Dr. Henry McCoy, 'Hank' to his friends, 'Beast' to the public, walked his blue-furred self in to Professor Charles Xavier's office. "Ah, Hank," Xavier said, his wheelchair turning, "what can you tell me about our new... guests?"
Beast smiled. "And here I was going to ask you the same thing," he said with a chuckle as he sat down. "They are quite an... interesting group."
"So I gathered."
"Yes, well... two human-something hybrids, two androids, a soldier, a cursed martial artist, and a young girl who desperately wants us to believe she is normal."
"A cursed martial artist?"
"Yes... and it came as a big shock, too. Especially to Pyro and Nightcrawler. It seems that Mr. Ranma Saotome has an unfortunate condition that causes him to change sex when doused with water of about room temperature or lower."
Xavier barely suppressed a chuckle at the thought of some of the boys finding the cute girl they were ogling was actually a guy. "And I take it that isn't all that's strange about him?"
Hank shook his head. "Not quite. His body is in perfect condition, regardless of what sex he is at the moment, but beyond that... it was more his reaction to us. Or rather, his lack of reaction. The others all had some kind of reaction to my appearance... but he didn't. Seems that he's quite used to seeing the fantastic on a daily basis."
"Hmmm... that would match what I felt when scanned her... er... him. And the others?"
"The man calling himself 'Solid Snake' is probably the most normal of our new arrivals. He's a consummate soldier... I think he could give Wolverine a run for his money."
"Yes. A very... controlled individual."
"Yes. Then there's the girl, Hotaru Tomoe."
"She has impressive shields for someone with no training. I didn't push."
"Well, she is rather frail... and for no reason I can determine. There is some kind of energy about her... but I can't tell what it is. All I can tell is that she is trying a bit too much to get us to believe that she is absolutely normal.
"Then come the really interesting ones. Vash the Stampede - and that is his name, not a title - and Brianna Diggers are both hybrids. Brianna seems to have a bit of animal DNA mixed in with her own. Not to mention that she seems to have the highest sex drive I've ever seen in anyone! Vash, well, I can't tell what his non-human part is, but he's producing enough bio-energy that Rogue can't drain him."
"Hmm... both of them have deep insecurities. Vash seems to be a very peaceful person, inside. Brianna seems to have doubts about her self-worth."
"Hmmm...." Beast filled those tidbits away for future reference. "Well, the last two aren't human. Zero is simply put, the most advanced robot I've ever seen, far beyond the Sentinels. Interior circulatory system, adjustable physical appearance... and not just an artificial intelligence, but an actual artificial sentience!"
"Yes. It is quite unusual tapping into a mind that isn't human. I get the impression that he is a... person, who thrives on violence. We'll have to watch him. It's the last one that has me worried."
"Oh?"
"I can tell a mind is there... but I can't actually reach it. Since I can tap into the mind of the other one... well, it's a bit disturbing."
Beast grinned. "I think I can shed some light on that, actually. Nuku-Nuku isn't a Robot or an Android, she's a cyborg. But her biological components aren't human: they are feline. She's an advanced cyborg being run with a cat's mind. It is a very interesting process, actually. And while her body isn't as advanced as Zero's technologically, it's her 'skin' that is most potent."
"How so?"
Beast shrugged. "It's not adamantium... but it's the next best thing. And it is still flexible enough that it can give the illusion of being skin. Very remarkable... and we best hope that no one figures out how to make that stuff and uses it to make a new generation of Sentinel."
"Hmmm."
"Professor... what do you think this all means?"
"I don't know. But it concerns me. Somehow, a group of extraordinary people ended up coming here in a highly dramatic manner... none of whom seem to be from this place or time. I can't help but wonder... who brought them here? What purpose did he or she have. And..."
"And?"
"And... did he or she bring other people, and just not set them down, here?"
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(Posted Tue, 13 May 2003 17:20)
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