LEGACIES & DIAMONDS

Part II: Hollow

By James Jordan

It is dark.

Silence is etched in the most muted colors across the vast halls and many rooms of the X-Men’s Chicago base. Windows let in their breezes, and aside from the occasional creaking door, the mansion is buried in the silence. Night has been upon the X-Men’s home for hours, among other things.

A woman stirs. Lying on the floor, the woman lifts her head in a drowsy fashion. Her eyes are barely open, and her head is throbbing from a bump she must have acquired before she fell to the floor. Her long hair reaches the ground and as she turns her head to face an open door, she sees nothing through the thick strawberry blonde. As the memory of what happened sink’s into the beauty’s head, she sits up with a gasp. Keeping herself up with her right hand, Allison looks around to view the empty hall she sits in.

Alison Blaire is an X-Man. Her history with them starts out in the clubs of New York, and seemingly ended years ago… but she keeps finding herself back in the house of the dream, fighting for a future where man and mutant will live in peace. Even giving birth hasn’t kept her away from the X-Men. And now, sitting on the floor, Alison can’t understand why she stayed yet again.

“Hello?” Alison’s voice echoes through the blank corridor.

No one answers.

Worried, Alison calls out again, “Hello?”

With each door’s noisy stutter, Alison becomes more and more nervous. She hears no voices, no breathing, no footsteps, not even the sound of the television several rooms away. “Is anybody out there? Hello?” She pauses for a moment, biting down on her nails. “Oh God,” she mutters as she feels the heat coming from the infirmary where Chris had been before she was knocked unconscious.

Rising to her feet, Alison limps into the infirmary, finding a fire where Chris had been. She can tell that the flames have been going for a while now from the total consumption of the room. She can’t see Chris, and as she opens her mouth to call his name… her daughter comes to mind. Alison screams as she runs the other way, into the hallway. “Rebecca! Rebecca!”

Rushing to the nursery, Alison finds the three cribs on their sides. Clutching her mouth, she falls to the floor with a whimper. “Oh God… oh God… my baby.” With a final whimper her elbows meet the floor. “My baby…”

Professor Xavier lies in his bed, not sleeping but awake. His head is turned out to face the window, and the moon shines on his bald head through the pane. It’s a beautiful night. The crickets sing, but it’s nothing to raise his head for. He has no pride. He’s a dying man with no more hope for a better day, a faith he used to practice assiduously.

The Professor’s mind is caught by approaching thoughts of a younger man – Bobby Drake, better known as Iceman. He doesn’t even turn his head to face his former student as he steps inside.

Bobby carries a tray with green tea and a muffin, a bed time snack the Professor can only assume is his own.

“Hey, Professor,” Bobby greets.

Charles keeps his head facing the window. “Come bearing food, I smell.” The Professor tries to laugh at his own joke, but finds himself unable to do so.

Grinning, Bobby places the tray on Xavier’s nightstand and cheerfully says, “Yups, bearing food indeed.” The Professor doesn’t answer, nor move. Crossing his arms, Bobby demands, “You have to eat, Professor Xavier.” Bobby’s longtime mentor still says nothing, and with a sigh Bobby says, “You haven’t eaten in two days. And believe me, ignoring me doesn’t mean I’ll go away, Professor.”

Professor Xavier opens his mouth and replies, “Bobby, after all these years you still call me ‘Professor’.”

Bobby grins, holding his pointer finger up in a authoritative matter. “Okay, Professor, don’t try and change the subject.”

“All of my other students have moved on and called me Charles, yet you continue to call me by what you did as a fourteen year-old boy.” He lets out a chuckle as he continues, “Why is that?”

Bobby sighs. “Enough with the psycho-analyzing, Professor. It’s just a meal, not fifty bucks an hour… or session. Well whatever, it’s a psychiatrist joke.”

“Bobby, why do you still call me Professor Xavier?”

Bobby rolls his eyes. “I’m not answering that. It’s a stupid question.”

Xavier turns his head to face Bobby. “Please answer, Bobby.” To make sure he gets an answer he adds, “I’m a dying man.”

