FALLOUT

By Ryan Krupienski

Washington D.C.

The crowd is enormous; there must be more people here this time than when Jean Grey gave her speech not too long ago. They’re a bit rowdier this time, and rightfully so – they want answers. The media, politicians, and of course the private citizens… they want to know, they need to know, what’s happened. In Genosha, with Magneto; in Los Angeles, with the Masters of Evil; and now what the future holds for the Mutant Civil Rights campaign.

Even though he’s had a speech prepared and rehearsed for the past several hours, Warren Worthington III still isn’t exactly sure about all of this. He understands why he was chosen for this task… and more than that, he understands why it absolutely must be done. He wishes more than anything that he could tell the whole truth, though – that Cassandra is a liar, that she manipulated the X-Men and the world at large, and also set out to destroy the Avengers. Oprah and Sharon probably wouldn’t think much of the woman after that revelation.

He can’t, though. For the world to realize they’ve been duped by a mutant on such a large scale would mean humanity’s prejudice against mutantkind returning with a terrible vengeance. There would be no hope for the civil rights campaign, and the X-Men would likely be demoted once again to their longtime roles as ‘dangerous’ outcasts and vigilantes. Warren may hate the woman with every fiber of his being after everything she’s done, and tried to do, but like those who sit behind him on the stage, he can’t deny the incredible progress Cassandra has made in the name of Charles Xavier’s dream.

His speech is slated to begin in mere moments, and Warren decides to use those free moments to look behind him at those who stand with him today: Melissa Bennett, his co-CEO of Worthington International; Senator Robert Kelly, the X-Men’s surprising ally who helped kick off the campaign for mutant rights; Janet Van Dyne and T’Challa, of the Avengers; and two of Warren’s own teammates, recently returned from their honeymoon – Henry McCoy and Cecilia Reyes-McCoy. Warren can’t believe Cecilia in particular is here, having had surgery not too long ago, but he understands her choice to come and can’t help but admire it as well.

Warren turns back to the podium and once again looks over the sprawling crowd. He glances at his small group of assistants who sit in the front row, and they give him the signal to begin his speech. It’s time.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention please,” Warren begins, and the noise from the crowd increases slightly just before dying down. “I’d like to begin. We have a lot of ground to cover here today.”

With the masses quiet and the cameras rolling, Warren clears his throat and continues. “Thank you. As you may know, my name is Warren Worthington, and I am co-CEO of Worthington International, as well as a member of the X-Men. Days ago, our founder and leader – Cassandra Nova Xavier – made a statement to the world regarding the man you know as Magneto, and claimed he was hiding on the island of Genosha, building weapons of mass destruction to be used against our world’s human population. I am here today to tell you that she was wrong.”

The flashes of a few cameras go off, but Warren is pleased that the crowd remains silent and continues to pay their full attention. “As you know, the X-Men were sanctioned by the United Nations to invade Genosha and find and detain Magneto. We did this under the assumption that Magneto was indeed building a ‘super weapon’ of some sort and was an iminent threat to the entire world. That assumption was horribly, horribly wrong. Magneto was in Genosha, however, nothing he was doing there can be labeled as being even remotely related to terrorist activities.”

“The United Nations and the American government have already started to investigate this matter, with Mister Lehnsherr’s full cooperation, and so far it’s been determined that the machine that would supposedly reverse the polarity of the planet was in actuality a power plant. Magneto was not building a weapon – rather, he was building a city.”

“Professor Xavier made a grave error in assessing the situation with Magneto, and she deeply regrets that,” Warren continues. “It was not her intention to go after Magneto for the sake of going after him, or to alarm the general population of the world. Professor Xavier felt there was a threat to be dealt with – we all did – given Magneto’s track record, but this time around, we’ve all been proven horribly wrong.”

