Somewhere…
"Oh, my Heavens…"
"Sharra and K'ythri preserve us…"
"Mein Gott…"
"Goddess…"
"Holy freakin' HELL…!"
"This is to be expected."
Eyes locked on Vril Rokk; as soon as the X-Men and the Shi'ar Imperial Guard had transitioned into this place, their outer clothes had morphed into their fighting costumes. Jean Grey's relatives and Charles Xavier remained in civilian clothes. "What do you mean, Vril?" Gladiator then asked. "Has any of your race…?"
"Been welcomed here? No, Kallark," Smasher stated. "But given that it WAS the first incarnation of the Infinite One that created this place…"
The others nodded. "Yeah!" Wolverine breathed out before he felt Marvel Girl move to hug him. "Kinda figured that for a girl callin' herself 'Infinity.'"
"Welcome."
People turned on hearing that voice to see a goblin-like humanoid about the same size as Nightcrawler approach them. Said person — the voice sounded female; it was hard to tell by her looks — was draped in a plain grey Yizibajohei-pattern jumpsuit, the while lemniscate insignia of Infinity on her upper arms. An amused smile crossed her face as she gazed on the visiting sentiences. "How odd…" she then trilled. "We normally don't get souls entering the House still sheathed in their mortal flesh. Truly strange…"
"We apologise for intruding, madame, but Miss Kasuga invited us here," Xavier stated before he waved to Marvel Girl. "I believe Anne here requires a replacement body."
The goblin gazed on the android, who had pulled herself away from Wolverine to stand at a sort of parade rest…though she still held the Canadian's hand. "Ah, yes. Anne Jeannette Grey. Your body is prepared and ready, child. As for your adopted sister, she is still being examined by the Mistress' friend before she will be given her body."
"May we see her?" Cyclops instantly asked.
Their host gazed on him, and then she cackled. "Ah, young Jean Anne Grey's mate. Such a handsome one." She then waved her hand, making Cyclops' mask AND visor slip off his head. "You need not wear that here, Scott Christopher Summers. Your powers were — for your safety as well as ours — temporarily nullified on entrance into the House."
Cyclops — who had squeezed his eyes closed to prevent his powers from lashing out — paused…before opening his eyes to reveal their normally brown nature, though the inner irises glowed a deep red to reflect his powers. Instantly, he was quick to sense several of the female members of the Guard — AND Storm — gaze at him. "Oh, my! Such beautiful eyes!" Astra said as she gave him an appraising look. "One must complement the Lady Phoenix's exceptional good taste. Would you agree, my friends?"
"Indeed, Astra, you're right," Oracle teased as Cyclops' cheeks reddened. "When this is over with and we can stand down, we MUST ask her about her relationship with him!"
"Ladies…!" Cyclops sputtered.
Laughter filled this part of the vast, endless vertical tunnel — it reminded the X-Men of being in the inside of the great Dyson sphere the New Mutants had recently discovered thanks to a cosmic teleporter and professional singer named Lila Cheney — that the visitors from New York and elsewhere had found themselves in. "So where is that kid, anyway?" Wolverine then asked. "And where's Jean?"
"The Mistress awaits, James Lewis Howlett," the goblin stated. "This way."
The circular energy pad everyone was on then began to elevate. As it did, Nightcrawler gazed on Wolverine. "'James Howlett?' I thought your name was Logan, mein freund."
"So did I…" Wolverine stated.
"Was your memory damaged sometime in your life, Logan?" Marvel Girl asked.
A sigh. "Yeah. When I got the adamantium put into my bones." As everyone heard the familiar snickt! of his claws deploying from his left hand, Wolverine added, "It was a secret NORAD project called 'Weapon X.' Didn't have approval from either Congress or Parliament; when Ottawa found out it was happening — it was a place in northern Alberta — they hauled Deannie Raeburn out of retirement to shut it down and hunt down all the idiots that were involved in it. Some got away, but by then…"
"Oh, Logan…!" Storm gasped.
