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Last Issue- The events of Seattle had an impact. The spy was exposed, and the team managed to survive a scenario they had been unprepared for. The outcome of that was what appeared to be the end of a threat, and a new mystery for them to deal with. However, all is not as it seems.
Previous issue: Unsafe In Seattle
Attention: Generation X and their villains, as well as any other mutant mentioned in this work, is property of Marvel Comics. The character Richard Cale is one of my own development. There will be changes to some of the characters background, as this work is part of Marvel Mayhem on ComicVine.com.
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Issue 5: Many New Things
Cordelia Frost walked with her sister, Adrienne, through the dormitory of the Massachusetts Academy. It had taken them a few days to get to the place, but they had finally done so. The down side, however, had been that the delay had somehow allowed their sister, Emma Frost, time to clear the place out. This had obviously irked her older sister, as the woman kept complaining about it. "Damn it all. Thanks to that mess in Seattle, Emma had enough time to clear her current charges out of here. I'd still like to know how she managed to get that British noble to act as owner."
Cordelia looked at her sister, and shook her head. "It's hard to say, sister. I was able to find out a bit about the man." For a moment, she reflected back on the file of the man who was acting as owner. "He had an only child, who disappeared a few years ago. He searched for about a year, and then stopped. Apparently, he started setting aside hotel rooms all over Europe and Asia. Even had a lawsuit against one in Moscow during that time." She glanced over at her sister, noticing the look of surprise on her sister's face. She just shrugged in response. "I know what to look for."
She watched as her sister shook her head. "You amaze me sometimes, Cordelia." That came as they reached the steps to the top floor. "We found nothing on the first floor. It might be wise to check out the next two floors apart. I'll check the second floor, you check the third floor." She nodded, and went up to the third floor. She knew what her sister was looking for. Adrienne had the unique power to learn something about an individual from anything they had touched. It was unique because it could not be directly used against a blood relation. She had learned that the hard way, when Adrienne had known about the date she had the one night.
She put that thought out of her mind as she entered the third floor. Upon her first glance, she could see all the doors were closed. Luckily, Adrienne had gotten them special keys to allow them access to every part of the school. They key had been a gift from one of Emma's former Hellfire Club rivals. Still, it would not mean they would know which door to check out, if any of the top floor rooms had been used.
After a moment, Cordelia walked over to one of the doors. She could tell that it was one of the dorm suites, from one of the school floor plans she had seen. She went to use one of the keys she had, but noticed the door was open. She quietly opened the door, and slowly stepped inside. If one of the students were there, she would get the jump on them trying to bolt out of the place.
What she discovered inside the door was a room that had been occupied. Most of the stuff was gone. The only things left was a small table with a black shirt on it, and what looked like a white circle dead center on the shirt. On top of that shirt was a bracelet, that at second glance, looked very valuable. She discretely pocketed it, wondering what would drive anyone to leave such a fine piece of jewelry behind.
She then picked up the shirt, and held it up to herself. She was not surprised to see that the circle lined up to be right in the middle of the chest. She also noticed that the shirt was a halter top, most likely meaning this was a student’s room. No doubt, the shirt might have been left behind when they packed up for their departure.
A sudden noise behind her made Cordelia turn. She knew it wasn’t Adrienne, since she was certain her sister wouldn’t have rushed up here unless she made a sound. What she could tell was that the figure was female, and looked human. She took in one other detail, but before she could say anything, she was hit by a strong force, and everything went dark.
After some time, someone was at her side, and she almost lashed out, only to stop when she recognized the voice. “Cordelia, are you alright?” As she blinked her eyes, and got up, Cordelia realized she was still in the room, and that the black shirt was gone. Obviously, her attacker had taken the shirt. As she got up, her sister was by her side, an unusual show of compassion from her oldest sister, but she accepted it.
Once she was on her feet, she finally responded to her question. “I had found something. A shirt that had been left on the table. I think one of Emma’s charges knocked me out, or someone working on their behalf. Luckily, they didn’t realize I had also grabbed this.” She pulled out the bracelet and handed it to her sister.
