Subject: [OTL]: (Pryde/Wisdom/New Mutants II) Breeze Book 0 Conclusion (PG-13) Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2002 23:16:15 -0700 (PDT) From: Phil Hartman will1@earthling.net Breeze Book 0 Conclusion by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Everyone here is Marvel's, except for Aaron and the new kids, who are mine, and Buffy and friends, who are Joss Whedon's. No money is being made off of this. Please don't sue. NOTE: WOO-HOO ! Finally - the end of the beginning. Things will pick up from here, I promise ... (And more Buffy. Lots more Buffy. Soon - Summerswind will begin when Breeze Book 1 does.) -------------------------------------------------------- 9/2/2002: X-Mansion Danger Room: 09:53 hrs EDT: -------------------------------------------------------- "OK," Kitty said, looking around at her and Pete's students, "we've got seven minutes. Anyone not had a chance to share their origins ?" A red-haired Caucasian girl sitting near Peter Jr. raised her hand with a faint smile. "Kitty ? I c'n tell m' story fairly quick," Brigit Shane said with a Scots lilt. Kitty nodded, grinning momentarily when Brigit stood. "I'm Brigit Ninaeve Shane, from Kinross, Scotland," the girl began. "M' parents are Colin an' Maeve Shane. M' mutant power is pyrokinesis - I c'n control flame, an' I'm also a pyrotic, able t' make fire mentally. I've had m' power f'r nigh on two years now, but I'm still refinin' it." Brigit returned Kitty's smile and continued to speak. "T'was Kitty, w' Rahne Sinclair an' Lady Meggan Braddock, who helped me when m' power first turned on," the girl said. "I've been practicin' with Excalibur, but - well, that didnae last. Rachel -?" Rachel nodded, beginning to mindlink Brigit with the others, but glanced at Kitty. ~Are we going to see why Excalibur fell apart ?~ the red-haired telepathic girl asked her teacher and friend. ~Part of it,~ Kitty thought back, as the psi-mirage coalesced. -------------------------------------------------------- 6/6/02: Muir Island Genetic Research Station, Scotland: 09:03 hrs local: -------------------------------------------------------- He was so - tiny. #And red,# Brigit realized, unable to keep from beaming at the blanket-wrapped baby in the research station's small maternity ward. She reached out a hand, letting the barely day-old Aaron Wisdom latch onto her finger, and smiled over her shoulder at the bleary-eyed man watching from the doorway. "He's a han'some wee lad, Mr. Wisdom," Brigit said respectfully to her sometime-mentor. "T'is Aaron a family name ?" "One o' Kitty's great-uncles," Pete said, forcing a smile as he sank onto a stool. "Bloody 'ELL, my head - too much celebratory champaigne - no more o'that for a long while. The sprat's gonna come first." Brigit handed Pete some aspirin from the nearby medkit, and he dry-swallowed them as she watched. "You been thinkin' 'bout that offer ?" Pete continued, looking at the girl with bloodshot blue eyes. "I've talked it over w'my ma an' da. They think it'd be good f'r me, but I'm -" Brigit began. "Mein GOTT, Amanda ! I've got a commitment !" "Commitment !? You can satisfy your spirit all you want, Kurt, but what about the heart ! Or the flesh !?" Amanda Sefton yelled as she walked past the ward with a vestment-clad Kurt Wagner. Both of the former couple looked angry to Brigit's eyes. Aaron broke into a wail, prompting the girl to pick the baby up and rock him. "Shh ... t'will be a'right, Aaron," Brigit cooed. "Mr. Wisdom, would ye like t'hold him ?" "Not in my condition. Y'r better takin' him to his ma, assumin' she's more rested," Pete mumbled. He got to his feet, glaring down the hall after Kurt and Amanda, and snapped, "ELF ! Y'woke up my son, y' soddin' blue-furred git ..." #I wish he'd be kinder. Father Wagner's trying to pursue a holy calling, and Miss Sefton's not helping,# Brigit sighed inwardly. She entered Kitty's room, finding the mutant phaser looking out the window at the waves pounding against the shore. "Thanks, Brigit. I'm still not in any real condition to go very far," Kitty chuckled weakly. Brigit just nodded, handing Aaron to the older woman and watching as she rocked her son. "Are ye a'right ?" Brigit asked with some