“First of all, you’re not going to die.”

“Just answer.”

“Fine,” Bobby says, caving in to the older, wiser man. The younger man sits at the end of Xavier’s bed and slouches over. With a shake of his head Bobby answers reluctantly, “I don’t know… I guess I just see you as an authority figure.” With a sigh, Bobby completes his answer, “Always have and always will.”

“No, Bobby, you won’t grow up,” Xavier states matter-of-factly.

Aggravated, Bobby retaliates, “Excuse me-”

“Bobby, I fear that you’ll never see me for me,” Xavier interrupts. Turning his head back to the window Xavier says, “Scott was right.”

Bobby spins around to look at the Professor and comforts the founder of the Xavier Institute. “No, Professor, don’t do this to yourself! You did what you thought best, so did Scott.”

“I’m a monster. The things I’ve done…”

“You’re nothing similar to a monster, Professor. I love you, everyone here loves you.”

“I don’t feel anything but numbness, Bobby. I don’t feel love. I’m just… hollow. Utterly and completely hollow,” the Professor wallows coldly, leaving Bobby to sit there in silence.

Bobby can’t reply to the Professor. He’s never acted like this, he’s never seen him in such pain and guilt. And he doesn’t understand how the man who served as his father during his teen years could express such feelings as these.

‘Hollow’… Bobby doesn’t see it.

Stepping off the bed, the Iceman takes one more glance at Professor Xavier. But Xavier doesn’t look back at him. Bobby begins to drag his feet on the ground, and soon exits through the door.

Standing before the mansion, he realizes how much things have changed. Never in a million years would he think that his brother would separate from his mentor, Charles Xavier. But here he is, only proving that the term ‘impossible’ is completely invalid in the world of mutants.

His name is Alex Summers. In the short time of ten months, he has been dead, trapped in another dimension, brought back, and left dead again. He has been in a dimension where he was blessed with a wife and son, both of which he loved with all his heart. And maybe he still does. There was a time in that universe when he’d look at the stars and question if he had ever been born in the right reality in the first place. Because it all fit where he was – his life was full, and he was happy.

But just as easily as it was for him to be transported to this alternate dimension, he was able to be brought back. And that’s what happened. He was reluctantly brought back by the people he used to love… by his friends. And he hated them for it. He hated himself for it. Darkness had consumed him.

He feels odd being here, before the X-Men’s new residence. He isn’t sure how they will react to him, or how he’ll react to them. But, taking a chance, he picks up his luggage, and continues walking down the path to the front door.

Another is there. He, or she, is covered in a black cloak with their back facing him. He begins to walk faster, feeling a rush as he remembers how it is to be an X-Man. All of the action, and adventure. But that’s part of what he had wanted to leave behind.

Now, about a foot apart from the mysterious person, he reaches to tap the black cloak. But before he can do so, she reveals herself to be a woman by taking her hood down. “Who are you?” she questions, cocking an eyebrow.

Dropping his luggage, Alex replies, “My name is Alex Summers.” Crossing his arms and curling his lip he continues, “Now who the hell are you?” He looks her over, viewing metallic body armor, and assumes the worst.

Defensively she replies, “My name is Chyna. I’m here to help Cyclops and Phoenix.”

Alex puts his hands beside his legs, and sighs. “Oh.” The two stand there in an awkward silence for a minute before Alex says, “So did you, like, ring the doorbell?”

Chyna shakes her head grinning, and places her finger on the doorbell. Alex rolls his eyes, and waits for someone to answer the door. No one comes. They wait for about two more minutes, before Alex once again breaks the silence. “So what do you need to help them with? I mean, you don’t look like anyone they’d associate themselves with.” Pausing to think, Alex adjusts his thoughts. “Actually, you’re exactly the type of person they’d associate with. What are you, like, a ninja trapped in armor sent back in time to save the X-Men from annihilating the Earth? Because look, lady, it’s been done before-”

Interrupting Alex, she hisses, “Quiet.” She stands still, moving only slightly as to not make much noise. “Do you hear that?”

“Um… next to nothing, no.”

