--- A middle aged Psylocke enters the next adventure part of her life. A member of her past is in need of help. Betsy willingly offers her support.---
-Earth 42356
The more things change (New Beginnings)
Part 1 (New Beginnings)
Elizabeth Braddock has had an eventful life, more so than many others. The last 13 years of her life have been a whirlwind of activity. Ever since she started to develop her Telepathic abilities at 26 things have never been the same. Not only did she discover
that she and her brother are not purely human, but that their father served as one of Merlin's guardians. He was tasked with creating the next ruler of Otherworld. The not so mythical realm of Arthurian legends. Brian was destined to become the Next Arthur, but first faced trials as Captain Britain, The UK's greatest hero.
But what of Elizabeth? What trials would she face in her life? It wasn't her modeling career. That was extremely successful. No it was after Dr. Synne's tampering with her mind, her latent Psionic abilities began to manifest. It appeared first as Precognition, then later developed into Telepathy. After Brian had vanished, she was recruited by the government agency known as S.T.R.I.K.E., that was where her true tale began. She served as a Psychic spy, and later when Brian retired as Captain Briton herself, until weeks later she was nearly killed by the Slaymaster.
She left England not long after to recover, but was kidnapped by a twisted extra dimensional TV producer named Mojo. She served as TV host for the Wildways, using her powers to recruit children for the show. She was saved by the New Mutants and her brother. She then took up residence at the home of the X-men, to learn to use her powers better. She never wanted to be anyone's pawn or slave again. She'd hoped the X-men could give her that.
She was one of the older X-men, with only Wolverine older than she. She had to prove herself to be just as capable as the younger but more experienced members. During the 4 years she'd spent with them she did that and more. At a time of Deep despair and losses for the team, she took the reins. She led them into defeating the Reavers, saved Wolverine, and became a mentor to the young Jubilation Lee. Impressed with her bravery yet again, and skill at leading the Team with him and Storm gone. He gives her leadership of the X-men.
With his mentor ship, they assist him in Madripoor, and depose The Mandarin, just in time to help reunite the various X-groups, and locate Rogue, Storm, and Professor Xavier, whom she'd never met. With the Large size of the teams, Betsy decided to head home to England. There she reunited with her brother just in time to join Excalibur, and participate in the Cross Time Caper. She even met a version of herself who went through the Siege Perilous, and wound up with an Asian body. During this time, she spent a year training with Roma, expanding her Psychic abilities.
Upon returning to Earth, she retired from the world of Heroics, and went back to modeling for a time. She also went back to school to try and make a difference without punching people in the face. After Graduation, with the help of Charles Xavier she located several Telepath's willing to help her establish a first of it's kind profession. The Psiologist, a Telepath with a caring heart, highly ethical, and willing to use their powers to help those with severe mental issues, and other problems of the mind. A year ago she established the Braddock foundation of the Mind. With the goal to help those who could not help themselves.
(Thursday: Early night time)
It had been only been a day since Betsy had given her T.E.D. talk. She was not only the founder of the Braddock foundation of the Mind, but it's spokeswoman. Being a model was extremely helpful in that regard. The audience in Europe was much more accepting of a mutant offering services more with helping the people, rather than menacing them. Besides the sister of Captain Britain, and having been Captain Britain herself, lent a lot of weight to her talks.
But even with her charitable works, and the length of time she'd been away from Super heroics...She missed it sorely.
"Amazing, each week I come to my study and gaze at my old costumes, even the one I wanted to wear after coming out of retirement. I guess I still want to save the world the other way also..." she said aloud to no one. She took some canned air, and blew nearly untraceable dust of the metallic pauldrons. With care she wiped it down. She did this every week as a reminder of her past.
"How long's it been since I've actually worn this suit, any of them?" She put the cleaning supplies down and stood back. Tapping her lips she quizzed herself.
"Pink and fluffy.. far too 80's, and my hair was terrible back then!" she moved back to the Armour.
"When I truly became an X-man, and a warrior. Steel on the inside, and whatever metal this thing is on the outside.." she chuckled.
She then moved to the next suit. It resembled the Armour she wore in Australia, but was even stronger yet lighter than the old suit. It was a gift from Roma, created for maximum protection, and flexibility. Enchanted to solve the problem of heat and cold.
"What the hell, I've only worn you once, and that was when I first got you 3 years ago!" she said opening the glass case.
She stripped right there in her study, clothes dropping off easily with anticipation.
She'd never been the shy type, even still she was happy no one was home. She slid into the form fitting bodysuit, then sat down to put on the Greaves and Cuisse's. Just as she got the left leg on she stood to adjust the fit. She was 43 now, not 40, a couple extra stones made her sigh. But it adjust to fit her. As she put on the right leg her cell phone rang, startling her.
"Oh bloody hell!" she cried out reaching for the phone, but forgetting her half footed leg as she stumbled.
"Hullo, Elizabeth speaking!" she said composing herself. Brushing her hair away from her face.
