Red Witch: whoa that was a fast response, you must have sped read through
the entire thing :) Thanks for the high praise.
yae yang: nice to hear from you and I'm honored you think it's the best, I hope the next one is just as good. Though I would appreciate it if you didn't wait until the last chapter to review, I like to hear the responses after each chapter then I know what people liked about it and can build on it.
Damn-my-name-was-taken: I got your e-mail and hope you have a good time, oh and technically we're on opposite ends of the continent, not country. Sorry if I'm a little touchy about it but I'm Canadian and proud of it. :)
Shadow-Spider: Thanks SS, I'm glad you have enjoyed this so much.
ENTER MAYHEM
CHAPTER 24: EPILOGUE
The students were getting some rest on the flight back. Kurt was out almost immediately from all the teleporting. Rogue was leaning against Vincent with her head resting on his shoulder. He was still awake with a far off look in his eyes. Obviously he was deep in thought.
Most of the others were either resting or talking quietly so they wouldn't disturb the others. Kitty thought this was a good idea to go up from and ask McCoy about her new 'pet'.
Kitty walked quietly up to him still holding the little creature in her arms. He was a little smaller than a house cat, but weighed a lot less, mostly because he seemed unhealthy to her.
"Mr. McCoy could you look at something I found in Sinister's lab." Kitty asked him, afraid he wouldn't approve of what she did. No one seemed to notice him yet (How that's possible I have no idea) but everyone was too busy running for their lives at the time.
Hank looked at the sleeping figure in her arms and his eyebrows shot straight up. "Oh my goodness! Is that a dragon?!"
This caused everyone else up from to sharply turn around to look, even Logan who jerked around a little too fast at the word 'dragon' caused his hands to jerk at the controls and sent the jet a little roughly to the side.
Immediately a chorus of complaints and shouts came from the back, several of which were from people rudely wakened up.
"Kitty where did you get that?" Scott who was close enough to see it asked her sternly.
Kitty was feeling slightly uncomfortable now, but didn't back down. "I found the poor little guy in the lab, he was like hooked up to all this equipment, and looked so helpless. I mean look at him, he doesn't look that healthy, and God knows what that sicko was doing to him." Hank looked more closely at him. "Fascinating."
"Fascinating, are ya out of your mind Hank, we don't know what the hell that thing is." Logan shouted at him over his shoulder.
"Mr. Logan" Kitty whined. "I couldn't just like leave him there, that would have been cruel and he would have died if I didn't take him, plus I thought you of all people would understand what it's like to be experimented on."
Logan didn't have a response to that, it was true but that meant he didn't have to like it, so he just let out a growl.
"Please Professor can I look after him, I mean where else can he go, have you ever heard of a place where they take care of dragons?"
Everyone pretty much had nothing to say, where do you take a dragon, if that's what it was, it did look like a dragon, but when was the last time anyone thought they were real.
"Well I for one would live to study this unique specimen." Hank said.
Kitty pulled him away from him. "Mr. McCoy don't you think he's been 'studied' enough for a life time!"
Hank reared back held up both hands. "My dear I would never hurt him, I mean study only in the most humane way."
Kitty relaxed then. "Oh sorry I should have known better." She said solemnly, then turned to face Xavier. "So can I keep him, please?"
Xavier wasn't sure she should. "Well I don't know-"but stopped when he saw Kitty biting her lower lip and giving him those puppy dog sad eyes look. He wanted to say no but he knew her reaction wouldn't be pretty so he compromised with himself.
He let out a sigh. "Vary well we'll try this on a trail bases, and take it from there."
Kitty let out an ecstatic squeal and hugged Xavier what also making sure the little dragon in her arms wasn't crushed. "Oh thank you Professor." Then went back happily to the others in the back.
"Do you think it wise for her to keep that Charles?" Ororo asked him.
"I honestly don't know."
"IS THAT A DRAGON?" someone yelled from the back.
Xavier held his head in one of his hands. "I just hope I don't live to regret this."
~~~~~~~
Unknown Location
Sinister was walking through his new base, with a grin on his face.
"Did they buy your performance?" Mesmero asked him.
"Of course those fools just don't seem to realize just the magnificence of my mind, to think I couldn't be beaten that easy." He scoffed
"Then the plan is going as discussed." Came a deep voice from across the room.
