An X-Men Story
by Arkane
Part 1: "The End of one Life and The Beginning of a New..."
His name is Richard 'Dick' Sasha Speight. And right now he was afraid, very afraid. In all of his life he considered none of his life's decisions as STUPID as the one that got him into his present condition... As a prisoner of a crazed and definitely Sadistic Scientist that just happened to look like he came off of a Mad Scientist's table than be standing over it. Sasha stared at the big brutes back from the hanging cage where he now sat, and marveled at the very thought that this 'Doctor McCoy' could actually turn him into a 'Mutant' (what ever that was)!
"Well big tall and gruesome. Just what the hell is a 'MUTANT' any way?" Sasha said full of false bravado. "Is it any thing like a punk rocker of something?"
"Well my Trans-Dimensional Flat-Scan friend, a Mutant is better known as a Homo Sapain SUPERIOR." The Dark Beast said in a lecturers dull tones. "And it just so happens you have the potential to be one. And from what I have been able to have torn from that Not-so-feeble mind of yours. Your dimension never has had anything that even comes close to mutants or any 'super-heroes.' But what I have found interesting is that your DNA strands are not like normal flat-scans. And neither is your body,"
"Hey," Sasha interrupted. "I don't do guys. And even if I did you're not my type." he added with a smirk when Dark Beast glared back at him.
"As I was saying," The Dark Beast continued. "Your heart, lungs, and adrenal glands are abnormal in size. And your senses of smell, hearing, and taste- not to mention your heightened healing ability." Dark Beast turned to face his Captured Audience and held up a syringe full of a Greenish-Blue fluid. "I'm not going to lie to you...this is going to hurt. A lot!"
Sasha swallowed hard and hid his fear as he stared into the Dark Beast's evil grin. "Well, I've always liked pain 'Big boy'," Sasha remarked gibbly. "Do your worst."
"Don't worry," Dark Beast said grinning. "I will..."
"Me thinks I went a little to far this time," Sasha said looking off to the side of the lab.
He did, and paid for it in pain that lasted all day and night as his DNA started to rewrite it self.
THREE DAYS LATER:
"Quicksilver," Blink said peering into Sasha's cage. "I've found another one."
"Then Get them out of here. This place is about to blow in second now... they need us at the Crystal." Quicksilver snapped out as he tried to stop Dark Beast from teleporting into the M'Kraan Crystal. "Now lets get out of here.."
"I'm going with you then..." Sasha said forcefully as he put his denim backpack on and jumped onto the teleporter pad and activated it, just as he had seen Dark Beast do. "You definitely need an extra hand today."
The Seconds were slipping away as the bombs started to fall. As Piotr Rasputin lost it and started to run towards the M'Kraan Crystal. Just in time to witness as Shadowcat moved to block her husband, trusting that the love would protect her from his madness.
"Stop Piotr," She screamed, ignoring the warnings of Gambit.
"Don' be stupid girl! He's insane now get out of his way!" Gambit screamed trying to get to her.
Just as Piotr Rasputin bared down on his wife, Sasha leapt and tackled Shadowcat... knocking her out of Piotr's insane charge. But leaving Piotr open for Gambit's attack of a fully charged deck of playing cards... With a shriek of metal, Colossus falls. And as he fell slowly the shredded steel turned one last time into flesh.
"No Piotr," Shadowcat screamed as she pulled herself out from under Sasha's limp from...and scrambled over to her dying husband. "Piotr why? Why didn't you stop?"
At that time Illyana Rasputin emerged from the M'Kraan Crystal to see her brothers broken and bloody body... "Piotr, we did it! Mr. Bishop is- " she started until she noticed Piotr. "Piotr?"
"''Yana?" Piotr Rasputin breathed out his last words. "For give me sister. I thought I was the bravest of us all. Then I met you, I am so scared Katya hold me while I..."
"Look out you people the guards still prowl!" Quicksilver yelled as he swooped in to scoop up Illyana Rasputin and rush her to safety.
Sasha slowly worked his way back to his feet in time to intercept a killing blow that would have crushed Shadowcat's skull...."I hate to be the bearer of bad news miss but we've got to get out of here. NOW!" he said as he quickly executed a karate chop to the creature's unprotected neck, that was answered by a horrendous CRACK of breaking.
Sasha extended his hand down to Shadowcat and pulled her to her feet. Shadowcat glared into his eyes full of hate and anger... but the moment they locked she relented. "all right then lets go!" she snapped, pulling him to her she phased them both as they started to run to were Quicksilver stood with Sabertooth and Blink waiting for the rest of the surviving X-men to witness the end as it came towards them on the horizon.
"Who the hell are you any way." Quicksilver demanded from Sasha, who was busy trying to remain standing.
"Yeah, and why were you in McCoy's Lab anyway?" Blink asked gently as she and Shadowcat helped Sasha sit down on a rock.
Sabertooth leaned over and took a sniff of Sasha and growled. "Smells of chemicals. What did that freak show do to ya kid?"
"He said he was turning me into a 'Mutant'," Sasha answered as he rubbed the bridge of his nose underneath his glasses. "What ever the hell that is."
"You don't know what a Mutant is," Sabertooth muttered in disbelief "This kid definitely ain't from around here."
"No I'm not," Sasha said softly. "I'm from an alternate universe. And Dr. McCoy said I am not even anchored firmly in this timeline... And if it changes, I remain the way I am now. Just slightly out side the Temporal Bounds."
"Whoa," Sabertooth breathed out.
"I've got to find my father and inform him of your presence." Quicksilver said as he launched himself back towards the Fortress of Apocalypse.
"He'll never find Magneto in time," Shadowcat muttered as she looked up to see the bombs as they started their fall towards them.
