"It's good t' know a rich boy..." Gambit said, looking around the new home of X-Men Omega.

"I must admit, it is rather large," Bishop noted. "Not as big as the X-Mansion, but it's more than enough for the eight of us."

"I never dreamed I'd be living in a place like this..." Blink said. "Makes me feel like one of those celebrities or something."

"It will have to do..." Quicksilver said. "But we have more important things to worry about than interior decorating."

"Pietro's right," Bishop said. "Take some time to settle in, then meet back here in two hours. We'll worry about what we're going to do for training facilities at that time."

"I've already got somewhat of a training room," Warren said. "It's not as advanced as the Danger Room, but maybe I could have Forge come by and see about fixing it up a bit more."

"Well, let's get settled in, then!!" Blink exclaimed, running off to find herself a room.

"Such enthusiasm..." Psylocke muttered. "Reminds me of when Jubilee was with the X-Men."

"What d' you t'ink, chere?" Gambit asked. "You been pretty quiet on de trip over here."

"Sorry Remy..." Rogue replied. "It's nice an' all, wings. But it just don't feel like home yet."

"Well, I've got to get going," Warren said, looking at his watch. "I've got a meeting in a few hours in New York."

"You need the Aurora?" Shard asked.

"No," Warren replied. "I've got a private jet waiting at the airport. I've got to get some things organized, so I can transfer my office from New York to Colorado. You guys settle in, and I'll see you in a few days. I'll also contact Forge to see if he can rig up some better training facilities."

"I'll drive you to the airport," Psylocke said.

"No need, love," Warren said. "Even though I'm retiring from the superhero game, I still don't mind using my wings from time to time. I'll see you in a few days."

He pulled her into an embrace before taking to the skies.

Quicksilver zipped through the mansion and came to a stop at the front of the grounds. He had taken a few seconds to explore the grounds.

He was used to this type of setting before, when he lived in Avengers Mansion, and recently, in the Xavier Institute.

Things seemed to be happening so fast. First, Joseph was killed and his father, Magneto, became ruler of Genosha. Then, Pietro had agreed to join the X-Men. Following that, the team had to deal with the Shadow King and the new Brotherhood. And, to top it all off, it was revealed to the public that Professor Xavier was a mutant. When Xavier held a press conference, he was assassinated. After the funeral the X-Men had different views about how to approach Xavier's dream. This caused the team to split into X-Men Alpha and X-Men Omega.*

(* That pretty much sums up issues #1-5 of M2K's X-Men and Uncanny X-Men - Dino)

As he took off on another run, he noticed something in the courtyard. Racing over there, he was shocked to find a large doglike creature. He had instantly recognized it.

"Lockjaw!"

Rogue looked over her new living quarters.

It ain't like what ah had at th' X-Mansion, she thought. But that part o' mah life's over now. I'm gonna hafta get used to these new changes. I'm still an X-Man, just not in the same fashion.

She put her suitcase on the bed, and opened it up. Inside was a green bodysuit with a giant, yellow X on it.

"Ah just hope ah made the right choice..."

Psylocke dived into the air, the cool, Colorado breeze blowing through her hair. She performed an aerial flip, then landed gracefully on her feet. She then leapt once more, this time, however, performing a fluid kick, straight into a dummy she had set up.

While Warren's training facilities were a bit more advanced, she preferred to be out here, with nature. One of the things she enjoyed most about the X-Mansion was the time she spent outdoors, either taking a swim in the lake, or training in the fields. She also recalled the games of "cat and mouse" she had played with her former teammate, Revanche,* in the boathouse.

(* Revanche was a ninja assassin named Kwannon whose mind occupies Psylocke's original body. She died of the Legacy Virus in Marvel's X-Men #31 - Dino)

As she continued her workout, she suddenly felt a new mind come onto the premises. The mind was foreign and difficult to read.

Could it be the Shadow King? she thought. No, Jean defeated him. He expanded a lot of power when he fought her, it would take him much more time to come out of that.

