They have become unhinged from time; they are heroes from different realities who must travel from one alternate reality to another, completing missions in order to repair the broken links in the chain of time. They are the Exiles and this is their fate.

Exiles Volume 1 #40 "Nightmares"

Note: This story and the ones following it are apart of a fan fiction based series derived from my imagination. And were created because of my displeasure of what has happened to the Exiles since the King Hyperion arc. I claim no ownership of the characters featured within save the characters that are of my own creation.

When the Exiles arrived on the new world, they found that TJ had not been replaced, which made them wonder what had changed. For a brief moment the image of the Timebroker appeared.

The rules have changed my wayward ones; where once were six will now be five.

After he disappeared, Calvin, Kevin, Heather, and Clarice lowered their heads. Illyana walked ahead of them to get a lay of the new world they were on. She found herself surprised that so many mutants were walking about in the city. Calvin came up beside her, but he saw something far different; a world of humans with mutant organ, and cell grafts.

"Look at all of these mutants," said Illyana.

"They're not mutants…"

"What do you mean?" she asked. "Look at them!"

'I am," said Calvin, "they're humans called U-Men."

"U-Men?" asked Illyana.

"The U-Men are humans who graft mutant organs and cells into their bodies as apart of rebellion against establishment, and anti-mutant sentiment."

"Don't they know what kind of effect those grafts will have?" asked Heather.

"No," said Calvin," and they don't care."

"These humans are disgusting," said Clarice.

"That's not the half of it," said Calvin, "most, if not all of the grafts they get are from mutants they take in, dissect, and then dispose of."

"Sounds like bad science," said Kevin, "in fact, I hate to see what would happen on my world if stuff like this ever happened."

"So what are we doing here?" asked Illyana.

"I don't know yet," said Calvin, "the tallus is being a bit mum at the moment."

"Well, until we get our mission; we should find a place to settle down, and relax."

"Good idea, Heather."

The quintet made their way to the nearest cyber-lounge where Kevin used his computer skills to set them up with some quick cash, then made their way to the harbor hotel where they paid for their rooms.

The Hub;

In the middle of the city stood the center of human enhancement and reeducation, otherwise known as HERD. The leader of the operation Sublime came out of its birthing matrix in a new host body, the body of Jean Grey. She ran a hand through her red hair, and smiled.

"Simply beautiful, don't you think?"

"Yes," said Harvest, "quite sexy."

"Too bad it will melt away after a few days."

"That's the problem with the process; in the mean time enjoy being the opposite sex."

"Oh, I intend to."

She slipped on a body suit that hugged every curve, and zipped it up in the front. After slipping on a pair of socks, and ankle high boots, she walked through the Hub mingling with the U-Men.

The Harbor Hotel;

Calvin took a taste of the air, and he could make out the scent of a variety of friends whose remains were spliced into the humans that walked by balcony of his hotel room. He clenched his fists, anger rising within him, but he could not let himself lose control. Without any warning his mind swam with images of atrocities committed all over the world, he fell to his knees crying out in pain. The agony was so intense that for a moment he lost control of his optic beams; the beams shattered the door of his hotel room startling the busboy who was about to walk by.

Illyana ran in, and grabbed hold of Calvin with a worried expression on her face. She bent down, and whispered in his ear.

"Are you all right?" she said. "Calvin can you hear me?"

"Pain… so much pain!"

"Calm down baby, it'll be all right."

Clarice walked in, and saw Illyana holding Calvin who was in pain, and she backed up, and walked out of the room. Kevin and Heather passed her, and turned to watch her leave.

"I wonder what is going on," said Kevin.

Heather gave a slight nod, "Me too."

The two of them then walked into Calvin's room finding the door busted, and him lying in Illyana's arms. She looked up at them while brushing aside one of Calvin's lock of hairs.

"Is he all right?" asked Heather.

"Yeah, he'll be fine."

Kevin crossed his arms, "when he's feeling better let us know what the tallus wants us to do."

She nodded her head, and they left. She whispered softly in Calvin's ear as he was overwhelmed by the pain of all of the mutants who were experimented upon. And her soothing words helped him regain some measure of composure.

The Hub;

Sublime levitated herself out of the pool, her exposed body catching glances from all of the men around her, and she swooped down making a big splash. The men hooted and hollered. One particularly had a smile on his face, and dirty thoughts to go with the gorgeous view he's seen. When she came out of the pool again he flew up to her with his wings, and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey sweetie pie," he said, "how about you and me go somewhere private to have a party all our own?"

"Why not," she said, and with her telekinesis, she fashioned the strips of clothes she left on the lounge chair into bathing suit.

"That's hot."

"You've seen nothing yet," she said, and then flashed him a smile.

The Harbor Hotel;

Clarice walked back toward Calvin's room nervously. She wasn't sure what she was to say. It was over, as over as it can be. All she wanted was to see if he was all right, and when she got to his room she found Illyana's clothes on the floor, and her boots were against the wall. Calvin's shirt was draped over a chair. She covered her mouth, and walked back out the door deciding that perhaps she should keep her distance.

Had she gone further inside she would have found Illyana in bed with Calvin with her head on his chest listening to his steady heart beat. She ran her hand across his abs, and then kissed him on the cheek.

