ALL CRY THE CHILDREN - 5/?
By Various


Japan

        Jodlin Pierce looked at the man next to him.  Fabian Cortez cut a
dashing image in the tailored business suit, even in such surroundings as
this side street in Japan.  Jodlin couldn't here them, but Cortez was
arguing with one of Shinobi Shaw's guards, who seem to be instructed not
to let any visitors inside the gates. 
        Cortez, walks back, "They're not going to let us in." 
        "Couldn't we just wait until Shaw wants to see us?" asked Jodlin,
still unprepared for such high-powered dealings. 
        "Shaw will never want to see us.  We need to get in now." 
        "I was afraid you were going to say that."  Jodlin motioned to the
guard.  "You!  Hey, flattop, c'mere!" 
        The bulky guard ambled over to Jodlin; Jodlin reached out with his
mutant power, feeling the man's connections with the metal inside his
body. "What do you want now?" the cyborg rumbled.   
        "Either open this gate or I'm going to be ... upset."  Jodlin
attempted to intimidate the guard.  But although Jodlin and the guard 
probably weighed the same, in Jodlin's case it was mostly fat.   
        The guard laughed.  "Just for that I'm not going to kill you.  Get
the hell out of here or I may change my mind." 
        Jodlin slowly counted to five, then exerted his power.  The guard
screamed, falling to his knees.  "Feel that?"  Jodlin said.  "It's the
combined pain of three or four abscesses.  Open this gate or I make _all_
of your teeth rot out of your mouth." 
        The guard shook his head in week denial.  Jodlin sighed, and
turned up the power. The guard screamed louder, bringing a second guard to
investigate.  "What---" he started, before he too was on the ground,
holding his head in pain. 
        "Sinus pressure," Jodlin noted to the newcomer.  "Painful but not
too.  You've probably never had a sinus infection like this before." The
young man smirked.  "Now open this gate NOW!" 
        "You're repeating yourself," Cortez remarked. 
        Neither guard made a move to open the gate.  Jodlin felt
frustration at this, although he knew the guards were under pain of death
to follow their master's orders.  All right, he thought, time to stop
pussyfooting around.  The second guard suddenly stood, jerkily, his
motions overexaggerated. Sweat broke on Jodlin's brow as he controlled the
guard's body; he'd never actually tried this on a human being before.  But
now that he knew it worked, he felt a small triumph of pleasure. 
        The guard shuffled over to the control plate and thumbed a switch;
the gate opened. 
        "Good," Cortez remarked as he and Jodlin walked into the compound.
"Jodlin, get their weapons." 
        Jodlin releases the guard from his control; and finds himself
dizzy and almost unable to stand.  "Whatthehell?"  he thought, "It must
have taken more out of me than I thought."  He looked back at Cortez, then
at the guards. He needed energy, and he decided to steal from Cortez'
book.  The two guards, managing to recover from Jodlin's attacks, both
suddenly slumped.  Jodlin felt much better. 
        "It's interesting to know that works too," Jodlin muttered as he 
relieved the two brutes of their weapons; sleek Japanese submachineguns
designed for elegance and death.  He tossed one lightly to Cortez, who 
caught it one-handed.  "You think we should take their armor too?" 
        "It'd take too much time."  Cortez was already starting down the
paveway. 
         "Aha!"  Cortez whispered a bit loudly.  They were in the main
house, sidling down the mock-paper hallways, attempting to be silent. 
That is, Cortez was walking silently, but Jodlin managed to hit most of
the creaky floorboards in his vain attempt to skulk.  Still, they had met
almost no resistance, but now, Cortez had spotted something.  Jodlin
peered over the other man's shoulder. 
        "Just a servant." 
        "True, but he knows where Shaw is."  Cortez looked back at Jodlin.
"Paralyze him." 
        Jodlin concentrated, feeling for the servant.  No cyberware,
amazing enough, rested within this man's body.  He was as he appeared to
be, a menial servant in service to a modern lord.  Jodlin reached out, and
paralyzed the man's motor neurons, instantly halting the man in his
tracks.  Cortez walked up behind him, and grabbed the man in a
half-nelson. Nodding to Jodlin as Jodlin dropped the hold on the man's