"OH. MY. GOD!" Sasha yelled out as he noticed the bombs for himself. His mind started to race at the same speeds as Quicksilver's top running speed. Then the idea hit him. Without a word he scooped up Illyana and pulled Shadowcat into a tight embrace and grabbed hold of Blink and Sabertooth. Grinning he said softly "I've got an idea. Hold on to me!"
Within seconds the temporal wave rushed around them... Sending all five of them tumbling end over end, causing them all to experience the worst vertigo in their lives. Seemingly for an eternity they tumbled clutching one another for dear life. Preying for salvation.
********** ******************* ****************
Logan closed towards the location of the temporal anomaly that Hank had sent him out to investigate. He started to sense the presence of at least five individuals, and they seemed familiar. One smelled like... "Illyana..." He muttered. 'It can't be, she's dead.'
Lost on thought Logan did not hear the approach of Sasha from behind him. Only the fact he smelled blood did Logan realize someone was behind him. Spinning around Logan looked into Sasha's face, and quickly eyed the youth up. Noticing the two feet of tree limb sticking out from his stomach. Logan grinned and said. "That looks like it hurts."
"Not as bad as you will," Sasha muttered as he threw a simple marital arts blow to Logan's neck, momentarily stunning him. Allowing him to get the chance to knock Logan unconscious at Sasha's feet. "Sorry bub, but I could not take any chances."
"I'm cold," Illyana said crying. "It's so cold."
Sasha took off his black and white skiing jacket, and put it around her narrow shoulders. "It's going to be o-kay," He said smiling down at her. "I promise... I'm going to get some help. So stay here with the others. They will help keep you warm."
Illyana Rasputin looked up into Sasha's eye and smiled. "All right, Sasha... I'll stay here till you get back."
"Look kid I'm the best choice to go and get help," Sabertooth said getting up.
"No Sabertooth, I need you to stay here and keep them warm." Sasha said gesturing towards the sleeping forms of Blink and Shadowcat. "Their really out of it. Also I need you to protect them, make sure nothing happens to them." Sasha brushed a few stray hairs out of Shadowcat's face. "She's so beautiful," he said softly under his breath hoping no one heard him.
But Sabertooth did and repressed the urged to smile and pulled the sleeping forms of both Shadowcat and Blink towards his warm body. Extending his hand to Illyana and motioning for her to come near.
Hesitantly she looked from Sabertooth to Sasha, and back again. Then she walked over to him and curled up in Sabertooth's warm embrace and quickly fell asleep. "Don't worry kid I'll watch 'em for ya," Sabertooth said with a grin. "All of them..."
Sasha realized he had overheard him. And the shock in his eyes provoked a smile from Sabertooth. "Don't worry, yer secrets safe with me... I won't tell her what you said."
"Thank you," Sasha said softly. "I'd better go and get help."
"Logan hasn't answered his comm badge," Bishop muttered as he stomped through the foot deep snow. "I don't like this, not one bit." Bishop turned around a tree only to get a faceful of tree branch, that knocked him off his feet. Stunned Bishop sat up and scrambled to reach his rifle, only to see a tall and gaunt man with a two foot tree limb sticking out of his stomach pick it up. "Who the hell are you?"
Sasha looked down at the large black man and grinned as he quickly bashed the rifle into the tree, and then hit Bishop up the side of his head with what remained of his own rifle. "I'm the Sandman bud."
Logan stirred quietly, and remained still as he tried to get a better smell of the intruders. 'Definitely one's Illyana, and I swear the others are Kitty and Sabertooth. But if that is Sabertooth why the hell am I still alive?' He thought.
"If your wondering Runt why your alive," Sabertooth said softly, trying not to wake up his charges. "The kid that knocked you for a loop doesn't seem to be the kill'n type. And me, I've better things to do than kill you. These gifls need to stay warm while 'Sasha' goes to get us some help."
"Why did you attack me?" Logan asked.
"I didn't," Sabertooth answered. "'Sasha' did. I guess this whole deal with jumping from one reality to another has got 'I'm jumpy." Sabertooth snorted. "Kid didn't even know what a mutant was before he met us."
Logan pushed him self up and pulled out his comm badge. "You saying the kids just out to protect you and these kids?"
"Yes Runt. That's what I'm saying," Sabertooth said. "And if you got someone else out there in those woods who he thinks will threaten us. He'll take them out... But don't worry, he will not kill them."
"It's not my people I'm worried about," Logan said softly as he activated his comm badge.
"Bishop still has not called in. But Wolverine just did," Hank McCoy (a.k.a. Beast)reported to Scott Summers (a.k.a. Cyclops) the X-Men's Blue Team Leader. "Logan says that the intruders are not out to hurt us. They just need to get some medical attention and a place to warm up, but we will be surprise with who they are."
"Wolverine who are our new 'guests'?" Scott asked.
"Would you believe Sabertooth and Illyana Rasputin," Came the answer over the comm-system leaving a stunned silence in the X-Men's War Room.
Psylocke slowly worked her way through the shadows that enshrouded the woods of Xavier's Estate, she had just received word from Jean that she was to take this guy down as painlessly as possible. 'This guys hurt,' Psylocke thought as she closed in on Sasha who was leaning against a tree trying to keep the tree limb that was sticking out of his stomach from moving to much. Her Empathic powers were picking up his agony, and fear that he could not find help for his four traveling companions. 'This guy's thinking about someone else's welfare and not his own. And Logan said that he came from a world without heroes, that's because he's here.'
Sasha tilted his head to the side towards the sounds of Psylocke's breathing, and sniffed the air. Catching the faint sent of her perfume. Hiding the fact he had noticed the woman who was coming up behind her. He slowly unslung his denim backpack from his right arm, trying to make it look as if he was going to drop it to the ground.
Psylocke watched in interest as he started to drop his backpack, and that was when she decided to make her move. Only to get Sasha's backpack thrown into her chest with enough force to send her spiraling backwards into a snow bank.
