Issue #4
Banshee
Emma Frost
Jubilee
Skin
Chamber
M
Husk
Synch
Blink
Bishop
Sinister
Black Tom Cassidy
Penance
"I... HATE... MACHINES!!" Emma Frost screamed as she tore apart the wires and computer cards that made up the machine confining Angelo Espinosa with her telekinetic gifts.
Jubilee smirked. "Gosh Ms. F, I never woulda guessed."
Emma gave her a cold look. "Just help me get him down from there."
"Sure thing!" they climbed up to where he where he had previously been bound and held together. Now, only a few stray wires were holding him up. Dangling like a fly in a spider's web.
Emma walked up under where he was being held, " Blast. Jubilee... we don't know how much weight these things can hold, and he's still limp from being unconscious. You weigh less than I, just... go up try to get him out of there. And try not to get yourself hurt in the process! I cannot carry you both around."
She nodded and began to climb up to him. Feeling every groove to check for sturdiness, as she had been trained to. Continuing on until she came to the wires she had been dreading. She took a deep breath and put a hand on one of them when a new figure came into room. "MS. FROST!" she called out, distracted, she pushed a little to hard on one of the wires, looking up to where it led, she saw that Skin was slipping! "NO!" She climbed down back to the wall, fast as she could, and dropped down when she felt it was safe enough, but she knew it wouldn't be enough to get to Angelo in time. She quickly recovered from the landing and turned around, only to see that... Bishop had Skin in his arms. She breathed a sigh of relief, until seeing M was with him, carrying Synch on her shoulder.
Bishop glared at her "You panicked. That is a fatal mistake from where I'm from."
"Yeah yeah yeah, so you bustin' us outta here yet? I gotta take a shower. Big fencing tournament tomorrow." Jubilee replied.
M rolled her eyes.
Clarice watched as Penance skittered around sniffing things and darting her eyes around. She wondered what the others would think of her true secrets. Secrets she found out about in the In-Betweener's Realm. The tragedies that poor girl's had to live through. Blink knew she would have to tell them eventually. Something would have to pour out. She had to slip up. She became more depressed as she realized that as a formerly omnipresent being, that there was nothing to be held sacred by her teammates. She wondered what they would think of her after the mission was over. She held some information that the others might like to have kept secret. It would be very uncomfortable. Perhaps the White Queen would have to "hide" certain things for her.
But could Emma even be trusted?
Even Blink couldn't observe if the White Queen was at the Xavier School for any kind of self-serving purpose. She seemed to have something hidden up her sleeves at all times, maintaining contact with seedy individuals, but it was no different from when she was with the Hellions. She sighed deeply. Penance stopped for a moment to glance at her, then went on her way again.
Banshee's face clenched as he strained to fight off the machine. He had been fighting at it for about ten minutes. Still, he somehow sensed that this was only the beginning. That this was only the machine booting up. Turning on. Seeking weak points in the psi-wall he'd been trained to use. He couldn't go voluntarily unconscious again for some reason. But he knew that the wall had many flaws. He couldn't let go of one thought.
Black Tom Cassidy.
He had no idea what him and Sinister were planning, but Sean Cassidy knew he wasn't going to let them get away with it, he tried to push him out of his head, but as the pain grew stronger, so did his antipathy toward his cousin. It burned through his very soul. So much, he didn't see Paige and Jono run in.
Paige looked at her teacher in horror, "Mr. Cassidy!" she cried, "Jono! Try to get him down!"
Jono shot her a despondent look, "I don't think so, gel... it's too late."
She glared at him with discontent, "NO! You're not thinking hard enough!"
"What do you expect me to do? I don't know how these here machines work!" he exclaimed.
Husk tore off a layer of skin on her arm, and shot it through the nearest one. The shrieking buzzing they once had made faded to a low hum.
"Don't strain yourself like that again, Jono. A girl might get worried..." she walked pass him and started climbing the machine to get her teacher down.
