FicWad

Cult of the X
Chapter 7: Mysteries and Distractions

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The aftermath of the incident in New York was pure chaos. Destruction from the sentinel attack took a heavy toll on the city and the public at large. There was plenty of finger pointing. Mutants were the obvious scapegoat, but with so little information nothing was clear. The authorities were trying to take over the situation, but were greatly impeded by the private security force known as GRSO. Even Nick Fury of SHIELD struggled to find answers because of all the secrecy surrounding Kelly’s support system. Whatever had happened, they were trying to keep it quiet and doing a good job of it.

With so little information coming from Mayor Kelly, there was a lot of room for speculation. Pro-mutant and anti-mutant groups bitterly debated and huge protests sprang up all over the country. Rumors persisted that the X-men were captured, killed, or in hiding. But as soon as the dust cleared, the Brotherhood of Mutants stepped up to the challenge. After Magneto took over Genosha, they became the prime group to carry out the message of mutant liberation. They still clashed with the X-men, but their goals were much broader since their high school days at Bayville.

It was past midnight in the Big Apple and Toad, Blob, Avalanche, Quicksilver, Pyro, and the Scarlet Witch had their work cut out for them. New York was one big crime scene and getting any sort of credible information was difficult at best. But like Magneto, they didn’t believe for a second that Xavier had been behind the attack on Mayor Kelly.

“Hurry up, Pietro!” said Wanda as Pietro was trying to eavesdrop on some radio chatter with a scanner, “Can’t that cheap thing work any faster?”

“Not everything is as fast as me, sis,” said Pietro, “They’re using encrypted signaling. It’ll take me a minute to unscramble it.”

“Funny, that Arcade guy you bought it from said it was supposed to decrypt anything,” she muttered.

“Will you just have some patience already?” groaned the speedster.

“Look who’s talking.”

Wanda rolled her eyes. Ever since she and her brother joined their father’s cause it had been tense between them. But things had gotten better. Pietro was the one who revealed to her that Magneto manipulated her mind so she wouldn’t remember the horrors she went through after he threw her in a mental hospital. And while she lashed out at him for not telling her sooner, he still told her and they stuck together ever since. For a while she was so angry at her father she tried to kill him, but Pietro helped her give him a second chance. It was probably the most unselfish thing he ever did, but he could still be a jerk.

Down below, Pyro and Lance were scoping out major activity near ground zero. They quickly noticed that this was being handled completely by government agents. However, they didn’t look like usual marines or military police. They didn’t even resemble SHIELD. It made this whole mess all the more suspicious.

“I can’t believe we’re trying to prove the X-men innocent,” muttered Lance, “But damn it if Magneto wasn’t right. This deal really stinks.”

“Oh lighten up, Avalanche,” said Pyro, giving his teammate a slap on the back, “I know you still hold a grudge against the X-men after that Kitty sheila broke your heart, but face it. You just couldn’t rock her world.”

“Don’t start, fire freak,” muttered Lance, “Now is NOT the time.”

Pyro snickered, knowing any mention of Kitty pushed Lance’s buttons. Even though it had been years since their breakup, it still left him bitter. But she was with the Russian now. He didn’t like it, but it was probably for the better. Now he could focus on his duties with the Brotherhood. It was a sweet deal, being high up in the Genoshan government. But he still bore a grudge against the X-men.

“These guys sure don’t look like New York’s finest,” said Lance, “They almost seem paramilitary.”

“Who knows? Maybe the government’s getting cheap and hiring private armies,” shrugged Pyro.

“Or someone else is pulling the strings,” said Lance, peaking around a street corner, “And I’m willing to bet the farm that Mayor Kelly’s the prime suspect. Principle or politician, he’s still slime!”

Unmarked convoys were rolling in, taking pieces of the sentinel away. They left no stone unturned. They were really serious about getting every last trace of this thing out of the city. It was too efficient to be from the government.

Taking out a pair of binoculars, Lance focused on a crowd of men who had gathered at the podium where Mayor Kelly had been standing when it happened. They all wore black uniforms that didn’t look like standard military issue. None of them looked too friendly, but one face did stick out.

