X-Knights: The First Month Chapter 23 (A Generation X Based Fic)

Attention: Generation X and their villains, as well as any other mutant mentioned in this story, is property of Marvel Comics. The character Richard Cale is named after family relations. Any other reference to anything copyrighted is a chance happening.

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X-Knights: The First Month

Chapter 23: Complications

Kevin Mitchel was having a hard time on Monday. Normally, Monday was one of the days they all practiced using their powers at the Cale Institute. However, give the events of the previous night, he couldn’t concentrate. Deep down, he hoped his teacher, Everett Thomas, wouldn’t ask him about it and just think he was having trouble changing the forms of the objects in front of him.

After his fifth attempt to transform a piece of wood into something else, he knew his luck had run out. He felt bad when his teacher gave him a concerned look and asked the question he had been dreading. “Kevin, I know you can do this. I’ve seen you do it perfectly a few times. Is there something bothering you that you can’t focus on your powers?”

At first, Kevin didn’t want to say. He was picked to be a team leader, and his whole problem was linked to what happened last night. He didn’t want word to spread about his concerns. However, he knew if he didn’t voice them, his control over his powers would suffer more.

He took a deep breath, and then looked at his teacher. “I’m sorry, sir. I’m still worked up over the events of yesterday. Mr. Dallas’s death is still on my mind. If I hadn’t transformed that table, he wouldn’t have died.”

He felt his teacher place a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him. For some reason, it didn’t help, and he continued. “I never thought that after being named a team leader, I’d have to deal with someone dying because of something I did. What makes it worse is that he isn’t even a teacher here. He was just visiting.”

At that moment, he heard his teacher speak. “Listen, Kevin, there is a lot you don’t know about when it comes to Sequel, as he calls himself. I know you got a brief explanation of his powers, but I don’t think you got a full understanding of them. In fact, only one person in this world has a fair assessment of Sequel’s powers, and they didn’t like what they saw.”

Kevin looked at his teacher for a moment, and the first person he thought of was the girl that was with Sequel, the girl who was a bit feline in appearance. “You mean the cat-girl, Christy?”

He was stunned when Everett shook his head. “Nope. I mean Richard. A key point of his powers is he gains insight to those powers, and what they are capable of. My powers allow me to do the same, but not on the same levels as his. In the briefest of moments that Richard had those powers, he not only saw what those powers did, he also realized what that meant. He once said he pities Sequel, because his powers mean perpetual life, even after ‘The End’.”

Kevin swallowed hard when he heard that. Even though it wasn’t something he wanted to think about, he never thought about the implications of having immortality. Here he was, worried about someone dying because of his powers, and when it came to it, the person who was effected by that wasn’t going to truly dead, ever. It made him feel a little better, but he still didn’t feel the best about it.

He then looked at his teacher again and calmly asked another question about the whole situation. “Sir, did anyone ever die during your Generation X days?”

The answer he got surprised him. “Yes, someone did die once, and it was during a mission that Richard was in charge of. I think it still bothers him to this day, because of the full ramifications. Just sit down, and I’ll tell you a bit about it, since I was on that mission.” He nodded and then sat down in a nearby chair, hoping it would ease his own discomfort.

Amy Johnson had finished with her lesson earlier than she had figured, since the lesson plan had changed with only one teacher helping her. She had decided to check on Kevin, figuring he was still shaken up over the events of the previous night. Arriving at the room that he had been training in, she was stunned to hear his teacher, Everett Thomas, mentioning about something that had happened to Lord Cale.

She had entered the room just after Kevin had sat down, and surprised both of them when she asked. “Did I hear you right in saying Lord Cale went through something like this?” When the teacher nodded, she looked at him and said, “Do you mind if I listen in? I am a bit worried about Kevin, but I’m also a bit curious about what you said.”

She sat down next to Kevin when Everett nodded and then spoke. “I won’t sugar coat it, and I’m sure you heard small parts of what had happened, but I’ll tell you a bit more. Back in our days as Generation X, we had gotten hit with a situation that I hope you’ll never face. At the time, we were recovering from an odd situation involving a being named Mojo. As a result of that, Richard was recovering due to something done to his eyes. On the last days of his recovery, a few events happened all at once. The first was that his cousin, Godiva, sent four girls to the school to be protected by him.”

She blinked when she heard that, and asked the first question that came to her mind. “Was that linked to his Paladin title?” That was something they were all told about, but she wasn’t sure how many people knew about it years ago.

Everett nodding in response to the question. “Yes, but their attacker was Emplate, not a demon. At the same time, Monet’s father, Cartier St. Croix, and another individual had come to the school to talk about something very important with Richard. What ended up happening was it set the stage for a disaster. At that time, Monet wasn’t at the school, since her body was under the control of her evil sister.”

She didn’t speak when Kevin said the very words on her mind. “That was the one who headed the attack last night, right. Was this linked to her back then?”

She remained silent as the teacher nodded again. “Yes. It seems that while her father was at the school, she had worked with another person to launch an attack, which split our team up, and allowed Emplate to attack the school and gain a lot more than we expected. I was part of the team that responded to the attack, which had been the abduction of Yvette.”

