will1@earthling.net Oracular Course Corrections (or, Hey-Na, Hey-Na, Betsy's BACK!) by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: They're all Marvel's. It's all fiction. No money is being made off of this. Etc. NOTE: AU; set during the Xtreme X-Men's time in Hong Kong, saving Gambit from the Triad/Hellfire Club, but Cassandra Nova hasn't attacked the X-Men or Genosha yet. And, as the title notes, someone's not dead ;) NOTE 2: Language, violence, some graphic imagery, purely vindictive ass-kicking, and a rather surreal opening sequence ... ------------------------------------- Doors. That was what Tessa was focusing on; the bald man wanted to hurt her, so she kept stepping through doors - - greeting the funny man in the old clothes, who wanted her to dress oddly - rather slut-like, Tessa thought - but he was more friendly than that bald man - ~Tessa, Xavier may be a fanatic old grump in a wheelchair, but he's not the one making you prance around in a corset and thong, now is he?~ Tessa stopped; the voice was - familiar, but - off. Too - proper, too cultured, for the owner she remembered - - and then a purple-haired woman in a funny pink suit appeared in the doorway. "Rather stereotypical brainwashing sequence - pain from Xavier, pleasure from the Black King. Bleh. You're the Sage, dear - shouldn't you be above all this nonsense? Who told Charles and Sebastian both to go to hell, hmm?" the purple-haired woman said, politely. And Tessa KNEW her - "You're not real. You died. And you were Asian - and not telepathic, then," Sage - not Xavier's victim or the Black King's personal assistant, but her own woman, once more in her own garb - said, raising her eyebrows above her restored cyber-shades. "I got better. Well, I did have some help - and didn't Bishop relay my message earlier? Great thumping - bloody brilliant detective, but still hopeless on the astral plane. Anyhow, dear, it's time you made *your* choice - and as thick-headed as Lucas can be, he does care for you," the purple-woman said, frowning as the illusion shifted. They found themselves in desert, and an angry blonde woman in a Black Queen outfit stomped toward them, a whip in her hand. "YOU! You bloody COW - how dare you interfere in -" she shrieked. She wheezed, then, when the purple woman lanced toward her and drove a perfect fist into her gut, followed by a blazing purple sword into her head. "Beautiful. The body may have changed, but the skills remain - I may even have to get another new costume. I'll see you soon, Sage - and tell Neal he and I have to talk," the purple woman said, as Sage awoke - ------------------------------------- - to gasp, looking around the X-Men's Sydney hotel room, and into four sets of worried eyes. "'Bout time, Sage," Rogue said, her eyes shielded behind her cyber-shades. The "Magnetic Mississippi Marauder" stood from where she'd been sitting beside her teammate and smiled, adding, "Remy an' Red Lotus are dealin' with the Triad, an' Bishop an' his new police friend are payin' the Black King a little visit." "We were afraid Lady Mastermind had scrambled your brains right awfully," said the X-Men's newest ally, Davis Cameron. He and his sister, Heather - AKA Lifeguard, a suspiciously adaptable mutant - were seated in wicker chairs near the bed, leaning forward, while Neal Shaara sat beside Sage. The former Thunderbird - now Garuda, since an encounter with John Proudstar and the Exiles team months earlier - looked relieved. "Ororo will be happy to know you're awake," the Hindu plasma-projector said. Sage started at the sight of Neal, and said, "I have to tell you - someone helped me break free of Wyngarde's illusion - someone whom I thought was dead -" Then the room shook with thunder, and everyone turned to where Storm walked in with a joyous smile. "I believe we both saw the same person, Sage," Ororo Munroe said, looking at Neal with a suddenly - sad? - expression, Sage realized. The living computer and the weather goddess met each other's eyes, then, and nodded almost imperceptibly; if they were right, Neal's life was about to get complicated. And then the air split, revealing a woman in a purple cloak, who pulled back her mask and hood as she looked around. "Well, that was refreshing - I always enjoy a good smacking of petty little Upstart, pun fully intended. I'm glad to see you all again," the newcomer said, beaming when Ororo hugged her. And Neal Shaara fainted dead away. ------------------------------------------ "I tell you, mon ami, dis ain't de best fish in de world," Remy LeBeau insisted as he and the new head of the Sydney Triad left a small Chinese restaurant. "Your tastebuds are obviously deep-fried by all those spices, my new friend," Red Lotus gently chided, nibbling on his sushi. Gambit just snorted, waving down a cab and ignoring the strange looks he and the red-and-green-clad young man were getting from passersby. #You'd think they'd never seen the Patriarch of the Thieves Guild hanging out with the new head of the local Triad before. At least we have *style,*# Remy thought, grinning at a pair of curious young women. #If only my heart wasn't taken -# ~Really, LeBeau, Rogue ought to cut out your heart for your ridiculous flirting. I'm gratified to see that you've survived your latest ridiculous clash with the forces of evil,~ a teasing, British female voice rang in the Cajun's mind. ~Who - non! C'est impossible!