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Generation X Cale Storyline Disclaimer |
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
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Chapter 8: Hitting The Fan
Richard Cale entered his office and closed the door. He had just gotten done with a training session with Tasha Lewis. Yvette had warned him about what happened in Tasha’s last session, but he was thankful that wasn’t repeated. After the attack that happened two days ago, he needed an easy day. However, after going on the Astral Plane, he needed to rest in a quiet room. Even after all these years, the extended time on the plane was draining to him; but that was due to the fact that his wife spent more time developing her powers than he did.
He walked over to the chair behind his desk, and sat down. Just as he hit the chair, he heard the phone ring. He sighed, hoping that the call was merely someone who dialed a wrong number. He picked up the phone and said, “Cale Institute, Richard Cale speaking.”
He was startled when he heard King Edmund say, “Lord Cale. Is everything well there?” Richard was surprised at the worry in the King’s voice. He then started to worry, especially with what had happened the past week.
He then thought that the Prince might have called his father. He hoped it was just a panic attack, however something deep down was nagging at him. He calmed himself down before he said, “Yes, Sire. Everything is well here. The Prince is fitting in just well. However, what prompted you to call?”
He was scared when the King said his next words. “I take it you haven’t seen the news. I suggest you turn it on very quickly.”
Richard did so, and was stunned to see the image of reporter Graylon Walsh on the screen just as the man said, “It has come to my attention that two days ago, there was a ‘Ripper’ attack at the newly opened Cale Institute. Although we have no reports from the school itself, it is believed that none of the students were lost. However, this reporter has to wonder why no one from the school has said anything about the incident. My own sources only found out about it yesterday evening.”
Richard shut off the television and said, “Sire, I’m sorry I didn’t notify you, but none of the students were lost. Everyone was kept safe since we found out the ‘Rippers’ had managed to get on the school grounds. I’m also taking steps to improve security here. The only thing I have to say is that it would have happened in time.”
He relaxed when the King said, “I understand. However, I feel you will be very busy soon. Now that the news is out, I believe you will be dealing with all the parents. I just wish I knew how Mr. Walsh found out.”
Richard had to agree to that also bothered him. “I’ll be looking into that as well. I’m going to have someone check for bugs here. I’m going to gather all the teachers and students around and talk with them. Let’s just hope that Graylon Walsh doesn’t make any more reports.” Richard then hung up the phone, knowing what was going to come next. When the phone rang again, he knew it was starting. He then said in his mind link to Yvette, “Yvette, we have a problem. Call everyone together and get to my office.” He then picked up the phone, and prepared for what was to come.
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Yvette Cale sat in the room and looked at Amy Johnson. She knew that Monet was in a nearby room, to help in the training of Amy’s power. It had to be the best way to train her powers. She then said, “Amy, I want you to talk to Monet. I won’t tell you what room she’s in. I want you to use your powers to find her.”
She watched as Amy nodded and said, “Alright Yvette. I’ll give it a try.” She then saw Amy close her eyes and focus on her powers. She wasn’t sure if Amy could use her powers that way, but they needed to find out. Yvette waited until she heard Amy’s voice coming from the room off to the left saying, “Monet, if you are in there, can you please come out?”
She waited for Monet’s response but before she heard it, she heard Richard say in their mind link. “Yvette, we have a problem. Call everyone together and get to my office.” Yvette started to wonder why her husband would make that request.
She quickly responded, “Dear, why the urgency? Has something happened?” Deep down, she had a feeling that whatever it was about, it was big. She then thought back to what had happened over the entire week. Her mind focused on only one event that had her husband concerned. She then said, “Is it about the ‘Ripper’ attack?”
She was stunned when her husband said, “Yes. Somehow Graylon Walsh found out about it and is tell the whole country. Now I’m dealing with the parents on the phone. Get everyone to my office now.” She knew her husband had stopped communicating on the mind link at that moment. She figured that with the calls he was getting, he needed to focus on them.
