"We check all the letters for explosives and chemicals, and anything that shows up gets destroyed."
"And I applaud your thoroughness, but if it's just pen and ink?"
...What about advanced nanotech? Stuff that
seems like paper until it gets inside, and
then...
"Oh, that'd go through. And even if the person it was addressed to wasn't on the base, we'd try and track 'em down so they get it."
He nods in a reassuring way, still smiling, still with his finger about a centimetre from the trigger of his rifle. Sure it wouldn't do anything to me, but it would be unnecessarily confrontational for me to set him off. And it might genuinely change popular opinion on people with super powers at a time when attitudes are… Under stress.
Very sensible of you, Lantern.
Now, I
know perfectly well that Ms. Dane is on the base. I can literally see her in training with… A couple of people I vaguely remember from… Some Marvel comic I once read. Set after… M-Day, I think? Multiple Man threw himself of a building, and something about
Layla McGuffin? Can't remember what the team was called, though it
is interesting that even while the legislature and executive are pounding the table about 'unstable mutations', whatever part of the military-industrial complex is sponsoring this place is… Well, sponsoring this place.
Ah,
X-Factor. In particular, the Government-backed version of the team that existed during the animated series' heyday.
"What if it was a matter of life and death? Or-. Nonono, not me, not me. Not me." He'd started to raise his gun slightly, though now he's just frowning. "I mean, if a person had particular information about a threat, and wished to relay it to a trusted party."
"Listen… You're not getting in. If you've got some sort of intelligence you wanna pass on, I can get you a number to call? But that stuff won't get dealt with here."
Sadly, whatever he's got to say probably can't wait for some analyst in Washington to go over it with a fine-toothed comb...
I sigh.
I could just fly in there. In testing anti-tank weapons would break my barrier, but even American military bases don't have those laying around the place ready to go. But… No.
And starting a punch-up with the super-team you can to talk to is probably not the
smartest idea. I mean, it's a long-standing
tradition, but that's no reason to live up to the cliche.
"Alright. Thank you. Sorry for making your life unnecessarily diff-."
"What seems to be the problem here?"
Ah, someone with
actual authority? Well-timed.
A blonde man in fatigues walks up to the gate from inside the base. I don't recognise him, unlike Ms. Dane who like her boyfriend and fellow ex-X-Man Mr. Drake has pictures in various places in Professor Xavier's mansion.
The guard draws himself up. "Nothing to worry about, sir. The guy's just leaving."
Blonde, huh? One guess who that might be. Hopefully this
version hasn't suffered through the convoluted history that his comics
counterpart suffered from.
He regards me for a moment, then recognition dawns. "Don't you usually glow orange?"
"It's not compulsory."
Though I imagine he's
focusing really hard on not
lighting up.
"I'm gunna need a little more than that. There's a mutant terrorist known as Mystique, and she's a shapeshifter. For all I know, you could be her."
"That's a fair point." I hold out my left hand, ring glowing. Then I float off the ground. "I don't believe that Ms. Darkhölme can replicate non-physical abilities?"
Got that right. Heck, her abilities tend to be
inconsistent about what she can even turn into.
"That works. What did you want?"
"To speak with Ms. Lorna Dane. Current X-Man to former X-Man, concerning a matter which I believe concerns her."
Ah, yes. The whole 'oops, I just let your daddy know he
might have a couple more kids he didn't know about.' moment we saw yesterday...
"There a reason why you couldn't phone ahead?"
"There are elements of the United States government that are a bit down on people with the x-gene at the moment, and I didn't want to say anything that might be overheard."
Probably a very wise decision. And even just coming here suggests he can know more than he lets on, since this is presumably a
covert base.
"That shouldn't be a problem here. I'm a mutant myself."
"Would you mind if I verify that?"
Tit for tat, golden boy. (And seriously, what is
with that hair?)
He raises his right hand and… A field of golden plasma manifests around it.
I shake my head. "There are other ways to do that. Do you mind? The ring is perfectly capable of detecting the x-gene."
