Chapter 3 - Dreams Do Come True

Attention:  Generation X and their villians,as well as any other mutant mentioned in this story, is property of MarvelComics.  The character Richard Cale is named after family relations. Any other reference to anything copywrighted is a chance happening.
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Relatively Dangerous
Dreams Do Come True...
             Elane was looking out of the lighthouse window when she heard Emplate enterthe room.  She turned to face her new ally and asked, "Is it time?"
             Emplate walked over to her and said, "Soon, everyone will be leaving theschool. I have gotten insight that Richard and Yvette would stay behind.The fact is that you might be expected."
             She did not like the sound of that. "What do you mean?"
             Emplate looked at her and said, "They are planning to have someone staybehind with them. That won't affect the plan any, will it?" His words werealmost harsh, but she knew he wouldn't sup on her.
             "One extra person is not a problem. It is hard for me to focus my auraon more than four targets. The less I have to take on, the more likelysuccess will occur. Now, Emplate, I have a question for you?"
             "And that is?"
             "The girl that Richard has taken a liking to, Yvette. Is there anotherreason you want her brought here?" She heard Emplate sigh as if there wasa weight on his shoulders.
             "That girl was unlike most of the other mutants I supped on. She lastedthe longest. I still wonder where my life ended and hers began. The factthat she escaped has made it harder for me to survive. If the opportunitywould have arisen, I would have traded them one mutant for her."
             "And forcing Rich to watch her suffer would be painful for him as well.I could really love it here. But how will I get to the school to capturethem?"
             "I shall transport you to the school, but do you have a way to hide fromthe cameras."  Elane knew that this would shock Emplate, as well asGeneration X. She focused on her aura and allowed it not to emanate fromher, but to envelope her.  Emplate then exclaimed, "Amazing, you havebecome invisible."
             "I can do this at anytime, Emplate. They won't know where I am, until Iattack them." She allowed herself to become visible again and said, "Anythingelse I should know?"
             "Yes. I don't want them to know of my involvement, at least not yet. Whenyou leave, head north from the school. Eventually, you will see the lighthouse."
             "Then, I'm ready to attack." She noticed that Emplate held out his hand.
             "Take hold of my hand, and I shall take you to the gate of the school.And put your aura around the two of us." She did as he said, and instantaneously,they left the plane of reality and passed through what seemed a realm ofhands, reaching out to slash them to pieces. They then appeared at thegate of the school, and Emplate left the same way they arrived. She puther aura up, and disappeared from sight.

             Everett walked into the lounge with Jubilee, Monet and Paige to see Rich,fast asleep on the sofa, and Penny sitting near him.  He always figuredthat after the impression Rich made on her, that the two could never beseparated. She looked up at them and motioned for quiet.  Obviously,Rich had given in to the need to sleep. Of course, the way that everyonehad said he was yawning, it wouldn't be too long. He whispered to Penny,"Do you think he'll wake up soon?"
             She stood up and walked over to them. "Not in time to go to the airport.I'm worried about him. I don't want to leave him alone to face someonewho wants to kill him, but his dream said that both of us would be captured,or worse." Everett noticed that she was going to cry.
             Jubilee then said, "Don't worry, Penny. If you stay behind, someone elsewill stay to help."  He noticed that Penny started to calm down. Everettwondered if that would be true if he and Jubilee would be put into thatsituation.
             It wasn't too long until Sean, Emma, and the others entered the room. Everettknew it was time to leave for the airport, but everybody had heard aboutRich's nightmare. He noticed that Sean looked at the couch and asked Penny,"Do ye want to try and wake him?" Penny shook her head and he continued,"Well, I figure that ye will want to stay with Rich, but I want someoneto volunteer to stay with them." Everett wondered how much help he couldbe. The ability was unknown, and apparently by how things appeared, Richhad an idea of who it was.
             It didn't take too long for a response, because Paige said, "Ah'll staybehind, sir. Besides, Ah want to talk to Yvette a bit." He had to admit,there was a look of confusion in Penny's eyes, but he wondered how longit would take Paige to sort things out with Jono. He could also tell bythe look in Jono's eyes that he was worried about her facing an unknownattacker.
             "Alright, but be careful, lass." Sean responded to her volunteering, andthen said, "Alright everybody, let's head to the airport."  Sean thenmotioned them all to the school van. Everett thought they were all takinga chance by leaving Yvette, Rich and Paige behind, but what could theydo.