“As for what Mister Lehnsherr’s future holds, and what will become of Genosha, we are still uncertain. United Nations officials will be releasing more details regarding Magneto’s interrogation when they see fit. Rest assured, though, that there is no threat – at least not from Magneto, and especially not from the X-Men.”

As his last words seem to signal a break or the end of Warren’s speech, the crowd begins to stir with noise, and reporters begin to toss some questions at the X-Man. “Ladies and gentlemen, I do have more to get through here. I will be more than happy to answer any questions you have once the conference is over with.”

The audience dies back down at Warren’s behest, and he begins again. “As for the future of the Mutant Rights Act, it is already public knowledge that myself and my co-CEO of Worthington International, Melissa Bennett, have put the full weight of our company behind the legislation. Working alongside Senator Robert Kelly and other key representatives who will be making public endorsements in the coming weeks, we intend to get our message out stronger than before – a message not just of tolerance for mutants, but of tolerance for all. Peace between all of us – human, superhuman, mutant, and all variations thereof. That brings me to my next point.”

“Worthington International is going under a transformation, something the likes of which will hopefully serve to revolutionize the worlds of business and politics. Worthington International is soon to be no more… soon to be replaced by something else we like to call the X-Corporation.”

“Here comes the good part,” Janet whispers from her seat behind Warren on the stage.

“Exciting, isn’t it?” Henry replies.

“The X-Corporation is going to be the world’s first full-fledged cooperative human/superhuman/mutant initiative. Our goals are many, but most prominently we will work to promote peace and tolerance between the various factions of our one human race. This is not going to be a ‘mutant business’; this is also not going to be any sort of new superhero group. Our staff and business partners will be an eclectic, varied group of men and women who represent the diversity of humanity, and our operation will be global, with offices in every major city – and even some smaller ones – around the world. All of the details haven’t been ironed out quite yet, but I will be releasing more information regarding this corporate restructuring over the next couple of weeks.”

“Along with all I’ve just gone through, I do have one more announcement to make before I hand the podium over to T’Challa, and then Senator Kelly. This year has gotten off to a rocky start for myself and my friends and teammates, but we’re bouncing back quickly, and likewise preparing ourselves for what comes next. In addition to heading up the X-Corporation with Miss Bennett, I am also pleased to announce that my own future holds a bid for a seat in the New York state Senate.”

The Xavier Institute

Jean Grey-Summers and Charles Xavier stroll silently down the wide halls of the mansion’s second sub-basement level. Jean has taken it upon herself to give her old mentor the tour of the new and improved Xavier Institute that he’s been absent from for so long. It makes Charles proud to see all of the progress his former students have made, and he is amazed at some of the additions to the school since he was last here over a year ago.

“The new Cerebro chamber is amazing,” Charles comments. “When I drafted the blueprints, I wasn’t sure it would actually work, but you proved me wrong.”

“I’m just full of surprises,” Jean quips, trying not to sound too friendly. Charles doesn’t blame her for that.

“I do appreciate you taking the time to show me around,” Charles tells her. “I know most everyone else is uncomfortable around me, especially Scott.”

“And with good reason,” Jean says somewhat coldly. “Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it to come out like that…”

“Don’t apologize,” Charles insists, stopping his hoverchair in the middle of the hall and looking at Jean. “You have a right to be angry.”

“Do you really want to talk about this now?” Jean asks as she turns to look at Charles. “I…”

“Why delay the inevitable?” Charles asks her. “You spent the first couple days back recuperating, and we’ve chatted and spent some time together since you’ve been up and about. We must talk about it at some point. We must.”

“What should I say?” Jean questions. “How should I react? I have no idea, Charles… the last time I saw you, you were dying. And then I find out that my son is really dead, that you deceived me.” Tears well up in her eyes as she says, softer this time, “Do you know what it’s like to watch as your child fades away into nothing, to feel them slip out of existence?”

“I never meant to hurt you, or Scott…”

“But you did,” Jean says, still calm but now letting the tears roll down her cheeks. “I know what you were trying to do, but it was a lie. And you knew it wouldn’t last. What possessed you to do such a thing?”