"Damn!" She yelled as she watched Sasha take off towards the Mansion at breakneck
speed.
Rogue slowly descended into the woods were Jean had told her were to find
the last of their unexpected guests was heading. 'This 'Sasha' fella's good,'
She thought. 'He took out Wolvie, Bishop and Psylocke while he is wounded.
Logan said not to underestimate this guy, that's and understatement.'
Sasha looked down at the tree limb sticking out of his stomach and gritted
his teeth and finally settled the internal debate that was raging in his
head. "Alright Speight you've got to do this," he muttered to himself as
he braced himself and placed his hands around the limbs shaft and pulled
it out screaming in agony.
Rogue turned quickly to where she heard the scream originate, and raced towards
her target. She noticed the blood trail and started to follow it, all the
way to where she found the blood and gore soaked hunk of wood.
"Oh my god," She muttered under her breath as she picked up the tree limb
and started to look around just in time to see a bare hand reach out to grab
her unprotected and equally bare neck.
"NO!" Rogue cried out as Sasha's memories flooded into her mind, and he collapsed
into her arms. 'Dammit!' She thought to herself. "I've got him guys. I've
got him."
"Well how are your patients Doctor?" Logan asked as he walked into the Med-Lab,
and leaned up against one of the counters beside where Beast leaned over
a microscope studying a blood sample.
"Well," the Beast started as he looked over his shoulder at where Bishop
sat on the edge of one of the many beds that was in the Med-Lab. "Bishop
has a busted lip, a black eye, and a mild concussion. Psylocke is fine. Our
Mr. Sasha's backpack only brossed a couple of her ribs- other than that she's
fine. So I sent her up to her own bed, but Bishop is going to spend the night
here with me so I can keep an eye on him."
"They ain't the ones I was asking about." Logan grumbled. "How's our guests?"
"The ladies are fine," Beast said softly. "They only have a mild case of
exposure to the elements. If Mr. Creed hadn't kept them warm with his own
body it could have been worst. Mr. Sasha though , he's a different case.
I had to sedate him. It seems that my counterpart in their reality performed
some nasty experiments on him."
"Ironic ain't it," Logan remarked. "Sabertooth's on the side of the angels
while you were on the side of the devils."
"It's frightening isn't it," Beast said looking over at where Sabertooth
sat holding Blink's hand at her bedside. "Mr. Creed is a very easy going
guy. Very personable."
"Yeah," Logan said. "He's like he was before... Department K got a hold of
us. When will they be up and around?"
"The lovely ladies will be moving around by morning. All they needed was
a warm bed and some real food," Heast said softly. "They appeared to have
not eaten a decent meal in years. Especially Illyana, she has the worst case
of malnutrition I've seen in along time. But Mr. Sasha on the other hand
will be here for a while. His body is mutating rapidly. When he was brought
in he was a normal human being, but now he's a mutant. Mr. Creed said that
was what my counterpart was after... Mr. Sasha is from a reality without
heroes or mutants. But his DNA had the capacity to develop mutant powers,
and he activated them."
The Beast turned back to his microscope and continued. "It seems that Rogue's
jolt has had an effect on his transformation, in a way it seems to be 'guiding
' the formation of his mutant abilities." He looked up at Logan and smiled.
"By the way, has anyone decided to call Peter at Muir and tell him that his
sister is 'back from the dead'?"
"No," Logan answered. "Creed told us that before they left their world that
Petey went insane and killed several of the X-Men and almost killed their
Kitty." Logan pinted at her sleeping form. "If Sasha hadn't showed up when
he did... She'd be dead to. Petey was going to run her down." His voice trailed
off as he turned to walk over to were the sleeping Katherine 'Katya'
Pryde-Rasputin. He looked over her looking for anything he could recognize
of his own Kitty Pyrde.
"Like what you see?" She asked as her eyes opened.
"Just checking up on ya darlin," Logan told her gently. "I hear you had a
rough go at gett'n here."
"A rough go at it?" She scoffed. "Says you. My husband tried to kill me,
and the world that I knew erupted in a nuclear fire ball around me seconds
after we got caught up in that temporal wave that Sasha held us through...
Yes we have had a rough go at it."
'Go girl,' Logan thought. 'That's the Kitty I know.'
The Beast cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "Logan visiting
hours are over for now. You can come back in the morning."
"See you in the morning little darlin'," Logan said as he walked away, and
nodded towards Sabertooth. "You watch yourself Creed, don't do nothin' and
you'll get treated right here. You hear me."
"I hear you Logan," Sabertooth said looking up from Blink's bedside. "I'm
not planing on doing anything, except take care of my little pup here." He
grinned at Logan. "I'll see you in the morning Logan. You can tell me over
coffee about why you hate me so much."
"Yeah, I'll tell you all about it," Logan said gruffly as he walked out of
the Med-Lab.
****** ******* ******** **********
Part 2: The Morning After...
All of the X-Men and X-Force were gathered in the mansion's kitchen while
Rogue and Jean prepared the mornings meal. Each were thinking about their
'guests', but only a few were brave enough to bring up the topic. Especially
when one of those 'guests' walked into the kitchen.
"Why hello Mr. Creed," Jean greeted Sabertooh warmly. "Would you like a cup
of coffee?"
"Coffee?" Sabertooth asked. "You have real coffee. I haven't seen or smelled
real coffee in years." He said with a sigh.
"Yes," Storm said coolly. "Would you like it with cream, milk, or sugar?"
"Black," Sabertooth said with a grin. "I want to enjoy the taste of pure,
unadulterated coffee... the second cup though that gets the works..." He
added the a laugh.
Jean handed him a cup of hot steaming coffee as she asked. "Would you like
some breakfast?"
"Please," Sabertooth murmured. "Could you fix a couple of plates though I
need to take them down to the others... especially lil' Illyana. She ain't
eaten real food in a long time. None of us has for that matter."
