WINTER

By Jason Kenney

Robert Drake usually kept a cool head about himself. It came with the gift. Or the curse. It could be considered one or the other, depending on the mentality of the person observing it. Or, in Bobby’s mind, it sometimes depended on his mood.

Today he wasn’t sure what it was, he was only sure what it made him.

Either way, he was different, he was mutant.

He was Iceman.

They were giving him up for dead. That’s the way it seemed to Bobby as he listened in on coversations between the other X-Men.

Professor Xavier had the Legacy Virus, a virus for which there was no known cure. A virus whose contraction guaranteed death.

No known cure, yet.

They were mourning the loss of a man who still sat in his study, still living his life as he would for weeks, months, maybe even years until the virus reared its ugly head and struck Xavier down.

Bobby Drake was angry, angry over the words of silence from the other X-Men, the inaction they seemed to express in helping the man who had brought them together for a common cause.

“The only thing we can do,” said Ororo Munroe, known to the world as the X-Man Storm, in response to a question from Rogue about what would they do, “is make him comfortable in his final days.”

Inaction.

“Like hell!” shouted Bobby, getting the attention of Storm and Rogue, as well as Logan, better known as Wolverine, who sat off to the side listening to the conversation as well.

“Robert,” said Storm, looking a Bobby like she would look to a child, “there is nothing we can do…”

“No,” said Bobby, jumping to his feet, “no, you tell yourself that, so you believe it, but what have you tried to do? What have you considered?”

“Bobby,” said Rogue, reaching out to lay a comforting gloved hand on Bobby’s shoulder.

Bobby shrugged her off.

“Inaction, that is all you have considered!” Bobby was almost in Storm’s face now as Remy LeBeau, also known as Gambit, and Marrow entered the living room to see what the commotion was about. “Inaction, that’s why Scott left!”

Storm’s eyes grew wide with hurt and anger.

“Scott’s leaving has nothing to do…” started Storm in her own defense.

“It shows a history, Ororo, a history of you and your mentality. Inaction, we sit and wait, we don’t do anything to improve our situation, we only sit back and make sure everyone’s comfortable until the inevitable happens. That may have worked on everything else, Ororo, that may have worked when you were trying to lead us, but there is a man upstairs who means a lot to all of us who is not going to get better if we sit back and wait.”

A silence fell on the group. Bobby had made points, but now he was unsure how to back them. True, they could not sit back and wait, but…

“What should be done about it then?” asked Storm, crossing her arms and glaring at Bobby.

The heat was on, and Bobby Drake looked around the room at the other X-Men. All eyes were on him. He glanced around and settled his eyes on Gambit, or, rather the apple he held in his hand.

With a movement that’s speed came from years of practice and honing the abilities Bobby Drake flicked a finger towards Gambit, a streak of ice cutting through the air and striking the apple. Gambit jumped for a moment as Marrow moved into an attack stance at the thought of Bobby hurting Gambit, but the only thing that happened to the Cajun was that he dropped his apple, which landed on the floor, bounced once off the carpet, and then settled.

Frozen to the core.

Bobby Drake looked back at Ororo, a satisfied smirk on his face.

“We preserve him.”

Silence again filled the room as everyone took it in.

“And how,” started Storm finally, “do you think we would revive him?”

Bobby sighed and rolled his eyes slightly.

“Are you so intent on being right, Ororo, that you are blind to the obvious?” Storm again grew wide-eyed, but Bobby continued before she could speak. “Look around you, we’re surrounded by high-tech Sh’iar equipment, we have contacts with S.H.I.E.L.D., Reed Richards is on our side, Moira could do something, Hank could do something, Captain America spent decades in an uncontrolled freeze. If we put the Professor in a controlled freeze environment until a cure is found, we can thaw him easily and revive him, no problem.”

“It’s an idea,” said Rogue, getting a sideways glance from Storm.

“Best one I’ve heard yet,” said Wolverine, still leaning in his chair. “Icey does have a point, and a course of action.”

It was now Bobby’s turn to cross his arms and give a Storm a smug look.

Storm sighed, realizing there was no hope in arguing. It was a valid arguement, and did present a solution to the problem, albeit possibly long term. Either way, it was better than letting the man die.

