IN THE DARK

By Ryan Krupienski and Rob Ballard

Jean paused a moment before she started typing away on the white screen headlined with a flashing indicator that signaled ‘journal entry mode’. She bit her lip in thought, then her slender fingers moved deftly across the keyboard.

It’s nice to have some positive things to finally focus on, if for no other reason than to provide me a welcome distraction.

Hank and Cecilia have continued to grow closer and closer. Those two are almost sickeningly cute, although admittedly we can’t get enough of them. Their vibrance and positive outlook is very contagious. It seems like that when those two step into the room, their cheerfulness just pushes all the negativity out. Hank is happy-go-lucky to begin with, but Cecilia seems to bring that part of him out even more.

Speaking of Cecilia, she’s had good fortune on more than just the personal front. She’s almost bubbling with anticipation over her new tenure over at St. Stephens Hospital, working in their ICU. It wasn’t her first choice, but work is work. With her kind of talent, I’m sure they’ll realize what a diamond they’ve uncovered in no time.

I was sad to see Alison leaving us once again, but it’s for the best. God knows I’ve wrestled with leaving many times before and I can honestly say that leaving the X-Men is one of the toughest decisions anyone can make. I know she didn’t do it lightly. She’s reminded us, like many of the others have, that if we ever have dire need, that she’d come running as fast as she could. But, a simple phone call to say “hello,” and not for duty, would also be welcome, too! I suppose our former X-Men have come to dread that ring of the telephone. All too often it means another opportunity to risk our lives.

It was a little surprising to me that Warren left with her. Scratch that. A lot surprising. As in, it totally caught me off guard. I mean, it’s not that it bothers me, it just seems kind of – I don’t know – sudden and impulsive. Alison recently lost Longshot; Warren recently lost the company near and dear to his heart and Besty, whom I figured would be the love of his life.

Impulsive doesn’t bother me – hell, my whole life seems to be about acting on impulse and following my gut instinct. But I can’t help shake the feeling that the two are leaning on each other in a “rebound” sort of way. I’m thinking they might be getting involved. There, I said it, okay? I just hope they don’t get involved for the wrong reasons.

Ah, who am I to be worried about them? I should be happy for them, if that’s what they want. Maybe I’m channeling some sort of jealousy about their newfound happiness to my “quickly getting old” unhappiness.

My unhappiness. Is it something of my own creation? I don’t know. I’m frustrated. I’m tired of trying. Scott continues to slump into his own obsession – revenge against Omega Red. That seems to be his all-consuming desire right now. It’s an unhealthy obsession which is eating him alive. He hardly ever talks anymore, and when he does, you can be sure those two words will come out of his mouth. We could be talking about buying a new car, or where to take our next vacation, and he’d find a way to work him into the conversation.

Dammit, I’m angry too, but I know that obsessing over it isn’t going to help anything. It’s gotten so bad that I’ve been in touch with Doc Samson about it. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot he can do if Scott doesn’t want to help himself. And I don’t dare go back to Scott and suggest that he see a psychiatrist about it. He’d flip. Scott, our immortal leader, is immune to such problems. Ha. Whatever. I wish I could read him like I used to. Even though everyone – including my own conscience – insists that it’s not my fault and there’s nothing I can do, I’m still looking for new avenues to try. A few of my friends have even suggested that it’s time to get on with my own life. I’m not ready to give up on him – or us – just yet.

Through it all, Chris continues to be the surprise beacon of support. I’d like to think that I’ve gently and subtly convinced him that… I’m not interested in a romantic relationship, but I’m very greatful for his friendship. It’s a touchy issue, and I really don’t want to embarrass the poor boy. Once I allowed myself to really explore what he was feeling, I realized that our goals weren’t exactly… compatible, shall we say. How’s that for a double entendre? Anyway, I certainly don’t need even more complications, and it’s not good for me to become too dependant on him. No matter how cute and caring he is…

Jean wrapped up the entry with a few more keystrokes, then locked the program, and powered down the computer. With a wave of her hand, the lights in the room dimmed and went out, and she rolled over to sleep. Alone.

The man at the podium exuded leadership and confidence. He knew it, his friends knew it, and perhaps most importantly, his enemies knew it. He didn’t have to hope that they were paying attention. He knew they were.