Despite the affection shown by his teammate, Calvin was confronted with the inner realities of the people he surrounded himself with; some surprised him, and others scared him. It made him wonder just how dangerous the people he knew really were. Then a mental image of Clarice came to the fore, and there was something amiss about her. His new mental powers sensed she was being deceiving, but he could not discern why. In Illyana he could sense a deep passion, a sexual liberation, but also a fear of not finding true love. So, she throws herself into any sexual relationship she can to comfort her from such fears. Before he could see further he was woken up by a scent that he had not smelt in some time. He opened his eyes, and Illyana was sleeping on top of him. He brushed a strand of her from her face, and it allowed him to see the beauty that lie hidden behind the recklessness and sexual aggression.

He cautiously moved her aside, and she turned over; once he was assured she was still a sleep, he put his shirt back on, and flew out the window to track down the scent he picked up. He had not noticed Clarice, Kevin, and Heather walking the streets below him, nor did he hear them call out to him.

"Calvin, wait!"

"He didn't hear us," said Clarice.

"Figures," said Kevin.

"We better get Illyana, and track him down," said Heather. "He has the tallus, and only he can tell us our mission."

The three raced inside the hotel, and found Illyana lying in Calvin's bed, the blanket flipped over showing her red underwear and bra, and sun tanned skin.

"Whoa," said Kevin.

Heather, and Clarice eyed Kevin, and he shrugged with a goofy grin on his face.

"Illyana wake up," said Heather.

She shook Illyana until she woke up, and turned around taking the blanket off of her.

"Hmmm…" she rubbed her eyes. "Come for that first time experience I spoke of?"

"No," she said, "Calvin left."

"What?" she asked; she turned to his side of the bed to find him not there. "WHERE is he?"

"Beats me," said Clarice, "I thought a whore like you could keep track of her man."

Illyana flung herself at Clarice, but Heather caught her, and pulled her back.

"Enough of this bickering," she said, and pointed at both Heather and Clarice. "We have to find Calvin."

"Agreed," said Illyana as she stared daggers at Clarice.

"Yeah," said Clarice. "I can finish this later."

"Bring it on purple slut."

"It will be brought whore."

"Man; and I thought Jubilee and Paige didn't get along."

"Shut up, Kevin."

"All right, Heather."

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her after she let go of Illyana she could get dressed.

"What are you doing?'

"Nothing," he said.

"Sure," she said, after removing his arm from around her shoulders. "Keep your hands to yourself."

"Okay."

Calvin flew through the unfamiliar city searching for the source of the scent that had his heart hammering in his chest. He dove low once he heard panting sounds from a bedroom that occupied a third floor loft. He landed, and walked inside finding what he presumed was Jean on the bed with a man on top thrusting into her. She looked at Calvin as she ran her hands down the man's back; her legs were raised and wrapped around the man's waist.

"Come for the show?"

The look of horror and surprise on Calvin's face only made the shrewd mockery of the woman he knew and loved laugh. He popped his claws, and dove at the two. His claws ran through the man with wings back causing him to scream in pain. Blood spewed from his mouth, and onto Sublime. She was not shocked at all, no; it only excited it more. She telekinetically shoved the man off, and rose up to her feet to look Calvin in the eyes as he transformed to organic steel to prevent her from intruding on his mind; however, that tactic proved futile as his own psychic powers allowed her to tear right into his memories to get a sense of who he is, and where he came from.

Heather climbed up to the third floor loft hearing Calvin screaming, and she swatted Sublime aside. Her big hands caught Calvin as he fell. Illyana teleported up behind Sublime, and bore her soul sword.

"What did you do to him, you red haired bitch?"

"I raped him," she said; and licked her lips. "Mind rape is so good, don't you think."

Illyana started to feel Sublime enter her mind, but with a thrust of her soul sword she ended the vile attack. Sublime grabbed her stomach, blood leaking out, as well as guts. She smiled evilly, as her telekinetic power worked to repair the damage; when a spatial displacement javelin caught her in the shoulder, displacing her left side halfway across the world, she screamed.

"What have YOU done?"

"Displaced half of your body across the world," said Clarice. "You shouldn't have attacked Calvin."

"Let me finish this," said Kevin, as he shaped his arms together into a giant sledge.

"WAIT!" cried out Calvin.

"What?" said Illyana, as she came over and knelt beside Calvin. "She tried to kill you."

"You don't understand; Jean's alive in there."

"You speak nonsense," said Sublime.

"Do I?"

Calvin stood up, and walked closer to her, "I sensed you in there Jean; I know I did."

He placed his hands on her face, and after her body finished reconstructing itself, she stared at him, long and hard. The black eyes that marked Sublime's presence were replaced by Jean's green eyes.

"Calvin?" she said.

"Yes," he said.

"You have to kill me," she said, after running a hand over her face. "Sublime could misuse my power, and destroy so much."

"That's what the tallus warned me about…"

"Do it," she said. "If I ever meant anything to you in your reality, kill me now."

"I can't, it's not why we were brought here."

"What?" she said.

"Isn't that right, Harvest?"

The dead winged man's body twisted and turned shaping itself into the grotesque form of the Phalanx member, Harvest. The claw marks in his chest healed instantly.

"How did you know I was mating with her?"

"I didn't, but Sublime did."

Calvin turned, and pulverized Harvest with a tight, full intensity optic blast.

"What now, Calvin?"

"You'll find out soon," he said, and there were tears in his eyes as he and the Exiles vanished.

Jean suddenly lurched as she felt a new life within her being born, and it scared her.

EXILED: The ultimate punishment is not having any choice in the matters that mean the most.

-Mick

8/16/09