Chapter 2 - Visions of the Past, Tales of the Future I

Attention:  Generation X and their villains,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 copyrighted is a chance happening.
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If I Had a...Delirium
Visions of the Past, Tales of the Future...part I
               Yvette was overjoyed when her ‘father’ finally came out of the building. She had been huddled over her lover while they waited.  Now she wasworried sick.  As he got in, she said, “What’s wrong with Rich?”
              She knew he heard the worry in her voice as he said, “I don’t know, butit’s serious.  Godiva had the same problem over the phone.” She felt the vehicle lerch, and soon the vehicle was moving.  Shehoped they would get back to the school quick.
              As the vehicle moved, she heard her ‘father’s’ carphone ring.  Shewatched as Everett picked it up and said, “Hello?”  She watched ashe turned his head and said, “It’s Emma.  She said she just got acall from Rich’s mother.  She said that she was worried that Richwas ill, since his father and Godiva and her brother fell ill.”
              She watched as her ‘father’ said, “Does she know what’s wrong?”
              She watched as Everett spoke into the phone and then said, “Emma said it’ssomething called the Cale Delerium.  She wants us to get back to theschool pronto.  It’s not lethal, but Rich is not in a state to fendfor himself, which means he’s an easy target for anyone to attack him.” There was a brief pause as Everett then said, “By the way, she wants toknow how he did on the show?”
              She reached for the phone and took it.  “He toughed it out and won. He was falling ill sometime into the questions, and passed out before hefound out he won.  You’ll see tonight.”  She noticed that her‘father’ grabbed the phone from her.  Something was bothering himseverly.
              She listened as he said, “Emma, I think we lucked out partially. After Rich passed out, he started to talk.  He mentioned, in vagueterms, about when Black Tom was at the school.  He didn’t say whatthe school was, but someone from the news was there. Rich is the show’sfirst million dollar winner.”  She could have sworn she heard thesilence on the other end of the line.  It was ended as she heard her‘father’ say, “Alright.  We’ll high tail it back there.”
              As her ‘father’ hung up the phone, she looked at him and said, “What’swrong?”
              He kept driving as he said the next few words, “Yvette, Emma’s afraid thatRich’s condition might cause a big problem.  If the deal with BlackTom is aired on the news, which it will most likely be, it is going tocause alot of Black Tom’s friends to come gunning for Rich.  Mostwe can handle, however, one of Tom’s best friends is Cain Marko.”
              She didn’t understand what it meant, but the looks in Everett’s and Monet’seyes told her something was wrong.  She just said, “Who is that?”not wanting to know the answer.
              Monet put a hand on her shoulder and said, “Yvette, Cain Marko is ProfessorXavier’s half-brother.  He is also known as the Juggernaut, and Ishould add, unstoppable.”  Yvette felt her heart stop for a second. She understood what it all meant. It meant that Rich’s life might end atthe hands of a madman.
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              Emma stood and watched as she saw Sean’s jeep come in the gate.  Therest of the kids were behind her.  When she had gotten off the phonewith Sean, she asked the kids to get the Med Lab ready.  As Sean’sstarted up the driveway, she heard Jubilee say “Emma, what is this thathit Rich?”
              Emma just held up her hand and said, “In a minute, Jubilee.  I’d ratherexplain it once.”  When the jeep pulled to a stop, she watched asSean and the others got out. Monet and Everett was carrying Rich. She watched as Darrett and Jono moved a stretcher over to Rich and placedhim on it.  As they started to move Rich into the school, she followedand said, “Well, this is something I wish we would have known about.”
              Sean was keeping in step with her, asking the question she knew he wasgoing to ask.  “So, what is this Cale Delerium?”
              Emma watched as Yvette stayed right by Rich’s side.  Emma could seethe concern in Yvette’s eyes as Yvette asked a different question. “Will he be alright?”
              Emma knew she could relieve the child’s fears.  “Rich won’t die. This Cale Delerium is something that effects all the Cale family. According to Rich’s mother, it appears like a bad cold, but it’s more complex. All the Cale family have some sort of psychic bond.  Hense, if onefalls ill from it, the defences on the others goes down, so if two of theCale bloodline are near each other and one has this Delerium, they allfall into this state they are in now.”