Wolverine smirked as he sheathed his claws. "Don't worry about it, 'Roro. That was the time I met the Hudsons." As the X-Men nodded on their remembering James MacDonald Hudson and his wife Heather, the couple serving as the co-leaders of the "official" Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight — Logan knew things about the Heroes Alliance of Canada that could not be spoken out casually to others; not even Charles Xavier could probe that part of his mind to learn THAT secret — the pad that was moving them slid up against one open apartment-like structure with several people inside. "We're here."
"Tsukuri mashō…tsukuri mashō …sate sate nani ga dekiru kana…!"
"Huh?!" Wolverine called out as he looked…
…to see a young girl of about TWELVE in a soft gold jumpsuit with a sideways "C" insignia — three lighting flashes bursting out from the opening — walking around a sterile containment sphere holding what was ONCE clearly a young human woman. As the X-Men and the Imperial Guard all cringed on seeing how badly Jean Grey had been hurt — Elaine Grey had nearly fainted, though her husband John was supporting her; Sara Grey was being comforted by Marvel Girl — the girl with the caramel brown hair in cone-shaped pigtails behind her ears hummed as she gazed on the small tricorder-like device, her brown eyes sparkling with delight. "Hmmm…you're almost ready, Jean-san."
"Arigatō…Chiyo-chan…you're so sweet…"
"JEAN!" Sara cried out as she ran over to her wounded sister's side.
"STOP!"
That was Prodigy, who had almost TELEPORTED herself right in front of Sara, her hand out to halt the older woman from hugging her sister. "Hey!" Sara gasped.
"Don't get that close to your sister, Sara-san!" the young genius from Nakano stated. "If you break the containment field, Jean-san could DIE! She's not ready yet!"
Sara jolted, and then she blinked. "Wait…you're one of those…"
"Young Guns," Wolverine said as he came up to join her, Marvel Girl at her side. "Yeah, I remember you, kid. You're Prodigy, aren't you?"
A nod. "Hai, Logan-san. My real name's Mihama Chiyo." She then turned to gaze on the other X-Men and the Imperial Guard. "Jean-san will be ready soon, minna."
"You have our thanks, young lady," Xavier stated as he was pushed up to be close to his first student by Cyclops so he could gaze at her. "I assume you're like Miss Kasuga."
"Hai, Xavier-hakase. My Gift is that of hyper-intelligence, plus a creative Gift that allows me to invent things. But in previous incarnations — I was Cerebral Child back then — my Gift didn't allow my brain to rest, so I eventually burnt out and became a mental vegetable." As the X-Men and the Guard all gasped on hearing this girl make THAT admission, Prodigy grinned. "Oh, it's alright! Ōsaka-san made it better."
"'Ōsaka?'" Wolverine stated. "I thought her name was…"
"That's her nickname, Logan-san. One of our classmates — she's Warwind — gave it to her as soon as she transferred into our school from Ōsaka." The young genius then smiled as a flash of mischievousness sparkled in her eyes. "Even though Ōsaka-san was born in Wakayama and went to elementary school in Kōbe!" she called out.
"DAMN IT, ŌSAKA! JUST BE ŌSAKA!" a voice roared from outside.
A familiar voice called back, "Tomo-chan, how can I be Ōsaka? I wasn't born there!"
A wild scream then bellowed from outside as a young woman in a grey jumpsuit walked into the space. While she still had her normally sunny look on her face, the visitors were quick to see the sparkle of mischievousness in her brown-grey eyes. "Miss Kasuga Ayumu, I presume," Xavier stated as the Goddess Who Walks Amongst Men came up to gently take his hand in her own. "You have our thanks for many things, young lady."
"Well, it would'a been a really 'bleh' day for the D'Bari if I didn't go there to stop Phoenix from eating their own SUN!" Infinity stated before she gazed on the Imperial Guardsmen there. To the X-Men's and the Grey family's amusement, Titan and Smasher had gone to one knee and given her a hand salute as they bowed their heads to her. "Hey! Hey! Don't do that, guys! It's embarrassing! Stand up!" she then bade.
