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#10
DEC 11 |
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Three Days & Nights, Part Three
“Final Pieces”
“Final Pieces”
New York City
Day 3, 11:15 AM
The clack of pool balls hitting one another as the cue ball struck its target sounded as the stick was pulled back. A smile split the blonde’s face as her opponent grunted as he watched the last solid ball bounce into the corner pocket as the cue ball rolled to a stop near the eight ball.
“Lucky shot,” the heavy man in the biker leathers muttered, gripping his stick tightly and gazing at the numerous striped balls still upon the table.
“No such thing as luck on this table buddy. It’s all about skill.” Confident words were punctuated by the sound of the eight ball clunking into the side pocket as the cue ball spiraled away. Grumbles rose from the man as a wad of cash was thrown on the table and he moved away. “Nice doing business with you.”
A large smile grew as the blonde grabbed the money and began counting it. A feeling crept up her spine as it was obvious that someone was watching her. A quick glance brought the person that was close behind her into view. Tabitha Smith, the mutant once known as Boom Boom and Meltdown, shook her head slightly and sighed. “I’d ask how you found me but that would be a pretty redundant and stupid question, now wouldn’t it?”
“Perhaps, but you could ask anyway,” Jean offered as she pulled a stool up and sat upon it, her legs crossing as she did so.
“You know, if I had bet on how long it took someone with an ‘X’ on them to come find me I would have lost by now because I expected it much sooner.”
“I hate to disappoint.”
“I’m sure. So, here to drag me back into the world that Xavier built?”
“We’d never drag you. It’s not our way.”
“Oh Jean, how you forget that this isn’t my first rodeo; I’ve been inside and know what happens, all the way back since the days of X-Factor.”
“I recall, but I recall a young woman with a lot of potential that she lived up to for many years; a young woman who put her past far behind her and did something for other people; a young woman who had friends and loved ones. This was the same woman who all but fell off the face of the Earth after others went their own way. Hustling pool I see.”
“Well, it’s better than prostituting myself out, now isn’t it?”
“In a way.”
Tabitha let out a small laugh. “You know, usually a person would agree that prostitution isn’t a good thing to be doing.”
“I agree. Though, at the same time, you’re wasting your talents in much the same way as if you were.”
“Let me guess…there’s an opening on the team full of students that aren’t really students anymore ‘cause their adults and you all want me along? No thanks.”
“No. I want you on the X-Men. The real X-Men, Tabitha, not an off shoot or a training program…a full member of the team.”
“Now that I admit is a shock I didn’t see coming. So, why would I do this now?”
“Because I want you in Chicago on the public team; I want you to join the big leagues, Tabitha.”
A smile split the blonde’s face. “Well, why didn’t you say so in the first place? Where do I sign on the dotted line?”
Grindstone Cafe
Chicago
Day 3, 12:26 PM
There were many café’s within the city where someone could get a fine cup of coffee but there was something about the Grindstone that just spoke to Sean. It might have been the fact that the café was located within the brand new District X, or ‘Mutant Town’ as the locals referred to it, or the beautiful view it gave over the waters to the island in the distance that was home to the X-Men. Most likely, though, it was the fact that the owner, Luna, could brew a damn fine cup of Joe.
The daily newspaper was set out before the man as he sipped at his drink, his companions drinking from their own drinks as they sat a bit more uncomfortably. Chris Bradley, known as Bolt, stared out at almost nothing as he kept running a hand through his shaggy brown hair. The young man was still nervous at being upgraded to the X-Men and it showed. Sean could only smile at the fact and wonder if he was ever that nervous once upon a time.
The other companion had long red hair that matched the slightly graying red hair of Sean’s, albeit darker as his was lightening up with old age. Sean’s daughter, Theresa, had a bit more to be uncomfortable with. There hadn’t been much time spent between father and daughter over the years and their relationship was not the most stable. Asking her along for coffee was a way to reach the hand out to perhaps start bridging that gap.
“So, how’re ye adapting, Chris?”
The young man glanced up from his drink, still untouched, and met the older man’s eyes. “I…I don’t know yet, sir. I’m still just trying to get used to the fact you all called for me to join. I mean... it’s the X-Men!”
Sean chuckled and waved a hand at him. “No need for tha formality, laddie; just Sean will do. Ye know that ye wouldn’t be here if Jean didn’t have faith in ye.”
“I know. Hopefully I live up to that faith.” Chris turned toward Terry as the redhead sat silently, her fingers playing with an empty packet that once held a sugar substance within. “Must be different for you, though, having been around the world of the X-Men for longer.”