Most of the several hundred people standing before him were allies. For those who weren’t, there was an extensive security screening process that included special checks for ‘Homo superior’, as they were referred to by the academic community. More commonly known as mutants, and sometimes more pejoratively as genejokes and freaks, this group of supporters largely had no love lost for the species in general.

Graydon Creed wasn’t surprised that when he began speaking, the others became quiet. Their excited buzz quickly silenced. Long ago, when that had happened, Graydon found it a touch distracting. Now, he expected it. Anything less he would consider to be downright rude. “I’d like to thank everyone here for coming out today. You all have done excellent work,” he began, with a smile, and his eyes casually scanning the crowd. His statements were met with a handful of cheers from the more enthusiastic attendees. “With your help – and I mean each and every one of you here – we’ve been able to capture more than two hundred mutants!” This bit of information was recieved with a roar of applause, cheers, and two-fingered whistling, which drowned out the meeting hall for nearly half a minute. Although on the ouside he a bit more reserved about it, Creed was every bit as thrilled as they were inside.

“You’ve all pledged yourselves to this cause,” he continued, “and I can’t tell you how proud of you I am. You have done your country proud, ridding humanity of the mutant menace which continues to plague society. But…” They began to cheer and clap once again, but Creed held up his hand. “…But our work isn’t over yet. We have a long road ahead of us.” The change in mood evident in Creed’s voice seemed to instantly permeate over the crowd. A few barely audible grunts of agreement came from the crowd.

“Ridding society of the mutant menace is going to happen, and we’re going to accomplish it, one step at a time. It’s not going to be easy, and it will require your continued commitment to the cause.”

He cleared his throat and proceeded, “In the short term, we are in the process of finalizing our plans to capture two of the most wanted mutant criminals of our society – Mystique and Sabretooth.” Creed paused a moment to let that sink in, then continued. “We’re not going to stop there, however. In the longer term, we will bring down Magneto, and his followers, the Acolytes.” Several of them gasped when they heard this, many doubting if that was even possible. “We must set our goals high, my friends. And finally, we’ll be looking at putting an end to the reign of the X-Men!”

Again, a pause for effect met my rousing applause and cheering. “Yes! We are, indeed, very close to uncovering the location of their headquarters. When that happens, your role will begin anew. We need volunteers now who wish to give the ultimate sacrifice for their country by allowing themselves to become part of the Prime Sentinel Corps. Are you up to that kind of challenge?” The yelling and cheering certainly seemed to indicate they were.

“Good, because when we’re done with that mission – we’re going to embark on our biggest project yet. It won’t happen today, or tomorrow, but make no mistake – it will happen. What am I talking about? My friends, I’m referring to the destruction of the world’s biggest zoo – the island nation that many mutants call ‘home’. I’m talking about – Genosha!” At this, the loudest roar of cheers yet erupted from the crowd.

Adam peered into the room, watching the dark-haired leader of the X-Men angrily tossing his clothes into a duffle bag. He half considered asking Scott Summers where he was going. After all, he was their leader and the team had a right to know what was up with him. On the other hand, Scott as an individual had a right to privacy as well. As Adam caught a glance of the snarl on Scott’s face, directed towards no one in particular, he thought better of interrupting him.

That didn’t mean that there wasn’t anything he could do. Scott looked furious, bordering on irrational, and that was a problem. Not only for himself, but for the whole team, which could be put in jeopardy as a result. He doubted that the long-heralded leader of the X-Men would allow it to get to that point. On the other hand, Adam was well aware of the stress Scott had been under, recently. Despite everyone’s offers of assistance, Scott continued to brush them off.

‘Maybe the man just needs to be alone for a while?’ he asked himself. This thought was quickly shelved as he continued to watch Scott pack. Adam watched in shock as the last item was packed: a small complex device that seemed to contain tracking hardware. ‘Son of a – he’s actually going to do it!’

Seeing Scott packthe mini-Cerebro unit was all the confirmation he needed. “He’s going to hunt down Omega Red,” Adam whispered the confirmation to himself. He quickly but silently ducked back around the corner and whisked himself casually down the hall to avoid being noticed by Scott, or anyone else.

He knew he didn’t have a moment to spare. If he was going to do something, he’d better figure it out, and fast.

Adam finished off the note with a hastily scrawled penstroke of his name. He gave the letter a once-over to make sure he hadn’t said too much. “It’ll have to do,” he said, wondering if it was even legible. “After all, it’s the thought that counts.”