She watched as Adrienne’s eyes lit up, and held the bracelet. “Well, well. This will be helpful.” Almost immediately, Adrienne’s eyes glowed, and Cordelia knew what was happening. Her sister was using her power, and what her sister was seeing made her gasp. “Oh my. The owner has had a rough time. A prisoner of some monster, rescued by a young man.” Cordelia saw a wry smile cross her sister’s face. “A young man she loves for rescuing her. She had this off when they had to bolt from the monster’s forces. That’s all I can get. However, the image of the young man looked like a younger version of that British man, Cale. I think we now have why he got involved.”
Cordelia nodded, and followed her sister out of the room. “You know, if you are thinking of framing our dear sister, it might not work out that well.” She saw her sister acknowledge the statement, but there was no verbal response. They both knew that if Emma had gone into hiding, it would be tricky to find her. Plus, with the X-Men offering some assistance, a frame up would not happen at all. That, however, did not explain the attacker. She had yet to tell her sister about the woman, but she was certain that the attacker would not be hard to find. Even amongst the mutants on Earth, a six-armed woman would stick out like a sore thumb.
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Emma Frost walked down one of the halls of the new school. She was still upset that they had to abandon the Massachusetts Academy, but now that her sisters had manage to usurp ownership of it, there was no other choice. That was also after all that had happened in Seattle. The horde of Emplate’s thralls, and the fact that their one student, Paige Guthrie, had been helping him all along.
It had been the quick thinking of the two teachers she had with her, as well as the efforts of the rest of the students and the Thunderbolts that they had gotten out alive, yet a bit shaken up. Still, having neutralized a threat that could have effectively overrun the world had given the remaining students something to be proud about. The death toll when all was said and done, however, kept them from celebrating too much.
Their luck had been due, thankfully, to one individual; one who had remained out of action for a bit. The individual, whom Emma now had a file to go with, was laying in a medical bay bed. It was right at the end of one of the corridors that severed as the mask to the outside world. The new school appeared to be in the style of a Spanish Mission, however, once inside, one started to see how modern the place was. The remarkable part was that the more advanced stuff was hidden underground, including special dorm rooms for all the students, and teachers.
As she neared the door to the med center, she saw that both of those teachers were waiting, obviously responding to the psychic summons she had issued. The redheaded Yvette, and the dark haired Richard Cale both held themselves professionally right now. Prior to the events in Seattle, their professionalism was tentative, almost disappearing when they were not teaching. Now, they held themselves very professionally, except when they were alone. It was common after something like that. She just hoped they would enter the happy medium. Now, however, the professionalism was needed. She calmly asked them, “How are the students doing?”
It was Yvette that responded, in that tone she heard during Seattle. “They are settling in. We let them be without classes for a few days. They had more than enough on hand training in Seattle.” She had to agree with that suggestion. Besides, the ocean view was hopefully more than enough to allow them to relax.
She then heard Richard follow up that statement with another fact. “Besides, some of them revealed some serious secrets they were hiding. We had not been aware that Monet was Emplate’s sister, nor that Clarice had more control over her powers, and had been keeping my father up to date on our movements.” The last word had been punctuated by pointing to the pair of teachers. “I just have a feeling that we will be finding out more secrets, especially from this new girl.”
She nodded, and opened the file. “Well, we have an idea on who she is, except there are things different about her.” She looked at the file, noticing the picture with it looked a few years old. “It looks like this girl is Jubilation Lee, but things are different. According to the records, she should be both a vampire, and a mutant. The one we have looks like a teenager, yet some traces show she has been around a long time. Added to it that during the attack, the real one had people who could verify she was where she was, and that she was also preparing for a mission at the time everything happened. That leaves us with a good deal of questions.”
She watched as both the teachers nodded. It was Richard who then voiced the next question. “No doubt, I’m betting you want to have me find out about her, if she isn’t willing to speak.”
She nodded, and then said, “Indeed. Since the devices notified us of her waking up, I’ve been sensing hostility from her. That alone tells me that whomever, and where ever she had been, she was a captive.” As she suspected, she saw Yvette nod. The girl understood being captive, which Emma felt made both of them perfect for getting through to the girl on some level. With that thought in mind, they entered the room.
Abcissa looked around the second she had woken up. She had to be certain her escape had been successful, since she had been unaware that her method of escape had the side effect of knocking her out for an unknown amount of time. The last thing she had remembered was arriving in what looked like a refugee camp, and some people were fighting monsters. She had passed out shortly after that.
