ALL CRY THE CHILDREN - 3/?
By Various


X-Men Mansion - Motorpool

Jubilee sleeping in the back seat of Wolverine's car.

Jubilee: "Huh? Whah? Sorry Wolvie, the brat Ilyanna kept banging around in
her room and waking me up. I came out here to get some sleep where I
wouldn't be found by the big blue babysitter. You don't mind do ya?"

Logan: "You up for a trip ta Japan, kid?" 

Jubilee: Rubbing her eyes, "Japan?  Again?  Why can't you go to Disney
World like everyone else... *Yawn* Gonna offer Matsuo your collection of
Ginsu Knives again?" 

Logan: "Maybe. I'm gonna find Betsy.  I think she's gunnin' for Matsuo and
got fouled up." 

Jubilee: "Are we sneakin' out on the Prof? If so, I gotta go back in for
my stuff..."

Logan: Logan's eyes narrow. "You don't know. Well kid, this one's gonna
hurt." Logan tells the story of Xavier's death by the Legacy Virus.

Jubilee: "Your lying! He'd never be so stupid to die from a dumb old
disease! He cured Ilyanna! How could he die?"

Logan: "Listen, Forge took away Ilyanna's powers, that put the disease
into remission, it didn't cure her. What I don't know is why Chuck didn't
warn us. Either he got ill quickly, like he said, or he didn't want to
give up his Mutant Powers should a scrap with Mags had come down. Denial
and obsession can do strange things to a man's reason. I should know, I'm
the expert."

Jubilee: "How can you take this so calmly!"

Logan: "You know me better than that. I'm not taking it calmly, but
there's nothing I can do about it now is there? Someone's got to find
Betsy, and I'm not stayin' here to deal with Magneto."

Jubilee: "What about the Professor's funeral?" 

Logan: "I've already paid my respects.  Cyke can bury him ... if he can
find the time in between changin' the names on the school stationary and
redecoratin' Chuck's ready room. You comin'?" 

Jubilee: "I dunno. Yes. Let's just go, I don't want to go back in there, I
couldn't face anybody now."

Majik's Limbo 

Warlock/Doug discuss ways to obtain Majik a new body, so that she may
leave limbo.

Warlock: -- Self has no practical solutions to problem. Perhaps if
selffriend Magik were to explain current state self could help.-- 

Doug: *Yeah. I'd really like to know what's been going on.* 

Ilyanna: On a closer examination, Majik's eldritch armor gleams in red and
mercurial silver, but the woman, the exposed flesh of Majik, is
translucent, and pale. "All that remains of me is my soul, imprisoned by
the Soulsword. I gave my life so that the Inferno would never happen, and
a younger Ilyanna was left behind, one that had never been defiled by
Belasco. Ilyanna the child hadn't manifested her mutant powers yet. She
couldn't teleport, so she couldn't claim Limbo."
	"The Sword was abandoned in Limbo, and another being picked it up,
claiming dominion over Limbo. Over time, I became aware that I was alive
within the sword, and I possesed my new host, freed myself, and then I had
to destroy him to claim back Limbo. But I'm not really alive, I'm only a
kind of astral being, I have no body. I can't leave Limbo without a body.
I wouldn't exist. The sword could leave, and I within it, but I would be a
prisoner of whomever wielded the sword, or else, I'd have to posess the
sword wielder."
	"For some reason, I could communicate with the younger Ilyanna,
after the Russian bastards triggered her powers early. But now her powers
are in remission, and we can somehow switch places. But I don't want her
trapped here while I run around free. I want her to stay out of Limbo, and
pure..."

Doug: *Well, so...If Warlock and I can take the sword out of limbo... What
about a body without a soul? One that's on the brink of death? With the
technovirus, we could try and revive it, and then give it the Sword!
...God that's weird..."

Ilyanna: "The same would work for you Dougie."

Doug: *Taking over someone's body. That's about as creepy as you can get.*

Ilyanna: "My scrying pools allow me to see earth, we could watch various
hospitals or war zones, and wait for someone to die?"

Doug: *This is grisly*

Warlock: --Self could accomodate all within self! Weallhappy
togethersitcomonefreindfamilly!--

Ilyanna: "Sorry - that's kind of you Lock - but I value my identity, and
my space. I want my own body. Dougie probably feels the same way."

Doug: *Yeah, sorry Lock, but I didn't enjoy it when you powered down.
Freinds is one thing, bonded into one being is another.*

Ilyanna: "Then it's settled. Warlock, make a bunch of eyes, and I'll whip
up some pools, and we'll get to work!"