             As they got into the van, Jubilee said to him, "Hey, Ev, do you think thatthey will be alright? I mean, we don't know a thing about Rich's family,and we got a shock when we found out about Bastion." He remembered howclose Jubilee had been to being Bastion's prisoner.
             "Don't worry. I don't think that anything could be worse in Rich's familythan Bastion," he told her, but he didn't believe what he had said. Therewas just something about it that seemed wrong.

             Paige watched as the van pulled away. Deep down, she thought of how hurtJono had been. She couldn't keep this anger up forever, she still lovedJono, and Rich was always trying to get her and Jono back together. Sheknew that in her anger at Jono, she took his interests in her life as andmistook for affection, but she had to admit that Rich had a charm all hisown. That was part of the reason she wanted to talk to Yvette about. Richwas the best thing to ever happen to Yvette, and she didn't want Yvetteto think that she was trying to take him from her.
             She went back to the lounge and Yvette was sitting next to Rich. He hadstarted to toss and turn. He must have been dreaming again. Yvette musthave been trying to wake him psionically.  Yvette then saw Paige standingthere and said, "Paige, I appreciate that you are staying behind to help,but why did you want to talk to me?"
             Paige knew Yvette was confused about that, so she decided to tell her."Yvette, Ah don't want you to worry about me trying to take Rich from youanymore. When everyone gets back, Ah'm going to patch things up with Jono.Ah just hope Ah get the time to think about it." She saw a smile crossYvette's face.
             "Paige, even when I didn't talk, I thought you would make a nice couple.Sometimes, what one doesn't say is the loudest thing they communicate."Paige had to admit that Yvette was right on the nose. A loud crash shatteredthe quietness of the moment, and Yvette's eyes went wide. "What was that?"
             Paige knew what it was. It was the mystery attacker. She quickly huskedher skin, revealing a skin of iron. She turned to Yvette and said, "WakeRich and find someplace to hide, until Ah call you. Ah think that the mysteryattacker has finally arrived." She ran out of the lounge and to the mainhall. The door had been smashed open. She looked around and saw no one.She was about to look outside when she felt someone punch her whole bodyin one shot. She hit the back wall and almost collapsed.
             "Gee, and I was hoping for a challenge." Paige looked up and saw a blondgirl, about 18 standing there, with an evil grin on her face. "I guessthis will be a quick visit."
             Paige stood and said to the attacker, "Ah will guarantee you that. Ah planto throw you out of here." She started to run at the girl. The girl justlooked at her and laughed. When Paige was halfway to the girl, the girldid a kick at her. Paige thought it was strange, since she was to far awayto be hit, until she felt the kick to her stomach. She fell to the groundgasping for breath.
             The girl looked at her and said sarcastically, "Poor little hick girl,did I hurt you? Maybe you need to tighten your gut a bit." Paige watchedas the girl clenched her left hand. As the girl's hand tightened into afist, she could feel a forced crushing her waist. She screamed in painand the girl released her grip. "Hurt like hell, didn't it, Hick?" Paigecouldn't move, but she had to try and husk again. She went to start theprocess, but her wrists seemed to be held together. As she struggled toseparate her wrists, the girl walked over to her head and said, "I am Aura,your worst nightmare." With that, the girl's foot hit her square in theface, and everything went dark.

             Rich awoke as Yvette was shaking him and screaming at him. He looked ather and said, "What's wrong?" He looked around and saw nobody around. No.The nightmare was coming true. He then said, "Yvette, love, where is everybody?"
             She looked at him with a slight panic in her eyes. She then said, "Youwere asleep, and Sean had asked if anyone would stay behind with us. Paigevolunteered and..."
             "Oh no! The nightmare is coming true."
             "Rich, that's not the worst of it. The attacker is here. Paige told usto hide until she came and get us. I then heard a scream out in the hall."Rich knew what that meant. Paige was out of commission.
             Rich looked around the room. In the corner, he saw a vent. "Yvette, thevents might be our only way to safety. I don't think Paige can help usright now." He started to tense up, so he could cut the screws in the vent.
             She did the same and said {What's wrong? Why did you say that?} She wasscared now, and he couldn't blame her.
             {In my dream, someone stayed here. By the time of the chase, they werein no shape to help us.} The screw were cut and the vent cover was open.
