What Has Gone Before: The X-Men helped settle down and heal the crowd after an anti-mutant riot.....and people noticed. Professor Xavier begins his run for senator of New York.

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"Nightcrawler, please don't make this hard! You know I want us to handle this, but the Professor gave us specific orders."

Nightcrawler sat on the meeting room wall, surrounded by his other team mates, while he listened to Cyclops. Or rather, he only heard him.

"I do know that I and some of the others want to handle it.....you, on the other hand, I'm no so sure of. Since when has Professor Xavier been the sole leader of this team?" Kurt Wagner spoke in a semi-thick German accent, which made his speech pattern more violent than many, despite his usual calm disposition. Everyone realized that he truly was upset.

"Kurt! You have no right to speak to Scott that way. The Professor needs us right now, in the middle of his campaign, and he has asked us to stay nearby for the remainder of his candidacy." Jean Grey said, in defense of her beloved husband, and the man whose dream she had fought so long for.

"Damn it.....damn it, you two! How can you just sit there when two longtime friends of ours send us a distress call from Mojoworld? They sounded desperate Scott, and you didn't even allow us to respond."

There was some expected strain in the air of the meeting room: the closely knit family of the X-Men were bitterly divided on a subject, possibly with the lives of two former members in the balance: Longshot and Dazzler. After returning home from the riot the day before, the team's sleep was disturbed by a deafening distress call, its origin being Mojoworld. The details were hard to hear, but Longshot appeared injured and frightened, and was calling for help with war against Mojo, and some brotherhood.....the message was too broken up and short to really tell.

Despite the message's lack of clarity, Nightcrawler and two of the others, Colossus and Rogue, were determined to aid their friends.

"Listen up, no offense, but none of ya'll were there in Australia with Longshot and Dazzler, when the whole wide world thought we were all dead. Ya'll didn't live with Allison and 'Shotty for that long...you were too busy with X-Factor and whatever." Rogue spoke a little uneasily. She still didn't want to run the risk of having the others distrust her at all.

"Or Excalibur." Shadowcat added.

"That's besides the points, guys." Bobby Drake, the Iceman, added. "After all the Professor's done for us...for you...don't you think we owe it to him to at least just stay in one place when he asks you to?"

Colossus, who had remained relatively quiet this whole time, finally spoke up, his strong Russian voice carrying through the room, even though he spoke softly. "Scott, Jean, the rest of you...I think I speak for Rogue, Kurt, and myself when I say that the Professor isn't necessarily acting responsibly, these days."

"Now, listen, Peter..." Cyclops began.

Peter Rasputin's voice remained friendly and soothing, but was obviously going through some strain while he spoke. "No Scott, I have listened, and now it's your turn. Do you really think that it's in anyone's best interests, besides the Professor, for us to ignore all distress calls out of the New York area?"

To this, none answered, but obviously Cyclops sat, transfixed in a strong mix of emotions that he kept beaten down inside. He remained silent.

"That is my point- I don't have a problem with the Professor running for senator. But I do have a problem with him using us, this team, his family, as a tool in his run for office, and what comes from his doing that." Colossus leaned back against the wall again, his huge arms crossed against the washboard chest he used to help fight for humankind, and for mutantkind.

The silence once again cut through the thrill of argument and discussion, and all of the mutants present, Cyclops, Phoenix, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Rogue, Iceman, and Shadowcat, knew that the pressure was weighing them down like the entire earth on Atlas's mighty back. Four against three; something had to happen. So Nightcrawler spoke, simply, bluntly, and within in the boundaries of reason: "It seems to me like there's only one solution then, Scotty. Rogue, Colossus and I will be heading to Mojoworld, while the four of you 'take care of things' here." With that, Nightcrawler signaled his concurring team mates, and the three of them began to leave the room.

"Nightcrawler! All of you, come back here! This is ridiculous. We can't just disobey the Professor.....we have to remain a team. Let's talk it out, for God's sake!" Cyclops was yelling. He was getting uneasy. And he knew that he wasn't going to stop them that way, or much of any way. His anger boiled, and his wife became unbalanced in response. They were connected, completely. Wherever he went, so did she.....his opinion was hers. The three leaving stopped only for a second.

"We've tried reasoning with you, Scott. Obviously, that isn't working today." Nightcrawler said, and they began walking again.

"I'm telling you to come back here!"

