Author's lead in: A few years ago, I was invited to ComicVine, and into a writing group called Marvel Mayhem. Since the group went defunct, part of my mind was always looking at the series. The problems that happened, and I think contributed to it going defunct twice, was that most authors wouldn't communicate with each other, and throw in unannounced cameos. Also, there was never a timeline discussed, but that is slightly minor given the concept of the floating timeline. It is my hope to redo my series, and since this will most likely be a solo project, eliminate some of the logistic issues of timeline by changing certain details. For that reason, this will be an alternate timeline to the original Marvel Mayhem on ComicVine, as well as Marvel, but acknowledge the existence of universes that follow the other fan fictions out there.

Attention: Generation X and their villains, as well as any other mutant mentioned in this work, is property of Marvel Comics. The character Richard Cale is one of my own development. There will be changes to some of the characters background, as this work is an alternate of the Marvel Mayhem series on .

Story 1: Elpis Remains

It was a quiet day in the small Yugoslavian town. It was one of those days that a majority of the teenagers in the town either went walking in the woods around the town, or spent time reading in the town library. In fact, two girls were in the library, which was the reason why no one else was there.

These two girls were the most unlikely of friends, which was an odd change of pace for the one girl, a redhead whose first name is Yvette. Her life changed when she had found out she was a mutant. She had been blessed, or cursed, with a unique combination of powers. First off, she could control her own density, protecting her from various threats from the world. This ability would make her look skinnier than she was, but would turn her red hair into spikes, and her fingers and toes into sharp claws. It also made her absorb light, and give off a gravitational pull. Due to the sharpness her skin took on, she was also gifted with a healing factor, as well as psychic abilities to help her communicate when those powers were active.

That last gift, however, seemed to be wasted. With her powers now active, and some people having seen what she could do, they started shunning her. She was thankful for the one person who did remain at her side, her new friend Vivian. Since then, the two would spend time talking about things. Today's topic had been Greek Mythology, and Yvette had closed the book after reading the last part of the story. "So Elpis remained. It makes sense, in some way."

She could tell Vivian was puzzled by that, especially as she said, "I don't think so. Why would it be better for that to be trapped in that jar, instead of all those vices. If you ask me, those should be trapped in the jar, not Elpis. The world would be better off if those vices were still locked in that jar."

Yvettte had to agree with that, but explained. "The key part of the legend is that Elpis remains. That's the one thing that should never be lost. No matter how bad something gets, we always have Elpis. As long as we have that, things can get better, no matter how bad they get. Once that is lost, its all over." The last words made Yvette think of a piece a paper she had found in her locker.

She saw Vivian get up, and then pick up the book. "I suppose that makes sense. Do you think we have enough for our report?" Yvette looked at her notes, and then nodded. Once she did so, Vivian said, "Cool. I'll return the book, and make a quick stop at the bathroom. We can head home after that." Yvette nodded, and watched as her friend headed off.

When Vivian headed off, a few things happened in that time. The first was Yvette looked again at the note she had received. It had been from one of her other friends, one of the ones that hadn't spoken with her since her powers developed. In fact, the time her other friend stopped speaking with her was almost the same time Vivian became her friend. The note hinted that her old friend wanted to talk with her, without Vivian present. It also hinted that Vivian was not to be trusted. Part of Yvette had a feeling it was linked to the rumors about what Vivian's father did.

The second was that Vivian had stepped into the bathroom, pulling out a cell phone as she did so. She had dialed a special number her father had given her, one for a special business partner. It didn't ring long until a voice answered. The voice sounded like the speaker was speaking through some sort of filter. "I take it things are ready to go."

Vivian quickly responded. "Yes. I will have her in place before the event. Just be able to make it look like you caught both us. I have her convinced that I'm her only friend." She had worked hard on this, convincing her father to contact the individual she was talking to.

The voice on the other countered in a way she didn't fully expect. "You better worry if this does not go as planned. I know about your own unique talents, and you would make a good temporary stand in for Yvette's unique talents." That worried Vivian for a moment, but she decided not to respond to the implied threat. Her father was powerful, and she doubted this person would want to risk that.