"Forgive us, Great One, but to be welcomed to this place…!" Smasher apologised.
"Stop that!" Infinity stated. "Geez, you're supposed to do that to Lilandra-chan! Or someone just like her! Like that really funny R'Kill! I'm no empress!"
"Except of this place," Prodigy mused as she stared at her classmate.
"Nah, Chiyo-chan! I just borrow it for a while."
The younger girl chuckled, and then she perked before she gazed on Marvel Girl. "Ah! Anne-san! Here, your new body's all ready to go! C'mon with me!"
The android blinked, and then she gasped as Prodigy took her by the hand and pulled her away. "Chiyo-chan! Wait! I shouldn't be upgraded until Jean is upgraded…!"
"Oh, you hush!"
As they headed off to an antechamber, Wolverine hummed. "I like that kid…" He then tensed. "Who the hell's there?" he growled as his claws deployed.
"It's just me, Logan."
Hearing that voice, the Canadian relaxed as he sheathed his weapons. "Kagura."
The others gaped as something came out of the darkness, dressed now in something akin to what a field soldier would wear. Given the amount of weapons on her person — both edged and projectile firearm — this one seemed ready to take on an army. And could WIN! "Hey, man!" Caltrop stated as she grasped Wolverine's hand in her own. "Ryū's on Earth keepin' an eye on things in Tomobiki. She'll be glad to see you, though."
Wolverine perked. "Tomobiki?! She's livin'…?" He stopped as a look of shock crossed his face. "Wait a sec'! You mean to say that it was MOROBOSHI ATARU that helped get you your powers?! And Ryū and these two, too?!" He pointed to Infinity.
"Logan, isn't Ataru that young man who was forced to play in that 'tag race' last year?" Storm then wondered. "And is now being forced to play again as we speak?"
"The same!" He then blinked. "Hey, wait a minute! That happened just after all you guys disappeared like you did!" He gazed at Caltrop. "What the hell happened?!"
"Empathic bonds with the man who helped make us what we are today," a new voice said as people turned to see Soul Searcher and Warwind walk in. "I don't know if it was some sort of natural gift like you X-Men have or it came out of his own exposure to the Crystal to let Negako-san out of his head right after he made the Promise."
Wolverine turned pale. "He was bonded to THAT thing?!" he demanded.
"For a short while until Wyszynski-sensei found him and took him to Yiziba."
Now the Canadian was a white as a ghost. "WYSZYNSKI?! HE'S involved in this?!"
"Naturally. He was targeted by the Omega Directive."
Silence.
"Oh, crap…!" Wolverine moaned. "Jeez…I hated that guy, but…"
"What is this 'Omega Directive?'" Xavier asked.
A sigh. "I can't tell you everything, Chuck…but what I can tell you is this: The Canadian government — cause Deannie Raeburn was a soldier in the Army during World War Two — has a protocol they use for people who suffer from ebony meson radiation poisoning. In essence, it's an order to terminate with mercy."
"Understandable," Gladiator stated as many of the Guard grimly nodded. "The ebony form of mesonium — unless someone has a VERY strong mind or is trained quite thoroughly in the mind arts — can corrupt even the most purest of souls."
"And this Wyszynski fellow…?" Xavier asked.
"Grigori Wyszynski. He's from Oświęcim in Poland; he's not Jewish." As the X-Men winced, he added, "He witnessed experiments being done at Auschwitz-Monowitz on people by the guy who started up the Übermenschen after Axis Amerika proved to be a total failure in trying to take out the All-Star Squadron and the Invaders. That kinda marks a kid." A sigh. "He migrated to Canada right after the war and got involved in the military side of what later became Department H. He managed to get hold of some of the experimental notes when it came to how meson can be used to power people up…and then he helped about fifty people across the country get superhuman powers."
"Oh, my heavens…!" Xavier gasped as the others paled.
