BOOM?

By Kyle Trainer

Prologue

Charles Francis Xavier is about to die.

He knows full well that this is true. He feels it in his heart. But he has no explanation for this. He just knows he is about to cease to exist.

As he looks about him, he takes in the situation, preserving it in his mind one final time. The United States Army bodysuit he is clad in is torn from ankle to wrist, and everywhere in between. He bleeds from every opening, and cannot move. He lies sprawled across a landscape that vaguely resembles a battlefield, and sees a war going on in the foreground. Lights flash, people fly, and he senses a darkness directing this very battle. He feels it, deep down, that his time is nearly over, but knows he has one thing left to do. He needs to make one final peace.

“Hello, Charles.”

The voice, so dark and deep, has been one Xavier has treasured and feared for many years. The voice personifies Charles’ personal struggles, his battles within… his need to succeed in his ultimate goal. But the person behind this voice stands for everything Charles’ goal does not.

“Hello, Magnus.”

“How are you?” The Master of Magnetism stands over Xavier, his body seething with power. The red and purple armor which Magneto has worn for the latter part of his life is singed, burned, and cracked open all over. His helmet is gone, leaving his flowing white hair to dangle down to his shoulders. He is in the same state as Xavier… on his last legs.

“I am dying, Magnus.”

“As am I.” Magnus pauses a moment, taking in the situation. “You wished to speak with me. Why is this?”

“How…?” Charles takes a moment to survey the new situation. Magnus has come to him, at this late stage, because Charles wishes it so. But why does he? What is his final wish, his reason for speaking with Magnus.

“I wish to make peace.”

“Do you?” The voice, ominous yet softening, carries into Charles’ ears. “As do I. But why should we?”

“Magnus… we were the best of friends, we were the worst of friends.” Charles half-smiles, as does Magnus. “We once shared a vision of the future… but that is now behind us. You and I have both done things in our past… to each other and to others… that we regret. I sincerely want to make amends for robbing you of your life, Magnus.”

“Do you?” The voice stops shifting, and settles on a thoughtful tone. Magnus nods. “I, also, wish to make amends for what I have done to you… done to your allies. But look what they have done to me. Look what YOU have done to me. You’ve imprisoned me within your very mind, Charles. My mind… within yours.”

“Magnus, I… MAGNUS!” But before Xavier can complete his thought, the Master of Magnetism shudders and falls. Charles claws his way through rubble and reaches for Magnus, clutching his friend to his breast. “Magnus, what…?”

“I have fallen again, Charles,” Magnus sputters through cracked lips and missing teeth. His face shudders, his eyes take on a vacant look, and the angry scowl that he has worn for so long disappears. “I wish to make… ACHH… amends. I wish to pass on… to see Magda, Anya, the others I have lost. But I cannot until you GRRKK let me go. Please… I truly… HAKKK… of you …I beg, Charles. HNNNH!”

“Magnus, NO!” With all his strength, Charles Xavier clutches Magnus to his chest. He feels their minds linked together, as they have been. And Xavier sees the sky around him begin to collapse… to fall towards him. “What… what do I have to do…?”

“Let… me… go.” Magnus shudders once more, and completely stops moving. With a gasp of effort, he manages to sputter, “Let my mind… go… free… from… yours…”

“MAAAAAAAGNUS!” Charles Francis Xavier screams as the sky completely collapses with a full fireworks display, and he and Magneto are…

…Ended.

The Xavier Institute For Higher Learning

Welcome to Salem Center, deep inside Westchester County, in the state of New York. Traverse this fine town, and you’ll find many interesting establishments… Harry’s Hideaway, the Sheriff’s Office, the Watering Hole, and the Xavier Institute For Higher Learning.

Go to the first three places, and you’ll find a burger joint, a drunken sheriff, and… well, at nights, a drunken sheriff. The final location, though, known as the Xavier Institute… well, that place bears secrets of its own.

Swing by Xavier’s late one Saturday night. Bypass the intense security measures and tall iron gates, over a half-dozen concrete steps, through the towering doors, and into the Mansion. You’ll find its current inhabitants, the Uncanny X-Men.

Gathered by Professor Charles Xavier, the X-Men attend the Institute to learn how to better control their powers. They are also there to help Charles Xavier in his ultimate goal of uniting humans and mutants on this planet. Mutants, those humans with alterations within their DNA, usually have odd and unusual powers and abilities. The X-Men are no exception.

Case-in-point: Iceman.

“So?” Robert Drake, a.k.a. Iceman, smiles a happy smile. A content smile. “You give up?”

“Oh,” Ororo Munroe shakes her head, holding her head in her palms. “Yes. Which came first?”

“The egg. I think. Who would the chicken procreate with?” Iceman smiled, and tilted his head back. The remaining orange juice slid down his throat and disappeared. Bobby Drake spent this morning in a simple blue spandex outfit, with a trademark red ‘X’ on the right shoulder. “Anyway, did you enjoy the workout this morning?”