nervous system. 
	"Now," he said to the man who was just learning what had happened
to him, "You are going to take us to your master, or else."  The servant's
voice quavered as he uttered a single word: "Hai." 
        "Which way?" asked Cortez; the corridor ran three ways.  The
servant indicated one way with his hand.  The three started down the
corridor. 
        They presently came to a large room, empty of all ornamentation.
"A trick?" queried Cortez.  "If you have tricked me..." 
        "Boost me!  Now!"  Jodlin had already noted the gathered ninja
behind the walls; now, he asked for Cortez's mutant power, receiving his
touch of power even as the gathered ninja burst from their secret places,
swarming upon the trio.  However, with Cortez' power amplifying his,
Jodlin was easily able to handle them.  Each ninja, when he got within
four feet of either Jodlin or Cortez, suddenly dropped, unconscious from
the assembled fatigue poisons now running within their bloodstreams, and
the paralysis of their motor neurons. 
        Two ninja were not that stupid.  One raised three shuriken and,
leaping, threw them at Jodlin.  His mark was three feet wide, as Jodlin
had planned, blurring the man's perception that much.  Of course, the
cyberninja also jumped smack into the rafter which he had thought was
three feet to his left.  Jodlin spared him a thought, and the man sighed
into unconsciousness.         The other ninja, a female, pulled out
another Japanese submachinegun levelling it at Cortez, who interposed the
servant between himself and the ninja's gun.  "Not bright, my dear,"
Cortez said.  "Shaw would be most  unhappy if you shot up his servant." 
The woman wavered momentarily, and then brought the gun up to Cortez...
and throwing it over her shoulder, she started a jerky stripping off of
her clothes, a pained attempt at a strip-tease. 
        "Do you mind Pierce?" asked a very irritated Fabian Cortez.
         "Sorry; I think she's cute."  Jodlin sighed and gave a mental
twist; the girl ripped off her top, moaned, and sank to the floor, a smile
covering her face.  "Sorry babe, it coulda been nice."  Jodlin smiled at
the female, then followed Cortez and the servant out of the room. 
         Reaching another set of doors, the trio paused.  "Open it,"
Cortez commanded.  "And you're going first, so no tricks."  The servant
gulped, nodding as he pressed a series of keys on the door. 
        "Trap door," Cortez explained to Jodlin as they passed through the
portal.  "I remember it from the last time I was here."   
        With a sudden growling noise, a huge object struck Cortez,
knocking him to the ground.  Atop him sat a robot dog, with metal teeth
reaching for Cortez' throat.  Only the fact that Cortez had managed to
shove the gun into the dog's maw kept the cybercanine from ripping Cortez.
"Stop it!" he cried.         "How?"  Jodlin demanded.  "It's a robot, I
can't affect it!" 
        "SHOOT IT!"  Cortez fought wildly as the dog started biting
through the case-hardened steel of the gun. 
        Jodlin brought his gun up, pointed it at the dog... and a stream
of  bullets ripped the dog's head from its shoulders.  Cortez relaxed,
then warned Jodlin, "Look out!" as another robot dog leaped at the young
mutant! 
        Jodlin had already increased his reflexes; now the adrenaline rush
was making everything seem to move in slow motion.  He brought the gun up
towards the dog, still in mid-air, motionless, and blindly pulled the
trigger... 
        Cortez shook his shoulder, making Jodlin open his eyes.  "Am I 
dead?" was his first question. 
        Cortez laughed.  "Nothing I saw in your dossier said you were an
expert marksman," he remarked.  Behind him, on the floor, lay the
offending robot, with a hole through it's head.  "Even with AP rounds that
was a one-in-a-million shot, right on a weak stress point," said Cortez. 
"Even I couldn't have made that shot." 
        "I'm not a marksman," replied Jodlin, looking at the dog.  He used
a small bit of his boosted power to keep the shakes from hitting.  "I just
shot blindly."  He examined the dog.  It was still functioning; Jodlin
guessed that he'd hit the thing in a motion control processor.  
        "Well, whatever you did, you did well, Jodlin Pierce."  It was the
first time Cortez had acknowledged Jodlin's identity.  "Let's move." 