Nightcrawler turned around slowly, speaking in a voice characteristic of his appearance.

"And what will you do, Scott? Will you take us by force? Would that be one of the Professor's orders, too?"

Who could answer that? Not even Scott Summers, whose iron will had brought him where he is today, with his beautiful wife Jean, leading the X-Men......with three of his team mates, his friends, his family, walking out in anger and disagreement.

But no one stopped them.

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"Get offa me, ya dirty..."

"Dirty? I'll show you what dirty can be like. I may be small, but..."

"Listen, you're just a kid! And an ugly one at that. I swear, if I wasn't tied up....."

"Silence, both of you." the white-haired child said. He held his small red helmet at his side, as he stood before the sad display of forced affection before him.

"Aw, but Erik, I was just showing her..."

"No. She is not to be harmed. She still has to undergo her treatment, first."

"But.....aw alright, Erik."

"I've told you, Toadie, don't call me Erik.....my name's Magneto."

"I thought it was Mini-Mag?"

"Shut up!" the lightly haired child, Mini-Mag.....or Magneto, said angrily, as he spun a web of electromagnetism around the disfigured hunchback Toadie, giving him enough of a shock to shut him up.

"Ahhhh! Sorry, boss, sorry!"

"Boss??? Who's the boss around here again, you little underling???"

The booming, highly annoying (and worshipped) voice crashed down upon the ears of all present.

"Oh.....sorry, Mojo. I forgot: you're the boss, and Mini-Mag is just the team leader."

Mojo smiled, his hideous, mechanical grin, and approached the two children and captured teenaged girl on his spider-like mechanism.

"That's right, son, and don't you forget it!"

"So you're the reason I'm in this Hellhole? You're just a big, yellow sack of..." the girl began.

"Ah ah, Jenny. You gotta watch the language, for those censor b******s...and for the kiddies out there too."

"Master Mojo, please.....if you could stop the cussing. If makes me feel bad....." Magneto said, like a shamed and uncomfortable child.

"Shut up!" was the spineless creature's only response, besides slapping Toadie out of his way (with a wild scream from the victim) so he could approach the girl, Jenny, closer.

His long, talon-like fingers circled around her young face as he made her look him in his heartless eyes. "Ah, a pretty one, it would seem. This'll do well with the teenage boys.....blonde hair, pretty eyes, nice tan, nice chest and ass..."

"Master Mojo, please!"

"I told you, shut up! Besides, the censors are okay with that one now......yes, you'll do well, Jenny."

"What do you mean, 'Do well'?? What is it that I'll be doing?" Jenny was confused, a bit scared, and quite angry- she had been snatched from her home in the middle of the night, how long ago she didn't know. She had been knocked out by some six-armed woman.....she remembered being dragged along.....and then waking up here with some ugly kid trying to mess with her.

"Haven't you figured it out, my star?"

"Your what.....? What the Hell are you talking about, you maniac??"

"You're going to be a new leader, a new star! A hit sensation!!"

"What do you mean?!"

Mojo picked up a radio from the wall and spoke into it loudly, like usual..

"The rest of you, go ahead and come on in."

A metal door slid open, and five small, varied shadows could be made out from Jenny's position. The figures stepped out into the light, and Jenny realized that things had gotten even stranger. Mojo began to speak again, in his announcer-voice.

"Jenny Livenhill, meet Lil' Mastermind, Scarlet Hood, Helmet-Head, Matchstick, and Speedy.....along with Toadie and Mini-Mag...

"Magneto, darn it!"

".....they are the new Brotherhood of Mojo! And you, my dear, will be leading them as.....Mirror!"

"What? You're an idiot, if you think I'm going to lead these little misfits. And besides, I'm not some superhero or something....."

"Jenny, Jenny, Jenny....baby! Don't think I don't know about your powers! I've been watching you. And I think you'll be very willing to lead this pack of wild kids after what we have planned for you....."

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Longshot stood over a rusty, run-down communications system, its screen dirty with food particles and dust, as were most things in the room. The state of the Resistance's headquarters had gradually depleted ever since Mojo reinstated his rule with his Brotherhood.

His eyes looked to the ground, partly in sadness, partly in shame, and partly in disappointment.

His lover, the Dazzler, stands close next to him, her eyes ever diligent but still wavering at this, their gravest moment. She rests her arm on his strong shoulder, putting her weight on his.....but she could never do that, really. He has the burden of a whole world of people to bear; he doesn't need anymore.

