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- PHOENIX
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- CYCLOPS
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- STORM
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- BANSHEE
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- DOMINO
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- MAGNETO
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- CECILIA REYES
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- COLOSSUS
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- BOLT
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- PROTEUS
GOODBYE
By Ryan Krupienski
He stands inside the small underground mausoleum, his eyes fixed sternly on the plaque embedded into the wall before him. He has to have read it a hundred times already, but it still doesn’t seem quite real to him.
~Charles Francis Xavier~
1945-2004
He dared to dream
Erik Lehnsherr wants nothing more than to lash out, to tear Charles’ final resting place apart, and force the dead man to return to life. He didn’t believe it when he was told upon arrival at the Xavier Institute mere hours ago; he thought the X-Men must be playing some sort of cruel joke on him, as revenge for all the trouble he’s caused them over the years. He didn’t accept it then, and even after seeing the tomb, after having been standing here before it for almost an hour, he’s not any closer to coming to acknowledging it as fact.
They had done so much together, and for each other. They had both sinned, both their lives were in shambles, and they were uncertain of where to go next… but they found that their friendship still existed, and in each other they found the strength to grapple with life, with their mistakes, and move on. They forgave each other; they were both given another chance, a chance to make things right. Genosha was that chance.
There was still much work to be done, and though Charles would never have been able to be in the public eye again, he still would have been a part of what they were building. Genosha was going to be a true haven for mutants, a place unlike any other, where anyone who chose to could live in peace and prosperity. It was going to be a place to be proud of, a model of what society should be like for the rest of the world to follow.
How could he have done this? Erik knew Charles was carrying a lot of pain with him, he knew there were things he’d done that he wasn’t proud of… but he also thought that he’d gotten through to Charles, that their time and work together had truly made a difference. It did for Erik; Charles finally got through to him, after all these years. He taught Erik tolerance.
Did he miss something? Was he not good enough of a friend? There certainly was more he could have done; he believes this with every fiber of his being. The words engraved on his best friend’s tomb will haunt him for years to come.
As Erik continues to stare at the plaque, he can hear faint footsteps behind him. As the sound comes closer, Erik turns around to see the form of Sean Cassidy entering the mausoleum. The red-haired man acknowledges Erik with a nod, and the so-called Master of Magnetism returns the favor.
“It’s a shame, isn’t it?” Sean says as he walks up next to Erik. “The man can’t even be laid to rest with everyone else above ground. We have to hide this from the world.”
“It disgusts me,” Erik concurs. “But I understand the necessity.”
“Piotr says you’ve been down here a while,” Sean says. “It might be a good idea to come up, get some fresh air. It’s not healthy to be spendin’ too much time in here.”
“Please spare me your concern, Cassidy,” Erik insists, holding a hand up to wave the X-Man off. “I don’t need it, nor do I want it.”
“Well Charles considered ye a friend, and as such I only wanted to extend my hand,” Sean explains. “It seems yer still as stubborn as ever, Magnus.”
“Unless you have something important to tell me, I kindly ask that you leave,” Erik says. “I’m not finished here.”
Sean shakes his head. “Will ye just give it a rest?” he says. “Charles wouldn’t want this.”
“Obviously, judging from the letter he left behind, Charles was hardly thinking clearly…”
“Dammit, I know that!” Sean says, raising his voice slightly. “Each an’ every one of us is tryin’ to figure out why he did this! We’re all hurtin’ over this, y’know… but the important thing is to not let it consume us.”
“Again, Cassidy, your ridiculous attempt to reach out to me is a waste of time,” Erik tells him, turning his head to look at Sean. “If you wouldn’t mind?”
Sean sighs in defeat; he should have known Magneto is essentially still the same man. “T’is your call, then. I did come down here for another purpose, though… a call just came in from your UN handler, Alda Huxley. She wanted to know if ye had spoken to your ‘prospect’ yet.”