“I hear a fire.” The woman lifts her leg and drives it though the door, pushing it to the ground. She then walks into the foyer, only to be met by thick smoke.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! You can’t just go ahead busting down doors, you have to wait at least five minutes…” Alex then walks into the mansion, and is also met with smoke. “In this case, good job.” He smiles, but soon drops the sarcasm. “Look, I’ll look in the right wing. You go take a dive in the left wing.”

She nods and replies, “I’ll be back in ten minutes. Meet me here, and I’ll explain everything!”

Alex nods, breaking to the right, with Chyna heading down the left hall.

Alison Blaire is aware her child has been kidnapped, but for all she knows Chris Bradley is burning in the fire in the med-lab. She can’t find anyone else. She can’t find Beast or Cecilia in the lab… everyone is gone.

By this time, the whole sub-basement is filled with smoke. Panicking, Alison rushes to the phone in the living room. She dials Jean and Scott’s cell phone but is immediately directed to voice mail. “Oh crap! Come on…” She continues dialing their number, but each time she is given coequal results.

In frustration, Alison begins to hit the phone against the desk. “Why… won’t… you… work… God… DAMN IT!” she yells at the top of her lungs, but then she hears the voice of another.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

The voice is very deep and masculine, and Alison decides to answer to it despite not recognizing the person the voice belonga to. “Yeah, I’m here,” she whimpers softly. Through the smoke she begins to see the silhouette of a man, and as he steps forward she gasps. It’s Alex Summers.

“Alison… is that you?”

She begins to breathe deeper, and she feels as if the room is spinning. She must have taken in too much carbon dioxide, and Alex must not really be here. She’s hallucinating. And with these thoughts, she falls to the floor.

“Alison?! Alison! Oh God…” He runs to Alison’s side, and picks her up into his arms and runs for the front door.

Soon they’re outside, away from the smoke. And as Alex lays Alison on the ground, he hears Chyna running out to meet him. “I didn’t find anybody.”

“Well I did,” Alex says in an obnoxious tone. Looking to Alison he orders, “Chyna… look after her, I’m going back in to get the fire out.”

“Do you even know where it started?”

“No, but I’ll find it.” With those words, Alex goes running in.

“Where are my children?!” Cyclops growls at the villainous man before him, a grimace on his face as he grits his teeth. The man vertically across from him still says nothing, just grinning as if to laugh. It taunts Scott Summers, as it has taunted him every time he meets with this mad man.

His name is Mr. Sinister, and as his name suggests, he is one of the most vile men on the face of the planet. But he has given special treatment to Scott Summers and his family. With each kidnapping, genocide, and world domination plot organized by Nathaniel Essex, Scott Summers has been hurt the most. And the first X-Man isn’t ready to let this man hurt his family again.

“Tell me what you did to my family, you bastard!” Scott Summers keeps his attitude, as he stares deep into Mr. Sinister’s eyes. “Answer me!”

Chuckling, Mr. Sinister answers, “Please, Mister Summers. Have patience, all will be revealed in time. Your children…” Turning around, Mr. Sinister completes his answer, “They’re safe and sound with Miss Blaire’s child. Now sit back and enjoy, Scott.”

Scott Summers does as he is told and sits against the tubular containment cell he finds himself in. He looks to his wife, sitting in another cell, who can only stare at Sinister and worry about her children. This time it isn’t about their lives, it’s about the lives of their children.

Hank McCoy, or Beast, also sits in his own cell. Hank feels anxious, he needs to get out of this cell… he needs to get back to his research. He and Cecilia have discovered the cure for the Legacy Virus – all it needs is a touch-up, and then it will be ready for mutants across the globe.

Cecilia Reyes stands in her cell, next to Hank’s, worrying about the same things. She just isn’t going to be quiet about it. “Why the hell are you holding us here? Hank and I were on the verge of-”

“Discovering the cure for the Legacy Virus?” Sinister interrupts.

“How did you know?”

“Let’s just say I keep tabs on all of my best friends,” he says, smiling devilishly. “I’d like to congratulate you both on that large accomplishment.”