             {But who could be attacking?} He motioned for her to go into the vent first.He hoped that they would get in and moving before the attacker arrived.
             As he followed her into the vent, Rich heard a familiar voice say, "Comeout where ever you are, Rich?" It was who he feared it would be. They werein deep trouble. He closed the vent and motioned Yvette to move until theywere out of sight of the vent, and in a cross vent.
             As they stopped, Rich looked at Yvette and said, {Remember that I was tellingyou about that girl my uncle adopted.}
             She seemed to grasp the concept quickly. {You mean that the attacker isher. Oh my God, what can she do?}
             {She has the ability to extend her aura, to manipulate it to do things.Defensive measures are useless, for her defense is her offense. That waswhy we must stay out of her sight. I don't know what she can do with herabilities. But, that leaves one question.}
             {How did she find out you were here?} He nodded. He told nobody of theschool. And there was no way that she could have found out.
             He was about to say something when a voice echoed through the vents. "Rich,I don't care how, but I will find you, and I will ruin your life. I hopeyou have a girlfriend, cause I will give her the same treatment I gavethe hick that tried to stop me, only worse."
             Rich looked at Yvette and saw she was trembling. He decided to try andcomfort her.  {Well, I guess there is some good news.} She lookedat him in shock and he said, {At least we know that she isn't working withEmplate, because if she was, she would have known that we were an item.}
             Yvette let a small smile cross her face. {I guess your right, but I thinkwe should try and do something.}
             He had to agree. {Something tells me that she beat up Paige pretty bad.We better try and get Paige to the Med-Unit, and soon.} Yvette nodded,and they worked their way through the vents.
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             Daria looked out at the crowd. It was surprising to find out she was amutant. Bastion had told her that mutants were freaks, and now she wasone. She was confused. When Zero Tolerance ended, everyone was shuttledaway, except for Daria. She had been handed a letter with a photo, andsome money. The letter was from Bastion. He said that his nephew wouldhelp her more that he could have. The photo was obvious that of Bastion'snephew. The boy appeared about twenty-one, with brown hair, and brown eyes,other than that, he appeared to look like Bastion.  The fact thathe wore glasses was the only real difference that Daria could tell betweenthe faces, other than the age. She thought about how Bastion would havetried to help her, maybe by removing the mutant factor, but then what wouldshe be. She had some bad fears although. She remembered the video tapethat she had seen, and how the creature called Emplate had attacked JonothanStarsmore. What if this creature would try and attack her? "Daria?" saida voice in the crowd. Daria turned in the direction of the voice and sawan Asian American girl beckoning her.  The girl was about her age.Amongst the group of people, she recognized a few faces from the filesthat Bastion had. She recognized the blond haired woman as Emma Frost,head of Frost Enterprises, and it was obvious that the boy whose face washalf covered was Jonothan Starsmore.
             She walked over to the group. She was nervous. How would these people excepther, knowing that she had worked with Bastion? She decided to finally speakup. "Hello, I guess you are from the school?" She looked through the peoplein the group and failed to find the face of Bastion's nephew. She thenasked, "I was just wondering where Richard was?"
             A man with a goatee answered the question. "Rich is back at the schoolwith two of the other students, and we should be getting back there."
             A little bit confused by this, Daria asked, "Is something wrong with him?"
             It was Emma Frost that answered this time. "It appears that Rich has aunique gift for foretelling the future. We don't want to be gone too long,in fear that when we return, he might be dead, as well as the studentswith him."
             "Is it the Emplate creature?"
             This time, a girl of African descent spoke. "How did you find out aboutEmplate?" There was shock in her eyes.
             "It was part of the tape from the security cameras that Bastion had 'obtained'when he was searching for mutants. Nobody there knew how to classify it."The look the Africans face had that of distaste when she said the word'it'.
             The Asian girl spoke again. "You have to forgive Monet, she's a bit touchyabout family."
             "Jubilee," Monet had said, "I don't think this should be discussed untilat the school."  Daria remembered seeing that name before. She waspart of the X-Men at one time.
             Daria then remembered what had happened to Jonothan Starsmore and said,"Could you tell me on the way to the school? I don't think that I wantto meet this Emplate person right now."
             The man with the goatee then said, "Of course. Along the way, we shalltell ye a bit more about ourselves, but I hope that you have changed sinceyour employment with Bastion."
             Daria thought back to some of the things she saw Bastion do to the prisonershe had. A shiver ran up her spine. "I hope no one ever goes through whatI have seen him do, Mr."