concern. "Mr. Wisdom was tired from celebratin', an' ye -" "Look dead," Kitty interrupted, chuckling. She nuzzled Aaron's face, prompting a coo from the baby, and said, "I'm great, but thanks. I've got all this energy somehow. Holding him ... it all makes sense." Kitty looked up at Brigit and smiled with more strength. "I know about your concerns with leaving home," the phaser said, softly. "I traveled to a faraway place when I was only a little younger than you are. It changed my life - for good, I think. You'll be among friends, Brigit." "I ken. T'is - I'll just miss my mum an' da," Brigit said faintly. She sat on the edge of Kitty's bed, then looked up and asked, "But you'll be there, too ?" "Aaron, Pete, Lockheed and I," Kitty said. Her purple dragon descended from the bed's headboard to curl up in Kitty's lap, and nuzzled Aaron gently, prompting another coo from the boy. "Well then, if a wee bairn can go t'America, then certainly a Highland lass c'n do the same," Brigit said, trying to smile. -------------------------------------------------------- The mirage faded, as Brigit said, "Kitty an' Mr. Pete asked me t' keep Aaron's birth a secret when I came here a'fore them. They were worried that Black Air might attack Muir b'fore t'was time for the four o'them t'come t'America." "That explains why you were so quiet all those times we called Muir ! If you were having problems with Black Air, why didn't you just call the X-Men or someone ?" Rachel mock-huffed at Kitty. "Black Air ain't the kind'o problem you drop an X-team on, Summers. It'll take a bloody crowbar t'pry those vermin out o' the nooks an' crannies o' British society," Pete grumbled. "Three minutes left," Kitty said, checking her watch and grinning challengingly at Rachel. "Anyone left ?" A small cough made everyone look at Nate. The brown-haired Caucasian boy blushed, standing as he pushed bangs out of his blue eyes. "I'm Nathan Summers - Nate to pretty much everyone," the 11-year-old said, wincing when his voice broke. "I'm Ray's little brother. I've got telepathy and telekinesis, and chronovariance like her. My powers turned on when I was 4, when the Dark Riders - these mutant slaves of Apocalypse - tried to kidnap me, and I fought them off." "Very well, I might add," Rachel said, giving Nate a wink. The boy managed a weak smile, until he breathed, "I - blew Apocalypse up in 1999, when I was 8 ..." The air rippled, and Rachel's eyebrows shot up as she said, "Nate, you're projecting a psi-mirage !?" -------------------------------------------------------- 12/31/1999: Akkaba, Egypt: 11:58 hrs local: -------------------------------------------------------- He hung in mid-air, frozen as much by terror as by the stasis field. #C-can't get free,# Nate thought, shuddering in his pajamas as Apocalypse regarded him with a cruel smile. "DO NOT FEAR, MY SOON-TO-BE-HOST," the grey-skinned, blue-lipped External said in a gravelly voice. He paced before the stasis field, then looked down at the rest of his prisoners in the energy-absorbing cells scattered throughout the machinery of the ancient temple's basement. "LET THE ASCENSION BEGIN !" Nate heard his parents' shouts of anger and fear, as well as encouragement, while the rest of the Twelve raged or shouted. But the hum of energy and a steadily-rising pulse drowned them out, pounding in time with Nate's heartbeat. #It's comin' into me,# he realized, opening his eyes to see Apocalypse approaching - - and the tidal-wave threatened to drown Nate, until he grabbed it with his anger and tried to ride it - - and he threw it back at En Sabah Nur. "LET THEM GO ! LET US ALL GO, YOU BIG DUMB JERK !!!" Nur's red eyes widened a bit, as the white fire surged - - and he screamed, as it hit him. ~SURRENDER TO ME !~ Nur mindsnarled, reaching out for Nate. ~NO !!!!!!