Cecilia snarls at Sinister and threatens, “When I get out of here I’m going to kill you!”

“Please, Miss Reyes, you’d be dead before you touched me.” Pausing, Mr. Sinister snaps his fingers, signaling the lights to reveal five men and women. “Compliments of the Marauders.”

Cecilia’s eyes widen as she views Barricade. “You-”

“Cecilia, please,” Jean begs. “Where are Alison and Chris?”

Sinister begins to pace, which ultimately brings him to a control panel. “Miss Blaire is safe and sound in the fiery pits of your Chicago home. And Chris…” He pauses, pressing a few buttons on the control panel. Soon, the wall furthest from the captive X-Men opens. Phantasm and Minerva quickly glide to the opened wall, and when they return they are dragging a bed with Chris Bradley on top of it. “Chris will be glad to know he’s been upgraded to guinea pig.”

The fire stopped and the smoke cleared, Chyna and Alex help walk Alison into the mansion. She’s fully awake now, but still a bit groggy.

“So where exactly is this War Room?” Chyna questions, unsure of where this stranger is about to lead her.

Alison grins and points to the stairs before them. “Just down those stairs, and through a steel door with the width of about seven feet.”

“Great,” Chyna says sarcastically.

Eventually, the three make their way to a door, where Alison punches in a code which signals it to open.

“Welcome, Dazzler,” the computer chimes as Alison walks through the door. From that moment on they know they’re in battle, meaning codenames are used.

The War Room is gigantic. The walls are made of steel, the floors as well, but in all honesty it looks bare. For such a massively large room, there’s next to nothing in it. It’s obvious the center of the room is the round steel table, but aside from a computer here and computer there… that’s basically it.

“I think your room needs some finishing touches,” Chyna states, looking around the room.

Dazzler smiles and signals the two accompanying her to let her go. By herself, Dazzler walks over to a chair and begins to speak. “Chyna, believe me, this is all we need.” Dazzler soon echoes across the room a request, “Estate cameras, last four hours.” With those simple words, a holographic image stretches across the room. The image is that of the mansion’s security cameras, and as each moving image comes across it’s obvious why this room is so large.

“So basically we need to know who attacked you all, right? And the security cameras probably caught the intruder?” Havok asks.

Alison replies with her eyes still on the holographic image, “Exactly.”

Havok grins. “Well in that case, is there a more simple way of doing this? Because I don’t feel like sitting through four hours of security tapes.”

Nodding, Alison requests of the computer, “Find intruders on security cameras.” Soon, several pictures appear, replacing the security camera footage, of three people. Chyna gasps, as she realizes who these people are.

“What is it, Chyna?” Havok asks, unconcerned but more as a polite gesture.

“I know who those people are,” Chyna says.

Havok cocks an eyebrow. “How do you know them?”

Chyna looks at Havok and replies, “I used to work with them.”

Hank looks at Sinister as he takes out the Legacy Virus serum he and Cecilia created earlier. He begins to panic, not knowing what the results will be. The serum might not work, it could even damage Chris further. “You can’t do that! The serum isn’t finished!”

Mr. Sinister laughs as he walks over to Hank’s cell. “It looked ready earlier today in the lab, Doctor McCoy. If I do remember correctly, someone was practically waiting for a patient to test this on. And it looks like I found one.”

“It could damage Chris m-more.” Beast slips on his words, reaching out his hand in the cell to point to Chris. “He’s an innocent child!”

“When has that stopped me in the past, Henry?” Sinister makes a half-grin and continues, “Besides, if it needs some more tweaking after this… so be it. That’s why you and Cecilia are here.” Sinister begins to walk away from Hank, letting his voice trail off. “Minerva, Phantasm, bring the boy back to the lab. I’ll be with him shortly. And you three, let the X-Men out of their cells to roam this room. I’d hate to have my guests more uncomfortable then they should be.” Sinister rhythmically walks away, and then looks to the remaining Marauders. “Oh, and guard the door.”

“You what?” Havok questions.

“I used to work with them… for Sinister,” she softly says, taking a deep breath. She continues in a louder tone, “That’s what I was here to tell Jean and Scott about.”