She then watched as Monet entered the room from the right door, and guessed that Amy hadn’t picked the right door on the first try. She wasn’t surprise when Monet looked at her and said, “What’s wrong, Yvette?” She also saw Amy was looking at her as well.
Yvette just looked at both of them and said, “We need to get to Richard’s office. Something happened and he needs everyone there.” She then closed her eyes and touched everyone’s minds and said, “All students and teachers, please report to Richard’s office right away. There is a very important issue to discuss.” She reopened her eyes and said, “Alright, let’s go.” She then got up and led them out of the room. She also hoped that by the time they had all gotten together, Richard would be done with all the phone calls he was getting.
As she followed Yvette Cale, Amy Johnson started to wonder what it was all about. She knew that something had upset Richard, and she could tell that it was big. She then said, “Yvette, what is going on? Why is everyone called to Richard’s office?”
She then heard Yvette say, “Graylon Walsh just announce on the news that the school was attacked by the ‘Rippers’. I think Richard is wondering how Walsh found out. However, that’s just part of his problems.”
Amy then realized what Yvette meant by that statement. She started to worry, knowing that today the Cale’s were supposed to call her father. If everyone now knew about the ‘Ripper’ attack, that meant her father would be demanding Lord Cale to send her home. She looked over at Monet and then said, “Monet, do you think this will cause the school to close?”
She was surprised when Monet said, “No, Amy. If anything, Richard will argue that this may help the school stay around. If the ‘Rippers’ were to attack you at your home, do you think you would have been safer?”
She thought about it for a moment and said, “I think I see your point. I don’t think any of our parents are ready for that.” She then thought about how her father’s main concern was her safety. She then lowered her head and said, “However, I doubt my father will see it that way.”
She was almost startled when she heard Yvette say, “My husband can usually get his point across. You know when he first contacted me, he was in the middle of the second phone call he got. I think he’s dealing with the last one now. However, I think this one is the toughest one.”
Amy almost jumped when she heard a muffled shout come from the other side of the door. Whoever Richard was on the phone with was definitely causing him some anger. She then felt a chill pass through her. She looked at Yvette and said, “Yvette, do you know who he’s on the phone with?”
She was almost startled when she heard a familiar voice say, “Maybe he’s talking with your father, Amy.” She turned to see her friend, Kevin Mitchel standing next to her. She also saw the rest of the students, as well as the teachers, had gathered around. She then heard the running of little feat, and saw the little kids come running, as well as Grimore. Seeing all the people at the school here told her that Richard was going to find out what had happened to let the new school become a major news source.
It was then she heard the door to Richard’s office open, and saw him step out of the office. She watched as he looked over everyone and said, “Everyone, step into my office.” She could tell by the tone of his voice that this impromptu meeting was very serious. She then watched as Richard stepped back into his office.
Kevin Mitchel walked into the office, along with everyone else, and he was worried. He didn’t know much of what was going on, but just from Richard’s tone, he could tell something was wrong. He watched as everyone just went to a spot and stood. He noticed the little kids were standing with Yvette, Darrett and Clarice. He also noticed that most of the teachers were standing next to each other. The only ones who weren’t standing with one another was Davis and Monet, who seemed to be on opposite sides of the room. He saw his fellow students had all congregated together. He then turned towards Richard and wondered what was going on. He was almost started when he heard Prince James say, “What is this all about, Lord Cale?”
He was taken back when Richard said, “I just got done with five phone calls. The first was from your father, James. He notified me that Graylon Walsh was doing a story on the ‘Ripper’ attack from two days ago. After that report aired, I called everyone here. However, I also had to fend off calls, and defuse some upset parents. I’ve manage to calm them down, however some were ready to pull some of you out of here.” Kevin noticed that Richard was looking at Amy when he said that.
He quickly looked at her and softly said, “I told you.” He then turned to face Richard again and said, “Do you think one of us had told someone about the attack?” Deep down, if he were in Richard’s shoes, he’d suspect the same thing.
