscious. In that one move, the tide of the battle was turned.

“But you promised!”

“Uhh…” Monet’s eyes flickered open. Mr. Sinister had taken a good amount of blood from her, and now she felt light-headed. She had no idea how much time had passed. One hour? One day? Monet scanned the room, trying to figure out the source of the voice. She saw that she still was strapped in, and that Alexander was still cold out in his force field cocoon. But Monet noticed with some relief that her boyfriend’s radioactive activity had ceased; before Mr. Sinister left the room with her blood, he’d put the cocoon on ‘stasis’ mode. Whatever that was.

The petulant girl’s voice cried again, “You lied to me! You promised that I would walk again!”

Another voice responded. Mr. Sinister’s. “I never did such a thing. I merely said that it was possible that Monet and Chamber’s DNA would reconfigure your genetic code in such a way that you might regain use of your legs. You know as well as me that genetics is a tricky study, and your case only makes it worse. Be grateful that their DNA did what they did.”

So Mr. Sinister had given Monet’s blood to someone else. And he’d mentioned Jonothon. Monet wondered uneasily just what their blood had done to that girl, whoever she was.

Mr. Sinister and his companion at last entered the room. A puzzle piece slowly fell into place inside Monet’s head. “I’ve seen you before…”

The redhead paused in her argument with Mr. Sinister to shoot an angry glance at Monet. “Yeah, I was with Emplate at the time. Gayle Edgerton.”

“But… you were in a wheelchair. Now you’re… walking.”

Mr. Sinister looked at Gayle meaningfully. “See? Even she is deceived.”

“I don’t care!” Gayle stamped her foot, denting the solid steel floor underneath. Monet didn’t remember her being so strong before. “I don’t want some stupid tele-whatever-”

“Telekinetic.”

“Telekinetic armor and telepathy. I want to walk for real!” Monet noticed something that she hadn’t before: Gayle’s entire body except her head was covered in some translucent material. Wherever the thin armor caught the light, it glinted a prism-like purple.

“Fruitless desires. You’re walking just fine by supporting yourself in your telekinetic armor. Isn’t that enough?”

“Still-”

“SILENCE!” Mr. Sinister roared. Gayle shrank from his wrath. “Do not anger me, you worthless maggot. You should thank whatever god you believe in that I bothered to help you at all. Now shut up before I change my mind and crush you underneath my heel like the insignificant insect you are.”

Gayle dumbly nodded. With a final snort of rage, Mr. Sinister turned his back on her. “Bring in Chamber. And do it quickly!” Gayle flew from the room at breakneck speed.

Monet looked at Mr. Sinister in confusion. Everything still was so fuzzy. “She can’t fly.”

“Correction: she couldn’t. But, thanks to your’s and Chamber’s DNA, Gayle now is an Alpha-level mutant. Once she accepts her situation, she should make a nice addition to the Marauders.”

“Alexander… is he fine now?”

“Of course not. I only said I could halt his deteoriation.”

A sickening sensation spread throughout Monet. “You tricked me.”

“Naturally,” Mr. Sinister smiled maliciously, “You didn’t really think I would let such fascinating specimens such as you and your friends slip through my fingers, did you?”

“Release me now. Right this instant!” Monet strained against her bonds uselessly.

Mr. Sinister threw back his head and laughed. “I’m the only one who does the ordering around here. And I say you, Nuclear, Chamber, and your little sisters will be my test subjects for as long as you live. Which, considering the experiments I’ve got planned for you, might not be too long.”

In Snow Valley, Husk and Skin were completely oblivious to the fact that one group of their teammates was battling for their lives, and the other had been captured by one of the X-Men’s deadliest foes. All that mattered to them was lunch.

Angelo sat munching on leftover Chinese food, which Paige claimed was spoiled, but Angelo claimed had been greenish in color when they first got it. Paige had a box of Italian leftovers that Jubilee had stupidly left in the fridge, which meant it was fair game. Angelo sat down his carton and walked over to Paige.

“Can I have a drink of your soda?” he asked, pointing to the cola on the table.

“Sure,” Paige said. Angelo said a quick thanks and then reached for the can of soda. Doing so, his outstretched plam brushed up against Paige’s breast. Paige gasped, but Angelo noticed nothing.

“What’s wrong chica?” he said, taking a gulp of the soda.

