LEGACIES & DIAMONDS

Part IV: Of Failure and Success

By James Jordan

The orphanage stands before them, cold and barren. Its total lack of comfort and warmth is blatantly apparent by shattered windows and broken doors. This building once stood as a home for unfortunate young souls. It was now a shell much like many of the children that once occupied its rooms and halls. Nothing could seemingly reach beyond its dilapidated walls and creaking floorboards, living or nonliving.

“Why do super villains always have to have the creepiest lairs?” questions Moonstar. “You know if I was all into destroying the world I’m pretty sure I’d at least have enough class to fix up my evil lair. You know that saying, you’re only as good as where you live.”

“I believe the correct saying is that you’re only as good as who you hang out with,” Havok says examining the exterior of the orphanage.

Archangel makes a smirk at Moonstar’s comments, almost ignoring Havok. He has gotten to know Moonstar very well these past few months, and she seems to be growing on him. A close friend by all means, Archangel completely appreciates her in every sense of her being.

These feelings are quickly dismissed as Archangel remembers the mission at hand. A simple glance at Dazzler reminds him of what he’s fighting for. “Okay, Havok,” he says, “knock down the wall.” Archangel understands that he has taken leadership position and needs to utilize this to its fullest.

Havok complies as his arms turn to that of a bright shade of orange. Soon a massive amount of energy leaves his hands and strikes the wall of the orphanage where Sinister lies with the captive X-Men. The wall shatters subsequent with the energy’s strike. The group stands still, awaiting the dust and debris to clear.

The shock of the hit is felt throughout the orphanage as the captive X-Men fall to the ground.

“What the hell was that?” questions Cyclops as he stands. He looks to his blue furred coworker Hank McCoy, otherwise known as Beast, through a world shaded in red. Red is all he’ll ever see, and red is all there’ll ever be. He hasn’t been able to look a person in the eye since he was a young child. As disheartening as this was to his life Cyclops used his extraordinary gifts to the best of his abilities and never let it get in his way.

Beast stands as well and lends a helping hand to Cecilia. He brushes himself off and cleans his glasses as he comments on the furious nature of the shock that just occurred, “It seems there was an explosion on the upper levels. A rescue mission being undergone, perhaps?”

Cecilia looks around and then at the others. With a shimmer of possibility Cecilia’s eyes grow large, her hope consuming her. “Do you really think it could have been Dazzler with more X-Men?” she asks displaying the hope she feels. “We need to get to the serum of the Legacy Virus… I can’t lose it, not now. If they’re here, there’s hope.” Even in dangerous situations Cecilia, a true doctor in heart, soul, and mind, can only think of those who need help. She thinks of the people that are relying on her to discover the forbidden key to a seemingly doomed lock, to cure them of the virus. It is her responsibility, and she intends to not fail those who have placed faith in her.

“Cecilia, if it is the X-Men we will indeed stop Sinister,” Beast pauses, holding Cecilia’s hands within his own, “I promise you, the answer to the Legacy Virus’s riddle will be in your hands.” The sincerity Hank proposes to Cecilia eases her. She looks into his eyes and sees nothing but unwavering passion for his friends and for the betterment of society. She trusts him; a thing that doesn’t occur often in the life of Cecilia Reyes.

Hank drops his hands to his sides, and Cecilia follows suit. Hank grins at Cecilia. “Everything will be okay,” he palliates.

“Don’t lie to yourself Hank,” Scott dismisses of Hanks comments. “I’m never one to give up… but I don’t know… I mean,” Scott pauses and raises his hand to his forehead to allow his relinquished emotion wash over him, “my kids… my kids… they may be dead.” Scott slams his hand against the cool metal wall, an echo of the sound hitting the eardrums of every person within the containment cell. “There’s nothing I can do.”