“Hey, I know that guy,” said Lance, trying to get a closer look.

“What is it?” said Pyro, ducking blow to get a look, “You find Elvis or something?”

“No nitwit, look harder!” scorned Lance, “See the guy with the eye patch? That’s Nick Fury of SHIELD and he looks pissed. If he’s here, something’s gotta be up.”

Setting aside his binoculars, Lance tapped the receiver on his earpiece that he used to stay in touch with the rest of the Brotherhood.

“Toad, you read me?” he said through the static.

“Still here,” said Toad over the line, “Blob’s got that big electronic ear gizmo Mags gave us. I feel like James Bond up here.”

“Well see if you can focus on that crowd near the podium. We might get some answers if we listen in.”

“Got it, Avalanche!” said Toad, turning to his oversized teammate, “You hear that, yo?”

“I’m workin’ on it,” said Blob, “This stuff’s tricky. Gotta line it up right.”

Wearing oversized earphones, Blob adjusted the dial. At first he heard a jumbled mess of background noise, but as he narrowed in on the crowd at the podium, he picked up a few voices.

“You’re interfering with protocol, Fury. I already told you that your boys will be allowed in ONLY after we’ve done our jobs.”

“Forgive me if I’m skeptical, Mr. Gyrich. But my job and your job happen to have the same goals and you’re GRSO goons have been messing with my investigation. That’s a serious breach of federal protocol last I checked.”

“I have clearance from Mayor Kelly and plenty of associates. If you have any issues with how I do my job, you can take it up with them.”

It sounded promising. Fury sure looked pissed and rightfully so. It took a lot to hold this guy back. Blob and Toad exchanged looks. They may not have been experts in government affairs, but something was amiss here.

“You recording this, Blob?” said Toad.

“Never stopped,” he grinned, “These guys are goin’ down!”

Back on the roof, Pietro and Wanda were working to get a signal with their equipment. Toad, Blob, Avalanche, and Pyro were already reporting suspicious activity. But they couldn’t pin anything on anybody without proof. And if Magneto was going to make a fool of the government, they needed something concrete.

Pietro used his super speed to work each mechanism, carefully sifting through the radio clutter in hopes of picking up something incriminating. Finally, they heard voices over the line.

“Hold it, I’ve got something,” said Pietro, turning up the volume.

“I’ll start recording,” said Wanda.

There wasn’t much at first other than a few standard commands. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, even if a giant robot was involved. But as the conversation between Nick Fury and a man named Gyrich ended on less than harmonious terms ended, the mysterious official took out his cell phone and made a private call.

“Kelly, it’s Gyrich. We may have a problem.”

“Please tell me it’s only minor. Have you found the X-men yet?”

“No, I still keep getting crazy stories about some nut jobs rescuing them on a flying submarine!”

“Flying submarine? You must be joking.”

“It’s no joke I assure you. And we may have another issue. Fury’s getting suspicious.”

“Nick Fury? I thought you said you could handle him!”

“I can. I just need time. He’s still stumbling around in the dark. He has no proof we planned the attack. And the sooner we confiscate every last part, the sooner we can cover every last angle. You’ll be clean as a whistle and the X-men will be fugitives.”

“And it better stay that way or we’ll never get that mutant registration act! Just do your job and cover your ass! Because if I go down I’m taking you with me!”

It was just as the Brotherhood had expected. The X-men had been set up. And now they had proof. Once again humans were acting like the apes they were, trying to rally the troops against homo superior. In addition, there were some strange reports about the X-men, but that took a back seat for now. The Brotherhood got what they came for and had their ammo for humiliating the human race.

“Gotcha you little shit,” grinned Wanda, “Call Magneto. I think he’ll be very interested to have this information.”

“He better,” said Pietro, making sure he secured the recording, “Maybe now we can finally start moving against the humans before they move against us. Dad’s been talking about a war for years. It’s time we finally get the ball rolling in our favor.”

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The sun rose over Xavier Island, ushering in a new day for the secretive Church of X. The X-men slept well into the morning, tired from the chaos of the Sentinel attack and the revelation that they were reincarnations of the ancient gods of Atlantis. Most slept soundly. Others, however, found it a bit more difficult.