~ Remy thought, his red-on-black eyes bulging as he looked at Red Lotus. The young Triad leader looked surprised and asked, "Gambit, is that .. butterfly ... a new aspect of your powers?" Remy just grinned maniacally and replied, "Red, you wanna see a miracle?" ------------------------------------------- "ugkph -" "LUCAS! You bloody, thick-skulled - oh, to hell with it. I'm having entirely too much fun to be a vindictive witch, at least with you," Lucas Bishop heard as he and Inspector Teri Baltimore entered the apartment. "Bishop? You're blocking the doorway, mate," Teri said, poking her blue-haired head around the suddenly stock-still man-mountain whom she'd developed a rather sudden crush on. At the very least, he was a capable policeman, and who cared if he was part of a band of mutants? #They're people too, and I'd rather have them on our side. Stupid Yanks keep terrorizing them and they'll have their arses handed to them, I fear,# Teri thought as she slipped past the now-stammering Bishop. "Hello, Inspector. I should probably explain why poor Lucas is shocked into silence - most of us were when our other guest arrived," said Storm, the leader of the band of mutants whom Bishop had sketchily filled Teri in on. The inspector nodded politely; she suspected whom Bishop's friends were - as if the large "X" symbols on most of their clothes weren't obvious enough - and she intended to be polite. Vigilantes they might be, but the X-Men weren't murderers, and any help Teri could get was welcome help. "Thanks, Storm - evenin', everyone," Teri said, looking around at the gathered X-Men with a faint smile. She returned Red Lotus' nod, a silent recognition of neutral ground, then looked around and smiled greetings at the mutants and the Cameron boy - well, he was younger than HER, anyhow - seated around the living room before regarding the newcomer. The woman looked to be mid-30s, Caucasian, with the most vibrant purple hair - almost *natural-looking*, Teri thought with a pang of jealousy, remembering the effort it took to keep hers blue instead of bland brown - and a body the inspector would've killed for, clad in a skintight light-pink costume with cutouts and light purple sleeves. Mutant metabolisms were something to behold ... But it was the newcomer's eyes - blue, with a depth and piercing knowledge - that held Teri for a long moment. Whoever this woman was, she was someone with unnatural insight and a wealth of stories. Besides, she'd knocked Bishop into shocked silence, and that was enough to impress Teri. "Inspector Teri Baltimore, Sydney Police," she said, putting on her best "hello-guv'nor, can-I ask-you-some-questions?" smile as the newcomer stood and offered Teri her hand. "Elizabeth Braddock, AKA Psylocke. A pleasure to meet you, Inspector - and as to your unspoken question, Bishop's last view of me was when my soul was being pulled through a teleportal in Dreamtime. So his shock is rather understandable," the purple-haired woman explained, returning Teri's smile. "And you were Asian - Betsy - HOW!?" Bishop blurted, shaking off his shock and stumbling forward to let Betsy hug him. She released him, then held his hands and looked around at her teammates before releasing Bishop and taking a deep breath. "Inspector, I'm about to trust you with rather important secrets - not so much for myself, but rather for a student of the school we represent and fight for," Betsy began, growing serious. "Not a word leaves here," Teri vowed. "I owe you lot my life, and if Bishop vouches for you ..." "Thank you. Your trust means a great deal. I wanted to wait until everyone gathered here, so I didn't have to explain this more than once before we return to Westchester," Betsy said, looking intently at Storm. "Return - Elizabeth, why? The diaries are still out there, as is Vargas," Storm asked, a concerned look crossing her face. "Believe me, Ororo, I want that bloody bastard's head more than any of you. But after what I foresaw earlier today, we'd better head back to the mansion before we continue after the diaries. Xavier's not half as insane as you think, and Vargas isn't the primary threat - not since Franklin, Rachel, Nathan *and* I all foresaw Sentinels annihilating Genosha," Betsy said, crossing her arms. That made the other X-Men grow grim, Teri noticed, before she had to blink. "Er - sorry, Ms. Braddock, but isn't a Sentinel one of those overgrown tin cans what was killing mutants yesterday? Didn't two of your mates stop