With a thought, the mark of the Crimson Dawn over her left eye began to glow, as Betsy Braddock slipped into the shadows and vanished.

Clarice Ferguson, also called Blink, instantly fell in love with her bed. She could have easily fallen asleep here and not wake up for days.

It had been such a long time since she was able to get a good night's sleep. After the battle with Harvest,* she had teleported him, a chunk of the ship, and herself into her "pocket dimension." She used her powers to teleport different parts of his body across different areas of the dimension. But somehow, she had come out intact. It must have been some sort of failsafe on her powers. Some immunity that prevented her from "blinking" herself out of existence. Once this was over, she was encountered by a strange man who called himself the In-Betweener. He had begun training her to take his place as the new In-Betweener, a wanderer of dimensions. He showed her many different realities, and had her experience the memories of one of her counterparts, specifically. The one from the Age of Apocalypse reality, where Blink was raised by Sabretooth. Where Apocalypse had total domination over North America. She underwent a lot of pain and suffering then. She couldn't remember the details very clearly, but somehow, she came into contact with Gateway, who took her to the Massachusetts Academy.

(* Marvel's The Phalanx Covenant: Generation Next storyline - Dino)

Now, after having to deal with Black Tom Cassidy and Mr. Sinister alongside Generation X,* she made the decision to stay at the X-Mansion after Xavier's funeral.

(* In M2K's Generation X #1-4 - Dino)

She looked at the quiver of javelins she carried. As homage to her counterpart, she had opted to use her counterpart's costume rather than wearing a Generation X uniform or an X-Men training uniform, like most new students were required to. She was well-trained in throwing her javelins with deadly accuracy. To make them non-lethal, she was able to "charge" them with teleportation energy. When they struck a target, they teleported them to the pocket dimension.

Face it, she thought. You're more used to that other reality than this one. You still think that Magneto leads the X-Men. And that Bishop is a "stranger" who can't be trusted. Now though, you find out that Magneto is actually the ruler of Genosha. As if I didn't have enough problems to worry about by proving my worth to this team, now I've gotta deal with recognizing this reality as the true one. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to experience the memories of my counterpart...

Quicksilver looked at Lockjaw with utter surprise.

"How were you able to find me?" he asked, although he knew the Inhuman couldn't speak. "Forget that, why are you here? Did something happen to Crystal? To Luna?"

Lockjaw made no reply, just motioned for Quicksilver to grab hold of his fur.

Before Quicksilver could do anything, a figure in a black jumpsuit leapt from the shadows, pink energy surrounding her fist, taking the form of a blade. The red mark over her left eye glowed brightly.

"Psylocke!!" Quicksilver exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

Psylocke looked at Quicksilver and the odd creature standing next to him. After a quick mindscan of her teammate, she realized her error.

"My apologies, Pietro," Psylocke replied. "I sensed an alien presence on the grounds, and thought it was a threat."

"This is Lockjaw," Quicksilver explained. "He's one of the Inhumans."

"Inhumans?" Psylocke asked. "Isn't your wife-"

"Yes," Quicksilver replied. "Crystal is one of the Inhumans. I assume that's why Lockjaw is here."

Lockjaw once again motioned for Quicksilver to grab a hold of his fur.

"I'll handle this," Quicksilver said.

"Don't you think you might need the X-Men's assistance?"

"No," Quicksilver replied. "This is nothing that concerns the rest of you. It's family business."

Quicksilver grabbed onto Lockjaw's fur, and the two vanished in a flash of light before Psylocke.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Warren began, standing before hundreds of reporters and businessmen. "It is my honor to unveil to you the future. Worthington Enterprises is no more. Now, from its ashes comes Angel Inc."

It was his look that shocked the people most of all. He wore a type of white suit, with white gloves. Also, his feathered wings which protruded from his back were plainly visible.

"Any questions?" he asked.

The room erupted with commotion.

"Mr. Worthington, why the change?"

