The year is 2101. Less than two years have passed since 90% of the world's population died between the rising waters. Less than one year has passed since Kulan Gath and others nearly destroyed what remained of humanity within the Savage Land. In the interim, there had been much work to do. The lush jungles of the Savage Land had been nearly razed to the ground, putting the delicate balance of life and death within the hidden world in serious danger of disintegration.

Xi'an Chi Xan walked through the streets of Xavier City, hands clasped behind his back. He was an attractive man with a steely gaze and a quiet resolve about him. Before the great disaster and the coming of the Phalanx, he had been leader of the X-Men, who still fought for the dream of a man long dead. Mutants and humans, living together in perfect unity -- a dream that had come close to fruition when necessity forced a closer working relationship between the two groups. Where once there had been the luxury of hating and despising those who were different, now there had to be cooperation lest both sides pass into extinction.

As he walked through the city, Xi'an couldn't help but be impressed with the way the city had bounced back. Really, the entire human community within the Savage Land had proven remarkably resilient. Some of that credit had to go Miguel O'Hara and his leadership but most of it was deservedly spread out amongst the general populace, who had refused to go quietly into the night.

All around the world, mankind had decided to try and take back what had once been theirs. The flood waters had begun to recede in many areas and in the others, corporations like Stark-Fujikawa, Alchemax and others were making millions creating living and work space for those who wanted to return to the lands of their births. New York City was almost recognizable again, as were other major cities of the world. Many of the city's human inhabitants had slowly left the borders of Xavier City, not enough to really make a visible impact on the city streets but enough that Xi'an was growing a little concerned.

In contrast, there were few mutants in Xavier City who contemplated leaving the Savage Land. This sanctuary was what many of them had always dreamed of -- a place for mutants, built by mutants, maintained by mutants. Separate but equal, Miguel O'Hara had joked once before, words which ate away at Xi'an's soul. Voluntary segregation could, in the long run, undo the goodwill that mutants had engendered in the post disaster period. For now, they were needed allies... but as time progressed and the worlds of humanity and mutant became more detached, the old fears would resurface. They hate what they don't understand, Xi'an thought.

"Xi'an!" a man said, appearing in a rush of wind and dirt. Meanstreak was the fastest man alive, a fact that he regularly pointed out to people.

"What is it, Henri?"

Meanstreak pointed back towards the way Xi'an had come. The seat of power in Xavier City could be seen over the gleaming steel and metal construction of the town's industrial district. "Someone just arrived. Says he wants to speak to the man in charge."

"Has the entire council been notified?"

"No. Morphine met him and is talking to him. In private. I overheard and thought it best to come and get you."

"Good man," Xi'an said, patting Henri on the shoulder. "Now I just to--"

Before he finished speaking, Meanstreak had grabbed hold of Xi'an and rushed through the city. He moved slower than usual but it was still enough to take Xi'an's breath away. Within seconds, they were standing just outside the administrative office currently being used by Morphine Somers. It was by far the most ostentatious of the offices in the government center, even surpassing Xi'an's, who was head of the council. Morphine had recently moved into the larger office, with an impressive view of Lensherr Park's Lake Rasputin.

"How's that for service?" Meanstreak asked, a grin on his face.

Xi'an sighed and nodded his thanks. Smoothing down his clothing, he pushed open the doors to the office, ready to voice his displeasure to the green-haired mutant. He would not make a scene in front of their guest, whomever they were, but he had to keep the structure of command in place. Morphine had once been a member of Doom's cabinet and it was well known in the city that his loyalties sometimes fluttered on the wind.

As the heavy doors closed behind him, Xi'an felt his anger dissipating quickly. Morphine was seated behind his massive oak desk, eyes widening at the sudden intrusion. "Hello, Councilman. I was just about to send a messenger to fetch you."

Xi'an barely heard the mutant's words. His gaze was fixated on the man garbed in red and purple who stood in front of Morphine's desk. He wore red and purple, a long cloak hanging down his back. Hiding his features was a mask that had become synonymous with many things to many different people. To some, it was a visage of pure evil. To others, it was a symbol of violent resistance against oppression. "Who do you think you are....?" Xi'an gasped, unable to hide his shock and dismay.