Jono muttered to himself, "But... it shoudnt've been that easy..."
*****
Penance suddenly stopped and raised her nose to the air. Blink just attributed it to being her usual behavior, but Penance put on a very somber, dark face.
"Pen...?" before she could finish, Penance darted off! "?"
What had gotten into her? "PENANCE!", she said, as she took off after her.
"Oooh!" Sean moaned. "I've never felt so..."
Paige interrupted him, "Shh... Mr. C, it's best to keep your strength. We'll help get you outta here. Come on, Jonothon..."
They began to hoist him on their shoulders when a little girl in red began scampering up to her... make that a little red girl...
Jono's eyes widened, "Penny?"
Penance's eyes stopped on Banshee. She wound herself down to a standstill and just stared at him with a look of worry on her face.
"Gee, Jono, she looks awfully worried." She said as she turned to her on-again, off-again boyfriend.
Suddenly, there was a snapping coming from where penance entered. It was Blink. She gave an awkward look to the other and spoke. "Um... hey Paige... Jono... what's goin' on?"
They stared at her speechless for a few moments. Paige spoke up "Um, hey Clarice."
"You're Clarice?" Jono asked. Blink nodded. He considered questioning as to how she knew who he was, but decided against it.
And then after another, shorter silence, "Well, I'm sure explanations are in order, but not now. We need to get going."
"Right" Paige said. "Well, now that we have you guys, I guess we could take turns carrying Banshee."
"Good idea." Blink replied.
"Hey you guys. Something tells me we found something BIG..." Jubilee said sarcastically, referring to the giant door with a picture of Sinister on it.
Bishop stepped up to it, "It's way too obvious. It must be a trap."
"Oh blahblahblah. You know we're going in anyway." The now conscious rescued Skin remarked.
"I don't like his tone..." Bishop said to Emma.
"You never will" she replied.
Bishop became irritated. "You're the headmistress! You've got to command some discipline!"
She walked past him, "Oh please. Just because you're another one of Xavier's lackeys doesn't mean you get to tell me how to do my job. Angelo! Try to show more respect in front of the guest."
"Si, senora." he said as he smirked at Bishop.
One of Xavier's lackeys, eh? Bishop thought to himself. Isn't that what you are?
Jubilee became impatient, "Hey! If you two are done trying to obtain dominance, then can we PLEASE try to get in?!"
Monet pushed her classmate aside. "Oh, if you're going to be so impatient about it, allow me!" She began pounding on the door with her fists clenched.
"This is what I was talking about! She's just gone off an..." Bishop began.
Emma violently interrupted, "Do I have to repeat myself? Stop undermining MY authority in front of my students! I could have stopped her by now but I have to stand around and argue HER actions with you! I'm thankful for you answering the distress call, but now you're pushing me to my limits!"
Suddenly a whistling sound was heard. It was Paige.
"Hey guys! Could use a hand..." she called out.
Jubilee smiled, "Alright! The gang's all here! Now we can REALLY have a ball! Although I forgot my gown at home..."
Angelo shook his head and snickered at the half-joke and went over to help take the load off their shoulders. Jubilee followed.
Emma Frost took the moment to walk up to M and try to coerce her into calming down. "Monet, the others are here. You seem to be getting nowhere, the doors are barely damaged, and we need to regroup for a moment."
"NO! You know what I told you about... him!" she exclaimed.
Suddenly, the doors opened.
"Ooo... a traaap... IM SCARED! M! HOLD ME!" Jubilee exclaimed.
M shoved her off, "Get offa me! Honestly! You need to find a defense mechanism other than humor."
"Hmph. And I thought you just didn't love me anymore."
M gave her a hostile look.
"Husk, watch over them, please." Emma instructed.
Bishop walked over to Emma, "I would've had Jubilee do it..."
"Oh, shut UP. We're going inside everyone. Stay behind me, now."
They all followed her lead.
