X-Knights: The First Month Chapter 3 (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 3: Old Friends, Old Foes

Tasha Lewis was in her room when the phone rang. She wanted to answer it, but her father was home. Yesterday, when the phone had rang, her mother answered it. She had hoped they wouldn’t have found out about it, but when a representative for a mutant school called, it hit the fan. Both her parents treated her like she wasn’t their child, but their servant. When she developed her mutant powers, her parents made sure she knew that using her powers on them would result in a severe punishment. In fact, it was because of her parents that she wanted to go to the school, just so she wouldn’t be around them. She waited silently as she heard her father shout, “I don’t care if claim to be the King, my girl is not attending a bloody mutant school. She’s not a bloody mutant, and if any of you call here again, I’ll press charges. Good-bye.” She heard the phone slam down, and then heard him shout, “Tasha Erica Lewis, get your butt down here now.” She knew that tone. When he used that tone of voice, it meant he was going to punish her, and when he punished her in that tone, she couldn’t sit all night. She needed to get out of this place. Her parents made everyone think she was a problem child. Even the few friends she had at school didn’t associate with her outside of school.

She sighed and yelled down the steps, “Coming father.” She didn’t really want to head down there, but if she didn’t, he’d come upstairs. However, she was planning to tempt fate. The school would be good for her. It would help her understand her power better.

She picked up the suitcase, and slowly descended the steps. As she came down, she heard her father say, “That stupid bitch. She must have signed up for that school. She needs to learn her place is here, doing what we tell her to.” Hearing those words hurt, but she knew her parents didn’t have her best interests in mind.

She then heard her mother say, “We are her parents. We know what’s best, and what’s best is that she uses her powers to help us . Besides, if she gets caught, we tell them she’s evil and held us hostage. The anti-mutant groups will use this to take back their place as the correct view in the world.” That hurt most. She decided now was the time. She quickly used her powers to blind her from her parent’s view. She hoped it worked, and the time that they discovered she was gone, she was at the school. She quickly ran down the steps and ran out the door.

This was it, she was getting out of the hell that was her home. As she ran down the street, she was glad. She was going someplace safe. Her thoughts were cut short, as she looked in shock to see the local bully walking down the street with a woman. She hid, but decided to do a quick scan of the woman’s mind. Soon, she saw a brief image of Lord Cale, who’s picture was in the news recently, with a bunch of others. She also saw the image of the local airport. Something related to Lord Cale was happening there, and who ever was there needed to be warned. Henry was a force to be either avoided, or handled with a lot of force.

Quinn Taylor walked towards the airport next to Henry Edwards. It had taken Claudette five years to get things together, but they had finally done so. They were in England. Ever since what happened over five years ago, her boss, Claudette St. Croix, was plotting on when to strike against all her foes. The only problem with her plan was that Generation X had gone their separate ways a month after her last defeat. However, not to long ago, she was surprised when Claudette said she knew when to strike. In fact, Claudette had instructed her to find Henry, and now they were waiting for Claudette next instructions. As they walked, she heard Henry say, “Do you seriously think I will be helpful to your employer? I know you said I would be, but is it true?”

Quinn looked at the boy and nodded. “It’s true. My employer believes your powers will be useful to our objectives. When I joined the group, we had been very successful. You know what our goal was when we started?”

She watched as Henry nodded, and said, “I admit, I am curious.”

She smiled and said, “When we formed, our goal was to ruin both Frost Enterprises, and Paladin Technologies. You see, our leader has a bit of grudge against the two owners. She told me your ability would allow her to get her revenge, for her, and for people she knows.” She saw a smile cross his face when she said that. Claudette had said he enjoyed mayhem.

Before she could say anything else, she heard in her mind, Claudette’s voice. [That’s enough you two. Golden and I will be waiting for you to bring back good news. A plane will be arriving shortly with my sister and her two friends. That Darrett boy will also be there. Make this quick, and make sure I have at least one conscious prisoner. Also, feel free to kill my sister. With her gone, things will be better for the other siblings.]

