ALL CRY THE CHILDREN - 6/?
By Various


On the Repaired Blackbird

(Nightcrawler, Colossus, Cyclops, Shadowcat, Phoenix, Rogue, Gambit,
Bishop, and Renegade leave for their assault on Genosha to rescue the Gold
Team)

Cyclops:  "Kurt brought up something I hadn't thought of... namely that
Kitty's powers would make her a natural for the Stealth team. Since she's
had quite a bit of martial arts training from Logan, I'm putting her with
Kurt, Gambit, and Bishop." 
	He takes the pilot's seat, and Kurt co-pilots.
	(To Himself) "It seems that we've become what we have been trying
to prevent, a mutant strike force...maybe this is what Sam meant when he
said that the open hand can be used to hurt, while the closed fist can
protect... I'm just not sure that we're living up to the ideals of the
Professor's dream anymore..." 

The Isle of Avalon
Magneto, not resting, rebuilds a lost city on an island he raised from the
sea. He intends to make it habitable as a safe haven for all mutants. He
barely rests, and sleep does not cross his mind. The work he undergoes is
a catharsis, a creation to replace the loss of his freind, and adversary,
Charles Xavier.
	A presence walks out of thin air before Magneto, and the master of
magnetism, vigilant, prepares to dispatch the intruder.The intruders
appearence seems familiar, but the two arch foes of the X-men have never
met, or so Magnus believes.

Mr. Sinister: "You're looking better since last we parted. Ah, but then
you were a smoldering heap on the fringes of the Savage Land. Sorry that I
could not have afforded a better rescue from Asteroid M, but I must be
careful, I am watched you know. But then my gamble that you would recover
has borne fruition."

Dim recollections of the Savage Land rise to the surface of Magneto's
memory, where before there resided only a void.
	He recalls being healed by a faction of still loyal mutates, and
then fleeing them in a fevered rage. This led to his awakening, alone, in
the Antarctic. Still, he can not recall HOW he arrived in the Savage Land,
so Sinister's story could be a fabrication. And it was Sinister's
Marauders that slaughtered the Morlocks during his "watch," so Magnus has
no love or trust for this entity.

	Magneto starts to lift a hand, gathering energy from the
surrounding magnetic field and reflexively checking the type and position
of all metal in the immediate area for usefulness almost before he thinks
about it -- like a practiced spy being instantly aware of the location of
every exit and every potential tool in a room when he faces danger.
Watching the unknown visitor carefully, though, he checks his movement in
midair, holding his fire for the moment out of some intuition he can't
quite name... caution at an unknown adversary, curiosity, or possibly an
unconscious awareness stirred up by his dead friend the idealist, that
killing might be a last resort - but ought not to be the first. 

Sinister: "Please Magnus, I've no time for frivolity and games, although a
battle with you would be exhilierating... No, I must speak with you on
matters of mutual concern. I urge you to listen, for both of our lives and
worlds depend upon it - and you already owe me your life..."

Magneto's eyes never leave the visitor, and the visible tension in his
body is more than nerves, it is the effect of the tremendous magnetic
energy which he drew into himself and is still holding in reserve, to be
released at the twitch of a fingertip.

Magneto:"A debt not chosen is no debt at all," he answers slowly, "but
speak, then, if you will." 

Mr. Sinister: "Technicalities. But that's often all we ever have. But I
digress." 
	 "You and I are involved in a game most perilous, although your
role has yet to be played, thus, you are unaware of the game.<P.
	"If time were to progress unhindered, several devastaing
circumstances would commence. The result of which will be a war for
domination of this planet. One side shall be championed by Apokalypse, the
other by yourself. The war shall conclude on the moon, and you shall lose
in the end."
	"Apocalypse will then claim the heritage offered the earth by the
Celestials eons ago when they first introduced the X-Factor into the human
Genome; this heritage is the right for one being to gain the power cosmic,
and control over nexus earth."

Magneto listens, impassive, to the entire explanation, beginning to
develop a headache from holding the explosive magnetic charge at the ready
for so long, but unwilling to drop his defenses. 