Logan didn’t turn in until most everybody else was sound asleep. He was also one of the first to awaken. Even with a healing factor, he needed rest. But his protective instincts wouldn’t allow him to let his guard down.

He spent the morning checking on every last student. Hank fell asleep in his room surrounded by books, not a rare sight by any stretch. Scott and Jeannie were still resting peacefully after having had a busy night making love. The smells more or less gave that away. It was the same story with Kitty and Piotr. He also passed Remy’s room, smelling he had gotten some as well from the loyal servant girls. But that came as no surprise, given the Cajun’s history. But Logan had a feeling Rogue wasn’t going to like it.

Even Xavier seemed to be settling in well. He spent hours talking to that Lilandra woman and they both fell asleep in the archives. While Logan wasn’t an expert on human interaction, it was obvious that Xavier was smitten with this woman. He knew all the signs from living in a house with hormonal teenagers. It promised to further complicate matters in this mysterious place.

Logan also made sure Laura and Ororo were still safe. Like the others they slept in, but he spent extra time looking over them. Even though he was still learning how to be a father to Laura, parental instincts hung strong for him. As for Ororo, her words from the previous night still hung strong and he couldn’t help but take more time to watch over her.

He stood near Laura’s door for a good long while, smelling every last trace scent to ensure she was safe and sound. When he was finally certain, he checked on Ororo one last time. But just as he was taking in her sweet aroma from the other side of the door, a new presence broke him out of his thoughts.

“Up so early, Lord Wolverine?” said Athena, still in her full commando uniform.

“What do you want?” he muttered, still not giving her his full trust.

“Just tending to my duties,” she said calmly, “It’s my job to ensure the safety of our lords. And like you, I take it very seriously.”

Athena was a strong soldier. Logan wouldn’t deny that. Even though she and her commandos helped them back in New York, his trust towards her and the rest of the Church of X was still shaky.

“I’m the one who protects them,” he said sternly, “That’s my duty, not yours.”

“I understand,” she sighed, “But surely our hospitality thus far has alleviated some of your concerns. We’ve catered to your injuries, given you safe haven from the authorities, and allowed you to scour our records.”

“It’s been one day, lady,” said Logan, “One day ain’t long enough for me to just up and trust you.”

“Yes, I suppose so,” she said, “Forgive my arrogance.”

Athena showed her humility with a respectful bow. As suspicious as Logan was, it did show she was willing to accept his harsh persona. Anybody who braved that was worthy of respect.

“Look, this whole deal is still fishy to me,” said Logan, shedding some of his hostility, “You may be tellin’ the truth, but that doesn’t mean someone else ain’t pullin’ the strings.”

“Well perhaps I can help alleviate some of those concerns,” offered Athena, taking a step closer, “I’ll talk to Ayla and Arion. They can give you and the X-men a tour of the island. Or if you so desire, I can show you some of the ceremonies of the public or even the workings of my Poseidon unit.”

“Will the higher ups let ya do that?” said Logan skeptically.

“Your will supersedes theirs.”

“So if I sense something I don’t like, you’re the one who will take the heat?”

“It is my responsibility as a leader,” said Athena strongly, “Believe what you will, I do what I must as a soldier and an officer. My parents were soldiers in the United States Army and they instilled that will on me. I learned how to think like a soldier when I joined the marine corp. And I learned how to fight for more than just politics when I joined the Church of X. Surely you can respect that.”

Logan didn’t respond. Given he spent years as a teacher and protector of the X-men, he knew all about duty. This woman had bore the blunt of his criticisms, but she stood firm. He saw in her eyes a lot of soldier spirit. He surmised she was raised to be a soldier and emulated soldiers. And moreover, she really believed in the cause she was fighting for. Trust or not, it was something he could respect.

“I’ll continue to keep my distance as you ask,” she said with another bow, “But I still have a job to do.”

“I ain’t gonna stop ya,” said Logan.

“I appreciate your understanding, my lord.”

