Episode Two : Part One

Episode Two : Part One

Across oceans and oceans of blue, over the Pacific, the X-craft jetted smoothly, quietly. It was a small craft that could seat no more than seven people. It looked like a minivan come aircraft, a very sleek , epic-looking, aerodynamic minivan.

The craft now had one more person than usual, five X-gents. All very quiet and pensive. Alisa Tager , code name Cipher, was piloting. The co-piloting seat was empty. Behind her, in the next row of two, was Lorna Lehnsherr (Polaris) and Alex Lehnsherr (Havok). Behind Alex, to his displeasure, was Jeremy Howlett (Just Howlett) and in the single seat centred at the back, was Victor Borkowski (mostly called Anole).

“Alisa,” a warm voice called from the crafts intercom; it was Commander X. “once within a fifty mile radius you will slow down and go into Cipher-stealth mode.”

“Roger.” Cipher answered. “Now in ‘Cipher mode’ , though I think its ridiculous that we call it that.”

Alison had the mutant ability to go invisible, intangible and completely off the radar. She could extend her power to who and what she touches, even the entire X-craft. The X-craft, of course had its own stealth settings, but nothing compared to Cipher, stealth extraordinaire.

“We don’t know what surveillance for the island is like. For now this is best. The later they discover us the better. When you land keep the machine in its built-in stealth mode and submerged.” said X.

“We’re approaching T minus 10. I’m gonna slow down now and switch to mechanical stealth as we submerge.” said Ali.

The X-craft began to slow down and all the  X-gents felt as it halted, hovering above the water some ways offshore the island. It gently landed on the water and then began to submerge itself.

“This thing doubles as a sub. I should get me one of these.” said Howlett. Nobody responded.

The craft hit ground about forty feet underwater. A few panel windows opened automatically. Enough light filtered from above to reveal several coulorful sea creatures swimming about the machine.

“Best of luck agents.” said the voice over the intercom. “And if needs be I can have the Junior team there along with The Captains in seconds.”

“Thanks X. That won’t be necessary.” said Lorna as she unbuckled her seat belt.

All the X-gents were already in their wet suits. Their dry uniforms, as well as all their equipment, were all packed in backpacks lying in a corner of the X-craft.  Ali handed out small masks that would cover the nose and mouth. The masks had small yellow tanks, about four inch longer cylinders, attached on either side at the nose portion. She also handed out goggles.

“Forges masks will last a maximum of 30 minutes underwater. He’s still developing them.” Said Ali.

“If only some people’s masks would spontaneously fail.” said Alex, obviously meaning Howlett’s.

“Good thing it would take tons more than that to take me out.” said Howlett.

Lorna gave Alex a cross look but didn’t comment. “The exit chamber fits only two at a time. Me and Alex go first, then Howlett and Anole then Ali will come after she’s secured the X-craft.” said Lorna.

With that Lorna and Alex put their mask and goggles on. They entered an airtight chamber at the back-left of the craft. Water began to slowly flood in as she hit the release button. Once the chamber was filled the exit door opened and Lorna and Alex swam out and up towards the Savage Island shore.

Within ten minutes they all were dragging their feet through the water onto the shore ; A white sandy beach with dense forestry just behind it.

When they got to the shore Howlett looked at Ali, whose head and suit was dry down to her knees. “You’re dry.” He pointed out; it was more of a question than a statement.

“These suits don’t cover your head, and even if it did, with all this hair I could fit it all in.” Ali responded, lifting a few of her locks that hung almost down to her waist. She had her hair held up in a ponytail, but that didn't do much to contain the thick locks.

“So?”

“You have no Idea how heavy three feet long dreadlocks can be when it’s wet.”

“Exaggerating.”

“I just don’t like getting it wet unnecessarily. I phased through the water.”

“You look great in a body suit.” said Howlett with a menacing smile as he begun to unzip his suit, revealing well defined chest and abs and tossing his bag pack on the sand.

Alisa turned and ignored him, taking off her bag pack.

Pulling strong arms from the sleeves of his wet suit Howlett addressed the group, “Remember our first objective is not to take on Magneto but to take out the anti-mutant weaponry.”