Amy then realized at how Lord Cale had responded. He had led the team to rescue his wife. Everett’s words only confirmed it. “We had gone to rescue Yvette, and Cartier went with, in hopes of also capturing Claudette. As it turned out, our team had setbacks, but succeeded in rescuing Yvette. However, the cost was Cartier’s life, and at that time, we didn’t fully know the power he truly possessed. As it turned out, he died just as we returned home. It was then we learned how much more powerful Emplate had gotten, as well as finding out that Emplate had abducted the four girls that Richard was entrusted to protect. To this day, I know Richard still feels guilty about it.”

Amy finally gasped, not realizing that until that very moment, she had been holding her breath. She also noticed that just by looking at Kevin’s face, the worry was all but gone. The story of what Lord Cale went through must have made him feel better. She was certain of it when Kevin spoke. “He still feels bad about that, even after all these years. He doesn’t appear to show it.”

She then turned to look at him. “He is a leader, and a good one. I’m sure you’ll be as good as him in time.” She then gave him a kiss on the cheek, and she could see him smile after that. She had done that not only because she loved him, but because he needed it. “I know you can handle it, and the responsibility. Just remember, you don’t have to deal with this alone. You have your teammates, and your teacher, to help you through it.” She watched as he nodded, and she knew he would be feeling better soon.

***************************************

Monet St. Croix blinked and stretched her stiff muscles. This was her usual routine after finishing a session on the Astral Plane with Tasha Lewis. When they had started teaching the young psychic, it was her and Yvette, but since Yvette’s trip to America, she was doing the lessons solo. She was at least thankful that Tasha had adopted a clothed form on the Astral plane, ever since their first session a few weeks ago.

As her dark skinned student started to blink her eyes, a sign that the girl was getting used to looking through her normal eyes again, she could sense some anxiety. There was obviously a question on the young girl’s mind that they had not addressed yet. She waited until Tasha was fully back before asking her student what was wrong. “Is there something you were wondering about?”

She watched as the young girl nodded, and then asked a question that caught her off guard. “Ms. St. Croix, does everyone have a unique psychic fingerprint, or is there some similarities that families or twins share?”

She had never considered the possibility of the question at this point, but after Tasha’s encounters with her brother, and her sister’s recent attack, she should have expected it. It was also a very valid question, but she would need time to give a good answer. Right now, she needed something to allow her to only give a brief answer.

Almost as if on cue, she noticed Davis Skinur, a fellow teacher at the school, as well as former criminal, stick his head in the door, and then pulled it out of the door. It was obvious to her that he wanted to speak with her. She looked at Tasha then, and gave her best answer. “To be honest, I’m not sure on the family part. I am aware that some psychics have barriers linked to their primary language and powers. Yvette’s powers are on a slightly different psychic level than my own, but she can communicate on our level. I’ll need to do some research, and give you a better answer at our next session.”

She watched as her student got up, apparently satisfied with her answer. She was glad about that, since Tasha appeared to be a very bright and very good student. She was also very talented with her power, able to pick up on things that she couldn’t when her powers had started to develop. “Thank you. I’ll take my leave now so you and Mr. Skinur can talk.” Monet just blinked as Tasha left, indicating she knew Davis was there.

Once the girl had left, she saw Davis enter the room. She could also sense that he was a bit nervous about something, and she felt it was Tasha’s parting statement. She decided to calm down her visitor. “I’m sorry about that, Davis. Tasha was learning how to deal with her psychic abilities and must have picked up on you before she left.”

She watched as a meek smile crossed his face, a vast contrast from that time she first met him, when he was manipulated by Apocalypse years ago. “It’s alright, Monet. I had actually come to speak with you, and ask you something.”

She had a feeling what the talk and question would be around. Lately, she had begun liking Davis, and even came to his defense when Jonothan and Paige had arrived. She let a small smile cross her face, and looked at him. “What did you want to talk about?”

She waited as he fidgeted for a moment before speaking. “Well, again, I wanted to thank you for coming to my defense when your friends had arrived. I did appreciate it. I also wondered if, maybe later in the week, you might want to go out to dinner with me. Rich told me of a nice little place in the town, and I thought you might like to go.”

She smiled even more when he made the suggestion. She really was starting to have feelings for him. She quickly walked over to him, and gave him a slight kiss on the cheek before answering. “Of course I’d like to. In fact, I would be honored. Should we do this on Wednesday?” When he nodded, she said, “Good. I’ll make sure to wear my best dress then.” She then left the room, and for a brief moment, hovered above the floor, since she was feeling like she was now walking on air.

Tasha Lewis continued heading down the hall, trying to close out from her mind the sudden feelings of happiness coming from the direction of her teacher. To her, it wasn’t unexpected, since she had detected something before, but didn’t want to say anything. She was still learning her powers, and didn’t want either of the teachers to think she was spying on them.