~ Nate mindcried, hitting the floor when the stasis projectors were atomized. He knelt on hands and knees, sobbing in the tattered remains of his pajamas, as Apocalypse was thrown backwards. And simply disappeared. -------------------------------------------------------- The mirage dissolved, snapping everyone in the Danger Room back to 2002. "I ... he never reappeared," Nate mumbled, droppng to his knees beside Rachel with a lost look. "I didn't mean to - but that's why I've gotta get control of my powers. They got - stronger - that day, and they've stayed strong." "'STRONG' ?" Bill Maximoff gasped, eyes bulging. "The runt - the kid - FRIED the X-Men's arch-villain ! And here I was rippin' on him -" "You saved the world, Nate. Don't beat yourself up," Kitty said gently. Nate just nodded, letting Rachel put an arm around him. "And with that," Kitty continued, standing, "it's time to go tour the -" The door to the Danger Room slid open, admitting a blue-glowing figure. "Wisdom," Chuck Lehnsherr said, locking eyes with Pete. "Where's that PDA of Aaron's ?" "That's 'Pete' or 'Mr. Wisdom' t'you, y'ponce," Pete growled as he stood with the Mutants. "An' Xavier gave it t'me t'keep f'r Aaron. Why d'you want it ?" Chuck's expression softened into one of overt worry as he said, "I just want - need - to know what to do to prevent myself from becoming Abaddon. I think the future-history notes on the PDA are my best hope." Then the alarm klaxon went off, and Illyana's face contorted. "Cross-time flux," the blonde girl hissed, staring past Chuck. "Medlab !" Realization crossed the Mutants' faces as Chuck followed Kitty and Pete out the door. "Abaddon's here," Chuck whispered, going pale. "So ? Are we going to let some psycho crosstime version of our friend take us out or what !?" Sarah shouted. "We're students. It's the X-Men's job to deal with this sort of -" Rachel began. She blinked, shaking her head as something long and silvery flickered before Illyana, and asked, "'Yana, what is that ?" The blank stare and empty reaching of the Siberan girl towards the shimmering display provoked a curse from Rachel - - followed by a louder one as the Danger Room disappeared. -------------------------------------------------------- Medlab: -------------------------------------------------------- She shrieked, curling up in her medical bed at the specter of black looming over her. "YOU RAN, CLARICE. THAT WASN'T VERY NICE," the tall, brown-haired Caucasian man in black armor and cape said in an unsettling voice as orange energy crackled from his eyes. "You murdered my friends !" Clarice Ferguson sobbed, trying to gather enough power to react - - and blinking when a younger version of her assailant slammed Abaddon against the wall. "Clarice, move ! GET OUT !" Chuck Lehnsherr yelled, squeezing the girl's hand with one of his own - - #a bare hand,# Clarice realized, fear welling inside her for her rescuer - - and Chuck the Younger and Abaddon vanished. "Clarice - oh, crap," Kitty moaned, rushing in as the teleportal snapped shut. "Tell me they didn't -" "Chuck duplicated my teleporting power - he s-sacrificed - himself -" Clarice stammered, tearing up. She let Kitty hug her, while Pete snarled and turned to see Xavier, Cyclops, Phoenix and Rogue race into the room with the Beast. "Where. Is. Mah. Son ?" Rogue said acidly, glaring at Pete. -------------------------------------------------------- Limbo: -------------------------------------------------------- She couldn't QUITE seem to catch up to the sword as it floated away through the disturbing landscape. "ILLYANA !!!" Rachel shouted, telekinetically levitating Leong, Nga, Lew and Becky after her. "TKs, flyers, levitate the people who can't fly ! Leech, tighten your damper field until we can catch up to Illyana or find solid ground !" They headed after Illyana, who appeared to be swimming through the air with a dreamy expression after the sword. "What happened ?" Shawan - who was gravitically flying and managing to levitate Tom and Cathy - asked Frank. "Illyana teleports transdimensionally to either travel between dimensions or between points on Earth. This is the dimension she cuts through - Limbo," Frank said, sweating as he concentrated on teking Soraya, Miguel and Peter Jr. with him. "The problem is, Limbo doesn't have any set past, present or future, much less location points. Anything and everything happens here," Rachel grumbled. "And there's tbe demons that are supposed to be making Limbo their home ... they did something with Illyana years ago -" Memory flashed across Frank and Rachel's faces, and Frank gulped. "You don't think -" he asked Rachel. "I