Mercy Hospital

an interlude

One afternoon, Alicia Landers had been walking home from her junior high
school when three older boys from the high school drove up, offering her a
ride home. She never made it home. When the boys were finished with her,
she'd lost her innocensce, and in a bloody pool in the woods, nearly her
life. The attending Physicians did manage to sew up the wounds and stop
the bleeding from the body, but not from the heart. Alicia Landers lost
her will to live in a world she wanted no more of. She was placed on life
support in the hopes that her traumatic coma might one day end. It did.
The Mutant Terrorists, the Acolytes, had stormed the hospital, bringing
with them their cause to rid the wolrd of Flatscans, humans. They killed
many of the infirmed humans outright, and destroyed the life sustaining
equipment for the others, including Alicia. Alicia, in technical terms,
died. When the Acolytes were driven out by the X-Men, Alicia was attended
to. The doctors revived the body, in a comatic state, but the spark that
was Alicia, was gone. After a month, the familly decided to remove the
feeding tubes, and let the body rest.

Limbo

Ilyanna: "A red head. Maybe I can bleach?"

Doug: *How can you joke about this, it's horrible!*

Ilyanna: "It's survival. This poor kid's been through the ringer nearly as
bad as I have. I'll feel right at home in her."

Doug: *I don't know if I want to go through with this.*

Ilyanna: "I'll port you there, you give her the sword. I'm doing the
rest."

Doug: *I mean with me. I don't know if I want to be alive that badly.*

Ilyanna: "Fine, worry about it later! We don't have time now to kibbitz!
If we don't get down there soon, the celluar damage will be irreversible,
even for Warlock!"

Warlock: --Self is ready--

Doug: *Me too.*

Ilyanna: "Good." She carves out a light circle in the sky over the
hospital room and then holds her breath. She vanishes and the Soulsword
falls to the room below, and the light circle begins collapsing. Warlock
and Doug leap through, the circle very nearly closing upon them.


Mercy Hospital

Doug puts the sword into Alicias hand. Nothing happens.

Doug: *What now?*

Warlock: --Self registers minor fluctuations in chest altitude--

Doug: *Huh? Maybe CPR!* Doug administers life saving fist aid. In mid
mouth to mouth breath, Alicia's body is nearly covered in Eldritch Armor,
and she kisses the Douglock back.
	 *AUUGH! Don't do that!*

	 The Douglock steps back, and sees that she's fine via Warlock's
array. Then Doug sees himself (themself) in the mirror, and the Douglock
is blushing. This seemed kind of eerie to Doug - Warlock had assumed
Doug's old form to blend in at the hospital, but this emotional reaction
seemed a little too accurate, too human for Warlock. He was obviously
starting to affect Warlock's shapeshifting. Looking again in the mirror,
he wasn't sure if he liked what he saw.
	*How about a few more muscles, pal* 
   -Selffriend. Query?- 
   *Just kidding. Extend sensors to outside rooms. We don't need anyone
coming in right now.* 
   *Illyana, I'm not sure we dare trust your teleporting until you're
used to the new body. We're going to have to get out of here the harder
way.* 
 	The Douglock takes her hand in his. She doesn't resist, she's
barely moved at all. Along the underside of his wrist, Warlock slides a
tendril, blossoming at Illyana's wrist until it covers her entire body. A
few more moments of shifting and both of them are wearing doctor's
outfits, microscopically joined at the wrists.
	*Time to get out of here.* Douglock tugged at Illyana's wrist. She
would't budge, but then she slowly rises from the bed. *What's wrong?*

Majik: "Her memories... They're intact." 

A Genoshan Privately Leased Commercial Scramjet

Cortez: "Roasted Peanuts? They gave me an extra packet."

Jodlin: "You're somethin' else Cortez. You threaten me, kill Pyro, let me
heal him, kidnap me, shackle me, and then offer me a snack? Ah what the
hell." Eats a few. "If they were poisoned, it was pretty tasty poison. How
about a few more? Can't eat just one!"

Cortez: Flips Jodlin a few more while fiddling with his seat, and
adjusting his suits lapels. "...not an Ermani..." he grumbles.

Jodlin: "So where we up to? or should I shut up and do what I'm told?"

Cortez: "Huh? Oh. Japan. We're going to see an old freind of your Uncles.
He'll be glad to see you, and thrilled to see me."

Jodlin: "You hardly seem like the great world leader type that they
portrayed you as on Nightline. Maybe threatening people, treating them
like animals and playing on their fears doesn't work to well? You're just
another bully Cortez. Magneto could at least command loyalty. The few
times I met him at the Club, he was commanding presense, a real leader. A
little anal, but impressive. You, you're nothing."