Heck, Lantern could do it, if he wanted to...
"Like a handheld Cerebro." He shrugs. "Go ahead."
Ring, show me his DNA. Ah, yes, that's the x-
I bet that makes it a lot easier to locate new mutants. Cerebro gets the initial ping, then Lantern can go a-roving for a more detailed scouting run...
Partial match found.
-gene-. Ah. Who?
Scott Summers. Most likely relationship: sibling.
Hello there, Havok. Quite a few episodes before his
official debut, no less...
I blink. Oh, sometimes you pull a thread and the whole world comes apart.
"I'm… Sorry, this is probably going to… Sound like it's coming out of nowhere, but… Is your name Alexander Summers?"
Ah, the Summers family tree. It and the Grey line are two of the most convoluted lineages in the comics. Especially where they
merge.
"It was. I changed it to Alex Blanding after I got adopted. Do you..? Know me?"
"I work with your brother." I find myself smiling. "He thinks you're… You died in the plane crash. He'll-."
Heh, a nice bonus. Scott's jaw is going to hit the floor...
"Scott-!" He gawps for a few moments. "Wha-? What d'you mean, he's-. He's not dead?"
"No. Look." I take a team photograph out of subspace and hold it up to the gate. "The big bloke in-"
How
recent a photo? At least the original costumes had
masks.
His hand is shaking as he takes it.
"-the blue and yellow, with the visor. Um. I'm a bit surprised that Ms. Dane didn't mention him, actually. They were on the team at the same time."
And it wasn't
that long ago, even in-universe.
"Cyclops is… Ah."
"Yes. Um, do you want his number? I… Think he's probably at the Mansion right now. Did-? Did you know who Cyclops is?"
Oh, that's going to be a
hell of a reunion.
"Lorna…" He shakes his head, eyes fixed on the photograph. "Lorna called him 'Scott' a couple of times. I didn't-. I didn't think it was him."
"I guess that's understandable."
She never mentioned his last name? Sheesh.
"I haven't-. I haven't spoken to him for… Not since-."
"Well…" I generate a card with the Mansion's number on it. "Take a moment to get yourself together, and-" I pass it over. "Phone him."
Heh. So much for checking anything coming in.
Different rules for the field operatives, huh?
"Right. Ah." He stares at it for a moment, then shakes his head. "We.. can't let you on the base, but I can… Ah. Go see if there's anyone called 'Lorna Dane' inside who's willing to come out here."
"Thank you, I'd appreciate it."
At least trying to keep up the
illusion of operational security, I guess.
He sides the card into his fatigues, and points his hands downwards and blasts off, falling with style towards the building where Ms. Dane is exercising her powers.
The guard's just sort of staring at me.
...Interesting move. I expect he has to give a corresponding burst before he lands, to equalise his momentum and avoid, you know, breaking an ankle or something.
"This sort of thing happens a lot is this job. You just sort of learn to roll with it."
"Uh-huh. Don't suppose you're actually authorised to view classified information, are you?"
It's amazing how closely
related some X-Men characters are when you start poking around... Especially outside of the comics.
"I'm not even authorised for a green card."
"Is that legal?"
Son, he isn't even from this universe. I'd like to see the immigration process for
that.
I shrug. "I'm here on a student visa, and British people don't actually need-."
Ms. Dane flies out of their training room and heads in our direction.
Ah, the classic Nineties
look: spandex, short jacket and
huge hair.
"Don't need visas for short stays. Polaris!"
"Orange Lantern." She shakes her head. "I can't believe I didn't realise that Scott was his brother. Ah, you wanted something?"
Hold on to your shiny butt, ma'am, because this might be a
surprise...
"Speaking of brothers, can I assume that you aren't aware of having a half-brother and a half-sister living in Europe at the moment?"
"What?"
Just... Dropping it all on her at once, huh?
"Because I told your natural father and it appeared to come as a shock, so…"
"What?"
...She did
know Magneto is her father, right?