The inside looked remarkably different than the outside. It was lined with wooden floors and oriental rugs. The pictures and statues adored the sides, even the wallpaper was of exquisite design. The team soon came upon a Victorian desk, with a chair turned around.
Jubilee saw an obvious joke, "*gasp!* Don't look now! It's Dr. Mad!"
An uproarious laughter broke out from the other side of the desk.
Sinister turned around in the chair, "Charming! Just charming!" he began to laugh some more.
"...I didn't think it was that funny." Jubilee said.
M replied, "It wasn't"
Emma Frost walked up to his desk. "I think you owe us an explanation Nathaniel," she said, with impatience and annoyance in her voice.
His eyes lit up, "Ah, but that I do! You see... this was all one big hoax!"
"WHAT?!" Blink exclaimed.
"Yes... a test if you will. By whom, I shan't say. And will never say. You see. I don't even know! I'm not even Essex!" it said.
M burst out and grabbed the imposter by the neck. "WHERE IS SINISTER? WHERE IS THAT BASTARD?!" she was startled by the grip.
Emma spoke up, "Its no use, Monet. It's a cyborg. I suspected when we first saw it. But I've been registering no brainwave signatures.
She tossed the machine aside and pouted.
A new, different voice suddenly echoed around them, "Oh, and by the way, this whole facility has been set to self-destruct. The only protection you'll find is in this very room. I wouldn't... leave if I were you..."
"Banshee and the others!" Jubilee yelled. "We've got to get to them before time runs out!"
The doors slammed shut.
"I can make a portal to them! Let's go!" Blink cried, but then there was a rumbling outside and they all knew it was too late.
Jono cried out, "PAIGE! BLINK! OPEN A PORTAL! NOW!"
Blink looked at him hesitantly, "B-but..."
"Don't listen to him! Jono! That's utter suicide!" Emma commanded.
"Sh-she's out there..." he stumbled to his knees. "P-paige..."
After a few minutes, the rumbling stopped, Emma nodded at Clarice. She then opened up a portal. The team exited the room, followed by Blink.
They all stood on the rubble. Looking down into it. Knowing their teammates were there. Emma walked away from the group. Over one spot.
"...'re here." She said softly.
"What?" Bishop wondered.
"They're here." Emma repeated.
Jono looked down, a tear streaked down his face.
She looked up, "They're alive."
Jono's head darted up and his eyes glowed.
"Paige is holding the rubble up in her diamond form, but she'll soon fall weak without oxygen and be crushed if we don't get to them quick! Hurry! Let's all dig!" She exclaimed.
Everyone rushed up to her and started hurling debris. After a while, just when all seemed hopeless, Paige called out. They scrambled for her, and got the two bodies from under her and pulled her out as well.
"Oh... oh Jono... it was horrible. I never want to experience that kind of thing again..." she said.
"Shh... we're here. We gotcha. Don't worry." He said.
Emma interrupted "Okay guys. Now to figure out how to get out of here."
"A Blackbird jet is nearby," Bishop said. "It's being camouflaged. It'll take us home."
"At least you're good for something! Now! Let's be off then..." Emma walked off, her students following her.
"Sir... could you do me a favor?" M asked.
"Hm?" Bishop replied.
"Carry Banshee. I already got Synch. It'll help me out a lot. The others wouldn't be able to carry his weight."
"I see. So even though you're stronger than I am, you wish to carry the light load. I wonder why..." He smiled.
M blushed.
"HEY! TIMECOP! QUEENIE JUST REALIZED THAT SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHERE YOU PARKED YOUR 'CAMOUFLAGED' JET!" Jubilee yelled back at them.
"Why thank you, Jubilee." Emma rolled her eyes.
Bishop smiled.
Next Issue: First, check out X-Men #5 to see what happens to Blink. Then, be back here as the team settles down in the academy after Xavier's funeral. But, it appears Xavier had another headmaster coming on-board. Who is it? Find out in thirty!!