that thing?" she asked. "And when did you find time to meet with Franklin and the Summers children?" Storm interjected. "An' is Charlie all right?" Rogue - whom Teri wasn't exactly comfortable around, since the skunk-haired woman *had* tried to kill her, even if she'd been mind-controlled - asked, a worried tone in her voice. "In order: Yes, and yes, Cyclops and Wolverine did stop *one* Sentinel. I'll explain how I ran into the kids in a moment. And young Charles is all right, Marie, at least as long as he pays attention to the Professor and Jean and stays home," Betsy said, a wry smile crossing her lips. "Now, this all ties back into my rebirth ..." -------------------------------------------- She was BACK. Neal tried to focus; it was quite the intriguing tale, really - Betsy's astral form accidentally getting snagged by Franklin Richards as he studied with Gateway in Dreamtime, and the boy's kind-hearted creation of a new body for Betsy. And the slightly-naughty tone Betsy took when she spoke about her joy in surprising her family and the rest of Excalibur with her "resurrection" was pleasant to hear, as was Betsy's satisfaction with being a telepath and 10 or so years younger. (Although, Neal secretly thought, she'd looked just a BIT better with purple eyes ...) But still ... Betsy was BACK. #What do I say? To her? To Heather? I haven't been able to MOVE since I woke up from fainting like an idiot schoolboy, for Ganesha's sake! How can I face - Betsy ...# Neal thought, biting the inside of his lip to stay focused as Betsy's tale wrapped up. "... and so, I asked Illyana to teleport me here, after I used Cerebra to long-distance fry that cow Wyngarde - and WHY are we putting up with that horrid little troll's unholy offspring? Anyhow, I wanted to make sure you all knew I was back, and I didn't want to be rude and just call you," Betsy concluded, taking a deep breath and sipping a glass of Glenlivet from the bottle Remy had found in the mini-bar. "We're glad you're back, Betts. Ah have t'agree with her, Ororo - the diaries can wait. Those Sentinels could mosey on up to Salem Center as easy as they can Hammer Bay, an ah ain't gonna let mah son an' the rest of the kids get killed by some bigot's death machine," Rogue insisted. "I sympathize, Marie, but who is making these Sentinels? Perhaps we would be better served by finding the source of these new threats, and allow the team at the mansion to defend the children for the time being," Ororo pondered. "Assumin' de kids gonna listen t' de Professeur," Remy said. "Knowin' Young Charlie, he gon' go t'Genosha an' fight dose Sentinels by himself if need be. An' Ray an' Illyana likely t'be right behind, with Franklin in tow now dat he back beside his better half." "Jean's got a little better handle on the kids than that, Remy. But even if the mansion isn't the target, will Magneto listen to the Professor and activate the Civil Defense forces?" Bishop asked. "Erik'll listen to Charlie - mah boy, not necessarily the Professor. 'Though both of them yellin' at him would be better. Still, ah miss mah son, Ororo. Ah came 'long on this ride 'cause of Irene's diaries, but ah've got a responsibility to mah boy - the diaries don't matter if there ain't anyone t' inherit the future," Rogue said, looking at Ororo with a silent plea in her face. The windrider walked to Rogue and took her hands in her own, then nodded. "I would never order you to abandon Charles, Marie. Take as much time as you need - and take Remy if you wish, if he will accompany you. Goddess knows you deserve the time together," Ororo said, smiling. "I'll take your place, Marie. And don't worry - Illyana may not be as headstrong as she seems, in regards to teleporting Charles into danger. She may have something of a crush on him," Betsy said, smiling playfully as she hugged her friend. "Well - 'bout time. Ah was wonderin' if she was ever gonna say anythin'," Rogue said, snickering as she and Remy headed for the door. The Cajun kissed Betsy's hand, then Ororo's, and waved at the others as he hustled after his love. "Well, that settles that. Where to next, Storm?" Sage asked. Ororo turned to Sage, then waved the Camerons over, as Betsy sipped her Glenlivet and looked at the fire. "I'll - just excuse myself. I have an early morning shift," Teri said, looking a bit lost. Bishop took her by the hand and walked her out, after glancing at the now-smiling Storm, and Neal finally let his gaze meet that of Betsy. ~Let's take this outside, shall we?~ she sent telepathically, motioning toward the balcony. Neal rose, following his teammate outside and joining her as they looked out over the moonlit Sydney harbor. "Betsy - I - I'm not even sure where to begin," Neal said, wincing at how he sounded to himself; it was so *needy,* and he sounded like a teenager - ~Neal. Look at me.