"Most of them are members of the Heroes Alliance of Canada now. And some independent heroes, too," Wolverine added, inwardly grateful that he had been blocked by Maria Kennison — then a sub-lieutenant in the Specialised Warfare Regiment of Canada — to ensure whatever secrets he knew of the Regiment couldn't be revealed helter-skelter to anyone else, even a powerful telepath like Charles Xavier. "It was just after the whole stink with Weapon X. The government made him resign and then he disappeared. To Yiziba, right?" he then asked Soul Searcher.
A nod. "The Shepherd brought him to Yiziba to get a Gift…and get the meson in his body de-crystallised to ruby format. He became Destructo."
"The Chaos Bringer…"
"Don't let those old legends and myths fool you, Vril-kun," Soul Searcher then said as she gazed in appreciation at Smasher, which made the raven-haired Borrimite blush at the younger woman's clear interest. "Yes, he will do anything to give anyone who wants it a Gift without restriction…but he has been refused many times before. So did Ataru-kun. People have the right to choose their destinies. Even if…"
"They don't want to be metas," Warwind finished for her oldest friend.
"Bože moj . . .!"
That was Colossus. "What is it, my friend?" Gladiator asked.
"You're WARWIND!" the Russian farmer's son stated as he pointed at the woman born Takino Tomo. "You're the one who fought the Hulk when he went wild near the farm two years ago!" As the other X-Men gaped at him, he added, "This was just before I joined all of you, comrades. You should have SEEN her fight that monster! She was amazing…!" He then paused before gazing at Soul Searcher. "You were there, too!"
"Da, Pyotr Nikolaevič," the Tōkyō-born telepath stated.
"Yeah, that was a cool fight scene!" Warwind said. "Pity that Liz-chan and Chiyosuke went and fixed Banner-hakase's mind up after that!" A sigh. "He was a lot more fun back then…!" she trilled out with a lament in her voice.
"You consider fighting the HULK 'fun?!'" Wolverine demanded.
"Yeah! Heck, I'll fight anyone who's up to a fight scene…!"
"Tomo!"
The woman born Takino Tomo jerked. "Yomi…"
"Behave…or I'll make sure Ataru-kun NEVER gives you nookie!"
Silence.
More silence.
Still more silence.
And then…
"No…nookie…?"
That was a pale-faced Warwind. As the others blinked in confusion, the woman born Mizuhara Koyomi gazed knowingly at Xavier, winking at him. He smirked…
Later…
"RELEASE ME!"
"Phoenix…do I have to give you another SPANKING?!"
The raging inferno of energy trapped in the meson crystal floating in the middle of the central hall of the Doll House seemed to cringe on hearing that threat from the Goddess Who Walks Amongst Men. "I HUNGER…!" it then moaned out.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! You're hungry! But you nearly went and ate a STAR! WITH an inhabited planet around it!" Infinity said as she gave the crystal an annoyed look. "There were five billion people living on one of those planets! Did you care?!"
"WHY SHOULD WE CARE?! WE ARE ABOVE SUCH THINGS, INFINITY! YOU…!"
"Ah, fuhgeddaboutit…!"
A wave of the hand silenced the raging creature inside the crystal. "Man, that thing is seriously PISSED!" Warwind stated as the others relaxed. "You sure it's okay puttin' that thing's power inside both Jean-chan and Anne-chan, ōsaka? I don't mind fight scenes but a planet-wide DEATH SCENE is definitely not cool!"
"Oh, don't worry about that, Tomo-chan," Infinity stated. "Yomi-chan and I'll just zakk the thing's core mind back to the Nexus where it belongs and cleanse it of anything that dumb Jason-kun did to her." She then hummed. "I wonder…"
"Wonder what?" Cyclops asked.
"Should I go heal him? And Emma-chan, too?"
"You should," Soul Searcher said. "It'll teach them never to monkey around with things they shouldn't. Especially Mastermind." A shake of the head. "Idiot…"
"So who is this Mastermind?" Gladiator snarled.