              Paige asked what would have been the most important question.  “Howlong does this last?  Ah mean, he can’t be incapacitated too long,can he?”
              Emma just looked at Paige and said, “That’s the thing, it all depends onthe mental healing.  The delerium causes each Cale to revisualizethings in their past, however unlikely that they will remember them.”
              She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to face Sean.  He lookedat her and said, “Yur not thinking of going into his mind and prancingaround in there, are ye?” She could tell that in his tone, he didn’t wanther doing that.  That was a little more complicated due to the callshe had gotten.
              She just said, “The thought never crossed my mind, but it was asked byRich’s mother.  She felt that I might be able to help, as well asYvette.”  She noticed that Yvette had looked in her direction.
              Yvette just said, “How so?”  Emma could tell that the idea of helpingRich had sounded good to her.
              Emma just took Yvette’s hands and said, “Remember how Jean told me to teachyou to go on the Astral plane.”  As the girl nodded, she said, “Ithink this is a good test for you.  Besides, you might be more helpthis way, then out here.”  They had finally reached the med-lab. She saw Daria standing at one of the bed’s and had it set up.  Soon,everyone was helping to move Rich from the stretcher to the bed. The second they started it up.  Emma could see everything happening. His brain wave patterns were starting up. She knew he was reliving a memory. She just said, “Yvette, get ready for the next one.” She faced the othersand said, “As for you, keep an eye on the show and the news afterwords. We need to know if they do tell about Black Tom’s defeat.”  Everyoneran out of the room, and she entered a trance.  She travel throughthe Astral Plane and into Rich’s mind.
              As she stood, as an impartial viewer, she saw a young boy, which had tobe Rich, standing with an elderly man, who was still fit.  She watchedin silence as he said, “That’s an ugly rat, Granddad.”  Emma was amazed. This had to be Rich at about age 10. She also noticed that Rich was holdinga cat in his hands.  It was spotted and just meowed.
              She noticed that Rich’s grandfather just said, “It’s a very mean rat, too. You see Rich, my father caught that rat.  It’s a rather unique creature,called a Wi-Lu-Gho-Yuk.”  She heard Rich giggle at the name. She moved closer to the rat and looked at it.  She noticed that it’steeth were rather large.  She jumped back as she saw it go to bite. It was still alive.  She then heard Rich’s grandfather say, “Thatthing feeds off human organs.”  She noticed Rich’s eyes go wide. “It’s mean, and very fast, but your great-grandfather caught that. It’s been a family hobby.  We are like that cartoon you watch, ‘TheReal Ghostbusters’.”
              She heard Rich giggle again as he said, “Granddad, that show ain’t real.” Rich then left the room.  With that she blinked and she was back inthe med center.  She couldn’t believe it.  Rich had said thatGodiva fuelled his intrest in the supernatural, but now she wondered ifthat was true.  Maybe the boy didn’t remember it.  She got upand left the room, and went to where all the others were.  They hadthe show on.
              When she looked at the T.V, she heard a strange sound.   “Whatwas that?”
              Angelo just said, “The end of the show.  You were out for an hour.” Emma was startled at how long she was in that small memory.  Angelothen said, “Don’t worry, we taped it.  Some of those questions Richhad were tough.”
              She heard Jono say, "I know that one about the Sleeping Prophet wouldhave tripped me up."
              Sean then said, “Quiet everyone, here’s the moment of truth.”
              Emma watched as the news preview started.   As they mentioneda few story’s, the last thing they said was, “But first, the first millionaireon Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? stopped a terrorist.  More aboutthis on the 10 o’clock news.”  Emma’s heart stopped for a second. They needed all the help they could get.