The entire team stopped to look at Howlett with surprised and disapproving eyes. Lorna’s face looked as cross as it could have ever been. “Can it Howlett. I’m leader. Re-briefing is my job.” She grunted. She slicked her wet, short blonde hair back as she walked inshore towards the forest still with her backpack on. “We can’t be exposing ourselves out here in the open and not just to be prudent. We’re a lot less likely to be seen in the forest. Howlett can expose himself all he wants.”

Soon they were all fully suited and among a tight fitting clearing in the forest, still near the beach. The sound of the beating waves could be heard in the distance, along with chirping birds and wind through the forest trees. Their backpacks were a little deflated and back on their backs. They stood in a circle as Lorna said –

“It'll take a while through all this so we can't really stop much once we get going. This is unfamiliar terrain.”

“Shouldn't Anole know this place?” asked Howlett. He was standing opposite Lorna and Alex with Anole and Ali on either side of him.

The whole team paused again and gave him the same scolding look as before. Anole looked particularly displeased.

“Not everyone who looks like me is a Morlock.” He said.

“You don't know much about the mutant life and story, do you?” said Ali.

“Oh. Sorry.” said Howlett, for the first time looking abashed.

Anole shook his head and Lorna continued, “Let’s move out agents.”

The team made their way through the forest towards the hilly interior of the island. They trod their way through a mesh of trees and bushes. Lorna and Alex leading ahead with a digital map on  her holographic wristwatch. Anole  was walking close behind them, his long, enhanced, hellboy-ish arms swinging at his side. Ali was behind him and Howlett was a short ways behind at the back.

As they made their way, breaking and trampling hindering plant life as they went along, Anole spoke, for the second time, to Howlett’s surprise.

“I really wouldn’t want to have to need backup on this one. Not the Junior team and especially not The Captains.” Said Anole.

“Don’t you mean ‘not The Captains and especially not the Junior team’ Anole?” said Alex, with a smirk on his face that no-one behind could see.

“Let’s just not let it come to that.” said Anole.

Ali slowed down to walk beside Howlett, wanting to relieve some of the tension that was among the group. Not particularly fond of the lad, she didn’t want him ostracized either. It was bad for the team dynamic. “So what made you leave your father's side. Is it the natural rebelliousness from being son of The Wolverine?” she asked.

Howlett focused pensively on the siblings walking ahead. “Same reason as Alex and Lorna left.” He said. “ I didn't want to die. Plus I realized pops was mad.”

Ali’s eyebrows rose in a bit of surprise and questioning.

“Back in the day The Wolverine, Magneto and X were partners - agents of the government.” Howlett continued. “They were in charge of dealing with mutant affairs. The new an exponential emergence of born-superpowered humans did not go unnoticed by the government and they needed a group to take care of the troubles that might come with it. If a mutant was too dangerous or endangered others, they had to be taken in or taken out.”

At this, Anole back-flipped and landed astride Ali and Howlett, right between the two. “Take them out?” he asked curiously

“Enhanced hearing?... I see.” said Howlett a-matter-of-factly, realizing he hadn’t been speaking loud enough for a regular person to have heard him from Anoles prior distance.  “Yes some mutants were too dangerous to live and that's where my father would come in.” He continued.

“You said they were a team. Well what happened? What changed and why do you say you're father's mad?” asked Ali.

“Well, from what I gather, an explosion happened.” He said.

Just then Lorna stopped, looking around with an alert and an alarmed expression on her face.

“Oh my God. Did you feel that?” she exclaimed.

An intense look came over Anole’s face. “I hear it, he said.”
In a short time they all could hear thuds coming towards them from a distance. It kept getting closer and closer, and what Lorna had felt became more evident as stones on the ground started to rattle and jump over the quaking earth.

 “Now I feel it.” said Alex.

Before anyone could figure out what was happening a giant T-Rex emerged from among the tall trees. It’s head almost at the top of the trees and its millions of teeth glistening in the sunlight. It peered intently at them, looking ready to strike.

Episode One : Part Two

Episode One : Part Two

Lorna was still fuming when she got to her room at the living facilities at the Triskelion. She slammed the door shut behind her and leaned against the wall, right of the doorway. “I can’t believe X did this!” she muttered to herself.