“Only if he agrees to it,” said Storm, Bobby’s smirk widening, “and after we have someone who knows what they’re doing look at it.”

Bobby knew it was a blow at his abilities, but he didn’t care.

This was action.

“But, Professor…” pleaded Bobby Drake, trying to get Xavier to see it his way.

“Robert,” said Xavier as he held steepled fingers to his chin, “I cannot afford to be out of commission for an indefinite period of time. I sense trouble ahead, and I must remain alert just in case.”

“If we don’t do it, you won’t be alert for much of anything, Professor,” said Bobby, “and you’ll be out of commission permanantly… you’ll be dead.”

“Robert,” said Storm from her position standing beside Xavier’s hoverchair, “you cannot be sure that a cure will not be found in time.”

“And we can’t be sure that one can be found in time,” said Bobby, glaring at Storm who looked at him with a smug “I told you so” glance. “Professor, please. You must have faith in us, we can get by without you for a few months.”

“Months, Robert,” said Xavier, looking into the X-Man’s eyes, “but what if it takes years, decades?”

“What will it matter if you’re dead?” Bobby replied plainly. “Professor, it’s a matter of where you’re needed more, over the next few months, or maybe only weeks, where you’ll die at the end, or over the next few decades as we save your life.”

There was silence for a moment as all of the X-Men stood in the room, staring at the man who brought them together for a dream, waiting for his next move.

“My X-Men,” he said after awhile, “could you please leave Robert and myself alone for a moment?”

Bobby and Xavier locked eyes, Bobby unsure about what was happening, but very sure and knowing of the glare Storm shot him as she walked by. Then, the study’s door closed and they were alone.

“You’re giving up, aren’t you?” said Robert as his eyes followed Xavier as he brought his hoverchair around the desk and up beside Bobby.

“Robert,” said Xavier, motioning to a chair near by where Bobby sat down, “there are things in motion you do not know of.” Bobby started to speak, but was cut off by Xavier’s lifted hand. “Things that I cannot simply ignore and allow myself to be incapacitated through.”

“Professor,” said Bobby, “please, think this through.”

“I have, Robert, for your sake as well as mine. I have thought this through, and this is the best course of action.”

“Is it that bad?” asked Bobby, looking for some sign of what was to come from Xavier. “What you sense and all, is it so bad that you have to throw away your life for it?”

They were silent again for a moment as Xavier looked down in thought and then back into Robert’s eyes.

“I’m not sure,” replied Xavier, “and that’s why I have to be here.”

“What about when it’s over? When it’s all over, would you be willing to do it then?”

Xavier nodded, if anything to calm Bobby’s nerves.

“We will see.”

“No, Professor, I want a guarantee, I need a guarantee. Not just for me, or the team, or even you, this is about your dream.” Xavier looked away briefly, but just long enough for Bobby to catch it. “That’s it, isn’t it? Your dream. You’re questioning it, aren’t you?”

“Robert,” said Xavier as tears welled into his eyes, “Bobby, these past few days have been… hard on me, on all of us. The next few months may be the hardest on all of us yet. The dream’s biggest test still lies ahead of us, and I need to be here for it.”

“But after this test, Professor,” said Bobby, leaning foward onto his knees, his face close to Xavier’s, “after all is said and done, will you do this for us, will you let us save your life?”

“Very well,” said Xavier after on last pause, “yes, but only when I feel the danger has passed.”

Bobby sighed and nodded. That was the best he was going to get.

The moon was bright over the Westchester sky as Robert Drake walked into the woods for a moment alone. Charles Xavier was dying and there was nothing they were doing about it. Not that they couldn’t do anything, they just didn’t want to.

Professor Xavier didn’t want to. Which meant whatever was coming up was gonna be big. It’d have to be if it mean the Professor was willing to put his life at risk.

Or did it? Xavier never seemed quite the same after the Magneto incident, almost apathetic to everything. He didn’t seem too concerned with the fact he was dying. Other than the few tears there were when he announced it to his X-Men, he showed no grief over his situation.

Perhaps Charles Xavier felt ready to die…

These thoughts frightened Robert Drake.

