The alarms in
the mansion were running wild. The
sensors had picked up a new mutant signature on the property—one that had been
previously registered as enemy.
“It’s
Vertigo.” Cyclops said, reading the computer panel.
The X-Men had
been attending their morning Danger Room sessions when the ruckus began.
“What about
the other Marauder’s?” Bobby asked.
“I’m not
picking up any of them. There is
another mutant with her though.
Unidentifiable.”
“Then we’ll
make short work of him too.” Logan
growled. “Where are they?”
Scott looked
oddly at the control panel. “They’re
walking up the front driveway.”
“Kinda bold,
even for a Marauder, ain’t it?” Rogue said as the team headed up.
“It’s gotta
be some kind of set up. Watch your
backs people.”
The X-Men
split up and emerged from different ports.
Some came directly from the house.
Others rose up from access ports in the lawn. Vertigo was surrounded in seconds.
“Hold it right
there lady!” Wolverine barked.
Vertigo
released the hand of the small figure she had been holding and raised both arms
in the air.
“I
surrender!” she yelled and sank to her knees.
“Don’t attack! I surrender!”
“Where’s
you’re backup?”
“They’re not
here. No one knows I’m here.”
“Right.”
“Wolverine,
wait.” Jean said. “What are you doing
here Vertigo? What do you want?”
“An’ choose
your words carefully, femme.” Remy added, three glowing cards in his hand.
“I come here
in peace. I need your help.”
“You need our
help? A likely story!”
“Not for
myself.” She said, she slowly reached over and removed the sweater hood from
the small figure and then his baseball cap.
“For my son.” She finished.
A frightened
boy of about eight or nine, stood close to Vertigo and looked around quite
terrified.
“So you got a
kid. Big deal. Doesn’t explain what you’re doin’ here.”
“Sinister has
recalled us. All of us. I don’t know what he has planned but it will
be for a long endurance.”
“Recalled
you?”
“Since our
last—confrontation, Sinister let us go off on our own ways, as he often does in
down time. We are free to do whatever
we want until he recalls us.” She
looked at the boy. It’s been almost a
decade since I’ve heard from him. I was
beginning to hope I never would. But he
wants us to rejoin him… tonight.”
“Where and
when?” Cyclops asked.
“…I can’t
say. That isn’t what I’m here for.”
“You got
about three seconds to tell—”
“Logan…”
Professor
Xavier accompanied by a still recovering Storm came out of the house. Several of the team instinctively moved a
step closer in his direction. The head
of the family must always be protected.
“What is it
you have come here to ask us child?” he continued.
“As far as I
know,” Vertigo said in a shaky voice, “Mr. Sinister and the others are not
aware of Darren.” She nodded towards the boy.
“I have never told any of them about him.”
‘Oh, I don’
like where dis be goin’.’ Gambit thought.
“In everyway
you could imagine, I belong to Sinister.
My son does not… and I intend to keep it that way.”
The X-Men
fell oddly silent. Even Logan, who had
been even more aggressive than usual during this, was quiet. Fighting an enemy on a battlefield was one
thing. But when they walk up to your
front door… with the children only a few feet away….
“I am asking…
I am begging you to please show some of that compassion you are always
professing to have and keep my son.”
“What?!”
Rogue exclaimed.
“You gotta be
outta your damn mind!” Marrow hissed.
The team was
in an uproar. The young boy grabbed his
mother about her shoulders and buried his face in her neck.
“X-Men! Calm yourselves!” the Professor commanded into their
minds.
“Please,”
Vertigo implored. “Darren is
innocent. He has never done anything
to offend anyone. I have tried
to raise him as normally as possible.
To teach him right from wrong.
His only sin is being born to a mother who is an enemy. Would you condemn him for that? How many of you have parents to whom
you would not want to be judged by?”
A few of the
team were shamefully taken aback by that question. They tried to hide their discomfort.
“If Sinister
finds out about Darren, one of two things will happen. Either he’ll use him as a subject of
experimentation, or he will be trained to be a Marauder. Would you really wish the next generation to
face a Marauder who has been trained by that man from such a young age? Would you allow a child to by torn apart to
advance scientific curiosity? Is that
what the X-Men do? Do you only help
those whom you deem worthy? As I
recall,” she said looking directly at Gambit. “Some of you have come
from less than perfect pasts.”
Gambit merely
narrowed his eyes.
“Where is the
child’s father?” Ororo asked.
“Dead. Before Darren was born. Before I even knew I was pregnant.”
Storm’s hand
tightened on the back of the Professor’s chair.
“The last
time I ran into Scalphunter, he decided he didn’t like the way Darren’s father
looked at him. He crushed his sku—he
killed him right there.”
“And now
you’re going back to work with the guy.”