Longshot and the Dazzler stand, and wonder why their friends hadn't responded. Maybe they were busy.....or maybe they weren't even active anymore. But both of them knew there had to be someone there to at least hear the message. Yet no response was sent, and no help was given. The X-Men's help was needed, by friends, teammates.....and they failed to give it.

Two heroes, in love, stand in a room of deteriorated metal and dirty glass, of broken will and tired minds, a room with a feeling of failure, and look at the blank screens.

The face of Nightcrawler, at times barely visible behind all the static, began to come into view.

"The X-Men are on their way."

Spirits rose.

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It took a while for Nightcrawler and the other two to find a way to get to Mojoworld.

There were probably a few ways to get there from the X-Mansion, but they couldn't back there. Not for now. So the trio had to look a little harder to get there. Luckily, they didn't look far. A quick trip to the Baxter Building was all it took.

"There you go, folks: one trip to Mojoworld, ready to go."

Reed Richards spoke in a happy, content tone, perfectly at ease with his work and delighted to be putting it to any use, especially for friends. "Thank you so much, Reed. You really can work miracles, I have to say." Nightcrawler thanked Mister Fantastic, the leader of the Fantastic Four.

"No problem, friend, but I hope you don't mind my asking: where are the other X-Men?" The three lone mutants stood silently for a moment, avoiding the question. They were still uneasy about the situation. ".....They are...mm....busy. They are helping Professor Xavier with his current campaign." Kurt finally said. It didn't sound very convincing, but Reed Richards was a polite man. "Oh, yes, of course! I certainly do hope he wins.....we could use a man like him in office. By the way, I really respect you and the others coming forward in front of everyone and revealing yourselves. I mean, it's one thing to reveal yourselves at the start, like we did.....but to go from being half-outlaws to trusting the public with your names.....well, let's just say that takes more guts than any of the FF would ever have."

Nightcrawler felt a little contempt towards Reed for this. Sure, it was a nice statement.....but what did he know about their lives? The tortures they're forced to live? Nevertheless, it was a nice thing to say. Before any could respond, the Thing walked through and caught site of the three guests. "You sayin' I don't have enough guts, Stretcho?" he said jokingly. "Haha, just pullin' yer leg, buddy. But look at what we got here! Three of the merry mutants themselves. Been seein' you guys on the tube lately.....looks like you've been beefin' up some more, there, Petey." the hulking mass of rock named Ben Grimm said as he walked over to Colossus and squeezed his fleshy, muscular arm. "Still up for some arm-wrestling?" he asked. "Haha.....no, my friend, at least, not for the moment. I fear that, besides the possibility of loosing, my friends and I are pressed for time. In fact, Reed, if it's no problem, we really do need to be going soon."

"Of course, Colossus. I have tuned this transporter to the correct frequency for Mojoworld, all you have to do to transport there is go through this doorway here. I'm giving you each a small device like this, which will bring its wearer instantly back to the front of the Baxter Building. Are there any questions?" Reed was very proud and confident of his work.

"Well.....um, actually, Mister Fantastic, ah have a favor I need to ask of ya'." Rogue said a bit shyly.

"Certainly, Rogue. And please.....call me Reed."

"Okay, Reed. Well, ya' know, the powers I sorta stole from Ms. Marvel a long time ago.....strength, flyin', that sorta thing.....they're gone now. And I don't really have a way of defendin' mahself without absorbing other people's powers n' stuff. So I was wonderin' if.....if you have some sorta weapons or something I could borrow, just for this little trip? I promise I'd return anything ya lend me."

The childish and charming shyness of Rogue bought its way into Reed's heart, and he laughed heartily. "Oh, Rogue, of course you can borrow some equipment. In fact, I think I have just the thing for you.....I'll be right back."

And he was. Quickly he returned, with what looked like a black wetsuit in his hand. "What.....what's that, Mis- uh, Reed?"

"This, my dear, is the Inviso-Suit; it emulates the invisible capabilities of my wife, the Invisible Woman. It can make you, and other people or things that you touch, invisible, just if you will it to do so. I'm afraid, though, that it doesn't allow you to make invisible objects."