Alison turns her head to the side and asks, “What did you need to tell them? About this attack?”

“Only what Sinister had told me, and what I found on his computer. I’ve gone to your other mansion before to warn them, but was met with violence and anger by a woman with purple hair who refused to let me past her.”

“Psylocke, don’t mind her… supposedly she went a little crazy,” Dazzler says, shrugging.

“Sinister plans to kidnap Phoenix and Cyclops’ children and use them in the future for a world where only the genetically superior will live. After having their children, he’ll dispose of both Phoenix and Cyclops.” She reaches into her pocket and grabs two disks and says, “I downloaded these files from Sinister’s computer. It’s all of his plans.”

“Then why did he take Becca?” Dazzler questions, concerned. Although she’s calmed from the shock of her missing baby, she still is worried of what may become of her kin. She’s was ready to go into battle with a steady head, though.

“I don’t know, but what I do know is that three people cannot take on the Marauders and Sinister alone. Is there anyone else you can call?”

Dazzler thinks for a second, then she presses a button on the table, signaling a phone to appear. She replies, “Yes.”

“You have to learn to soar, Dani!” he yells as he flies high in the night’s sky, clutching a beautiful woman by the name of Danielle Moonstar.

“Oh, God, no matter how long I’m an X-Man I’ll never get used to these heights!” she shouts over the roaring winds. Warren and Dani laugh, as Warren makes a landing on a building where there’s a table set for two.

“This is how New Yorkers don’t see New York.” He lets out a chuckle, and Dani smiles, sitting down in her chair.

The roof’s view is alluring, stunning beyond words. They can see the Empire State Building, and in the far distance, the Statue of Liberty. She gazes at the night sky, and feels safe. Dani feels exultant and full of life for the first time since Apocalypse took control of her and made her apart of his Dark Riders.

The table set is equally pulchritudinous. The cloth across the table is made of the finest lace, and atop it is a charming glass vase with three beautiful red roses in it. Her place, she finds, is eloquently set up. The wine glass is tall and attenuate, and filled with champagne. Dani looks around and views three waiters in red and black tuxedos waiting to serve her and Warren.

“My God, Warren. How’d you get this thing together? I mean, we’re on the top of a building! Will we get in trouble or anything?” Dani wonders aloud, eagerly awaiting an answer.

Warren smugly retorts with a smile, “Well I own the building and I can do whatever I want with it. The waiters however, they cost a pretty penny for a pretty lady.”

Dani snickers at the obviously flirtatious comment coming from the man known as Archangel. “Why Warren Worthington the Third… are you hitting on me? Because you aren’t getting any of this fine Cheyenne tonight.”

Looking to his shoes with a smirk, Warren covers his tracks. “Oh, no, I’m sorry… I guess it’s just custom of me. I’m a flirt, what can I say.”

The two just sit there in laughter for a moment, looking into each other’s eyes. Dani smiles and shakes her head in disbelief. “Thank you, Warren, for this beautiful night. For the first time in a long while I was able to forget about Apocalypse… the Dark Riders… just everything.”

“No problem, Danielle. I found that the pain went away easier when I did things to keep myself occupied. I mostly confided in my friends, and eventually the pain was gone.”

Dani shakes her head and begins to reply, “I-”

The sound of a telephone interrupts Dani’s sentence, and the two of them smile and laugh nervously as Warren reaches into his pocket searching for his phone. He picks it up, and Dani listens to Warren’s half of the conversation.

“Hey, Al-WHAT?” Dani can tell that something is happening from Warren’s tone of voice. After a short pause, Warren continues, “We’ll be right there, Alison.” Warren stands and places his cell phone in his pocket, then faces Dani.

“Trouble?” she asks.

Nodding his head, Warren reluctantly says, “Yeah, we need to get back to the mansion.”

The doors to the War Room open, and as Archangel walks in the computer welcomes him as it had done for Dazzler earlier. Soon after, it chimes a welcome to Moonstar as well. The three people already occupying the room view the two X-Men that have come to help them.

