Non Mutant Hero: A Human X-Factor Sequel

By Orkoad

Based on characters and situations created and/or owned by Marvel Comics, Sunbow Entertainment, Kids WB and John Proft. Special thanks to Red Witch for the use of her character, Spyder.

Chapter 1: Catching Up

Years passed, and things changed along with it. The human/mutant debate raged on as it always had, but other than that the world had been a relatively calm place, allowing the students of Xavier's institute to live their lives as normal kids for awhile.

Scott, Jean, Rogue, Kitty and Lance had gone off to college, and were soon followed by Kurt, bobby drake, Alex summers and Jack. It had been a tough couple of years for Jack. Becoming the first human X-man, but never once got to fight as an x-man, along with the loss of X, made things difficult for him, and often times jack got himself into difficult situations when he had been caught talking to no one, when in actuality he had been talking to X, who had imprinted potions of her mind into his head.

Now Jack's life was becoming more and more boring. Between school and his job at the book store, there was very little excitement in his life anymore. X was the only thing keeping him to die of boredom, but lately she had seemed distant, which was very odd when she literally only existed in his was may now, the days were getting warmer, and school was close to be ending for the year, and Jack couldn't wait, summer would mean going back home to the mansion, to his friends and family. Jack's day had brought him behind the counter of the book store, his face buried in a text book. He had been in college 2 years now and still hadn't decided what he wanted to do with is life. After a day with no customers, and the book almost putting him to sleep, he finally closed it with a groan and pulled out his notebook, and began to write.

"keeping you busy?" A voice asked as someone walked threw the door, causing Jack to jump in surprise. He looked up to see who had surprised him, and saw a very welcome face.

"ROGUE, what are you doing here, I thought you were studying acting in California?" He said happily. She blushed a little at his joyous expression. In her youth she would often dress in Goth makeup and skimpy, yet full body covering outfits, but now she seemed much less dark, more color in her cheeks, wearing a bright green windbreaker over a yellow t-shirt and jeans.

" Ah finished up early and decided to come out here til summer, thought maybe we could go back to the mansion together when your done for tha year." Jack smiled as he closed his notebook and slipped it under the desk, then walked out from behind it and hugged her tightly. She was still timid when someone came within physical contact, but was getting better at dealing with it, and still dressed in a way to keep most of her body covered from direct contact.

" I missed you so much, everyone. School has been boring as hell, I guess after the crap we've been threw anything is gonna seem boring." Rogue giggled at that, and nodded.

"Ya'll hear from the others lately?" She asked as she brushed the streak of white hair from out of her eyes.

"Me and Scott keep in touch threw snail mail, but other than that and the occasional call from Ollie and the prof, I haven't heard much of anything." He said as he pulled back and hopped up to sit on the check out desk. Rogue looked around at the small book shop in the secluded corner of road island.

"Some how ah always pictured ya'll in a place like this, you always had ah thing for readin and old stuff." Jack snickered as he looked around himself.

"well let's just say id rather get my info from paper and not a computer screen." She nodded and leaned against the wall across from him.

"So, ya'll wanna get a coffee after work?" She asked. Jack nodded.

"Absolutely."

The room went quiet for a moment, rogue looked around the room nervously before finally saying something.

"awkward silence..." She said softly, causing jack to snicker. It caused her to chuckle back. And again there was a second moment of awkward quiet.

"well, ah should get goin, I'll be back around 8, and we can go get ah coffee." Jack nodded and the exchanged waves as she slipped out the door. Jack let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in, before looking around the empty book store in silence, still progressing what happened. Just then he felt a soft punch on his shoulder. Jack turned, and saw X-23, looking at him sternly, arms crossed. Jack gulped, and after a 3 second stare down, X let out a loud laugh.

"What's so funny?" Jack asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"You like rogue?" She said with a smile. Jack gave a groan, rubbing his eyes with his hands.

" if I did, how do you feel about that?" Jack asked back, sighing as he leapt off the desk and wandering the halls of the humble book store.

"I don't know, if your asking for my permission, your not gonna get it, but only cause my feelings shouldn't effect your decision." She said, following him.

"Well... She did look amazing, didn't she?" he asked out loud.

"Yeah, she did, she really grew up huh?" X replied. Jack nodded and he ran his hand along the book's neatly set on the shelves, a small layer of dust collecting on them.

