DISCLAIMER: All X-Men and X-Related characters used in this story are a TM of Marvel Comics.
May 1997
1997 Team:
1999 Team:
Writing and Editing: Tom
Beta Reading: Link With enormous thanks to Jacque Koh for finding this.
This here is Earth we are looking at. A
small planet in our solar system, floating in empty space.
Earth's population is about twenty billion. Out of that twenty billion there are few
special people. They are called Homo sapiens-superior or mutants. The rest of world hates them, fears them and wants them
dead. But these mutants, forgetting all these details, fight to save a world that don't
want them. They call themselves, the X-Men. They all believe
in a dream. A dream started by their mentor, Professor
Charles Francis Xavier. A dream of a world where humans and mutants
lived together in peace and harmony.
This is their home, Westchester County, New York. On the official records it poses as: "Xavier Institute For Higher Learning." Not many people know that this is the home base of those mutants that they hate so much. This mansion is not only their base, but their home. They laugh, cry, eat, live and die here. This is one of them; Joseph, the amnesiac mutant who was once the X-Men's oldest foe, Magneto. But now he is a new man. A man with a second chance at life. They say if you do not remember your sins, you cannot repeat them. That is exactly the case with Joseph, but today his past will find him and try to make him the man he was before. Let's see how he will cope with that....
***
BBBBBBBBBBRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIINNNGGG
Joseph woke up. ^Darn alarm^, he thought. ^Why did I set it so early? I remember now, we've got a session in Danger Room, better get up.^
He got up and went to take a shower. "I've must be the first up," he said. "Usually the house is alive with activity, everyone trying to get to the bathrooms."
He quickly took a shower. He got out and started combing his long white hair. As usually he had problems with it and for the hundredth time he asked himself, "Why do I keep my hair long?"
"Well, mon ami. I don' know, but ya could get outta dere now," said a voice outside the door.
"Yeah, yeah Gambit. I'm going."
He quickly got dressed in his uniform and opened the door. Gambit was sitting on the floor. He still had his robe on and his hair was all messed up. "Good morning Gambit," said Joseph.
"Good morning, Magneto," Remy answered sarcastically.
"Gambit, I've told you before--" Joseph didn't finish his sentence because Remy had stepped into the bathroom and had slammed the door in his face.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Now leave me alone," he muttered.
Joseph murmuring under his breath as he went back to his room. He looked at the time. He still had half an hour before the session and decided a morning snack couldn't hurt him. Joseph went to the kitchen. Unfortunately, he met Gambit again. That was fast. How did he beat him to the kitchen? He had only step in the bathroom moments ago.
"Yo, Magneto, want some cereal?"
Ignoring Gambit's insistent rude behavior, Joseph was resolved not to let him get to him. "Sure, Gambit, why not." He took the box from Gambit's hand. Suddenly it exploded in his face, sending crumbs of cereal flying everywhere. The effect of Remy's kinetic powers. Remy was sitting on the chair laughing his heart out.
"You will pay for that!" Joseph shouted angrily. The air took up an almost electrical quality as he approached Gambit. Gambit took up a fighting stance, readying himself. Another person came in to the kitchen. It was Rogue.
She came up to the two of them and shouted, "Now ya two break it up b'fore ma and pa find out, ya hear." Suddenly the fight stopped and both men looked at the woman standing over them. She was wearing her night-shirt and her bunny slippers.
"He started it!" said Remy.
"Me? You were the one who charged the box of cereal and gave it to me!" replied Joseph.
Rogue laughed. "Don't fret 'bout it, Joe. He's done this ta everyone in th' house. He's as bad as Bobby."
"Oh I see," Joseph said slowly, still eyeing the other man warily. Gambit still couldn't help laughing. "Gambit my friend, I let me help you up."
"Sure, mon ami." Without thinking, Gambit took Joseph's hand. That was a mistake, a big mistake. Joseph's magnetic powers sent Gambit flying in air. He landed on the floor dazed. It was Joseph's turn to laugh.
"I'll see you at the training," said Joseph and he left the kitchen.
"Dat weirdo has no sense of humor," Remy murmured as he got from the floor.
Unconcerned, Rogue pulled a snack from the refrigerator and started eating. "Nice one, sugah. Maybe f'r yoah next trick, ya could get him ta pull spoon outta yoah nose."