She was almost lost in that thought when she turned a corner in the hall, and walked into Prince James. In that moment, both their books went to the floor, and she felt embarrassed. There were a few reasons behind that, the top two being that he was the Prince, and that she did have feelings for him. She quickly got down, and started to pick up the books. “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to bump into you.”

She was slightly stunned when James got down and helped her with the books. “It’s all right, Tasha. Actually, I was hoping I might run into you. I was wondering if you were all right.”

As she finished picking up her books, she looked at him, a little bit surprised and his question. “I’m fine. I wasn’t as shook up over the event as Kevin was. I was just surprised you didn’t go with the others to safety.” It was the honest truth. She had thought that he would have gone to safety, since he was the heir to the throne now. However, she also was aware he had feelings for her.

His answer didn’t surprise her as much as his reasons did. “Honestly, I didn’t leave because you weren’t going to safety. I’ve found myself a bit attracted to you, and didn’t want you to be in danger alone. If you would have gone with, I would have gladly gone.”

She smiled again after hearing those words, even thought she knew that leaving the school grounds wasn’t an option for her. She weakly smiled as she explained why should couldn’t leave the school. “If I could have I would. Remember, I came here and asked for sanctuary because my parents have been horrid to me. If I leave the school at all, they’ll be able to take me back home. I took a chance once, but I’m afraid to do it again, even if it is to keep me safe from harm.”

She felt her heart skip a beat when James took her hand. There was also something very comforting about the way he held it, and when he spoke. “I’m sure I can talk my father into doing something. It’s horrid to think anyone could be that way, especially to a nice girl like you.”

Tasha looked away for a moment, a bit embarrassed, and also a bit flattered that he said that. Her parents had always gone to great lengths to make sure everyone thought she was a delinquent. Now, she had someone falling for the person she truly was. She was even more amazed that it was the Prince.

She looked back at him for a moment, and then spoke the words on her mind. “Thank you for saying that. I’ll admit, that I have some feeling for you as well.” Something in her mind told her that she should kiss him, and she was sure he wanted that as well. She then did a very brazen thing. She leaned in and kissed him. As she did, she felt she had done the right thing, because he returned the kiss, and for a moment, she felt like there was nothing else in the world except them.

Lady Yvette Cale sat in the one family room, with her children, Richard III and Ashley, Darrett and Clarice’s daughter, Joleen, and Eloise, their latest guest. Since they had brought the girl to the school, Yvette had taken it upon herself to try to help the girl. A big part of her reasoning was due to the fact that they were similar in appearance. Something she had picked up from Eloise’s father, Ambassador Jean Levenque.

Right now, she was working with all the young kids, and Eloise, to further their knowledge of English. For Eloise, it seemed the girl knew little English, but that would be understandable if the girl never left France. However, as the lessons continued, since the first day she met the girl, her comprehension was superb. She was just finishing up for the day when Eloise spoke her first question in English. “Mademoiselle Cale, why do you look similar to me?”

She was so stunned at the question, she didn’t respond right away, and go bombarded by questions from all the little kids. “Why is she in here, and not with the other big kids here? Why does she look like you, Mommy?”

She raised her hands, which her children knew was the sign to wait a moment, and sighed. She knew she had not addressed the issues with the kids yet, but she knew she had to now. She decided to start with the easiest one first. “Children, the reason she is here is that Eloise knows little English. She had, prior to her disappearance, grown up in France, and so she knows French.”

She then looked at Eloise, who nodded, and she then thought about the other question. It was one that she could not answer, at least not so any of the little ones could understand. She wasn’t even sure if she understood it. Eloise looked very similar to her even when their powers were activated, which was odd since they had two separate powers.

She was thankful when the phone rang at that moment. It helped her avoid trying to answer the difficult question. She wasn’t even sure she could answer why both her and Eloise looked similar. She cleared her head for a moment, took a deep breath, and answered the phone. “Good day, Cale Institiue, Lady Cale speaking.”

Yvette was stunned when the person on the other end spoke. “Bonjour Lady Cale, It is Ambassador Levenque. I trust my daughter is all right.” She had been keeping in touch with man who at one time they knew as Canon since his daughter had appeared, and with the recent events, she forgot he might call.

She took a deep breath, and finally responded. “Indeed. I was actually just working a bit on communications with her. She is picking up English relatively quickly. However, we were all surprised by her appearance.”

She heard a happy sounding laugh on the other end. “I suspected as much. When I had first seen you, I will admit that I thought you were Eloise. I guess given my advanced age, one is bound to see people who look similar.” Yvette kept herself from laughing at the comment, however his next statements made her pause. “I was actually calling to let you know that I planned to be there in a few days. I hope that won’t be a problem.”

Almost instantly, her mind was racing at all the possible problems that might arise, top of those included their other current guests. She also thought about how discrete that he might want the visit to be. As they had found out, his powers made it impossible for him not to be noticed. She was certain a lot would need to be done. “I take it you’ll want this to be discrete. No need having the press around.”