Jean places her hand on Scott’s shoulder but he remains faced to the wall. She sighs in defeat, unable to console and comfort her own husband. {Scott.}

“No matter what you say Jean, there’s nothing that we can do. So let me just vent,” Scott snaps at Jean. It wasn’t less than two hours ago that he and Jean were having the same conversation. Scott, however, continues to have eerie feelings. He cannot allow his frustration to disappear in a peaceful and quiet manner. So here he is, in an internal loop… stuck in emotion.

{Scott.}

“Jean,” Scott begins as he turns around to face his wife. He somehow cannot finish his sentence with the sight of the beautiful red-headed woman. There was something different about Jean. She seemed to be floating about an inch above ground.

{Scott, we’re getting out of here.}

Archangel motions toward the gap in the wall signaling the others to enter the orphanage. “Let’s go,” he orders as he steps into the former refuge of unwanted children. Moonstar, Chyna, Havok, and Dazzler follow behind.

The inside of the orphanage is in the same condition as the outside. Broken furniture, shards of glass and dirt lie in the hallway attributing to the disarray. An odious smell breaches the entire area. “This place is filthy,” Dazzler judges wrinkling her nose. A rat runs past Dazzler’s feet, disgustedly she squints and shivers. “Ew,” she remarks.

Chyna nods, “Sinister needs to keep the illusion that the orphanage is abandoned.”

The X-Men continue down the hallway, passing bottles and other remnants of occupants. “Occasionally this place will get squatters,” Chyna explains of the ‘leftovers’.

“So what’s the 411 on this place, Chyna?” asks Archangel. “How are the security systems?”

“Lets just say it’s as hard to get into this place as it is to get out,” Chyna replies in assurance that her answer is correct from personal experience. She adds, “Sinister probably already knows we’re here.” Chyna has spent a great deal of time in this place as a member of the Marauders, and quite possibly knows Sinister the most. If Sinister is anything it’s prepared. There’s no doubt in her mind that he’s watching them from a monitor ordering his newest lackeys to execute the intruders.

“Well it’s not like he wouldn’t notice an explosion in the upper levels,” Dazzler quips with a sigh of discontent.

“You’re right, Dazzler,” Archangel retorts. “We should get down there as fast as possible.” Archangel looks to the Asian woman known only as Chyna and asks, “Care to lead the way?”

Sinister feels the shock run up his current base of operations. Right away, he knows who it is: The X-Men. Always the X-Men. His plans are constantly foiled by that of the mutant team. Not this time. He won’t give them the opportunity to do so. He will thin their numbers before an attack is even established on the lower levels of his operation headquarters.

Sinister, sitting before a computer screen clicks a button on his desk. He speaks into a small box resembling a speaker, “Phantasm, do you copy?”

“Loud and clear, boss,” the shrill female voice replies.

“Collect the other Marauders and execute the X-Men in our custody. It seems a backup team has come to rescue them and I would hate for their goal to come to fruition,” he says coolly. He then adds with a nonchalant sigh, “Make sure it’s quick, but brutal. Do not waste too much time for the sake of glory.”

“Gotcha’. I’ll inform the others,” Phantasm says, obeying her leader. She, like the other Marauders, knows not to question Sinister. As students under his tutelage the Marauders learn fast that when he asks them to jump they are to respond with ‘how high’.

Sinister leans back in his chair, and smiles. In but a few course minutes Phoenix, Cyclops, Dr. Reyes and Dr. McCoy will all be dead with their rescuers soon to be added o the list of fallen X-Men. Sinister can’t help but feel proud f what he is accomplishing. Yet at the same time he is slightly disappointed. With the destruction of the X-Men comes the destruction of any true challenge.

Also his love for antagonizing and causing pain to that of the Summers clan would ultimately terminate. “It is a shame Mr. Summers will not be able to see my surprise,” he mutters. It is true that Sinister has one more trick up his sleeve.

He however does not let himself be bogged down by the oncoming demise of his favorite guinea pigs. Everything is soon to be his, with the world merely a playground. And that isn’t necessarily a feat far from the truth. At this moment, Sinister has the X-Men where he wants them. He has the Legacy Virus cure in his reach and thus the lives of millions in his grasp. The amount of power he possesses at this moment is monumental, and he can feel it souring through his soul.