        "Y'know, this seems very peculiar to me," said Jodlin, catching up
with Cortez and the servant.  "There are a lot more guards in this place,
yet we've only run up against token resistance." 
        "I concur," replied Cortez.  "I wish I knew what Shaw was up to." 
The three finally came to the room that the servant swore up and down Shaw
was in.  "Good," Cortez muttered.  He slammed the servant's face up
against the door.  "Then open it." 
        The terrified servant opened the door, then entered before Cortez,
bowing to the figure on the great plush bed.  "Great pardon honorable
master," he said in formal Japanese, "But you have unwelcome guests, who I
believe mean you harm.  I apologize for failing you." 
        Cortez bent toward Jodlin.  "What the hell'd he say, Jodlin?"     
Jodlin smirked.  "Good thing I learned formal Japanese.  He introduced us
as unwelcome guests, who mean him harm." 
       Cortez nodded.  "Then let us be prepared." 
       The two entered, looking around the room, at the scene of sybaritic
hedonism.  Shaw kneeled on a great padded bed, naked, between the legs of
a crouched caucasian woman with purple hair, also naked.  He looked up at
the two entering.  "What th' hell 'r YOU doing here?" he demanded
drunkenly, continuing to swear furiously at his incompetent guards and the
servant. 
        "Well, well," Cortez began.  "He has kept busy." 
        "And with such an interesting partner as well," Jodlin remarked,
examining the woman intently.  "Unless I miss my guess, that is the
ex-X-Man Betsy Braddock, also known as Psylocke." 
        "How do you know this?" demanded Shinobi Shaw.
	   Cortez shrugs. 
        "C'mon people, I saw the "Broadcast from Dallas" too,"  Jodlin
sighed.  "There can't be two women in the world with psionic powers and
naturally-purple hair." 
        Shaw stumbled, pulling out of the woman.  "What I oughta do with
you is..." he spun, dizzily. 
        "Sober him up, Jodlin."  Cortez commanded.   
        Jodlin nodded, using his power to remove most of the alcoholic
influence from Shaw's bloodstream.  "There," he said.  "He's sober enough
for business but still a little buzzed."  He looked at Cortez, and
muttered under his breath, "I'm giving the guy a break, he needs the
cushioning.  And maybe he'll be a little more tractable this way." 
        Cortez nodded.  He turned back to Shaw. "Shaw, we need to talk. 
Graydon Creed has become leader of the Upstarts and he now has the
resources to wipe us both out.  The other Upstarts are being held captive
by Forge, and the Gamesmaster can't be reached.  For our own mutual
safety, we need to band together." 
        Shaw grabbed a robe and tied it around himself.  "You stinking
pig, how dare you insult my privacy?  I'll be pissing on your grave before
the hour is out!" 
	   Psylock's head lolls to the side on the bed, her expression
blank, unaware.
        "Whoa!" shouted Jodlin.  "New target, guys.  More unwelcome
company coming up the stairs."
        "I sense it too," noted Cortez.  "A mutant.  Animalistic in
nature. Strong. Fast." 
        "And it's got a healing factor, too,"  Jodlin added.  "Tell your
guards to set an ambush, Shaw.  Around this room would be nice, and we'll
keep Betsy,"  Jodlin stroked the woman's thigh, "here with us."  He
smirked at Shaw, still somewhat uncomprehensive.  "Wolverine's come
a-callin'." 
        "You are close," says Cortez, his faced twisted in a sneer, "but
that is not Wolverine. The flavor is all wrong..." 
	"Flavor?" Hisses Shaw, "you are insane!" 
     "Still, I'm right. Get the guards like Jod said."
     Shaw picks up a phone, it's dead. He goes to the door and looks out.
"My guards, they are gone, what have you done to them!"
	"Nothing," says Cortez, and adds to Jodlin, "This reeks of a set
up, but for who? Us? or Shaw." 
	Jodlin, "He's reached the floor below us, no time for debate.
Behind the curtains?"
	Cortez, "Nah, we'd have to knock out his heightened senses too,
and he'd notice their absence. Let's just wait it out. I think we can take
him." Cortez sits down on a large cushion, and helps himself to a warmed
glass of Sake.
	Jodlin, shrugs and lounges on the bed while Shaw shivers in the
center of the room.
	Sabretooth bursts through the paper wall and grabs Shaw, and
shoves his claws deep into his skull. But Shaw's mutant ability is to
phase through solid objects, not unlike Shadowcat, so he is unharmed.