When that call ended, the figure who had been called went into action. His minions were setting things up, having already incapacitated the owners of the building. It would be all that would be needed to secure their target; a target that would help the leader of the group maintain his power for a long time. Hell, if her current look was any signifier, he might do more than use her for food, once he broke her spirit.

It had taken a bit of time for Vivian to put the book back, but once she had, Yvette and Vivian started the walk to Yvette's home. It was the typical walk, making sure they both stayed on well traveled paths. With all the fighting going on in their country, it was safest for the two teenage girls to travel together, and very public paths. Since Yvette had entered puberty, however, she didn't like doing this. Vivian didn't like it since her father was very well known in the community.

The only acceptable time for them to take a less frequented road was when they approached Yvette's home. While Yvette's family wasn't wealthy, they did have one of the nicer homes in town. It was comparable to a middle class home in other countries, like England, the United States, or France. It was a struggle for them to maintain, but Yvette was thankful they had it. It was a sign that Yvette's family had been fortunate, and not hated.

It was for that reason alone that both girls froze in shock when the building exploded. The beautiful home flew apart as a fireball exploded out of it. Yvette was the first to move, literally sheltering Vivian from any debris that flew at them. Luckily, they were far enough away for the only harm they got would have been scratches. Once the danger had passed, however, Yvette turned to look at what had once been her home.

Yvette was certain her parents had been home. She had planned to drop off her things, tell her parents about the note, and go see her old friends. Now, all she wanted to do was to see if they were alright. She hoped they were. She hoped they were alive. She started to move towards the site, but felt someone holding her back. She looked back, noticing Vivian was holding her arm, but also noticed that Vivian looked a little shocked.

Yvette glanced down, noticing her skin was tensing up. She tried to reel in her feelings, knowing they were making her activate her powers. She was certain they would cause more serious injury than the debris. She was nervous, almost panicky as she tried to speak. "V-V-Vivian. I-I-I need t-t-to see if my…"

She was cut off as Vivian shook her head, and pointed at the house. "It will be pointless right now, Yvette. Besides, the ones who did this might still be here. They might not know you weren't in the place. If they see us, they will kill us. I don't think they want witnesses around."

Yvette took a quick breath, and realized Vivian had a point. Whomever had caused this could still be around, and if they were spotted, they would be in serious trouble. Yvette kept her eyes at the site of her home, now in ruins, and said, "You're right. We should go…" She didn't know where to go. She didn't know if they could head to Vivian's home, where ever it was, but where else could they go.

She felt Vivian tug on her arm again, especially as her friend said, "Let's go. I just saw something." As the words were said, Yvette saw it. Figures were coming out of the debris cloud, and something about them radiated menace to Yvette. They definitely had to get away from them.

Again, she felt Vivian tug on her arm, as the girl said, "Yvette, come with me." For a moment, Yvette didn't feel like questioning it, and started to head with her friend. She paused, wanting to ask where they would go, then thought better for a moment. They didn't have time to delay, since another glance back gave Yvette a brief glimpse of the figures. One appeared to be very muscular, but that one wasn't as frightening as a figure near the back. All she could see was a strange apparatus covering the figure's face, possibly to save it from the smoke and such caused by the explosion.

As the two girls fled, the figure in the apparatus held up his hand. He didn't want them to pursue just yet. It was all part of the plan for the two to get away. He then looked at one of his group, and nodded. The nod was all the other figure needed to know what to do. Soon, that figure appeared to dissipate, like it had been made out of the smoke in the air from the explosion. Anyone who was looking at the cloud might have noticed the odd purple tint in the smoke now, which would confuse anyone trying to figure out the cause of the explosion.

Yvette had not been sure where they were running, but Vivian seemed to be certain about it. She had chanced a few looks back as they turned every corner, entering what had to be very unsafe areas, and saw no one pursuing them. That didn't mean they were safe, but something told her they were still in danger.