"Well, I felt it would be much more healthier i-"

"Mr. Worthington, are you publicly announcing the fact that you are a mutant?"

"Actually, yes I-"

"Mr. Worthington, does this have any connection with the recent death of Charles Xavier?"

"No, of course it does-"

"Mr. Worthington, what with the current affairs in Genosha, do you believe this is the right time to state that you are a mutant?"

"I don't see any pro-"

"Mr. Worthington, is it true that you're the illegitimate son of an angel and a mortal woman?"

"What the hell are you talking ab-"

"Mr. Worthington, do you have any connection with the outlaw group of mutants called the X-Men?"

"Well I-"

"Mr. Worthington!!"
"Mr. Worthington!!"
"Mr. Worthington!!"
"Mr. Worthington!!"
"Mr. Worthington!!"
"Mr. Worthington!!"
"Mr. Worthington!!"

"All right, that's enough!!!" Warren shouted. "Christ, look at you people!! You're like vultures!! Shooting questions off as if there was no tomorrow, and cutting me off before I can even finish answering!! This is ridiculous!!!"

"Mr. Worthington, I just have one final que-"

Warren's face became a mask of rage as he used all his strength to hurl the podium into the aisle.

"....That was the scene today in New York City when Warren Worthington III, the owner of Worthington Enterprises, now called Angel Inc., became agitated with reporters and hurled the podium at them."

"Oh Warren...." Jean Grey Summers, otherwise called Phoenix of X-Men Alpha, said.* She was sitting alone in the boathouse of the Xavier Institute, watching the news. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to anything like that..."

(* For more on Jean and the rest of X-Men Alpha, check out X-Men Alpha #1, hitting the site in two weeks - Dino)

She looked at the little slip of paper Warren dropped off before he headed to the press conference. It had the number of X-Men Omega's current place of residence, at Warren's Colorado estate.

She reached over and picked up the phone, then began to dial. It rang a few times.

"Hello?"

The voice had a southern accent to it. Obviously Rogue.

"Hello? Anybody there?"

Jean considered what her words would be, then hung up the phone.

"Who was dat, chere?" Gambit asked.

"Ah dunno," Rogue replied. "Must've been a wrong number."

Bishop looked around his new bedroom. On his bed was his new uniform. Blue and yellow, just as the past ones. However, the shoulder pads were a bit smaller, and he had two yellow strips connecting the shoulder pads to his belt buckle, a giant X symbol. He looked down at the two futuristic guns which also lay on his bed. He had to admit that they were becoming somewhat of a burden. Perhaps Forge could find something better...

He thought back to the last time he was a leader. In his own time among the XSE, he commanded Malcolm and Randall. They had come with him to the past to track down the escaped criminals, as well as the cause-Fitzroy. Soon after, they were killed by Stygult.*

(* This all happened back in Marvel's Uncanny X-Men #287 - Dino)

He wouldn't let anything like that happen again.

Lockjaw and Quicksilver materialized in some sort of facility.

"What is this place?" Quicksilver asked, looking around. He turned to his side. Lockjaw was already gone, though.

"Hello Pietro..."

Quicksilver spun around and found a light shining down from the center of the room, piercing the darkness. There, a woman with red hair and in a yellow jumpsuit lay unconscious.

"CRYSTAL!!!" he exclaimed, running over to her.

Picking her up, he lightly cradled her in his arms, looking for some sign of life.

"Crystal, please, you have to be alive..." he said, tears beginning to blur his vision. He touched her neck and felt a pulse. It was faint, but it was there. "Thank god..."

"God?"

Quicksilver's head darted around again.

"God doesn't exist anymore. There is no God!! A man thought he was god, but all he has to show for it is a small little island which was MINE by right!!! It was for me, I had it!! Then, he had to come back from the dead-again!!!"

Quicksilver's eyes became filled with rage as he saw who his wife's captor was.

"CORTEZ!?!"

NEXT ISSUE: Fabian Cortez is back!! But, what does he have planned for Quicksilver and Crystal?