“I have been looking for you, Robert,” said a voice behind Bobby as wind rustled the leaves on surrounding trees.

“I’m sure you have,” Bobby said back as Storm settled herself on the ground and the wind died.

“You had no right to do what you did today.” Bobby laughed and spun on his heels to face Storm.

“I had no right? To do what? Try and save the Professor’s life?”

“You questioned me, you questioned the Professor, if anything was going to be done we would have acted on it. You spoke without thinking.”

“No, Ororo, that’s where we differ here, I thought the situation over and wanted to act on it, you gave up without even considering the options.”

Ororo spoke again, her voice even with anger.

“Robert, you are not the leader of this team and do not have the Professor’s ear as well as I. There are things happening you could not possibly hope to understand.”

“Oh, no, now wait, Ororo, I’ve been here from the beginning. Day one, ME! While you were running around playing African Goddess I was here working my ass off for the good of the world!”

“Robert,” said Storm, inhaling deeply, trying to contain her anger, “the Professor has trusted me with the leadership of this team. If you cannot handle that, then you have a few options, but I will not be questioned, especially in our own home.”

“Oh, seems there more to this than just the Professor’s situation, Ororo.” Bobby smirked slightly. “You feel threatened, don’t you?”

“What?!” Storm stepped back slightly, physically taken aback by Bobby’s comment. “Threatened? By you?”

“Not physically, but position. You can’t take being wrong, especially in front of the others.”

“Robert, you flatter yourself. As I have said, you have options if you do not want to be here.”

“Are you asking me to leave?”

“If you aren’t happy with the way things are, yes. Think about it, Robert.”

And, with that Storm lifted herself off the ground and was gone. Bobby stood there for a moment, thinking over the conversation, getting angrier by the second.

“Think about it?” said Bobby aloud softly.

“Think about it?” he said again, this time louder.

Then he screamed in rage, his eyes shut tightly as his body tensed and he released his anger vocally and physically.

After a few seconds, he stopped, panting from the exersion, and slowly opened his eyes at first, then letting the pop open wide.

He had let go. For the first time in years, he let go.

The area around him glowed as moonlight reflected off of the thin sheet of ice over everything within a twenty-five foot radius. The sight was amazing.

Bobby snickered a bit, then started a soft laugh that grew into a grand fit that would have made people think he had gone mad.

But, no, he had simply let go, and was now more relaxed than he had been in months.

“Come in, Robert.”

The study door opened and Robert Drake remained in the doorway.

“Professor,” he started, “I…”

Xavier held up a hand as he stared at his computer for a moment. Then, he lowered his hand and turned to Robert.

“It’s already in place, Robert,” said Xavier, steepling his fingers as he leaned back. “We’ll give you a trial period, see how you handle it, see how you like it. You’ve done it before, but I wasn’t here; I want to observe you.”

“From now until further notice, you’re field leader of the X-Men.”

She didn’t dare look over her shoulder. Looking back would have made her falter, stumble, fall; it would have been what he wanted her to do.

The streets were dark and empty, they often are at times like these when you don’t want them to be. When you want to be alone, they’re packed, a sea of people all working against you. When you need people, witnesses, help, the sea is dry.

She gave up screaming about three blocks back, her shoes fell off shortly thereafter. He laughed at that, a wicked laugh that scared her more than it should have. He was taking joy in this, too much joy. She hated him for that, but it was only one of many reasons hate was felt towards this man.

She turned quickly, slipping on the wet sidewalk, stumbling, but staying upright, heading down a narrow alley, vaulting the fallen garbage can, kicking up paper and trash behind her. She didn’t need to look back to know he was still right behind her, still on his way.

Why didn’t she face him? Why didn’t she stop, turn around, scream with all that rage and anger building up inside her, and kill him? Why didn’t she fight him?

Perhaps she did not want to?

She was in the street again, stumbling as she came off the curb, this time loosing her balance and falling forward, catching herself with her hands and still moving forwards, trying to straighten, but physics resisted and the momentum sent her to her knees. She stood and started to run again, the man laughing again, closer this time.