“I couldn’t bear it, seeing you and Scott in shambles,” Charles admits, swallowing back a lump in his throat. “It destroyed me to see you in such pain. Regardless of the division in our ranks at the time, I wanted the best for you and Scott… I wanted you to have both of your children, I wanted you to have the family and the life you’d always dreamt of.”

“Dreams never turn out quite the way we would like them to in real life, Charles,” Jean says. She uses her telekinesis to wipe the tears from her face and converts the water molecules into vapor which is absorbed into the air. “Scott and I were devastated when John was stillborn. It broke our hearts. We would have gotten through it, though… instead, we had our son taken from us twice.”

“I…” Charles wants to find the right words to say, whatever it will take to make Jean’s heartache stop. “I have no excuses, Jean, at least not any that are worth anything. I can only say that I did what I did out of love… I didn’t think about what would happen should the illusion fail.”

“Which is what surprised me the most,” Jean tells him. “You’re one of the most brilliant men in the world…”

“No, just one of the most foolish,” Charles sighs, turning his gaze away from Jean. He can’t bear to see her look at him with such disdain. “I’ve made a lifetime of mistakes, Jean. Ones that can never be undone.”

Jean lets out a sigh and looks down at the floor for a moment. Charles looks back at her and can tell this conversation is tearing her apart yet again; just seeing him has brought all of Scott and Jean’s pain back to the surface. He hates himself for that.

“I hope in time that… you can come to trust me again,” Charles says hesitantly. “That you can understand why I did what I did.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive you,” Jean admits with a shake of her head. “Not to be cruel, I just honestly don’t know. I don’t know where we go from here…”

“Your civility towards me is more than I could ask for,” Charles tells her. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me,” Jean says. “Just…”

Charles can tell this discussion has upset Jean immensely, and knows she’s finding it hard what to say next. They had to talk about this, though; he had to get it off his chest, or sooner or later, it would have consumed him. Trying to get through to Scott will prove hardest of all.

“I have to go check on my daughter,” Jean says as she turns her back to Charles. “I’ll… see you later.”

Without another word, Jean walks off towards the elevator that waits at the end of the hall, leaving Charles by himself in the subterranean levels of his family’s estate. As Jean disappears from sight, a single tear drops from Charles’ eye, and a stabbing pain consumes him. His deception of Scott and Jean, the feelings he had for Jean when she was achild, his sister’s destructive actions… it all boils to the surface of his mind. More than ever, he truly hates himself.

“I’m sorry,” he silently sobs. “I’m so sorry…”

The Z’noxx Chamber

Cable and Blaquesmith rummage through the remains of what was once their base of operations, which nows lies in shambles thanks to an attack by Cassandra Nova. This is the first time they’ve been down here since returning from Genosha, as they took the first few days to recover from the madness they endured. Cable hides it well, but he’s glad for what happened; he’s had his doubts about this operation for a while, but looking at Blaquesmith scramble to the two containment pods in the middle of the room, he can tell his mentor is as determined as ever to continue on.

“By the goddess!” Blaquesmith exclaims as he approaches the two clear pods, one of which is shattered and empty. “She’s gone…”

“Siena Blaze?” Cable questions as he walks to the smaller man’s side.

“We must find her, Nathan!” Blaquesmith insists. He looks at the other pod and is relieved to see that the man with the iron helmet is still safe and sound. “At least we didn’t lose this one…”

“You know, Blaquesmith,” Cable interjects, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you… to tell you that I think there’s something wrong with all of this.”

Blaquesmith stops in his tracks and looks at Cable with his large, bug-like eyes. “Pardon me?”

“You heard me,” Cable retorts. “This whole op… the ‘gathering of the Twelve’… the more time that passes, the less and less likely it seems these ‘end times’ you’ve predicted are actually going to happen. Shouldn’t this ‘Amatsu’ have been here by now?”