He sealed the note in an envelope, scrawled a name on it, and left it on the mahogany desk in the bedroom. He’d rather do this in person, but there wasn’t any time. He guessed Scott was going to be on his way any moment now. On top of that, he didn’t want to run the risk of someone talking him out of it.

No sooner had Adam left the room than Marrow, whistling mischievously, waltzed into the room as though it were her own. “Hmmm, what’s this? A note? For me? Why, Adam, you shouldn’t have!” Marow picked up the freshly sealed envelope marked ‘Alex’, tore it open, and cleared her throat as she pretended to adjust an imaginary microphone in front of her. She read the note aloud to no one in particular as though she were giving a speech at a convention.

“Ahem. ‘Dear Alex’,” she said, her voice mocking Adam. “Awww, now isn’t that just so sweet it could make you puke? Anyway… ‘Dear Alex, I’m really worried about Scott. I think he’s preparing to hunt down Omega Red. I’ve decided to follow him and make sure he doesn’t get himself into trouble. I don’t think anyone knows about Scott’s plans – I don’t even think Jean knows. I figure rather than worrying anyone over it, I’ll keep an eye on him. That way if he does get in trouble, I can summon you guys ASAP. Good plan, huh? Anyway, I know how to reach you, bro. Thanks for understanding! Adam X-Treme‘.” Marrow rolled her eyes and sneered as she read his codename.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Adam. So young, and so stupid. You should really stay out of family business that doesn’t concern you. Besides, I suspect Alex doesn’t like being left goodbye notes any more than pretty little Lorna does.” Marrow made it a point to know everyone’s dirty laundry – juicy little tidbits like that are just excellent for antagonizing them later.

With that, she returned to whistling and tore up the note, tossing the little shreds into the garbage pail by the door.

“Out of gas, broken-down piece of shit car, and now we’re stuck in B.F.E. once again,” Jacqueline moaned to herself. It was still audible, but not quite loud enough to really be grating. Cameron wasn’t sure which he preferred, but finally resolved that grumbly mumbly Jacqueline was better than whiney loudmouth Jacqueline.

The four of them continued walking along the highway, waiting for someone kind enough to give them a lift to the nest town. “Look on the bright side,” Peter told her. “You couldn’t ask for a more beautiful day.” He gestured to the sky in a sweeping motion. He was right. It was a crisp late November day, but with hardly a cloud in the sky, it still felt pleasantly and unseasonably warm. The leaves were just past their peak, but the more stubborn trees still held on to their brilliant splash of colors.

Both Cam and Erica marveled at Peter’s positive attitude. ‘Here’s a kid who is being hunted down, and yet he’s still content just to enjoy life and take in the day,’ Cam thought to himself. ‘And you look at Jacqueline, who can’t seem to think about anything but her own comfort, to the point of not even realizing how much danger she’s in.’

Cam was so lost in his own thoughts that he hardly noticed the pickup truck that pulled next to them. “Where to, gang?” the cheerful old man asked.

“We’re trying to get to Westchester,” Erica told him truthfully, deciding she trusted him. “Our car broke down. We have friends there that can help us.”

“Hop in. I can take you to Peekskill, from there you’ll only be about twenty minutes away. I’d take you all the way, but I’ve got to make this delivery by four o’clock.”

“Thanks,” Cam said as the four of them all piled into the back of the truck between a moutain of crates.

“Hey, hey! Take a look at this,” Dani cooed. “Whaddaya think?”

Kwannon’s eyes widened. “Wow! There’s not much you’re going to be hiding behind those scraps of clothing.”

Dani grinned, putting the bikini back on the rack. “Of course not. That’s the point. Hey, if I’m going to be blessed with killer looks, who am I to hide them behind a burlap bag?” With that, they both laughed. Dani took one last look at the swimsuit, mentally waving it off. “Ah, a bit too pricey anyway.” The store owner, who’d seemed eager to help them make another purchase, took a subtle half-step backwards, much like he’d done a half-dozen times in the last thirty minutes.

Kwannon was genuinely shocked at Dani’s miraculous recovery after the brainwashing ordeal. She’d had sessions talking with the experts on mental manipulation, including Doc Samson and Lorna Dane. One of the things everyone had told her was that the sooner that things could get back to normal, the better off she’d be. A little self-indulging never hurt the recovery process, either, Kwannon smiled to herself. There were no immediate crises to attend to, so a day at Liberty House seemed to be the way to do just that.