Vivian had finally stopped, obviously catching her breath. Yvette took this moment to finally ask the important question. "Vivian, where are we? I've never been in this part of town before." The only thing she could figure, as she looked around, was that this was one of the seedier parts of their town. A part her mother had warned her about entering many times. Why would Vivian, who was from the very good part of town, dare enter this area?

Vivian was bent over, running through things in her head. Every turn she made had been calculated for one reason. She wasn't scared of this area, mainly because she knew the safe path home. Today, however, all paths to this area were guaranteed safe. She just had to sound convincing, especially as she said, "I, I, I don't know. I just ran, and turned to avoid leading whomever they were to my home." She slowly stood up, and looked around. "Ugh. I shouldn't have just turned willy-nilly. Where did we end up?"

Vivian saw Yvette look around for a moment, and then look at her hands as she responded. "I don't know, but I don't think it's a safe area." Vivian nodded, and decided to stand back to back with the girl. It was actually the best thing, since it would be easier for the deception to happen if Yvette didn't see what she did. She also kept an eye on the sky, noting that Yvette was not facing where her home had been. The smoke plume in the sky was in her view, and she saw the purple haze coming towards them.

Yvette tensed up her hands, making them into sharp claws. If they were being followed now, or were going to be ambushed, she would make sure that she would, at least, wound their attackers. They had killed her family and destroyed her home. Besides, if word had spread about her mutant ability, only the most deranged would attack, or the haters. Personally, she didn't want to deal with either, since neither would stop an attack once they started, unless they were killed.

While she had her attention focused on the path they had come from, Yvette didn't notice the purplish haze starting to fill the area. At least, not until she heard Vivian coughing. It was then she turned to look back, and noticed the purple smoke. She didn't know where it came from, but something told her it was from the explosion. She tried to relax her hands, but she started inhaling the smoke as she did. It wasn't until she started coughing that she noticed it. The purple mist seemed to be flowing around her and Vivian. That couldn't be right. That would mean it was alive.

Soon, things started going black. Yvette couldn't concentrate, and couldn't breath. She started feeling weak in her legs, and arms. She was losing consciousness. She couldn't let that happen. If she passed out, they would be helpless. Already, Vivian was lying on the ground, not moving. Yvette had to somehow stay conscious, but it was already too late for her. The mist was starting to feel solid, like it was holding her body still. Soon, she blacked out.

Once Yvette stopped moving, figures appeared out of nowhere. Some seemed a bit troubled by that, as if where ever they had been had unnerved them. The one that was the leader, the one in the respirator, looked at his prey. After a moment, he said, "Is she subdued?"

The purple mist flowed out from where it had been, and solidified into the form of a man. Once the man was whole, he said, "She is out, Master, and should be out long enough to get her in the base." The lead figure nodded in approval, and then watched as the other girl got up.

Once Vivian was up, she looked at the fallen figure of Yvette, and just smirked. She was glad to see Yvette like that. She then looked at the figure in the respirator and said, "She's all yours. Honestly, I'm glad she'll be gone from here." Once she had uttered those words, she felt the gaze of the leader of the others on her. Something about that gaze unnerved her, but she wouldn't give in to it.

She was startled when the figure said, "To be honest, she is the main prize. I see her powers, and they are definitely ones I want to enjoy. I also see yours, and I know why you want her gone." That did unnerve her. When her father had first heard about this guy, she figured he would be the perfect person to help her get rid of this potential rival. She hadn't expected him to have such insight into her.

She buried those fears, and looked the figure in the eyes. "Listen, Emplate. Don't you dare try those threats with me. My father is Stewart Montenegro. He's one of the biggest crime lords in the world. If anything were to happen to me, there would be no place on the planet you could hide." With the last statement, she made sure the point was clear, and she saw it in his eyes, but only for a moment.