“The future is never certain, but this is!” Blaquesmith snaps, pointing an authoritative finger at the white-haired man. “He is coming, Askani’son! Apocalypse was not the last great evil… that is yet to come!”

“Where’s the proof?!” Cable shouts back, pointing a finger right back at his mentor. “I’ve read every Askani prophecy there ever was… Apocalypse was always mentioned as the great conquerer and destroyer. The books never referred in any way to an ancient Japanese myth!”

“The future is changed, the prophecies are different… the world we come from is no more, replaced by something different… something worse,” Blaquesmith says, turning away from Cable. “It is not over…”

“HOW DO YOU KNOW?!” Cable yells at the top of his lungs, his voice reverberating throughout the massive chamber. “I am so sick and tired of this smoke and mirrors bullshit! I have helped you, trusted in you, listened to every crazy word you’ve said these past several months…”

“Crazy?!” Blaquesmith growls, again turning to face Cable. “I want to protect the future and you call me crazy?!”

“Your prophecies are baseless, Blaquesmith!” Cable tells him. “All we’ve been doing is spying on your new ‘Twelve’, and abducting people against their will! Do you wonder why Jean told us she’s done with this? It’s insanity, that’s why!”

“Stupid, stupid boy…” Blaquesmith mumbles under his breath. “You disappoint me greatly today, Nathan. If this is how you feel, though, I will ask that you leave and let me pick up the pieces… I will continue on with this mission, without your help.”

“Fine, but one last thing before I go.” Cable turns his attention to the one still-inhabited containment pod and with but a thought, the glass shatters and the man inside is free.

“You idiot!” Blaquesmith gasps, scrambling to the nearest computer terminal in an attempt to keep the ‘hostage’ sedated.

“It’s over, Blaquesmith,” Cable says as he walks over to the still-unconscious man and peers into the eyeholes of his helmet. “This man is going free.”

Cable attempts to reach into the man’s mind but finds something unlike anything he’s felt – there is no mind in the traditional sense. Instead he finds a raw energy so intense, so powerful, so overwhelming that he can’t help but draw away from it, lest it consume him.

Blaquesmith scrambles at his destroyed machines, but it proves to be a fruitless effort as a radiant light suddenly pours out from the captive man’s helmet, seeping out of every hole. Blaquesmith turns to see this and is mortified as the man sits up, then slowly gets to his feet.

“Easy there,” Cable says, offering a helping hand to the man. “You’ve been asleep for a long time.”

“What is this place?” the man says as he gazes around the chamber, the light contained by his helmet swirling madly with confusion. “Where are my captors?”

“Don’t worry, you’re free now,” Cable says, not wanting to overwhelm the man. “My name is Nathan. I’m sorry for the sudden wake-up call, but it was necessary. We’re getting out of here.”

“I am Xorn,” the man simply says, gazing at Cable and nodding. “Where is it we are getting out of?”

“This place,” Cable says, gazing past Xorn for a moment to glare at Blaquesmith. “You’ve spent too much of your life in the wrong hands. I’m sorry for that.”

“You have my thanks,” Xorn tells him. “Where are we going, Nathan?”

Cable looks back at Xorn and says, “Somewhere safe… somewhere you can live. Mister Xorn, I’d like to welcome you to the X-Men.”

Washington D.C.

The strong, imposing form of T’Challa steps up to the podium as applause breaks out, the crowd cheering for one of its beloved heroes. He does not do this often – appear in public without wearing the suit of the Black Panther, at least not anywhere besides his kingdom of Wakanda. The applause and cheers do not phase him; he doesn’t do what he does for the love and admiration of the masses, he does it because he wants to make a difference. That is as true today as it was when he inherited the throne of his homeland from his deceased father.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” T’Challa begins, as the acclamation starts to die down, “thank you. I am here today to speak on behalf of the Avengers regarding the tragedy that recently took place in Los Angeles. You’ll all seen the news – dozens are dead, much of the city has been demolished, but the search and rescue efforts are going well. Most of my teammates in the Avengers, as well as a large portion of the X-Men and many brave volunteers from across this nation, have been lending their hand to help clean up the chaos left by the destructive actions of the terrorists who call themselves the Masters of Evil.”