~ He obeyed the unspoken request - and was relieved, on some level, that it *was* a request - and met Betsy's gentle gaze. "You're a dear friend. You helped me deal with that ... imbecilic Warren, or at least deal with the shock, and I deeply appreciate that. But even in this body, I'm still 10 years older than you. Psychically, I'm almost 20 years older," Betsy began aloud, smiling that familiar sad smile. "Betsy - !" Neal began; couldn't she see, *especially* now that she was a telepath again, how he felt -? Then again, could HE, he reminded himself. Betsy gently held up a hand and continued. "And I saw how Ms. Cameron looked at you - like you were the only one in the room. I'd rather not indulge my unsettling tendency toward younger men at your expense, especially when there's someone right in front of you who adores you. I had to tell Rachel to get her act in gear with Franklin. Don't drag your feet, either," she said. Neal finally smiled, weakly, and nodded. "I know how Heather feels. And ... I didn't want to be the rebound boyfriend. It was just ... you *died*, Betsy. I didn't want to dishonor our - friendship, let's call it - by rushing into a fling. And, I didn't want to end up hurting Heather," he said, trying to smile. "Well, now you have the option to pursue it at your collective pace. You're a gentleman, Neal, of a kind rarely seen in these latter days. And Ms. Cameron will be a very lucky young woman if you two work out. I just hope you and I can continue to be friends," Betsy said, her faint smile returning. "Of course. I intend to make sure you stick around a while, Lady Braddock," Neal insisted, dramatically bowing. She laughed at that, and they grinned before they looked out at the moonlight on the water. #Maybe friendship is the best thing to ask for. Durga knows, I almost lost her ... I should appreciate the time we have,# Neal reflected, glancing over his shoulder at where Heather was watching him. He excused himself, then walked to her, as she stood a few feet away from where Davis was excitedly talking with Sage and Ororo. "They think Davis's latent powers can be triggered, if he so desires. But - Neal, with the madness we just went through - !" Heather said softly. Neal put an arm around her shoulders and nodded, before he angrily met Sage's gaze. "So now we're playing god or goddess? If Davis was meant to be latent -" he began. "And what if I wasn't? I've seen what you lot do, Neal. Why can't I try and help others? I know it's risky - hell, your friend out there on the balcony died and got brought back to life, I recognize that - but it's my DNA. My life to risk," Davis interjected, looking hurt. "More the reason not to rush into throwing it away," Betsy called. The others looked at her as she walked into the room, then pinned Sage with a piercing gaze. "Think carefully, Davis. Yes, whatever powers you possess may be wondrous, but they come with a price. I know you think you comprehend what the life of an X-Man is like, but to rush headlong into it - with the menaces we know are lurking around the corner - you need to seriously think this through," Betsy insisted. "Hence why I want you to consider this, Davis - take your time," Ororo asked, looking at the current X-Men and then Davis with a commanding expression. Davis looked like he was about to protest, but finally nodded, and rose to take Ororo's hand. "Not tonight, then. Tonight, fair Storm, let me show you the breakers off of the point, and you can tell me more about these great and terrible risks," Davis asked, winking as he took Ororo's hand in his and walked her from the room. "So ... I hear there's a great sushi place down in the Chinese district?" Neal asked, looking at Heather, then Red Lotus. The Triad leader smiled, then wrote down a phone number on a piece of paper, and watched with Betsy and Sage as Neal and Heather left. "I had best go myself - the Examiner's defeat will leave a great deal to accomplish among the Triad. Ms. Braddock, welcome back to the physical world, and please excuse me," Red Lotus said, bowing. Betsy returned the bow and watched him depart, before finally meeting Sage's intent gaze. "And then there were two," the living computer said faintly, volumes in the words. "And then there were. I think you know what must be done next, Sage," Betsy said, sitting in the chair Davis had vacated. Sage nodded, echoing Betsy's motion and sitting across from her. "We need to know what happened to your powers when Franklin brought you back," Sage said. "Moreover, what happened to the Crimson Dawn? And - as glad as I am to be back in my first, younger body - what does this mean for me, physically and mentally? I don't mind regaining my first power, Sage, much less the precognition, but there are a few too many loose ends for me to feel comfortable," Betsy said, sighing. She lowered her psi-shields, then, and linked with Sage as the cyberpath concentrated. ~Then let's tie them, shall we?~ --------------------------------------------- tbc ... ---------------------------------------------