To her shock, he didn't back down. He remained calm as he spoke, and it scared the hell out of her. "I am already aware of that, and don't try to use your talent on me. I am very resistant to psychic powers. Mind you, had this plan failed, you would have been taken in her place. That so called 'silver tongue' of your is a very powerful thing. And if you think your father poses a threat to me." She then saw him hold up his left hand, and to her horror, she saw what had to be a circular mouth with teeth in it. It was a frightening sight, and in that instant, she realize who really had the upper hand. "Let's just say he has no idea what powers I hold."

Emplate kept his gaze on the girl in front of her. He could see the fear that just reappeared in her. All this time, she had confidence that her father was the biggest player in the game. Now she, as well as her father, were dealing with someone who was a bigger threat. Since the curse had gripped him, he used it, and worked in the shadows better than any criminal. He had also been working on getting thralls. In due time, he'd be ready to take on all the powers in the world, and he'd round all the mutant up like cattle. Humans would eventually be wiped out, but everything would happen in due time. This girl's father was no threat to him, and she was realizing it.

Finally, the girl nodded, and ran off. She obviously had a path home, and Emplate just nodded to the purple one, the mutant named Vincente. Instantly, the mutant changed into a purple mist, and followed the girl. It would be good, for future reference, to know some of the paths Montenegro had for safely getting through the bad areas of the town. It would be good to know, especially if he would have to deal with the man again.

Once the purple haze was gone, Emplate looked at the rest of his group, and pointed to the hulking figure of a man. "Bulwark, grab her." The figure effortlessly picked Yvette up, and held the unconscious form over his shoulder. Once that was done, Emplate motioned back the way they had come from. "Back to the lair, all of you. Vincente will join us when he has completed his task." With that, he phased them all out of synch with reality, and headed back to the lighthouse he had turned into his lair.

When Yvette finally came to, she wasn't sure she had come to at first. She was someplace dark, and as she tried to move, she found her arms were chained to a wall. She also realized she was standing up. Fear started to go through her mind, and she chanced calling out. "Vivian?" There was no response, and no sound of someone groaning. That worried her.

She pulled at the chains again, wondering if she could cut them. She first tensed her hand, and tried to cut the chains holding her. Unfortunately, she couldn't do that. She then remembered that she did have some skills in gymnastics, but when she tried to bring her legs up, she found they were chained to the wall as well. That meant there would be only one way out, and she really didn't want to do it.

Yvette was aware that her power had a very undesirable side effect. If she fully used her powers, it would destroy her clothing. It would also cut her free of the chains, but she figured she would have to act quick. She already heard movement from somewhere outside the room she was in. She activated her power, inwardly wincing as the action created audible rips in her clothing. It was also accompanied by the sounds of the chains hitting the floor. She was free, and now she was going to make a break for it.

Before she could run, however, the door to the room opened, and she was blinded by light. She was also startled to hear a raspy voice say, "Ah. It looks like we arrived in time to stop you from getting away." In that moment, she saw the purple mist come into the room, and she realized what had happened. The mist was alive, and had choked both her and Vivian. They had both been captured.

Emplate watched as his captive tried to back away from Vincente. It was pointless, but her futile effort made for a fun little show. It wasn't long before she started coughing. When that happened, he just said, "I want her subdued, not fully out. It should give D the time to put on her new outfit."

Yvette didn't like the sound of that, especially as she noticed the little man who was carrying some sort of restraints. She didn't think much of them at first, but she also didn't want the man touching her. As he started to put it on, she tried to speak, finding the task difficult. "Wh-wh-what are y-y-you…"

She couldn't finish the question, but to her dismay, she heard the one in charge answer. "Those restraints my associate is putting on you were made to handle your unique ability. They won't be cut by your skin, and I have the feeling you don't want me looking at your naked body." She knew he was right about that, but she still didn't know why she was here.

Emplate could see her confusion, and he could also see that she would need time to be broken. He decided it was time for a half truth. "Now, if you were wondering what I was going to do with you, let's just say you are going to be a source of sustenance while you stay here. A shame you can't share that honor with your friend." He saw a look of fear fill her blue eyes, and he enjoyed the sight. No doubt she would assume that her friend was dead.