The figure bowed slightly, the ghost of a smile appearing beneath the helmet. "You may call me Magneto. Magneto Rex."

"Jammit! Take off that helmet!" Xi'an shouted, rage suddenly filling his body. Magneto and Charles Xavier were legends in this day and age, having sacrificed so much for the good of their people. While it could be argued about which had contributed more to the cause, neither of them deserved to have their images desecrated in any way. Given that Xi'an had met those two figures during a visit to Mephisto's realm, he felt particularly strongly on the matter*. "You have no right to take the name and helmet of that man," he continued, moving to stand before the so-called Magneto Rex.

(*Believe it or not, it took place back in M2K's X-Men 2099 Annual # 1)

"I have every right," Magneto Rex replied. "And I've come to offer our kind a way off this dying planet." He held up his right hand, a small holochip balanced in the center of his palm. It activated with a small motion of his hand, projecting an image of a large asteroid into the air above his hand. "I come offering sanctuary. I come offering Asteroid-M."

---

Tim Fitzgerald lay on his back, staring up into the eternally sunlit sky of the Savage Land. Because of a deal struck with Mephisto*, there would never again be nighttime in this land. While that had its advantages, it also meant that there would be no more starry nights, which was a damned shame, he mused.

(*Back in issue 12 of this series)

"What are you thinking?" Luna asked, crouched nearby. Like her lover, she was nude, her snow white skin looking particularly inviting to Tim. The two of them were in a secluded area just outside the city, having snuck away for some alone time. Given how many changes they'd both gone through in the last couple of years, it was good to take some time and focus on their relationship.

"Just that this would be perfect with a full moon over there and the little dipper right... there."

"I just saw the big dipper," Luna said with a wicked grin.

Tim rolled over  to face her, laughing. "You're naughty."

"And you're a lot better with your powers. I'm glad we're able to... do what we just did."

Tim nodded. After his last 'death,' he'd been reborn as an energy being. It took some doing to drape himself in something resembling a human body and even more effort to interact in a personal manner with someone else. "I almost lost control there at the end."

"I know. I felt it."

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Not much. I used to work with the Theatre of Pain, remember? You're nothing compared to that."

"Good point." Tim's smile faded and he looked serious again, which made Luna's smile widen. He had begun painting his face ages ago -- to look more like his lover, whose skin was naturally that color -- but had kept the look even though his current physical form was a shell. "You think we're going to be okay?"

"You and me?"

"All of us."

"Well, it's been almost a year since the last time somebody decided to try and destroy the world so it's probably do for another go." Luna shrugged. "But I think the worst is behind us. After the flood and the Phalanx and Gath, what's left?"

As if on cue, a sudden whispering filled the air. It sounded like dozens, if not hundreds, of voices talking at once. The words drifted from the trees, encircling the two nude lovers. Only snippets could be understand because the sheer volume of words seemed overwhelming but Tim distinctly heard It's them! Run!, She's dead, You have to go back and stop it!

The whispering faded as suddenly as it started though a chilly wind had begun to blow, making both Tim and Luna shiver. "What the shock was that?" Tim wondered aloud.

Luna looked equally confused. "Did you hear what they were saying?"

"Yeah... but did you hear who was saying it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Those voices... I recognized some of them. They were us. The X-Men."

---

Less than an hour after the whisperings had interrupted their conversation, Tim and Luna stood fully dressed in the council chambers. Shakti had telepathically summoned all the X-Men to meet with the assembled council and their guest, who imposingly stood in the center of the room. All eyes seemed focused on this man who called himself Magneto but the reactions varied wildly. Some seemed amused by the scene while others -- mainly those whose personal views mirrored the historical ones voiced by the true Magneto -- looked offended.

Tim and Luna had shared their experiences with Shakti but there had been no time to bring their concerns before Xi'an.

Eddie stood with arms crossed over his massive chest, shaking his head. "Can you believe that? Why are they letting him keep that helmet on?"

Krystaline and Meanstreak were closest to the behemoth and both glanced at him in agreement. "It's one thing for us to call ourselves X-Men in honor of the groups who came before," Henri agreed, "It's another to just up and decided you're going to take a dead man's name."