"An enemy of ours, Kallark," Xavier explained as some of the people there sensed another light pad approach, three people standing on them. "He's an illusionist. From what I could sense from the others, he clearly believed Phoenix was still fundamentally Jean Grey, but wearing a more 'flashy' costume and using a different battle-name."
"So he is the one who nearly caused D'Bari's destruction," Oracle stated. "We should take him back to the Aerie so he can understand what he nearly caused."
"Don't bother," Soul Searcher stated. "As soon as we're done here and we get the matter with the Oni resolved, I'll go to New York and make the idiot see the light on a few things. Ditto with Frost-sensei." As Oracle nodded in acceptance of that situation, the younger woman then gazed at Xavier. "She's a damned TELEPATH. As powerful as you, me or Maria-san. Didn't she SEE what was going on with Phoenix?"
A sigh. "I don't know, Yomi. I never knew Emma Frost was a telepath. I never really associated with people like her. The Hellfire Club is not my normal cup of tea."
The others nodded, though the founder of the X-Men was grateful that the Japanese-born telepath had made the offer to go deal with Phoenix's victims herself. Shi'ar justice — from the brief time he spent with Lilandra at the Aerie — could be quite harsh even though the new Majestrix of the Imperium was instituting some humane reforms to ensure what happened to the Starjammers would never happen again. To subject anyone to THAT sort of judgement — especially since the man also known as Mastermind hadn't begun to SUSPECT what he was really dealing with — was wrong even if the chance was very strong that the man born Jason Wyngarde would cause problems again in the future.
"Hai! Dekimashita!"
Everyone turned…
"JEAN! ANNE!" Sara cried out.
The Grey family went over to sweep both Anne and a recovered Jean into their arms. As Prodigy walked past them, smiling in delight as they enjoyed an unexpected — but very necessary — family reunion, and then she came over to join the others. "Well, they're as ready as they can be, ōsaka-san," she said to Infinity. "But are you sure…?"
"It'll be okay, Chiyo-chan," the older woman stated.
Everyone then patiently waited for the Greys to finish, and then Jean (now in a Yizibajohei jumpsuit in green-and-gold, patterned after Phoenix's first uniform, the stylised firebird insignia on a black triangle under her neck) and Anne (in the uniform of Marvel Girl) walked over to join their friends. "You okay?" Cyclops asked as Phoenix moved to embrace him while Marvel Girl moved to stand beside Wolverine, grasping his hand. "Are you sure you want to do something like this, Jean?"
A sigh. "Scott, it's either handle it now under controlled circumstances…or let it come back to us later when we may NOT be able to deal with it." Phoenix bowed her head. "I'm scared. Really scared. Ayumu showed me what that thing almost did." She then took a deep breath before she squared her shoulders. "Lord Praetor?"
Gladiator perked, surprised that the young Terran-turned-Yizibajohei had called out to him…and was addressing him as THAT! "Lady Phoenix."
"A favour I request."
"Name it."
Phoenix gazed at him. "There is the chance — as the Fates can be rather cruel — that Anne or I might still lose control of ourselves. If the First Child is not there, we ask — No, we PLEAD! — that the Imperial Guard will be there if necessary."
"Jean!" Cyclops called out.
The members of the Imperial Guard were stunned silent at such a request…and then Gladiator walked over to place a hand on Phoenix's shoulder. "After what you did for the whole Universe not several months ago, Lady Jean…that you ask THAT of us…" He sighed. "You are our friends and allies. We owe that much to you. It will be done."
A nod. "Thank you, Master Kallark." She then sighed. "I'm ready."
Infinity nodded. "Anne-chan?"
Marvel Girl nodded. "I am ready, Mistress."
"Okay."
And with that, the Goddess Who Walks Amongst Men began to glow. She then reached out to grasp Soul Searcher's hand in her own before she raised her free hand to point at the crystal that contained the living essence of the Phoenix Force construct that had lived as Jean Grey for over a year. A second later, a bullet-shaped Infinite Wave slashed out to punch through the crystal, shattering it instantly!