{How can we do this? Our powers… why do we have them again?} Cyclops questions through the telepathic link he shares with his wife.

{I’m not sure, Scott. I’m thinking that when the X-Men arrived they damaged the power dampener Sinister was using on us,} Jean replies to her husband.

{So the X-Men are here?}

Jean nods her head and says, {I can feel their brainwaves. I can make out Dazzler, Moonstar, and Archangel. There are two others with them, however. I can’t make out who they are. One’s mind is so fragmented and confused; I just can’t seem to make out who he is.}

{Should we inform the others?} Cyclops asks looking to Cecilia and Hank.

{I’ve already done so.}

Cyclops looks to the other two X-Men and they nod their heads knowingly. Cyclops smiles knowing that he now has a chance to rescue his kids. The moment of discovery is lost however when the five Marauders enter the containment cell. The four X-Men huddle together.

“Bad news,” utters Phantasm as she walks away from her group and stands face to face with the X-Men. She continues, “It seems as though Sinister sees no more purpose in keeping you four around anymore.” Minerva, Giant, Barricade and Shotgunn look at the four X-Men menacingly waiting for what they live for-the kill. “So I’ve got a question… do you have a death wish?”

Scott raises his arm to his glasses, “No, but I’m sure you do,” he says coldly as he rips off his glasses blasting Phantasm with all of his powers against the cells wall. She screams and falls to the ground, seemingly unconscious. Cyclops places his glasses back on. “How about the rest of you?” he questions as he makes a mad dash for the other Marauders.

“Scott no!” Jean screams to her husband as he continues on his dangerous rampage. Scott, as Jean knows, is purely venting out but she can’t let him kill himself emotionally and physically. “Scott please,” she pleads one last time.

Scott encounters Minerva first. The devious female mutant smiles as she reaches to grab a piece of his flesh, smiling to grab into his mind and do her bidding on his physical state. She stops in her steps as Scott engages in a hand to hand battle with her. Minerva, a woman looking to be in her sixties, is not a hard component to beat-or so Scott thinks. With each hit he strikes at her she sends him reeling as she stops it with her wrinkled hands. Minerva is finally able to grab his arm and twist him around holding him straight.

“Minerva doesn’t like the way you play,” she mocks. Her voice is filled with a child like innocence. Scott grinds his teeth as he views Giant coming toward him at full speed. Giant kicks Scott in the gut with so much force that Scott is lifted into the air.

“Hey Minerva,” Cecilia calls to the Marauder. Minerva turns around only to be faced with the fist of Cecilia Reyes. She falls to the ground, letting go of Scott who also hits the ground after being induced with large masses of pain by Giant. Minerva stands however and is quick to return Cecilia’s favor but finds it difficult as she reaches some kind of force field. “You better get ready for an ass whoopin’ lady,” Cecilia insists of Minerva as she drops her force field and kicks Minerva in the chin.

Scott, still on the ground, is lifted by the massive mutant known as Giant. Giant holds Scott above his head as if looking for a victory cheer. The X-Man known as Cyclops, however, soon removes himself from his pain induced unconscious state and attempts to react as Giant throws Scott against the ceiling. He is unsuccessful and feels a searing amount of pain hit his head as he comes back down to the floor with full force. “How does it feel to be this close to a petty human?” asks Giant as he stands over Scott’s fallen body.

Before Giant has time to react, Scott blasts him through the ceiling. Scott views as Giant zooms through several ceilings and floors before he finally comes back to the ground where Scott once lay. Giant stinks of charred flesh and his body is a smoldering mess. The smoke rises from his body slowly and not as profusely as Scott would have thought. Despite such injuries, it appears that Giant is still among the living. His chest rises and falls with each breath he takes. “Still alive,” Scott mutters disappointed.