As she looked around, however, she saw she had been taken care of. The place was a medical unit. She also noticed that there were no restraints around, so that meant she wasn’t a prisoner. Maybe the people who had been fighting the creatures had rescued her, and if that was the case, she was in their debt. Still, that didn’t mean she knew who they were. She could have ended up anywhere, and anytime, and given where she had been for most of her life, that was possible.
She sat up in the bed when the door opened, and instantly, her apprehension rose. She recognized the three who were entering, and she fought the instinct to back away from them. Still, she wasn’t going to be overly polite to them. They, at least a version of them, was in part responsible for her being in the situation she had been in. She was about to retort, when blond woman wearing white just said, “First off, you are not a prisoner, and we brought you here to heal, as well as to thank you. Your unusual arrival allowed us to escape a horrific disaster. Second, my name is Emma Frost, and I am the head of this school.”
Abcissa just rolled her eyes, and said, “Yes, I know, with Sean Cassidy. Trust me I remember from the last time I was here.” She looked at the trio again, and the inwardly cursed. They all look perplexed by the statement, and she realized that where ever she was, that person was not part of the school here. She thought back to what she had seen, and realized that this one was one of the alternative set ups. She quickly crossed her arms in front of her. “Sorry, I’m not saying anymore.”
She was not surprised when Emma Frost mirrored the gesture. “Unfortunately, that would be a bad thing. Since you obviously know who I am, you are aware I can find out the information. Right now, all I have is a name, and I only know that because someone who looks like you is part of another team.”
She sat up, deciding it would be best to keep one bit of information clear. “My name is Abcissa. And your psychic powers won’t work on me. I’ve had time to develop my immunity to psychic attacks.” It was a latent power she had the time to develop, and she was hoping that this Frost didn’t have the psychic strength to get through.
She was surprised when Emma shook her head. “No, I would not try to break through. Besides, why should I do that, when one of my other teachers could do something to find out.” Instantly, the male nodded, and Abcissa remember him. The last time she encountered that mutant, she knew he had found her out. Added to it, she remember he had a mental link to the redhead that was there. Emma Frost didn’t have to mind probe her.
Abcissa just leaned back, throwing her arms up in mock defeat. “Fine, I’ll tell you. I know how Skitz works, and the mind link he has with his wife.” Again, she was met with quizzical looks, but the two teachers, as Emma Frost referred to them as looked at one another, obviously contemplating the statement. Finally she said, “Damn it, that was the other time line. Fine. I’ll talk.”
She watched as the others just stood against the back wall, as Emma Frost looked at the file she was holding. “Very well, let’s start with how you got here, and how you look like Ms. Lee.” She nodded, and proceeded to tell them all the story of how, when she was Jubilation Lee, in her original timeline, got captured by Mojo, the almost Godlike being/television producer. She told of how she initially agreed to be his slave, and then the younger version broke the loop, and she was almost removed from time. She then told of her second encounter with that Jubilee, or one in another timeline. By the time she was done, all three looked shell shocked.
Finally, the redhead spoke. “You mean, years ago, according to you, you tried to abduct us for some show this Mojo thing does?” When she nodded, she then said, “But if you’ve been his slave for years, why do you look so young?” She explained again about the nanobots, and how she had managed to deactivate them. After that, the redhead just sat down, the young man by her side as she said, “And we were married there.”
Abcissa nodded, and said, “Yes. Married, share your powers, and from what Mojo saw, have kids, teach a school in England, and even give council to the King. It’s part of why he’s been looking for another group like that. He figured you two would give him hours of programming.” She saw the puzzled look again on their faces, and she said, “He’s been expanding his programming. You do not know what I’ve had to do.” She made sure that the innuendo was in the words as she said them. When the words sunk in, she took a bit of delight in seeing both of them turn scarlet, and not because of their powers.
The moment was cut short when Emma Frost spoke again. “Clearly, you know about things we don’t have a full grasp on. What we do know is that somehow, when you arrived where we found you, you had almost been killed, if not by what you had done, but by a group controlled by Emplate. It may be that in one of these alternate timelines, we are enemies. Here, you have a chance at allies. Maybe we can even help you with the powers we know you have, minus the obvious difference in this file.” She watched as Emma Frost tossed her the file.