Krys held her tongue, though she shared the sentiment. She was more concerned with what the man was going to say. Whatever it was that he'd shared with Xi'an and Morphine, it had been enough to warrant a closed door session of council. Xi'an had not, however, bothered to contact Miguel O'Hara as none of his representatives were present, nor were the heroes of the Fantastic Four.

"If I might have everyone's attention," Xi'an began, standing up from his seat in the center of the council's podium-level stage. Xi'an briefly locked eyes with Shakti, who immediately linked him to the X-Men's psi-network. The beautiful brunette gave Xi'an a personal nudge of encouragement, as well, through the somewhat stronger link they shared. Originally she had only been able to use her telepathy to locate other mutants but that had begun to change as of late and Xi'an now wondered what her limits truly were -- they seemed to grow broader by the day.

Clearing his throat, Xi'an addressed the council and the X-Men. "Our guest today comes as a representative of a mutant splinter group. I think it best if we let him explain himself personally, so if you would be so kind--?"

Magneto strode forward dramatically, his cloak swirling about him. "I am Magneto Rex and I come here today to offer all of you a chance at refuge. In the time that you've been here in the Savage Land, all that you've built has been threatened again and again. All it would take is a small ecological disaster to plunge all of this -- to plunge the entire world -- over the brink. I realize that there has been some efforts concerning the possibility of fleeing Earth to colonize other worlds. That is a very good idea, for we can no longer remained locked onto one planet. Several years ago, my friends and I located a hidden lair that had once belonged to Magneto. Inside were plans to rebuild a new, improved version of Asteroid M. Using technology stolen from Alchemax and other corporations who have kept our kind in chains, we built this orbiting station. I claimed the name Magneto Rex to honor the man whose vision allowed us to escape the disasters that plagued the world. We were off-planet when the waters came. We have watched the horrors that have plagued you since... and we want to help."

"That's impossible," councilman Chang muttered. A heavyset man of Asian descent, Chang was considered a contrarian by nature. "Such a thing would have been detected! You can't have a manmade asteroid in orbit and not have someone notice it."

"The Asteroid contains Shi'ar cloaking technology," Magneto replied, displaying no insult at the man's words. "The best way to convince all of you that this is real... that we are offering to share our home with any and all who wish to escape the boundaries of Earth and be free to roam the galaxy... is for a delegation to come and see for themselves."

"How many people live on the Asteroid now?" Shakti asked, puzzled at her inability to read the man's mind. His psi-shields were extremely powerful, making her wonder if there wasn't some form of shielding built into the helmet he refused to remove.

"A handful but there's room for thousands more. We have greenhouses on board that are capable of producing foodstuffs to feed us for decades."

"You mentioned exploring the galaxy," Henri said. "Is that your plan? Take off into the depths of space and not look back?"

"Humanity is bound to his world," Magneto replied. "Homo Superior is meant for greater things. Out there lies entire worlds and empires, all waiting for us to explore."

"Or conquer," Morphine whispered. He was watching Magneto closely and his words were spoken so quietly that only one person in the room had heard him. Krys, standing closest to Morphine's seat, flashed him an astonished expression but said nothing aloud.

Are you guys picking up my thoughts? Krys asked over the psi-link provided by Cerebra.

Yeah, Eddie answered. Is that just Somers being a jerk again or does he know something we don't?

Shakti's mental voice sounded calm. Magneto does have a little bit of a zealot air to him, doesn't he?

Xi'an spoke up then, seizing everyone's attention. "I think we should explore this possibility. While I'm not anxious to abandon our homeworld -- and I don't share any views that humanity should be tossed aside -- the fact is that a self-supporting means of evacuation from the Earth in the event of danger is something we can't overlook. I think we should send a grouping of X-Men, along with myself, with Magneto to tour Asteroid M."

"I respectfully disagree," Morphine Somers said. "Mr. Chairman, a delegation from Latveria is due to arrive in the next day or two and you'll be needed for the negotiations. Allow me to visit in your stead."

Xi'an looked conflicted for a moment but finally relented. Since Doom had vanished in the wake of the Harbinger incident, Xavier City had entered into a number of trade agreements with Latverians officials. While most had gone well enough, the time had come to re-negotiate the terms and it was expected that Latveria might be looking to play hardball. "Very well. Morphine will accompany the X-Men and Magneto Rex to the Asteroid and will file a full report upon his return."