“I suppose,” Ororo’s tone deepened, and she looked down. She was wearing a flowing African dress, peppered with red and blue jewels, cinched at the waist. Her white hair was still damp following her shower, which she had taken after their workout, before they ate breakfast. “I… shall go work in my garden.”

“Uh, Storm?” Bobby’s tone deepened as well, and he looked around the kitchen.

Iceman and Storm, the current leader of the X-Men, had worked out early that morning in the woods surrounding the Xavier mansion. The two had eaten a breakfast of pancakes, orange juice, and toast, made by a fellow X-Man. In the last month, the Xavier mansion has been refilled with opulent furniture, futuristic technologies, and a full squadron of X-Men.

“Yes, Bobby?” Storm looked down. She controlled the weather, and Bobby controlled ice itself… an aspect of the weather. The two had been close allies for a long time.

“I was wondering… I was wondering how you were doing.” Bobby quickly leapt from his chair after speaking, grabbed his and Storm’s dishes, and walked around the bar to the sink. He dropped them, still nervous and slightly shaking, and turned on the water faucet. The high powered liquid washed over the remains of their food. Storm reached over and turned off the faucet.

“Oh? You might be referring to my condition after the recent events?” Storm stared at Bobby… and into him. She read him like a comic book. “I am dealing with it, Iceman.”

“Uh… right.” Bobby scratched his head. “Well, maybe you should… ya know… talk about it?”

“Of course.” Storm continued staring at Bobby, who averted his eyes. He created a small snowball and bounced it from hand to hand. “Which event are you speaking about, Bobby? Stop avoiding it.”

“I… fine.” Bobby turned to her. He decided to drop his nice-guy facade, and get to the question every X-Man had been thinking of for the past month since the other X-Men left. “Why did you attack Scott?”

“WHAT?” Storm leaned down, peering into the blue eyes of Iceman. She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean by THAT?”

“I… I mean… can I talk about without you getting mad?” Pause. “Or madder?”

“Of course.” Storm looked away, leaning against the wall.

“You and Cyclops. You’ve been teammates… co-leaders… friends. Except for one time, you guys NEVER came to blows! What was with that? Why? What happened? You know, you two literally destroyed the new Danger Room. We can’t use it, or even enter it, while we flush out the radioactive particles. You should go get chec…”

“Enough.” Storm turned. “Cyclops and I had a… difference of opinion over his idea for what the X-Men should do now. I personally do not take well to someone attacking me and denying it, but that is just me.”

“But… well… who won?” Iceman pivoted, blocking her exit through the only door out of that section of the kitchen. “I mean, the fight, when we came in, you two were nearly unconscious, having beat each other senseless.”

“Well… it’s… I…” Storm lowered her head in shame. Her expressions told him all he needed. “I have to go.”

“Of course.” Iceman turned away as the African-born X-Man walked out of the room, her dress flowing behind her. “So Scotty can really take her… huh…”

All Iceman needs is a moment of peace. A moment of tranquillity to calm his nerves. He wants to see his friends, be with Hank and Warren in… wherever they are. He wants to just relax and forget about being an X-Man… think about his dad… just have some quiet…

“Jislaaik, maat! You sure had that beaut skriked good, ya frozen oke!”

Who didn’t see THAT one coming a mile away?

“Oh, Lord.” This is what Iceman needs. “Hello, Maggott. Long time no see.”

“True, true.” The X-Man known as Maggott, who spends the majority of his time alone with two skittering critters that are his digestive system… Eany and Meany, two giant slugs… is quite bothersome, at least in Iceman’s eyes. Too… happy. Too… go-lucky. Too… self-confident. Too much unlike Iceman.

“How’re you doin, Icicle? I swear, a maat would think you’d be avoiding my bad self.”

“Uh, no, of course, not.”

“You know, a masterpiece like me an’ a cherrie like you should hang out more often. I saw this lekker the other week, name of ‘Moira’, visiting the bald man. She was a scrumptious biscuit, if I do say so my…”

“Lekker? Biscuit?” Bobby cannot help but shake his head. “I’ll… be going now. Been fun.”

“Don’t forget t’skrak three times before you donner!”

“Skrak three times before I… okay.” Iceman exits the room, mumbling a few things to himself. “That guy’s gotta be the most annoying X-Man since Cecilia was around…”

Meanwhile, in Israel…

AGENT: Ruth Bat-Seraph.

CODENAME: Sabra.

SPECIFICATIONS: Member of the Mossad superhuman program, secret agent for the Israeli government.

ABILITIES: Superhuman strength, speed, and endurance.

NOTES: Leads the superhuman taskforce called the ‘Elite Guard’.

CURRENT LOCATION: Classifed – Top Secret.

DETAILS: Sabra is currently leading the ‘Elite Guard’, made up of the top agents in the Mossad, in search of the mutant X-Men.

SPECIFICATIONS OF MISSION: To hunt down and capture each member of the X-Men that is available.