Cortez: "You had a point till you mentioned Magnus. I knew him, hell, I
killed him. He was no better than I. He always lead by fear, by idoltry,
by sheer charisma of will, and intention. The man doubts nothing. Fears
Nothing. Every scared fool respects that, and he plied those fears."
	 "Magnus always knew what he wanted. Those with no goals, or no
balls to find them, follow him. It's easier to follow then lead, and so
sheep follow. People, mutants, sheep - they're all sheep. Fleece 'm, milk
'm, eat them alive and throw out the bones when you're done. That's
survival."
	He hands Jodlin an inflight menu and undoes the manacles. "Try the
chicken, everything else tastes like sawdust." 

Jodlin: "Ah. Now we're getting somewhere." Jodlin scans the menu, noting
that the same two foods that appear on EVERY in-flight meal plan are
present; chicken and salisbury steak. 
	 "You probably know that with your power enhancing mine, I could
probably turn that steak into something edible. But believe me, I give
you more credit than that."
	 (To himself) "Hmm. Chicken, potatoes, reconstituted of course,
peas and maybe pudding. Which is worse, Airline food or hospital food?
	 (To the terrified stewardess who is busy trying to hide on an
empty jet) "I'll try the chicken." 
 	Jodlin rubs his wrists, glad that the manacles aren't restraining
him again. He decides against any kind of attack because now he needs
Cortez just about as much as Cortez needs him. Cortez> "I just hope
there's no turbulence. I always get airsick."

X-Men Mansion

Cyclops and the Blue Team have returned to the mansion with Magneto and
Xavier's body. The X-Men have all disbersed, consumed by their greif.
Cyclops, ever the responsible one, puts his own grief aside to establish
order.

Cyke: "We need to establish ground rules if you are to stay. This is our
home, and our dream. You are welcome to stay if you follow this code. The
world is growing darker with each passing second and we can use all the
allies that we can aquire, and despite the past, or perhaps because of it,
you are welcome here."

Magneto: "I will consider your offer, indeed I will give this my foremost
attention. While I consider, I offer that you see to your fellow X-Men, I
will not decide this with haste."

Cyclops: Bothered by a myriad thoughts and concerns, agrees, and Magneto
leaves the room. Cyclops goes to the comunication room to try again to
contact the other team leaders and finds them still unreachable.
Everything to him seems falling apart. All he can do for several moments
is to wish that Jean were here.

Cerebro

an interlude

Magneto, playing on a hunch, searches Xavier's private files. He is
bemused at the password to them, Haller. Magneto finds what he suspected,
Xavier knew that he was dying. So did Hank McCoy. Magneto sits back in
Xavier's chair. That Xavier would risk his life to just to use his Mental
powers against him, is chilling to the Master of Magnetiscm. Charles had
changed in his final days. Levitating a pen, he composes a note for
Cyclops, and leaves the file on display. As he writes, he downloads the
mutant files from Cerebro.
	"Cyclops, I am complimented by your request, but I lead only when
I have no alternative. When I have done so in the past, it has either been
as a favor to Charles which I could not in conscience refuse, or when
there was no other way of achieving my purposes. Even in those cases I was
never good at it, I simply managed as well as possible until either the
organization fell apart or I could turn it over again to someone else.
	Charles and I were perhaps not so different in method as you might
think -- I know well the value of a safe haven, and if Charles had been as
entirely pacifist as he sometimes preferred to believe, he would not have
trained a fighting team. But our *talents* lay in very different areas.
Charles could command loyalty as few other men I have known could; even
mine, to a degree, though I could not let it affect my work. I operate
best as an independent agent; I accept alliances, to a point, but neither
leaders nor subordinates if I can avoid it.
	I bear no grievance against you or the X-Men. We have worked
together in the past, on occasions where our interests coincided; as it
seems likely, with both positions becoming less extreme,that this will
happen more often in the future, I would hope we can do so again. That I
will not lead, even jointly, does not mean I would not be pleased to have
the X-Men as a free ally... and indeed, my present intentions would
probably have suited Charles at his most pacifistic, though their
execution

   I will say no more for the present, however; it is early yet. I thank
you for your hospitality."
	Immediately after leaving the note Magneto quietly leaves the
X-Mansion, notifying nobody of his departure. He flies, remembering to use
untrackabe methods, to the island he'd long ago raised from the sea.