"I guess we all have, The kang crap was along time ago, and alot of us or going back for the first time in years... I wonder if Kurt is still leading the team." jack said as he reached the back of the store, turning now to face the books, glancing across the spines in search of a certain book.

" you've grown up alot jack, back then you still had that weird need to play hero, IM glad you grew out of that." Jack gave X an even look, the first time she had ever seen him angry at her.

"It wasn't a phase or anything like that! I wanted to make a difference." He said evenly. X took a step back, not sure how to process this new feeling.

"Jack I.. I didn't mean.."

"Every day people risk their lives to help those who can't help themselves. Every day countless millions are saved by people doing everything they can to make the world a better place, and I don't just mean the hero's, IM talking about every firefighter and cop and military worker out there. I wanted to be able to say I did my part, I gave it my all and maybe I save a few... Lives..." Jack's words fell when he realized what he had been saying. X stood there, eyes wide, tears forming in them, but she was still as stone. Jack looked down, frowning.

"I'm sorry Navi... I... I didn't mean to.." X wiped her tear, walked over to him and hugged him tight, her head resting on his chest.

"I know Jack... I know... I'm sorry too... You did alot of good, helped alot of people." she said as her hand rubbed his back.

"I couldn't help you..." He said weakly. She pulled back, hands gently squeezing his arms as she looked into his eyes.

" you tried, you did everything you could Jack... You've grown up alot... Why can't you let this go?" Jack looked down.

"I don't know... I... I just feel like... All the fights we fought in... All the bad guys we brought down... And in the end I still lost you..." Silence fell again in the dusty book store. X had no words... What could anyone say to that. Jack gave a weary sigh as he looked at his watch. It was 7:22.

"Anyway... We better close up, if I wanna get this place cleaned up if we're gonna meet rogue in time." He said as he scratched his head nervously as he headed up to the desk to get ready to lock the door. He was half way down the isle, when the bell over the door chimed, signaling a customer's entrance, jack could just barely noticed two people walking in.

"I'm sorry folks, we're closing up." He said as he stepped out of the isle.

"Not even for a couple of old friends?" One of them said. Jack knew that voice but he couldn't remember where from. The two figures stood in the main entrance, and pulled off their hoods. One of them was a young man, with short white hair, and one blue eye, one golden eye. The other one was a woman, a stunning woman, with long flowing platinum shimmering white/blond hair, and the unforgettable light gray skin.

"Ollie? Cable?" The two smiled.

" how ya doin old man?" Cable said with a smile as he shook jack's hand with a smile.

"you time hopping bastard's, what are you guys doing here?" Jack asked, hugging ollie with a smile.

"Believe it or not, we're here to check on you." Cable said, as ollie wandered down the isle. Jack gave cable a worried look.

"I didn't screw up time again did I?" Jack asked in worry, as he gave X a worried look, who returned the look of concern.

"Not exactly," Cable replied, "But thing's are gonna get real bad real soon." He said evenly.

"What's gonna happen?" Jack asked. Cable gave a groan.

"Come on old man, you know those time travel rules, we can only do what time records. It recorded me and ollie coming back here, and that's what we did, and that's all we can do. Be on guard... Try not to look for this event, but be ready when it happens, the fate of everything... Ever... Rests in you."

"so no pressure." Jack said evenly. Ollie returned from the isle, a book in hand, as she came to stand beside cable. "So... Pretending you didn't just give me a warning of in pending doom... How are you guys, the fight with doom still happening?"

"It happened, but thanks to you we were able to end that fight." Ollie said with a light smile, as she handed Jack the book she had grabbed.

"What's this?" Jack asked, looking at the warn and tattered book, a hard cover, it's dust jacket long ago lost to who knows where.

"A book, a good one, and one that might prep you for what's coming." Jack opened the book to the first page.

"Outlander, by Diana Gabledon... Who told you bout this book?" Jack asked.

"You did." she said as she gave jack a soft quick kiss on the cheek "Be safe big brother, good luck." She said with a smile, pulling the spider-girl mask over her face, then the hood over that. Cable pulled on his own hood, and the two stepped out, as a heavy rain began to descend on the city underneath. Jack watched them walk out in silence, then looked back down at the book.

"You OK?" Jack asked.

"I don't know... But I hope forge kept my gear from getting rusty."

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End of Chapter

Next Chapter: old wounds