She heard a sound of affirmation. “Indeed. No one really knows I had a child. Also, there are individuals that I am sure would cause me harm. I know that most of those are the ones that ran some of the Asylum Seven operations that I have been shutting down. I’m also sure that some of the victims of that are not likely to forget a grudge.” She held her tongue, not wanting to mention about their current guests. “Anyhow, if you can make sure of things by Wednesday, that would be splendid. I’m looking forward to seeing my daughter again.”

A bit of panic ran through her as she realized at how much would need to be done. However, she was not going to let that be known. She kept her calm as she responded. “I’m sure we can arrange that. I’ll give you a call back to make sure where you’ll be arriving at.” She then politely hung up the phone.

She sat back, and quickly thought things out. She knew they would need a major misdirection to get Jean Levenque in. She also knew they would need to inform Chrissy about the arrival and hoped she would understand. She also knew of the only people who could help, and quickly contracted her husband. “My love, I have to ask you to do something, and contact Graylon. It is involving his visit, which will be this week.” She then waited for her husband to respond, and hoped he could touch base with everyone that needed to be contacted.

***********************************************

Chrissy was thankful for the time she was taking to recover. The battle on the previous night had taken a toll, but she was glad everyone was safe. Her injuries were healing, thanks to the med lab they had in the school. What was better was that she didn’t have to be alone all the time. Almost everyone had stopped in, to check on her. Her latest visitor was no exception.

That visitor was Jubilation Thomas, or as she remember her from their last encounter, Jubilation Lee. That time, she didn’t get to talk with the Asian mutant that much, since she had been abducted by ‘The Hand’, a group of ninjas that Canon had hired to hurt her host. That had backfired, and they had rescued Jubilee, but she was glad at how the girl had changed since then, and enjoyed hearing it. However, the lady was now asking her a question. “So how has your own quest gone? Has Kevin gotten what he was looking for?”

She cautiously shook her head, being careful not to cause too much movement as her injuries healed. She then answered the question. “Not yet, but he’s much closer now. The odd thing is, as we are just about to catch up to one of his operations, we arrive to find it’s already closed down. It’s like someone is beating us to it, and causing Canon to flee each time.”

For a moment, she noticed that Jubilation seemed to be thinking about something, like she might know who’s been causing the stop to Canon’s Asylum Seven. She wanted to ask Jubilee if she knew something, but before she could ask, she heard another visitor enter the room. It was Richard Cale, and just as he entered, she noticed Jubilation standing up, and heading for the door. “Sorry I can’t stay longer, but Richard just asked me to go find one of the students.”

As Jubilee left the room, Chrissy could tell that Richard seemed a little nervous about something. After a moment, he finally spoke to her. “So you were telling Jubilation about the events with Asylum Seven. I take it that they are being shut down.”

Chrissy nodded, but looked at Richard, and could sense he knew something about it. She sat herself up a bit, and looked at her host. “Yes, most of those we’ve come across have been shut down. Kevin is certain that it is upsetting Canon. Every time we are about to catch up with him, it’s after one of the facilities is closed down.”

She watched as Richard nodded, saying, “And he’s moved on to another location.” She wasn’t surprised when he figured out that next part, but what did surprise her was his next statement. “I know about the closing down of the various Asylum Seven locations, because I do know who is doing it.”

Chrissy blinked twice, and wondered who the individual was that was stopping Asylum Seven. She tried to sit up a bit, and looked at Richard. “Who has been stopping him? I’m sure Kevin would welcome the help.”

She watched as Richard appeared to be in thought for a moment. “To be honest, I’m certain that when you tell him, he might not believe you. It’s Canon who is stopping Asylum Seven, and it all stems back to what happened in Japan.”

Chrissy was shocked by what she heard, but she felt certain it was the truth, however difficult it was to accept. “What exactly happened there that caused this, and why are you telling me this now?”

She sat quietly as Richard spoke. “After Canon’s bodyguard killed Kevin, I continued to pursue, and I dueled him. During that time, I saw part of the reason he did what he did, since my ability picked up on his. Long ago, his daughter, who looked a lot like Yvette, fled, using her own powers, from Mr. Sinister. That loss drove him to create Asylum Seven, and in his actions afterwards. The incident in Japan showed him how he had been duped because of his anguish. He had been contacted and fed false information about me, which had caused him to hire The Hand. It was then he found out that they had also been hired to abduct Jubilation for another person. I had later found out the man who had hired them to do that was working at one of my company‘s branches, and Canon had helped me by gathering the info through his connections. That man is still in jail, and Canon since then began closing down all Asylum Seven locations.”

While Richard told her that, she then remembered the one girl that was at the table when they arrived, and remembered her features. It started to make sense on why their foe, even though it now appeared he was no longer evil, was coming to England. She looked at Richard, and asked, “Is that one girl I noticed last night his daughter?” When Richard nodded, she realized that Canon must have truly started to change his ways, and she was also sure that Kevin would not fully accept it. However, she was willing to believe it, since if it was true, Kevin would end his mad quest. She then made her next statement, since she was sure it was true. “And he’s coming here sometime soon to see her.”