"We're a way ahead of ya Creed," Logan said holding up a tray of three plates
of hot eggs, bacon, pancakes and toast. "I'll let you carry their drinks."
Logan nodded to another tray that was loaded down with several glasses of
orange juice and milk.
"Thanks runt," Sabertooth said with a grin as he lifted the tray and followed
Logan out in to the hall. "It seems that our presence might be causing some
problems- or is it my presence here?"
"It's you Creed," Logan growled. "Your counterpart here has tried to kill
us more times than we can count. There's a lot of bad blood between Sabertooth
and the X-Men. Jeannie has already seen you as a different person... But
don't expect to get it from any one else for a long time."
"Thanks for the heads up, Logan." Sabertooth said softly. "In our world,
I didn't start out as the nicest of people either. I learned the hard way
that it was better to dance with the angels than with the devil." Sabertooh
paused with a low laugh. "I learned that for you runt. I owe you big fer
giv'n me back my life."
Logan glanced up at Sabertooth and knew that he was telling the truth, and
said gruffly. "Don't mention it."
Katya Rasputin sat up in her bed and stared daggers into the Beast's broad
back as he continued to study a series of samples under his microscope. "So
your not one of Apocalypse's minions." She accused.
"No my dear lady," the Beast said laughing. "But I have met the devil that
your speaking of. In fact I was his prisoner for quite some time. And I have
to agree with you... The man is a fiend who needs a lobotomy."
Katya snorted at that, and try as she might she started to like this version
of Dr. Hank McCoy much better than that she had known. "You know something
McCoy your not half bad."
"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for that vote of confidence," the Beast
said grinning as he turned to face her. "I much appreciate that small support."
Katya looked over a the sleeping forms of Blink and Illyana, and turned to
face the Beast. "How are they?"
"Their fine," He said as he got up and walked over to were they slept and
looked over the panels that displayed their vitals. "See, this is their vital
signs. And they're much stronger than what I would suspect from people who
are suffering from malnutrition."
"Thanks," Katya said softly and remembered the reason why she still was alive
and motioned to the unconscious form of Sasha. "How is he doing?"
"That is a different story," the beast said softly as he leaned over Sasha
to look into his eye. "Well his eyes have mutated now." he muttered under
his breath. Then said out load. "It seems in the past eight hours that we
have had your Mr. Sasha here has gone through a process that most mutants
spend their entire adolescent lives going through. And it hasn't been easy
for him, or for us."
"What do you mean?" She asked as she leaned closer to Sasha' bed.
The Beast sighed before he started with, "He blasted out a psychic scream
an hour and a half ago, that gave all of our teams telepaths a major migrane
headaches. But that blast seems to have burned out any possibility of Sasha
from developing any Psychic abilities of any kind."
Sabertooth and Logan entered Med-Lab together discussing the lives that their
counterparts had lived in their respective realities.
"Good your finally up Kat," Sabertooth said with a grin as he handed her
a glass of orange juice. "How was your little nap?"
"Shut up Creed," Katya said angrily as she drained the glass in one long
drink. :That was good... I can't remember when I tasted something that good."
"You should try the coffee," Sabertooth said with an evil grin.
"Coffee," Katya said in disbelief. "They have real coffee to? God I think
we died and have gone to heaven."
"You should have seen my face when I smelled it in the kitchen," Sabertooth
said gruffly as he gently woke Blink up and forced a glass of milk into her
hands. "Now drink up pup, you need to get something in yer gut. Ain't that
right Doc?"
"Yes," the Beast remarked smiling down at Blink gently. "You've got a bad
case of...."
MEANWHILE IN THE KITCHEN:
"I don't like this dammit," Sam Gunthire muttered angrily as he finished
eating his scrambled eggs. "I don't trust any of those people. Especially
that Sabertooth lookalike."
"Neither do I Sam," Jean Grey-Summers said as she started to put away the
dishes that her husband had just finished drinking. "But we need to give
these travellers the benefit of the doubt right now. They've arrived in another
universe, one in that they are going to discover that they are very different
people."
"Well I still don't like it. I still remember how Sabertooth hurt Tabitha,"
Sam looked over at his on-again-off-again girlfriend who sat next to him.
"I'm all right with this Sam," She told him gently as she wrapped her arm
tightly around his waist and placed her other hand firmly on his thigh.
"Besides," Scott piped in. "I think that we should keep an eye on each of
them... Not only Mr. Creed, but their benefactor- This Mr. Sasha - seems
to be even more dangerous than our version of Sabertooth. He, while wounded,
was able to disable or evade three X-Men on the grounds. And was able to
cover nearly two and a half miles while trying to get past our defensive
net."
Jean grinned at her husband's matter-of-fact tone of voice that said 'They
are staying till I say so, period.' "Well said Scott but we need to get to
know our guests better. So we're going to invite them to a nice dinner tonight
to talk over what their plans are. Besides Christmas is only four days away,
and we need to get everything ready for the our Christmas festivities..."
"But what about the Professor and the mess with Onslaught?" This question
came from the corner of the kitchen where Roberto De Costa was sitting with
the rest of X-Force.
"We can't let that ruin our Christmas 'Berto," Was the answer that came from
fellow X-Force member Tabitha Smith a.k.a. Meltdown. "Besides I think that
the Professor would want us to go ahead with Christmas dinner. Besides it's
been a while since all us X-people got together without some sort of crisis
to cause it. Don't you agree Cable?"
Quite until now, Cable finished his cup of coffee and looked around the kitchen
and cleared his throat to speak. "Yes, the Professor would want us to go...
on with everything."
With that he got up from his chair and walked out of the kitchen and threw
over his shoulder. "Remember X-Force you have a training session in thirty
minutes. Don't be late."
"At least he's not making it an order this morning," Roberto said smugly.
"That's an order Sunspot," Came from down the hall causing all of the members
of X-Force to let out a low groan.