Dani was about to suggest that they continue charging up their credit cards somewhere else, when she was interrupted by the sounds of fighting outside. When they heard glass shatter, Kwannon and Dani momentarily looked at one another, then jumped into action. The shopping bags they’d been carrying were dropped and they ran outside. “Hold those for us!” Dani yelled to the store owner as they disappeared out the door.

The two of them took a moment to assess the situation. Dani quickly reported to Kwannon her assessment of the situation, more out of habit than anything else. “I see five assailants, they appear to be attacking a boy. I don’t see any other threats.”

“Attacking? They’re beating the hell out of him!” Kwannon yelled as they rushed to the scene. She could see the young boy trying to gain a foothold, his fingers stretching wildly, attempting to grasp whatever he could. It was clear to them what was going on. This was another mutant beating.

At first glance, the attackers appeared human. Kwannon and Moonstar were both well aware that appearances could be deceiving, and even though Moonstar could sense their sentient minds, there was something missing, as well. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there was something wrong.

“You really think we’re gonna let you get away with five on one, do you?” Kwannon jibed, more to get their attention than anything else. Top priority was giving them a new target.

It worked. All five turned to face the two of them. With an angry scowl and a flare of her hand, Moonstar fired off a psychic shock that slammed into three of them, instantly knocking them unconscious. “Now that’s more like it,” Kwannon smirked. The crowd of onlookers seemed to take a collective step back as the three were incapacitated with nary a blow. Dani swore she could hear several whispers of “mutie,” but she paid them no mind. They had more important problems.

The two remaining assailants, a man and a woman, seemed nonplussed. They shrugged, and went right back to beating the boy. “Now I’m getting angry,” Moonstar said, matter-of-factly.

Kwannon grabbed the woman by the shoulder. “Hey! What’s the matter with you?” As the woman spun around, Kwannon saw the slightest flash of red in her eyes. She was sure she hadn’t imagined it. The distraction gave the woman just enough time to land the first blow, and Kwannon was taken aback by its strength. She rubbed her jaw, and shook her head, bringing her back to reality. “You’re not human at all. Not with strength like that!”

The woman sneered, and prepared to strike again. Kwannon wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice, however. She moved lightning fast, bringing a roundhouse kick that slammed into the side of the woman’s head. The blow was hard enough to snap the woman’s neck, knocking her to the ground, met with several gasps from the crowd.

Moonstar wasn’t particularly fond of hand-to-hand combat, preferring to use her mind-weapon, instead. As she readied another psychic blast for the remaining attacker, Kwannon called to her. “They’re not human!”

“What?” Dani yelled back. She turned back to the man, ready to fight. But before she could finish, she heard the man intone, “Mission unsuccessful. Protective auto-shutdown.” The man’s blank-stare, faint-red eyes closed. Dani tilted her head in disbelief. “The hell? Aw, damn!” She felt for a pulse, and found none.

At that moment, a man and a woman came bursting through the crowd. “Now what?” Dani said.

Moonstar and Kwannon both readied for another fight, but it was soon clear that the two newcomers were not here for that. “They’re Prime Sentinels,” Erica told them. “They’ve been hunting us. We have two mutant children with us who need your help.” She gestured toward Peter and Jacqueline, who stood at the edge of the crowd. Jacqueline looked like she’d rather be getting a root canal. Then, more quietly, Erica told them, “We’re looking for Professor Xavier.”

Moonstar frowned, and sighed as she mumbled to herself, “It never rains, but it pours, eh?” She took a second to assess the situation. “Okay. This kid here looks in bad shape. We need to get him back to the mansion. Henry can help him there. Come on, all of you! We’re outta here.”

The owner of the across the way watched the crowd disperse. His two-would be customers, the two gorgeous women – and troublemakers – that everyone seemed to be focused on, left without returning. Disgusted, the shopkeep grabbed a Sharpie marker out of the pencil cup by the register, and scrawled a note on the back of a piece of cardboard. The note said:

‘NO MUTANTS!’

NEXT ISSUE: Humanity’s Sanction Part 1! Graydon Creed and the Friends Of Humanity want to wipe mutantkind out for good – starting with the X-Men! But as the X-Men and their new allies prepare to deal with the terrorist organization, two of the mutants come to blows, swaying the team’s attention from the disaster that awaits them. The mayhem begins next issue!