"Is it our powers that are acting up, or has everyone just disappeared." mumbled Kielle hanging onto Angel. A tear went down her eye, of which Angel promptly wiped away.
"We'll find Colin and when we do, we will be a force to be reckoned with. I have every vampire on Earth looking for the prince. The reward I offered will help too." said Angel trying to console her.
"Where's Dustin and Crystal?" asked Kielle suddenly. Angel became immediately alert and rushed into other rooms of their house. Dustin and Crystal were not there.
*
Dustin tried to get some sleep in an other room while everyone was sitting talking after supper. He woke up to a sound that startled him. Getting up quickly, he was not in California anymore. He tried reaching out for everyone with his mind, but couldn't reach out of the room because of the metal it was constructed out of. He went over to the wall and knocked on it. It was a hard metal, reasonably shining and it prevented telepathic discourse. He was sure finding out a lot of new things, this trip around to this universe. Perhaps he could, if he could get out of here, make Kristi a new chamber in her mansion out of this kind of metal so no one could peak in on them! But, what was he going to do without powers?
*
Kristi held Max's hand. "I met him when I was first transported there because of Dustin." Kristi continued her fantastic story, that if Kristi hadn't been there and experienced it, she wouldn't believe it herself. A jolt suddenly went through her, she searched for Dustin. His presence disappeared.
"Dustin!" cried Kristi, instantly standing up. Max stood up too, not knowing what was going on.
"What? What's happening, Kristi?" asked Max frantically.
"I lost touch of Dustin!" Kristi tried to contact Kielle, Crystal and Dustin, but they didn't seem to hear her! At least, for now she could tell that they were safe. Now, she needed to talk with her computer, Colin.
Cheryl and Mark came back as Max took her hand to sit her down again.
"You have an impressive facility here, Mrs. Lebeau. But the blue prints show for a massive basement. Why haven't you shown us this part of your house?" asked Cheryl.
"That's the part of the house that's off limits to everyone but me. Now, I think that the interview is over!" shouted Kristi. "I'm going to transport you out of here Mrs. Mannon. I do not want you disclosing anything that might ruin the reputation of my school or tell of me!"
"But!" started Cheryl. She was going to object once again that she had the freedom of the press.
"If you don't want to find yourself in an alternate reality where the Nazi's actually won world war two and conquered the world... I suggest you keep your mouth shut!" snapped Kristi. "I can find you any time, any where, there is no where on Earth that you can hide from me." Kristi smiled a cool, ice cold smile and teleported both Cheryl and Mark outside the force field.
"That was uncalled for." muttered Max.
Kristi smiled at her Oscar winning performance. "I think I should of gone into acting as well. Dustin and Crystal sure did well in that area!"
"Was what she was saying true?" asked Max. Kristi couldn't lie to him, "Yes, it's true. Come." she said motioning towards a control panel down the hall. "Let's go down. I'll show you my biggest secret and we will see if our friendship remains true." Max wondered at why she was using the cryptic language.
*
Kielle and Angel had no idea what to do. She tried contacting Kristi, and she couldn't get through. Also, she telepathically searched for everyone. It seemed that everyone had disappeared off the face of the planet. Angel had every vampire in the world out hunting for them, but by the time they found Colin, who knows what could of happened to him!
In the meantime, Angel had called a meeting of all the head vampires from every country. Kielle was not one to sit still, she was not going to just sit in her home while HER little boy was missing!
The most logical place to start looking was at the X-manor. She teleported herself in front of the mansion. She entered the building carefully, calling out names just to make sure that no one was going to jump on her for intruding. As she looked around, she saw no one, the house was deserted! Not exactly deserted, but no one was there, it was like everyone had just got up and left. She went into Xavier's chambers and pulled out a phone book from his desk. As she looked through the phone numbers, she started calling people she knew about, like X-force and the Fantastic Four. To her surprise, no one was there either. It was like all good guys of the world had vanished! All of a sudden she heard a sound like a gun going off, she immediately teleported herself back to her room at her house, where she could be safe. But, she would feel so much safer after Angel would get back.