Scott’s attention soon comes to Shotgunn who aims for Scott, but is unable to shoot. Cyclops rips his glasses off once again and an optic blast protrudes from his eyes, sending Shotgunn through the door. Shotgunn attempts to stand amongst his wounds but finds himself unable to. He falls to the ground unconscious.

Barricade looks around to the other X-Men, himself now the only Marauder standing. Cyclops places his hand close to his ruby quartz glasses, prepared to strike the villain down. Cecilia and Beast are not too far behind in a fighting stance. Jean however feels a great strain in her head and finds herself leaning against the wall to prevent from her falling.

Jean feels an abundant amount of pain in her head. She struggles to stand for a moment, but the wall is comforting to her. ‘What’s going on?’ she thinks to herself with the pain increasing.

“So what does it feel like to be surprised with an attack?” Cecilia questions of Barricade who himself did the same thing to her in the X-Men’s lab.

With a final look around at the X-Men, Barricade makes a run for the door. But before he can even step outside into the hallway he is struck down by red energy, an optic blast fired by Scott. He screams before finally falling to the floor, unconscious. “Now lets go, there’s work to be done,” Scott says walking toward the exit of their containment cell.

Hank, in shock, responds to Scott’s unreasonable acts, “Scott you could’ve been hurt. We weren’t given ample time to strategize our attack. We could have been in much greater danger.”

“I didn’t see you and Cecilia stop the fighting… in fact I remember both of you helping,” Cyclops responds in fury to his teammate.

“We had no choice,” Beast replies in a softer tone.

“Look, Hank, there’s no time to argue. And there’s definitely no time to strategize. From this point on we’re acting on impulses,” Scott pauses and violently continues, “And my impulses are telling me to kill Sinister.”

Scott disappears into the hall, leaving Jean, Hank and Cecilia in the containment cell. “We have to go with him,” Cecilia says. “We can’t let him wander this place alone.”

“I concur,” Hank agrees. Cecilia and Hank accompany each other out the door before looking to Jean. “Jean?” Hank asks of his teammate and friend.

Jean looks up at Hank confused, “Hmmm?” She looks at Hank and Cecilia, both astonished by Jean’s lack of attention to the events going on. “Oh God, I’m sorry… I’ll be with you in a minute…”

“Don’t be too long, Jean. I don’t know what your husband will do next, but I know you’re the only one that can stop him. You’re his rock,” Hank says. Jean nods, acknowledging Hank. Cecilia and Hank then leave the containment cell to follow Scott.

Jean stands with some trouble, and shakes her head in an attempt to shake away whatever is going on in her head. She feels as though a fire is burning within, something she has certainly never felt in her life before. It is painful yet it feels… empowering.

The screen glows brightly across the dimly lit room. The sound coming from the small TV etches screeching sounds across the ears of the man once known as Nathaniel Essex. Five men and women run across the screen. Three women and two men Sinister is all but too familiar with. However it seems that with this X-Men rescue mission, something is quite different.

The presence of two mutants, in particular, fascinates Sinister. The first being Chyna, the woman that once worked with him. Once a Marauder, Chyna had become somewhat a favorite of his. But it seems that the favorites are always those who crave power and freedom of their own. Not too long ago Chyna betrayed him by stealing files on his computer of Phoenix and Cyclops, and more specifically what he planned to do to them. This betrayal may have been induced by his trying to kill her, but it still seemed as though Chyna had double crossed him.

“When I get my hands on you… death will be your only option,” he declares as he hits the desk with his fist.

But even more interesting is the other X-Man accompanying Archangel, Moonstar, and Dazzler. The second half of the Summer’s brothers, Alex Summer a.k.a. Havok. Believed to be dead, Alex has not been seen in months. How has Havok returned to the picture without his knowing it? Sinister is frustrated, but also comforted by the thoughts of dead X-Men in the containment cell.