Athena left, allowing Logan to continue his rounds. She was a strange, but dedicated woman. It was obvious why she was the leader of the Poseidon unit. And despite his attitude towards the Church of X, at least there was one person Logan could understand.

As Athena returned to her duties, her thoughts remained on Wolverine. She couldn’t do her job efficiently without his trust. But then again, it had been only a day. Perhaps that would change. But just as she was about to return to her duties, she got a call through her wrist communicator.

“Commander, come in.”

“This is Athena, go ahead,” she said, hitting the button on her wrist.

“I’ve just received word that Artemis abandoned her post last night. But I received no report or notice.”

Athena let out a frustrated grunt. If she was off getting drunk and fooling around with the male soldiers again they would definitely have some choice words.

“Just great. Do you know where he is?”

“I’ve tried contacting her, but she’s not answering. Nobody knows where she is.”

“I’ll be right there,” she said with a grunt, “Over and out.”

Clenching her fists with anger, Athena went off to find Artemis. She had a lot of explaining to do. In the meantime, she entrusted Wolverine to do her duty. She would make it up to them later.

************************

The X-men awakened later in the morning. Given that many treated this as a vacation, most took some time to be lazy for once and sleep in. For those who did get up, a big buffet of food awaited them down in the kitchen. And an army of loyal servants were there to ensure they were pampered as living gods should be.

Tabitha, Amara, Ray, Jamie, and Rahne were there first. After enjoying some palace luxuries and even having some erotic fun with their loyal servants, some fell asleep in the bath house while others slept in the opulent living areas. Jubilee, Bobby, Roberto, Sam, Rogue, and Laura soon joined. So much excitement had worked up a major appetite and with the sun shining outside, they took the time to enjoy their meals outside with the loyal servants providing service every step of the way.

“Man this is living!” said Bobby, stretching his arms as he lay back on a cushioned seat, eating grapes given to him by an attractive female servant.

“I’ll say,” said Tabitha, who was surrounded by the attractive males, who were giving her doughnuts and fruit, “I don’t ever want to leave this place.”

“Me neither,” said Ray, partaking in the vast selection of pastries, “It’s like we died and went to heaven.”

“To hell with heaven,” said Jamie, enjoying the company of some attractive girls, “This is WAY better.”

“Oh how would you know?” said Sam, eating some of the more exotic foods offered by the buffet, “But Ah gotta admit, this place may be the next best thing.”

As the mutants of the X-men and X-factor lounged in the warm sun, the shining rays reflecting over the large pool that stretched across the back yard of the estate. The weather was perfect, the food was good, and the service was excellent. It was the ultimate vacation.

While others soaked up the sun, Roberto and Amara lounged lazily in the pool. They didn’t have swimsuits, so they just did it in the nude. And in the spirit of Atlantean fun, some of the servants joined them while also bringing them food.

“Must feel like home sweet home, eh princess?” grinned Roberto.

“In some ways it is,” said the Nova Roman princess, taking some grapes from a nude male servant, “They have similar dress sense and a much more open attitude towards sexuality.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” grinned Roberto, smiling at some of the half-nude women giving him food.

“Never said it was,” smiled Amara, “But at the same time, it does explain a few things.”

“Like what?” said Jubilee.

“Well in Roman mythology, there are stories of advanced societies giving our ancestors the knowledge to make our present society. We all know the stories of Plato telling about an advanced civilization, but what about things like myths? Like the story of Prometheus who brought the knowledge of fire to early man. Who’s to say that’s not related to Atlanteans bringing knowledge to humans after that whole pole shift ordeal?”

It seemed a bit far fetched, but very plausible. Atlantean history made what they learned in school seem strange outright foolish. The rest of the world was missing out on an entire era of human civilization and the evidence was written in their beliefs.

“That makes a freaky bit of sense, Amara,” said Bobby, “Man, what I wouldn’t give to tell that to my old history teachers.”

“You mean the ones that flunked you?” smirked Jubilee.

“Hey, they turned out to be wrong too,” said Bobby triumphantly.

“Whatever.”