“No, not yet,” Erik says. As he continues to gaze at Charles’ tomb, the idea of the Genoshan dream becoming a reality comes rushing back to him suddenly, and he feels a renewed sense of determination. His ‘mission’ here nearly faded from his mind upon hearing of Charles’ death, but now that he’s reminded of it, and in particular reminded of who he’s meant to rule alongside, he can’t help but be optimistic once more.
Erik looks at Sean, then turns around completely to face the stairwell that leads above ground. “I suppose you’re right, I can’t stay down here forever,” he says as he starts on his way out of the mausoleum. “There is much work to be done.”
The Attic
Ororo Munroe soars through the wide space occupied by the myriad of plants and flowers, rain falling all around her to nourish her self-proclaimed ‘children’. She has always taken great care of them, and while most would laugh at the idea of caring for plant life, Ororo’s ability to control the weather gives her a special link to all of Mother Nature’s creations. She sees all life, no matter what form it may be in, as precious, as something to love and protect. Sometimes it’s hard for her to understand how others can feel anything different.
Case in point, Charles Xavier. How could he not see how precious he was to so many people? She’s wondered this since the moment she found his lifeless body slumped over the desk in Jean’s office. The image is burned into her mind, and is one that will surely haunt her for a long time to come. She has dealt with tragedy before, numerous times… she has lost many friends. Never, though, has she lost a loved one to something like this.
His letter broke her heart. The shame and guilt he’d been carrying… Ororo couldn’t believe it. That’s all she could do at first, read the letter he’d left. She was frozen with shock; she couldn’t find the strength to summon the others to the scene. Charles was already dead before she arrived anyway, and the gunshot had startled others besides her. Henry and Cecilia were the next ones to get to the office, the ones to find Ororo standing there, reading their former professor’s goodbye.
Ororo has not spoken much since that day. She said a few words at the small ceremony that was held, and has kept up with teaching her classes, but communication with her fellow teammates has been very minimal. Many of them left just before the incident, many whom Ororo wishes were still here. Kurt especially, though Ororo is grateful that Piotr and Sean are still around. If only Kitty and Logan were here as well.
As Ororo continues to feed her flora, the excess rain drenching her long, ivory hair and almost-naked body, the door to her quarters opens up, and in walks a woman who, unbeknownst to anyone, Ororo has come to know on a more intimate level in recent times. The woman stands still by the door after entering the room, and just watches her white-haired teammate as she moves through the air, looking as always like a vision of beauty. In all the years she’s known Ororo, she’s surprised it’s taken her so long to notice.
The rain starts to subside, as Ororo says, “That’s all for now, children.” She smiles faintly as she lowers herself to the ground, and it is only upon touchdown that she notices the woman who’s entered the attic. Ororo looks at the woman with uncertainty, then quickly fetches her robe and walks towards her.
“Hey,” the woman says as Ororo approaches her. “You wanted to see me?”
“Hello, Beatrice,” Ororo says, stopping mere inches away from the woman with the white skin and long, black hair otherwise known as Domino. “Thank you for coming.”
“I thought we were past formalities?” Bea quips. She glances at the robe and says, “And the modesty?”
“I’m… I’m sorry,” Ororo says with a slight sigh. “I’m just very… I’m still…”
“I know,” Bea says, taking one of Ororo’s hands in her own. “Don’t apologize. I know you’re hurting, and I know you’ve been trying to seclude yourself from everyone. And if you’re worried that you hurt my feelings, don’t. I’m a big girl. You don’t have to explain.”
Ororo smiles faintly, but Bea can see that it’s only for show. She looks into Ororo’s eyes and the pain she’s feeling it all too obvious. “Ororo…”
“Beatrice, I…” Ororo begins, then becoming unsure of what to say next. “I asked you here because I wanted to thank you. Your companionship has meant a lot to me.”