think it's possible," Rachel whispered, going pale. "C'mon ! ILLYANA !" The teleporter finally stopped, assuming an upright position about three feet from the sword when it stopped. A stepping disc, identical to Illyana's began to form, prompting a gasp from the Mutants. "That's Aaron ! Oh no - the Soulsword ! It's going after Aaron !" Rachel cried, seeing the baby fall into Limbo from his crib. "It's using the soul-link between Kitty and Illyana to try and corrupt Aaron !" "Greblle ?" Aaron "said," reaching for the Soulsword - - until a pair of finely-manicured hands beat him to it. "Sorry, soul-nephew. This isn't for an innocent like you," a voice - a woman's voice, slightly Slavic-accented - said - - and the Mutants collectively gasped as Illyana ... grew. The coltish teenage girl was replaced by a stunning 30-something blonde woman in a black and white bodysuit, part of her long hair pulled back in a ponytail. The Soulsword flashed silver, and the woman cradled the laughing Aaron in her free left arm while she held the eldritch blade aloft in her right. "I never should've surrendered the power. Limbo's been thrown into Chaos - with a capital C - since I deaged myself," Illyana said. She flashed a grin at the Mutants and added, "Sorry to ditch you guys, but Magik is back. Ray, I think there's a certain little someone whom you need to take with you to Earth ?" Rachel smiled in relief, taking Aaron from Illyana. "But - you're - the cost -" the psi asked, concern entering her tone. "Is one I should pay, not an innocent little kid like Aaron. I've faced my demons, Ray. He shouldn't have to worry about any - not the literal kind, not as a baby," Illyana insisted. "Tell Kitty hi for me." "Illyana -!" Nga began - - but her cry was cut off as the Mutants landed on the Danger Room floor. "She's ... gone," Rachel whispered. Frank hugged her, standing with her as they looked down at the fussing Aaron. "She made her choice, Ray," Frank said, sighing. Aaron calmed down, and Frank smiled weakly as he added, "Illyana chose to make her stand. Now, we've got to find Chuck and help him win his." The others looked at the uber-psi, and Leech asked, "Your precog - ?" "Chuck's fighting Abaddon, somewhere nearby," Frank said, nodding. "Let's get Aaron to Kitty and Pete, and make our own future." -------------------------------------------------------- They'd materialized near Spuyten Dyvil Cove, wrestling and trying to choke each other. "CURSE YOU ! I CAN'T REPLICATE YOUR POWERS !" Abaddon howled, punching at Chuck. "BUT MY GREATER STRENGTH -" He wheezed, staggering back, as Chuck rolled away gagging. "Can't - GHAK - deal with a kick in the gut, sleazebag !" the younger Chuck spat. The boy got to his feet, then began to glow blue and assumed a fighting stance. "IMBECILE. YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY MAGNAKINETIC HERE. AND MY AGE AND EXPERIENCE WILL GIVE ME THE ADVANTAGE," Abaddon growled. "Really ?" Abaddon spun around, eyebrows raising, as Bishop approached. "You see, you're not the only power manipulator here," the time-travelling former member of the XSE said, scowling as he levelled a plasma rifle at the interlopter. "YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING. YOU HAVE LIMITS ON YOUR ABSORPTION TALENT, BISHOP. LET'S TEST THEM ..." Abaddon chuckled - - until the orange light in his eyes faded. "WH - what - ?" he stammered, turning around to look at Chuck - - and gagging under a choke-hold. "Idiot ! I blocked your absorption power with MY power, and used my photokinesis to hide myself until I could get ahold of you !" Chuck snarled. He leapt atop Abaddon's back, dragging the older teen to the ground and trying to throttle him. "I WON'T become you ! I REFUSE to ! I deny you and your works, butcher !" Chuck howled. "CHUCK ! Let him go !" Chuck looked up, surprise in his eyes, as Frank and the other New Mutants raced from a nearby access tunnel entrance with Pete, Kitty and Aaron. "Y'heard Richards, Lehnsherr. Get off o' the git," Pete ordered. "If y'ain't him, then let'm live." Chuck looked at the now somewhat-blue Abaddon, and cursed when he released his future self. "Get up. Slowly," the boy snarled. Abaddon struggled to his feet, glaring