"Excellent!" Magneto said in a booming voice. "I assure you... this will be a turning point in all your lives."

---

"I wish I were going with you," Xi'an said, cradling Charles in his arms. The boy was growing like a weed and he wiggled about until Xi"an set him down the floor, watching in amusement as he half-crawled, half-walked around the room.

Shakti nodded, checking to make sure all of her equipment was in place on her costume. "So do I. It's funny... after all we've been through with Morphine, I still can't trust him fully."

"That's why you can't trust him fully. We've been through too much with him."

Shakti turned to face him. "What do you think about the things Tim told us?"

"The whispering? I have no idea."

Shakti moved towards him, taking his hands in her own. "When do you want to tell them?" she asked teasingly.

Xi'an shifted somewhat. "Soon. I'd like to get it done before fall."

"Get it done? You're so romantic."

"I'm marrying you, aren't I?" he answered. "That's all the romance you're going to out of me for now."

Shakti kissed him, glad that things between them had improved so much. Much of their passion was kept out of the public eye since Xi'an wanted to avoid any signs of impropriety in the handing out of assignment but she was going to break through that wall soon enough. "I love you," she whsipered.

"Same here. Be careful."

---

Noah Wingfoot wiped the sweat from his eyes and leaned back on his heels. A pterodactyl flew overhead, squawking out a warning to the man below. Wingfoot grinned, using his mutant eyesight to zoom in on the creature. It was a wondrous thing and he thanked the gods above that he was able to be here now and enjoy it. When the floods had come, he'd been in Boston at an archaeology conference. As soon as he'd heard about the looming disaster, he'd hightailed it to his uncle's home, knowing that the old man would be making preparations for his survival. He'd been right. Through a long and circuitous route, he'd ended up in Xavier City. It wasn't the way he'd envisioned his life ending up but he was making the most of the opportunity to go gallivanting around in the Savage Land. He'd already encountered several native tribes who were a godsend for a man in his field. It was just like being tossed back in time.

Noah was holding a pickaxe in one hand and had been hacking away in the dirt in a large trench about four miles west of Xavier City. Rules were that no one was to go wandering so far afield without permission but Noah couldn't stand waiting for the permits to come through. though red tape wasn't yet as bad as it had been on the outside. This particular area was supposedly the site of some ancient battle but the details had been lost during the Heroic Age. Noah knelt and pushed his fingers into the earth, feeling something hard and metallic. He stood back up and resumed his digging, working for nearly another hour until his muscles ached and he dripped perspiration.

Revealed from beneath the dirt and rock was a capsule of some kind, large enough to house a human body. There was the faint traces of writing on the outside of the capsule but most of it was so faded that Noah couldn't read it. He ran his hands over the strange device, wiping away the decades of grime that had built up over the small window located at the top end of the capsule. When it was clear, he saw a face staring back at him....

And he felt the blood in his veins run cold.

He turned from the capsule and set off at a fast trot, eager to return to the City and tell someone in power. He had gotten no more than twenty feet away from the capsule before the  pterodactyl he'd seen earlier swooped down and gripped him in its claws. It lifted him high into the air, preventing the warning from ever being delivered.

The capsule remained where it was, waiting.

---

Magneto Rex piloted the shuttlecraft with experienced hands, ignoring the sounds of the X-Men in the rear of the vessel. So intent on bringing the ship to dock with the floating majesty of Asteroid M that he barely noticed the presence of Morphine Somers, who slid into the copilot's seat at his side.

"So who are you, really?" Morphine asked, his long green hair slicked back from his forehead.

Magneto glanced over at him, peering out from beneath the helmet. "A mutant like yourself. One who wants to see our people achieve all that they can."

"You control magnetism?"

"Yes. Though certainly not to the degree that the original Magneto did."

"What an incredible coincidence. You having magnetic powers and also finding Magneto's legacy. Amazing."

"I get the feeling you don't trust me, Mr. Somers."

"You would be right. I'd like to know what your real agenda is."