"Oh, Reed, that's perfect! I'm sure it'll be fine just as it is." Rogue hugged him quickly around the neck and took the suit into the next room, and after a quick change the three X-Men were ready to go.

They stood before the gateway Mister Fantastic had built for them, and it opened. A great plane of colorful lights and swirling ethereal winds lay before them, beckoning.

"Go ahead, kids...nothing to fear, from this machine."

"We know, Reed. Thank you very much, again, and good-bye!" Nightcrawler said, and then he and his comrades jumped into the doorway.

Between worlds, they worried.

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"Scott, I'm not saying they're right-- I'm just saying that maybe some of us should have gone after them. I mean, they are our friends..." Bobby Drake, often a hothead, was playing the cool end of the conversation, in character with his field-name, Iceman.

"Bobby, please.....I'm trying to think right now. I don't think they're going to be gone long.....I just can't believe that they left." But Scott could, because he wished he would have, too.

"Well.....allright.....I just wonder how they're going to get to Mojoworld??"

"I don't think they will, on their own. They'll probably mope around for a while, trying to find a way, but sooner or later, they're going to come back." Cyclops said, with some unexpected bitterness.

"I'm not so sure, guys. I've never seen Kurt that angry, and I would know.." Kitty Pryde did know. She knew Nightcrawler better than any of the others.. She also knew Piotr Rasputin better, and in different ways than the others......

"I could do a mind-scan of the city, to see what they're up to...?" Jean offered.

"No...no, let's just leave them be. I don't really want to know." Cyclops said sharply.

Scott was still thrown off from their last encounter with their friends......his leadership was so rarely objected, since Wolverine had left the team. He wasn't used to it, and he didn't like it. He was edgy.

"Listen guys.....we can't just leave this like it is. I mean.....look, I think we owe the Professor and all, and I can understand us staying here......but do we really have to let it come to this? Three of our friends are out there, apparently trying to help fight a war! Doesn't that probably mean something??" Kitty Pryde was a smart girl, and she spoke as she felt.

"Dammit.....yes, I hate being broken apart, too. But I can't just drop everything to go out and 'save' people who don't even need saving!"

"Then it looks like we don't have anything to do but sit here, and wa..."

Iceman was cut off by the door opening loudly, as the Archangel, Warren Worthington III, flew in quickly. He did not look he had been having a good day. "Everyone, turn on Gambit's communicator.....right now! There's BIG trouble downtown." Quickly, Cyclops complied, and Gambit's face appeared on the screen before the team. "Cyclops! Bad news.....serial murders.....people blamin' 'dis new Irish mutant.....calls himself Blockade....."

"Gambit, we can hardly understand you!" Cyclops said loudly.

"Just get DOWNTOWN, dammit!" the Cajun mutant said, and then his image was gone.

"Warren, what was he talking about??" the leader asked.

"There have been a few serial murders in the past couple of weeks, and people are blaming this Irish mutant. He goes by Blockade, who just came to town. People started rioting against him, and he's fighting back a little harder than needed."

"That's bad news for Professor X's position!" Iceman interjected.

"Then let's get down there as quick as we can."

"Wait, Scott.....Jean, could you please just scan the city once, for the others? I just want to know how they're doing before we go." Kitty said quickly, not waiting for a response from Scott.

A red energy of endless mental capabilities appeared around Jean Grey's head, and she set to work on scouring the city of New York for their estranged friends. She quickly lifted her head, with a puzzled look.

"What is it, Jean?"

".....they're no longer in New York."

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In another world, another dimension, immeasurable by mere distance in relation to ours, three estranged friends reunite with two old ones. In the room of the dirty machines, a happy air is about, for once, and they rejoice in the help that is brought to the Resistance. The expected questions were asked.....Where were the others? Why did they stay in New York? How did Mojo come to power again?

But before answers for these questions could be conjured, a great quake came over the headquarters of the Resistance. A foot-soldier ran into the room, shaken and scared.

"Longshot! Longshot! It's them.....they're here!" he cried.

"Who's here? What was that?" the rebel leader asked.

There was another quake, and much of the ceiling above them crashed down in pieces, large and small, around them. Looking up, a fairly familiar scene for the X-Men greeted them.....

"They are...the Brotherhood of Mojo!"

Rogue looked up, and gasped.

".....Erik...?"

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NEXT MONTH: Dissolution and Rebirth Four - From the Top

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Will Short

WeekapaugB@aol.com