She caught it, and began reading it. The first thing she saw was that she was free. At first, she wanted to cross paths with this world’s Jubilation Lee, and then she saw the path the girl had taken. Even she would not want to wish that kind of life on the free versions of herself. The more she read, she started to figure that maybe being here wasn’t all that bad. She could work past the issues, and maybe live the dream life some of her alternates were living.
She leaned back in the bed, the file open before her, and looked at Emma Frost. “Fair enough. I’m in. However, I want to get a few things straight.” She saw Emma nod, and she continued. “First off, I will help you learn about Mojo, and the stunts he pulls. He doesn’t care about life, just ratings. Since I was his servant, he may try to get me back, so I’ll teach you to be on your guard.” She saw them all nod in agreement.
Abscissa then when to get out of the bed. She first expected them to react, but when no one did, she got onto her feet. “My final request is you give me another name. I mean, what kind of name is Abscissa? It took me time before I could pronounce it.” It was the truth. She wondered if the name was part of Mojo’s twisted sense of humor. Of course, now was the time to move on. She had successfully escaped from Mojo, and had the chance at a life long denied to her.
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Angelo Espinoza looked out on the beach and ocean with the others. It was one of the nicest things about the school’s new location. He was still in awe at how someone had provided the new building, right at the time they needed it most. It was even better that it was in California. Of course, the place was secluded, and he felt they needed it. After all that had gone down in Seattle, a new, quiet place to live and learn was needed.
The place being on the beach was another plus. They cool all enjoy some time on the beach, in swimsuits. He was going to enjoy watching the remaining girls in swimsuits. He was also a bit curious how the teacher, Yvette, would look in a swimsuit. Of course, he wouldn't hit on her, even though he was certain she was close to him in age. There was something wrong with a relationship like that. Besides, he was certain she'd either slap him, possibly with her powers active, or Richard might do so.
He had been so absorbed in the view, however, he was surprised when Clarice Ferguson spoke up. "It’s hard to believe that we could have lucked into such a beautiful location for the school. Almost hard to believe a location so beautiful exists in the world after what we had encountered in Seattle. That was horrible."
He nodded in agreement when Everett Thomas said, "Indeed. That was like living in a horror film. I hope we never have to do that again." He watched as his classmate, and friend, just shook his head. "Hell, I don't even want to watch another horror movie ever again." Angelo then saw Everett look at Monet St. Croix, and heard him say, "I still can't believe the teachers were made to think you were working for Emplate."
Angelo turned his attention to the Algerian girl, noticing she was already taking advantage of the weather, and was in a swimsuit. It was amazing at how much of their stuff was already at the school, including their clothes. Of course, those thoughts didn't distract him from what Monet was saying. "I can believe it. My brother was good at misdirection, and he obviously had thought ahead. I just wish we knew for certain he was gone." He nodded, remember that after everything had happened, they all learned that the biggest threat they had learned to fight against was her brother. Some of them were leery about trusting her, but he felt that Paige revealing that she had been the traitor to them all was reason enough to trust Monet.
It was Jonothan Starsmore that pointed out a key point. "No doubt, he knew you wouldn't openly admit to the truth. It was a secret he could exploit. Seems that both of you ladies had secrets. You had your brother, and Clarice had misled us about how well she knows her powers." He watched as the lavender skinned girl nodded in agreement. He also noticed that Jonothan didn't remark about Paige. He was certain that the psychic mutant had been developing feelings for the girl. He wondered if her betrayal had struck a blow to his self esteem.
Angelo turned to Clarice, and calmly asked, "Why had you done that, Clarice? You obviously have control over your teleportation powers, as well as that spatial shearing you do. Why fake it?" He noticed that she seemed uncomfortable about it. Maybe it was similar to the reason he didn't go into his past too often. Maybe it had been linked to something similar.
He watched as she looked out onto the ocean before she answered. "I didn't want to let on that I was helping Richard's father." That answer had surprised him, since he already knew that the old school building had been transferred to Richard's father ownership, or at least it had been. It was something they had first learned after arriving at this new location. They had also learned of the sometimes tense relationship the two had. What Clarice said next, however, surprised him. "In all honesty, I had only seen Richard once before he had disappeared, and I kind of hoped I could have rescued him. He is cute." In that instant, he saw the girl turn a deeper shade of purple. This made him feel a little better about wondering what Yvette looked like in a swim suit.