Just a hint of a smile rose to the young woman’s lips. “Ye could say that, though I spent most of the time up against them at some points.”
“You mean with X-Force?”
The younger Irish woman’s eyes turned and met with her father’s as the two regarded one another. “Yes, X-Force…it was in me younger days. Ye could consider it a teenage rebellion, I suppose.”
Sean felt a buzz within his pocket and pulled out the phone that resided there, a frown growing as the number was not one that was recognized. Excusing himself from the table, Sean moved over to a quieter portion of the shop and answered the call. “Hello?”
On the other end a deep and gruff voice sounded and as soon as it did Sean sighed as he could tell who was calling now. “Sean, long time.”
“Not long enough, Nick.”
Nick Fury gave a short gruff laugh, or what accounted to a laugh for the career military man. “That may be, but you know I’d only call if it was important.”
“What do ye want, Fury?”
“There has been an incident back in your home country. A terrorist attack.”
“Aye, heard about this already. What does it have ta do with me?”
“We have a video from the perpetrator. Sean…it was Maeve.”
Sean’s face blanked as the name rang in his ears. The love of his life and mother of his child, dead for a good number of years. “That’s not possible.”
“I assure you somehow it is. We haven’t figured it out yet but the tape is authentic. We need you; you’re the only one that can lead this mission.”
Moments later the phone conversation ended and Sean moved back to the table. Chris glanced back up and smiled at the older man as Terry was back to just staring at her drink. “Who was that?”
“An old friend, nothing important.” Sean couldn’t help but stare at his daughter as the lie came out. It was another nail in the coffin of their relationship should she ever learn about what he was keeping from her. Yet there was a chance it was all a ruse of some kind and there was no reason for Terry to go through that pain as well. It was enough that Sean would have to leave soon and feel that pain himself, as well as the chance of reuniting properly with his daughter lost in an instant. Sometimes it didn’t pay to be a hero.
Graymalkin Island (Formerly Island X)
Medical Bay
Day 3, 1:02 PM
Jane Foster had seen a lot of things in her lifetime: from the majesty of Asgard itself to pocket dimensions and monsters and creatures that would fill the normal mind with enough fear to last a lifetime. Through it all somehow she had come out in the end and continued on with her direction in life. The medical profession was where she belonged, yet after having been through so much there was no way she would ever not be able to be around things of such a fantastic nature; thus her new place of employment.
Eyes scanned across the room and its cold and bare metallic walls. Deep within Graymalkin, the Medical Bay that was created for use by the X-Men was something to behold. While there were the aforementioned cold bare metal walls there was also enough futuristic technology to make one wonder if the X-Men had hijacked a bunch of alien ships at some point. Jane found herself checking each and every machine. There was one that seemingly could autonomously clean and suture wounds if a person placed the injury within the scanner field area.
“Makes you wonder why they even need us, huh?”
Jane turned to see a woman with shoulder length red hair wearing a white nurse uniform with the knee length skirt end standing within the doorway with a clipboard in hand.
“The human touch; machines can only do so much. Sometimes there are just things that only the human hand can handle,” Jane spoke as she moved forward. “You must be Christine Palmer, right?”
“Yeah…how’d you know?”
“Your staff picture doesn’t do you justice. I’m Dr. Jane Foster. I’m the one that chose you for this position.”
Christine nodded in understanding. “I was wondering how the X-Men had come to have me on their radar. I’m not the type that has really made a huge mark anywhere.”
“You made a big enough one to catch my eye. You’ve done some work with things of…the supernatural nature, if you records are right.”
“Mystical possessions on some of my patients, mostly children, and I actually got to meet Dr. Strange once, as he was the one to help us break the patients free of the control. I’m assuming I won’t be dealing with anything like that here.”
Jane smiled. “I wouldn’t say that exactly. Having been around super types quite a bit I know that there are things that happen that we’ll never be able to explain or understand. What matters is that we’re doing our part to help out.”
“Well, I signed on the dotted line so what would you like me to do first?” The red head smiled broadly as she clasped her hands together and waited eagerly.
Jane thought for a moment as her index finger upon her right hand tapped idly against her chin. “Have you ever seen a mutant x-gene under a microscope?”
“Can’t say that I have, actually.”
The doctor had a smile as broad as the nurse’s in a moment. “Well you are in for a treat then.”