Mr Sinister: "Despite this loss, you are important, because in many
alternate realities, you are triumphant against Apocalypse. Indeed, you
were successful in this reality until you were assassinated by me."
	Sinister waits for a reaction, and seems saddened when Magneto
remains impassive.
     "I have played many parts in this conflict to be and to come. For
most of my existence, I was allied with Apocalypse. With my Maruaders, I
slaughtered the Morlocks for him. Untouched, they would have become your
army. I destroyed the Hellfire Club, again, with the aid of the Marauders
and the duping of the Upstarts. The Hellfirians were destined to become
your lieutenants. And I brought about Cortez's rise in power, so that he
could hinder you, but he exceeded even my expectations by killing you...
	"But that was then, and I've had a change of heart. My master and
I have had a ... falling out."

Magneto: A drily murmured, "That was wise of you." 

Mr Sinister: "While my motives will remain my own. You must know what is
to occur if you are to manipulate fate to your advantage. Time has been
set and reset by several interferences of temporal travellers. Apocalypse
has countered each one, manipulating events to his own ends."
	"Currently, in this timeline, Jean Grey will show evidence of
being the Phoenix once more. Xavier will then discover that Jean has
always been the Phoenix, and her great power has enabled her to deny her
true self, and fool all others into believing whatever fantasy past she
wishes. A cocoon indeed..."
	"Then, Xavier will summon Forges aid and -"

Magneto: "Bothersome troll. Xavier has died from the Legacy Virus, which I
believe was released by you."

Sinister: "NO!" He sits down on a rock and ponders deeply, and talks to
himself outloud, "Then Apocalypse's newest plan has already born fruition.
Without Xavier to stop Jean..."

Magneto: "You will please explain what reason I have to trust any of
your information whatsoever," his words, sharp and rapid as machine-gun
fire.  

Mr. Sinister: "You don't. But knowledge has a devastation all its own.
Words are as lethal as any weapon, and the abatement of your ignorance
will fire all the shots that I need fired. "

Magneto: His eyes are distant, and it's impossible to tell whether
Sinister's answer has had any impact or not; he appears to be following a
private agenda of his own.
	 In the same cold, quick tone, "Your motives may remain your own;
your intentions may not, if you desire any assistance from me."
	 After a breath, looking at Mr. Sinister for the first time as
though he actually sees him, he gauges the reaction but does not give him
long enough to answer. More quietly, "What do you plan to do from here,
assuming I will accept any voluntary part in this drama of yours; and what
is it you expect of me?" 

Mr. Sinister: "Do? Why flee of course, my mischief isn't done. However,
should you meet me again, it will be a previous me trying to kill you
again. Destroy him. Or not."
	"So, no Xavier... There may be other stones that I can unturn to
unsettle Apocalypse." 

Magneto: His lips tighten as though he's trying not to laugh. "Flee, then,
if that is your intent," he answers, mockingly but without threat; and
turns and his attention disappears inside himself, without waiting to see
if Mr. Sinister has taken his advice. 

Sinister: "A bird in the hand..." and vanishes.

Magneto retires to his newly created supercomputer, it's design and
database patterened off of information garnered from Cerebro.	He begins
to access the world of the internet, once again turning to those sections
of the net on which the mutant subculture lurks in a world of
half-concealed references... 

3 days pass.

"All Things Considered" an NPR Broadcast


Bob Conrad: "Around the world this month, and in the news each night,
Mutants and their rights have been a powerful source of debate in this
country, and around the world. The universal banner of hatred has been
raised once again by countless ethnic groups, blaming Mutants for every
conceivable public ill. Aggravating matters in recent weeks, is the
apparent outbreak of a new communicable disease, one as potentially deadly
as AIDS.
	So far, this disease has only been diagnosed in Mutants, but the
means of transmission, and the viciousness of the disaease has many
doctors fearing that it could spread to humankind as well. This coupled
with the events in Israel and Genosha have led to a terrible upsurge of
anti-mutant violence.