This comfort is disrupted as another monitor flashes on at the sight of movement. Walking on that monitor are the other X-Men: Cyclops, Phoenix, Beast, and Cecilia Reyes-all alive. “No!” he exclaims standing to his feet. His plans are unraveling. Soon the two teams will meet, and Sinister will be done. There’s no doubt in his mind that his Marauders are incapacitated, thus there’s no hope of a rescue for himself.

The monitor soon shows Phoenix, Cyclops, Beast, and Cecilia entering the lab where Chris Bradley is. Sinister whimpers as yet another part of his plan falls to pieces.

A cry is heard. Sinister sighs, moving his eyes from the monitor to three basinets. John Summers, Rachel Summers, and Rebecca Blair all lay crying. Their discontent is painful to Sinister’s ears. However, their discontent also grants him a spur of ideas. Sinister smirks, realizing he may actually have one more plan…

Chris is hazy and can barely hear anything that is going on. His vision is slightly impaired as he opens his eyes. Seeing becomes even more difficult by the light that shines above him. He can tell that there are people around him, even though their voices seem to bleed together. Each voice fades in and fades out. The distortion of this world leaves Chris feeling nauseous.

“…I can’t believe it…” a voice utters.

“…what do you mean…” another voice speaks. Each voice gets continuously louder in the head of Chris Bradley, and he is almost able to piece together what they are saying and who is saying them.

“Cured,” a female voice reports. Chris is soon able to identify this voice as Cecilia Reyes. He opens his eyes completely to see the Puerto Rican woman standing above him. “This is amazing,” she comments astounded. “Henry, we actually did it.”

“Welcome back, buddy,” Beast orates to Chris Bradley after noticing his eyes flutter open. The blue furred man stands above Chris removing various tubules and needles from his body.

Chris, still slightly estranged from the world, questions, “What’s going on?”

Beast smiles, “The Legacy Virus serum Cecilia and I created seems to have worked… the tests Sinister is performing on you are coming back negative for the virus.”

“We’ll need to do more tests when we get back to the mansion, but it’s basically a sure thing,” Cecilia says. “You’re cured.”

Chris sits up sleepily and almost immediately falls back to his bed. “I have a really crappy head ache,” Chris complains. “Can we go home soon?” Chris doesn’t seem to completely fathom the idea of his recovery. The distortion around him is overwhelming because of the various drugs and painkillers Sinister has placed him under. “I’m feeling a little dizzy… just need to,” he begins as his eyes slowly close. His breaths become fewer and far between.

“Is he asleep?” asks Cyclops.

Cecilia turns her head to look at Chris’ closed eyes, “I think so.”

Beast reaches into the bed and swoops the mutant, Bolt, into his arms. “I’ll carry him until we get to the blackbird,” Hanks says.

“The others are near,” Jean announces of their other teammates.

Scott wraps his arm around his wife’s side, and begins walking toward the door. “Let’s go get our kids then,” he says more determined than even his wife has ever seen him.

“Not so fast,” a voice informs. Scott and Jean stop walking, and stand a few feet in front of the exit of Sinister’s massive lab. Jean clenches her teeth, looking around the lab. Scott does the same, paying attention to every slight detail of the room. They see, feel, and hear nothing more though.

“Who’s there?” Scott asks sternly awaiting an answer. He looks toward the exit door turning his head in anticipation. His arm soon leaves Jean’s waist as he approaches the exit to determine who the voice belongs to. He walks slowly. Jean reaches out an arm, the cold air against her hand. All she feels is cold, the cold beneath her bare feet on the steel floor and the cold wind rushing past her. She feels as though she can piece every molecule in the lab, surveying the area with her eye while urging her husband to come back to her with a simple hand gesture.

“Scott,” she whispers. It’s too late though, as Scott nears the exit a hand approaches his chest with force; blowing Scott into a cart carrying medical supplies and drugs. The moment seems to be in slow motion to Jean. Sinister appears, and she can feel each footstep he takes against the cold steel floor. Her eyes shoot past his feet however when she hears the cries of a baby, but not one baby-three. “Oh my god,” she cries in fear of what Sinister intends to do to her children.