"You'll understand once you're onboard the Asteroid, I think. The leaders of Xavier City have wasted an incredible opportunity. Rather than offering a hand of friendship to the people who've tried to oppress us for so long, this was our opportunity to take control."

The shuttlecraft docked in a large hanger containing two other similar ships. A force field snapped into place behind them, sealing them off from the void of space.

Magneto rose from his seat and strode towards the door leading off the vessel. He was met there by Skullfire and La Lunatica, who were obviously watching him with suspicion. "Welcome, my fellow mutants, to Asteroid M." With a gesture, he opened the door and led them out. The air on the station was filtered and somewhat canned in quality but definitely breathable. "It's actually rather ironic that you're the first ones here besides us."

"Why's that?" Tim asked, gesturing for Henri to do a superspeed recon of the facility. Meanstreak had just taken a step to his left to do just that when he suddenly screamed  and fell onto his side, clutching at his head.

"Because there's such a history between your organization and ours," Magneto answered.

"We're under attack!" Cerebra yelled, sensing the presence of multiple mutants. They emerged from thin air, shimmering into view at their invisibility shields were dropped. There were five of them and they were garbed just as dramatically as the X-Men themselves. Before the defenders of Xavier City could begin formulating a response, each of them began to sway on their feet, finally succumbing to an odorless gas in the air.

As the last of them hit the floor, Magneto turned to a woman dressed in a blue jumpsuit.  "Excellent work, Payne."

The woman beamed back at him.

"Ahem."

Magneto turned to see Morphine Summers standing in the doorway to the shuttle, looking none the worse for wear. "How...?"

"I took precautions. I suspected a trap."

Magneto smiled coldly. "Well. You are the intelligent one, aren't you?"

"Your friends," Morphine said, raking them over with his eyes. "Who are they?"

"The forgotten side of Magneto's legacy," Rex answered. "They are the Brotherhood. Payne, who controls a number of invisible gaseous emissions." Morphine held back the insulting comments that came to mind, cognizant of the fact that he was badly outnumbered. Magneto gestured to a large man with skin that looked like plates of rock. "Tectonic. Our strongman." A brown-skinned woman in a green and yellow skirted outfit curtsied next. "Psi-Witch, who's responsible for taking out Meanstreak." The final two members of the Brotherhood were obviously twins, one male and one female. They each had one identical blue and yellow tights, one with a fiery sun on the chest and the other a crescent moon. "And finally Night and Day, who are able to generate darkness and sunlight in equal amounts."

"A truly awe-inspiring group," Morphine deadpanned. "And your plan is....?"

"Oh, I would have thought was obvious. We're going to auction you off to a party who's very, very interested in getting their hands on you. I was a little worried when Xi'an offered to come himself -- when it's you that our financial backer really wants."

Morphine said nothing, though he felt a cold fury overtaking him. He was no one's pawn. Not ever. These fools would have to find that out the hard way.

At his feet, unnoticed by the Brotherhood, Tim continued to fake his unconsciousness. Being an energy being, he was immune to Payne's attack... but he had to be smart about this.

Hang in there, Somers,  he thought to himself. We're gonna get out of this, one way or another.

---

In X-Men 2099 #27: Brotherhood continues, as the X-Men come face-to-face with the new Brotherhood of Mutants! Plus: the capsule is opened, revealing something so shocking that it might destroy Xavier City.

---

AUTHOR'S NOTES

And so the saga continues. It's truly an honor to follow up David Wheatley's classic run with one of my own. As with David's style on the series, there will be plenty of action but it won't be forced -- the driving heart of the series will be the tensions that arise out of the characters. So don't expect fisticuffs in every issue.

The Magneto Rex/Asteroid M thing is a tie-in to the past but I plan to introduce as many new concepts as I will update old ones. The beauty of the 2099 universe was that, yes, it was an updating of traditional characters and settings but it was also the closest thing Marvel's ever done to an ongoing science fiction setting. Following this opening storyline, we'll be embarking on one called "World Tour 2101" as we get a firsthand glimpse at what the rest  of the world is like. Given the fact that we're playing with Magneto's legacy, you might not be wrong in assuming that his actual heir -- who's currently running around as Moon Knight -- will be popping up down the road, as well -- but that will come following the World Tour.

Please let me what you think of the series!

Barry