*
Crystal had heard someone enter, she had turned herself invisible as Kielle entered the X-manor, to make sure she was not detected. By the looks of it, that was a good idea. Crystal watched as Kielle went to room, to room and make her telephone calls. She had also came to the same conclusion, everyone had disappeared somewhere! She also couldn't find Dustin, it was like he dropped off the face of the Earth! It came as a shock as she heard a gun go off, but she didn't run like Kielle had. She went towards whatever had made the noise. As she approached it, she found out that it wasn't a gun at all, but a ship crashing into the hangar!!! Out came Xavier holding Jubilee's ear as he led her out of the plane.
"That was not funny, young lady and I shall see you punished once I explain this all to Scott." screamed Xavier telepathically. Crystal could pick it up fine, in fact it etched in her sensitive ears.
"Ow! Professor, cut that out! I know it was wrong to tell Scott that story, but you have to admit that it was genius! I got a hologram to impersonate Lillandra and you were gone! It was a joke worthy of me! Ow!" yelled Jubilee as Xavier led her to her room by her ear.
"How does training in the Danger Room with Wolverine sound?" asked Xavier furiously. Jubilee's face whitened considerably. Wolverine who was right behind them, smiled a lazy smile.
Crystal decided to appear, "Hey people! You have to get out of here!" warned Crystal frantically.
Xavier's eyes went wide in surprise and Logan sprang up into action. Before Crystal knew it, she was on the floor gasping for breath.
"Who are you?" he snarled. Crystal kicked and screamed, and finally connected with something. Wolverine doubled over, although got right back up. No one kicked him in the groin and got away with it.
Xavier stopped Logan before he did anything he would regret later. This person was not here to harm them, he might as well hear her out.
"Charles... you don't know me... Although, you do know my friends, Kristi and Dustin! People have been disappearing! The fantastic four, X-force, Dustin, Remy, Scott... And Sinister is behind it!" said Crystal all in one breath and them took another one to continue but it was short lived. Bobby froze everything around her.
Crystal had enough of this, "That's enough!" She broke through all the ice and was now radiating energy. "People have been disappearing and I didn't jump realities to put up with you X-men when I could of just read your comic books! Go back to wherever you were and I will take care of Sinister on my own!" Crystal didn't care what they were trying to say as she stormed out of the house. She then felt a whirlwind pick her up and carry her back in. From the air, she was dropped on the couch.
"Calm down! We didn't even catch your name! Did you hear you correctly, did you by chance say, Scott and Remy?" asked Xavier eyeing her.
"I might of and I might not of." said Crystal indignantly.
Wolverine came up to her and put his claws to her neck, "You better start talking quick, girl." Crystal gave them all a mental push which sent them all spiraling backwards.
"My name is Crystal, I believe we met, for a short period of time, now that I come to think about it, five years ago I believe. Yes, Scott and Remy has been captured along with my friends." said Crystal crisply as she teleported herself out of there as quickly as possible. Now where was she going to go?
*
Kielle teleported back into a trap, as soon as she appeared, she was knocked on her head hard with wood. She went black immediately. The men who had committed this crime, lay in wait until Angel returned. Lo and behold, Angel returned after his meeting and found Kielle laying on the floor unconscious. As he bent down to see if she was just sleeping, he too, was knocked over the head with a stick of wood and they were both thrown into a van and transported to the airport.
*
Not long after that, Crystal teleported herself out of the X-manor, back to Kielle's place. There was no signs of struggle, yet she couldn't find ANYONE! It was like everyone was gone! There was no longer any choice. She would have to go back to the X-manor, and talk with them again. It was not an experience that she wanted to repeat, but somehow, she needed to find help and they were the only ones at the moment.
Then she heard a muffled sound. "Oww. Oww. My poor butt! Oww. Oww." She ran into the living room to find Jubilee sitting on the floor cradling her hurting butt.
"What are you doing here?" demanded Crystal "No, better yet. How did you get here?"
"Excuse me? I'm the one on the floor with my butt hurting. Please help me up." whined Jubilee, holding out her hand. Crystal went and took it and helped her off the floor.
"You must of had some idea about how you got here." said Crystal.
"All I know is that my hands started to glow and.... Holy Shit!?!" screamed Jubilee, taking a look at her hands. "I have rubies in my hands!!"
"Oh no." moaned Crystal. "Jubilee come and sit down. I need to explain something." Jubilee numbly followed her to the couch.
