psinex@yahoo.com Academia Book 1: Starting Block Chapter 13 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Everyone here is Marvel's, except for Aidan and Soraya, who are mine. No money is being made off of this. Please don't sue. WARNING: Some harsh language. ------------------------------------------------------ 11/7/00: X-Mansion: 07:55 hrs EST: ------------------------------------------------------ The acrid stench of ozone pierced the cold autumn air, while the hum of a transmat field drowned out the birdsong for a brief moment. "Our Earth," Reed Richards verified, rubbing his stubble-covered jaw with one hand as he checked his wrist-comp. "GPS indicates - November 7, 2000 ..." "We've lost MONTHS !? Reed, we've missed Franklin's Olympic competition !" Sue exclaimed. "He's probably sick with worry - or contempt, that his own parents would miss his triumph ..." ~Neither !~ Frank's joyful telepathic voice rang in the Fantastic Four's minds. ~I'm glad you're here - we've got a LOT to talk about !~ "Gold, ya think ?" Ben Grimm asked Johnny Storm with a grin. "Indubitably, my brick-skinned bud," the Human Torch chuckled, playing absently with a fireball. "Franky's gotta be doing great." The mansion doors swung open, the sight within drawing gasps from the parahumans. "If you don't count the 3 a.m. feedings, I couldn't be happier," Frank said, smiling at the bright-eyed baby in his arms. ------------------------------------------------------ "Vat-grown ... my God, Sinister has to pay," Sue breathed, cooing at her grandson. The FF and the Summers had gathered in the mansion's library, while Frank and Ray sat on the couch. "Oh, he did, Mrs. Richards," Ray grinned wickedly. "Powerless as he was, Dad wasn't too ... gentle when we dragged Sinister back to the mansion." "But he's alive, and he'll stand trial in federal court," Frank reassured the FF. "You never let me have any fun," Scott whimpered to Jean. "The chainsaw would have been excessive, dear," Jean reminded him. "Besides, you're not the vengeful type." "My butt I'm not," Scott grumbled. "But the important thing is that Franklin and Rachel are committed to raising their son." "There's no greater commitment, sir," Frank nodded, tickling the boy as Ray cradled him. "Sinister may have made Aidan, but he's our son. And I'm going to do everything I can to make sure he has the best possible future." "We're going to," Ray corrected gently, smiling when Frank looked at her with shimmering eyes. "With help from our families, of course." Sue and Jean grinned at each other. "That kid is gonna be SO spoiled," Johnny laughed. "But what kind of name is 'Aidan' ?" "Gaelic for 'little fire'," Ray said, a bit harshly. "Considering that the last Richards grandchild with the name Jonathon was a psychotic madman ..." Johnny blushed and said, "Good point." "Besides, his hair's already red," Ray said, stroking Aidan's red fuzz. "We decided his middle name should be Thomas, because ..." The kids sighed, and Nate mumbled, "Tom might've sacrificed himself for us." "Tom SHADE !?" Ben exclaimed. "Whut th' -" "He stabbed himself on Halloween with a silver dagger," Frank explained with a grim expression. "From what the Professor could get from his mindscan, Tom thought he was going to be possessed by some demon, and decided to try and save the world by ..." "Oh God. Poor Wanda - Jean, how's she doing ?" Sue asked her friend. "Not well," Jean agreed, walking with Sue. "We've been counseling all the kids, but it's Bill we've been the most worried about." ------------------------------------------------------ You fuckin' dumbass. You never told me - ME - what you were plannin'. I'm your TWIN, you dope ! I could'a helped you - OK. Maybe not me. But someone. Killin' yourself isn't gonna help things. We know exorcists, y'know ... Tommy, please ... ------------------------------------------------------ She heard him whispering - the noise was like thunder to her enhanced hearing - and stopped at the medlab entrance. "You're the only one who ever listened," Nicole heard Bill say. She peeked in the crack in the door and watched, focusing her telescopic sight, as he sat beside Tom's bed. #They looked identical before, but now ... Thomas is so sunken, and pale,# Nicole realized. Tom was breathing on his own, but oxygen and an IV were in place as he lay unconscious in the bed. His skin was almost chalk-white, while he lay bare-chested under covers which came to his exposed sternum, the bandage from the emergency surgery still visible for easy changing. Bill was also pale, but with a flush Nicole recognized as fear-born. His red-brown curls hung in his face, which remained tear-stained. "Get in here, you elitist witch." #How - ?!