	 What follows is a report compiled by our foreign correspondant
Sylvia Pojoli on the events that have defined this new chapter in the saga
of mutant racism."

Slyvia Pojoli: "Behind me looms the black clouds of an Island Nation
aflame as the civil war in Genosha rages on.
	At one time, the country of Genosha was the Crown Jewel of the
African Nations. Liberal, ethnically diverse and boasting an economy to
rival Wakanda or that of its sister state, South Africa. However its
wealth bore a heavy price, and its dirty underside was eventually
uncovered.
	It is now known that for over thirty years, there existed a
widespread abuse of human rights and outright slavery of genetically
engineered humans, known in Genosha as Mutates. These revelations became
apparent to the outside world during an uprising nearly two years hence.
	Fearing the econmic sanctions and social revolts that have
belabored South Africa, Genosha immediately began Constitutional reforms
that would grant equality to the Mutates. This proved to be a difficult
transition, but until recently, it was widely believed that the light was
begining to shine in this dark tunnel.
	The first democratic elections had been held that allowed the
Mutates to right to vote. Easilly winning a majority seating in
Parliament, James Thurber Grey, the first Mutant to ever hold such a high
office, in any country, became Prime Minister. One of his first, and most
controversial acts as Prime Minster was to appoint the Mutant Activist,
Fabian Cortez, as the chief security officer for Genosha.
	Cortez was immediately linked by the Press to Mutant Terrorist
organiztion known as the Acolytes of Magneto, despite repeated denial. The
Acolytes, an extreme right wing group, has claimed responsibility for
sponsoring world wide Death Squads against humans.
	 Cortez did his best to ignore the international press, mainly by
ridiculing it as Sapien biased. However, on the day of Cortez's official
swearing in to office, his 15 minutes of fame was eclipsed by the events
in the Middle East, the dramatic return to the world of the menace known
as Magneto.
	Almost at once, a factional uprising in the mutant popluation of
Genosha occured, seemingly timed to Magneto's appearence, and allegedly
fostered by the Acolytes of Magneto. The fragile democracy established in
Genosha collapsed overnight as Martial Law was declared to curb the
violence. Cortez was silently removed from office, and replaced by Graydon
Creed, the leader of the peaceful right wing prohuman group, the Friends
of Humanity, known for their opposition to mutant kind. Creed himself
promised to restore order to Genosha, but soon after, what was once a
fairly sporadic conflict exploded into a full fledged civil war.
	An endless stream of images of atrocities committed by Mutants on
humans has flooded out of the Genoshan press liason, but as of now, the
Martial Law still prohibits the Press from entering Genosha proper. The
Propoganda is having its effect. Opinion polls show the desire to give
Mutants equal protection under the law is down to 40% in the United States
of America. Anti-Mutant sentiment worldwide has been raised to a fever
pitch. With one voice, conservative pundits have piled on the band wagon,
calling out for something to be done about the powered menace. Pro Mutant
groups have responded in kind by uniformly wearing red bandanas and
protesting in the streets of nearly every large city, worldwide.
	All of the major Governments have expressed concern over the
rising tensions, and this too has been echoed by the Pundits. But highest
of all on the pundits minds, perhaps even the world's, is where is
Magneto, and what part does he play in this drama, and what will he do
next? From Madagascar, this is Sylvia Pojoli for National Public Radio."

Madagascar Coastline

The Blackbird sits idle on a Madagascar beach after air dropping the
stealth team into Genosha. A long day of waiting has passed into evening.
The night is filled with the rising, falling chorus of the jungle and the
rythmic lapping of waves. 
	Kitty is on monitor duty inside the blackbird, and Peter is
keeping her company.
	Rogue, needing some space, flew off into town, but did so with
Scott's hesitant blessing and she keeps in radio contact, checking in
regularly.
	Scott, stiff, distant, remote, spends the time fine tuning the
Blackbirds landing gear, engines, wings, anything that he can tinker with
a wrench and not some Shiar Doohicky. His daughter, Rachel has been
helping, but mostly watching him, as he works.