Quinn almost felt a wave of happiness, but it was not from the thought of the death of Monet that caused it. She inwardly frowned and said, [Are you with Golden right now?] She heard a girlish giggle from her boss and responded by saying, [We’ll let you two be alone. Just be back in your special suit before your powers stop again.] She shook her head and looked at Henry. “Our employer must wear a special outfit to keep her powers. That all stems back to what happened years ago. As for right now, we are going after three people. Think you can handle them?”

She watched as he nodded and said, “I can handle all of them. Besides, I don’t think they will make a scene. I know the type. There’s a girl in town that has a bad rap, but she’s a good mutant. She avoids me like the plague. If she was evil, she’d be hanging with us as well.”

It was at that time that they had entered the airport. She walked over to the arrival board and wondered. If Richard was bringing in Generation X members, as Claudette suspected, he would bring them in through his company’s jets. While she knew Richard had pass control of the company to his cousin, she knew he still owned it. She motioned Henry over and said, “Tell me, Henry, where would corporate jets land?” When he shrugged, she noticed an African girl close to Henry’s age head off in a direction. She inwardly smiled and said, “Henry, was that girl with a bad rap of African decent?” When he nodded, she smiled again and said, “Let’s go. I think she’s here to find our quarry as well.” With that, they followed her, far enough back that they wouldn’t be noticed, at least she hoped that.

Darrett Xavier Fergeson-Thomas stood in the terminal, waiting for the four expected people to arrive. He had been given the task of picking them up at the airport. Part of him wanted the task, since it meant seeing his ‘father’ again. He knew in all honesty that it was his ‘father’ in a different timeline, but they all understood that. He also knew when it was alright to let the term slip. Right now, in a public airport, it was not the right place to say it. Personally, he would have liked to have Clarice with him, but she and Yvette were helping the existing students get settled in. He also knew Richard was trying to get three other students. They had all heard what Grimore had said, and he also knew about the one that frustrated both Richard and Yvette. They were trying to reason with the parents of Tasha Lewis. Frankly, he was glad he wasn’t there for Richard’s call. He then noticed that the first plane in was unloading its passengers. He waited patiently, until he heard a female voice say, “Darrett, how are you doing?”

He smiled when he saw Jubilation come through the door, followed by Everett and Monet. He smiled as they all approached, and said, “I’m doing well, and it’s good to see you all. How was your trip here?”

He watched as Everett smiled and said, “It was wonderful. Flying in a company jet means flying first class. Besides, we got a chance to catch up with Monet. Do you know what she’s been up to with Gabe.”

He nodded and said, “Yes, I do. Richard and Gabe keep in touch. I hope all of you have everything with you. The less time we have to wait, the sooner we can get to the reason why you were all asked to come to England.”

He watched as Monet smiled and said, “I, as well as Everett and Jubilation have everything we will need with us. In fact, we are all ready to go. So, Darrett, we can head out of here and get to the reason we are all here.”

Darrett shook his head, and said, “No, not everyone has arrived yet. Richard told me there were four coming, and I only see three. Don’t worry, because I know who we are waiting for. Once they are here, we will head to the castle.”

He glanced over at Jubilation, who looked upset, as she said, “Well, Darrett, who are we waiting for? Is it Angelo, Daria, Mondo, or Sean? I know who it won’t be, but who is it?”

Before he could respond to the question, he heard a female voice behind him say, “Excuse me.” He turned and saw a teenage girl of African decent. He also noticed that a worried look was on her young face. Something made him feel sorry for her, being so young and so full of worries.

He gave a friendly smile and said, “May I help you?” He could see a brief look of relief cross her face.

“My name is Tasha Erica Lewis. I think someone you know spoke with my parents. I want to join the school you are starting.” He realized at that moment who she was and what she was talking about.

He then heard Monet say, “School? You mean Richard and Yvette are starting a school.” When he nodded in response, he heard her say, “What prompted him to do this?”