He saw Richard nod and say, “I won’t ignore the possibility that it happened. However, I have other suspicions. Of course, I must know if any of you have said anything about the attack to anyone.”
Kevin looked around and saw all the kids shaking their heads, including the little ones. He then looked at the teachers who also shook their heads. It was then he knew that somehow, the news had gotten out. He then noticed a look of panic on Tasha’s face, especially as she said, “Did the news say anything about the X-Knights?”
He knew what she was getting at. After the attack, Richard had said they would be a team known as the X-Knights. He also heard Thomas say, “If the news mentioned that, then our parents would be extremely upset.” He then saw Richard shake his head, and heard Thomas sigh in relief.
He then heard Jubilation say, “So, now what are you going to do, Richard?” He noticed that everyone was looking over at Richard. He didn’t envy the spot Richard was in. He wouldn’t know what he would do if everyone was looking at him for advice.
He watched as Richard said, “What I am going to do is have newer security measures put in place. I’m going to get the security system upgraded, and make sure this school is secure from anyone breaking in, or getting the truth out.” He then saw a look of relief on the students’ faces, but noticed on some of the others in the room a look of concern. He started to wonder what Richard might have in mind.
Monet St. Croix wasn’t surprised when she heard about the newer security system. After the ‘Ripper’ attack, she figured Richard would be looking into improving security. However, she didn’t expect that the world would have found out about the attack. When she was sure Richard was waiting for a comment, she said, “I take it the security system will be set to the teachers and students to pass by it.”
She watched as Richard nodded and said, “Yes. The students will know how to arm and disarm it, but not to shut it down. Further disarming will be give to some of the teachers. I will be calling Forge to come here and set up the system. Forge will also be doing some other modifications to help in training the students.” That news didn’t totally surprise her; however, the security news did surprise her.
Before she could ask about that, she heard Jubilation say, “Richard, are you going to have a ‘Danger Room’ put in?” She then noticed the quizzical looks that all the students had. She knew that the kids knew about Generation X, but not everything had been told to them yet.
She then noticed the quizzical look on Davis’ face. Part of her wanted to smirk at his confusion, but she had to think of him as an ally now, and not as an enemy. Over the past week, it was still hard for her to separate the two. Everyone else had forgiven him, but even though he had saved her and Yvette five years ago, she didn’t fully trust him yet. She then heard him utter the question that was probably on everyone’s minds. “Excuse me for asking this, but what is a ‘Danger Room’?”
She noticed that the students were starting to ask the same thing, especially when she heard Anne say, “Yes, what is it, and why such an ominous name?” Although she had never thought of it before, Monet now found herself thinking the same thing. She could also the students appeared more nervous.
Before any other questions could be asked, she saw Richard look at the little kids, and said specifically to his son, “Son, why don’t you, Joleen and your sister take the other children to the game room I had set up last night. I’m sure they could use something to relax their nerves.”
She watched as the boy’s eyes lit up and saw him run to the door, with the other little ones in tow. She then heard him say, “Come on. My dad set up a game room with all these video games. He said there is something there for all of us.” She then noticed that the students were reluctant to follow.
She then heard Yvette say, “Go on. We need to talk about some things in private.” She then watched as the students left, and then saw as Yvette closed the door. She then saw Yvette frown as she said, “I think the term ‘Danger Room’ got some of them worried. Now, I think you are wondering why Richard has limited the security system. I knew about it, but I’m sure you all have questions.” Monet nodded, as well as some of the others in the room. She also noticed that Yvette had walked over to Richard’s side. Monet had the feeling that both of them knew how the security system would be set up.
Davis Skinur realized when Richard sent the kids out of the room, it was so they could talk about certain things. He glanced over at Darrett, glad to see that he was at least able to attend a meeting. He then looked at Richard and said, “I take it you are setting up security and are going to leave...”
Before he could finish, he saw Richard raise his hand and said, “Before you say anything, Davis, I want you to check the room. I’m still not sure how Walsh found out about the attack, but right now we have to be careful of what we say. If you can check for bugs, do that first.”