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              Cain Marko sat in the bar, only listening to the show.  He had heardthe commotion and they said that someone had fallen ill.  At first,he could care less, but then it caught his attention, when the man whoaccepted the check in the name of the winner spoke.  He turned andsaw the face.  It was Sean Cassidy, Banshee from the X-Men. His step-brother had founded them, and he hated his step-brother. He watched, hoping to see if he could find out something.  Maybe hecould find where ever Sean was and cause him some problems.  He thenwatched as the show ended and the news started.  The news held informationthat he didn’t want to here.  “Tonight’s top story.  The firstMillionaire on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? had stopped a terrorist. Excitement mounted on the show today, and all was stunned when RichardCale, the show’s first millionaire, fell ill at the key moment.  Atthat time, a reporter overheard Sean, Richard Cale’s teacher, state thatRichard defeated Black Tom Cassidy.  Apparently, the terrorist attackeda school in New England, where Richard Cale is going to school.  Fromwhat we have gathered, Richard Cale stopped the terrorist using lethalforce.  That only cuts down the terrorists by one, but according torumor, Black Tom was a mutant terrorist.”
              Cain Marko slammed his fist on the bar when he heard the news.  Hisfriend was dead, and at the hand of that boy.  He heard the bartendersay, “Listen buddy, you break anything, I’ll have to throw you out andcall the cops.”  Cain would have liked to see the guy try it, butnow was not the time.  He just quietly got up and left the bar. He walked to an alley right near the bar.
              He had been in the army, and nothing phased him much.  Especiallywith the discovery he had made.  He handled the crystal he had foundthere and used it it like he always did.  Soon, he was in the unbreakablearmor that made him the ultimate weapon. He just smiled and said, “It’stime for the Juggernaut to even that score up.”  He knew where tohead.  He had to go to were his half-brother had set a new schoolbefore the Onslaught deal.  It would be a long trek, maybe a day ortwo, but the Juggernaut wouldn’t need sleep.  He was unstoppable.
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              Yvette had done as Emma told her too.  She knew she had to be readyfor this, but she also wanted to do something to comfort Rich’s physicalform.  She ran from her room in the girl’s dorm, to Rich’s room. She knew that during the day, he left it unlocked, especially with thesecurity the school had.  She looked over the room and found the itemshe was looking for.  She quickly picked it up and carried it offto the Med center.  She ran as quickly as she could, knowing thatthe next minute could mean another attack on Rich’s mind by the delerium. When she ran in, she saw that the brainwave patterns had stablized fromlast time.  As she placed the item she got from Rich’s room over him,she heard Emma say behind her, “Think that might help him in some way.”
              She spun around in surprise and nodded carefully.  She then askedthe question that was on her mind.  “What did you find out in Rich’smind?”  She was worried about what was going on in Rich’s mind.
              She noticed as Emma looked at her and said, “Something odd.  Rememberhow Rich said Godiva fueled his intrest in the paranormal and unusual.” She nodded again, and Emma continued.  “It appears Rich’s family hasa deep root in that stuff, since the memory I saw involved Rich and hisgrandfather, and something along those areas.  I’ve asked Monet tolook up the creature.”
              This had Yvette worried.  “Do you think it will come up again in hismemories?” She almost got an answer as the monitoring devices started upagain.  It was a signal that Rich was reliving a memory again.
              Emma looked at her and said, “Are you ready for your first trip, Yvette? We will be impartial viewers.”
              Yvette nodded and almost instantaniously, Emma drew her into the AstralPlane. She needed some help still, but she was slowly getting the hangof reaching this level of consciousness.  She then travelled withEmma’s mind into the memory that Rich was reliving.  When she blinkedher eyes, Yvette realized that she was in a room.  It had all thetell-tale markings of a childs room.  She turned and saw on the bedin the room her boyfriend, as a child.  As she watched with Emma,she noticed Rich was petting a cat.  He just said, “I don’t understandit, Grimore.  Mom, Dad and Granddad have company, and I can’t go downto visit.  It’s like I’m being punished.”
              She turned to Emma and said, “Do you have any idea what he means?” She watched as Emma shook her head.
              She looked in surprise as she heard the cat hiss.  She heard Richgo, “Grimore, what’s wrong?  What’s out there?”