They all turned to see their new arrivals. It was Magneto flanked by Sabertooth and Mystique.
"Of course, first not only do we have the formula as an unexpected bonus from Vincent's blood sample. Who would have thought he would have showed himself at just the right moment."
"Secondly we have the back-up files I made of Cerebro, as well as have all of their DNA. The Juggernaut will undoubtedly be grateful for busting him out of that prison when we get around to it, and with his defeat at the hands of the X-Men will most likely join us when we make the offer."
"Now with their 'victory' they think they have dealt me a fatal blow to my plans." He laughed at this point, at the X-Men's gullibility. "If the fools only knew that that base was expendable. The whole idea of retrofitting that old place to push Vincent to the edge and keep their focus on what the place used to be instead of a front, was brilliant."
"And all we had to do was lose a little money for Juggernaut, lose a weakling like that Prodigy 6, lose a false base and now we can proceed with our work uninterrupted and unwatched."
Magneto had to admit his name did him credit, when Sinister came to him with his grand plan he was skeptical at best, but now things were working exactly as planed. Though he wouldn't admit it to Sinister's face, besides he didn't trust him or Mesmero. He would watch them closely.
"Then how will the new Cerebro your building here be finished?" He asked Sinister.
"Well it will take about two months, we have to work slowly if we suddenly buy up all the material to make it, it might tip Charles off, and we can't have that. I still can't believe I would actually have to steal the material instead of getting it legally like he did." He shook his head at Xavier's folly.
They made their way to a window that was an entire wall. Outside was what looked like a cross between a city and a fortress, beyond the great walls stood as far as the eye could see a vast untamed jungle.
In the distance large creatures could be seen. And in the sky soared something that only in museums or in movies should have exited. They were Pteranodons the flying dinosaurs long thought to be extinct.
Then came one close to the window, it looked like a cross between one of those flying dinosaurs and a man.
"I see Sauron has returned, then I guess he was victorious against the human tribes that attacked us earlier?" Sinister asked.
"Yes he was, they will stay clear of us from now on, or they will feel our wrath again." Magneto said. "Now we can begin to prepare for the future of mutants, here safe in our sanctuary of the Savage Land."
~~~~~~~
The next day things were pretty good at the Institute. They all felt like they accomplished something, things were pretty much back to normal, well as normal as things get there.
Tabitha was currently in Kitty's room talking to her. Kitty was feeding her new pet cradled in her arms with a bottle filled with special nutrients.
"I still can't believe you got your own dragon AND that you get to keep it." Tabitha said to her.
"I know, I always wanted a pet, but like who would expect something like this?"
"What exactly are you feeding him, her, whatever."
"First off it's totally a he, Mr. McCoy said that his genetic data had male genes. For what I'm like feeding him are some special nutrients that he needs, he's still pretty weak and he'll need to be feed this for about a week or two, before he's strong enough for solid food."
"Will exactly is it he will eat?"
Kitty made a little face. "Mr. McCoy said mostly a meat diet."
Tabitha burst out laughing, after a few minutes she was able to compose herself and wipe away a few tears. "Let me get this straight, you a devout vegetarian now has a carnivorous pet."
Kitty couldn't respond and the face she made only made Tabitha burst out laughing all over again.
XAVIER'S OFFICE
Xavier was looking out the window deep in thought. He only just registered Storm coming in to see him.
"Are you alright Charles?" she asked him.
Xavier waited a moment before answering her. "He'll be back Ororo, we haven't seen the last of him."
"Yes I thought as much."
"It seems we've gained a new enemy in our lives."
"Charles what's really bothering you?"
Xavier smirked a little. "I thought I was the telepath."
She kindly smiled at him. "I know you too well, I see that you're worried about more than Sinister."
He gave out a sigh. "What bothers me is that I didn't see any of this coming. I know that the images I got of the future were not complete and they were only fragments, but I never saw Vincent here, which was why I was so surprised when he called."
"Also I never knew about April or what would have happened to her. Things are changing from what I've seen."
"Is that a good thing or bad thing Charles?"
He thought about Jean and the rest. "I hope so, I really hope certain parts of the future have changed, but I have to wonder, if those things that I hoped wouldn't change have also been effected."
Ororo went over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "That's a lot of pressure and things to worry about Charles, but you must remember you can only do what you can, some things are just out of our hands, and we must have hope for the best."