Sabretooth pulls a device from his belt and holds it near Shaw's face, as
he growls, "Honorable trash, you've been bought out by your associates,
and I'm the retirement plan. Phase in and my claws will kill you, and this
doohickys gonna disburse your guts if you don't."
	Cortez clears his throat.
	Sabretooth, "I know you're there. As soon as Shaw's dead, I'll
kill you too, I hate loose ends. And since I'm only paid for Shaw and the
girlie, I'll be nice and do you fast. You can even watch while I peel her
skin for my collection..."
        Jodlin looked at Sabretooth with disdain; the man was too much of
a brawler, too stupid to concern himself with the main threat.  He reached
out with his amplified powers and stopped Sabretooth. 
        "What the ---" Sabretooth found his grip slippery; the device in
his hand fell from his grasp, only to be stopped from hitting the floor by
a quick catch from Cortez.  Sabretooth swung around to cover Cortez,  but
still found his movements dulled, slowed. 
        "Okay, that does it."  He swung at Cortez, ignoring Shaw.  "You
die first."  Another swing, as easily ducked as the first. 
        Cortez laughed.  "Do you really think you can take all three of
us? You're a bigger fool than I thought, Creed."  He laughed again, easily
ducking another swing. 
        "GRARGH!" Sabretooth growled.  "I mean it, boy, stop foolin' with
me or I'll rip you good!"  He still tried to ineffectively catch Cortez,
who stepped lightly out of Sabretooth's way. 
        Shaw watched the two men dance.  "This is crazy.  I'm getting out
of here."  He made toward the wall, but was stopped by a force which
paralyzed his muscles.  He couldn't move.  "Uh uh, Shaw," said Jodlin, "We
still have business.  It wouldn't do for you to walk out on us, would it?"
       Shaw growled and turned insubstantial, but found he still couldn't
move.
	 "My power's grown since the last time you saw me, Shinobi." 
Jodlin grinned.  "Or do you remember the poor nephew of Donald Pierce? 
You used to call me "Sneeze Boy", because that was all I could do." 
Jodlin concentrated, and Shaw found himself substantial once again.  "I
can do LOTS more now." 
        "Enough of this, Creed; you make a lousy dance partner."  Cortez
had grown tired of dodging the slowed Creed.  "Jodlin, finish him." 
        "My pleasure, boss."  At first, Jodlin had tried to paralyze
Creed; the trouble was, he hadn't counted on Sabretooth's healing factor. 
So this time he rectified the situation.  He eliminated the animalistic
mutant's healing power first.  Sabretooth grunted as he felt his endurance
slip away. 
        "Stop f-----n' with me, kid, or they ain't gonna find what I leave
behind!" exploded Sabretooth, but Jodlin had him; Creed was no longer a
threat.  Jodlin then slowed Creed even further, and decided that he'd have
to keep Creed on ice a bit longer.  It would take time, but thanks to
Cortez boosting his power, Jodlin could do it. 
        Finally, Creed found himself forced into a fetal position by his
own body.  He tried to protest, but found that his jaw seemed to be stuck
closed.  And his fists seemed not to be able to move.  Jodlin got up off
the bed and looked down at Sabretooth.  "Muscle calcification, Sabretooth.
	Until I restore your healing factor, you aren't going to be able
to move." He looked up at Cortez, who had pocketed the device which had
been in  Sabretooth's possession.  If anything, it would serve nicely as a
threat against Shaw.  He then turned to Shinobi. 
        "Seems you owe us your life, Shaw."  He smiled.  "If you would be
a gracious host, you would accept the fact that if Cortez and I hadn't
come here at exactly this time, you'd be atomized." 
        "Very well."  Shaw was filled with anger, but saw the truth in
Jodlin's words.  "Never let it be said that Shinobi Shaw is a man who
never repays his debts, Pierce.  I will listen to you." 
        "Here's the plan."  Cortez had already had it worked out. 
"Graydon Creed now rules the Upstarts.  We're running scared, Shaw.  We
need to band together and fight him.  With your money and my followers, we
can still come out on top." 
        "Whoa.  Wait a minute."  Jodlin held his hand up between the two
men.  "I may have come into this game as a pawn, people, but I want a
bigger chunk of the game now.  If you two are going to partner up and be