"Now, this will sound totally far fetched. Wait a minute, you've met the S'hiar, no you won't find it totally wacko. You see, there is someone named Kristi.." started Crystal.
"Yeah, I know her. Her and Dustin kind of popped into the mansion. I think it's been about five years now." interrupted Jubilee. Crystal sighed with contentment. This was going to be easier for that fact.
"Okay then. She is I guess you can say the embodiment of all Fay magic. There are us of those who help her and hold, I guess you can say, some of her power, because she can't hold it all herself. Although, she can sure as hell use it when she wants to. I don't know how exactly we were chosen to help her, or why, but you have been chosen. From what I can gather, I think we were just born to do it. We who hold the gems inside ourselves are attracted to each other in a binding way, telepathically, and power wise." finished Crystal.
"So you say that I have even more power on top of my mutancy?" asked Jubilee shaking considerably.
"I'm afraid so. Although, I know a place that you could go and you wouldn't be persecuted as a mutant." said Crystal trying to make it not sound so bad. "You know, at first I thought that Kristi could just make anyone one of her helpers, but you contradict it. Come along. We need to find help." said Crystal getting up. Jubilee took one look at her hands and knew what she had to do. She got up and followed.
*
Kristi took Max and she put her finger print and voice authorization into the scanner. They descended the stairs and Max was amazed at what he saw. It was more advanced than anything he had ever seen.
"Colin I'd like you to meet Max Wiltshire." said Kristi. He had no idea to who she was speaking to, yet on a big screen in the middle of this computer that seemed to extend to every part of the basement.
Hello, Max. was written on the screen.
"Uh hi." replied Max. "This computer has it's own intelligence?"
"Yes, Colin is an entity. He helps us think out problems and he keeps tabs on the rest of the world for me by being able to look into any computer, anytime, anywhere." said Kristi quietly, waiting to see how he would react.
"You shouldn't have this technology. A government should have it! Any government! It shouldn't be in the hands of a civilian!" shouted Max wildly waving his hands in every direction like a French man.
"And what would they do with it. World domination? I think that it's safer in my possession. Besides we developed the technology! Well, okay, somewhat...." said Kristi and she led Max back up the stairs.
"I'll see you later Max." said Kristi.
Bye Kristi, I'll see what's going on at NSA!
"Have fun!" replied Kristi. She could see that Max was hanging onto his temper with that one. The NSA were not people to fool around with. They entered the kitchen to grab a quick snack. Kristi was drinking coffee when she all of sudden couldn't feel Kielle and Angel anymore. She searched around and the only person she could find was Crystal!!! No where to be found was Colin, Dustin, Kielle, Angel, Scott and REMY!
Max was eating a donut as he saw Kristi's face blanch.
"What's the matter?" he asked. Kristi's facial expression did not change. He began to panic.
"KRISTI! What's the matter?" he screamed. It was loud enough to bring in Tamera.
Kristi suddenly shook herself our of her state.
"I have to get to them!" she said frantically.
"Get to who?" asked Max. "You aren't making any sense!"
"Tamera bring our group in here!" she yelled over to Tamera. But she didn't need to tell her. For some reason she had been expecting this and had everyone already assembled. All the children piled into the room.
"Guys, I have to go away for a little bit and I put David in charge." started Kristi. She could see the pride in his eyes for being made leader. "I won't be long Jonathan and Chris. Don't worry I will be back." Her words eased the tension between the two little boys who she had taken on as her own. "I'll be back as soon as I can." She quickly gave them a big hug and then stood up.
"Are you coming Max? Tamera, I need you to come with me as well." said Kristi.
"Where are you going???" demanded Max exasperated because his questions were not being answered.
Kristi had a gleam in her eye. "You are finally going to meet the X-men, Mr. Wiltshire." She brought them both outside. Although, she would of like to do this in private without the helicopters and police surrounding the place but there was no choice.
*
"Are you going to tell those people first that you are going on a little trip?" asked Tamera.
"Answer me this, if I told you, a normal person, that I was going to see some comic book characters, would you believe me?" asked Max. Tamera thought about that and shook her head.
Kristi pulled up her power and taking both their hands, pulsating light, they were gone.