"Thank you Ororo, I believe you may be right." He said while staring at the setting sun, thinking if the future could be changed for the good, or if it was all out of his hands.
OUTSIDE
Vincent was sitting down his back against the mansion looking out to the setting sun.
"Hey what are ya doin' out here?"
He looked over to see Rogue standing there looking down at him.
Vincent smiled at her. "Just watching the sun set, care to join me?"
She sat down next to him and leaned against him. They watched in silence at the sun going down the sky turning gold and red.
Vincent reached down to her hand and she held it in return. After everything at this moment he felt better than he had in years. He found out most of the mysteries of his past, he faced his demons and was stronger for it.
He felt a weight had been lifted not only while facing it, but also when he told everyone about his past, at first he feared everything would change for the worse, but it didn't.
There was still the pain of his past and of April, but he also found something else. He found a place where he truly felt he belonged. These people were like him, mutants that society fears and hates, he's found friendships both here and with Amanda, Amy, Pam and Joseph.
He repaired the damage done to his friendships with Mary and Benny. This place he also found the girl of his dreams, someone who knew him better than anyone. He cared for her like he never cared for anyone else in his life.
He looked at her and studied her face in the glow of the fading sun she looked beautiful. He felt his heart increase and for a second she actually took his breath away, she was so strong, independent, sure she could be cold or even distant at times, but he knew that was her way of coping with her powers.
He saw the pain she felt, and he did his best to help her forget it, just like she made him forget his own pain.
He looked back to the sun. For the second time in his life he felt truly at peace with himself, his life, and the world.
He was truly happy at this moment. He had new friends who accepted him, a great place to live, and an incredible girlfriend.
For the first time.
He truly felt he had come home.
THE END
For now stay tuned to the sequel Enter DayTripper, but not too fast, I'm working on my SG-12 story after I post this, so it will be a little while, but not too long hopefully.
Thanks to all the people who reviewed while I was writing this:
hnh
Supergirlhv
eden
Damn-my-name-was-taken
Fear Me
Shadow-Spider
Louc S. Swarm
Raliena
ayu
BlackRoseApocalypse
moondragon-1001
yae yang
Red Witch
yae yang: nice to hear from you and I'm honored you think it's the best, I hope the next one is just as good. Though I would appreciate it if you didn't wait until the last chapter to review, I like to hear the responses after each chapter then I know what people liked about it and can build on it.
Damn-my-name-was-taken: I got your e-mail and hope you have a good time, oh and technically we're on opposite ends of the continent, not country. Sorry if I'm a little touchy about it but I'm Canadian and proud of it. :)
Shadow-Spider: Thanks SS, I'm glad you have enjoyed this so much.
ENTER MAYHEM
CHAPTER 24: EPILOGUE
The students were getting some rest on the flight back. Kurt was out almost immediately from all the teleporting. Rogue was leaning against Vincent with her head resting on his shoulder. He was still awake with a far off look in his eyes. Obviously he was deep in thought.
Most of the others were either resting or talking quietly so they wouldn't disturb the others. Kitty thought this was a good idea to go up from and ask McCoy about her new 'pet'.
Kitty walked quietly up to him still holding the little creature in her arms. He was a little smaller than a house cat, but weighed a lot less, mostly because he seemed unhealthy to her.
"Mr. McCoy could you look at something I found in Sinister's lab." Kitty asked him, afraid he wouldn't approve of what she did. No one seemed to notice him yet (How that's possible I have no idea) but everyone was too busy running for their lives at the time.
Hank looked at the sleeping figure in her arms and his eyebrows shot straight up. "Oh my goodness! Is that a dragon?!"
This caused everyone else up from to sharply turn around to look, even Logan who jerked around a little too fast at the word 'dragon' caused his hands to jerk at the controls and sent the jet a little roughly to the side.
Immediately a chorus of complaints and shouts came from the back, several of which were from people rudely wakened up.
"Kitty where did you get that?" Scott who was close enough to see it asked her sternly.
Kitty was feeling slightly uncomfortable now, but didn't back down. "I found the poor little guy in the lab, he was like hooked up to all this equipment, and looked so helpless. I mean look at him, he doesn't look that healthy, and God knows what that sicko was doing to him." Hank looked more closely at him. "Fascinating."