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!"
Elsewhere…
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!"
The white-skinned man in the black form-fitting jumpsuit jolted on hearing that scream, and then he turned…before his eyes went wide on seeing an explosion of flame and energy emit from every point on the skin of the clone he had created. As the firebird image of the Phoenix Force formed around her, the geneticist born Nathaniel Essex in the middle of the nineteenth century could only gape in awe at the POWER that was being funnelled through the genetic link between the clone of the entity known as "Jean Grey" for over a year and the real person. Yet his other systems…!
"What is happening…?" Mister Sinister demanded…
The Doll House…
"It's done."
A now-NOT glowing Infinity lowered her hand as people turned…
…to see glowing firebird forms around both Phoenix and Marvel Girl as they held hands and gazed into each other's eyes, their own eyes glowing bright white. After a moment, the two energy forms around them flowed together into a single form.
"I — AM — PHOENIX!"
As the others tensed on hearing this, Infinity look up. "Are you okay?"
A pause, and then, "YES…THIS IS AGREEABLE TO ME, CHILD OF THE FIRST-BORN!"
"Good," Infinity said, nodding. "You better go now."
And with that, the Phoenix Force soared up and into the bright light overhead. "Where is that thing going…?" Storm then asked as everyone looked up.
"Back to the Nexus of All Realities, Ororo. Where the Phoenix first arose."
People then gazed on Phoenix, who was now holding Marvel Girl close to her. Both of them were silently crying. Immediately, Elaine Grey came over to comfort them both as Sara and John squeezed their shoulders in support. "Are you two okay?" Cyclops asked.
A sigh. "The Force was sorry that it malfunctioned like it did when it tried to merge with Jean a year ago, Scott," Marvel Girl answered. "But it has hard-wired functions within it that it cannot disobey. Within the Nexus of All Realities, it has a vital function to perform. To not do so will cause considerable difficulties within all the various dimensions and planes of reality and thought that form Existence as a whole." She then gazed on Neutron. "You have a right to fear the bonding of a mortal to the Force, Master Neutron. That is why we both agreed to what Jean told the Lord Praetor before we were allowed to absorb a fraction of the Force's total power."
The Stygian warrior nodded. "That you do THAT, Lady Anne, shows even I that this event will be of benefit to all that you and your noble sister will meet."
A smile. "Thank you, Xyst." The once-android then gazed at Wolverine. "Besides, I have someone here who will ensure I function properly."
And with that, she walked over to swamp the Canadian with another of her lung-sucking kisses. As the others watching this laughed, Phoenix then walked over to embrace her beloved. "Hey, Slim," she then said as she gazed into his eyes. "I like the look."
"I wish I could keep it," he confessed. "But once we're out of here…"
She trilled before gazing at Prodigy. "Ne, Chiyo-chan. Can I get some help here?"
The young genius from Nakano blinked, and then she smiled. "Hai!"
"Hey, guys!"
People turned as Caltrop stepped off another light pad. "What is it?" Wolverine asked.
"Hate to break this up, but we got a problem back in Tomobiki with Ataru-kun," the woman born Kagura Michiko stated. "From what Liz just told me, the Oni ain't listening to reason. They're gonna make Ataru-kun either confess his love to Lum…"
"Or else wipe out all the memories of everyone on Earth — which will only affect all of Tomobiki thanks to what Dumbledore- kōchōsensei and his friends did — and leave," Prodigy stated, and then she sighed before a growl — which made the X-Men and the Imperial Guard gape at how CUTE she looked on doing that! — escaped her. "Tomo-chan!"
Warwind perked. "What?!"
"Fight scene time!"
Hearing that, the Wild Warrior of Passion whooped. "YAY! FIGHT SCENE!"
She then stopped, humming. "What is it, Tomo?" Soul Searcher asked.
"Yomi, they're SAMES! There's no FUN in beating up SAMES! It's BORING!"
Everyone fell flat on their faces as we now…
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(Posted Sun, 01 Apr 2012 17:00)
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