Cyclops:  Reaches for a wrench and finds it levitating next to him.
Thinking nothing of it, he takes it, and continues working on the plane
without pausing.
	 "Can't Gambit ever do anything right and not half-assed? The
struts leaking hydraulic fluid in three different places, this thing
could've given out on our landing, what the hell was he thinking?"

Phoenix:  "From the look on his face, I'd say love, but then I'm psychic,
so I know it's love."

Cyclops:  Looking up, covered in grime and oil, "Love? For himself maybe."

Phoenix:  "Do you always speak kindly of your teammates behind their
back?"

Cyclops:  "You sound like Jean." A ponderous silence sits down between
them. Then Cyke shakes his head and begins fiddling with another part.

Phoenix:  "There's something I have to tell you."
	 Cyclops doesn't respond, but she decides to go on. "That woman,
the friend of Magneto -"

Cyclops:  "Sally?"

Phoenix:  "Yes. She's from our future."

Cyclops:  "So what? Changing the past only creates two futures, one where
the change occurs, and one where it doesn't. Anything she knows about the
future is meaningless, because it may never happen."

Phoenix:  "I'm not so sure that's true. Xavier convinced me of the Quantum
theory of time travel, that realities occur with every outcome of a
decision, but I can travel in time, with moderate success, and I know

Cyclops:  "All subjective to your experience."

Phoenix:  "Subjective or not, it's real to me, so what happens matters to
me. She knows that I'm around in the late 21st century, and she knows
enough about me that it must be me, and not some temporal shadow." 

Cyclops:  "Rachel, you can't know that for sure."

Phoenix:  "Yes I can. I probed her mind. She knows me by her friendship
with Franklin, and he knew everything."

Cyclops:  "Franklin? The Richards boy? Weren't you and he lovers in your
time? But didn't he die just before you arrived? You've lost me."

Phoenix:  "But what if I did change time? Franklin might survive then."
	"But in Renegade's timeline, the Plague never happened. The X-Men
still die from a traitor, and I am born by Jean, but I never go back in
time. That means the current me dissapears or dies before I am born, but
that's a paradox, because, that future Phoenix IS me. There are two of me
in the future, the now me and an alternate me."

Cyclops:  "It doesn't matter. No one knows what tomorow brings, nothing
that happens in the future is real until it happens."

Phoenix:  "Nihilist. No wonder you like to pretend I don't exist."

Inside the Blackbird

Kitty:  While watching the Comm board, Kitty is busy sorting through the
equipment she grabbed on her way out from the mansion. Unzipping a light
shoulder bag, she pulls out a change of clothes.
	 "We're not going up against Doctor Doom, so you can't expect that
the bad guys will have proper eveningwear available when we get captured,"
she mutters to herself.
	 The computer contains a satelite uplink and internet connection
and enough scrambling protocols to be untraceable. She wonders what havoc
her BBS freinds could reek with this stuff.
 	 She works on her network stuff for a while, checking every so
often that her link to the satellite is still good, and that the packet
squirt mechanism is still secure.  Eventually she quells the link,
activating filters to let her know if anything important comes along, gets
up, and stretches.  Then she repacks her light bag, rigging the straps for
a 'field kit' carry, and adding a few handy items.  Lockpicks are,
naturally enough, not included, but an electronic lockbreaking device is,
as well as a 'PDA' about the size of a Newton, but more functional, with
links back to the Blackbird.  Then she doublechecks security again, and
walks back towards the 'cargo' area to check on supplies. 

Colossus:   Colossus is silent, watching her. His artists eye, continually
frames her actions, finding the lines of fluid motion, the feelings
encased in the study of shape and shadow. He finds himself longing for
her, and chokes it back. He knows that he needs someone, anyone else, to
make him feel whole again, something he hasn't been since his parents were
killed, and his brother went mad. 