Graymalkin Island (Formerly Island X)
Day 3, 3:45 PM
With the Danger Room damaged and the new construction to turn it into a training dome still underway, other ways to train had to be found. A light breeze rolled across the surface of the island as a figure stood alone in the middle of a large concrete pad. All around there were targets that had been placed for use in the exercise. Some were close while some were far away. Others were half obscured by natural objects on the island or unnatural manmade objects. This was so that some were harder to hit.
Longshot checked the pouch upon his belt and made sure all the throwing knives were there. Satisfied with the condition of the pouch and its contents, the man turned toward the first target. Mentally a countdown was started and when it hit the end another count started to see how long this all took. At the moment the first countdown ended cold steel was suddenly in his right hand, his hand moving quickly to have secured it and then it was out of his hand and flying through the air. With a satisfying sound the blade dug deep into the target.
Mere moments after the first one another blade was through the air and sailing at its target and moments later another knife would enter the open air and seek out a target. Some curved around things to hit their target while others just flew true and straight, and a few others had to travel a long distance to hit their goal. Each knife made it perfectly where it was supposed to go. If anyone was watching they would either think it was a trick or the person was just damn lucky, especially when one of the knives went up over a box and down into a target. It was just impossible unless one had luck on their side.
“Very nice, though I totally could have done it faster.”
Longshot allowed himself to come down from the exercise and end the count as he turned to meet the gaze of Jubilee, who stood over to the side with arms across her chest and a large grin. Longshot returned the grin with one of his own. “I’m quite sure you could have, but not with the same flair, I’m sure.”
“So what gives with all the extra training, Blondie? I don’t recall you being that anal in training back in the day.”
Longshot’s grin faded away as a frown replaced it. “One must always be prepared for battle and the world. There are still those out there ready to attack us.”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice you deflecting the rest of the question, dude. What is up with that? You never want to talk about your past especially that past with the X-Men.”
“That is not my past.”
Jubilee blinked for a moment as if surprised by his answer. “Uh, dude, I’m pretty it was. You were with the team and all. You came from Mojoworld after helping to overthrow Mojo there for a bit, though I suppose that didn’t stick well since the blob dude, no relations to the Blob that I know of though they totally share the same diet, came back to power. But you’re not part of Mojoworld anymore or under that all so it’s cool. Did you like just forget about us here or something?”
A moment’s pause came for the man as he stared out at the sky as if contemplating a hard answer. “As long as Mojoworld endures there will always be spineless ones and there will always be a Mojo, a Mojo obsessed with entertainment. Don’t ask me how it works. I’m just a product of the system. One doesn’t ask the puddles how and why the rain works the way it does I suppose.”
“A puddle? You compare yourself to a puddle? Dude, your self-esteem needs some work.”
“Jubilee, it is not about self-esteem. It’s about the truth. The truth of the matter is that I am just a product of Mojo’s system and whims. Just the newest in a line of Longshot’s actually.”
“Wait…you mean…” Jubilee’s eyes went wide as she tried to comprehend what she was being told. The young Chinese-American would have been literally at the edge of her seat if she had been seated at the moment.
“I’m not the same Longshot you all knew before. Dazzler spoke the truth to you all when she spoke of his death at the hands of the Age of Apocalypse babies.”
“That is still a lame name for a show.”
“Welcome to my world. That put aside, I’m a clone I suppose you could say. Then again, so was that Longshot…a clone of a product created by Mojo – a clone of a clone, if you will. So I suppose in a way that makes every version of myself the true version in a way. Being products that shift and change depending on the whims of the Spineless Ones.”
“Dude! That majorly blows! Why didn’t you just tell us all that?”
“It was easier for you to assume I was Longshot returned to you all, though I’m not sure if the Longshot you all knew then was even the true first clone. There might have been replacements before. It is hard to tell where the memories of one end and another begin. They are all just a big jumble within my mind.”
“So you have all of his memories in there?” Jubilee asked, her hand rubbing at her chin.
Longshot gave a nod. “Yes, along with my own. I have been able to keep them separated as those memories of before hold no special meaning to me. They are merely facts, facts of what a Longshot has done here in this world.”
The young woman gave a nod as she thought. “So what’s your name then?”
Longshot paused and gave her a confused look. “My name? Longshot, just like before.”
“No, dude, your like real name. We just can’t be calling you Longshot all the time.”
“Why not? You use your real name as a codename as well.”
“Err, well, that’s cause I’m totally awesome. You, on the other hand, need a name, something better than Longshot.”
The man waved off the words. “A name is not necessary. I am Longshot, a product of my makers in the long line of Longshot’s that might have been and might still be, and I’m here to help my friends in their never ending battle.”