              As they all watched, Yvette noticed that Emma heard a voice and said, “Yvette,do you hear that voice?”
              Yvette listened and in a moment she recognized it.  “Isn’t that Monet’sfather?”
              Emma watched as the cat still hissed and said, “Yes, it sound’s like it. And if it is, judging from the age of Rich, Monet and her sister are eitherbabies or not yet born, so the only child he’s talking to is...”
              Yvette went to complete the sentence and noticed the cat had calmed down,and the memory ended.  When Yvette blinked, she was back in the MedCenter.  She turned to Emma who had a worried look on her face. She then said, “Do you think Rich relizes that he knew ...”
              Emma stopped her and said, “I don’t think he did, but I wonder how muchhe did know about the St. Croix family.  When he saw Cartier backat the museum, he didn’t recognize him at all.”
              Yvette looked at Emma with a little bit of worry.  “Do you think heknew about Emplate?”  She was totally concerned now.  She wasscared that Rich and Emplate’s paths had crossed before.
              Emma put a hand on her shoulder and said, “I have a feeling that Rich firstfound out about Emplate here, because he had never seen Emplate before. Now, if the Cale’s and the St. Croix’s knew each other, and knew aboutEmplate before hand, they probably managed to keep the two from meeting. But the key question is..”
              Yvette knew the answer before Emma could say it.  “How did they know? I wonder if Rich’s mother knows.”
              Emma just shook her head and said, “Yvette, the two act as if they nevermet before.  If Emplate knew who Rich was, there would be a much morevisible bond of knowing there.  I think we might have to see if Rich’smind shows more of that.  I think for now, we should not mention thisto anyone.”  Yvette understood what Emma was getting at.  Itwas a little upsetting to her, but she felt that Rich never knew aboutEmplate until he came to the school.

              Monet had been up in the library.  She didn’t understand Emma’s strangerequest.  Why would she want to know about a weird rat?  Thenwhen she found it, she was puzzled even more.  It was such an oddreference, and also a very oblique legend. She ran quickly back to theMed Center, only to see Yvette and Emma talking.  When Emma saw her,the two clammed up.  It was like they were hiding something. Monet walked over to them and said, “What’s the problem?”
              Emma just said, “I was wondering if you found anything out on that rat.”Something told Monet that there was more to it, like they were hiding something.
              Monet just said, “Some unique things, there are two references in the booksabout that rat.  One is a Inuit legend about a creature by the samename, but the other is very puzzling.  I found out about a newspaperarticle from around the turn of the century.”  She pulled out a copyof the article and laid it on the table.  “Here it is. Monster huntercaptures killer rat.”   She pointed to a photo and read the article. “A monster hunter from the east coast proves to many that monsters exist. This apparently non-threatening rat is actually a visious creature, thatfeeds on living people.  The hunter caught the creature alive, andtook it with him, in a special case, back east for study by cryptozoologists.”
              She noticed that Emma and Yvette were looking intently at the picture asYvette said, “He looks like he’s related to Rich.”  Monet nodded,because she noticed that as well.
              Emma then said, “It’s his great-grandfather, and that rat is still alive.”
              Monet looked at her puzzled and said, “It can’t be.  That rat, ifit hasn’t eaten, is most likely dead, and replaced by a less threateningone.”
              Emma just looked at her and said, “Monet, we are finding out some veryunusual facts about Richard, and his family.  Some of which we believehave been kept from him by himself.  I’m beginning to wonder moreabout Rich’s family as well.  He said they are very wealthy. He’s giving $750,000 of his winnings to charity, $250,000 to the nationalepilepsy foundation, $250,000 to his home town, $250,000 to Moria’s driveto find a cure for Legacy.  Of what’s left, $125,000 is going to theschool.  I don’t know what he’s doing with the rest, but if he wouldhave named all his charities, he would have brought a plaque of problemson us.  As of right now, we only have to worry about one, if that. Now why don’t you get some rest.  Yvette and I won’t be getting muchsleep.”