"Rogue, how was I suppose t' know he would be like dat?" asked Gambit.
"Ya should know by now," Rogue said.
"Yeah I know, but he annoys me."
"Why, Remy. Are ya jealous?"
"Moi, jealous? Chere, Remy is not jealous Remy --" he didn't finish because Rogue interrupted him.
"Jus' forget it, swamp rat. He's got bigger things ta worry 'bout. He don't need yoah jokes."
"Okay, chere, but I still t'ink--"
"No more, Remy! Just sit down an' shut up."
***
Twenty minutes later...
Everyone was in the Danger Room; Sam, Jean, Storm, Bishop, Wolverine, Gambit, Rogue and Joseph. Hank and Scott were at the control room ready to start off. "Okay, people. This is the plan," said Cyclops in a calm voice over the speaker. "You are to cross the Danger Room and retrieve the white flag."
"So what's de catch?" asked Remy.
"I'm glad you asked, my friend," Beast replied. "On your way there are few holograms to stop you."
^Wonder how many is few ?^ Sam thought.
Sam didn't have time to think about that because the program started along with the "few holograms" Hank mentioned. The Danger Room looked like surface of moon. Out of nowhere appeared holograms of Sentinels and some robots. They all split-up. Cannonball blasted through the middle of one of the Sentinels, but that didn't stop the robot. It caught Sam in its hand and it looked like Sam was out of the game before it ever began, but then help came. Rogue hit the Sentinel with all of her power and it was defeated.
"Thanks, Rogue," shouted Sam and went off flying.
"Yoah welcome, kid" she said and went off to look for some more fight. In the mean time, Remy was jumping everywhere cracking jokes. He looked over to Joseph and said, "Mon ami, ya fight like a woman."
Joseph pretended not to hear that and just kept fighting. In the meantime, Jean and Bishop were working together fighting their way through to the white flag. Suddenly out of nowhere came a Sentinel. Bishop was out in one hit. Jean didn't expect that attack and she stood there frozen. As the Sentinel rose, its hand reaching out to grab Jean, a lighting cracked the sky. It tore the Sentinel in half and with a few small tornadoes, took the rest of it down. Jean and Storm smiled and kept on going.
Rogue and Cannonball took on the flying holograms. Rogue took Sauron by feet and she swung him around and sent him flying into a wall. Cannonball took care of a few robots and the sky was clear. They came down just in time to see that Joseph was out of the game.
Gambit was standing next to him. "Told y' he don' know how t' fight." Then he and the rest of X-Men faced the rest of the holograms. Rogue and Gambit took on Juggernaut. Jean and Storm took on the Sentinels and Wolverine and Cannonball fought other robots. Jean and Storm were out in a minute.
"Hey guys !" Rogue shouted. "Ah think Ah have a plan !" All heads turned to her. "Sam you can take Remy up to the air and try to get to the flag while me and Wolvie provide the distraction." They didn't have much time to think as a giant Sentinel hand crashed to the floor, bringing them back to reality.
"Okay den, let's go !" Remy shouted, grabbing onto Sam. They bolted into the air and began heading for the flag which was situated in the far corner.
While Wolverine and Rogue found themselves surrounded by a group of Sentinels, Sam was well on his way to the flag. Suddenly out of nowhere a giant hand came out hitting him on the chest. If it had not been for his force field he would have died from the impact, but instead he was jut thrown off course, Remy along with him. As he regained his balance he saw that a Sentinel stood before him and he knew that neither of them were going to make it to the flag. Glancing at the base with one eye he shouted out to Gambit.
"Ah'll drop ya here Mr. LeBeau, and Ah'll take care of the Sentinel."
"Sure kid, watch y' back." With these words Gambit let go of Sam's hands and was falling. He landed on the ground. There were a few guards around the flag and he took them out quickly with a few cards.
At this time, Rogue and Wolverine were caught with no way out. Out of nowhere came a Sentinel and grabbed Rogue and Logan. Sam saw that and he sped right at the Sentinel. In that moment Gambit got through to the flag and touched it. Suddenly all of the holograms vanished. The Sentinel that held Rogue and Logan disappeared and they fell to the ground. Sam was moving too fast that he couldn't stop and he ended up running into Rogue. It took him a while to realize what had happened. When he finally did he said "Um, uh I'm.... sorry Rogue"
"No problem, Sam. Ah used ta that already." In this moment Remy came up and said, "I see, mon ami, dat me and ole Joseph ain't de only ones who want Rogue?" By this time everyone had gotten up and came up to them When they heard the comment they all laughed.