“I feel the same, and that’s why I’m here too,” Bea replies. “I’ve wanted to reach out to you this past week, Ororo… I’ve wanted to be here for you. I know we agreed this secret little fling of ours was just going to be for fun, no strings, but…”
“Please don’t feel like you have to…”
“I’m not doing this out of any feeling of obligation,” Bea says with a bit more force than she planned, cutting Ororo off. “Really, I mean it. To be honest, I’ve really come tocare about you, Ororo. I’ve never felt the sort of connection with anyone that I’ve felt with you. You’ve been an amazing friend… and an amazing lover…”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” Ororo says, trying to cap the statement off with a chuckle, but to no avail. She can’t keep this facade up, especially not around Beatrice.
Bea touches a hand to Ororo’s cheek and stares deep into the woman’s crystal blue eyes. She swallows back a lump in her throat as she asks, “Ororo… have you cried yet?”
Ororo can’t help but move her gaze away as she shakes her head softly, and seconds later, a single tear slides down her cheek. She closes her eyes as Beatrice embraces her, and Ororo holds tight. “It’s okay,” Bea softly consoles her, “it’s okay. Let it out. I’m here…”
The Containment Room
“That’s her.”
The words come from one of the two women presently standing before the frozen body of Cassandra Nova Xavier. Encased in one of the large, cylindric tubes that reaches twenty feet from the floor to ceiling, a blue icey material covers the body of the onetime Professor X, who is more or less deceased as it is. The X-Men won’t take any chances though; they can’t afford to.
The older of the two women looking at Cassandra, an African-American woman with short, dark, slightly graying hair, reaches a hand out to the containment unit and gently touches the surface. She turns to the woman beside her, a surprisingly calm look on her face. “It’s so cold…” she begins to say.
“I know, mama,” Cecilia Reyes tells her mother. “The colder the better, though. Can’t risk her waking up.”
Mary Reyes retracts her hand and looks back at the bald woman. “Well, I suppose she got what she deserved,” she says. “I’m just still very shocked by all of this…”
“It’s a trip alright,” Cecilia says. “She had us fooled… most of us.”
“I wouldn’t have given any of what she said on television a second thought if I didn’t find all this out from you,” Mary says. With a bit of trepidation, she asks, “Are you sure it’s okay? That I know all of this?”
“You’re my mother,” Cecilia answers. “I wouldn’t have felt right about leaving you in the dark. I asked the others first, and they said it would be okay. Henry trusts you.”
“That’s good to know,” Mary says with a smile. “Though I’m still surprised you can take me on a tour of this place… my goodness, Cecilia, I’ve never seen anything like this. I feel like I’m in a movie.”
“It takes some getting used to,” Cecilia explains. “And like I said before, I think that if you see all of this, see what our lives are like, what we deal with, where we live… you might understand it all a little better. You might not worry about me so much.”
“Oh, Cecilia,” Mary says, “a parent will always worry about his or her child no matter what. But I know you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself. I believe in you.”
Cecilia smiles as she looks at her mother. “Thanks.”
Mary becomes a bit somber as she asks, “How’s Henry? I know with what happened to your real professor… Charles… everyone must be devastated…”
Cecilia nods. “Yeah, it’s been rough on pretty much everyone,” she admits. “Personally, I didn’t know him all that well. But Scott and Jean, Bobby, Warren, Ororo… so many people who he was so close to. It was hard on them when he was missing, but this is a whole different situation. Hank’s been going over Charles’ letter constantly… he’s convinced there’s some sort of secret code in it…”
“How are you doing?” Mary asks, taking one of her daughter’s hands. “You’re taking care of yourself, I hope?”
“Oh yeah, mama, I’m fine,” Cecilia assures her mother. “Really. I’m in remission… I’m married to the man that I love… and yes I’m taking it easy. You don’t have to worry about that. I’m just trying to be strong for Henry, to be there for him… he needs me right now.”
Cecilia turns away from her mother and lets out a sigh, and Mary looks at her intently. “Cecilia? What is it?”