"Fascinating, are ya out of your mind Hank, we don't know what the hell that thing is." Logan shouted at him over his shoulder.
"Mr. Logan" Kitty whined. "I couldn't just like leave him there, that would have been cruel and he would have died if I didn't take him, plus I thought you of all people would understand what it's like to be experimented on."
Logan didn't have a response to that, it was true but that meant he didn't have to like it, so he just let out a growl.
"Please Professor can I look after him, I mean where else can he go, have you ever heard of a place where they take care of dragons?"
Everyone pretty much had nothing to say, where do you take a dragon, if that's what it was, it did look like a dragon, but when was the last time anyone thought they were real.
"Well I for one would live to study this unique specimen." Hank said.
Kitty pulled him away from him. "Mr. McCoy don't you think he's been 'studied' enough for a life time!"
Hank reared back held up both hands. "My dear I would never hurt him, I mean study only in the most humane way."
Kitty relaxed then. "Oh sorry I should have known better." She said solemnly, then turned to face Xavier. "So can I keep him, please?"
Xavier wasn't sure she should. "Well I don't know-"but stopped when he saw Kitty biting her lower lip and giving him those puppy dog sad eyes look. He wanted to say no but he knew her reaction wouldn't be pretty so he compromised with himself.
He let out a sigh. "Vary well we'll try this on a trail bases, and take it from there."
Kitty let out an ecstatic squeal and hugged Xavier what also making sure the little dragon in her arms wasn't crushed. "Oh thank you Professor." Then went back happily to the others in the back.
"Do you think it wise for her to keep that Charles?" Ororo asked him.
"I honestly don't know."
"IS THAT A DRAGON?" someone yelled from the back.
Xavier held his head in one of his hands. "I just hope I don't live to regret this."
~~~~~~~
Unknown Location
Sinister was walking through his new base, with a grin on his face.
"Did they buy your performance?" Mesmero asked him.
"Of course those fools just don't seem to realize just the magnificence of my mind, to think I couldn't be beaten that easy." He scoffed
"Then the plan is going as discussed." Came a deep voice from across the room.
They all turned to see their new arrivals. It was Magneto flanked by Sabertooth and Mystique.
"Of course, first not only do we have the formula as an unexpected bonus from Vincent's blood sample. Who would have thought he would have showed himself at just the right moment."
"Secondly we have the back-up files I made of Cerebro, as well as have all of their DNA. The Juggernaut will undoubtedly be grateful for busting him out of that prison when we get around to it, and with his defeat at the hands of the X-Men will most likely join us when we make the offer."
"Now with their 'victory' they think they have dealt me a fatal blow to my plans." He laughed at this point, at the X-Men's gullibility. "If the fools only knew that that base was expendable. The whole idea of retrofitting that old place to push Vincent to the edge and keep their focus on what the place used to be instead of a front, was brilliant."
"And all we had to do was lose a little money for Juggernaut, lose a weakling like that Prodigy 6, lose a false base and now we can proceed with our work uninterrupted and unwatched."
Magneto had to admit his name did him credit, when Sinister came to him with his grand plan he was skeptical at best, but now things were working exactly as planed. Though he wouldn't admit it to Sinister's face, besides he didn't trust him or Mesmero. He would watch them closely.
"Then how will the new Cerebro your building here be finished?" He asked Sinister.
"Well it will take about two months, we have to work slowly if we suddenly buy up all the material to make it, it might tip Charles off, and we can't have that. I still can't believe I would actually have to steal the material instead of getting it legally like he did." He shook his head at Xavier's folly.
They made their way to a window that was an entire wall. Outside was what looked like a cross between a city and a fortress, beyond the great walls stood as far as the eye could see a vast untamed jungle.
In the distance large creatures could be seen. And in the sky soared something that only in museums or in movies should have exited. They were Pteranodons the flying dinosaurs long thought to be extinct.
Then came one close to the window, it looked like a cross between one of those flying dinosaurs and a man.
"I see Sauron has returned, then I guess he was victorious against the human tribes that attacked us earlier?" Sinister asked.
"Yes he was, they will stay clear of us from now on, or they will feel our wrath again." Magneto said. "Now we can begin to prepare for the future of mutants, here safe in our sanctuary of the Savage Land."