Darrett looked at her and said, “He’ll tell you when we get there. Now we will have six people for when we go back to the school. Tasha is going to be one of the students.” As he said that, he saw her smile, and then saw the worried look return to her face. Something was going to happen, and it was worrying him now.

When he saw Tasha Lewis approach the group he intended to attack, he knew she was going to warn them. He looked over at Quinn and said, “I take it those are the people we are after. It appears that good mutant I told you about found them first. Should I get ready to attack?”

He watched as Quinn shook her head and said, “No. I want them to see you change. It will tell them how much trouble they are in. Now, I think it’s time to approach them.” He followed as she stepped away from their hiding spot and began to approach the group. As they neared, he could see a look of shock crossing their faces. He knew Tasha recognized him, although they had never actually met. He was sure the others recognized his friend.

He wasn’t surprised when he heard the Asian girl say, “Q.T., what are you doing here?” Quinn had told him that they might call her that, but he honestly didn’t care. All he knew was he was going to beat the living daylights out of these mutants.

He heard Quinn say, “I’m guessing you are all surprised to see me. Well, I’m hear to help you to get where you’re going. Claudette is anxious to see almost all of you.” He saw them look at her in shock. Apparently they thought Claudette was not in any shape to cause trouble. He then noticed Quinn looked at the one african girl and said, “Also, my condolences on your loss Monet.”

He noticed the african girl looked shocked by that, and said with a slight German accent, “And what loss is that, because no loss exists.”

Henry heard Quinn laugh as she said, “It soon will. I was talking about the loss of your life. I doubt you will do any fighting, especially in a public airport. Henry, why don’t you show them your better side.” He took that as his signal to use his power. He focused on it, and soon he felt his body change. He grew taller, and more muscular. The only bad thing was that one side looked bulkier than the other, but he also knew it would take more force than an army would have to stop him. He looked at the group as Quinn said, “He lives up to his name, in a way.”

He heard the one guy say, “What’s his name?” He saw the others start to gather together, like grouping together in a mass would scare him off.

He smiled when Tasha said, “His name is Henry Edmund. I think he’s referring to his names literary last names. A famous Doctor if I’m right.”

He then heard the other guy respond by saying, “Good grief. Don’t tell me he has two personalities as well.” It was clear to him that they realized how poetic his name and power were. They just figured he was a split personality, like the literary character.

He smiled and started to advance as he said, “Nothing like that. Little Tasha there knows what I can do, and today, she’s going to find out how powerful I am, since she’s too wimpy to even use her powers to hurt people.” He noticed a look of fear on her face. He had always figured she was too scared to fight back. He wondered if it was linked to her family, but he wasn’t going to try and figure it out. Right now, he planned to beat all these good guys to an inch of their lives. However, there was one other thing he was wondering about. He wondered where the music he started to hear was coming from.

Davis Skinur stood in the doorway from the plane, and couldn’t believe his eyes. Five years ago, he had helped his friend out by stopping Claudette and her group. Now, it appeared that her gang was still around, and with a new member. Now, he had to help those who would be his new friends, although he was aware it would take him some time to earn their trust. However, this would be a good first step. He reached into his travel bag and pulled out a special walkman he made two years ago. The incident five years ago made him change a lot, even his taste in music. He started the CD he had in the walkman and he heard the tunes of Swan Lake. It would be perfect for what he had in mind, especially as the brute said to the others, “Now, let’s make this quick and painful.”

Davis stepped through the door, and saw a cart they used to pull luggage by the desk near the door. It was just the thing he needed. He looked out at brute and shouted, “Hey Jerk, be careful because they just mopped that floor.” He saw the brute look at him, some what upset that he dared to interrupt the brute’s fun.

He then saw Quinn look in his direction, and saw a fury in her eyes. She yelled at the brute, “Kill him. He’s the one who ruined things last time. Kill him and break every bone in his body.” He watched as the brute started to turn, and smiled when the brute started to slip.