Kitty:  As she passes by Peter, she looks at him, meeting his gaze.  She
remembers back a few years, to her first crush on him, and the slow
development of that crush into what she thought was love, until that
horrible day when he returned from the 'Secret Wars', and ended all her
hopes and dreams.  She tries to decide if she still loves him, and decides
that she does, but it isn't the  passionate love that it used to be, and
maybe it really isn't any different than the love she bears for Kurt, or
Rachel, or her other Excalibur teammates. 
	 What would she do if he offered his heart again?  She can't tell,
and isn't sure she wants to know the answer. 

Colossus:  (To Himself) "She is everything I could want. No, everything I
need at the moment. I want to hold her, to love her.  But she could easily
slip away from me, if I make the wrong decision.  One wrong move and I
could be left completely empty, with nothing and with no-one, that could
be dangerous, both to me and the people around me.  I must proceed with
caution.  But, the other thing I want to avoid is hurting Kitty, that
would make me no better that those who destroyed my family." 
	He crosses over to her in the Blackbird.  She looks tense."Perhaps
I can relieve some of the pressure from her." 

Genosha

Four Parachutes descend unnoticed amoungst the hostility that rages across
Genosha. The four are Bishop, Nightcrawler, Gambit and Renegade, and to
Gambit's relief, there are no complications with the chutes. They land in
the mountains, over looking a jungle that has been partially strip mined
and clear cut. In the distance is the mining facilities manned by Mutates,
and one source of explosions and fire fights. Below the Jungle lies a
great sooted plume, beneath which hides the remains of the capital city of
Genosha.

Bishop:  Ducks as a chopper flies by.  He seems to lose himself as the
helicopter strafes a section of jungle nearbye.  The reaction is
momentary, however.  He looks at the other members of the team. 
   "Nightcrawler, I suggest we move for the wooded area directly south of
here.  If I remember the maps correctly, there are rocky outcroppings
there that may provide cover from overhead fire.  It will also keep us
away from major routes of transportation, as we planned." 

Nightcrawler:  "Bishop, you do not have to call me Nightcrawler.  I have a
name, nicht wahr?"  Bishop:  Looks slightly alarmed, then calms.  "Uh,
yes, of course.  What is our strategy... Kurt?"  Nightcrawler:   Kurt
smiles.  "Your suggestions are valid, mein freund.  We will take to the
jungle by day, and travel more openly by night.  The tropics are not like
your future, perhaps you will not like them so much after a day of travel,
ja?"  Bishop:  "Good.  I will take the point.  You and Gambit," said with
poorly hidden distaste, "take the middle.  Renegade, you will follow us,
to draw fire.  Your force field will protect you, and thus us at the same
time."  Bishop scans the area for hostile forces, and begins moving
towards the jungle.  Renegade:  Her costume being composed of unstable
molecules, and impregnated with nanite machinery, can assume any color or
pattern she wishes, even invisibility. Sally changes the costume from the
blue and gold of the X-Men into jungle camoflauge. "Is this alright
Bishop, or do you want me in neon to draw more fire for you?"
	 Bishop grunts but says no more. Nightcrawler:  "Ein' feste
Burgist unser Bishop," chuckles Nightcrawler, to himself.
	 He looks at Gambit and Renegade.  "Well, unless we wish to let
Bishop fight the entire Genoshan army himself, perhaps we should follow
him.  He should not be getting all the fun, ja?"  Gambit:   Surveys the
jungle, "Remind me of home on de bayou."  Gambit shifts his staff to his
right hand and keeps it loose and comfortable.  This skin armor is a lot
hotter than his old body armor was.  He reaches into his pocket to check
that his cards and spheres are still there. 
	He tries not to show his nervousness, but for once, he is. After
all, now he has something to come back to.  Rogue.  His thoughts shift to
her and he wonders how she is doing right now.  He prays that she isn't
hurt in the diversionary attack, and vows that if she is, he will find the
man responsible and kill him.  "Turn him into gator bait," he thinks.   

Bishop:  Holds some brush aside for Gambit, but Gambit seems to be in a
daze, so Bishop lets it swing at him. Gambit suddenly seems to come around
and dodge at the last instant. "So, the superhuman relfexes of Gambit are
useless against common vegatation. Wake up thief, this ain't a game."

