EXECUTIVE DECISION

Part I

By Dino Pollard

The Xavier Institute

Hidden in the forests, Westchester’s river shoreline is the remains of Salem Center’s First Mission House of Worship. For many years it has been abandoned. Right near the grounds of the Xavier Institute, it is here where the children of the atom – the X-Men – bury their fallen.

Alex Summers stands at the grave of one of the X-Men’s recent losses. She was known to the X-Men as Scanner. But to Alex, she was Alyssa. She sacrificed her own life so that the X-Men might survive. He cared for her. It wasn’t love, he knows that. It was simply an attraction. But it was one that he wanted to pursue.

“Thought I’d find you out here.”

He recognizes the voice of his brother, Scott, before he even turns around. When he does, he sees Scott leaning against a tree, arms folded across his chest. Whereas Alex is dressed in casual clothes, Scott stands in uniform, the exceptions being the ruby-quartz glasses as opposed to his visor and the lack of the standard X-jacket over the gray ribbed shirt.

“Not surprised,” says Alex. “What’s with the glasses? You don’t need them anymore.”

“Call it a security blanket,” says Scott. “I’m still not completely used to having my eyes uncovered. Makes me feel naked. Plus, regardless of my powers being under control, my eyes are still a bit light sensitive.”

“Good point,” says Alex. “You here to check up on me or to avoid Charles?”

“Both actually,” says Scott. “I haven’t forgotten what he’s done, so I’m still not ready to welcome him back to the fold. Plus, it weirds me out to see Juggernaut roaming around the school and not smashing it.”

“Times are changing, but we’ll adjust,” says Alex. “Cain I don’t mind so much. It’s Deathbird that still bothers me. At least Cain’s able to kick back and have a joke or two. Deathbird’s still got that whole pompous attitude, and she expects everyone to bow at her feet whenever she walks by.”

“You know, it’s kind of stupid for us to avoid the real issue here,” says Scott, motioning to the grave they stand in front of. “Especially since it’s the proverbial elephant in the living room.”

“You know the drill, Scotty,” says Alex. “She was an X-Man, she knew the risks going in. It’s the same risks we’ve known for most of our lives. It comes with the uniform.”

“I tell you… if I had a nickel for every time I said those words to myself when Jean ‘died’…”

“Let me guess… you’d be able to buy your own mansion.”

“Pretty much,” says Scott. “The words seem pretty empty when you’ve lost someone you care about, don’t they?”

“Did I really care about her that much?” asks Alex. “I mean, I didn’t know her that well. I was attracted to her, but did I really care about her? Maybe it was just purely physical and I’m making it out to be something more than it really is.”

“That’s bullshit, Alex.”

“Is it? I mean… maybe I’m just trying to replace what Lorna and I had. Or maybe I’m trying to be like the good son and settle down with someone. Right now, I’m the same age you were when you married Jean.”

“It’s not a competition, Alex.”

“That’s what you don’t seem to get, Scott,” says Alex. “It is a competition. It’s always been a competition where the Summers brothers were concerned. And ever since we were kids, you were always in the lead, and I was the one standing in your shadow.”

Alex looks down at his hands as they begin to glow with the plasma energy his body controls.

“When I was shuffled off to that other reality, Lorna came after me,” says Alex. “She came after me, she brought me home. And what do I do? I push her away. The last time I talked to her, I yelled at her. I yelled at her for coming after me, when it’s the exact same thing I would do if our roles were reversed. And do you know why I did that?”

“I have some theories,” says Scott. “But I want to hear it from you.”

“You probably think it’s because I was scared, right?” asks Alex. “Little Alex, running scared from the one sure thing in his life, huh?”

“No, that’s not…”

“It’s because Lorna didn’t take me home – she took me from my home,” says Alex. “That other dimension – it was hell. There were problems across the board. But, for some reason, I loved it. Suddenly, I wasn’t Scott’s little brother anymore – I was just me. I had a family, I had a reason to fight that went beyond sibling rivalry.”

“Alex… I don’t mean to interrupt your speech, but what does any of this have to do with Scanner?”

“Everything,” replies Alex. “When I came back here, I felt like a total outcast. And then I met Scan-and then I met Alyssa. She was like me, she was an outcast. I felt like I could be myself around here. And… and I know I didn’t love her, but I was attracted to her. I really liked her, Scott – I cared about her. But by the time I finally get up the courage to express my feelings, not only do I find out that she feels the same way, but then she dies in the line of duty. If only I’d told her sooner… or if only I’d found a way to save her life…”

“Alex…”

“If only…”

“Alex…”

“If I was a better leader, or a better boyfriend, I could’ve saved her.”

“Alex, shut up.”

“What?”

“You heard me, and you know I don’t like to repeat myself,” says Scott. “What happened to Scanner wasn’t your fault. There was nothing you could do.”

“You don’t know that…”

“No, I do,” says Scott. “You may think I don’t know anything about you, but I do. You think I didn’t know about all your insecurities, that you felt like an outcast, or that I didn’t know that you blamed yourself for Scanner? Did you really believe that I thought you left Lorna because you were afraid of happiness?”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I know you better than anyone,” says Scott. “Why do you think I push you so hard? I’m always trying to put you into situations where you’ll thrive.”