Gambit gave a grin and lighted up a cigarette.
"Well, I've to say that was a good session," said Cyclops. He now was down with the rest of the group. "Good team work, people."
"Yeah, yeah, Cyke. Can we go now?"
"Well actually no. I was just going to suggest that we have a baseball game. How about playing some baseball, people?"
Everyone thought for a while and they all said all as one, "We're with ya, Cyke!"
"So what's about the teams?"
"Well mon ami, I've got a suggestion. How's about me an' Rogue verses de rest of y'?" Everyone laughed at Gambit's joke.
"Seriously, let's make up the teams."
***
After fifteen minutes of fighting, arguing and choosing the chose the two teams. First one was Remy, Rogue, Hank, Sam and Jean. Second was Ororo, Bishop, Joseph, Logan and Scott.
"So when do we play?"
"Two hours?"
"You got it!"
The two teams looked at each other. "We'll see you there, mon ami."
"I'm countin' on it, Cajun." Then they all went to change.
On the way, Remy made sure that Joseph wasn't nearby before asking Rogue, "Cherie, would ya mind havin' a little swim in the pool 'fore de big game?"
Rogue thought for a while and then said, "Sure sugah, why not."
^YES ! YES ! YES !^ Remy thought in his mind. "I'll see ya dere in five minutes, chere."
"Sure will, Remy." With those words they both took off to their rooms. Remy quickly took a pair of shorts and ran to the bathroom.
Rogue took a little longer to pick out the bikini. She wanted to put on something sexy. She still wasn't sure who she wanted to be with Remy or Joseph, but in at the moment most of her heart was for Remy. Finally she picked up something really sexy and took a quick shower. She brushed her long brown hair. She got the bikini on and rushed for the pool trying not to be seen. Fortunately, she made it without any one seeing her. Remy was all ready there. He had a cooler full of Coke (he didn't drink beer for months now. Before that, when Rogue left X-Men he got drunk every night. He almost became an alcoholic). It was a hot sunny day.
"Lawd, it's gorgeous," said Rogue.
Remy smiled. "Coke?" he asked offering her a bottle.
"Maybe," said Rogue smiling. "But now there's something else Ah want ta do." She walked right up to him so that they were almost looking at each other eye to eye and shoved him into the pool.
Remy was under the surface for a while and when he came up he had a surprised look on his face. "Hang on sugah, Ah'm comin'." She dived into the pool.
She came up right next to Remy and gave him a beautiful smile. "C'mon, let's have some fun." Remy sat next to the pool, enjoying the wonderful view. He watched Rogue as she stood on the roof of the mansion, getting ready to dive into the water. As he looked at her he couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was so beautiful, so sexy. After a few dives, Rogue asked teasingly, "Do ya wanna try?"
He thought for a while. He would probably kill himself, but for Rogue he would do anything.
"Sure cherie." Big mistake on his part. She grabbed his hands and flew him to the top of the mansion's roof.
He looked unsure as he stood on the roof. It was very long, long way down. "I'm not so sure now, cherie."
"Too bad," said Rogue, smiling and pushed Remy off the roof.
"YEEEEAAAAAACCCHHHHH Blub..blub," he screamed.
When he got out, he had such a funny look on his face that Rogue couldn't help but to laugh.
"Told Ya I don't like heights." Remy mumbled as he climbed out of the pool.
"Well what I'm supposed ta say?" came a voice, it was Sam.
"Mind if ah join in?" he asked. "If ya wanna be alone, forget it. Jean and Scott are just 'round th' corner," he added quickly.
"D'oh!" said Remy.
"Sure, sugah, we don't mind. Do we, Remy?"
"Who care anyway, cherie," said Remy in a sad voice.
"Hi, Remy, Rogue, Sam, mind if we join ya?" shouted Jean in surprisingly girlish voice.
"No, not at all," murmured Remy. He got out of the pool. He took a bottle of Coke and started drinking it in front of everyone.
They all looked at him. "What...?" he said. He quickly saved himself by saying "Do any of y' want Coke?"
"Yes," they all answered at the same time.