She watched as Richard nodded. “Yes, he’s coming to see Eloise. He may even let her stay here until he gets all the other sites shut down. However, he did tell me some of those people are not happy about that.” She watched as he started to pace. “In a past letter, he was worried about possible retaliation from some of them. His worry is concerned given his mutant power to draw attention to himself, and with his daughter found and here, it may be the safest place for her.”

Chrissy nodded and thought about all she was just told. She finally understood more about Canon, his madness, and how he may have been set on the right path. She then looked at Richard and nodded. “If he is still here when Kevin is back among us, I’ll handle Kevin. They way you spoke, I could tell you were telling the truth. I know Kevin won’t accept it at first, but I’ll keep him calm. Just answer me this, did you ever tell Canon that you were giving us places to stay while we were seeking him.” When he shook his head, she could tell he was telling the truth. She smiled and just responded, “Thanks. I’m glad you could do what you could to change him, and allow us to do what we could to stop him as well. I think I should get some rest now.” She then laid back down, trying to think how she should best handle Kevin when the time came.

Alexandra McNeal made her way to the med lab after her training session. She wasn’t heading there because of some injury, but to find Lord Richard Cale. Ever since the events of the previous week, something had been nagging at her, and she was hoping he could explain it. It was actually suggested by her teacher today that she ask him.

As she neared the med lab, she was thankful to see him coming out of the room. She honestly didn’t want to have the conversation in the company of other people. As she neared, she saw Lord Cale had seen her. “Alexandra, is something wrong?”

She nodded as she got near, and then looked around for a moment. She was certain that no one was around, and then answered. “There was something I wanted to talk to you about, something that might be an issue concerning my powers.” She wasn’t exactly sure how to explain the problem, but she hoped he could assure her it wasn’t a problem.

She was glad he noticed her concern of being overheard, and motioned to move farther from the door. When she felt it was safe enough to speak, she heard him say, “Now what is concerning you about your powers?”

She took a deep breath, and thought back to the day in class, before she was found out. She hoped when she told him about it, he would realize it was an unintentional usage of her powers. “A few days ago, before you found out who I was, I was trying to focus on your lesson. As it turned out, my power kicked in, and something very odd happened. As I heard you talking about the lesson, I also heard you talking about some sort of attack on the school, as if you were planning it out.”

She felt worried when a perplexed look crossed his face, soon to be replaced by a worried look. “Are you saying you heard two different things being said? That would be very hard to do, since I only have one set of vocal cords. Is it possible that you heard someone with a similar vocal pattern?”

She had thought that was possible, except for the fact that she was concentrating on him at the time it occurred. She shook her head and explained. “When my ability had surfaced, it had been due to me thinking about a guy I had a crush on. At that time, I head him talking with another girl that I knew, and I had even heard them making out.” She saw a surprised look cross her teacher’s face, and she continued. “I couldn’t believe it at the time, but then the next day, I passed the same girl telling another guy that she was loyal only to him. I wanted to say something, but didn’t, because of how it would sound.”

She stopped as he nodded, and came to an almost accurate conclusion. “I’m guessing after that, you and Graylon Walsh made contact, to properly use you power what you hoped for as good.” She nodded, glad he hadn’t guessed everything, but he added another thing that made her think. “I want to ask you this, is it possible that when you heard me say about this supposed attack, you might have heard someone trying to impersonate me?”

She blinked, thinking about that for a moment. She had never considered the idea of impersonation, and she was aware that there were some mutants who could shape shift into the forms of other people. Over all this time, it had never occurred to her that some of the things she overheard might have been something like that, even though she thought it was unlikely. “To be honest, that thought never crossed my mind at all. Graylon was the one who also verified some of those things. I’ll have to ask him later.” At that moment, she noticed Lord Cale’s eyes seemed to brighten, as if something had just crossed his mind. She hoped it was something that would take her own mind off the current dilemma.

Richard was glad when Alexandra had mentioned Graylon. It had taken his mind off the disturbing thoughts that had formed when she mentioned about the incident about hearing him plan an attack on the school. Most of those disturbing thoughts were linked to a few things. The first was some words Emplate told him just as he resurfaced, swearing that he was not the one in control of the Emplate horde calling themselves ‘The Rippers’. For the longest time, Richard was sure of that, but Alex’s words made him start to wonder.

The second of those items was the fact that it was possible that the timeline Darrett had come from still existed. They had all thought the timeline didn’t exist anymore since Darrett had rescued him and Yvette years ago. However, by that same logic, Clarice should not have come into existence, since her timeline had been thwarted as well.

The final thing that preyed on his mind was a legend he had read shortly after the school closed. It was one he didn’t want to share with Yvette, with the threat it hinted at. It had spoken of a Dark Paladin, and that if the two met, only one would walk away. He didn’t want to think about that, and if this was linked to what Alexandra had said she heard, it worried him.

But those thoughts were put out of his mind, since he needed to get in touch with Graylon. The reporter would be the best person to help with the upcoming task. He also hoped that asking her to get in touch with Graylon would take her mind off this quirk related to her powers. “Since we got on the topic of Graylon, can you get in touch with him? I have a matter that he might be best to handle.”