Lights. Two of them came down the road towards her. She smiled at the sight, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Finally,” she said in the breath.

The man chasing her said the same thing, only to himself.

The car came towards her and she turned to her right, heading for another alley, the man behind her taking his cue screaming at her, his body exploding in flames. He flung his arm around, tossing a fireball towards the lady, who easily ducked out of the way. The car screached to a halt and the man turned to face it, the lights blaring at him, but his features were hidden by the flames that engulfed him.

He pushed one hand towards the car, a stream of fire following his point, but it stopped halfway to the vehicle, a wall of ice steaming as the flames hit it.

“Would you look at what he did to my beautiful wall?” yelled a man as he rose above the wall on a slide of ice.

“Shame,” spoke a Cajun accent as something struck the ground near the fire man, exploding. He moved a bit to shield himself from rocks as he felt a shift in the air around him. More heat was near by, heat that wasn’t there before. He felt the presence as it slashed at him and he jumped back, turning to the source of the slash.

“How ’bout pickin a fight with me?” growled the voice of the man who slashed. Claws extended from his hands and they looked as hungry as the man’s eyes.

“I think not,” said the fire man, his British accent accentuating his words. He lifted into the air by pushing flames below him.

Wolverine and Gambit looked on as Bobby went into pursuit.

“Well,” said Wolverine out loud, though to himself, “he certainly ain’t the Human Torch.”

Robert Drake stayed on the man for about three-hundred yards until the man turned around and paused.

“Now, now,” he said as Bobby shot towards him on an ice slide, “you’re not supposed to be up here.”

The man pointed and a stream of fire shot out, slicing through the middle of Bobby’s ice slide. Bobby started to fall, but flung his hand out, a shot of ice leaping through the air and catching the man’s extended hand, the ice cold enough to freeze the hand through flame.

Bobby was too concerned with keeping himself from hitting the ground to pay attention to the fire man’s cursing and getting away. He pushed hard and soon was caught on a new ice slide that he rode back down to Wolverine and Gambit who had moved to check on the girl.

She had backed into the alley, staring wide-eyed at the the three men who approached her.

“St… stay… stay back!” she shouted, pressing tightly against the fall that closed her into the alley.

“It’s okay,” said Bobby, waving the other two guys off and approaching alone. “We’re the good guys, we’re here to help.”

She was shaking so much Bobby could see it. He stepped into the light so she could see his face. Words have more meaning when you see their source, he thought.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

It started as a low moan, but quickly it grew into a scream and Bobby’s hair started to rise on end. The light that provided a view of his face blew as all of the other lights nearby started to flicker. The car which had been left running started to sputter as its power fluctuated.

Lightning streaked across the sky and then a blot reached from the girl and into the heavens, the force of which tossing Bobby back a few feet and onto his rear.

The commotion died, sight returned to Robert Drake, and the girl lay unconscious at the end of the alley.

“Well,” said Bobby for the sake of comment, “so much for celebrating my promotion.”

He explained everything to the Professor. Not to Storm, Bobby owed her no explanation. That, and she would have probably found fault with how he handled the situation.

But, they were caught off-guard facing an unknown opponent who was attacking an unknown civillian of obvious power. There was only so much you could do in that situation, and Bobby felt he had done it correctly.

Professor Xavier and Bobby were sitting together and alone in a room in the basement of the mansion. Alone, but for the sleeping girl Bobby had encountered. She rested on a gurney in the middle of the observation room.

Professor Xavier had conducted her tests and confirmed what Bobby already felt – she was a mutant. But that was all they knew. She had no identification, her fingerprints matched no files they could find on any database, and Xavier had observed an intricate mind block, something he noted to himself but did not share with the others.

She woke up slowly at first, her eyes trying to open and take in light to see. But, soon her mind kicked in, signaling her that this was not a familiar surrounding. She tried to sit up, but she was restrained.

“They’re for your protection as much as ours,” said Xavier as he tried to place a calming hand on her forehead, but she pulled away.

She started to pull in, reach for that energy, explode and escape, but it was only half an effort, not even. This was where she wanted to be.