Cecilia looks back at Mary and shakes her head. “You know, I can’t help thinking if any of this mess could have been prevented… if I hadn’t dragged Hank off for such a long honeymoon…”
“Oh nonsense,” Mary says, giving Cecilia’s hand a light squeeze. “Honestly, you may have just been another pawn in this woman’s power game! She might have controlled your mind as well, Cecilia. You have nothing to feel bad about. What happened, happened… and I believe it all happened for a reason. You can’t change any of it, just as you can’t change the fact that Charles Xavier took his own life. It was his decision, and there’s nothing you, Henry, or anyone else could do to stop him.”
Mary pauses, and moves her hand to Cecilia’s shoulder. “Do you understand me?” she asks her daughter. “I love you.”
Cecilia smiles and looks into her mother’s eyes. “I love you too,” she responds. “I just wish it was easier to make Hank understand this… mama, he is in such denial…”
“He will get through this, with you by his side,” Mary says to her. “He was your strength in your time of need. Now you’ll be his.” She smiles and adds, “You two really were meant for each other. I’m sorry I ever doubted that.”
For the first time since Xavier’s death, Cecilia lets out a sincere sigh of relief, and feels her hopes revived. She knows things will be okay; she just needed the right person to show her that.
“Well,” Cecilia says, “I’ve still got more of my little tour to get through.”
“Are you sure you’re up to it?” Mary asks.
“Oh yes,” Cecilia assures her. “Absolutely. Just wait until you see Cerebro…”
Harry’s Hideaway
Scott Summers and Jean Grey sit across from each other at a booth in one of the corners of the dimly-lit restaurant, silently working away at their respective meals. They’ve been sitting here for more than half an hour, but haven’t said much of anything to each other. It’s been awkward since Charles’ death. Scott knows Jean wants to tell him something, though… he’s just waiting for her to finally do it.
Scott moves his eyes from his plate to Jean, watching her as she takes a delicate bite of her salad followed by a sip of her soda. The stress and the fatigue is more than evident on her face, but he still thinks she’s as beautiful as ever. Though for some reason, he doesn’t quite feel things are the same between them as they once were. What’s driving him most crazy is that he can’t figure out whether it’s him or Jean.
Jean looks up from her meal and sees Scott watching her. She quickly looks away and returns to eating, but finds herself unable to contain her ‘secret’ any longer. She asked him away from the mansion for a reason, and she can’t back down now. There’s no time for it.
“Okay, look,” Jean finally says, setting her fork down and leaning back in her seat a little. “I know you’re waiting for me to talk, so I’m just going to do this.”
“Please,” Scott says. “If there’s something wrong… Jean, I need to know.”
Jean sighs, looking around aimlessly for a moment before fixing her eyes on her husband. “I’m just… I’m just so lost, and so angry, and so afraid…”
“Afraid of what?” Scott asks, the concern in his voice more than evident. “What is it?”
“It’s me, Scott,” Jean tells him. “With everything that’s happened… what Cassandra did to me, and now with Charles killing himself… I just… I feel like I’m being torn apart. I don’t know how to cope with all of this. I thought I could, but…”
Scott reaches across the table and takes his wife’s hand in his own. “You’re not alone. You have me, and you have Rachel, and a lot of other people who love you. Just don’t shut down on me, please… let me help you, like you helped me.”
Jean smiles meekly at Scott, as a single tear starts to run down her cheek. “I wish… I wish it were that simple, Scott,” she tells him. “I want nothing more than to be with you, live the life we’ve always dreamed of, raise children…”
Scott feels a knot in his stomache as a frown forms on his face. He has a bad feeling about where this is going. “But?” is all he says.
“But I can’t do this anymore,” Jean says, pulling her hand away from Scott’s. “I can’t stay here, I can’t pretend like nothing’s happening…”
“What are you talking about?” Scott asks her.