While the others laughed at their predicament, Laura and Rogue kept quiet. While it wasn’t unusual for Laura to keep to herself, Rogue seemed a bit distant for some reason. Servants were giving her plenty of food, but she wasn’t eating much. She was caught up in her own little world, ignoring the opulence the others were enjoying.

“Not hungry, Rogue?” said Laura, “You’ve been looking at that pastry for a while now.”

“Ah’m fine,” she said in a monotone voice, “Just didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Didn’t sleep well?” scoffed Ray, “How could you not sleep well in a place like this?”

“Will ya just can it, Ray?” spat Rogue, “Ah ain’t havin’ a good morning.”

Ray didn’t push the southern woman any further. She was known for being moody and given she could rip apart solid steel, it was probably better she be left to her misery. But that didn’t stop some from braving her fury.

“Want to talk about it?” said Laura.

“No, not really,” she sighed.

“Fine, be miserable then,” said Laura indifferently.

Rogue rolled her eyes, tempted to unload on Laura. But her crass response was typical of someone bearing the blood of Wolverine. It was a downer for a time that should be happy. They were on an island where they were treated as gods. People here catered to their every need. So why wasn’t she happy? The answer was simple enough.

Just then, Hank emerged wearing a specially made Atlantean toga catered to his unique body form.

“Good morning everybody!” he said, stretching his gorilla-like arms, “I trust you all slept well.”

“Well most of us,” said Bobby, earning him a scold from Rogue.

“I see,” he sighed, turning to the buffet, “Just so you know, the professor will be down soon. Although I get the feeling he’s becoming more engrossed with this Orion prophecy.”

“That or he just likes spending time with that Lilandra woman,” grinned Tabitha.

“Yes, that too,” laughed Hank, “So where are the others?”

“Scott, Jean, Kitty, and Peter are still cuddling last I checked,” said Laura, “Ororo’s off on her morning flight. Kurt’s trying to get a hold of Amanda. And I think my dad’s talking to that Athena woman.”

“Fair enough,” shrugged Hank, “What about Remy? I haven’t seen him yet.”

“Beats me,” shrugged Laura, biting into an apple, “Probably still having fun with those girls he was with last night.”

Upon hearing that, Rogue threw her plate down and stormed off. That was the last thing she wanted to hear and now was in some serious need of blowing off a little steam.

“Ah think Ah just lost mah appetite,” she muttered, shoving aside Hank and Ray along the way.

Once she was gone, everybody exchanged worried looks.

“What? What’d I say?” said Laura.

“Oh dear,” groaned Hank, “The drama never stops, even when we’re on vacation.”

************************

Back in the United States, Amanda Sefton was glued to her TV as she had been for the past twelve hours. She was sitting in her room, surrounded by crumpled up tissues that were soaked with tears. Her parents had been trying to get her to talk, but she just locked her door and stayed in her room. They could never understand what she was going through.

She had never been this anxous before. Every news network was covering the sentinel incident, showing bitter clashes between pro and anti-mutant forces. Some called the X-men scapegoats while others called them criminals. Tensions were running high with protests breaking out across the nation. But Amanda didn’t care about any of that. All she could think about was her missing fiancé.

Looking down at the ring that Kurt Wagner, her long time boyfriend and fiancé, had given her, more tears formed in her eyes. There was still no word on the whereabouts of the X-men. Some speculated they were dead, but she knew they were too good to allow that to happen. Kurt would never die on her before they got married. She wouldn’t believe it.

“We’re getting in more reports of widespread protests between factions outside of the deserted Xavier Institute. This time, the crowd is over 5,000 strong, most of which are supporters of Mayor Kelly. A group of 1,000 peace protesters gathered for a sit in, leading to more violence. Some are still calling for the immediate arrest of Charles Xavier and his X-men, but they still remain missing with no information to their whereabouts. Genohsan leader, Magneto, has yet to make a statement and an emergency meeting for the UN has been scheduled.”

Amanda sobbed again at the grim news. All over her TV, she saw people trying to break down the gate to Xavier’s mansion. Some had signs that said ‘Burn in Hell X-men!’ or ‘Bring the Killers to Justice!’ It didn’t look good. Even if Kurt was out there, he’d be taking a big risk by calling her. It would put her and his friends in great danger.