He watched as the young lady blinked for a moment, and then asked. “What exactly is the problem, since it may take him time to respond. He is always researching a lead when he gets it.”

He nodded, understanding what Alexandra was hinting at. However, he was sure that when Graylon would hear the name, and since the request was coming from him, he’d honor it. “I know you are aware of Eloise and her arrival here.” He waited as she nodded, and then continued. “Her father is coming here, and they both are mutants blessed with an extended lifespan. He is also the French Ambassador and will draw attention when he arrives.”

He watched as Alexandra nodded. “Indeed. Every reporter in the country will flock to meet him. I’m sure Graylon will even flock to him.”

Richard knew better why that was. Ambassador Levenque had a mutant charisma as well as extended life. “I’m sure of it. However, I want Graylon to get the Ambassador here without anyone spotting him. If he can do that, I’ll see what I can do to let him have and exclusive interview. Just try to pass on that the Ambassador hasn’t seen his daughter in a long time. This is the kind of thing that should remain private.”

He watched as Alexandra nodded. “I’ll phone him right away, and let him know. I’m sure he can manage something to distract other press hounds. Besides, he knows you cut us both a break.”

He nodded in agreement. “Yes. I’m sure that if things had gone differently, it might have been disastrous. If he has any questions, he can call me. As for right now, I need to check in on our other guest. I have a bad feeling that something might happen.”

He knew that Alexandra understood which guest he was referring to when she said, “You mean that Arisa gal.” He nodded and watched as she concentrated for a moment, and finally said, “I don’t think you have to worry. I can hear Kiana talking with her right now.”

He nodded to Alex and headed to where they were holding Arisa. He hoped he didn’t let on that he was worried the two were facing one another. He was sure Arisa didn’t have the strength to summon another demon now. His concern had been that Kiana might do something rash, since they still weren’t sure she could be tried by normal justice for her crimes. He just hoped he could get down there in time.

Arisa Shimanouchi stood in the cell she was in. She could tell the room must have been an actual dungeon in the past, and part of it still looked it. That didn’t bother her all that much, nor the fact that the cell somehow hampered her mystical powers. Right now the only thing bothering her was her cousin, Kiana Asahara, standing outside the cell, looking at her with contempt. She had no love for her cousin, since the girl had been hunting her down. However, she was sure this would only be a temporary delay in goals. In fact, as she thought about it, she was sure she could manipulate her cousin into doing something to release her.

She started hatching her plan as her cousin spoke. “I hope you’re enjoying it in there. It’s going to be your home until Lord Cale figures out where you’ll see justice for what you have done.” That was the opening she needed. She was sure she could make her cousin slip up by stating the simple truth.

She sneered at her cousin, and then laughed. “That’s going to be a long wait. No one will be willing to try me, saying I used demons to kill people. People don’t even want admit demons exist. They think they are all the ideas of fiction. Besides, the way I killed your father, they would only think that I’m insane, and I’d never go to prison.” In her mind, she had already planned out her escape from those places they placed the mentally challenge. She also knew it would work since she did it once before.

She did keep her mind on the here and now as she noticed her cousin had caught the one statement. “What do you mean by the way you killed him’? Was there something special about his death.?”

Arisa smiled, glad that her cousin took the bait. She was going to enjoy this. She got as close as she could to the barrier separating them, and calmly said, “His death was part of a very important ritual. It was a ritual to give better mastery of the dark powers to its caster.”

She enjoyed the rage that came across Kiana’s face. It told her she had pushed the right buttons to cause her cousin to become irrational. She also knew that her cousin would try to control that anger, since she knew when she got angry, she’d do something she shouldn’t. However, she was not going to let her cousin calm down.

She smirked again, before calmly saying her next words. “You know what made the ritual work better. He started begging and pleading for me to spare his life. He had gone from great hero, to a sniveling coward. Such a huge fall for such a great and noble warrior. Such a huge fall from grace only made me so much more stronger.” She punctuated her last statement with a laugh.

It was at that moment she could tell that her cousin could no longer contain her anger. It was the moment she was counting on, and was ready for. She knew she could take her cousin in a fight, since Kiana didn’t have her sword with her. She also had other escape methods ready if she used any spells. All she needed was a way out, and she knew how Kiana would give that to her.

Kiana was livid after hearing everything her cousin told her about her father’s death. She was sure that most of it was a lie, since she could not picture her father begging and pleading for his life. She looked right in to Arisa’s cell, and through clenched teeth said, “You lie!”

The laugh her cousin gave just made her angrier. “Nope. He begged and pleaded, but in the end, it was not going to work. He died, and I unlocked untold amounts of dark powers. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to use them all yet, but just think what I might unlock with all the do-gooders here.”

That upset Kiana even more. It even made her wish they could get her cousin out of here to see justice, but she understood Lord Cale’s point. No authorities would be able to get her behind bars where she belonged. She just wished something could be done to properly keep her from doing only more harm to anyone.