Already dressed in uniform, Archangel’s eyes meet Dazzler’s. He nods his head as if to say hello to her, and then does so verbally. “Hey, Dazzler.”

Dazzler stands up to see Moonstar, also in uniform, and then she looks to Havok, signaling for Archangel to do the same. “Havok’s home.”

Archangel turns his head and sees with his own eyes one of his friends, one he thought he lost months ago. Looking at him, he shakes his head and hugs him. The two smile, as it begins to hit Archangel… what happened to his friend? How is he here right now? “There’s so much to ask… how’d this happen?”

With a half-smile on his face, Havok replies, “I was transported to another dimension. X-Factor discovered me there, and helped me out.” Havok neglects the details, and the fact that he doesn’t wish to be here. But he has to spare his friends, and withold his pain. “Now, lets drop this subject. We have a rescue mission to get off the ground.”

“But-” Archangel protests.

“Just drop it, please,” Havok says sharply. This time Archangel complies, and Dazzler begins explaining the predicament at hand.

“As you two already know, four of our X-Men have been captured, along with Chris Bradley and the three children. They were all kidnapped by the new Marauders, and Sinister, as usual, is behind the plot. We know why Jean, Scott, and the twins were taken… but Sinister’s choice to also add Hank, Cecilia, Chris, and Becca to this equation is unknown.”

Moonstar raises her hand timidly and suggests, “Maybe I could use Cerebro to find them?”

Dazzler nods her head and replies, “That’s a great idea. You and Archangel should head off to Cerebro. Find out where they are. Everyone else, suit up and get ready to board the Blackbird.”

Chyna stands there, observing the X-Men. Unnoticed, and unheard, she follows them to get a uniform. In just an hour or so, she’s learned what these people are about… and knows she is meant to be here.

What has he done?

Of all the secrets, the lies, the betrayals… Professor Xavier is a man known for all three things, but he committed the worst only a few months ago. They are practically his children, and he did this to them.

Scott Summers discovered his wife was pregnant with two children. Twins. When the birth took place, though, one was stillborn, never to breathe the fresh air of the world. The boy, John, died inside his mother’s womb. It was Omega Red’s fault for infecting Jean, and they could only save one child.

The pain of the Summers’ could be felt across the globe. It reached the far ends of the Earth, but always found its way back. Xavier couldn’t stand to see his children in such pain. So with his heightened powers, thanks to the Legacy Virus, he was able to make Jean and Scott, along with the X-Men, believe John had lived. Professor Xavier created a person made entirely of psionic energy.

And it kills him more and more each day. He’s soon to pass on to the next world, and with his death, John will be gone. The memories will still be there, but John will be gone. He can imagine Jean and Scott fearing their child’s kidnapping, apparent death, or what have you. And he can’t stand for them to feel more pain.

It’s plain and simple: once he is dead, Jean and Scott will know the truth.

NEXT ISSUE: Legacies & Diamonds Part 3! Sinister executes his plans, unless the X-Men are able to stop him!

Okay, well I feel an introduction of sorts is needed… but you all know my name anyway, so let’s move on, lol.

I just wanted to say I had a good time writing this, and I hope the issues to come are even more of a blast to work on. Ryan’s got some great ideas, and I only hope each issue I write lives up to his standards. So you all be on the lookout, some great things are gonna happen in X-Men Unlimited in the coming months. This issue, and the past two by Michael Franzoni, have only begun to explore the gap in MXU’s history (to be exact the gap was between UXM #16 and #17 and in XM it was #13 and #14).

Anyway, we’ve got a lot in store for you all… here’s what you can look forward to: more on Chyna/Kwannon before she became the character she is today in UXM, some good ol’ X-Men/Uncanny X-Men conflict, deaths, new relationships, and… SHIELD! But that last one’s way down the line…

I hope there are a few surprises too, things will come from the left field and things that will change the X-Men forever… or is that have changed?

Well, I love feedback much like the other writers… so if you have something to say, good or bad, please e-mail me at moviegoer1989@hotmail.com.

Thanks for reading,

Jim
09/02/03