Davis quickly grabbed the cart and gave it a shove in their direction. As it speed toward them, he just said, “Sorry you two can’t stay, but it looks like you have a trip planned.” As he said that, the cart slammed into the brute, and then into Quinn, and carried the two out of the airport. As they sped off, he walked over to the group and calmly said, “I guess my flight came in at the right time.”

He waited for one of them to respond. Deep down, he hoped they would all thank him, but he knew that wasn’t likely. He had caused them all grief when he fought them as a duped slave of Apocalypse, but Richard forgave him. He actually had a feeling that they were trying to figure out why he was there. Soon he heard the one he knew as Jubilee say, “Why is Soundwave here, Darrett?” He noticed that the others gave the same questioning look to Darrett, but saw that the young girl looked at him in a bit of awe.

He smiled when he heard Darrett say, “Davis was invited here by Richard. In fact, he arrived at the right time, wouldn’t you all agree?”

He watched then as the girl walked over to him and said, “Thank you, Mr. Davis. Henry was always a bully. You are the first person to have ever bested him.” He felt a bit of pride at that. He was using his powers for good now. In fact, for the past two years, he was using it to help at Godiva’s museum.

He then heard the man he knew as Synch say, “Well, if Richard has faith in you, the least we can do is give you the same amount of faith. Darrett, I hope you have a car big enough for all of us.”

He watched as Darrett nodded and said, “Don’t worry. Richard told me to pick you all up in style, so I have the limo. As for Richard’s reasons for the invites, he will tell you when we all get there.” He watched as Darrett then turned to the girl and said, “Are you ready to head to the school, Ms. Lewis?”

That puzzled him, but he wasn’t about to dwell on it. He saw her smile as she said, “Yes, sir. Anything to get away from the problems here. I hope it’s not a long trip.” He looked at her and realized that whatever that brute was, it was only one thing she was scared of in this area. He wondered what Richard had invited him into.

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Anne Smith sat in her room, reading one of her books. She was a science fiction buff, and it was even science fiction that helped her understand her mutant power. It seemed like something called spatial folding. She stopped reading when she heard a voice from downstairs say, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith, your daughter would do well at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. She could learn how to control her powers, and even learn how to use them to help people.” She didn’t recognize the voice, but she could tell he was natural British.

She closed her book as another voice, a female with an American accent, from the southern part of the states, said, “It would benefit her. She could learn with other mutants, and learn from the best.”

She heard her mother then say, “Mr. Starsmore, Ms. Guthrie, how can you say that Xavier’s school in the States would be good for my daughter? I’ve also received calls from the new Cale Institute. It’s closer to home than any of Xavier’s schools. Personally, I think my daughter would prefer it.” She knew her mother was right. She had no desire to leave England. It was true that the school was in another part of the country, but that was better. To her knowledge, the ‘Rippers’ didn’t get to far out of London, and unfortunately, her home was right on the outskirts.

She then heard her father say, “Dear, I know our daughter would prefer it, but she does deserve the choice. I spoke with Lord Cale earlier today, and he said it would be good for her. However, Mr. Starsmore said the Xavier school is in America, and there are no ‘Ripper’s there. However, it is her choice, and I think she should tell us all.” Her father was always good about that. Any decisions in the family were always by the majority.

She quietly listened as she heard them approach the stairs. Her room was right at the top of the steps, but also with it’s location, she heard people talking on the steps, no matter how softly they spoke. Soon, she heard the woman say, “Jono, did Professor Xavier know Richard was opening a school?” That puzzled her why these two people would wonder about that.

She then heard the man say, “I have no idea, Paige. To be honest, since Richard felt Xavier didn’t trust him, he’s always been opposed to Xavier having a school in England. However, Professor Xavier has not said anything about apologizing to Richard. I think something prompted Richard to open a school, separate from Xavier.” After she heard that, she knew that she wanted to go to the Cale Institute. Trust was also a big issue with her.