buddy-buddy, then I want in on this." 
        "I am surprised at you, Pierce."  Shaw smirked at the young man.
"I thought all along you did not have what it took to become an Upstart." 
        "No, you thought my powers were weak and useless, Shinobi." 
Jodlin glared at Shaw.  "THAT's why you didn't want to make me one of your
Inner Circle pals.  Well, I got news for ya.  There's a little thing
wandering around nowadays called the Legacy Virus.  Started by a man named
Stryfe, from what Cortez tells me."  He paused for dramatic purposes. 
"You're looking at the cure." 
        "You?  Don't make me laugh." 
        "Not only that, but we have the makings of our own little power
base here, Shaw."  He walked over to Betsy Braddock.  Natural purple hair,
what a rarity.  "I don't know what you did to her, but Betsy  Braddock is
one of the world's top telepaths.  I assume if you can do this, you can
brainwash her, although it might take all three of us to do it."
	"This isn't my doing, Pierce," Shinobi grunts as he sinks back
down on the bed and pours himself a drink. "It's something that happened
with her twin Kwannon, when they went up against Matsuo. Some kind of semi
coma. She does anything you say, provided its simple. Kwannon's the same
way I here. They gave Psylocke to me as a gift because I showed interest
in her. If I didn't like her, I could always off her for the game points."
	Cortez interrupts, "Rampant butchering as an ends to itself
belongs to Blaze and Creed. But me? I'm in for the power. Psylocke's worth
more to us alive, and I suggest you stop raping her until we know for sure
that she's useless," then adds, "that goes for you too Jodlin."
	Jodlin continues, looking annoyed at being interrupted, "Then, we
have this pathetic creature."  He indicated Sabretooth. "If we can get him
to talk, I'm sure we can find some way to include him in our plans.  Maybe
as an assassin?" 
	"I doubt it, unless we can find something he wants, something more
reliable than money. He knows we can cripple him, and he'll kill us the
second we release him, he has to. Freedom is everything to a man like him.
And you're forgetting something, Jodlin."  Cortez sat down, sipping the
warmed sake.  "We must consolidate first.  Shaw has enemies that could
hamper 'our' plans.  To establish our goals we must first eliminate these
enemies, then we will have at least one less sword hanging over our
heads." Jodlin nodded. 
        "But who are these enemies?  I think this is a tale for Mr. Shaw
and possibly Mr. Creed to explain. But we'd better find a safe haven
first. Shaw's guards are compromised, that's why they gave us little
resistance on the way in - they assumed we were the assassins sent to take
out Shaw. No doubt, our rescue of Shaw has gone reported, and the next
strike will be forthcoming. Shaw?"
	Shaw puts his drink down, hard. "Can't I even get a buzz without
you screwing with it Pierce? Bastard. You're all Bastards. I was going to
rebuild the Hellfire club, but it was going to be all mine! Betsy Bradock
here was a member of the Club, so's Warren Worthington, the Angel. I could
get my hands into the X-men instead of bashing them like my Dad. And I've
built on Dad's fortune, I've made myself a player in the Asian Cartels,
and they control the world's exports. You should be following me Cortez!"
	"So the pup's got ambition. And you must be on to something
because your rival Cartels tried to out you," he turns and looks at
Sabretooth, "didn't they Creed? Just Drool once for a yes?" He turns back
to Shaw, "Well, good boy Shaw. And you're right, maybe we should form a
new Inner Circle. The Upstart game seems to have collapsed - I'm betting
someone got to the Gamesmaster - and even if the games on, running the
Hellfire Club's got to be worth something. BUT I'm going to be the Black
King. You're only a Rook Shaw. And Jodlin here, he's at least a Knight or
Bishop now."
	Cortez regards a tray of sushi and seaweed with disdain, and then
pops open a tin of Caviar and is amused by the Ritz crackers that
accompany them. "But first's first. We need a safe haven."
	Shaw, taking a Ritz, more to save it from Cortez then to eat it
for enjoyment, adds, "I own a Thai restaurant near here. All the workers
are on immigrant Visa's that I hold. They are loyal."
	"Wonderful," mumbles Jodlin, "A restaraunt is where this whole
damn thing started." 