              Monet nodded and left the room.  Something must have bothered Emma,and Yvette.  She noticed that Yvette seemed a little tense. She wondered about the problem as she walked to her dorm room and enteredit, locking the door.  She figured that she would freshen up. As she got ready to do so, she heard the mocking voice in her head. [Youknow, now would be a fun time for Marius to visit.]
              She stopped and said silently, “Claudette, don’t you dare.”
              The laughter of her sister bothered her.    There was laughteragain.
              “Claudette, you are sick.”
              [Be quiet, sister, besides I’m trying to puzzle something out.  Likewhy the White Bimbo clammed up with Rich’s lover.]  Although Monetdidn’t like her sister’s words, she was wondering the same thing. 
              “You’re sick, Claudette”  She still remembered father telling herthat Marius had killed their mother.
              Then Claudette said something that she had almost forgot about the sharedmemory.  [He heard someone slam a door in our direction.  Hethought of a second meal. Father stopped him.  Who did Marius’ hear?] Monet’s mind started rerunning it through her mind, and slowly put thepieces in place, but so much of it didn’t make sense.  She forgotabout her plans and just collapse onto her bed, trying to piece the riddletogether.

              Daria walked by the Med-lab.  She had been wondering how Richard wasdoing. When she arrived, she saw both Emma and Yvette were sitting by Rich’sside.  She just looked in, looking at the form of Richard Cale onthe table.  As she stood there, she heard a small whimperish sound. She spun to see Darrett standing there with a very hideous creature, oneof the few creatures he could summon and control.  He just lookedin and said, “You know, during the wars and that, the Delerium was onething that never happened.  I think I know why though.”
              Daria knew that Darrett was from the future.  A very dark future. She just looked at him and said, “You mean he didn’t suffer from it inthe future?”
              Darrett shook his head and said, “Nope.  In the future, only he andGodiva were alive, but Godiva probably wished to be dead.  Rumor hadit that she was both the meal and reluctant lover of her own lover. It was said that Rich enthralled Kyuukai and she feasted on Godiva.”
              Daria shiverred at that.  “I met those two.  It hardly seemslikely.”
              Darrett then said, “According to rumor, Rich used that relationship tocontrol Kyuukai.  That’s part of why I have a hard time adjustingto this timeline.  I grew up seeing those two as monsters.  Now,their my allies.  It’s just too hard to understand, but I have tounderstand it.”  She watched as the boy turned and walked off.
              She noticed that the creature started to follow, then stopped and lookedat her. In its whinney voice it said, “Darrett need to learn to make peace.” The creature then followed Darrett again.
              She almost jumped when Yvette said, “He’s got that Skeksis again. I hate those things.”  Daria turned to face her put her hand to herchest.  Before she could say it, Yvette just said, “Sorry to scareyou, saw you and Darrett out here.”
              Daria just smiled and said, “It’s ok.  How’s Rich doing?”
              Yvette just shook her head, “I don’t know.  I’ve never knew aboutthis.”
              Daria took Yvette’s hand in comfort.  “He’ll pull through.  Hewouldn’t leave you behind.”  She saw a thankful smile come from Yvette’sface.  She then asked a question that had been on her mind since Soundwave’sattack.  “Yvette, how can you tell that someone, ummm...”  Shecouldn’t get the words out.
              Yvette nodded and said, “You just know in your heart.  It happenedlike that for me and Rich.  It’s hard to explain how you know, butyou just know.  No one can set that up.  We spend time together,and we love the time we are together.  Why do you ask?”
              Daria just lowered her head and told Yvette.  “I think I’m fallingin love with Mondo, but I don’t know if he shares the feelings.”
              Yvette just smiled and said, “You’ll never know until you ask him. Ask him out. The worst he can do is say no.”
              Daria just looked at her and said, “What if he does say no?  I don’tthink I can take that.”  She was scared that Mondo would reject her. She didn’t think she could deal with the ache of that little word.
              Yvette then said, “Think of how much pain you’ll be in if you don’t askhim. The unsureness of the whole thing might just eat you up inside. The only way is to ask him.”