What followed that moment was a prolonged silence as everyone enjoyed the view, and the sun. That silence was finally broken when he saw four people coming out to where they were. It was the two teachers, the headmistress, and the mysterious young woman who had been their salvation, although now she was awake. As he saw her look at them, he could have sworn she looked like she knew every one of them, except for the temporarily puzzled look she gave Monet.
Finally, Emma Frost spoke up. "I see you are all relaxing after everything that happened in Seattle. It seems everyone has settled into the new place that has been provided for us." He nodded with the others, and he then watched Emma look out at the beach before speaking again. "I've spoken with the main school, and they are aware of our new location, as well as who provided it. It has been amazing at how they got all our stuff here. All that aside, we will be resuming classes tomorrow. The only difference is that we will have a new student here, who will sometimes act as a teacher." That surprised him, but he had a feeling it was due to the fact at how the girl looked at them.
It was Yvette, who introduced the girl. "This is Abi." He noticed a smile come from the girl at the mention of the name, and he took note of her Asian features, and how she looked to be around their age. Her hair, and the look on her face, seemed to hint that she was older than she looked. It was, as some would describe, salt and pepper. He took note of that as Yvette continued. "This may seem hard to believe, but she is from an alternate timeline, and prior to being here, she had been the slave of something called Mojo. While she will be telling, and preparing, us about this possible threat, in what we hope will be an unlikely encounter, she will be learning more about the talents she has been blessed with."
Angelo decided to make the first sign of greeting, extending his hand to the girl. "Welcome to the team, Abi." He watched as the girl looked at his hand, and then gave him a slight smile, shaking his hand. When the hand shake was over, he looked at the others and said, "Well, aren't you going to do the same?"
As they greeted the new student, he noticed a look on Everett's face that he was sure had been on his face. Both Angelo and Everett thought the girl was a looker. He was certain that might cause some difficulties for Everett, since his friend had been spending some extra time with Monet. He also noticed that there was a similar look on Abi's face when it came to Everett. He wondered what it was all about.
He got a surprising answer to his thought from Richard. "Abi has actually had encounters with us before, except in a different timeline. She even said that our little group has formed in other timelines. The one she had encountered, however, had more people, and our," he heard Richard pause and noticed the teacher was looking at Yvette, "relationships with one another were different. So bear with her if, for a moment, she pauses while looking at you. That encounter she had was with us on different sides. It will take her time to fully think of us as a team, and, to some extent, a family."
He looked at Abi again, noticing that she had put together an outfit from what had to have been spare clothes that had to have been provided for them. He wasn't sure where the yellow raincoat came from, but it seemed to look good on the girl. He then heard her say, "You know, the group I had encountered had a team name. If I recall right, it was 'Generation X'."
The second he heard the name, he liked the sound of it. He looked at all the others, and they, like him liked it. He even saw that Yvette seemed to nod in agreement to the name. Angelo then took a chance, and he put his hand on Abi's shoulder. "That is an excellent name. Now, why don't we all go inside and get something to eat." He noticed all of them seemed to nod in agreement, especially Abi. She seemed most eager for it, and wondered how well she might have eaten if she was a de facto slave of this thing called Mojo.
Yvette watched as everyone headed inside, except for herself and Richard. Obviously Emma was allowing them some time to mull over everything that they had been told by Abcissa, now known as Abi. She walked over to where Monet had been sunbathing, and looked out over the ocean. She still couldn't believe what they had been told. To a degree, it had been something good to hear. She felt she hadn't heard all the details, but knowing that she and Richard had such a life in another timeline was a bit unbelievable, but not unwanted.
She knew Richard had gotten alongside her before he had placed his hand on her shoulder. For another moment, there was silence, and then he said, "It still seems a bit much. I could see us as married, and maybe with kids one day. The school thing seems to have already happened here. Advisor to royalty, however, that's a bit much."
