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- CASSANDRA NOVA
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- PHOENIX
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- CYCLOPS
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- STORM
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- ICEMAN
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- COLOSSUS
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- KWANNON
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- WOLVERINE
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- JUBILEE
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- SKIN
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- PROTEUS
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- BOLT
WHAT LIES BENEATH
By Ryan Krupienski
North Amherst, Massachusetts
Four figures dressed in black uniforms trimmed with yellow step off the ramp of the sleek, modern jet sitting on the ground not too far from the ruins of what was once a secret laboratory. From the outside, it seems to have been only one level, but the massive holes left by a great explosion reveal underground levels that show the true purpose of this facility: not only was it once a lab, it was a genetics research and development complex, a breeding ground for genetically-enhanced human beings. Up until six months ago, it was the lair of the villains called Psionex and their creators, and right before its demise, also where the young team of mutants known as Generation X were being interred.
The four X-Men make their way slowly toward one side of the dilapidated building, the red-headed female at the head of the formation. Phoenix scans the area with her eyes and her mind, looking for any signs of movement or life; she can find none. Even though a thick fog blankets the area, she knows her initial scans are accurate.
The same goes for one of her companions, Wolverine. Though his healing factor has shut down on him, his senses are still sharp as ever, and he too can pick up nothing. All he smells around him are the lingering scents of many who are long dead, and it uneases him as he’s reminded of his own mortality, of what’s to come. How soon it will happen, he’s unsure; he won’t let it hold him back or slow him down, though.
The other two, Jubilee and Skin, follow behind their elders, knots forming in their stomaches as they lay eyes on the settled desolation for the first time. Jubilee was here when it happened, she saw the building explode with her own eyes, while Skin only heard about it all from Jubilee, albeit in graphic detail. She told him all about how Psionex invaded the school and kidnapped everyone but her, and how she and Emma came here to this facility to rescue their teammates. It didn’t work out as planned; Jubilee located two of her teammates and freed them, but it was too late as Psionex ambushed them. Blink made the decision to give Jubilee the chance to escape, and she ended up right outside the lab, where she witnessed it go up in fire and smoke.
That’s where the blank spots start. She remembers hearing Emma’s voice in her head, and then nothing, and after the recent incident at the Massachusetts Academy, the general consensus is that the former White Queen of the Hellfire Club is responsible. That’s why the X-Men are here, now; they’re looking for clues, anything that might lead them to Emma Frost. It still stings that she betrayed them, after Professor Xavier gave her a second chance, and even worse to think that she may be more involved in the whole scheme than they realize.
“You okay?” Skin asks as he walks beside Jubilee, who simply nods in response while keeping her eyes on the ruins. He turns his gaze back to the lab as well, and one same thought keeps playing over and over in his mind: hopefully they won’t find any bodies. That could mean his friends may still be alive.
Phoenix and Wolverine step up to the largest of the gapings holes, and they stare down at the uninviting darkness below. They can barely make out the gouged steel walls and floors in the absence of light and with all the clutter around, but between Phoenix’s psionic abilities and Wolverine’s senses, either one of them could easily navigate their way through the catacombs. Which is exactly what they intend to do.
“Jubilee, Angelo,” Phoenix says as she turns to face her young charges. “Logan and I are going in. I want you to stay here.”
“Wait a second,” Jubilee retorts in protest, “I studied a blueprint of this place and snuck myself in, let me go!”
Phoenix shakes her head. “I understand that, but I’m better equipped to protect myself from any surprises, Jubilee.”
“Well why not you and me then?”
Wolverine has her answer. “Jeannie needs my nose, darlin’,” he says as he points to it.
Jubilee sighs in defeat. “Alright,” she agrees, “but don’t keep us waiting too long.”
“So,” Skin says as he and Jubilee watch Phoenix and Wolverine descend to the lower level, “how are you really doing?”
“Just frusterated. Wish I could do more.”
“Don’t feel so bad,” Skin says, “I mean, it’s the Mighty Phoenix and El Wolverine we’re talking about here… they can make anybody feel useless, not just you, Jubecita.”
Jubilee rolls her eyes at the stupid name, though she’s never bothered to tell him not to call her that. She replies, “I guess so. But I wish could go in there, I know the place, I can find… you know.”
Skin looks puzzled. “What?”
“You know,” she says again. “Stuff.”
“Maybe it’s best you don’t go in, you know? Jubes, I’m hurting too, knowing that Ev and Paige and everyone might be… dead,” Skin says, exercising a bit of hesitation with the last word, “but that’s why we’re here, to see if there’s any bodies.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Jubilee says, “I know. I just hope we find something that leads us to Emma.”