With a shake of the head Jubilee began walking away. As she moved away there came a moment where she stopped and turned back. “Everyone needs a name. Think about it.”
Moments later Longshot was alone again and stared at the targets before him. Instead of going back to training a sigh emerged as he walked away. There was a lot to think about at the moment.
Kitty’s Room
Day 3, 4:23 PM
Bedrooms are each as different as the next. They all have a personality of their own depending upon the décor that is found within. With each piece of furniture there was a piece of the person’s personality within the confines of the room. Once each personal touch was taken away there was nothing but a room. That was the case in the room that had once been that of Katherine Pryde. All that remained from her time there was a stripped down bed and an empty dresser.
All of her memorabilia from the past was gone, as well as her clothing and each piece of personal furniture. The only thing left at the moment was the purple dragon that perched upon the edge of the dresser. A puff of smoke emerged from Lockheed’s nostrils as his eyes moved across every inch of the room. Kitty had left earlier that day with suitcases in hand, not looking back even once. She had no idea where she was going but knew that she had to change things. Being on Graymalkin was not the place for her.
That meant leaving some parts of herself behind and it was nothing personal when it came to leaving the dragon. Kitty knew that Lockheed would be a better fit with the X-Men than wherever she might end up. She couldn’t treat him like a pet any longer as he was, after all, an intelligent alien being living upon their planet. The dragon was far from happy but had a place in what happened. Huffing, Lockheed flapped his wings idly for a moment before settling back down.
“So she’s gone now, hmm?”
With a tilt of the head the dragon took in the sight of the red haired woman that entered the room. Moving closer, Jean perched upon the edge of the bed and glanced at the dragon. Her arm moved out as an offer and after a moment of consideration Lockheed ended up in the air and settled upon her arm.
“She knows you’d be better off here. I’m going to assume you agree since you’re still here.”
The dragon huffed but through a mental connection made just at that moment Jean could tell that Lockheed did know it was best. While others wouldn’t be able to understand the dragon, Jean was one of the few that could.
Smiling she stroked the dragon’s head softly. “Don’t worry…you and I are in the same boat. We’ll make it through.”
With a slight purring sound the dragon agreed with her statement and settled against the woman’s arm. If it was time for Kitty to change then it was time for them all to change for the better. It was the only way.
Sean’s Room
Day 3, 7:45 PM
“Ye are leaving?”
Sean paused and sighed softly as part of him had been hoping to skip the moment that was seemingly about to begin. It was a hard thing to want that as it was his daughter that was speaking at him and the thought of just leaving her again was hard, but these moments had never been that easy or that good to him. It didn’t matter anymore as the moment was there.
“I am. Important business that has ta be dealt with.”
Terry entered the room and kept her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Part of her recent move in life had been not only because Jean had asked for her but also because it would put her closer to her father and finally give them a chance to reconnect. Theirs had not been an easy relationship over the years. “What about us?”
Sean turned around from the suitcase that had been in the process of being packed and met his daughter’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Teresa, ye know that I’d only be going of this was important.”
“Then why not let me go with ye?”
“Not this time, not for what this is. I can’t tell ye what it is but ye don’t want to be part of this one. I’ll be back though. When I do come back ye and I will get the chance we both want. I promise ye…I’ll be the father ye always wanted and I always wanted ta be.”
A single tear slid down the woman’s cheek as her father moved forward and placed a kiss upon her forehead before wrapping his arms around her in a hug. Her own arms rose to return the hug. “Ye better or I’ll come hunt ye down out there.”
Sean smiled and chuckled as he pulled back. “I promise.”
War Room
Day 3, 8:52 PM
The comings and goings of people lately had all but come to an end. Kitty and Sean had left earlier and were now on their own way to their own directions. Dr. Foster and Nurse Palmer had settled into the medical bay giving the island at last a medical staff. Tabitha was on her way to the island as she had things to take care of first.
Pushing a few buttons upon a console brought up a roster on a screen as Jean stood looking at it. “I think we’re pretty much ready to go.”
Kurt gave a nod as he studied it as well. Bobby leaned against a wall nearby and left it to the other two to really look the list over. Moving forward he came to lean slightly over Jean’s shoulder. “So now what?”
“Yes, what is our next step, fräulein?”
Jean turned to face both the men with a smile upon her face. “Gentleman…it’s time to astonish the world!”
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Next: In Astonishing X-Men #11: Auld Lang Syne! Stories from all over the X-Universe are gathered together as Marvel’s Merry Mutants celebrate the holidays!
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