Gambit:  Gambit wonders why he had to be paired with him.  Nightcrawler
and Renegade are fine, but Bishop...
	"I wouldn't be surprised if he shoots me 'stead o' the Genoshans,"
he thinks, "might be dis was a mistake.  But I'll hold up my end o' de
mission."
	 Aloud he says, "Kurt, dis plan sounds great, but how do you plan
to get all of us, includin' long, tall and ugly dere into de prison?  It
looks mighty strong, and you can only teleport one person at a time, let
alone if you manage to teleport in.  Not to mention, Bishop here ain't de
master of stealth.  What's de plan?" 

Nightcrawler:  "I will know when I have seen the installation for myself.
That is if the two of you can refrain from killing each other before we
reach there."
	They all move on, sullen and silent.

Renegade:  At the first break, Renegade catches up to the group, after
having hung back for a while. She address Nightcralwer, ignoring Gambit
and Bihsop, "No one behind us for a good half klick, and the skies are
clear of aircraft. If we were seen coming down, no one's managed to get
out here yet to check."
	 Then in a voice meant only for Nightcrawler, "Kurt, is that
really Rachel?" Nightcrawler:  "Phoenix? Yes. Why do you ask?"

Renegade:  "Well, how is that possible? It's always said that their is
only one Phoenix force per universe, how can there be two?

Nightcrawler:  "Now I know that I am lost from your point. Do you refer
perhaps to when the Phoenix force was divided?

Renegade:  Confused for a minute, but then, "No. What I mean is, Jean Grey
is Marvel Girl in this timeline right? She's one of the people we're
rescuing isn't she?"

Nightcrawler:  "If you mean to imply that Jean is the Phoenix, you would
be - eh british... - buggering me!"

Renegade:  Not seeming to hear Kurt, lost in her train of thought, "Oh my
god, Xavier's betrayal! It can't happen in this timeline, he's dead!" Her
voices carries to the rest of the team.

Gambit:  "Hah! You see Bishop, you be hating de wrong man. Girl, you
crazy." Renegade:  Dead serious in her tone, she appears to be raving
none-the-less, "No! I know this stuff! Jean gave birth to Rachel, and
during the birth, Jean manifested the Phoenix Force. Storm attacked the
Phoenix, and Jean went nuts to protect her baby, then all the X-men
attacked the Phoenix, but were beaten back. Xavier then activated a
Sentinel he had kept in storage. The monstor was armed with a gizmo from
Genesis, meant to repress the Phoenix Force.  The Phoenix force fled from
Jean into Rachel, and hid there, dormant. The Sentinel turned on Xavier,
killing him, and sent a message to other Sentinels that were being
secretly built by the US Goverment. The Sentinels came, killed Jean, and
took away Rachel. They manipulated her, and raised her to be a weapon, a
mutant hound. But that can't happen now!" Nightcrawler:  "And where did
you hear this nonsense?" Renegade:  "From Frankie, er Psilord - Rachel's
lover. He's the only other mutant that can control the Phoenix force,
other than Rachel and Jean. Frank says that he and Rachel, together, have
complete control over it. They and Cannonball lead various factions in
opposition to Apocalypse - in my time."  Bishop:  "Why are you here." His
voice is that of command, not a question.

Renegade:  "According to Genesis - I think you call him Fourzz or Forja -
Magneto was supposed to defeat Apocalypse. So, Apocalypse used a time
machine to stop him. To avoid being implicated, he sent his right hand
man, Sinister, back in time to do it. Sinister started by killing off my
familly, the Morlocks. They were supposed to be trained by Magneto into
his army. Then the bastard created the Gamesmaster, who somehow killed off
Magneto's future generals, the Hellfire Club."
	"From there, I don't really understand it all, but the Story goes
that Sinister's lackey, the Gamesmaster, got ambitious and killed Magneto
himself, and then tried to take over. But he went nuts, and was killed by
the X-Men, before Rachel was even born. This created my timeline."