Skin can only wonder what it was like for Jubilee, to be held under the thrall of a high-class telepath for half a year, to be very aware of almost everything you’re doing and everything going on around you… yet have no control whatsoever. To have someone play with you like that, as if you’re a marionette puppet, and all you can do is watch from behind your own eyes. It’s the ultimate violation, and one that Skin knows Jubilee will not let go unavenged.
“What are you going to do?” he asks her, somewhat cautiously, as if he himself has something to fear. “If they can find Emma, what are you gonna do?”
“Only one thing I can do.” Jubilee pauses for a moment as a small smirk crosses her face. “I am going to beat. That. ASS.”
“Nice,” Skin says as he laughs at the comment. “Just make sure to save me a piece! I’d like to get a couple shots in myself…”
“Don’t worry, man, the White Ho’s got plenty of booty to go around.”
“Y’know, I always thought I was the only one who noticed that! It’s really round… and big…”
“AAH!” Jubilee yells in mock terror. “Okay, enough about Emma’s ass. Please.”
They enjoy another laugh and exchange smiles, then go silent and turn their attention back to the opening that Phoenix and Wolverine descended into. They stand next to each other and don’t say anything else, as now they’re just waiting to see what – if anything – has been uncovered. The silence is somewhat comforting, and it continues for close to ten minutes as they just stand and wait, until their teammates return.
After having been gone a good fifteen minutes or so, Phoenix lifts herself and Wolverine out of the complex below and sets them gently on the ground. Jubilee at first doesn’t notice the small mini-disk that Phoenix carries in her hand, and asks, “What’d you find? What’s down there?”
“No bodies,” Phoenix informs her and Skin, a solemn expression on her face, “but a lot of blood.”
Jubilee swallows back a lump in her throat as she turns to Wolverine. “Logan?”
“Not any o’ yer friends, far as I could tell,” Wolverine tells her. “No scents I recognized.”
“What’s that?” Skin asks, pointing to the disk in Phoenix’s hand.
Phoenix holds it up for all to see. “We found this in what we think is the central lab,” she says. “This might be what we need to find Emma.”
The Xavier Institute; War Room
More than a handful of X-Men are scattered about the dim room, their eyes fixed on the holographic projection emanating from the center of the large oval table. The projection shows the blueprints of a large facility, and giving the presentation on the complex is a woman they’ve all come to know in the past couple weeks, namely Cassandra Nova. Whether they actually trust her yet varies from person to person; some have accepted her with open arms, others have opted to watch her like a hawk. However, they all have to wonder – why is Cassandra giving this briefing, instead of the notably absent Jean Grey and Scott Summers?
Bobby Drake, Jubilee, Logan, and Kwannon sit and stand in their own little cluster, and Piotr Rasputin, Ororo Munroe, and Peter Valentino are spread around the room, all listening to Cassandra as she speaks. “This installation is literally in the middle of nowhere – it’s hidden deep within the mountains of Russia,” she says as the projection briefly changes to a map of the former USSR. “Very cold, lots of ice and snow. It’s rather treacherous.”
“We’ve dealt with worse,” Logan quips, leaning back a bit in his seat.
As Ororo shoots Logan a glare from across the table, Cassandra continues, “This installation is apparently owned and operated by a company called GeneTech.” The projection switches back to the blueprint. “Whether the company is still up and running, we don’t know. All the disk gave us was information on the general areas of research, and where their other facility is located.”
“Okay, but what does this have to do with finding Emma Frost?” Bobby interjects, Jubilee giving a look to indicate she’s wondering the same thing. “Why are we sniffing around science labs when we should be checking out places like all her homes and business offices around the world?”
“Jean feels this is our best lead,” Cassandra explains. “She has reason to believe that Emma may have had some dealings with GeneTech… that she might have even bought the company. If this laboratory is up and running, it may be your best bet in finding her.”
Jubilee’s heart sinks as she wonders: did Emma set them up? Could she have hired Psionex to kidnap Generation X? She wonders just how far Emma’s betrayal extends, and she knows everyone else does too; she can feel all their eyes on her, pitying her, but also cheering her on, lifting her up in support. It’s annoying yet empowering at the same time.
“So,” Cassandra says as the hologram disappears from the center of the table, “that concludes the mission briefing. Jean will fill you in a bit more on the way, but those are the basics. With that said… Mister Rasputin, Miss Munroe, Miss Lee, Mister Valentino – suit up, Jean and Scott will meet you in the Blackbird shortly.”
“Wait just a damn second,” Logan says in protest as he rises from his chair, “what kind of bullshit are you trying to pull, lady? You’re gonna send in an untrained kid, and leave me behind? Like you said, this could get ‘treacherous’.” He pauses and looks over at Peter. “No offense.”