"Thanks 'Berto," Tabitha glared at Roberto.
"Well Katya how do you feel?" Blink asked, as she finished up a stack of
her own and Sabertooth's pancakes. "Did you like your pancakes?"
"Don't even go there," Katya said with a soft gruffness. "I'm eating everything
on my plate. Try and get Sabertooth to get you some more."
"I didn't want to be a burden," Blink said softly in a meek voice.
"Yer no problem pup," Sabertooth said softly. "I'll go and get you something
else. You just need to ask."
"Hank," Cable said as he entered Med-Lab. "How's Mr. Sasha's condition."
Beast turned to face Cable and grinned, "Well it seems he's through the worst
of it. Even his eyes have stopped shifting."
Cable looked over at Sasha's face and was surprised to recognize him. "He
looks like a more distinguished and cleaned up version of Pete Wisdom."
Beast looked at Cable with a confused expression in his eyes. "What dose
Kitty's boyfriend have to do with this young man? Besides Psylocke compares
him to a young Harrison Ford."
"No Hank," Psylocke said as she emerged from the shadows behind the Beast
and Cable. "I said he looked like a young Indiana Jones. I admit it's not
a big difference on the outside, but on the inside I can see he has the spirit
of a warrior."
"Well I don't know about the warrior part," Beast interrupted. "But I just
got through looking at the contents of his backpack. And it's full of college
text books, and art supplies."
"That would explain why it hit me so hard," Psylocke said coolly.
"What classes was he taking?" Katya asked.
"World History, Art History, American History and several Humanities courses,"
Beast said holding up each of the books for everyone in Med-Lab to see. "It
also seems he's an artist. And quite an accomplished one at that. He's even
been published." He held up a copy of the fanzine 'POWER STAR'. "And his
real name is..."
"No!" Cable said quickly. "We don't need to know that until he tells us.
Besides, I'm wondering what kind of student he is any way."
"His test scores in World History are all in the mid-90s range and his other
classes grades are slightly less than that," Beast said grinning. "But he
is not a perfect student... His Algebra grades are pathetic."
"Not everyone can be perfect Hank," Psylocke said gibbly.
"To true. All to true," Beast said with a big smile, showing his white canine
teeth against his dark blue fur.
THAT AFTERNOON:
"All right people," Scott said forcefully to the gathered X-People gathered
together in the kitchen. "Our guests are going to be joining us for lunch
today. So no staring or trying to start any fights with them. It's been a
while since they've seen a table full of food so don't make fun of the way
they stare at it."
"The world they are from is a terrible hell that they have lived in," Jean
added softly to Scott's lecture. "The only one who hasn't lived his whole
life in a world ruled by Apocalypse is still unconscious so he isn't going
to be with us for a while."
"By the way," Scott continued. "We will not be rubbing Bishop's black eye
nor his fat lip in either. They are both sore subjects for him." That brought
a round of laughter from out of everyone assembled in the kitchen and a groan
for the object of their laughter.
"He was lucky that's all," Bishop mumbled under his breath. "It would never
happen again."
"I would say that Bishop," Logan said as he kicked back a beer. "I've seen
that kid move, and so has Bets. And we both agree, in a far fight the chips
would fall in favor of the kid."
"I don't think so," Magneto, or Joseph as he was calling himself now, said
glaring at Logan. "This was an isolated case. Clearly this 'Sasha' person
was running on pure adrenaline receivers. I highly doubt that he could pull
off some thing like last nights performance ever again."
"I wouldn't say that 'Joseph'," Beast said as he escorted Sabertooth, Blink,
Shadowcat and Illyana into the kitchen. "It would seem that 'Sasha's body
at the time ran off of the early stages of his mutations, or more to the
point were the catalyst for the deveoplment of said mutations."
The Beast turned to their guests and spread his arm for them to take a seat.
"Take a seat ladies and gentleman. We will be serving a lunch time meal of
hot dogs and french fries with colas to drink. Including, my favorite Dr.
Pepper."
Blink leaned over to Sabertooth and whispered in his ear, "Do they eat dogs
here to?" Bringing out a hearty laugh from the large mutant. "No pup. Hot
dogs are made from beef and pork. Not real dogs." He answered.
"Then why do they call them 'hot dogs'?" She asked.
"That I don't know pup. That I don't know," Sabertooth answered with a slow
grin as he hugged her to his chest. "Now eat up pup. You need to eat some
thing. Especially since you ate mine, yours and Kat's breakfasts this morning.
And the two more I got for you."
"I still don't see where she puts it," Katya said in disbelief. "I'm still
mad at you for eating my breakfast... Your not getting my lunch this time."
"hank how's Mr. Sasha?" Jean asked as the Beast sat down with a plate full
of chili cheese fries and two chili dogs.
"He's out of it Jean," Beast said in between bites. "He's still out of it.
Ms. Rasputin didn't want to leave his side, but I was able to convince her
to come up and get something to eat." He added as her ruffled Illyana's hair.
"He's so alone down there," Illyana said as she started to eat her french
fries. "I didn't want to leave him down there all alone when he woke up."
"Don't worry Illyana," Katya said smiling down at her. "I'm going back down
to him after we eat. you need to go and get yourself accustomed to your new
room that Dr. McCoy showed you."
With that she piped up and looked up at Beast and smiled. "Will you show
it to me again after we eat?"
"Sure thing Illyana," Beast answered after he took a swig for his glass of
Dr. Pepper. "Just as soon as we get done eating I'll take everyone back up
stairs and show them where their rooms are. Unless someone else wants to."
He admended looking at Jean and Scott.
"Sure," Jean said quickly. "Me and Scott can show you to your rooms if you
don't mind. I'm sure you want him to get back to your friend downstairs don't
you?"
"Why," A voice from the hall asked. "Who's downstairs?"