"Hail stranger, it's been awhile Betsy, how's the world treating ya?" Came a familiar voice.
"Gabriel? Gabriel is that you? Of course it's you, I've got perfect memory!" she chided herself. "What brings a call from my former fiancé,? I know it's most likely not to chat over Tea, and old times!"
"You know me well, From the exasperation in your breath. I take it my timing was a tad off yeah?" He said smiling on the other end.
"Don't be cheeky, what can I do for you? And no Brian is off limits, he's on holiday!" she stated.
"It's not him I need, it's you! Don't worry it's nothing that involves going up against some daft enemy of some government agency. It's a personal favor Glorianna." He said his voice going low.
She pondered his words. Gabriel may have been involved in her losing her eye's, but she did fall for him, even proposed to him. For years he thought her dead after that Dallas event. She had never even so much as apologized for just reappearing, and saying nothing for several more.
"It'll be good to see you again Gabriel, can you bring snacks?" She asked playfully.
"Too late! I'm outside the manor now!"
She tossed open the curtain, and shook her head as he sat on his roadsters hood. He waved as she looked out the window.
Minutes later, they sat in the living room sharing a couch. She sat in the Dark magenta bodysuit to his side. They laughed and joked about old times, and forgave each other again for things painful for both. But the past was past, and she wanted to help him.
"On the phone.. you sounded very melancholy... what's going on?" She said placing a hand on his shoulder.
Locking eye's with her, he began his tale.
"It's nothing as stereotypical as a kidnapped child or parent, even though that happens in this business far too often. No I need you to locate someone, to locate them and erase me from their memories!
"What kind of request is that?" she stated taken aback tossing her hands in the air.
He stood and moved to the suits in the glass displays.
"It sounds simple and silly, and even unethical, especially considering your new venture! But believe me it's for the best."
"What could you have done that you need to be erased from someone's mind?" She stated standing also. "You know I take my powers seriously, I dislike tampering with minds when I don't have to, especially considering my past. I need something more Gabriel!"
"About a year ago my employer sent me on a mission. The mission was a simple one, follow some warpie kid, and keep tabs on his abilities. He's a class 7 talent. His powers are actually mostly benign. But in the wrong hands they could be put to terrible uses. Cliché right?" He smirked. She just stood listening intently.
"Anyway, what the kid can do is make other people, look like other people. It's usually temporary and harmless. The problem is that the change is more than skin deep, although the subject gains no memories of the person duplicated. They don't notice that anything is wrong. They believe they are the person they've become, and are somehow able to adjust to this new state!" He said shrugging. "It's an amazing sight to see!"
"I've seen women become men, kids become their parents, and somehow life just readjusts around that person to fit the change. He alters reality so subtly that people don't realize anything is wrong."
"Okay, I follow so far."
"Think about it Elizabeth! I work for the crown, I've made LOT'S of enemies over the years. I don't mind the danger! But can you imagine some Bloke looking like me, and one of my enemies seeing this untrained sod? They'd be dead in a heartbeat." He said making fists.
"Has this happened Gabriel, have people been hurt?" She asked walking over to him, and taking his shoulder.
"Four people so far. A garrote, a stabbing, and 2 gunshot victims."
"Why do these people get morphed into you? What made this child select you as the..." she began.
"I saved his life!" he said matter of factually. "He wasn't paying attention coming home from school, and almost got hit by a car. I saw the vehicle coming and grabbed the lil one, and saved his life!
Gabriel had always had impeccable style, and taste. He was well groomed, and always smelled nice. It was one of the things she had loved about him. Even now at 47 he was dashing to her. But she already had a couple men in her life right now, he'd be one too many.
"So the child saw you, and imprinted on you. You were his hero. Now he can't help himself. It's almost subconscious you'd say?" she asked him.
"Completely totally!" He stated adding, " That last victim was an agent. I was reassigned after saving the kids life. The Agent, Miles Brandstone, had gotten too close. The kid warped him, and he took a bullet!"
"We need to make sure this doesn't happen again luv!" he said sitting again. She sat right next to him. "We lost the kid after that incident, since the agent died so close to him. The parents got a bit noddy, and moved, then the kid vanished off the radar."
"I'll do what I can Gabriel. I haven't been 'Psylocke' in years. I'm 43 and haven't done this for awhile, but I'll give it a shot!"
"Psychic's seem immune to his powers, and he's got a thing for 'heroes.."
"Well I did want to wear this thing again..." she said rubbing the bodysuit, overly enjoying her form in it.
"You look fine Betsy!" He said taking her hands. "We lose people all the time in this biz, but I never wanted my act of saving a life, to cause the mass taking of lives.."
After a long bath Betsy sent an email, and phone message to the foundation. She'd be gone for the next few days. Unlike many others Betsy doesn't believe in fate, or destiny. But she knows that costumes tend to bring out the loons. But in this instance she understands. Lives are at risk and a friend has a need. What can she do but help.
"It's bed time.. time for complexities in the morning..." She said sliding under the sheets.
Log in to comment