He nodded and glanced over at Clarice, who was standing by the stereo. He watched as she turned it on and the room was filled with a haunting melody. As it played, he focused on his powers. As the music fueled his powers, he focused on locating any listening device. As the music continued to play, with the haunting violin music in the background, he scanned and finally shook his head. He then said, “No listening devices in here. The room looks secure.”
He saw Richard nod and then said, “Good. Listen, before any of you ask. All of you will be able to arm and disarm the alarm. Total shut off will be limited to Yvette and myself. As for deactivating safety devices, only Jubilation, Everett, Clarice and Darrett will be able to do that. I take it there are some questions.”
Davis nodded and spoke right up. “I have one. I understand why you left me off that list, due to my past. However, why did you leave Monet off?” He saw a surprised look cross Monet’s face. He was sure that she still didn’t trust him, but he was also sure that in time she would. He actually found her very attractive, and hoped there would be a chance at a future together for them.
He was surprised when he heard Darrett say, “It’s about Claudette. Since she’s around and a twin of Monet, she could bypass the security system. It’s a good security precaution. However, we should do something about how Graylon Walsh found out.”
Davis nodded and said, “Agreed. I know this room is clean, but we can’t be sure about the others. If we can’t find the bugs, who knows what might happen.” He knew how bad things could get if people found out what happens at the school.
He wasn’t surprised when Richard said, “Imagine what would happen when everyone’s backgrounds become well known. The fact that Davis is a former criminal. The fact that Darrett and Clarice come from alternate dismal timelines. Even Jubilation’s past with the X-Men can come into public knowledge. Even what Yvette and I do shouldn’t be known by everyone. We all have secrets that could devastate the school.”
He wasn’t surprised when he heard Grimore, the cat, say, “Unfortunately, in this enlightened day, people still frown on magic. What we all know exists would cause hysteria around the world.” He nodded, remembering the shock he experienced when Richard and Yvette told him of what the Cale family dealt with over the centuries. He then said, “Right now, I think you should all check the school all over. I’m sure each of your powers can help take care of the problem.”
He nodded and went to head to the door. Before he touched it, he heard Richard say, “Before you go, Davis, Jubilation, and Monet, did you all decide on new code names?”
He was surprised when he heard that. He knew that Jubilation had asked to change her code name, and Richard wanted him to change his, but Monet was a complete surprise. He then heard Monet say, “I was thinking of changing my code name to Lady X. I know I have all these powers, but M just doesn’t seem right anymore.” He looked at her and had to agree. The name seemed better for her.
He then heard Jubilation say, “I want to be called Lightshow. If we go around, and someone calls me Jubilee, they may make the connection. Besides, it better describes my power.”
He watched as Richard turned to him and said, “I think I should be called Harmonic. It sounds a lot friendlier than my old code name.” He gave a wry smile, but saw nods of approval from everyone.
After that, he heard Richard say, “Alright, all of you try to find any bugs in the place. I need to make one last phone call.” Davis walked over and opened the door, and everyone rushed out. He also wondered how many bugs they would find.
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Thomas Jacobs couldn’t believe what he saw then the little kids led them to game room that was set up. The room had a few televisions set up, and on each one was a gaming system. He was surprise that Lord Cale had all of these systems, especially the older ones like the Nintendo Entertainment System. As he looked around, he heard Anne say, “Are all these for us to use?”
He watched as Richard Cale III nodded and said, “Yes. I helped my father set them all up last night. He even included a library of games for each one.” He watched as the boy then opened up a cabinet under one of the systems and saw a bunch of games.
He then heard Prince James say, “He has something for everyone. Look at his selection for the Gamecube.” He glanced over and saw that James was looking at the games for the Gamecube. He also saw that Tasha was also looking at the games with some curiosity. Something about the way she looked at them made him wonder if she ever had a gaming system.