Everyone in the kitchen looked up to see Sasha holing himself up against
the kitchen door. "Oh my stars and garters," Beast muttered in disbelief.
FIVE HOURS LATER:
"I'm fine,' Sasha said in an irritated voice. "I feel better than I ever
have. I don't even need to wear my glasses to see things in the distance
any more."
"Well," Beast said in a matter of fact voice. "You will still need to wear
them to read and to see things up close. But you should be proud of your
self, your body is a marvel of genetics. You have one of the most remarkable
mutant powers I have ever seen."
"I doubt that if you had not been exposed to one of the Dark Beast's experiments
your abilities would never have developed in nature," Beast said as he read
off of his data pad.
"No," Sasha remarked. "All the 'Dark Beast' said his genetic soup would do
is enhance and promote the mutant powers that my body would have developed
if I had been born in his Temporal Reality."
Beast looked at him dumbfounded at that possibility. "Are you saying that
'Dark Beast' had developed a serum that would turn humans into mutants?"
"No," Sasha said. "McCoy said that it would only turn those with the potential
would manifest those abilities that would naturally appear."
"Fascinating," Beast murmured as he wrote down this new and interesting data.
"If you don't mind," Sasha said as he got up from the examination table and
walked out of the Med-Lab. "I'm going to go and get something to eat. Do
you want something?"
"I Don't believe it he turned blue," Blink said as she watched the news channel
with Sabertooh. "Mister Creed what is the difference between the Democrats
and the Republicans?"
"Well pup," Sabertooth started. "The Democrats believe that the government
is the answer to all problems, and that a big bureaucratic machine is best
for dealing with all problems. While the Republicans see big governments
as the problem, they believe that the common people will be better served
when the bureaucracies are smaller. And communities would be best at solving
their own problems."
"but if there is no government controls Victor," Blink said. "How do those
who get lost in the cracks get help?"
"Well pup," Sabertooth said. "In big bureaucracies more people fall through
the cracks because you become a number. And not a person. That's the biggest
problem with 'big governments', everyone gets turned into a number and then
forgotten."
"That's terrible," Blink said as she curled her legs up under herself and
leaned into Sabertooth's chest. "I don't know what to think of this world
Mister Creed."
"Don't worry pup," Sabertooth said softly. "Like always as long as I'm here
you ain't got nothing to worry about. I'll protect you."
"It would seem that Mr Creed has become Blink's father figure, don't you
agree Scott." Storm said softly to Cyclops, Jean and Logan.
"Yep," Logan cut in. "It would seem that Creed is a good guy. It's a shame
the same can't be said of this realities though..."
"I agree Logan," Jean said as she watched as Sabertooth and Blink were engrossed
in the television. "But we were starting to get through to Creed when you
popped your claw into his brain and ruined all of the progress that we had
acheived." She paused as Logan stiffened. "But at least Forge has reported
that he has been having some success with Creed's rehabilitation up to this
point. So we might just see our Victor Creed turn into a half way decent
citizen."
"I don't think so Jeannie," Logan said stubbornly. "I don't believe he's
got it in him."
"We gave you a chance Logan," Jean rebuked him gently. "And there were those
who never thought you would reform. But you did. And we should give Creed
that chance to change, just as we are going to give this one the benefit
of the doubt over his intentions."
"Hey," Sabertooth called out. "What smells so go?"
Logan sniffed the air and his stomach growled. "I don't know. But it does
need to be investigated."
"I'm hungry again mister Creed," Blink said hopefully.
"How did I know you were going to say that pup," Sabertooth teased.
They made their way to the kitchen where they found it packed with everyone
hanging out, and eating a strange looking dish.
"What smells so incredible?" Jean asked as she looked at the pile of food
that was in the GOOD punch bowels with great doubt.
"I call it Spicy Potatoes with onions, and the cheesy dish has no name,"
Sasha remarked over his shoulder as he finished another batch of fried onions
and spicy potatoes. "It's Macaroni and cheese that has been prepared with
several spices in the water... and while the pasta is cooking, I use the
steam to cook the hot dogs. It holds in the spices that way. Then I combine
them together after dicing the hot dogs into bite sized pieces. That way
the meat lasts longer and tastes better."
"I'll warn you know that if you don't like spicy or greasy foods," Sasha
said as he served out more of the potato dish to Gambit and Cannonball. "Don't
eat it. But at least try a taste before you turn your nose up to it." He
offered a spoon full to Jean and Blink who tried a small taste. In witch
blink quickly took the spoon from him before he had a chance to let Cyclops,
Sabertooth nor Logan to taste the dish, causing everyone to start laughing.
"If you like that you will love the potatoes, luv."
After the erstwhile meal, Sasha stood washing the dishes he had used to cook
and serve his repast. "Well kid how do you feel?" Logan asked him as he leaned
against the kitchen counter and finished the last swig from his beer.
"I've had better days Mr. Logan," Sasha said as he started to put away the
dry dishes. "My senses had always been stronger than normal peoples were.
But getting use to being able to hear a fly fart is going to be hard, if
not painful. The room is to bright- thankfully Gambit gave me an extra pair
of sunglasses he had."
"Yeah," Logan said as he got himself a fresh beer. "The Cajuns a good kid.
I'm glad your doing better since you remind me of an old friend of mine.
In fact he's going to be showing up in the next few days."
Sasha raised his eyebrow and said. "Do you mean before or after I turned
blue."
Logan started to laugh. "Before. You look like a guy named Pete Wisdom, but
your a little taller than he is though."
"Really?" Sasha said in a questioning tone.
"Yes, really," Logan reassured him. "The two of you seem to be attracted
to the same type of woman. In fact, the same woman."
"What are you talking about sir?" Sasha tensed as he asked the question.
"I heard what you said about 'Katya' being beautiful," Logan said gently
as he reassured him with a friendly squeeze of Sasha's shoulder. "Your secrets
safe with me 'n Creed."