In that moment, she remembered something. There was a banishing spell to remove demons from the earthly plane or something similar. She looked over at her cousin and decided that it would be the only way she would get justice. She turned her attention to her cousin. “I finally know what needs to be done. This will be the only way you’ll get punished for what you’ve done.”

She started to chant the spell, but was surprised when she heard Lord Cale shout. “Stop it right now.” She turned to face him, only to see him motioning her over to the door. She also noticed that he appeared to be very upset. She didn’t know why, but she was sure it couldn’t have been because of what she was about to do. It would have been the only way to guarantee justice was done.

Once she was out of the room, she watched as he looked at her and finally spoke with a stern tone. “I heard what you started to say in there, and it is not the best course of action. It won’t guarantee what you want done.”

Kiana put her hands on her hips and looked her mentor right in the eye. “How can you be certain? She killed my father, all to boost her own powers, and she did it a way the courts won’t honestly convict her with. This is the only way.”

She was stunned when he shook his head. “No, it’s not. I know the spell you were going to use, and it would not have led to justice. It would have sent her away to another dimension, and she probably knows how to get back. I know this from experience.”

She was taken aback by that statement. She had never thought he had used the spell at all. She didn’t even think anyone outside her homeland had known about the spell. She looked at him, and wanted an answer. “How did you know about the spell?”

She was stunned when he sighed, and the spoke. “About five years ago, when we were in America, we were attacked by Emplate, the being you helped fight off over a week ago. At that time, he was going to do the same to me, except during the fight, I took on his powers and knew that same spell. I ended up sending him away, and now, he returned. I had a feeling it would be same with your cousin, and that might make her too much stronger for the next time.”

After hearing that, Kiana had a new understanding of Lord Cale. He had experiences to draw upon in his decisions, and also the insight to know the possible consequences of his actions. She also had an understanding of how powerful a foe the school faced, since he came back stronger after being sent away. However, now she had a feeling that they were being watched. She thought it might be her cousin, but they were now out of visual and audio range. So if her instincts were right, she wanted to know who was watching them, and who they worked for.

Marcus St. Croix stood quietly, thankful that he had the device that mimicked his father’s ability to stand out of synch with reality. It was one ability he hoped to have when he got older. It would make it better for spying on his father’s enemies, since he knew the device could fail.

It would be bad if it failed now, since he was spying on the person who sent his father away. He also didn’t want to be found out now since he and the girl, whose name he heard to be Kiana, were talking about the spell that sent his father away. It was obvious to him they were talking about sending his father away again, and if they caught him, they would do the same to him.

Despite the risk, he was able to verify a message his aunt relayed to his father. The girl whom they were told was able to control demons had been captured, and that she wasn’t a mutant. That was one ability that he had already developed. He also noticed that the Kiana girl wasn’t a mutant either. Maybe that would be information his father would be able to use.

With that information, he left, and started heading back to the door he arrived in, using D.O.A’s invention. That device allowed them to appear using any door they choose. In turn, it meant unlimited access, which his father already used. After their last plan backfired, they did more spying like this, to make sure they could find a way to defeat their foes. So far, he hadn’t found any weaknesses to exploit, other than the obvious ones his father already knew.

During his time spying, he was able to discover some interesting things about someone who had recently arrived. The most amazing fact was the one that was in the room next to where the ‘door’ was. He had seen the guy was dead, but he could see their power was in full effect, working to restore them. He was sure his father would like to have him as a captive.

As he passed through the hallway that was near the ‘door’, he took note of a little girl walking around. She was obviously younger than him, which meant to him she wasn’t a threat. He could tell she was also a mutant, whose powers hadn’t even surfaced. He debated of at least attacking her for a snack, but it would give away that he was there.

However, as he passed by her, something strange had happened. He was sure the cloaking device was still working, but he paused when the little girl just said “Hi.” He double checked the device and could see it was still active, so he was hoping the girl was talking to someone else. He glanced over his shoulder, and was surprised to see the girl looking straight at him.

Before she could say anything else, he bolted. He had been seen, unsure how, but it had happened. He didn’t hear her follow, but he did hear her saying, “Wait.” He wasn’t about to wait, especially as he was so close to the ‘door‘. He was glad that the door would automatically close once he stepped through. He was also thankful she wasn’t following, since he knew it would cause problems. He then quickly turned, and passed through the ‘door’ to safety.

Marius St. Croix silently watched as his son ran back into the workshop of his servant, D.O.A. The way his son had entered made him worry, as if something had gone wrong. One the ‘door’ was closed, he looked at his son, and asked the key question. “Did you get discovered?”

He waited until his son relax and answered. “I’m not sure. As I was coming back, a little girl apparently spoke to me, but I’m not certain if she saw me. However, I can confirm what Aunt Claudette told you. Her one minion is there, and I think they were about to banish her as well.”

Marius closed his eyes for a moment, to consider what his son was telling him. Personally, he considered it unlikely that Richard would remember the spell that was cast, in full, since it wasn’t his in the first place. He was also sure his foes knew it wasn’t a guaranteed way to be rid of him. The only surefire way for any of his foes to be rid of him, was to kill him, and he was certain none of them would do that.