“I’m gonna let you up,” said Bobby as he stood above her. She looked into his face which smiled at her, a comforting smile. “It’s okay,” he said, reaching for one of the latches to the straps that held her down. “Just don’t freak out or shock me, okay?”

She nodded.

“Okay,” she said, her voice low, almost sultry.

Three latches later, Bobby stepped back and she sat up, looking down at the blue hospital gown she was wearing.

“We had to make sure you were okay,” said Xavier. She looked to him for the first time and he smiled to her. Her only response was to look to Bobby, who stood beside Xavier. Bobby smiled and she replied likewise, her tense body resting a bit as she reached up and tucked a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. “I am Charles Xavier, this is Robert Drake.”

“Bobby,” said Bobby with a nod.

“Hmmm…” she said, lifting herself off the gurney and looking around the room. “So, where am I?”

Bobby and Xavier looked to each other for a moment, Bobby to find out what to do next, Xavier just to look at Bobby.

“You are at the Xavier Institute For Higher Learning in Westchester,” said Xavier. “Bobby brought you here after you were attacked in town earlier this evening. Do you remember that?”

“Yes,” she said, turning to look at Bobby again, “you saved me from that man.”

“Well,” said Bobby, scratching at the back of his neck, but still looking straight into the girl’s blue eyes, “I had help.”

She stepped towards them and extended her hand to Bobby.

“Angela Tobin,” she said as Bobby shook her hand. She had a good shake, Bobby noted, not too soft, firm enough to assert her stregnth but that was all. Then he felt a little jolt, like a joy buzzer, and pulled his hand away with a jump. She held up her hand, little sparks playing across her palm and up to her fingertips. “Some call me Spark.”

Bobby smirked as he rubbed his hand.

Robert Drake left the room as Xavier obviously wanted to talk to the girl in private. He couldn’t get her out of his mind, and he was doubting himself.

Lead the X-Men. Had he taken on too much? And, no sooner does he get the position then he gets into a conflict and brings a complete stranger back to the mansion.

And now he was starting to like that decision, though it was for very personal reasons.

He stopped and thought for a bit…

He was in charge.

Professor Xavier was fearing for the immediate future of the team, yet felt if was okay for him to run the team.

He was in charge.

Professor Xavier seemed to approve of his decisions following the conflict earlier this evening.

He was in charge.

The girl was named Angela Tobin, Spark as some called her, and the Professor was speaking to her right at this moment.

He was in charge.

Professor Xavier was fearing for the immediate future of the team.

Bobby was in charge.

Bobby was in charge for the immediate future.

Robert Drake inhaled deeply and slowly pushed the breath out. He hadn’t given the position much thought, he hadn’t given anything much thought really. He had gotten cocky and arrogant, hot headed.

He charged in, practically demanded command of the team, and got it.

A team Professor Xavier feared for the immediate future of.

He charged into a fight he did not know the sides of and brought a complete stranger home.

He didn’t think.

He left the complete stranger alone with Professor Xavier.

He didn’t think.

Robert Drake usually kept a cool head about himself. It came with the gift. Or the curse. It could be considered one or the other, depending on the mentality of the person observing it. Or, in Bobby’s mind, it sometimes depended on his mood.

His mood as of now made him feel cursed.

He didn’t think.

He was the leader for the immediate future that the Professor feared would be the hardest time on the team yet.

And now Robert Drake had left the man who had just admitted to dying alone with a complete stranger.

Day one of being the leader of the X-Men, and Robert Drake already wanted to quit.

He turned back to the room he had left the woman and Xavier in, pausing at the door, hearing muffled words pass through, and staying there until the door opened later with Xavier happy to announce an new addition to the team.

A complete stranger.

Robert Drake feared for the immediate future of the team, his team, but he wasn’t sure which of his mistakes would spell the impending doom.

Read parts 1-3 of Genetic Eclipse in Uncanny X-Men #14, Apocalypse #8, & Shadowcat #6!

NEXT ISSUE: Genetic Eclipse Part 4! Apocalypse sends forth his Horsemen to test the X-Men and see which among them are a part of the Twelve. Next issue it’s Xavier’s X-Men vs. Famine and War, with special guest writers Daniel Sauve and David Wheatley!