Scott looks up to the man he has come to hate through his many years as an X-Man. He grits his teeth as he stands, brushing himself off. “Sinister,” he angrily addresses the man once known as Nathaniel Essex.

“Dear Scott,” Sinister says smiling. Scott puts his hand to his ruby quartz glasses, preparing to take them off and hit Sinister. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you; unless, of course, you want your children to die under the fury of your optic blast. Now that, Summers, is a terribly painful death-or so I’m told.”

“You sadistic fucking bastard,” Scott spouts. “You touch those children and I swear I’ll kill you.”

“I’m shaking in my boots,” Sinister quips. “No, really I am. You strike fear in me, Boy Scout.” Sinister looks around the room and chuckles. “It seems like my sardonic humor is lost amongst you all.”

Cecilia holds her hand out to Sinister, as a warning not to come closer and as a means to protect herself if necessary as she speaks, “Please… put the kids down, Sinister. They shouldn’t be involved in this. It’s not their battle. Please, just put them down. I’m sure we’ll all agree to comply with whatever you want.” She looks to Sinister sympathetically and continues, “Put the kids down.”

There’s a short pause before Sinister walks toward Cecilia. He stands an inch in front of her face. She looks at him strongly, never one to back down. Cecilia is a fighter, and she will always be one. “You surprise me, Reyes,” he begins softly, “I never saw you as one to give in so easily.”

“I’m not giving in, I’m being rational,” she whispers to Sinister. She looks into his eyes, unafraid by what he is capable of.

Sinister grunts as he makes his way to a computer in the lab. He turns on a security camera monitor. On it walks the X-Men, who seem to be getting considerably closer to the lab. “Oh, look here. Your fellow X-Men will soon be here to die with you.”

Hank looks at Sinister and shakes his head. “What do you expect to do? Walk out of here outnumbered by nine mutants?”

“You see, I know this may come as an oddity to you, Dr. McCoy, but I’ll always have a trick up my sleeve. Something you apparently didn’t have when my Marauders raided your lab,” Sinister says.

Hank looks to the ground, almost ashamed that he was unable to stop the attack and preserve the Legacy Virus cure.

“Yeah, and those Marauders seemed to do you so well when I took them out single handedly,” Scott quips crossing his arms. “I’m almost thinking that I can take one guy over one hundred years old.”

Scott steps forward, but Sinister reaches into his pocket revealing a small disk. It glimmers in the light as he holds it high above his head. “Summers, I wouldn’t come closer. I may have second thoughts in destroying your children, and the vast amount of potential they contain,” Sinister pauses, as his tone gets darker and more vengeful, “but that will not be the case when I destroy the only documentation of the Legacy Virus cure.”

“Fuck you,” Cecilia says coolly, her personality changing from rational to angry. She imagines her work being proverbially flushed down the toilet.

“What, do you find this form of notoriety most interesting?” he questions rhetorically.

Cecilia looks to Sinister slyly. “You don’t know how many people will die if you destroy that disk,” she informs to the man holding her work.

“I think that’s what I take most joy in,” he pauses reiterating his point, “You know, the holding of millions of lives in the palm of my hand.”

“Why would you do such a thing?” Hank questions. He is becoming angrier by the moment, but conceals it well trying to understand Sinister’s methods. “I understand your thirst for power, but wouldn’t destroying the disk subsequently destroy your dream of mutant prosperity?”

“In a sense, yes, Dr. McCoy,” he begins, “but I’ve come to believe that the Legacy Virus may eliminate the weak mutants and leave nothing but those who are strong enough to endure its plague on society.”

“Is that all the world is to you? An experiment?” Cecilia asks not being able to understand this man’s lack of compassion. Was he not human once?

“That’s all it ever has been to me, my dear,” he replies. Sinister looks at his watch and grins to himself. He looks up to Scott and displays this grin to him. “Summers, you’ll be expecting quite a lovely surprise in just a few seconds,” he reveals.