              Daria just smiled and said, “Thanks Yvette, I think I’ll do that.” She noticed that Yvette smiled.  It gave her confidence.  Shestarted to leave the Med-Lab.  She was going to do it.  She wasgoing to ask Mondo on a date.
              She turned to thank Yvette again, but she heard Emma shout, “Yvette, getready.”  She knew what was happening.  She remembered how Emmaexplained it.  Rich was reliving a past memory.

              Emma had just time enough to call Yvette into the room.  She noticedhow active Rich’s brain got with this one.  It must have been a vividmemory.  Something he remembered very well.  The second Yvettegot into her chair, they were off.  Soon enough, they appeared tobe next to twelve people.  She heard Yvette say, “My God, it’s thetrial.”  She glanced over at the one table and saw Davis Skinur, Soundwave,sitting there.
              She watched as the trial unfolded around her.  The procescuting attorneystood up and said, “Procecution calls Richard Cale Jr. to the stand.” Emma watched as Rich was escorted to the stand by two people.  Onelooked liked an FBI agent, while the other looked like a police officerfrom town.  She came to the conclusion that both were there to protectRich.  After he was sworn in, the two stepped back and the D.A. justsaid, “Master Cale, can you tell us the events of the day in question?”
              She noticed Rich swallowed and started to speak.  “I was doing somebanking for my parents.  It was while I was there that Soundwave attacked. Everyone was scared. I stood there as Soundwave walked over to me. He smiled and proudly introduced himself.  He mocked me cause I didn’trealize it.  He then told me how he was going to frame me.”
              She watched as the Defense attorney shot out of his chair and said, “Objection,heresay.”
              The judge just said, “Overruled, Continue Master Cale.”
              She watched as Rich swallowed and said, “That was when the FBI, arrived.They told Soundwave to surrender.  He was prepared to send me in hisplace, but I had latched onto his ability.  I used it against him. I didn’t want to, but he had fooled me, and I wanted the madness to stop. It was a great strain on me, and I eventually collapsed.  At thattime, the FBI took me into protective custody.”
              Before the Defense attorney stood up, she watched as Davis stood up andshouted, “I get you for that Rich.  I’ll kill you.”  The FBIand the police officer rushed to protect Rich, and Emma could see it, fearin Rich’s eyes.
              At that moment the memory ended.  Emma just sat there in shock andsaid, “Now I understand why Rich wanted to disappear from Easton. He felt safer out here.  I wonder if he regrets coming out here.”
              Yvette looked at her and said, “I don’t think he does.”  Emma smiledas she remembered the love that the two shared.  Yvette then said“Besides, he told me so.”
              Emma just chuckled and said, “Well then, I have no choice but to believeit.” The two just laughed.  They were laughing so hard they didn’tnotice Jono looking in the room.  She looked at him and said, “What’swrong, Jono?”
              Jono looked nervous as he said "There’s a bloke on the phone wantingto talk to Rich.  He insists that Rich would want to hear this andthat he’s here."
              Emma quickly got up and ran to the phone in the hall.  This scaredEmma.  No one knew Rich was here, not a single soul, except his family. She quickly picked up the phone and said, “Yes, I think you have a wrongnumber.”
              The man just spoke and said,  “I’m with the FBI.  I was assignedto the case after the agent that he helped left.  I’m calling fromsomewhere in Georgia.  We saw the news broadcast after the show, andthen head of some guy in armor ripping up the area down here.  Wefound out from his mother were you were.  We’re offering this as awarning.  Someone is coming after him, and we’ll do what we can tostop them, but you better be ready to run or fight.”  Emma felt theblood drain from her.  The man then said, “Don’t worry, this is stayingunder our hat here.  Rich is under FBI protection, as is his friends.”
              The man hung up.  He didn’t say his name, but she knew he wasn’t lying. She then turned to Jono.  “Get everyone together.  We need tobe prepared.  Juggernaut is coming.  Bring them to the Med-Lab.” She watched him run out of the Med-Lab.  She then returned, and justthe look on Yvette’s face told her that the girl knew something was wrong.
 

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