"Well too bad 'cause I got the last one and it's all mine!" He laughed insanely, pouring the drink down his throat. They all turned around and mumbled words of hate and threats as he continued laughing until he began choking and had to sit down.
Everyone went in the water except for Remy who had enough water for one day. He was enjoying this day. Especially watching Jean and Rogue playing Marco Polo.
"Remy! We need a player!" shouted the girls. As much as he wanted to go in and have a game with them, he didn't.
"No way," he said. "I just got dry and nothin' can get me inside dere, well almost nothing."
Suddenly he heard a voice behind him. It was Bishop. ^Great,^ he thought. ^All we need now is Joseph.^
"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Remy," Bishop said. With these words, he pushed Remy into the pool. Everyone laughed.
"Why y' little, big, bad haircut..." he paused when he heard the girls.
"Remy, since you're in th' water how 'bout a game?" He really didn't feel like playing, but they looked so cute. Especially Rogue. And he could see Scott getting jealous. And when Scott gets jealous it can't be good. So he finally gave up. "'kay." He swam to the girls. Anyway, he planned to get back at Rogue for that dive.
At that moment Joseph knocked on Rogue's door. No one answered. ^She might be at the pool^ he thought. As he walked down the stairs a voice called out to him.
"Joseph!" It was Hank. The blue doctor ambled swiftly over to Joseph. "I have some heavy equipment in the lab I need to move. I would appreciate any assistance you could provide me with."
"Of course I will help. Lead the way."
***
Two hours later Remy and Rogue stood on the field alone. "Where are they?" Remy asked.
Finally the rest of the team showed up. They quickly started the game. Joseph wanted to ask Rogue where she was, but he didn't get a chance. Finally the teams were ready. Remy's team was pitching. Hank went to the backstop to play catcher, Remy was pitching and the rest of them was all over the field. Joseph came up to bat. Hank pointed two fingers down and Remy gave Joseph a straight and hard ball. Surprisingly, Joseph hit the ball and it went straight into the air.
"I've got it," shouted Jean.
"No, Ah do!" shouted Rogue.
"Leave it ta me!" shouted Cannonball. They all jumped for it and all missed. They all landed on Rogue. Jean on top and Sam in between. "Um... uh," Sam tried to explain to Rogue.
"Yeah, yeah Ah know," Rogue replied sourly. Joseph got home.
Scott was next to bat. Jean made Remy give her a ball. When they all got in places, she played her trick. She was wearing a short shirt and shorts. As she started to pitch she bent over. Scott couldn't help but to look. In that exact moment Jean pitched the ball. Before Scott realized what had happened the ball was right in front of him. He was still under Jean's trick and he didn't think. He just struck the ball and it went flying high.
"Ah'll get it!" shouted Sam.
"It's mine, mon ami!"
"No it's not, sugah," Rogue called out. However, Sam was the closest to the ball and he caught it.
At that time Remy tripped over and landed on Rogue. "Um... uh, well..."
"This is so embarrassin'," murmured Rogue.
Next she practically begged Hank to switch places with her. She hoped that no one would fall on her. Ororo came to bat. Sam gave her a fast ball and she hit it high. Ororo was approaching home plate when Rogue caught the ball from Hank. She realized her only choice was to dive for the base. In that same moment Ororo made the same decision. Everyone froze as two women jumped for the base. Rogue was first by a split second. She missed the base and when she turned around, she saw Ororo coming straight at her. Next thing she remembered was that she was down, with Ororo on top of her. Everyone was laughing theirs heart out. "Uh... uh," tried to explain Ororo.
"Don't even say a word, Ororo".
***
Ten minutes later Remy's team was at bat. It was Rogue's turn to bat. Bishop was on backstop. Joseph gave her a low ball and she made a perfect hit. She was making her way to the third base when she saw out of the corner of her eye that the ball was coming to Scott.
"No way Ah'm gonna miss my run," she thought and she tripped Scott over. Before he got up she was home.
"Yes, Ah did it! Ah'm a champion--" she didn't finish because she tripped over Bishop's foot. She landed on Remy who was near by.
"Mon dieu," he managed to say. Rogue had a big smile on her face
"Now ya see hows it feels." Everyone laughed. Their laugh was broken by a explosion.
"What is that?" Bishop asked as he watched a metal space capsule land in the middle of the field.
"Houston, we have a problem," Hank murmured to himself. The capsule door dropped open and so did everyone's mouth's.