X-Men Mansion - Sub-basement - Infirmary

(Douglock and Majik have gated into the High Lord Cannonball's room,
interrupting his talk with Jack, a sub-personality of being known as
Legion)

Cannonball: Sam uses his Cannonball field as a defensive barrier - a ring
of kinetic energy around him at waist level. He steps in front of Jack, to
block any attack that the Douglock or the redhead might make.
	 "Supposin' y'all explain what you're doing here, an' what you
want with Jack here?"
	 (to himself) "Wait...the sword an' armor...it can't be..."
	 (out loud) "Illyana?" 

Majik: "Why Sam," she says, kissing his hand with a flirtatious look, "you
remember me."
	 She sheaths the sword then notices the astral form of Jack, and
examines it with the shrewdness of a master sorceress. "Jack, how've you
been? You know the Proff should've listened to me and tore your entrails-"

Cannonball: Warns her off with a threatening gesture.

Douglock: Warlock transforms into multi-tentacled thing, each sporting the
nozzle of a viscous looking weapon, half aimed at Sam, the other half at
Jack.
	Then suddenly, Warlock changes shape, becoming Doug Ramsey. *Stop
it guys. I don't care what's happened to us, we're on the same side.*

Jack: "Well, well. It's Warlock, the little toaster that could. Look Sam,
I'm fading already. Malice is controlling Davey, and Malice wants you
dead. That's good enough reason for me to forget the past and team up with
you. If you want to bring the 'Goof Troop' along, it's fine by me.
Malice's got enough body bags for everybody."

Doug: *Malice. That's one of the Marauder #$@%s that slaughtered the
Morlocks!*

Majik: "Cipher! Your language power is growing!"

Sam: (Checks AL silently.) (to himself) "Hmm, these two are definitely one
of the sources of warping time, and Legion aka Gamesmaster is a major
Player during this time in history. Whatever's gonna happen next could be
crucial."
	"Well, I'm game Jack. What about y'all? Up for reunion caper?"

Majik: Before anyone can agree, Majik carves out a light circle and sucks
everyone to Limbo.
	 "Ok, but on my terms."
	Beast, Banshee and Moira enter as the light circle is closing.

Beast: "Oh my. Shall we?" The beast leaps into the circle.

Banshee: "What? Henry-" but his words are cut short as Dr. Mccoy yanks him
thorough the portal.
	Dr. McTaggert suddenly falls unconscious to the floor. 

Jack: Smiles. "Better to have insurance." And vanishes.

 Majik's limbo

(Majik has gathered all to limbo. Banshee hovers over beast, Majik and
Warlock converse, and Cannonball looks on confused as Jack Wayne hovers
nearby.)
	For a moment there is a confused silence

Banshee: Suddenly takes a look around and realizes that Moira is nowhere
to be seen. Getting a little worried and he calls out, "Moira! Are ye
there my luv!"
	 Then turns to Beast, "And Henry, why on Earth did ye act so
reckless. Jumpin into this place and all. It could have been a trap!"  

Beast: "Carpe Diem oh melodious friend! My previous supposition to you
that Ilyanna was behaving strangely, coupled with the appearance of
Majik's light circle, no to mention the subsequent kidnapping of our
unusual charge, led me to an immediate conclusion that our answers lie
within our imminent action thus taken."
	(Majik takes Warlock aside)

Majik: "Maybe we oughta find the rest of the team before we go on?"

Warlock: --negativesuggestion Self has accessed databases with regards to
team members nomenclaturedesignate "New Mutants" sadnotgoodbadfindings are
as follows: Karma/Valkyrie - missing, presumed dead. Sunspot - wanted
fugitive, Magma - location Unknown,  Wolfsbane - government operative -
member X-Factor. Self foresees no chance of recovering fellow lostfreind
teammates.--

Doug: (to Warlock) *Are you kidding? In this world? We seem to run into
the right or wrong people all the time!* 
 	The fingers on one arm coalesced to form a head which rose up, the
distinctive mismatched eyes betraying it as Warlock's 

Warlock: (to Doug) --Query? Self detects no other presences here in
Limbo.-- 

Doug: (to Warlock) *Not now, Warlock. It was just a figure of speech. And
buddy Keep a sensor permanently on Wayne. The moment he tries anything,
hit him with everything you've got*

Warlock: --Gratefully Acknowledged, frienddoug-- 
 	--NewfriendIllyanaoldfriend query? Why have we been brought to
Limbo?--
	--Additional Query: Why are X-Men Beast and Banshee present?-- 

Doug: Walks back over to the group.  *Sean, Hank. I guess we have some
explaining to do, huh.* 
	Rather quickly, Warlock and Majik reveal their strange re-origins
to Beast, Banshee, and Cannonball.