“Please be safe, Kurt,” she prayed, “Wherever you are, please be safe.”

Suddenly, her cell phone went off. It was the third time in three hours. Most of her calls were coming from friends and other family members who were concerned about the news. Some didn’t help by accosting her for being involved with a mutant, but she could care less in her current state of mind.

With a tired sigh she answered her phone, hoping to God it wasn’t another reporter.

“What is it?” she muttered.

“L-Liebe?” came a familiar voice.

Amanda’s face lit up and her heart skipped a beat.

“Kurt?!”

“Ja,” said Kurt in a sheepish tone, “It’s me. I’m here.”

Getting off her bed, Amanda shot up. She hoped this wasn’t another dream. But after having been glued to the news for hours on end, some explaining was in order.

“I…where are you?” she asked intently, “Kurt, everything’s a mess! A lot of people are saying you’re fugitives for trying to kill Mayor Kelly! Some even say you’re dead!”

“It’s all lies, Amanda. You know zhat,” said Kurt in a soft tone, “I just…I’m so sorry. I had no idea zhis vas going to happen. Someone must have set us up.”

“But who?” she said, tears still streaming down her face, “Who would go to these kind of lengths just to hurt you and your friend?”

“Zhe line starts at your house and goes around zhe block, I’m afraid,” sighed Kurt, “Ve don’t know who vas behind it. But ve’re going to fix zhis. I promise you. Don’t zhink for a second zhat zhe vedding is off.”

Amanda took comfort in his words. Despite being a wanted fugitive, Kurt still wanted to marry her. It made her smile for the first time in what felt like forever. But there were things that still didn’t add up.

“Where are you?” she asked.

“I…can’t tell you,” he said sadly.

“Why not?!” she demanded.

“Because it could put you at risk and I don’t vant zhat.”

“I don’t care! I need you with me, Kurt! When I said I’d marry you, I also said I’d share the mutant burden!”

“I know,” said Kurt in a low tone, “But zhings right now are a bit more complicated.”

“What do you mean?”

Kurt bit his lip. He wasn’t sure if he should tell her. Would she even believe a super secret island run by a church who thought the X-men were gods? They had faced some pretty strange things, but this one definitely topped the list.

“I’m sorry, liebe. But I can’t tell you right now until zhings settle,” said Kurt, “I just vanted to hear your voice again.”

Amanda’s heart sank.

“I want to be there for you,” she said with a sob.

“I vant you here too. I’d give anything to have you in my arms right now.”

“When can I see you?”

“Soon,” said Kurt confidently, “I promise you, very soon. I just have to straighten some things out. Zhen ve can be together. You have my vord.”

Swallowing her sobs, Amanda smiled. Even though they had faced so many hardships in their relationship since high school with people standing in the way of them being together, there was no denying how much he meant to her. Mutant or not, he was the one for her. And they were going to get married no matter what the world said.

“I love you,” she said, her words thick with emotion.

“I love you too, liebe. God only knows how much I love you. And ve’re going to get married. I promise.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“I vouldn’t expect anything less,” said Kurt, happiness finally returning to his voice, “I have to go now. I’ll let you know vhen ve can meet.”

“I’ll be waiting,” she said with a smile, “Be safe, Kurt.”

“You too, my love.”

Once the line went dead, Amanda fell back on her bed with a tired sigh. She felt better knowing Kurt was okay, but was still anxious about everything that was going on. Images of mutant hatred continued to blare all over the news. It was nothing short of infuriating to Amanda because that hatred was directed at the man she loved.

Her face contorted in a rage as she saw news reports branding the X-men as criminals. Her fists clenched, the blood boiling within her body. And with a grunt of frustration, she slammed her fist against the wall.

Suddenly, a strange spark erupted from her hand. And much to her shock, a hole was blasted in the wall. Her eyes widened, shocked and horrified by what just happened. Looking down at her hands, confusion washed over her.

“Amanda? Honey, is everything okay?” came her mom’s voice from down the hall.