             "Cassidy, Sean Cassidy. And ye can call me Sean." Daria had the strangestfeeling that her life was going to get a new start.
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             Rich and Yvette had spent the past half hour maneuvering through the vents.Every time he heard the voice of his former cousin, they switched paths.Eventually, they made their way to a vent that lead to the Main Hall. Whenthey left the vents, Yvette said, {You were right, Paige isn't going tobe of any help.} Rich saw what Yvette meant. Lying on the floor of thehall was Paige. It was obvious that she tried to use her ability, but wasunsuccessful. She was now back to normal flesh and blood, and she was unconscious.The air coming in from the broken front door would not be good for her.
             {We better get Paige covered up, before she catches a cold, besides I don'tthink she would appreciate someone seeing her like this.} He said, dueto the lack of clothing on her body.  Yvette nodded and they workedquickly, cutting down a curtain, and covering Paige so she wouldn't freeze,and that she wouldn't be embarrassed when she came to.
             {Apparently, your cousin doesn't intend to let anyone stop her,} Yvettesaid in a worried tone. He completely understood her concern.
             {I hate to think what she has planned for me if she does catch us. She'llprobably make me watch you suffer and die, but then, who knows?}
             {She'll have to find us first, and let's hope we can keep her guessinguntil everyone returns.}
             "That's it." Rich shouted it, forgetting that his former cousin could beanywhere. He then continued, {That is why the attack happened when hardlyanybody was around. She hated crowds. It is harder to manipulate a crowdof people with an aura, because of the size. If we can hold out until Seanand the others return. We'll be safe.} He noticed movement. He and Yvettebacked towards the hallway behind them, because the movement was in frontof the vent that they had come out of. There was nothing there, but then,she appeared.
             "Well, I should have known you would try and help the Hick, but judginghow you and that one act, she must be your girlfriend.  Get readyto die, you two." She acted as she was going to grab something.
             {Bolt.} Instantaneously, Rich and Yvette ran down the hallway. They hadto find a vent to hide in. They needed all the time they could get. Therewas no telling how soon everyone would get back.
             As they approached a side hall, Yvette pointed and said, {There is a vent.If we can reach it, we're home free.} He nodded and they made a dive forthe vent. In mid air, he felt the pain of hitting the wall, but he knewwhat they hit. As he and Yvette started to fall to the ground, he feltas if he was hovering.
             He and Yvette were soon in an upright position floating in the air, butimmobile. They were facing his former cousin, as she walked down the halltoward them. He noticed that her hands were clenched, as if she was holdingsomething in them. "You know," she said, "I always wondered how the hellyou found out about my ability. Now, I found out how." She continued toput pressure on them, more on him than on Yvette. Rich didn't know whyshe was doing that.
             He started to wonder how she knew he was here. He looked at her and said"Elane, how did you find out that I was here?" He was starting to havetrouble breathing.
             She continued putting pressure on him and said, "I hacked into Ms. Frost'scomputers."  Rich, even on the little consciousness he had left, couldtell that must have been a lie, but who would help her. He didn't havelong to think on it, for everything went to black.

             Yvette looked at Rich. The one person who helped her communicate with GenerationX, and the one person who loved her, was hanging in mid air, apparentlylifeless. She turned to face the attacker, who he had called Elane andsaid, "Why are you doing this?" She was scared, not because of what shewould do to her, but what she would do to Rich. Rich tried never to hurtanyone, with the exception of Black Tom Cassidy.
             Elane brought Yvette face to face with her and said, "Because, he ruinedmy plans. I was going to control the world. Strike fear into everyone,and how could anyone stop me. I could become invisible. I could force anyoneto do anything. I could even force you to kill him if I wanted to." Yvetteshuddered. This girl sounded exactly like Emplate, but she didn't wantto feed off them. No wonder Rich was afraid of her. "All I want is to seehim suffer, maybe die. After all I do to you, he will be in tears." She felt the pressure as Elane started to constrict her breathing as well.
             "You won't succeed. Our friends will stop you." She hoped that this wouldbe true, but something told her that once Elane had them, they wouldn'tsee the school ever again.
             "Who said that we would be here?" At that Yvette couldn't breathe anymore.She slipped into unconsciousness. She sensed the darkness of sleep surroundingher, with one difference.  There was a high pitched sound.
 

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