He then heard Amy say, “He’s got a lot of multiplayer games here. I wonder if he wants us to also use some of these to learn teamwork.” He then watched as she pulled out a game for the Playstation 2. “Anyone up for a game of Gauntlet?” He was a bit surprised at her choice, but didn’t want to fault it.
He then saw that Kevin, Tasha and James had joined Amy as she started up the unit. He also noticed that Anne had pulled out one of the Resident Evil games and started up the Gamecube. He should have realized that Anne would play that. He just watched as she started playing, until he felt a slight tap. He turned to see the three little ones looking at him, as the little girl named Ashley said, “Will you play Mario Party with us?”
He nodded and said, “Sure.” He then noticed that one door in the room that was blocked off. He looked at the door and said, “What’s the reason for the door over there? Why is it blocked off?”
He then heard Joleen say, “Uncle Richard has something planned for that room. He said something about making the games fully interactive.” He then watched as the Nintendo 64 game started. As they played, he looked back at the door, and wondered what the daughter of Darrett and Clarice meant by what she said about the room, and wondered if it had anything to do with the ‘Danger Room’ that Jubilation had mentioned.
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Graylon Walsh entered his office after the news report was done. He knew people had questions about how he got his information, but a reporter’s sources were confidential. Besides, people didn’t need to know his success was linked to his assistant. He was an expert reporter, but his assistant is what lead to his greatest success. When he closed the door, he did notice the room wasn’t silent. He heard his phone ringing. He smiled, knowing it might be a lead to another story. When it came to anything with mutants, or linked to mutants, he covered it. In fact, part of it was because he was a mutant. He walked over to the phone, hoping for another story linked to the Cale Institute. He prepped himself for the call and picked up the phone. “Hello. Graylon Walsh speaking.”
He was struck silent when he heard the voice on the other end say, “Greeting Mr. Walsh. This is Lord Cale. I see you decided to bug my home in some way. I hope you are aware of the trouble you have caused the new school. I hope you realize that you will be in trouble for what you did.”
He took exception to that and said, “Now listen up, Lord Cale. The public has the right to know what is going on up there. I did nothing wrong by reporting it.” He knew that there was no way Cale could do anything to him. Cale was also a focus of his, especially since the latest member of the Cale family became the royalties chief advisor.
He was startled when Lord Cale said, “Oh really. My private home is in your domain. I know that you could not have bugged my home in the past week, so once I find the bugs, you will be in trouble. That is a violation of privacy, and I will have you arrested. You might want to think twice before you do a story on info I haven’t made public. Remember that, Mr. Walsh, since if another story about the school or my home goes out, I will know you have bugged my home, and have you arrested.” He heard the phone disconnect, knowing that Lord Cale hung up.
He hung up the phone, and started to wonder. It was true that there were no bugs in the Cale Institute, but that didn’t mean that he was in the clear. He had to think of a better way to do the information gathering. He leaned on his desk and said, “Alex, will you get in here now.”
He waited a moment, until he heard his office door open and close, and heard Alex’s pleasant voice say, “You needed to see me, Mr. Walsh.”
He nodded and looked over at Alex. He then said, “It looks like Lord Cale is upset about our spying. We may have to find a new way to get the information about the Cale Institute. I was thinking that maybe you need some schooling for your unique gift.” He smiled when he said that.
He watched as Alex said, “You mean send me to the school to learn about my remote hearing ability. It’s a good idea, sir.” He nodded, and then heard Alex say, “But won’t they make the connection of me to you, sir.”
He shook his head, already knowing how to handle it. He then said, “You will be there under the name of Sam Cain. No one will be the wiser. I want you to get some stuff together. It will take a few days to get the information together, but before the week is over, the Cale Institute will be welcoming Sam Cain to the school.” He watched as Alex nodded and left the room. He knew he’d lose out on some things, but maybe he needed to get back in the field to get information. He also smiled knowing that at any time, he could tell Alex to call him, and know a phone call would happen in no time. Besides, there were no bugs to link back to him. It was the perfect way to get information about the school.
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