Beast: "Oh my Stars and Garters!"
	"As I understand this, Doug and Warlock appeared in a flash from
the ether in the danger room - and this was done by an enchantment that
Majik can not fathom.  Meanwhile, Majik is suddenly freed from Limbo as
Forge's neutralizer represses the X-Factor in the younger Ilyanna. Then,
at the same time, Sienna Blaze appears at the mansion and attacks. Three
unlikely happenings at once - a coincidence?"

Jack: "Who cares. Are you going to help me stop Malice or not? Maybe this
will help you think faster. I've pulled Moira in already."

Banshee: (Yells at Jack) "What have ye done with her! If ye have so much
as damaged a hair in her head I swear I'll make you sorry ye didna fall
with Shadow King!"
	 Then, to back up his words, he strikes with a medium sized sonic
scream. The blast tears up the ground behind Jack, as the blast goes
through him harmlessly. Dust and dirt rain down upon Majik who wills it
off of her, and repairs the damaged ground.

Jack: "She's safe, but she's already inside Legion, with me. How long she
remains safe is up to you. Malice is currently out of Legion's head, but
when she returns, and learns about this, I'm dead, and so is Moira. You've
got to free David before she gets back."

Beast: "If you can kidnap one of us, why not all of us?"

Jack: "It would take to much effort to over power you. You've got to come
willingly. Malice has drained all of us badly to boost Davey's power, I
can barely project myself here."

Banshee: Still visibly frustrated, "Are we gonna sit here a long or are we
gonna bring down this Malice-lady?" 

Beast: "Have we a choice? Once more into the valley of death rode the
X-Men!"
	Warlock and Majik silently nod, leaving only Cannonball. He seems
preoccupied, his glances weighing the odds.

Cannonball: "Allright."

Warlock: Disoriented by the rapid pace of events, Warlock searches his
memory of previous encounters with Legion, and while doing so, all
available sensors are on full scan. Neither Doug or Warlock trusting Jack
in the slightest. 
	Conversing amongst themselves, they decide that it might be best
to contact Legions other personas. Jemahl the telepath would be best, but
Cindy the Pyrokinetic would be welcome too, although Doug thinks she's a
little too weird. 
 	They also decide that it is up to them to keep an eye on Ilyanna
and attempt to protect her if at all possible. 

Majik: Casts a protection spell, and summons several large, spike covered
servants. Banshee tries not to look upset. "I brought you all here because
our bodies will be safer lying here, than they would be in the mansion. OK
Jack, we're ready. Any double crosses..." 

Jack: Smiles. All of them go unconscious and collapse in the arms of
demons who lay them down gently on demonic pillows.

Central Park

After several minutes of disorientation, the team opens their eyes and
find themselves in Central Park. In the Distance, across an empty street,
and oddly distorted, is a mansion. A loud, moaning wind blows through the
trees, but otherwise it is silent.

Banshee: "Where?"

Beast: "Inside of David's mind, it has to be, Central park is clean and
empty of people."

Cannonball: "I know that place. It's the Hellfire Club."

Jack: "Good! Your one up on me. That place's in all of Davey's dreams, but
I've never gotten in there, and I never knew what it was."

Banshee: "Well, no time like the present" Flies towards the Mansion, but
it receeds as he approaches it.

Jack: "That's why I've never been in there."

Doug: "Guys, Warlock's sensors read that strange wind as voices, about a
million of them, all talking at once."