It was them! But it COULDN'T be them. They were supposed to be dead, but there they were. The original Acolytes in the flesh. They looked exactly the same as X-Men first saw them, in their blue and red uniforms. Except that back then they were lead by Fabian Cortez. Now there was only four of them, Delgado, Nance, Anne Marie Cortez and Chrome. They didn't even know their full names.
The X-Men were all around the capsule. They didn't know if they should attack or not. Delgado knew exactly what they were thinking. He tried to look proud and calm. He stepped out of the capsule and in a slow pace he walked up to Joseph. He took out what could only be one thing. It was Magneto's costume. It was all there even the helmet. Delgado kneeled before Joseph and broke the silence.
"Master, how good it is to see you. The Acolytes and I came to beg you to come back with us and lead us. We still believe in your dream and we want to fight for it. Master please, our kind needs you like never before. We are the original Acolytes, we are not those new fools. We have been with you in good and bad times. Master please, consider my words...".
Joseph stood there with a puzzled look on his face. He tried to think. What did this man mean? Finally when he couldn't figure it out he spoke. "I'm afraid I--" he didn't finish his sentence. Suddenly he saw images before his eyes. Part of his memory was back. It was the part when he fought the X-Men on Asteroid X. The time when Acolytes were formed. He saw Cortez's betrayal. The first thing he remembered was taking some people into his house, Asteroid X. The last thing he remembered was falling, falling in fire. He remembered the man's name, he remembered what happened to him and the rest of Acolytes. When he spoke again his voice sounded more like the old Magneto.
"Delgado, I will not go with you."
"But Master..."
"That is what I said and I will keep it that way. I do not believe in the dream anymore. Now I believe in Xavier's dream. I will not change my mind. You on the other hand... " He paused for a while before he spoke again.
"Now I'm begging you, Delgado, please stay here with me. You don't have to fight. Now I want you to consider my words."
All during this time, the X-Men were totally surprised. How did Joseph know Delgado's name? How did he remember all that stuff? "Hank is he doing what Ah think he's doing ?" Rogue asked looking in Beast's direction.
Hank simply nodded and watched on fascinated.
When Delgado spoke again, he spoke in a low voice. Everyone figured out that he was scared of Joseph. "Master, with all respect I must refuse your offer. We still believe in the dream. Please forgive me, Master, I'm afraid I have to leave. It's a shame that you will come with us," with these words he turned around and walked of. He was sad.
"Delgado," called out Joseph.
"Master?"
"You've done well. I'm very proud of you. Don't let the dream spoil that impression. And remember, you'll always have home here. And please don't let blood spoil my respect for you."
"Thank you, Master." With these words he went back to the capsule. It shoot high into the sky and was gone. Joseph was standing and watching, deep in his thoughts. Right in front of him laid his costume. Slowly he sat down and stared in to it. Rogue was just about to go up and talk to him, when Scott stopped her. "He needs to be alone, Rogue."
"Scott's right," said Hank. "We should leave him to his thoughts, whatever they are." Everyone turned and walked off.
"What exactly did happen there Hank ?" Rogue asked as they walked away from Joseph.
"Well it's quite obvious Joseph had experienced flashbacks from his past, I have no doubt about that. However just how much of his past he remembered and what part, is impossible to tell now. I'll need to talk with him about it in more depth later."
***
Joseph sat on the ground for a long time, staring at the helmet and the costume. His helmet. His mind was still full of images. He didn't know what to think of them. After many hours he felt cold. He looked up to see that it was already night. The cold autumn wind was blowing hard. Slowly Joseph got up. He was still looking at the helmet and the costume. His long hair blew in his face. Slowly he bent over and picked up the costume. He didn't touch the helmet. He turned around and he walked off, his form fading into the darkness until he disappeared from sight. The helmet was still lying where he had left it, untouched.
Out of the trees next to the field came a quiet voice. "So Magneto, you don't want to be yourself any more?"
"We'll just see about that, we'll just see," answered a second voice nearby.
Then they disappeared. THE END
NEXT ISSUE :
"COMEBACKS"
Be here next month to see the return of Angel and Psylocke.
Rogue, Joseph, and Remy and rest of the team will be there as well. See ya in
thirty!
Issues 2-4 have been lost. Go on to the Summaries of 2-4
Or