Soon she heard the footsteps stop, which told her they were at her door. Before they could even turn the knob, she said aloud, “I’ve already made my choice. I going to the Cale Institute. I’ll get my things later, Mom and Dad.” With her last words, she activated her power. Soon, in front of her was the hazy image of the near by bus stop, which she knew was the way her ‘steps’, as she called them, appeared. She stepped through and turned, seeing her parents and the two others enter the room. She closed the portal and turned, hoping the bus would arrive soon.

Thomas Jacobs stepped out of the local arcade with a handful of tickets. The owner liked it when he was there, because people saw him play the games of chance, and then forked in quid after quid of change, hoping to score big like him. In fact, the owner had started paying him to use his power there. He had a good payment arrangement set up. He got two pence for every ticket he won, and could keep as many as he wanted to trade in once a month. He usually used those tickets on gifts he could give his friends. In fact he was almost surprised to see his one friend, Anne Smith, standing at the bus stop. He walked over to the bus stop and said, “Hi Anne, what brings you out of your home? Going to the bookstore?”

He watched as she turned to face him and said, “No, Thomas, I’m not heading to the bookstore. I’m heading to a mutant school. I want to learn how to control my power better. I’m surprised you aren’t heading to the school.”

Part of him wanted to, but his power was allowing him to earn some money. He shook his head and said, “Maybe later, when I have some extra money. My folks really can’t afford a special school for me. Right now, it’s better to be home.”

He looked at her as she said, “Better, with the ‘Rippers’ lurking about? How can it be better. Look at the kidnappings and murders they have caused. This area isn’t safe for mutants anymore.”

He shook his head and said, “Listen, they have never looked for me, or attacked me. You know why that is. Because I beat the odds. I hit any long shot that’s out there. They can never capture me, because the moment they attempt it, I escape.” He smiled with that statement. He had gotten out of many tight scrapes since he discovered his ability.

He then saw her eyes go wide in fright, especially as she said, “Then I hope you can do that now. There is a group of them right over there.” He turned to see a group of three ‘Rippers’ advancing towards them. What made it worse was that the one looked like one of them was their missing friend, Jack.

Thomas’s fears were confirmed when he heard the familiar ‘Ripper’ say, “Capture the girl. Lord Dark can use her powers. As for the boy, he will be more useful dead.” The others started to advance, and he didn’t want to find out how useful he was dead.

He grabbed Anne’s arm and said, “Come on, Anne. We need to get out of here. Follow me.” He felt her follow, and they ran away from the ‘Rippers’, and down an alleyway.

As they ran, they made a few sharp turns. He felt like they were about to escape, when he heard Anne say, “Oh no. It’s a dead end. We’re trapped. Maybe I should have gone to the Xavier school instead of the Cale Institute.” He heard her start to cry, and also heard the footsteps of the ‘Rippers’ that were following them.

He quickly looked back, and had a brainstorm. He turned to Anne and said, “Anne, have you seen pictures of Lord Cale’s home. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where the school will be.” When she nodded, he smiled and said, “Make a portal to the school then.” He watched as the wall started to hazily form the image of the school, except that it had a car and a group of people in front of it.

Soon, he heard Anne say, “It’s ready. Let’s go, and hurry.” He nodded in agreement, and followed her into the portal. He felt in awe, since he had never traveled so far in one step before. He wondered what other things Anne could do with her power, and also decided school might be a good thing for him as well.

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Everett watched as the limo pulled into the courtyard of Richard’s home. He had never seen Richard’s home in England, but he was in awe. Even the Xavier school in America wasn’t this large. He wondered how they could all live in that place without getting lost. He also looked at the others in the vehicle with him. Everyone else, except Tasha, was in awe. He could even see that Davis was in awe. He had reservations when he saw Davis at the airport. However, seeing Tasha believe he was a hero was more incentive that it was a good thing. Richard and Davis had patched up things five years ago. Maybe that meant the other members of Generation X could forgive him. He did know that it would be hard for Jubilation and Monet to forgive him, but he felt he could find it in himself to forgive Davis. He looked at Davis and said, “So, Davis, what have you been up to?”