“Everything’s fine, mom!” she said, hiding her confusion, “Really, it’s okay. I just…I think I need to lie down.”

Something was happening to her. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it was very serious. Hugging her knees, she closed her eyes in a fit of confusion. She just wanted to be with her lover. Everything would be okay once she was in his arms.

************************

After Kurt hung up the phone, he stayed in his room for a while. His was worried about his fiancé, living back home when the world was turning against him. He just wanted to hold her and make it all go away. But he’d have to pull some serious strings.

But unknown to Kurt, his emotional call to Amanda had not been as secured as the servants told him. Listening in to the whole ordeal, the reclusive Isaac sat in his private study with his texts still strewn everywhere. As heartening as it was to hear such a call, it did raise some serious questions.

“So Lord Nightcrawler is preparing to wed a human,” he said bitterly while looking over a readout of ancient text, “Such a grave development. The Orion Prophecy has no room for error. I must take precautions.”

Grabbing his communicator, he made a fateful call.

“Artemis, come in.”

“I’m here, Isaac. I’m still surveying the place you told me about. Looks like there may be more here than our scanners picked up.”

“Forget about that now,” ordered Isaac, “We have a much more serious problem at the moment. Meet me back here in an hour or so. I have a job for you.”

************************

In a semi-private bath up in the dormitories, Scott Summers and his wife, Jean Grey-Summers, were enjoying a romantic breakfast together. Last night had been full of passion, helping to usher in a much needed break from the complicated world that hated and feared them. Here on an isolated island, they could set aside the stresses of being X-men for once and just share some private time together as a married couple.

They made love well into the night, awakening in a fancy palace bedroom with regal decorations. It was very romantic, stirring up passions that gave them plenty of energy to work on the baby they had been talking about so much lately.

And they were not alone in sharing a little passion. Kitty and Piotr also took advantage of the romantic ambience. Piotr had carried his lover into their room, laid her on the bed, and made love to her in a way that made this island truly feel like paradise. It had been too long since they had a chance like this. The stresses of being X-men got in the way one time too many. Now they could relax and have a little fun with their love.

Relaxing naked in an oversized bath meant to hold dozens, the two couples were served breakfast by the loyal servants while they cuddled together in an aura of wondrous tranquility.

“Mmm…I like it here,” purred Kitty, snuggling up to her Russian lover in the hot, bubbling water.

“Me too,” grinned Piotr, tenderly kissing his girlfriend’s neck, “It feels like forever since we’ve had a chance to take a break from it all.”

“I’ll say,” said Scott, slipping an arm around his wife as she rested her head on his shoulder while eating a helping of fruit, “Being X-men sure doesn’t leave a lot of time to unwind.”

“Which makes it all the more important we enjoy this,” said Jean, kissing down her husband’s neck, “And I don’t want to waste a single moment.”

“Me neither,” said Scott in a husky tone, pulling her naked body closer to his.

It was quite a sight. Scott and Jean usually had to be so ridged in their duties as X-men. But here, they could just act like two people madly in love. It was a nice release, even if it was hard to keep their hands off each other.

“Easy you two,” grinned Kitty, “Don’t get too carried away. You’ve got an audience, remember?”

“We know,” said Scott, moaning from Jean’s soft touch, “But if we’re going to make a baby, we’ll need all the chances we can get.”

“Well said, love,” purred Jean, “Besides, we’re on vacation. Why not let loose for once?”

“Truer words were never spoken,” smiled Piotr, showing Kitty some affection by pulling her in.

Even the servants smiled at such displays of affection. They were every bit as passionate as the teachings told. The mood was perfect. They were in an elegant bath, surrounded by hot bubbling water, and in the presence of their loved ones. Gods incarnates or not, it was nothing short of a divine feeling.

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Up in the library, Professor Charles Xavier and the beautiful priestess, Lilandra, were still hard at work going over the ancient text of Atlantis and Xuthasius. There was so much to learn and the more Xavier uncovered, the more fascinated he grew. Atlantis was a remarkable civilization. It was truly beyond anything in existence today.