# Nicole thought angrily, steeling herself as she entered the room. Bill's glare prompted her own dark look, but she relaxed after a moment. #He is grief-stricken,# the Moroccan girl realized. #Be gentle ...# "I ... apologize, William," Nicole said softly. "I just wanted to see how Thomas was doing. I did not mean to intrude." "Nah ... I shot my mouth off," Bill mumbled, wiping his face. "He's my only brother, Nicky. My only sib - my twin. I can't ..." She pulled a chair up beside Bill and awkwardly put an arm about his shoulders. "If I were to lose Claudette, it would be as if my heart had been pulled out through my chest," Nicole said. "A twin-bond is one few people can understand. But if you need to vent ..." "WHY !?" Bill sobbed. "We could'a HELPED him, instead he tries to kill himself - why didn't he COME to me !?" Nicole held him for a long moment, until a beep made them look up. "An alpha-wave spike," Nicole said, looking at the EEG. "He is regaining consciousness." "Thank God," Bill breathed, rubbing his eyes. "I'm gonna kill him myself for what he did ..." He looked at Nicole, blushing, and she smiled. "What was said between us remains between us," she replied to his unanswered question. "We both have our reputations to maintain, after all." "Yeah - the roughneck sexist punkass and the snooty elitist witch," Bill tried to joke. They stood, watching as Tom's eyes started to flutter, and he looked at Nicole for a long moment. "... Nah," Bill said finally. Nicole leaned over and kissed Bill's lips hard. "Yes," she said, grinning triumphantly. "Silly boy, do you have ANY idea how long I've been waiting for that ?" She left, caressing Bill's cheek with a flourish, as he watched her go, his jaw dropped and his eyes wide. "Sure ... stab myself and ... you go an' get ... the hottie ..." "TOM !" Bill cheered, kneeling by his twin's bedside. "You need anything !?" "Two ... things," Tom breathed, smiling weakly. "First ... I did NOT try ... to commit suicide. I didn't WANT ... to try an' kill myself ... but Chthon ... would've ... used me for ... host ..." "OK, OK, but didja hafta be so damn quiet about it !?" Bill demanded. "We could'a helped !" "My ... responsibility ..." Tom frowned. "Too late now ... anyway. Chthon ... dead." "Good riddance," Bill snorted. "What was the other thing ?" "Don't ... EVER ... go an' wake me up ... by tongueing ... Nicky again ... almost gave me ... heart attack." ------------------------------------------------------ 23:00 hrs EST: Washington, D.C.: ------------------------------------------------------ "Mr. Xavier ! Mr. Xavier !" Mr. Xavier turned to look at his aide and asked, "Well ?" "Landslide, sir ! You've won !" the aide beamed, looking at the purple covering the election map. "Thank you, David. Now please, get some rest," Xavier replied, politely dismissing the college-age youth. The young man left, not seeing Xavier stand. And run a hand through his white hair, grinning. #Charles, if you only knew ...# "Sir ?" "Xavier" turned, looking at the red-haired woman stepping forward from the shadows. She handed him a manila envelope, which he opened. And cursed at its contents. "WHO ... is ... THIS ?" Xavier snarled, blue energy crackling in his eyes. "We're unsure," the woman said, green eyes regarding him critically. "But the woman in the photograph -" "Is Rogue," the man said, calming. "And my son ?" The woman rifled through the photographs, handing him another one. "XAVIER !?" the white-haired man spat. "Charles is being trained by - oh, the irony would be delicious if he knew ... "If he knew that 'Michael Xavier' is the new President of the United States ..." ------------------------------------------------------ NEXT: Uh ... if that's Magnus, then who's with Rogue ... !? PLUS: at LAST - Soraya's origin ! ------------------------------------------------------ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com/ --- Sponsor's Message -------------------------------------- Join CarClub today and get a $15 Amazon.com Gift Certificate absolutely FREE. Save 10% on gas every time you fill up. Get the same auto insurance coverage you have now for $250 less. http://click.topica.com/aaaapMaVxiJRaVz48Jc/CarClubAd2 ------------------------------------------------------------ ________________________________________________________________________ Start an Email List For Free at Topica. http://www.topica.com/register