“Like any other terrorists, these so-called ‘Masters’ set out to cause unmitigated mayhem for their own personal gain. They are a coalition of cowards and cold-hearted killers, and while they have at times been a force to be reckoned with, their defeat at the hands of the Avengers was, as usual, only a matter of time. Almost all of the members of the group are now in the custody of the United States government, with nationwide manhunts being conducted for those who slipped away. Rest assured, those few will be found.”

“Make no mistake – it will take time to pick up these pieces,” T’Challa says, his tone never wavering. “The Masters of Evil went to great lengths to try and achieve their goals, and regrettably they slipped under many peoples’ radars. They did not succeed, however – Los Angeles still stands, its people still live, and the healing and rebuilding processes have begun. The city will continue to have the full support of the American people behind it, and it will undoubtedly recover, stronger than before.”

There is applause for the last comments, a loud, passionate, and sincere applause that lasts for several moments before the noise dies down enough for T’Challa to go on. “And while the Avengers are committed to protecting their home nation, our attention was also drawn to the supposed conflict in Genosha. Magneto has a long history of terrorist activity and as this time seemed no different, we could not afford to sit back and do nothing. As Mister Worthington said, however, this was a rare instance where we were all wrong; if his compliance with the United Nations is any indication, it would seem that Magneto is a changed man. It would seem. For now, Mister Lehnsherr has the endorsement of the Avengers, provided his reformation is sincere.”

“Brothers and sisters, the world is changing. The mutant population is growing at a substantial rate, and the threats to this world are deadlier and more determined than ever. We are all being forced to take a hard look at the reality of the world we live in, and make adjustments accordingly. Things are not so cut and dry as they once were, and as we march further into the twenty-first century, the changes will come more rapidly, and with greater force. Whether these changes are positive or negative, and how we let these changes affect our society, will be up to us.”

“We must not let ourselves tear each other apart because of petty differences. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we band together as one human race against the prejudices that are ever waiting on the sidelines, ready to consume us. Will this evolution of our world be an easy one? No. Will it take more than a handful of speeches to bring us together? Absolutely. We have a long journey ahead of us, but I believe me can make it. I believe that we can build a bright and promising future, where all of us, all of our various branches of humanity, can live together in relative peace.”

“I am now pleased to announce that I, along with several of my fellow Avengers, will be joining Mister Warren Worthington and Miss Melissa Bennett in their new endeavour, the X-Corporation, to help make that promising future a reality. I believe in their vision, and I believe in doing my part to make it happen. My brothers and sisters, I hope you will join us as we forge ahead into a beautiful new world.”

Some nearby picketers boo and hiss at the Avenger, but the overwhelming cheers and applause of the main crowd drowns the dissenters out. T’Challa smiles slightly, and he glances back at those who sit behind him on the stage. “I believe our work here is done,” he says. “The future is waiting.”

The Xavier Institute

Five individuals sit around the large table that lies in the center of the posh and, in some people’s opinions, much too fancy dining room. A grand chandelier made of crystal and gold hangs several feet above the table, illuminating the room with a soft glow. As the five occupants of the room eat their meals, the blaring audio of the television can be heard coming from the living room at the other end of the mansion. Normally the adults wouldn’t be pleased with the noise, but to hear the students engaging in something so simple as playing video games gives them all reassurance that things are getting back to normal.