REASON FOR MISSION: An X-Man has broken a peace treaty signed by the United States, and by those laws, the X-Men as a team are being held accountable.

“Everything’s in order, I see…” Gabrielle Haller, a longtime agent of the Israeli government, slides the file into a plastic bag. As she stares out a window onto the setting sun’s beauty, the bag is dropped into a garbage can, and is lit aflame. “Time to make the X-Men learn the truth. It’s time they meet Joseph’s new playmates…”

The Xavier Institute. Well, below it actually…

{X-MEN! TO THE HANGAR BAY, IMMEDIATELY!}

For the fourth time, the frantic call has slammed into the minds of the Uncanny X-Men. Each member is responding in his or her own way… and has finally made it down to the Hangar Deck… located deep below the Xavier mansion and what was once the Danger Room… where their current ship, the Aurora, awaits their boarding.

Welcome to a standard Friday afternoon in the Xavier mansion.

“Well? What’s dis about?” The X-Man known as Gambit, or Remy LeBeau, takes a moment to light up a cigarette. Inhaling, he notices the silence his inquiry causes. “Uh, someone else mus’ be curious… anyone?”

“We must trust in the Professor’s will, Remy.” Storm has changed into her X-Men uniform, a silvery outfit which she finds comforting, for some reason.

“Yeah, like he’s so trustworthy…” Her name is Marrow. She’s not very nice. Not to any of the X-Men.

“Cork it, Marrow!” And, once again, Iceman.

{X-MEN! I’m glad you made it! It would take too much time to inform you of the situation through words, so I am expressing it through the images I experience. This is merely a link between us where I recall an event.}

“Kinky…” Gambit tries to begin, but…

{Under an hour’s distance from us is an Israeli attack vessel called the Seventh Day. It is heavily armed and shielded, and is used by the Mossad – the Israeli intelligence group that has spawned such superheroines as Sabra. Board the Aurora as I tell you! You, too, Sarah, no questions asked!}

“Oh, fine.” Marrow, or Sarah as she was once called, begrudgingly walks onto the ship. There, Xavier is manning the controls.

They are the X-Men: Gambit, Storm, Iceman, Maggott, Marrow, and Rogue. And Professor X.

“We are to keep this ship from reaching the mansion. We know it is heading for us because of a computer program we set up after Bastion attacked during Zero Tolerance. It tells us of all autopilot systems directed at our location.” Charles pauses.

“Professor, you do not look refreshed, despite your sequestering.” Storm tries to say more, but Charles cuts her off.

“I had some difficult dreams. My… powers let me vividly experience them, even more so then a normal human does.” He turns to Maggott. “Japheth, thank you for joining us. After the others… chose to leave, we needed an available X-Man. Wolverine is busy on his own and no other X-Men will respond to our call. Thank you for returning.”

“No sweat.” Maggott smiles an easy smile, leaning on the controls. Eany and Meany slither about his frame. “We’re glad to help, right, dolls?”

“Ah… yes.” Xavier leans back. “I hope my fears are unjustified.”

For the next half-hour, the X-Men sit in silence. They feel the jet twist and move as they intercept their opponents, their mysterious enemies. Finally, Marrow sits up.

“What’s going on? What are you doing, Shiny?” She is apparently quite curious.

“I… what?” He turns, but a jolt in the ship makes him face forward again. “Our opponents somehow know we are their targets, and are using their ship’s protected state to maneuver around the New York coastline. We are being pushed and prodded quite a… a bit.”

“In English, Prof?”

“They’re bullying us around the sky, Robert.”

“Professor, watch out, they’re coming closer… OOF!” Storm flies forward, slamming into a jutting control. Marrow snickers.

The Aurora and the Seventh Day push each other more and more until they both begin losing power. Xavier and the mystery pilot keep slamming into each other, at high enough speeds to damage, but low enough to avoid explosion. They skim the surface of the ocean repeatedly, rising to see New York in the short distance.

“I think they are running out of… GAH!” Charles is thrown backwards as something explodes. “I… I cannot see! They won’t respond! Gambit, take the controls!”

“Me…? But, I don’… AAH!” Gambit grabs them frantically, swinging around. “What’s that doof DOIN’?”

The two ships slam harder and harder. Gambit narrowly avoids the Statue of Liberty three times, since they are apparently circling it. They get closer and closer to the mammoth statue each time.

“I’m not doin’ half-bad, non?” The two ships slam into each other near the ocean’s surface and are locked together. They slowly rise…

“Gambit… Remy… LOOK OUT!”

“Stormy, what? Uh, d’Statue… AHH!”

With a mighty crash the Aurora and Seventh Day, locked together in mid-air, slam full-tilt into the Statue of Liberty, both being engulfed in fire.

A ‘BOOM’ would now be appropriate…

NEXT ISSUE: Will all the X-Men make it out of this crash? How will the Statue of Liberty fare? Watch an international incident unfold, as the X-Men take on Sabra and the Elite Guard!