Jack: "Not surprising. Malice wanted to use Davey's psi powers to
eavesdrop on people's thoughts, but Davey's focus stinks. So she boosted
his power somehow. Now he's plugged into every mind in the world, all at

	Suddenly, the team sinks into the ground, they resist, but fail,
and sink all the way through it and fall through into an abandoned tunnel
below the ground.
	The tunnel reeks of a smell none of them wanted to ever smell
again. Dead Bodies. Hundreds of them. All of them mutants. 

Jack: "Great. Davey's having a nightmare again."

Beast: "It's the Morlock tunnels. Just after the massacre."

Jack: "If the dream follows course, the Marauders will be along
shortly..."

A Wharf in Hong Kong

(Maverick has opened fire on Karma, not knowing she has company)

Jubilee: On cue, everyone covers their eyes as Jubilee ducks down around a
barrel. She makes a hasty judgement of the range, and then showers the
dock in a rainbow of pyrotechnic explosions, producing enough light in the
dark to blind anyone. 

Karma: Squinting, opens fire in the same area, thinking she saw Maverick's
outline in the flash.

Maverick: (To Himself) "Hmmmph. Ever hear of polarized lenses kid? Still,
a Nice trick though for amateurs."
	He ducks the gunfire and drops a device behind as he rolls away.
The sparkles continue to rain down. "Wait-a-minute, that flash wasn't a
flare. More mutants, damn. Why isn't anything easy."

Logan: Snikt! Leaps from the boat and catches onto the edge of the dock,
flips up, and uses his superior senses to scout out Maverick. He spots him
moving in his direction.

Maverick: Activates a mike on his helm, and his voice is amplified and
projected out of the device he left behind. "Give yourself up X'an and
I'll go easy on you! You know we're not going to give up."
	 Karma shoots the hell out of the pier where the device is.
	 (To himself) "Dumb, but a good shot. There, I can see her. Should
I drop her or just stun her... She's justified lethal force, but -" 
Logan: He strikes out at Maverick from the shadows, his claws slashing the
gun, but somehow Maverick inhumanely dodges Wolverines fist to his face.

Maverick: (To himself) "LOGAN! Ah, S--t. My mutant probability power's no
match for his speed. Better try to negotiate."
	Maverick fakes a kick and jabs with a right. "What are you doing
here old pal. Refugees aren't your style."

Logan: Ignores Mavericks feint, ducks the jab, grabs the arm and throws
him to the ground, then bends the fingers outward as he steps on his
chest. "I'm on vacation. Now do you give up or do I make this messy, old
pal."

Maverick: (To himself) "This ain't worth a fight with Logan. Better let
him think he's got me. Still, I'd like a chance to kick his sorry ass." 
	(outloud) "I don't give up, our kind never does. But let me up and
we'll talk."

Logan: "I like you where you are."

Maverick: "I'm on the right side of this Logan. We're stopping the boat
people. Hong Kong, can't support them all when they get here, they just
get deported back, and these crazies come over in boats that sink, and
they leave with out enough food and water to make the trip, most die. For
their own good we turn back their ships. X'an's been interfering, stopping
our boys, and helping others get thorough. She's smuggling people Logan.
And cause she's mutant, they called me in to deal with her."
	A coast guard cutter rounds the bay and turns on its spotlights.
Wolverine is distracted for a second and Maverick pulls free, sweeping
Logan's legs out with a kick. Logan rolls to his feet.

Maverick: "Always have backup!"
	 He explodes a concussive/smoke grenade and leaps away.

Jubilee: Shielding her eyes from the searchlight, "Fine! How about a taste
of your own!" With a blistering bright PAFF, she blasts the cutter, and
the boat swerves. Karma's siblings kick on their motor and head away from
it.

Karma: Suddenly, Karma possesses Jubilee, forcing her to create the
biggest PAFF she's ever made, a plasma burst that blows a giant hole in
the bow of the metal ship.
	 As it begins to sink, Logan dives for the water and swims to
Karma's boat. The boat is going too fast, but Karma throws him a perserver
and rope. He catches it, and as the slack catches up, he begins body
surfing, as the boat shows surprising speed. Later, when there is no sign
of pursuit, the boat slows, and Wolverine is pulled up on deck.
	(To Jubilee) "So. The X-men grow soft. Still, I apologize for
controlling you, I know that my power is unpleasant."
	(Then to Logan) "Your friends should be chosen more carefully
Wolverine." (It is uncertain to whom she refers)