Bishop:  "Your past, would seem to be mine as well. I was the one who
found Jean's note of the betrayal, when I unearthed the mansion. Knowing
that Xavier is telepath, I can see now why I could not recall the true
identity of the traitor. I assumed it to be Gambit becasue he is the only
X-Men alive in my time."
	"So how is it that Franklin knows these things, and that you know
Franklin. Rachel has said that he died before travelling to the past."

Renegade:  "Well, Frankie got the story from the Phoenix Force itself. I
don't know about him dying, maybe she did go back in time and changed
something so that now he doesn't die. He never said anything to me about
her time traveling to the past, so that's why I was wondering how she
could be here. Maybe she caused the Plague? I don't recall there being
one." 

Bishop:  "Nor in mine, but the Plague was caused by a double cross by
Stryffe on Sinister, not by Rachel." Gambit:  "And both Sinister and
Apocalypse be dead."<P.

Mr Sinister:  "No, not dead, only diversions to cover our tracks.
Actually, Scott does kill my origional, in your past. But I have several
clones, like the one you see now. I suggest that you refrain from
barbarity just yet, I have several important things to discuss with my
fellow anachronisms."

Renegade:  Skates on her frictionless field to Bishop, grabs his extra
sidearm, and fires at Sinister. Sinister, like a stone in a pond, ripples
into a hole, and the bolt passes through it. He reforms, and is unharmed
as Bishop yanks the gun back.

Nightcrawler:   "Hold your fire!  I don't think Herr Sinister, or whoever
he is, is looking for a fight, yet." 

Gambit:  Gambit stands ready with his staff, but remains relaxed and calm.
He knows he can't hurt Sinister, and he knows the others can't either. 
	 To the others he adds aloud, "I agree, we should prob'ly hear 'im
out, neh?  Seems we at an impasse.  We can't hurt him, and he prob'ly
won't try to hurt us."
	 Gambit watches Renegade and Bishop very closely, hoping they make
no rash moves. 

Nightcrawler:  (to Sinister) "And just what would you like to discuss?"

Sinister:  "I was recently conversing with a mutual aquaintance, the
Master of Magnetism. He seems well, for now."

Renegade:  Spits at him.

Sinister:  "My what a spunky lass! Where _DO_ you X-Men find them? As I
was saying, I warned Magnus about Jean, just as you were about to do for
yourselves."

Renegade:  "Worm. So you're a telepath too? Or have you been following
us."

Sinister:  "No, just fortunate to serendipitously arrive when you are
discussing these things. Fortune - What a pleasant change of circumstance
for me. Perhaps that is the secret of being good, you will always be

Renegade:  "Lap dog of hellspawn!"

Sinister:  "MY! Stryffe's brainwashing still a warm fuzzy in your mind? No
matter, I'll ignore your protestations."
	 (She gives several as he speaks)
	 "Jean, unfortunately, has the Legacy Virus. It was injected into
her at the prison facility where she is being held. The latent Phoenix
force within her will be forced to release early, instead of entering the
baby Rachel as it designed. Only the older Rachel, and Magneto combined,
have the power to stop the Phoenix, and they will, but they will also die
in the process. Three Birds, with one stone."

	 "Thus falls the latest plot by Apoclaypse to dominate the the
temporal continuum, the Plague I mean. He gave it to Stryffe to kill me,
and all of his primary opposition. This is a fall back plan after Bishop,
Rachel, and myself foiled his other, more subtle plans."

Renegade:  "So why kill you? His best a-- licking cronie?"