She turned to face him, and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight to her. "I don't know. The way Abcissa reacted to seeing us at first; it just seems she did interact with alternate versions of ourselves. She even said how well the version of herself in that timeline is doing. They obviously don't have to worry about Emplate having a legion of thralls. Maybe they were better at avoiding that there." For a moment, her mind went back to Seattle. She shivered as she remember all the thralls pulling her away from the group, and then again at the sight of Richard stuck in those restraints.
She was almost startled when she heard a third voice say, "I'm sorry to interrupt your private moment, but I thought you might want to hear the latest about Seattle." She immediately loosened her hold on Richard as they both turned to face the speaker. It was Emma Frost, and she actually noticed the woman looked honestly embarrassed. Yvette figured it must have been important, but still she felt their privacy had been violated, especially with all they had on their minds.
She then saw Richard silently prompt Emma to continue, and when the Headmistress did, she started to feel scared again. "Well, the company that was in charge of the camp basically said a major explosion caused a massive death toll. While they said some people claimed there was a lighthouse at the center of the explosion, there were no signs of any debris that matched that claim. There were also claims of survivors, but the security company has them quarantined, claiming some sort of contagion."
For a moment, she almost felt her fear making her transform, but she felt Richard squeeze her hands. She calmed down, but Richard spoke, "I had the feeling that Emplate managed to get out of that. And I bet that contagion is the thralls. They need to be warned." She then saw him pause, before finally saying, "Not only that, there is still one other possible thrall out there. That Overrider character. We need to find them, and warn whomever they are with."
She saw Emma nod. "I know. I've already sent notifications to the X-Men and the Thunderbolts. I heard back from the latter, also being told that Monet left her toothbrush there." Yvette noticed Emma had rolled her eyes at that. She then said, "Sorry to drop that news on you. It hit me hard too, on top of learning about the other timelines. I still find it hard to believe that in one of those, I ran this school with Sean Cassidy." She watched as Emma shook her head, obviously thinking the idea was preposterous, and then went back inside.
She looked at Richard, and then started to go inside. She was glad he walked with her into the school's hidden section. As they walked, she tried to remain calm, but a little tremble in her voice gave her away as she spoke to Richard. "You figured he didn't die, didn't you." When he just nodded, she continued. "Do you think he knows where we are?"
When they reached the door to their quarters, he responded as he opened the door. "I highly doubt it. We didn't leave the same way we arrived in Seattle. We never told anyone exactly where we are." She then saw him think about it for a moment. "At least, we didn't tell anyone who we didn't trust. The fact of the matter is that we are as about as secure as we can get. It's almost a perfect scenario."
Yvette almost nodded, and then she saw something she had not expected to see. She ran forward into the new suite, and picked up the item she saw, almost overjoyed to see it. It was a black shirt with a white circle on the front. She held it up to her, and turned to face Richard, a broad smile on her face. "I can't believe it. Remember when you first got me this shirt." She quickly took off the shirt she had been wearing, and put the shirt she was holding on.
As she did so, a coy smile crossed her face, and she kneeled on the couch in the room. She even reached over her head in a pose she knew was both sexy, yet tasteful. She looked at Richard, and said, "Remember when I posed like this." She watched as he nodded, obviously remember the time very well. She then watched as he walked over.
When he was close, and she noticed he had closed the door, she heard him answer the question, very softly. "I remember. You had been so excited about it, that when you put it on that time, you forgot to put anything on underneath it." She blushed a bit, but noticed a slightly coy smile on his face as well. "I think that was the most intimate we had gotten. Of course, added to it how cold it was that day." She blushed again, but then heard him say about what had followed. "Ironically, you wore that and the bracelet only once, because Emplate tried to capture us that night."
She gasped, forgetting about both the lost bracelet, and the found shirt, and remembered that night. They had narrowly avoided being captured, having cut through the neighboring walls. She had only been in pants and undergarments below the belt, wearing the bed sheet as a robe. Richard had on pants, and a jacket before the brutish Bulwark had broken down the room door. It had been their narrowest escape. It had also been in Moscow, which had been so cold that night.
Now, the discovery of the shirt seemed to worry her. She quickly leapt off the couch, and wrapped her arms around Richard again. The suite now felt sinister. She now said in the mental link that she and Richard shared, "Do you think this is Emplate’s doing?"