“Right, sure thing, Scotty.”

“When Jean was restructuring the teams, I insisted that she give you my spot on the active roster,” says Scott.

“What?” asks Alex. “Are you serious?”

“Of course,” replies Scott. “It’s also why I wanted you to lead X-Factor back when I returned to the X-Men. I know what you’re capable of, and I know that if I was on the active roster with you, that you’d feel like you were in my shadow. I tried to convince Jean to put you in a leadership position, but at the time, she felt Kurt and Domino were better choices.”

“Scott… I… I don’t know what to say…” says Alex. “I feel like such a prick now.”

“Understandable,” says Scott, grinning. “It’s a Summers thing.”

New York City

“Doctor Campbell, your eleven o’clock is here.”

“Good, send them in,” replies Rory Campbell through the intercomm system. A moment later, the door to his office opens. A man with short black hair wearing a dress shirt and slacks with a tie and a black overcoat enters. By his side is an attractive Asian woman with purple hair and a red tattoo over her left eye. Rory stands up to great both of them.

“Pete, Betsy, glad you could make it,” says Rory, extending his hand.

“Y’ better have a good reason for bringin’ us across the pond, Campbell, old son,” says Pete Wisdom. He ignores Rory’s hand and instead takes a seat in front of Rory’s desk and props his feet up on the surface. “Bastards won’t even let me smoke in here.”

“Ignore him, he’s always cross at this hour,” says Betsy Braddock, politely shaking Rory’s hand and then taking her seat beside Wisdom.

“Bite me, luv,” says Wisdom. “So tell us, how’d you get these nice digs?”

“I was hired by something of a mutual associate,” says Rory. “Welcome to my new job.”

“What exactly do you do?” asks Betsy.

“Yeah, and why are we here?” asks Wisdom.

“I have a very specific reason for asking you both here,” replies Rory. “As you have no doubt discovered, mutants have come into the spotlight as of late.”

“That Mutant Rights Act, huh?” asks Wisdom.

“Precisely,” replies Rory. “My employer is very interested in a positive outcome for the Mutant Rights Act, but he is also wary of the threats that stand to mutantkind.”

Rory reaches into his pocket and pulls out his keychain. He unlocks the bottom drawer of his desk and pulls two file folders out of it. He hands one each to Wisdom and Betsy.

“With the help of the X-Men and X-Factor, we’ve discovered some pretty unsavory things,” says Rory. “From mutant slave traders in Russia to organizations like Black Womb and evidence of what might be a resurgence of Weapon X. Mutants are becoming quite the commodity these days, especially in this age of wars on terrorism and high alert statuses.”

“So what are you saying?” asks Betsy. “That the world is on the verge of some sort of superhuman arms race?”

“That’s exactly it,” replies Rory.

“So call in X-Factor or the X-Men to deal with these guys,” says Wisdom.

“If only it were that easy,” says Rory. “My employer feels that the X-Men aren’t right for these missions. They have the resources needed, true. But with the rise of the Mutant Rights Act and the Xavier Institute opening its doors wide open, the X-Men have become very public. And that doesn’t suit our purposes at all.”

“And X-Factor?” asks Wisdom.

“X-Factor operates under the auspices of the United States government,” replies Rory. “And I would think someone like you would understand the possible conflicts of interest. Sure, X-Factor could help shut down illegal mutant testing in enemy countries – but what about those operated by nations who are allies? Or facilities owned by the government themselves? No, like the X-Men, X-Factor’s range is too limited. We need another solution.”

“We gonna dance with your hand on me arse all night or are you gonna make a move, Campbell?” asks Wisdom. “Cut to the chase already. I didn’t come here to discuss the limits of all the bloody X-groups out there.”

“Here’s what I propose…” says Rory. He reaches into the same drawer he pulled the other folders out and pulls two more out, handing them both to Wisdom and Betsy.

“X-Corps?” asks Betsy.

“X-Corps,” replies Rory. “Independently owned and operated, owing no allegience to any of the world’s governments. A worldwide organization that operates in the shadows. Officially, we don’t exist. Unofficially, we don’t exist. Perfectly suited to cut down on the exploitation of mutants.”

“No dice, Campbell,” says Wisdom. “Our X-days were over when Excalibur disbanded.”

“Open your eyes, Pete,” says Rory. “This is bigger than Excalibur, bigger than the X-Men. Read the reports. You, above all, should understand the need for X-Corps. I’m not asking you to put on a blue and gold costume and wave an X flag in support of a dream that an idealistic bald cripple had about fifty years ago. I’m asking you to do what you’ve wanted to do since you left Black Air – as the field director of X-Corps, I want you to expose the bastards and shut them down.”

Wisdom looks over to his lover, and a brief psychic exchange courtesy of Betsy’s mutant abilities takes place. Wisdom blinks and then looks at Rory with a smile.

“Yer one persuasive sonnuva bitch, Campbell,” says Wisdom. “You’ve got a deal.”

“You’re both in then?” asks Rory.

“Yes,” replies Betsy.

“Good,” says Rory. “Then I want you to begin recruiting.”