The Island of Avalon

Magneto begins to inspect the place -- it's been a long time since he was
here; he has no idea what condition it's in, or whether anyone has found
it. A strange tune about a Skipper and his castaways tugs at his memory,
as does the Human woman he once loved by similar cliffs overlooking a the
same sea, and dismisses them both.
	He prepares the island to take up a more-than-private population.
	"The X-Men will never protect mutants against humans, even if the
mutants are living peacefully and the humans attack -- as they will -- for
no other reason than that we are here. But I will ask them... there will
soon be no value in secrecy for this place in any case. And it is long
past time to call that bluff." 

X-Men Mansion - East Wing

Upon arrival at the mansion, Rogue leaves the Blackbird and the brooding
Magneto and Cyclops.

Rogue She immediately goes up to her room to be alone for awhile and try
to sort through a couple things...or rather feelings. The Prof's death
was extremely difficult for her, but old feelings that have resurfaced due
to Magneto's presence and comforting have struck a deep cord within her. 
 	Rogue sits down on her bed and slumps forward, exhausted both
physically and emotionally. She cries a little, despite her wanting to be
strong during this situation, it all has hit her a lot harder than she
ever thought something like this would. She tries to get her mind off of
everything that's been going on. She sorts through a stack of CDs and
picks out a CD to pop into the player, but before she even realizes it,
she's crushed it in her hand. Thoughtlessly, she lets it drop to the
floor. 
 	"Ah need to get out of here," Rogue thinks. Standing up, she
moves to her window and reaches out to open it, but a flash of anger
invades her. The helplessness of the whole situation finally gets to her
and an irrationality, that she rarely feels, takes over. Rogue puts her
fist through the window. The glass shatters violently and the sound mixes
with a choked-up sob that escapes from Rogue's throat. She suddenly flies
out the window, shattering the remaining glass and ripping away some of
the window frame as she leaves, not really caring about the damage or the
attention it will cause. 
 	She flies away from the mansion, feeling some release of tension;
flying has always been one of her favorite things, if not the favorite,
because it is so freeing to her. As she flies, she thinks about
Remy..."maybe Ah should make sure he's ok, but for right now, Ah need to
get away from everyone," she thinks. Rogue climbs higher and higher,
wanting to touch to clouds. Flying among the clouds clears her head a
little and takes her mind off the Professor; she merely enjoys the beauty
of her surroundings. Rogue finally comes down and flies towards the lake,
where she lands and sits on it's shore. 
   She feels a little better now, but her exhaustion gets the better of
her. Lying down, she drifts quickly off to sleep, thinking if the rest of
the X-Men need her, they'll find her. 
	Rogue is awoken by the sound of a strange voice. Someone is
talking, seemingly to themselves, by a different part of the lake. Rogues
seventh sense detects no danger. 

Voice

  "...lost. Everything I touch withers and dies, and leaves me."
	"It was better when I couldn't touch anyone. They couldn't hurt
me, and I couldn't hurt them. Who cares if my power was choking me slowly,
I was free! I listened to them and mastered my powers and I became part of
"The Plan". Morlock plans, X-Factor Plans, Stryffe Plans, Trust Plans,
Genesis Plans. Never Sally's plan, or Rusty's plan."
	"They're all dead, and I get to go on, yeah. But wait, life has
better in store for me! Now I get to watch them die again!"
	"When am I going to get numb? Trust promised me there'd be a day
when I'd grow numb to suffering and death! Then I could become, 'A Weapon.
A Force that could change things, could do what needed to be done.' I
failed him. I failed Rusty. The effing sentinel ripped him in half while I
ran!" A cascade of tears.
	 "Now I'm doing it again. I wanted to hate that bastard. He was at
the core. His dream started the damn war! I was glad he died! Why couldn't
he have stayed dead! I suppose it doesn't matter. After he was gone worse
ones came. Much worse. But meeting him, alive, he's so strong, so sure, so
kind."
	 "I know me. Fickle me. I'm falling in love with him. That can't
happen. I can't be hurt. I won't be hurt anymore. Not that he cares
anyway. He's so cold, so numb. He'd give Trust the shivers. No wonder
Trust worshipped him, idolized him. I do to."
	 "But one look at her, and *BAMF* I'm forgotten. I! I should've
been their for him at the betrayer's death! I should've told him what the
fiend was going to do, but I couldn't. Let the fool keep his kind
memories."
	 "But now what do I do? The Betrayer was supposed to die during
the Purge, not now. Time travel sucks. What the hell am I doing here.
Everybody knows that Bishop failed. Stryffe won. Apocalypse won. Everybody
dies. Dead. Dead. Dead. Why the hell can't I die? Why should I be
immortal, impregnable, and an idiot?" 