"Thanks Logan," Sasha said looking down at his newest friend.
But unknown to either of them Katya Pryde-Rasputin already knew all about
what Sasha had said about her... Since Illyana had been the one who told
her as they where making up Illyana's bedroom. "What do you mean 'Yana,"
Katya asked illyana as she finished making up her bed.
"Mr. Sasha said you was beautiful that's all," Illyana said as she put on
a new shirt and pair of pants that Jean had given her. "Isn't this a nice
shirt. Mrs. Jean said these are all my clothes. Neat huh?"
"Yes 'Yana," Katya said as she tucked the younger girl into bed. "Now go
to sleep."
"No bad dreams?" Illyana asked.
"No," Katya lied. "No more bad dreams." 'For you I hope no more nightmares.
But my dreams are about to start.' She thought as she turned the light off
and crossed the hall to her own room. 'Why Piotr, why did you not stop? I
know you saw me. Why did you kill the others? Why didn't you go back for
the kids? They were depending on you. I was depending on you. If not for
'Sasha' I would be dead.' She turned down the covers to her freshly made
bed. "Damn you to hell Piotr," She muttered out load so she could hear it
said, at least once. "I don't think I will ever forgive you this time."
Sasha stood on the roof of the Xavier mansion watching the sunset, trying
to relax. But his new found powers were interfering with any possibility
of that. His sense of hearing was picking up the heartbeats of everyone in
the mansion below him, as well as the sounds of several couples making love.
"Hey kid," Logan called to him. "I thought your skin was blue now, not lavender."
Sasha spun around to see Logan standing at the observation towers door. "What
are you doing here? I thought up here I could be left alone for a while."
"Normally this is Rogue's favorite stop to hang," Logan said with a grin
as he lit up a cigar. "But since you were here she's having to stay down
in the rec-room. Besides with that blush I see, I think you need a little
lesson in controlling your senses."
"I can't block out what I'm hearing, Sir." Sasha told him matter of faculty.
"I thought I could since I had practice with the way my hearing was before
McCoy got a hold of me."
"Well kid," Logan started. "Tell me. Have you ever meditated."
"No," Sasha answered. "I've never had the patience to just sit around and
do nothing when I could be either drawing, writing or reading something."
"Well your first lesson is going to be meditating," Logan said as he sat
down cross-legged. "Now do everything I do."
Part 3:
It was early the next morning as the X-men all assembled in the kitchen for
breakfast in preparation for their morning workout in the danger room. Since
it was Blue Team's session they were already in their uniforms and nursing
a morning cup of coffee. They were surprised to have been joined by their
unexpected guests whom most would have thought would still be a sleep.
"What's for breakfast?" Blink asked as she bounded into the room along with
the passive Sabertooth.
"I don't know pup," Sabertooth remarked. "But I hope they still have some
of that REAL COFFEE."
"Yes Mr. Creed we have more Real Coffee," Jean said handing him a cup. "Do
you want anything else with it?"
"What's for breakfast?" Blink asked again.
"I'm cookin'' some chitlins and grits, suger," Rogue answered her. "Now just
sit right down and I'll get you a plate full in a second."
With that prompt Blink quickly grabbed a chair beside of Gambit and sat down
excepting the offered glass of milk. "Thank you Mr. Summers."
Sasha entered the kitchen with a lit cigarette in one hand and a bottle of
scotch in the other drawing stares from everyone, along with a few chuckles.
"Coffee, I need coffee," He muttered .
"Would you like it with cream, sugar, or milk?" Jean asked him staring
disdainfully at the cigarette in his hand.
"Just give me the pot. Just give the damn pot," He muttered taking a drag
off of the cigarette and a shot from the bottle. "God I hate early mornings.
Even when I was in the service I hated getting up in the morning." He took
the offered coffee pot and sat down beside 'Joseph' and looked around. "Grease,
now I need grease. Lots and lots of grease. The more the better."
"I must say that we must have neglected to inform you," Beast started to
say before he was cut off by Sasha.
"That this place is a smoke free zone right?" Sasha snapped. "Well, your
to late Logan warned me last night. Right after he gave me my first cigarette
in my life. And guess what. I LIKE SMOKING! IN FACT I WANT TO SOME A REAL
BIG JOINT RIGHT NOW!"
This started a round of laughter from everyone as Beast stood staring in
total shock at Sasha. "I.. I... I... " the Beast stammered as the kitchen
erupted in howling laughter. And Bobby Drake (a.k.a. Iceman) fell to the
floor laughing as Gambit spewed milk through his nose all over 'Joseph' and
Bishop in a vain attempt from not laughing.
"Sorry mes' ame," he said holding up his hands defensively as he lost his
fight not to laugh.
"It worked," Logan said laughing. "I told you it would leave Hank speechless."
"Can I put the cigarette out now Logan?" Sasha asked grinning.
"Why not," Logan said wiping the tears from his eyes. "It served it's purpose."
"That was low Logan," Beast said glaring at him. "I ill get you, and your
little dog too!" Beast said imaging the Evil with from the 'Wizard of Oz'.
"Hey, Cyke." Logan started seriously. "I invited the kid here along for this
mornings training session. You don't got a problem with that do ya?"
"Not really," Cyclops said doubtfully, glancing over to his wife. "This is
just to keep us in combat ready. Nothing else so I don't see any problems."
"Good," Logan said slapping Sasha on the back. "Kid needs to learn a little
better control of his powers."
"Well," Sasha said looking up from his seat. "I built something real weird
last night before I went to sleep and I wanted you all to take a look at
it." He reached in to his coat pocket a pulled out a metallic box that was
the size of a small paperback book and sat it on the kitchen table.
"What's it supposed to do?" Beast asked as he picked up.
"Moniter life signs and do other simple Bio-Scans," Sasha said. "You know
like the tricorder off of 'Star Trek'."