Bobby Drake and Jubilation Lee sit next to each other on one side of the table, with Sean Cassidy and Anna Hong across from them. At the head of the table is Ororo Munroe to round out the group. As they inch closer and closer to finishing their meals, they talk amongst themselves, about recent events and what the future holds. Even with Cassandra neutralized, things are far from the way they used to be.

“So is it just me, or is it freakin’ weird around here, having all these people who used to wanna kill us for house guests?” Jubilee asks as she sets her fork down on her now empty plate. “First guys like Ever and Scanner, then Deathbird, and now the Juggernaut. It’s not quite sinkin’ in for me yet.”

“Aye, an’ let’s not forget Magneto isn’t far behind. If the UN deems it fit to let him go, word is he’ll be bunkin’ here for a while,” Sean adds in. “We dealt with weirder things in our time, though, lass. An’ it’s all a good thing, in me eyes.”

“Not to mention it’s about time the Avengers publicly endorsed us.” Bobby’s comment earns him a look from Ororo. “What?”

“Robert, you know why they’ve had to stray away from that subject for so long,” Ororo tells him. “They work for the government. They have a certain image to uphold, certain rules they must abide by.”

“Still, a nice little ‘the X-Men are the good guys’ wouldn’t have hurt,” Jubilee says with a shrug of her shoulders. “Better late than never, I guess.”

“Well we’re certainly the good guys now, thanks to Cassandra,” Sean says. “An’ me head is still not all well and good from her messin’ around with it.”

“Jean and Nathan said it would likely be at least a week before the effects of the mind control have fully worn off,” Anna tells him. “It’s strange, sometimes it still feels like everything she made us believe is true.”

“Yeah, what a bitch,” Jubilee quips.

Sean nods and says, “I’ll drink to that.”

“So, you thought about Warren’s offer at all, Ororo?” Bobby asks the white-haired woman.

A look of uncertainty crosses Ororo’s face as she contemplates her answer. She honestly hasn’t thought much about it. “I don’t know, Robert,” she admits. “I’m flattered that he asked me to run an X-Corporation office in Cairo, I’m just not sure that I want to leave the school quite yet. Or that I’m even truly up to the task.”

“He wouldn’t have asked if ye weren’t,” Sean tells his longtime friend. “Though I know what y’mean… he asked if I’d run a branch in Dublin, but I don’t know if I’m prepared for such a thing.”

“I just hope this whole thing doesn’t get out of hand,” Jubilee comments. “I mean, Warren’s a good guy, and I don’t wanna see him get too big for his britches. How’s he gonna run this huge business and be a senator?”

“If he gets elected,” Bobby points out. He grins and says, “Which I think he will.”

“An’ just imagine if Robert Kelly becomes president,” Sean says.

“We have a lot to look forward to, it seems,” Anna chimes in.

“Indeed we do,” Ororo concurs. She raises her glass and says, “I’d like to propose a toast. To Scanner, to Logan… to tomorrow, wherever it may take us.”

NEXT ISSUE: A final farewell. ‘Nuff said.

Author’s Notes

SuperNova is behind us, now let the REAL games begin. This issue, and the next couple, are going to set the stage for some true insanity, but there will be plenty surprise moments to get you geared up. Be sure to check out the last couple installments of X-Men, too, as it prepares to morph into X-Corps. Those of you wondering what’s next for Cable and Xorn in particular will want to keep your eyes on that one.

Also coming soon – X-Corporation. It is NOT replacing UXM, don’t worry! But you’ve now got some more insight as to what it’s going to be about, and some of the characters that will be involved. There are also some very subtle hints of more things to come in this issue, see if you can figure out what they are before they happen 😉

Anyway, I know there are a lot of things still to be covered, characters still to appear again, more questions yet to be answered after all the Cassandra madness. I’m working on it. I will cover all the bases before the ‘revamp’ in April, trust me.

Speaking of revamps, new series, and all that… well, X-Men: Reload ain’t gonna have nothin’ on us! Or at least that’s the plan 🙂

~Ryan
02/18/04