For a moment, there was silence. She could tell Richard was actually thinking about it. Finally, after a few moments, he shook his head, and mentally said, "I don't think so. I don't think Emplate ever grabbed anything from any of our hiding spots. If he had, he would have never needed Paige as a spy. And that worries me more. Whomever had it, their reasons are not clear at the moment. It looks like they want to help us, but why?" She had to agree with Richard at that moment. That last thought did worry her more than the thought of Emplate being the one providing this new school.
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Elsewhere in reality, the images of Richard and Yvette holding one another were displayed on one of many screens. The image, which had no sound at the moment, made the main figure watching very upset. The huge form spun round on six mechanical legs, shouting at the top of his lungs at the other individual in the room, a sure sign that he was upset with what was happening. “What the hell is gong on? They were talking a minute ago, and then they went silent.”
The other person in the room was unlike the first. She was his servant, and one of the most loyal he had ever had. Of course, he had made her that way. She also had the knack for reminding him of things he hated to hear, especially as she used her six arms to maintain control over the latest program he was broadcasting. “It is a problem we knew to expect, Mojo. Every time we stumble upon a timeline that has this unique coupling, we find they have that extraordinary mental link. Besides, I had warned you about leaving that shirt there.”
The monstrous master of the airwaves waved off his minions statement, and turned back to the screen. “Yes, yes. It was only a bit of luck that when we reached this timeline, we stumbled upon them in that hotel. They’ve managed to be the best form of entertainment since then. Of course, a shame they kept the program tame. What have viewers been hoping for, Spiral?” No one in that world knew how much he had gained in entertainment when he found this timeline. It was similar, yet different, from the other timelines he had managed to find, and broadcast from. It also had the distinct trait that several of the groups in the others had yet to form.
His eyes remained glued on the various screens, showing not only the couple that had the main attention, but other students in the building he had specially made for them. The lavender skinned girl, having had admitted a crush on the male on the main screen might be something to work on. He also watched as the African girl switched out of her bathing suit. He would have put that on the main screen, but early showings had the audience not liking her. Those views had started to change after this special cameras caught her rescuing the redhead, and the mission on the lighthouse.
Finally, Spiral spoke again. “Current fans would like to see the couple get more intimate. Others would like to see them face off against that monster again.” He waved his hand off on that one. The skill that monster had at enthralling others was dangerous. Some of the thralls he had snatched at the instant of the explosion had killed some of his personal enforcers. In fact, if Spiral had not nabbed the top and bracelet when she had, he was certain that he wouldn’t even have this program now.
After a moment, he heard her say, “It seems, however, that you have managed to give them something they had wanted. Honestly, had you planned for Abcissa to escape like she had.” He didn’t respond. He was still upset that he lost one of his minions, but the girl had become hostile since her failure to ensure the other Generation X team as permanent stars of his shows. Still he had managed to arrange for her to show up in the right place, at the right time.
He turned to look at Spiral with his typical maniacal look. “Spiral, while it is sometimes best for a complete out of control factor to be introduced to a program, it is even better when the factor believes itself to be truly out of control. I had found out about her plots, and when I went to stop them, found a better use for them.” He then looked at the screen with his former slave on it. “But don‘t worry. She‘ll get what she deserves. For right now, they must all believe that they are safe.” He then noticed one of the consoles lighting up. “Now, pardon me while I make sure Miss Frost is speaking with her benefactor, and also make sure the X-Men, when they stick their noses into the school again, don‘t know it is in California.” With that, he took control of the special console. It had been a blessing, since he had used it to try and introduce the X-Men into the Seattle Incident, as the people of that world were dubbing it. A shame they had been sidetracked, but at least the subjects of his show had gotten away relatively safe. They needed to remain that way until he made them his permanent guests in the Mojoverse.
Notes:
I'd like to give some props to two other documents. The first one is some of my own work, where Mojo has indeed appeared, and is the reality that Abcissa mentions. The adventure is part a work that got dubbed The Cale Storyline. The particular story is called That's What It Is All About. The link will lead to the first of those chapters.
The second is the image that helped inspire the pose Yvette does. I'd post the exact picture in the story, but I'd rather ask the artist's permission on that one, so for now, here is the link. Yvette's Pose
Next issue: Tension Building
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