"Oh my stars and garters," Beast muttered in amazement. "He's a maker too."
The Blue Team was in the middle of their training session when Sasha cried
out.. "Duck!" and transformed into Cyclops and placed his hand in front of
his visor as he fired off an optic blast, thus fracturing his blast into
three separate beams. The cener hit the danger room Nimrod robot in the chest
while the two peripheral beams ricocheted off of the danger rooms walls and
hit 'Nimrod' on both sides of the back of it's head.
Cyclops sat stunned in his vantage point in the danger room's control booth,
as the rest of Blue Team stared in disbelief as the psuedo-Cyclops used his
hand to fracture another optic blast to destroy another danger room robot.
"Why did I never think of doing that before." Cyclops said as he rubbed the
back of his neck. "He just thought up a new way to use my power, and he's
only had access to it for what. Two seconds."
"I don't know fearless leader," Beast said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"He has just shown another aspect of his powers. It would seem that the Dark
Beast didn't realize what he had in his lab all along. An Omega mutant in
the making."
"From what Creed has told us," Cyclops said watching the events in the Danger
Room unfold. "Sasha here could have been the Dark Beast's own attempt at
creating an assassin to take out Apocalypse."
"Or could Sasha's mutations have been," Beast said softly. "Nothing more
than a fluke? I doubt that my Counterpart would create something as powerful
as Sasha without some kind of limits or controls."
They sat and watched as Sasha transformed into each X-Man that he had touched.
So far he had transformed himself into Cyclops, Rouge, Bishop, Gambit and
Wolverine. Each time he was able to utilize their powers in new and unusual
ways. "I'll tell you this much I think that Sasha is going to become a very
important mutant in our little family."
"If we stick around," Katya said coldly from behind the two men.
"Ah, Katya," Beast said warmly. "I'm glad you could make it down. Are you
going to take us up on that offer for a workout session to work out all those
sore muscles from your jaunt through a trans-dimensional barrier."
"No," She said as she watched the danger room session. "Has he used any powers
taken from us?"
"If you mean," Beast said. "You and your little party. No it seems that he
can not duplicate your matrixes."
She stared as Sasha transformed back into his own form and continued to fight
the Sentinel robots. 'Maybe he's not that bad. Maybe I could...' "Tell him
I want to talk with him once he's done here. I will be at the lake." She
said as she walked from the room.
"I must say," Beast said. "She's a moody one."
Katya Pryde-Rasputin hadn't slept well the night before due to continuos
dreams of her husband bearing down on her with his eyes burning with insanity
and hatred. Recalling how he had killed Bobby Drake and left Gambit nearly
dead. Remembering that Piotr didn't ask her for forgiveness. He had ignored
her in favor of his sister...
"You called," Sasha remarked as he walked towards Katya.
Katya looked up into Sasha's eye and read concern within them that was tented
with something else, for that spilt second she was able to hold them connected
with her own. Up until he averted his gaze, hiding his embarrassment by looking
at a low flying seagull scoop up it's meal.
Katya grinned as see noticed his pale blue ears turn a soft shade of lavender.
"Yes," She said softly as she stood up and brushed off sand from her backside.
"I wanted to ask you something in private."
"Go ahead," He said looking over at her. "Shoot."
"Do you find me attractive?" She said bluntly.
Sasha's entire face turned a deep lavender shade. He let out a sigh and started
to stutter his response. "I... I... I... think that you are a very attractive
woman," He looked at her, his pained expression showed his discomfort. He
took a deep breath and faced her again. "Who told you?" He asked quietly,
just barely loud enough for Katya to hear.
"Illyana," Katya said staring at him, almost enjoying watching his discomfort.
"She told me last night as I was tucking her in for the night. I just wanted
to hear it from you... That way I know what to expect from you."
"If you want me to I will leace," Sasha said quickly. "I don't..."
Katya grabbed his arm interrupted his sentice and pulled him down to a kiss.
"Shut up bub," she looked into his eyes. "Don't ruin the moment." She wrapped
her arms around his waist and pulled him tight against her. She noticed that
he was extremely tense against her.
She looked up into his eyes and smiled, "Am I being a little to forward for
your tastes?"
"No," He answered her with a tense kiss. "First time?" She asked. She didn't
need for him to answer her, his reaction to the question gave her the one
she was looking for. "Don't worry," She murmured in to his ear. "We'll find
out the best way for us. In time. But right now I think it would be better
if we take over time and make sure these are real feelings that we are dealing
with."
"My thoughts exactly," Sasha said with a tried smile. "I've jumped into the
unknown too many times in the last month. And the consequences haven't all
been good. Except when I appeared on the battlefield in time to get you out
of the path of that large metal-man."
Sasha felt Katya tense in his arms, causing him to give her a reassuring
squeeze. "You knew him I take it?"
"He had been my husband," She whispered. "I pretended not seeing the signs
of the stresses he was under. We all thought he was invulnerable as his metal
form. We were wrong, he was the weakest link in the X-Men. That weakness
lead to the deaths of our students and to his killing several of the X-Men."
Sasha could not form any words to ease her pain. A pain so much like his
own tortured life, the life that forced him to choose between the unknown-
and obscurity. And right now all he could think of doing was to lift Katya's
chin gently up to his mouth and kissed her. And whispered softly in her ear.
"I'm here."
Katya looked into his eyes to see what they were saying. Unlike Piotr's she
saw concern, and the beginnings of love forming there. She could see an
understanding, and strength that seemed to be at this mans core. And she
knew that she had been right to confront him with his feelings, and she realized
that she needed to know the truth as well. That she could start a new life
here. In a world without Apocalypse and his minions. And that thought made
her smile.
For the first time in their lives they felt complete. Together, just holding
someone else on the beach.
They didn't even realize that they were being watched.
THE END