He opened his eyes again, and looked at his son again. “Anything else of interest?” He did hope there was more information than finding out his sister’s minion was Cale’s prisoner. He had seen the images of others arriving at the school, including old members of Generation X, and a girl that looked very similar to Yvette.

He watched as his son nodded. “Near where I arrived, there was another room with a body in it. The body looked dead, but it gave off an aura like a mutant power was at work. From what I could tell, his power was self resurrection.” That was very interesting to hear. A mutant with a power like that could provide endless meals.

Marius then nodded at his son. “You did very well, Marcus, despite the fact that I didn’t really want you to take this chance. Since you are still young, I may not send you out again, but you did prove you can handle it, so another spying mission may come to you.” He could tell his son was happy about that.

He then looked over at D.O.A., and gave him a stern look. “Did something happen to your cloaking device that a little girl could see him?” His servant had been with him a long time, and he was hoping that the little man had not started failing him.

He watched as D looked it over, the smile never leaving his face, before finally giving his verdict. “Nothing looks wrong. The only things I could think of is that either the little girl has a mutant power developing very young, or that small children can see through the cloak.”

Neither scenario sat well with him, but he also knew it was probably unavoidable. He headed for the door, and said, “Summon everyone together. We need to make our plans for the next assault. Hopefully, our next attack will give us some victory.” He then headed out, and led the way back to his current throne room. With all the new information discovered, he wanted to take everything into play, and even have rewards for his followers.

Vincentte drifted through the halls, thinking about what had happened during the last encounter with the Master’s favorite targets. It had not gone well, and he started to think that the master wasn’t thinking his plans through. He was also aware that the Master had obviously been away too long.

He was sure the boss was coming up with a new plan, but he was certain he might be able to do better. He had heard the summons earlier, and decided not to go. No doubt that he was formulating a new plan to capture his former prey. However, Vincentte had a better idea.

He made his way to his quarters, making his plans. He had a plan, and he felt it was finally the time to act on it. It had been in the works for years, ever since the Master had ordered them to recapture Yvette. After her escape, the Master had gone to lengths to recapture her, but even told the others that if they had done it, she would be theirs.

He had long thought about what he would do with her, especially after she’d shown control over her powers. She was now a very beautiful woman, and he wanted her. He was sure in his gaseous form, he could subdue her and then make her his. However, he needed to strike at the right time.

As he thought on that, he also thought how easily he could kill all those who were at the mall, including the ones not in the store. He was certain that they had all worked together to escape. Not a one of them should have been able to cause him the pain that had hurt so much since that day. The only thing that made him put it out of his mind was the voice assuring him he was doing the right thing.

He started to laugh as the voice told him to ignore his master, and start putting his plan in to motion. He could even picture his victory, with Emplate bowing to him, while Yvette looked blankly out as his concubine. The others would be dead, and nothing could stop him from what was his.

He stopped laughing when he heard a knock, and then heard D.O.A. say, “Vincentte, the Master wants us all in the assembly room, and pronto. He has a plan, and wants to make sure everyone knows and trains for their part.”

Vincentte grumbled and then opened the door. As he looked at D.O.A., he could picture the mutant dead at his hands, but knew he would need him soon. He then just nodded, and left his room. “Understood. I’m sure he’ll succeed this time.” As he continued down the hall, he could only think about his plans, and how they would succeed, where all of Marius’s had failed.

**************************************************

Nathaniel Essex, known as Mr. Sinister to most, stood atop a hill overlooking the Cale Institute. He was certain that Lady Cale had brought back his one quarry by now. He was still unsure of how she had arrived in America so quickly, especially when he found out she had never bought a plane ticket. Of course, there was always the chance she took a company jet, since he was aware of the Cale’s wealth, but it seemed unlikely.

Luckily, this allowed him an opportunity he had long put off, mainly due to his allegiance to Apocalypse. Due to the long standing fight between the Cale family and Apocalypse, he had kept from following the Cale family and their genetic make-up. It was true they were not the Summer’s clan, however there was great potential in them. He knew of Lord Cale’s powers, and learned of the powers of Lady Cale. The combination of the two could lead to very powerful mutants. Also, the longevity of the Levensque clan would make a nice thing to factor in.

Again, he looked out at the school, and smiled. In that building was the potential for one of the greatest mutant families, one that might rival the Summers. He then wondered what had brought Lord and Lady Cale together. Were they destined to meet, or was it by chance? If it was something they were destine for, he wished he would have had a hand in it.

He put that thought aside, as he started to formulate his plan. He wanted to figure what would be the best way to test that potential, and to see what might have happened if the Cale’s DNA went to another mutant, and what the results might be. He also had to know if he had a variety of powers available to him.

Deep down, he knew they wouldn’t do it voluntarily. He would need to lure them into his lair. A lair he would have to prepare, since for so many years, he had to deny it. He inwardly cursed Apocalypse, and then returned to his lair. There was much preparation to do, and he hoped he had a good deal of time to prepare. If all went well, he would soon be able to test the DNA of the Cale family, and even the Levenque family.