contemptuiously at the others, and gave Rachel a dark leer. "WELL. MY BETRAYING SOULMATE IN HER MORE INNOCENT DAYS," he hissed. "'SOULMATE ' ?!" Rachel gagged. "You and I -" "UNTIL YOU BETRAYED ME FOR ONE NIGHT OF CHEAP PASSION WITH RICHARDS," Abaddon chuckled, breaking into a grin. "THAT LED TO THE HASTY CONCEPTION OF YOUR ACCURSED FIRSTBORN IN MY FUTURE - ARAWN XAVIERBANE. IT WAS IRONIC, THAT A FETUS COULD DEVELOP PSIONIC VAMPIRISM AND DRAIN DRY THE FOUNDER OF THE X-MEN TO GROW TO FULL TERM IN MINUTES." Rachel went ashen, leaning against an equally horror-stricken Frank. "IT WAS THAT BETRAYAL THAT SHATTERED MY HEART. I RETURNED TO GENOSHA, LED A COUP TO OUST MY AGING AND SENILE FATHER, AND BEGAN THAT QUAINT LITTLE SKIRMISH CALLED THE 'LEHNSHERR WAR,'" Abaddon continued, still grinning. "HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE START OF A WORLD-DEVOURING WAR ?" "I - I never -" Rachel breathed, looking at Frank helplessly. "She - whatever happened, it had to be an accident -" Frank pleaded, hugging Rachel and glaring at Abaddon. Abaddon took a step forward - - but wheezed, hitting his knees as a hoverchair's hum split the morning noises. "You're very brave, playing on the emotions of children, 'Angel of the Abyss,'" Charles Xavier said in a neutral tone. The telepath floated to a point about a foot in front of Abaddon and looked at the arch-villain with a raised eyebrow. "GET - HGGK - OUT OF MY MIND, XAVIER ! YOU WERE DEAD BY THE TIME I ASCENDED !" Abaddon almost shrieked. "Yes, but I don't think a kinslayer would have rallied the Genoshans to his side like you did without some additional assistance," Xavier said, scowling now. "They should have torn you limb from limb for martyring Magneto, and yet you became their demagogue. That speaks to me of something quite ... odd. Almost ... shadowed ?" "CURSE YOU ! LEAVE ME ALONE ! WASN'T TWICE ENOUGH !?" Abaddon howled, getting to his feet - - and gurgling when a visible psi-blast from Xavier dropped him. "Leave this pawn ! I read the signs in Aaron Wisdom's notes ! There was no way the slayer of Magneto would have been aceepted as the ruler of Genosha, then launch a global campaign of terror, without an unnatural sway !" Xavier demanded. "LEAVE THIS PAWN, SHADOW KING !" The astral plane rippled, and Abaddon spasmed as - something - left his body to billow like a black smoke above the crowd of mutants and Luna. ~SO. YOU'VE REALIZED THE TRUTH. HOW REGRETTABLE THAT YOU FELLED MY SELF ON THIS WORLD, XAVIER. NOW, I HAVE EVERY REASON TO RUN AMOK ANEW !~ Amahl Farouk hissed telepathically as he faded away. ~THIS IS NOT OVER ...~ "That, f'r all o' you newbies, is why ye're here - t' get a handle on this 'mutant thing' b'fore y'end up bitter an' dangerous," Pete replied, herding the Mutants back towards the tunnel access. "Professor, what about Abaddon ?" Kitty asked, rocking Aaron as Bishop threw the comatose body of the future Chuck Lehnsherr over a shoulder. "We'll have to place him in stasis. Perhaps with time and therapy ..." Xavier sighed. Chuck watched them head inside, then looked up at where Farouk had faded into the astral ether. #I'm ready for you now, monster. I'll master my powers so you can't corrupt me like you did my future self,# the boy swore, clenching a fist. #And I'm NOT going to date Rachel, if that makes any difference ...# -------------------------------------------------------- Epilogue: -------------------------------------------------------- He chuckled, watching Chuck Lehnsherr head for the tunnel access. "The satellite link is working perfectly," the brown-haired, middle-aged Caucasian man told his technicians. "Good work. We'll be able to keep an eye on the mutants in their lair." They saluted, watching as he left the base's command center and entered his office. #It's been six years. At last, I've recovered enough to take command,# the main commander thought as he sat behind his desk. #And soon, Charles Xavier, you and your precious next generation will have to face me ... the son of your deadliest foes ...# "Graydon Creed is BACK." -------------------------------------------------------- DEFINITELY to be continued in Breeze Book 1 ... --------------------------------------------------------