~~~~~~~
The next day things were pretty good at the Institute. They all felt like they accomplished something, things were pretty much back to normal, well as normal as things get there.
Tabitha was currently in Kitty's room talking to her. Kitty was feeding her new pet cradled in her arms with a bottle filled with special nutrients.
"I still can't believe you got your own dragon AND that you get to keep it." Tabitha said to her.
"I know, I always wanted a pet, but like who would expect something like this?"
"What exactly are you feeding him, her, whatever."
"First off it's totally a he, Mr. McCoy said that his genetic data had male genes. For what I'm like feeding him are some special nutrients that he needs, he's still pretty weak and he'll need to be feed this for about a week or two, before he's strong enough for solid food."
"Will exactly is it he will eat?"
Kitty made a little face. "Mr. McCoy said mostly a meat diet."
Tabitha burst out laughing, after a few minutes she was able to compose herself and wipe away a few tears. "Let me get this straight, you a devout vegetarian now has a carnivorous pet."
Kitty couldn't respond and the face she made only made Tabitha burst out laughing all over again.
XAVIER'S OFFICE
Xavier was looking out the window deep in thought. He only just registered Storm coming in to see him.
"Are you alright Charles?" she asked him.
Xavier waited a moment before answering her. "He'll be back Ororo, we haven't seen the last of him."
"Yes I thought as much."
"It seems we've gained a new enemy in our lives."
"Charles what's really bothering you?"
Xavier smirked a little. "I thought I was the telepath."
She kindly smiled at him. "I know you too well, I see that you're worried about more than Sinister."
He gave out a sigh. "What bothers me is that I didn't see any of this coming. I know that the images I got of the future were not complete and they were only fragments, but I never saw Vincent here, which was why I was so surprised when he called."
"Also I never knew about April or what would have happened to her. Things are changing from what I've seen."
"Is that a good thing or bad thing Charles?"
He thought about Jean and the rest. "I hope so, I really hope certain parts of the future have changed, but I have to wonder, if those things that I hoped wouldn't change have also been effected."
Ororo went over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "That's a lot of pressure and things to worry about Charles, but you must remember you can only do what you can, some things are just out of our hands, and we must have hope for the best."
"Thank you Ororo, I believe you may be right." He said while staring at the setting sun, thinking if the future could be changed for the good, or if it was all out of his hands.
OUTSIDE
Vincent was sitting down his back against the mansion looking out to the setting sun.
"Hey what are ya doin' out here?"
He looked over to see Rogue standing there looking down at him.
Vincent smiled at her. "Just watching the sun set, care to join me?"
She sat down next to him and leaned against him. They watched in silence at the sun going down the sky turning gold and red.
Vincent reached down to her hand and she held it in return. After everything at this moment he felt better than he had in years. He found out most of the mysteries of his past, he faced his demons and was stronger for it.
He felt a weight had been lifted not only while facing it, but also when he told everyone about his past, at first he feared everything would change for the worse, but it didn't.
There was still the pain of his past and of April, but he also found something else. He found a place where he truly felt he belonged. These people were like him, mutants that society fears and hates, he's found friendships both here and with Amanda, Amy, Pam and Joseph.
He repaired the damage done to his friendships with Mary and Benny. This place he also found the girl of his dreams, someone who knew him better than anyone. He cared for her like he never cared for anyone else in his life.
He looked at her and studied her face in the glow of the fading sun she looked beautiful. He felt his heart increase and for a second she actually took his breath away, she was so strong, independent, sure she could be cold or even distant at times, but he knew that was her way of coping with her powers.
He saw the pain she felt, and he did his best to help her forget it, just like she made him forget his own pain.
He looked back to the sun. For the second time in his life he felt truly at peace with himself, his life, and the world.
He was truly happy at this moment. He had new friends who accepted him, a great place to live, and an incredible girlfriend.
For the first time.
He truly felt he had come home.
THE END
For now stay tuned to the sequel Enter DayTripper, but not too fast, I'm working on my SG-12 story after I post this, so it will be a little while, but not too long hopefully.
Thanks to all the people who reviewed while I was writing this:
hnh
Supergirlhv
eden
Damn-my-name-was-taken
Fear Me
Shadow-Spider
Louc S. Swarm
Raliena
ayu
BlackRoseApocalypse
moondragon-1001
yae yang
Red Witch