“What do you mean,” Scott begins but is unable to finish as the back wall of the lab explodes in fury. Scott holds his wife from the rubble and takes to the ground. Cecilia and Hank do the same. The room fills with dust, and nothing but shadows can be seen. Scott coughs, looking to five shadows. All five stand firmly, as if in a poster.

“Times up, Sinister,” a voice proclaims. The voice is familiar. Scott’s eyes widen as the dust clears and Alex Summers, Scott’s thought lost brother, steps before the group. Scott gasps in amazement, his voice hushed by the surprise.

“Ah, nice to see you again, Alex,” Sinister welcomes. “It seems you’re back just in time. I wouldn’t wish to pull my next surprise without you.” Sinister’s eyes fall to the former Marauder amongst the X-Men and grins. “And don’t think I forgot about you, Chyna.”

Chyna does not reply, but simply stands sternly. She eagerly awaits a battle against her former ‘employer’. The other X-Men wait just as readily. Hank, who still holds Chris, and Cecilia have joined them, while Jean and Scott remain on the ground.

Scott’s astonishment at Alex’s arrival leaves him at a loss for words. He feels as though he has to cry, but doesn’t give Sinister the satisfaction. He must keep everything together, it’s the only way he’ll be able to rescue his children.

Jean stands and lends a hand to Scott, a hand that has always been there for him. “Honey, come on up,” she insists nervously. Jean is weary of Sinister’s ‘surprise’ and isn’t feeling too well herself. Scott takes her hand, her reliable hand, and stands to his feet.

Scott joins Havok, and tries to grin amongst all the fear he is facing. “Welcome back,” he affirms.

“Good to be back,” Alex replies, lying to his brother.

Sinister rolls his eyes, and looks back to his computer. “I’m sorry to interrupt this brotherly love relinquishment, but I’m running on schedule. I’m hoping you don’t mind. All three of you can enjoy each others company,” Sinister says with his eyes still on the computer screen.

“What do you mean ‘all three of you’?” Scott questions, his interest peaked.

Sinister smirks and nonchalantly questions, “How would you like to meet your other brother, Scott?”

NEXT ISSUE: The final showdown you’ve been waiting for, plus the third Summers brother revealed! All in the final chapter of Legacies & Diamonds! Don’t miss this amazing cornerstone issue of Marvel Omega’s X-Men history.

Author’s Notes

Hey, hey, hey!

Wow, that took a lot of time to write, now didn’t it? LOL, about nine months later and I finally get the second to last issue of Legacies and Diamonds out. Wowzers, that’s a long time. I must be slow, right?

Well actually, I just started writing this about three weeks ago… after a VERY long hiatus from fan fiction. I’m gonna belt my lateness to the clichéd personal problems, and that’s all there is too it. A hard past year, let me just tell you that. Between school, personal issues, out-of-school-activities, after-school-activities, and the works it seems as though I’ve finally got my life in line. This past year I took a lot time kinda realizing who I am and what I want to do with my life, things I’m still really not that sure of. But I realized that I had a lot of fun writing fan fiction, and it would be a shame if I shelved one of the few pleasures I have just because of my lack of understanding what I want.

So, I’m back! Yay! 🙂

Now, back to the issue at hand… I hope you liked it! I’m kinda on the fence with this one, I like some things that I did with it and other things I didn’t like but ya know… you are your hardest critic. But, anyway, if you’ve read anything in Marvel Omega’s Uncanny X-Men or X-Men I’m sure you’ve read about what’s going to go down next issue. I’m hoping that you guys really like this issue and the next one. Ryan’s set me up with some great plots, and it is certainly an amazing time writing them.

As usual, I’d like some feedback. What I’m doing right, what I’m doing wrong… you know, everything 🙂 Just drop me a line at moviegoer1989@hotmail.com.

See you in a few (not months),
Jim