He felt both Jubilation and Monet stare at him, when Davis said, “Well, The past few years, I’ve been helping Godiva at her museum. You know that your two friends Mondo and Daria are going to get married later this year. They had asked me to be DJ at the reception.”

He heard Jubilation gasp as she said, “They are getting married. I can’t believe it. Why didn’t they tell any of us?”

He saw Davis shrug as he said, “They wanted something small. Besides, Godiva and Kyuukai have their hands busy for their trip to Hawaii.” He then saw a look of shock pass both Jubilation’s and Monet’s faces.

He then heard Monet say, “Are you insinuating that those two are heading off to Hawaii to...” He watched as Davis nodded, and Monet just went, “Mon Deiu. I wonder if Richard even knows about that.”

He felt the car stop, and heard Darrett say, “You can ask him later. Right now, we should all get out of the car. The sooner we get in the door, the sooner you can find out why Richard asked you all here.” He watched then as Darrett got out of the car and opened all the doors. As he got out of the limo, he looked around the courtyard. The place was huge, like it could house every member of Generation X and then some.

He then heard Tasha say, “It’s bigger than I thought it was. I can’t wait until classes start.” He glanced at her and then noticed that her attention was focused elsewhere.

He turned when he heard his wife say, “What the hell is that?” He looked where he and the others were looking to see a hazy image of an alley, and two kids, a boy and girl, run through it. Before it disappeared, he saw the darkly garbed people in what appeared to be like gang colors enter view.

They all ran over, and he heard the boy say, “Did we make it? Are we at the school?”

He saw Darrett run over and say, “Yes, you’re at the school. I take it you two want to enroll as well. Let’s get you two inside, along with the others. We’ll introduce you to all then, and also make sure you two are alright.”

He heard the one girl say, “Thank you. We’re just out of breath, but we are glad to be here.” He watched then as Darrett walked with them all to the door and knocked on it. Soon he saw it open, and saw the smiling face of Clarice Fergeson-Thomas. However, in that smile, he could see that she was also a bit stressed, and with all the talk of a school, he was wondering now, more than ever, what they were all getting into.

Clarice was so glad to see everyone had arrived, and was also surprised when she saw the three other kids. She looked back, not knowing where everyone was and said, “Richard, Yvette, the others are here, and three new kids. Better get everyone here.” She then turned back to the door and said, “Everett, Jubilation, Monet, and Davis, please come in, and bring in the three others. I’m sorry this visit and such is so short notice.”

As they entered, she heard Jubiliation say, “Well, this had better be important. I can’t always rush away from things. I’m Vice-President of the Chicago branch of Paladin Technologies. I don’t get that many breaks.” She was surprised, but she knew Jubilation was not a quitter. She had the drive to go far in life.

She then heard Monet say, “Yes, and you very well know that Gabe always has a case crop up. I did tell you about the last case, didn’t I?” She nodded, remembering all the details. In fact, Richard was about ready to go down, when Monet called saying it was resolved.

She then heard Yvette say, “Don’t worry, Richard will tell everyone why they are here, although all the kids here know why they are here.” She turned to see Yvette had entered the room with Kevin and Amy. She then heard Yvette ask her, “Clarice, have you seen James? I can’t find him anywhere.”

That worried her. She knew Yvette could locate the boy using her psychic powers, but also knew Yvette didn’t want to resort to that. She shook her head and said, “No, and that has me worried. We know he’s a prankster.”

She then heard Everett say, “Are you saying he’s like Angelo and I were during our early days of school.” Although she joined the school late, everyone told her of Everett and Angelo’s antics. She nodded and she heard him say, “Maybe we should all be on our guard. Pranks can occur at any time.”

She watched as everyone started to move cautiously, keeping an eye out for anything. She then noticed that not everyone was in the door. She looked at the young African girl and said, “Why aren’t you coming in? You were invited inside. Please come in.”