Sinister:  "True, I am good, but not as you refer. I destroyed the
master's main opposition for him, but I received little in return for my
efforts."
	"Then, finished with me, Apocalypse tried to kill me off when I
was no longer needed. He had created me from the genetic code of Scott
Summers making me immune to Scott's powers. To destroy me, he activated a
flaw in my genetic code, rendering me week to the energies of the Summers
clan, and sending me on a suicide mission against Scott. He has such
wonderful Ironic humor."
	"But as I said, I'm good. I cloned myself first, when I suspected
treachery, but to my dismay with the flaws and all, alas."
	"I got ambitious, I cloned Scott's child with Madeline, after I
created Madeline from a cell sample from Jean Grey. I had hoped that I
could stabilize my gene code with the boy's matrix. Alas, that clone was
taken from me and turned into Stryffe. Deus ex Machina. As I said, his
sense of Irony is wonderful!"
	"But now, I wish to make restitution. I have saved Magento's life
from his doom on Asteroid M. And now I intend to save Jean, so that she
can bear Rachel, Apocalypses's Prime Nemesis. Amusing how her half
brother, Cable grew up to fight Apocalypse as well, but he's fighting a
losing battle since earth's other heroes are already vanquished by the
time Cable comes into the scenario."
	"Now, to save Jean, but I have done that already, by telling you
these things before I leave."

Renegade:  "Leave, so soon? We were just warming to your charm."

Sinister:  "My presense is traceable as anomaly in time, and draws
Apocalypse's intention. I can not remain in one place or one time. I might
add that he can trace the residue of other time travellers. Consider that
a warning."

Off the Coast of Japan - Karma's Boat

X'ian Coy Minh, once known as Karma, was silent for the majority of the
trip. Her siblings rushed here and about, tinkering, repairing, teasing,
but adopting their sister's penchant for silence.
	Wolverine and Jubilee kept each other company. They tossed coins,
Wolverine reading the I-Ching, and disturbed by its pattern of chaos and
harsh change. They talked about Xavier, and what he meant to them, and
they talked about family, or the lack thereof.
	The weather was damp, foggy and slightly chilled, enough to be
uncomfortable. The fog became rain by deepest night, and they huddled in
the small cabin, while the children and X'ian barely noticed. By the soft
thrum of the hidden motor, Jubilee slept.
	The journey ended the next night, as they pulled into a private,
secluded harbor. "Koreans." said X'ian, breaking her silence. "They will
put you up if you wish, but I would prefer if they did not. Your passage
is bound to bring retribution on any who would harbor you, and they have
endured enough."
	Wolverine bowed, "As you wish. Have you any words to send home?"
	"Home? That home is for mutants and their cause. My home is here.
Xavier has had his dream for unity, and I have mine; freedom for all asian
peoples. Here I will die for my dream. Go."
	Without a word, but a mumbled epithet from Jubilee, the two X-Men
depart the boat, and enter Japan.
	They walk.
	Jubilee expected herself to be the one to blend in the easiest,
being Asian, but it is Wolverine that has the walk and bearing that make
him invisible. From the moment of landfall, the ways slid onto him like
well worn leather glove. His strut becomes a controlled glide. His
defiance becomes strong, but polite deference. His anger, recedes, and his
heart uplifts. The sorrow of Mariko is in his eyes, but his love for Japan
is even stronger, at least to an outsider's eyes. Inside, Wolverine sees
only sorrow.
	They stop for food, and Wolverine comes away with small bag of
rice and fish. Jubilee passes on the fish, and nearly gags on the rice
when she finds a reddish blob mangled in it, reeking of sour and salt.
	"It's a pickled plum Kitty, good for your digestive system, and
helps preserve the rice."
	"It's gross," she says, flinging it out of her food, and turning
up her nose at the rest, "and you called me KITTY!"
	"Huh?" Wolverine stops, noticing that his mind is nowhere that he
is. A dangerous thing for a hunter. "You're right, I did. Sorry. Kitty had
the same reaction when I brought her here. I hope you don't go through
half the hell that she did."
	"Maybe if I did, I'd get some of the respect you save for her.
Maybe the two of you should just get a room and get REAL friendly."
	"Jubilee, she's just a kid. No, I guess not anymore. But it's not
that way. Besides, she was always too book smart for me, she knew I was
bad news. Maybe one day you'll wise up on me too."
	"Nah, I'll always be dumb enough to pal around with you. That way,
I'll NEVER be bored!"
	"Some manifesto on life there kid. Come on, it's time we made some
connections."