He then saw that the rest of his statement must have registered. "Wait? What do you mean sustenance?" He decided he didn't need to verbally answer that question. He reached forward, the mouth on his hand opening and closing. He could see the terror now in her eyes, and it made him enjoy his first bite even more. Soon, with his hand pressed up on her forehead, he felt her marrow being taken into his system. Her powers would be a perfect addition, especially if, as he figured, they were powerful enough to keep him out of The Beyond indefinitely.

When he had his fill, he removed his hand, and watched. Yvette looked bleary-eyed, and then collapsed onto the floor. He knew this would not be the last. In fact, he anticipated many years of this. He then led the way out of the room, confident that his newest meal would not only last the longest, but would break soon enough.

Yvette remained on the floor for a few moments, feeling completely drained. Whatever this monster had done, it took a toll on her. Luckily, she felt her body healing, but she had no idea how long she had until her captor returned. He appeared to have everything thought out.

Her cell had a window, but it was too small to get through. She could see glimpses of the outside from it. The occasional glance through it, however, made her not want to trying to use it for an escape. The view changed on occasions, and never looked the same when it changed again. Was the window even real, or did it actually lead to another room?

From time to time, how she was restrained changed as well. Sometimes, she was chained to the wall, some times she was held to wall by a shackle, so she could move about the room. Other times, she wasn't restrained at all, and she would try to cut through the walls. Usually, those times were short lived, and it started to seem to her that it was a calculated thing, designed to break her.

The longer things lasted, Yvette started to find it was harder to believe that she'd ever get out of this cell. She didn't give up, though. She remember the words from the story she had read. Elpis remained, and she knew once it was gone, it was over. So she started focusing on other things.

She knew there were safe times, when the place was quiet. It meant they were all out, most likely finding more victims. She had overheard her captor, who she had learned was called Emplate, speaking about another mutant that would further his goals. It was a boy, from what she could tell, but he was tricky to find.

She also noticed that the place they were in must move. She had felt it shudder from time to time, and that gave her some information that improved her situations a little. She knew the window in her cell was real, so if she ever did think about using it, she would at least know she would be outside the place, with a chance of freedom.

This shuddering, however, usually coincided with being bound to the wall again. It was possible Emplate suspected she was thinking about it. She could tell by his actions that he did not intend to give her up, that he wanted her to know she was going to be with him forever. She definitely did not want that. She wanted freedom. She wanted to be her own self. She wanted her own dreams, some she wondered if her powers would ever allow her to have.

Those thoughts were all that kept her sane, especially as the moment came. It was after the latest move, when she could see signs of a forest from the window. She had known Emplate was excited. He seemed to have found the mutant he was looking for, or at least where the mutant called home. No doubt, they would be all out looking, or somewhere above her, plotting. If she could, she would break free, and try to warn this boy; then if she were recaptured, someone else wouldn't share her fate. She also knew about others, overhearing that Emplate had gained more thralls, and she didn't want to think about what that meant.

Her thoughts were cut short, however, when during one of the quiet moments, she sensed something. For a brief moment, she felt a sense of wonder in her mind. It wasn't hers, but she could sense a feeling of both fascination, and anxiety. Someone was in Emplate's lair, and moving about. They hadn't been captured, but had stumbled onto the place.

She didn't dwell on it long, since after the momentary incident, Emplate entered the room. She could tell he was bothered by something. He didn't speak, but quickly fed on her ability. It was possible that Emplate knew this intruder was about, and didn't want her to be at full strength at the moment. He was trying to break her, but Elpis remained.

It was the one thing she wouldn't give up, especially not now. She knew there was a chance at escaping. She felt the presence in her mind again, and knew what she had to do. She mentally reached out with a plea for help. "Who's there? I need help. That monster is feeding off me." She didn't feel the presence leave, and to her relief, she heard something happen at the door. She knew what it was. It was the sound of Elpis.

It was the sound of hope.