“I don’t have
any choice.”
“There’s
always a choice.” Scott said.
“Maybe the
original Vertigo did. Or even the
second, or the third. But I’m too far
down the cloning line. Sinister has
made too many personal adjustments to my genetic code. I’m certain he could destroy me this instant
if he really wanted to.”
“And if this
recall is a plan for the Marauder’s to attack us?”
“Then I will
do so. I told you, I don’t have a
choice.”
“And if you
win and we are defeated, what then?”
Vertigo
looked down at her lap for a moment.
“There is a…
counter of sorts to my mutant ability.”
She looked up. “When and if you next face me… hold your breath.”
“What?” Hank
asked.
“My powers
are visually based, yes. But I’m sure
you’ve noticed that closing your eyes does little to dissuade my powers.”
Logan
clenched his teeth.
“That is
because my abilities are tri-based.
Visual, sound… and smell. It’s
the smell the smell caused a great deal of the disorientation.”
“I never
noticed no smell.” Logan said through his teeth.
“That was
because your visual and nasal senses were also being thrown off. You weren’t able to notice.”
“Why us,
Vertigo?” Rogue asked. You gotta know
someone else.”
“Because, if
Sinister finds out about Darren, or if already knows and someday decides he
wants him… I know that you’re the only ones who can protect him.”
There was
another silence.
“He’s just a
child…” Vertigo said in a sad strained voice.
It sounded as though it were the last argument she could give.
Charles
adjusted his position in his chair.
“…Go. We will care for him.”
The tone in
the Professor’s voice silenced the mouths of the X-Men who were opening theirs
to comment. He had made his decision
and there would be no further discussion… at least not at this time.
They were
then met with another surprise when Vertigo suddenly broke down into tears.
“Thank
you. Thank you, so very much.” She
sobbed. It was the first time the X-Men
had ever seen any Marauder display any emotion other than wicked content or
anger.
She collected
herself somewhat and turned to Darren smoothing his blond hair back.
“Honey, these
are the people I told you about.
They’re going to take care of you until mommy can come back.”
“But I wanna
go with you!”
“Darren, we
talked about this… you know it’s impossible.”
Darren dropped
his head.
“You see this
nice man in the chair?” She continued, pointing to Charles. “This is Professor Xavier. Remember I told you about him. Now, you listen carefully. I want you to do everything the Professor
tells you to. You obey everything he says. Help when you can, and best behavior at all
times. I don’t want to hear that you’ve
been a bad boy, understand?”
Darren nodded
and sniffed.
She adjusted
his small backpack, then wrapped him in a tight hug.
“I love
you. Please, always remember how much I
love you.” She said softly.
Rogue was
surprised to find the beginnings of a lump growing in her throat.
Vertigo
finally released the hug and stood up.
She turned Darren to face the Professor’s direction and gave him a soft
push.
“Go on.” She
said softly, then wiped the tears from her cheeks with the sleeve of her
jacket.
She waited
until Darren had reached the bottom step of the porch.
“Please care
for him.” She said to no one in particular.
And before anyone could react, Vertigo touched a button on her belt
buckle and vanished.
Darren had
looked in time only to see the last faint image of her disappear. He looked back to the Professor.
Charles
cupped the young boy’s chin in his hand and smiled warmly. It was the same smile each of the X-Men had
been comforted in at one time or another.
The one that told them they were part of a family… and would never be
alone.
Darren’s chin
began to tremble. He threw his arms
around Xavier and began crying.
Jean, at
Scott’s request had mentally summoned the rest of the team to return to the
Danger Room. They slowly began doing
so. If the Marauders were back, they
would be needing to step up their training.
Charles
pulled the boy up onto his lap and looked up at Ororo.
“He is
only a child.” He
told her mentally.
“I know.” She replied. “There was nothing else you could do,
Professor.”
He looked
down at the quietly sobbing child in his arms.
“I have
done this before.”
He continued. “I just pray that this
turns out to be one of the more positive decisions I have made. And that I… or more importantly… any of you
live to regret. I am only a man. I make mistakes. Too often I have wondered why you all still follow me.”
“It is
because of acts like this,” she said motioning to Darren with her hand. “that we follow you.
Your compassion and your kindness.
That is what we follow. That is
who we believe in. Mistakes or no, you
are our inspiration.”
Charles
reddened slightly at the complement. “You
should be cautious about placing me so high.
I have fallen before.”
“That,
dear Charles, is why angels have wings.” Ororo thought to him as she turned and walked
back into the house.
Charles
looked down at Darren again. The boy
still had his arms wrapped around Xavier’s neck but was on longer crying. Only sniffling.
Charles
smoothed the hair down on the boy’s head, then turned his hover chair, and
brought the new boy into their home.
The End
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