Peter gives him a slightly irritated look. “None taken,” he retorts.
“I did not pick the roster for this mission, Logan,” Cassandra informs the older man, “Jean did. Since the installation could potentially be psi-proof, like the one here in the States, we may need a shape-shifter for infiltration purposes.”
Piotr looks down at the young man now standing nearby him, and gently pats him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he says kindly, “Logan didn’t mean anything by it. You’ll be fine.”
Peter looks up at the Russian and smiles at him. “Thanks.”
“So there you have it,” Cassandra concludes, “you are all dismissed. If you’ll excuse me, I’m expected for a class.”
Logan growls as Cassandra hurries past him and out of the room, not even affording him a final look. “I can’t stand her,” he says as Jubilee comes up beside him.
“Stop being such a grump,” Jubilee snaps at him. “Come on, settle down! You can’t go on every mission. Especially now, you have to take care of yourself. Besides, Jean’s probably waiting to send you on something bigger and even more important.”
Logan turns to look at Jubilee and he suddenly feels calm; she’s always had that special way of settling him down, of being able to pull him back even when he’s on the brink of a berserker rage. “Yeah,” Logan replies, “you’re probably right, kid.”
Jubilee smiles and gives him a quick hug, then a peck on the cheek. “I’ll be sure to take pictures so you can see all the action you missed,” she jokes, and Logan can’t help but smile a little. “Okay, well, time to go, I guess…”
“Be careful,” Kwannon says as she gives her cousin a hug.
“Of course,” Jubilee agrees.
Jubilee turns to Bobby and asks, “Care to send me off?” He smiles and nods, and the two walk off together, following behind the other three who are going on the mission. Logan and Kwannon are left alone in the room, and they turn to face each other.
“He’s lucky that she’s nineteen, or we’d have a problem,” Logan says, mockingly balling his hands into fists. “Still not too sure about the two of them… but she’s an adult, guess I can’t make too much noise.”
“Not to mention he treats her well,” Kwannon offers. “It’s in the very early stages anyway, Logan. I wouldn’t worry.”
“I don’t worry,” Logan says matter-of-factly as he starts towards the door. “I get mad.”
The Summers’ Bedroom
Scott and Jean sit next to each other on their large, king-size bed, their focus on each other and most predominantly on the infant girl in front of them. She’s about a year old, with vibrant green eyes – like her mother – and the beginnings of what will development into thick, brown hair – like her father. Whether Rachel Summers will develop psionic powers like Jean, optic blasts like Scott, or some totally different mutation – or perhaps nothing at all – is yet to be seen for years to come.
Rachel gushes happily as her little arms flail wildly in the air, and she smiles big and giggles loudly as her parents make baby talk and play around with her. It’s been too long since they’ve been able to do this, to gather as a family and spend some quality time together. Too bad it has to be right before Scott and Jean leave for a mission, but they both agree that they need to make more time for their daughter and for each other.
As the proud parents focus on their child, Chris Bradley arrives at the half-open door to the room, and decides to stop and watch the happy family for a moment. More specific, he watches Jean, who makes his heart race just a little faster everytime he sees her; she’s the most magnificant creature he’s ever seen, the one thing he’s ever wanted more than anything else in his young life, yet he knows he can never have her. He wonders, is she aware of his feelings for her? Chris knows Jean doesn’t just go poking around inside other people’s heads, but his emotions are so strong, he wonders if she’s picked up on anything by now.
“You can come in, you know,” Jean says without moving an inch, instead still playing with her daughter.
Chris opens the door a little more and steps through, smiling awkwardly as he approaches the two original X-Men. “Sorry, didn’t want to bother you guys.”
“Well you’re watching Rachel for us, of course you’re not bothering us,” Jean says as she looks over at the young man. “And you’re right on time.”
“Daddy and mommy are going now, okay sweetie?” Scott coos gently as he caresses Rachel’s head. “Be a good girl, alright?”
Scott picks the baby up and hands her over to Chris, who gives her a welcoming smile. “Thanks again, we really do appreciate it,” Scott says to him before heading for the door. Jean gives her daughter a kiss on the cheek, then takes Chris’ hand for a quick second and gives it a squeeze. “Yes, thank you. Let Hank know if there are any problems.”
Chris nods and can feel his cheeks warm just a little as Jean releases his hand and briskly walks out of the room with her husband. He sighs, somewhat discontent, and then begins to bounce the baby ever so slightly in his arms. “Come on, babe,” he says to her as he heads for the door, “let’s go play Xbox.”