“You just fondled me!” Paige exclaimed.

“Huh?!”

Paige turned around and slapped him. “You know full well! You used reaching for mah soda as an excuse to grab mah breasts!”

“What the fetch are you talking about, amiga?”

“Don’t you dare ask me Angelo!” Paige said. “We came to an understanding about our relationship last night. Ah thought we meant no contact that would lead to something we’d regret! You just ruined it for yourself!” Paige stormed off to her room.

Alone in the kitchen, Angelo took another swig of cola. “Geez, I just wanted a drink,” he muttered, tears welling up in his eyes.

Sean looked at the ring in the display case. “That one,” he said, pointing. The jeweler pulled it out and held it out to Sean.

“Lovely choice,” the jeweler said. “A perfect engagement ring.”

“How much?” Sean asked. The jeweler named a figure. “Ouch. I’ll take it. How soon can ye have it ready?”

“Well, if you have the lady’s ring size…” Sean told the man Moira’s finger size.

“Ah, yes, expect it this afternoon.”

“Good.” Sean left, and got into his waiting Jeep. Emma wouldn’t like this. He got to the school. Paige and Angelo were nowhere to be found, but Emma was in her office.

“Hello Sean,” she said, her back to him.

“Emma,” Sean said. “I need to tell ye something. It’s not going t’ happen between us. I love Moira. It’s not that I don’t have feelings for you. It’s just that…” Sean trailed off for an instant. “I love her. And I just bought an engagement ring.”

“What?!” Emma said, spinning aroung to face him. “You bought a ring?!”

“Yes, Emma,” Sean said. Emma got up and walked over to him. For an instant, Sean thought she was going to slap him, but she wrapped her arms around him.

“That’s fantastic!” Emma said, tears welling up in her eyes. “Go call Moira. Get a date with her. Propose, blast it!”

“Whoa lass!” Sean said. “That’s not the reaction I expected!”

“Well, it’s the reaction you got!” Emma retorted. “Go get on the phone you stupid Irishman!”

“Yes ma’am!”

Blink regarded Refrax. “What do you mean ‘who’?” she asked. “Martyr’s the guy Fatale sent after Everett. She’s the only one who knew about Gaia beyond Generation X.”

“I mean that, we didn’t hire him,” Refrax said. “You must have problems, girl.”

“Oh, go play with yourself!” Blink said, using her bo staff to vault over Refrax’s head. He spun around, but was too slow. Clarice slammed her staff into the small of Refrax’s back, knocking him to the ground. He tried sweeping Blink’s feet from under her, but Clarice lept over the clumsy kick and brought the butt of her staff down on his head, right behind the ear. Refrax slumped to the ground unconscious.

Jubilee was wearing down. Murmur had recovered quickly from her kick, but that hadn’t stopped Bulwark. The other Hellion had nearly beaten Jubilee until help came in the form of Cordelia Frost. Bulwark was staggered by a blast of telekinetic energy.

“Why don’t you take on someone in your own class?” Cordy bellowed. She rushed Bulwark, and the two started into it. Jubilee turned to the bandaged mutant.

“Heya mummy-boy,” Jubilee said. “Want some?”

Fatale tried to recover her breath from the massive explosion Synch had caused around her. Everett stood ready. He approached her, fists held in a boxing stance.

“This is for Generation X,” Everett said, punching Fatale with a powerful hook. “This is for Jubilee.” He gut-punched Fatale. “This is for Clarice.” He uppercutted her. “This is for Gaia.” He kicked her with a high roundhouse. “And this…” Everett synched Clarice, and summoned her displacement powers. “This is for me!” Everett displaced Fatale, throwing her across the street. Synch teleported to her side.

“Any questions?”

“Yes,” Fatale said, “you prepared to die?” With that, Fatale pulled a gun and emptied the clip on Everett’s chest.

Sean picked up the phone and dialed the number for the hotel Moira was staying at in New York.

“Hello?” came her voice.

“Moira?” Sean said. “It’s me. Listen, can we get together tonight? I have something really important t’ talk t’ ye about.”

NEXT ISSUE: The double-sized conclusion to Spring Break! Sean and Moira meet, with unexpected results! Angelo tries to mend his broken relationship! Chamber, Monet, and Nuclear face the Marauders! And did Synch survive Fatale’s attack? Be back for it all in thirty!