Rogue After eavesdropping beyond the point of couretesy, Rogue looks over
to the source of the voice. Pitching stones in the water is a middle aged
woman with short, strawberry blonde hair. She's thin, wiry and clothed in
dull grey tights and cap that somehow changes shades to dull blue to back
to grey in a rythmic pattern. She seems to be a stranger. She doesn't
notice Rogue at all.
	 Rogue finds herself more annoyed than alarmed with the intrusion
of this woman; it's been one long, tough day and she doesn't need any
confrontations to further complicate things.
	Rogue decides that a direct approach is needed here. Rogue
silently takes off and flies behind the woman, gently coming down to the
earth soundlessly. "It's not very fair to approach her from behind, but
Ah'm not in the mood for a skirmish here...Ah had better take the upper
hand while Ah can," she thinks. 
 	Unable to think of anything better to say, Rogue raises her voice
and says "Don't move!". 
	"Now that was brilliant," she thinks, "Ah sound like a cop off o'
the tv!"  

Renegade Whirls around to face Rogue despite Rogue's order. In the
instance of the spin, her face changes from rubbery vextation to Steel
Will. "What are you doing? Arresting me? Aren't I alowed to roam the
grounds without Magneto? What were you doing, spying on me for Cyclops?
Does he wonder how his pet plaything turned out? Better than his son!"

X-Men Mansion - Kitchen Cyclops lets the mist swirl off of a mug of
coffee.


Cyclops: "A note? Is that the best Magneto can do? Run off? First
Wolverine, now Magneto. Rogue's ballistic, Gambit's silent and Colossus is
sulking. Worse, Beast and Dr. Mctaggert are missing. None of the other
teams are answering the hailing calls I've made, and the Gold Team can't
be reached. My rapport with Jean is occasionally week over long distances,
but I can't feel her now. What's happening to us? Do the X-Men die with
Xavier?" A hailing signal comes across on an emergency channel. "Cyclops
here. Go on."

Nightcrawler: "Slim? Open the hanger remotely! We are on an ailing
runabout that's only being held togethor by Rachel's powers! If you could
talk us in as well, that would be grateful. Bishops a wonderful backseat
driver, but he's in no condition to fly!" 

Cyclops: (To himself) "Bishop? But he was with Jean!" (To Nightcrawler)
"I'm on it." (To communicator) "Gambit, ixnay on the Blackbird repairs,
roll it out, we've got company that needs a clear runway, I'm on the way
down!"


Selected Quotes from the last round of mail: 

At the prospect of giving Ilyanna Chuck's Body

"AWWW, for a moment there, I actually thought you were sick enough to try
my idea...:)"
- Warlock 

"Aren't there enough people with multiple personalities running around in
this campaign?" 
- Warlock

"Yeah, it seems the connection between me and you gets a little buggy
sometimes." 
- JP

"...if it goes down, the WHOLE system goes down. NOT a way to run a
campus..." 
- JP

"Ouch...Double ouch." 
- Wolverine

"I'm lost! Who is this????" 
- Rogue

"Sorry to mess with your plans... Am I still your favorite player?" 
-Magneto 

"All Cry the Children" Part 3 - 9 Pages 

(This is a serial work of fan fiction. It is based on the adventures of
the X-Men and diverges from the comic continuity after Unlimited X-Men #1.
Continuity may also differ in other respects. This story in its original
form is an e-mail RPG started on Usenet .racx, and these Story Posts are
combined from the actual moves of the players, with minor editing, plus my
added filler. Co-plotting and most of the dialogue should be credited to
the appropriate players listed at the end. Sorry, no more players will be
accepted.)

Previous Chapters available by E-MAIL request to Dan Adams at
dadams@hpbs3339.boi.hp.com
 
-GM/Author Scott Bachmann/di800@cleveland.freenet.edu
The Players

DougLock:   lehoczkyy@husc.harvard.edu       (Union Jack)
Magneto:    rivk@midway.uchicago.edu         (Naomi Gayle Rivkis) 
Colossus:   dn961@cleveland.Freenet.Edu      (Matthew S. Mccarthy) 
Rogue:      jav41196@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu        (Jennifer Vodvarka) 
Gambit:     V534YYNN@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu    (Matt Dempster) 
Majik:      glaw@Jade.Tufts.EDU              (Gabe)
Wolverine:  musgse@meaddata.com              (Steve Musgrave)
Cannonball: tnieboer@nyx.cs.du.edu           (Toby Nieboer)
Cyclops:    CHL701S@vma.smsu.edu             (Christopher Lenger)
J.Pierce:   uplink@cwis.unomaha.edu          (John)