“My powers, Scott,” Jean begins to explain. “My mind… it’s all a mess. Ever since Genosha, I’ve felt… different somehow. And especially this past week… Scott, I feel like I’m losing control. And I’m so afraid that if I don’t get away, I’m going to end up causing more damage.”
Scott blinks a few times, staring at Jean with disbelief. For a split-second he feels as if it’s not really Jean he’s talking to; this is all coming out of left field. “Get away?” he asks her. “What does that mean?”
“It means I have to leave, Scott,” Jean tells him. “I have to leave the mansion, the X-Men… you and Rachel…”
“What?!” Scott exclaims, doing his best to keep his voice down. “Jean, just hold on a second! This is crazy! We’ll work this out… I will help you…”
“No,” Jean says with a shake of her head. “There’s nothing you can do, Scott… this is something I have to do on my own. I need to be somewhere else… I need a new life, as cruel as that sounds. I don’t want to hurt you… I don’t want to leave you. But if I don’t remove myself from the source of all this grief and anxiety… Scott, I’m going toexplode.”
“This is unbelievable… this is insane…” Scott mutters as he looks away from his wife. Nothing he says seems to be getting through to her. How can she brush his love and support off so easily?
“Please understand that I love you with all of my heart,” Jean says as she wipes away a tear. “I love you, and I love Rachel… and I can’t bear to even think of hurting you. I need a new environment, where I can figure things out, work through everything that’s messing me up so badly… someplace where I can regain control, take back my peace of mind. Please try to understand…”
There is silence for several moments, as Scott just stares silently down at his hands, and Jean uses a napkin to dry her eyes. She attempts to reach a hand out to Scott, but he doesn’t let her; he’s too angry. And regardless of what she’s said, he’s extremely hurt. None of this makes any sense to him.
“So,” Scott says softly, “where are you going? Your parents’ house?”
“No,” Jean answers. “I… well, do you remember the phone call I received from the United Nations a few days ago?”
Scott raises his head and fixes his eyes back on his wife. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Scott, I have a chance to do something fantastic here!” Jean says, almost pleading with him. “This will be a new environment, a fresh start… it’s going to be exactly what I need to get my life back in order. Please, you have to…”
“No, I don’t have to understand,” Scott snaps, interrupting his wife. “I don’t understand it, and I don’t accept it. I don’t know where all of this is coming from. You’ve lost your mind!”
Jean sighs but has stopped crying, having exhausted her supply of tears. She reaches for her purse and takes it in her lap, looking down at it as she formulates the words she wants to say. “I love you so much, Scott,” she says. “But this is how it has to be.”
“Fine,” Scott says as he takes another sip of his drink. “Go ahead. You want to play president with Magneto in Genosha? I can’t stop you. Don’t you dare leave without saying goodbye to Rachel, though.”
“I wouldn’t…” Jean begins to say, but then she stops. She rises from her seat, her eyes trained on Scott as she does so. She contemplates reaching out to him, but decides against it; it’s pointless to prolong this anymore, as he won’t talk her out of it. This isn’t how she wanted to leave him, but she also knew he wouldn’t be happy when she told him.
“I love you,” she says as she prepares to walk away.
Scott doesn’t look at her. “Just go,” is all he says.
As she walks away from the table, she says, “Goodbye.”
The Xavier Institute
Erik Lehnsherr stands before two men significantly younger than him, inside the mansion’s library. He’s just propositioned them both, and he’s eager to hear what they have to say. He’s uncertain whether they’ll accept or not, but he knows for sure that the offer has surprised them.
Piotr Rasputin and Chris Bradley stand across from Magneto, silently contemplating their answers. Chris looks at Piotr for a moment, as if to seek guidance, but Piotr has nothing to offer. He’s just as conflicted as the young man is.
“I know you’re both wondering why, of everyone in this mansion, I asked the two of you to join me in Genosha,” Erik says, breaking the silence in the room. “Perhaps if I explain myself, you will find it easier to make a decision.”