She was startled when the girl shook her head and said, “Not yet. The buckets are about to tip over. I don’t want to end up soaked.” She turned around to look over the room.

As she looked, she saw two buckets start to tip over out of the one upper level doorway, far from the central stairwell of the room. She was not surprised like the others that the water started to fly out of the buckets and into the main room. In fact, as the water neared them all, the only thing she could do was shout, “Prince James, you better stop that water before any of us get hit.” She kept her eyes on the water, and watched as it started to slow down.

Richard Cale had seen what Prince James was planning from the start. He had seen the Prince take the buckets while he made some of the calls to parents. Some had been hell-bent on not letting their kids attend, while others asked for some time to think. Those were now farthest from his mind, unlike the hat he was wearing. When he stood behind James and saw the water in the air, he knew what had to be done. He quickly used James’ power and made the water fly out the window. When James turned, Richard said, “Tell me James, do you honestly want to make Lady Cale upset by drenching her. You haven’t seen here upset.” He tensed up his hand and said, “Let’s just say when she’s mad, she gets to the point. Now, get down to the hall, we have some introductions to do, and also the reason why I opened the school.”

He watched as the Prince nodded and said, “Yes, Lord Cale.” He watched as the boy bounded down the stairs, and he also noticed a young girl of African decent finally enter the castle.

As he headed down the steps, he heard Davis shout, “Hey Rich, how are you? Why the invite?”

Richard just smiled and said, “In due time, let’s just make some introductions, ok?” He saw Davis nod and he continued, “First, I want to introduce the three kids here. They are Kevin Mitchel, Amy Johnson, and Prince James. They are all mutants, each with unique gifts. Before I introduce all the people to the kids, can I know who you three kids are?”

When he motioned to the three, he saw the boy come forward and say, “My name is Thomas Jacobs, and I can beat the odds. I can basically make the most improbable things happen.” Rich was stunned at that, but also wondered if the boy had used his gift to help himself.

He then heard the girl next to Thomas say, “My name is Anne Smith, and as best I can explain it, I can fold space. It sounds like something out of science-fiction, but it’s the truth.” He knew what she was talking about, and nodded.

He then saw the African girl approach him, and she said, “My name is Tasha Lewis. I think you know what my abilities are.” He inwardly smiled, since he had spoken with her father earlier. Something told him that her family life wasn’t happy, but he was not going to worry her, or mention it to everyone else.

He then motioned to everyone and said, “Well, I’ll make this as quick as possible, since I want the kids here already to help the others settle in. The four people who Darrett brought here are Everett Thomas, Jubilation Thomas, Davis Skinur, and Monet St. Croix. They attended school with Clarice, Darrett, Yvette and myself. And I hope they will help in the education of your powers. There are many reasons you need to learn to control your powers, but you must also be made aware of the risks to your powers as well.” He saw a shocked look on all their faces. He knew why. He was asking them to give up their lives to teach at a school. He could even see some of them were upset, especially Jubilation, who had the most to give up.

He then heard Monet say, “Richard, why should we give up our lives, and teach here? Surely there are other people who can teach here. Maybe you can sort things out with Professor Xavier.”

He shook his head and said, “I have a good reason for asking you four. Only you four can help these kids with what they may face. I don’t think words will make it any clearer, however I will show you the reason.” With that, he took off the Homburg he had been wearing, and revealed the scar on his forehead. He knew it would soon be gone, but it was the thing that needed to get his point across.

He heard everyone gasp, including the kids. He then heard Everett say, “That can’t be what I think it is.”

Richard nodded and said, “Yes it is. He is back, and these kids need to know how to handle themselves if he attacks them. They need to know how to protect themselves from Emplate.” He saw the looks of his friends become grimfaced. He could now tell they were going to help. Each one had known of Emplate, and knew how dangerous Emplate was, but they had also survived their encounters with Emplate. Richard then asked again, “Will you help me educate the next generation of mutants?” He saw everyone nod. Now he knew the Cale Institute would do well. He also started to wonder if he should patch things up with Charles Xavier.