While he still had mixed feelings about him and the X-men being reincarnations of gods, there was no denying the glory of Atlantis. Their technology was more sophisticated, their society was more advanced, and the people themselves were far more evolved than humans today. But in combing over this lost history, Atlantis was not his only interest.

“So you were a professor at Harvard and a respected voice in the realm of humanities,” said Xavier as he and Lilandra sat together at a desk scoured with old text, “That’s quite an accomplishment.”

“Thank you,” smiled Lilandra, “Believe it or not, I was most inspired by your work to pursue my craft.”

“You were?” said Xavier with further intrigue.

“Indeed,” affirmed the beautiful priestess, “I’ve read every paper you’ve ever published. Of all the people in Academia who tried to shake up the establishment, you were the only one who truly spoke for the world as a whole. You had big ideas, Professor. I guess it’s safe to say I was a follower long before this church was ever established.”

The Professor couldn’t help but smile. This woman was truly enchanting. She had a thirst for knowledge the likes of which he never encountered. She was elegant, smart, and well spoken. Add to that, she was very beautiful. Even for a man as refined as Charles Xavier, he was not immune to complex feelings of true chemistry.

“I’m honored to have been such an inspiration,” he said kindly, “I was under the impression nobody read my old work.”

“You sell yourself too short, Professor.”

“Please, call me Charles,” said the wheel chair bound man with a smile.

“Sorry, but that’s not our custom here,” said Lilandra respectfully.

‘Please, I insist.’

Lilandra smiled at the wise man beside her. Hearing his voice in her head made her blush. She never met anybody she could go mind to mind with like this before. Charles Xavier was every bit the man she imagined if not more so. But she chose to guard that thought for the time being.

There was a moment of silence between them, a rare event for two refined minds such as theirs. But after spending all night soaking up this new knowledge together, other forces were at work between them that went beyond mere curiosity.

“So tell me,” said the Professor as he looked over an inscription of the Orion Prophecy, “Do you truly believe what Ayla and Arion say about me and my students being reincarnations of gods is true?”

“Truth is irrelevant in this instance, Charles,” said Lilandra, “Even though I am well educated and enlightened, I am not so naïve to think that certain things are out of the realm of possibility.”

“So you do believe?”

“You could say that,” she grinned, “But I’d like to think of it more as having faith.”

Xavier couldn’t help but smile back. A warm feeling surged through him as he took in her grace. It was unlike anything he had experienced before with a woman. Having been married and divorced once already, his only real love in life had been his work. But Lilandra was making him feel things he never felt before. She was truly a wonder in a class all her own.

For a moment, Charles Xavier and Lilandra Nerami sat in silence. Their work before them was almost forgotten. But like shy teenagers, they tried to keep their minds in the real world, at least for the time being.

“So uh…” began Xavier awkwardly, “This is the original text of the Orion Prophecy?”

“Indeed it is,” said Lilandra, running her hands over the complex inscriptions, “This is the text that speaks of the final destruction of Atlantis and the coming of a second age, led by a reincarnation of Xuthasius. We’ve translated a great deal, but parts of it are written in riddles for some reason.”

“Riddles, you say?” said Xavier suspiciously, “Why would they write everything else so clearly for future generations to translate while making this text so difficult?”

“I’ve pondered that same question, Charles,” sighed Lilandra, “But I’ve long suspected it has something to do with guarding sacred knowledge that the original inscribers wanted to keep from ignorant minds.”

“Well if that’s the case, hopefully we aren’t too ignorant to decipher it.”

“I have every bit of confidence we aren’t,” said Lilandra with a smile, “If you so desire, I can show you what I’ve uncovered so far.”

“I’d like that,” said Xavier, returning her smile.

Despite the obvious chemistry that was enchanting and distracting, Charles and Lilandra began their quest to uncover the secrets of the Orion Prophecy. It promised to be a challenge. However, it wasn’t the text that worried them. It was more so whether or not they could maintain focus in one another’s presence. But if the smiles on their faces were any indication, they weren’t worried in the slightest.

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Up next: The X-men take part in Atlantean life and tensions continue to rise.