“Be my guest,” Piotr says somewhat sarcastically.
“As you know, I’m going to be appointed vice president of Genosha,” Erik begins. “There will be one above me. That person is your close personal friend, Jean Grey.”
Shock hits Piotr and Chris, and they again exchange a look. They weren’t expecting this. Chris turns back to Erik and says, “If Jean’s going to Genosha, why didn’t she tell anyone?”
“She’s telling her husband as we speak,” Erik answers him. “Whether he’ll be joining her or not, I can’t be sure. However, I’m asking the two of you to join us for a reason – Piotr, for the fact that I trust and respect you, and Christopher, because I’ve become aware of your closeness to Jean. I think your presence – both your presences – would serve her well.”
Piotr sighs and crosses his arms as he attempts to make a decision. He knows he has plenty of time to consider this, but for some reason he feels an urgency in giving his answer. He finds himself compelled to say yes and take off to Genosha, but at the same time, he doesn’t feel quite right about leaving with everything that’s happened recently. He can’t help but feel that he’s still needed here. Perhaps he’s needed even more elsewhere, though?
“You both have an opportunity to be a part of something monumental,” Erik says. “I know you both must be hesitant to leave with so many of your teammates having already departed, and especially now with Charles’ passing, but I myself have come to see that I must continue on with the work we were doing in Genosha. It is the best way I can honor his legacy and our friendship.”
“You’ll have to forgive me, forgive all of us, if we’re still leery of you,” Piotr tells him. “Which is why I will go. I’m going to do it for Jean, and for Charles, but also to keep an eye on you.”
“Count me in too,” Chris chimes in. “I’ll go for Jean. And the Professor.”
Erik smiles upon hearing the answers. “Excellent, gentlemen,” he says. “I’m glad to hear it. Trust me when I say, you will not regret this…”
Cecilia stands at the front door in the foyer of the mansion, hugging her mother. Nearby is the young man named Peter Valentino, watching as the two women say their goodbyes.
“Thank you for coming, mama,” Cecilia tells her mother.
“Anytime, Cecilia,” Mary says with a smile. “Let’s try and see each other more often, okay?”
“Absolutely,” Cecilia concurs.
Mary opens one of the doors and begins to step outside. She looks back at Cecilia and says, “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Cecilia responds.
Mary takes a quick glance past Cecilia and says, “Nice to see you again, Peter. Take care.”
Peter waves goodbye to the older woman, and seconds later, Mary is outside and the door closes behind her. Cecilia turns to look at Peter, a confused look on her face. “I didn’t know you’d met my mother before,” she says.
Peter shrugs. “I don’t know,” he says. “I guess I met her at your wedding…”
As Mary Reyes walks towards the yellow taxi waiting for her in front of the mansion, the cell phone in her purse begins to ring. She reaches inside and takes it into her hand. “Hello?” she answers as she holds the phone to her ear.
“How’d it go?” comes a man’s voice on the other end of the line.
“Oh, just fine. I got the full tour,” Mary says with a chuckle. “I swear, sometimes I can’t believe how easy these people are.”
“So we still goin’ ahead with the operation then?”
“Absolutely,” Mary says. For a brief moment, her eyes change from a dark brown to a bright yellow and take on a more cat-like property. “They’re at their most vulnerable. It’s now or never.”
NEXT ISSUE: Phoenix and Magneto set up shop in Genosha, some old friends stop by for a visit, Proteus goes home, a new ally settles into life with the X-Men, more on Mystique and the Brotherhood, and an ending so shocking, it can’t even be hinted at!
So one more issue and things that need to be wrapped up will be wrapped up, and the stage will be set for what I like to refer to as Year X. Corny, I know, but it’s better thanX-Men: Reloaded 😉 And hopefully you all will be enthusiastic about what’s coming up in UXM and the rest of our X-titles (and even non-X titles)! We have a lot of wild stuff in store.
~Ryan
02/29/04
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