The Hangar Bay
Five of the six Russia-bound X-Men sit in the Blackbird jet, waiting for their teammate to get on the plane so they can leave already. Jubilee stands at the foot of the jet’s ramp, Bobby standing right in front of her. She’s dressed in her X-Men uniform – the new standard black leather-like material, complete with a jacket, adorned with stripes of yellow around the collar and at the cuffs. Of course the look wouldn’t be complete without the big silver ‘X’ belt buckle and the yellow X’s on the face of the gloves, and then there’s Jubilee’s own touches – large hoop earrings and a pair of rimless, translucent purple sunglasses.
“You look hot,” Bobby says playfully, and Jubilee can’t help but chuckle. He becomes a bit more serious as he says, “Be careful.”
“I will,” Jubilee replies with an affirmative nod. “And you behave while I’m gone.”
They exchange another smile, and Bobby kisses her on the forehead before she pulls herself away and boards the jet. Bobby moves back and away from the take-off area as the ramp folds up and the Blackbird’s engines begin to fire up.
{Good God, I thought it’d never end.} Cyclops projects that somewhat sarcastic thought into his wife’s mind.
Phoenix just smiles. {Give me a break. They aren’t nearly as bad as you and I used to be.}
Cyclops and Storm sit up front in the cockpit, while Phoenix, Colossus, Proteus, and now Jubilee sit buckled up in the passengers’ area. “Is everyone ready to go?” Storm asks, and everyone responds ‘yes’. With that, the hangar bay opens up, and the Blackbird lifts up out of it and takes off into the sky.
The other side of the world…
In a small, brightly-lit room with mirrors covering the walls and ceiling, Emma Frost sits at a computer console, guidings its actions with her mind. Of anywhere else in this complex, it’s her favorite place, as it’s the only one wherein she can use her telepathy freely. Well, use her telepathy freely, plus sit around naked and have fondu and chabli.
Emma is fully clothed at the moment, however, and hard at work on an important project. She’s looking for something… for someone… a man who seems to be on everyone’s ‘must find’ list. She’s frusterated and baffled by her inability to locate him; after all, she’s only one of the world’s most powerful telepaths. Then again, so is her quarry.
Emma sighs as she takes a sip of wine from her diamond goblet, and swivels in her silver leather chair, away from the computer. She’s tired and not in the mood for a wild goose chase right now. She’s also fruserated, even though everything is moving along as planned, except for this little side project. She has a lot of pent-up tension at the moment… and she needs to release it.
Emma rises up out of her chair and saunters towards her bed, crawling onto it and over to the end table next to it. Just as she opens the top drawer to retrieve a of couple items, the door to her small sanctuary opens up. Emma shuts the end table drawer and turns around to see a young girl walking towards her. The girl is a spitting image of Emma – blonde hair, blue eyes, even the nose and cheekbones are the same. The girl looks to be around ten years old, and is dressed in a silky white robe lined with white fur.
“Sophia,” Emma says as she reaches an arm out to the girl, “come here, my darling.”
“Mommy,” Sophia says as she climbs onto the bed next to Emma, “my face hurts…”
“Oh, it’s only natural, dear,” Emma tells her in a consoling tone. “Even after a month, there’s still a bit of pain. Mommy had the same thing. But it will pass.”
Emma takes the girl into her arms and begins to gently caress her face. “Mommy,” Sophia asks, “when do I get to play again?”
“Very soon, my dear, very soon,” Emma answers. “In fact, I’m in the process of finding a wonderful new toy for you as we speak. See that computer over there?”
Emma looks over at the machine behind the silver chair, and Sophia turns her head and does the same. “That’s called Cerebra,” Emma explains. “It can find anybody, anywhere in the world. And just for you, I’m going to make it find an incredible toy, something beyond your wildest imaginations.”
Sophia smiles and her irises fade away, replaced by a blueish-white glow. {We love you, Mommy,} she says into Emma’s mind, except now when she ‘speaks’, there is more than one voice. {We can’t wait!}
Emma thinks of how everything is falling into place, and can’t help but smile a devilish smile. Very soon, she’ll have everything she wants, and no one will be able to stand in her way. It’s only a matter of time.
“Neither can I, dearest,” Emma says to the girl, “neither can I.”
NEXT ISSUE: Things heat up as the X-Men arrive in Russia – but encounter a small problem in the process! With one X-Man incapacitated, it’ll be up to another to get the team the access they need into the GeneTech compound. In the meantime, Emma Frost’s plans roll on ahead as her forces grow stronger, but what potential catastrophe awaits that even she can’t forsee? All this and a special surprise guest, next issue!
Well I’ll keep this short and sweet, and as always I love feedback. Next issue is coming next week, see you then!
~Ryan
05/22/03
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