The room couldn’t have been blander if it were just four gray walls and air. It was actually four gray walls, a bed with plain, neatly spread white sheets, a wooden dresser with little more than a deodorant and a hairbrush on it, and a wall closet.

A click of the door alerted her that Alex was entering. She remained silent as he walked over and sat on the bed. “I can’t believe X thinks he can trust Howlett. What’s worse is that he put him on the team!” said Lorna.

“I know. I'm not too keen on him either. Ask me, they ought to forcibly extract the truth from that guy. I won't forget what he did to us.” Alex replied.

They both had reasons not to trust the new teammate. Things that go back to before they even joined the agency.

Lorna walked over to Alex with an expression on her face so resolute that, at least at this point, it was evident that no one could be able to change her mind. “I'm leader and I don't want him on my team. That's the end of it.” she said.

A voice came from the doorway behind her, “He's not unlike you. Don't be too quick to judge.”

No one could be able to change her mind except him of course. A young man, tall and dark-skinned, was standing at the doorway. His hair was long, black and lanky; going down to his chest and behind his shoulders, it was twice the length of Lorna’s own short cut. He was wearing a white sleeveless undershirt  and a grey mechanic’s overall with the top half unzipped and hanging behind him.

“You’re Magneto's kids. You chose to stand against him. So too was Howlett on his side with his father. So it took him a little longer to come to his senses, but he did. I trust him.” He said.

Lorna’s expression softened and she tried to get the man to see things from her perspective. “Forge, sweetheart, I don- . I just DONT trust him. It's just that... when we tried to get away from our father we tried to get him to be a part of our plan. He pretended to stand with us. Then he went back to Dad and sold us out.”

“He’s probably better for the team than any weapon I make.” said Forge. He walked over, gently put his arms around Lorna and pulled her into a tight hug. Forge and Lorna had been together since shortly after she joined the agency. He too was a part of the X-agents and has been through all the training, but he better served in studying and designing weaponry and tech for the team.

“And this is my cue. See you later sis.” said Alex.

“Do me a favour Alex.” said Lorna. “Check up on the twins.”

“Will do.” Alex replied.

As he left through the door Alex wondered about how Howlett joining the team must really be stressing Lorna. How could X do this to her and him? Though, he and his sister were always constantly bickering, disagreeing and fighting, they did care very much about each other. They’d been through a lot together and Alex never could stand to see her hurt in anyway.

He made his way down the white painted halls. The ceilings were low and the ambiance a cross between a hospital and an office. Not very homey, but this is where the agents called “home”, most of the time. The hallways took him to a double, swinging door with glass windows on each side. On the glass to the left the translucent white word “Juniors” was plastered. He went through into that hallway.

The first door he passed, to his right, was opened. It was a room similar to Lorna’s expect much better decorated and looking more like a bedroom somebody actually sleeps in. In it was a young man with bowl cut brown hair leaning against his dresser with Anole standing about an inch too close to him. The young man seemed to be trying to contain a gleeful smile while Anole hovered above him and saying something with one of the few expressions Alex has known him to make. Alex called this one the “I like” expression.

Alex scoffed and rolled his eyes as he passed them. “How old is that kid, sixteen?” he whispered, not quite to himself. Of, course, the X-agents weren’t much older. Alex, Lorna and Ali were all nineteen, Anole was twenty and Forge twenty two. Howlett would now be the youngest at seventeen.

The next door Alex encountered was to another room, this one painted pink. The TV was on and some cartoon was on it but the girls in the room weren’t watching. The two of them looked like the average thirteen year olds, playing with metal blocks that were levitating inside the room and giggling up a storm talking about God knows what.

One of the girls was a redhead and the other brunette. Fraternal twins.

“You Gals ok?” Alex asked with a light face and a charming smile.

“Yeah, Alex. We’re great.” Said the redhead while she sat on the carpet and focussed on the blocks.

“Wanna join us?” said the brunette. She was tactful and clumsily trying to climb and manoeuvre herself among the blocks.

“Nah, I’ll see you later. Got some stuff to do.” He said as he made his way pass the doors and continued along the hallway. He was glad to see the girls could still be... kids.

The next day the team were all in their conference room again, this time with Howlett present and seated. X stood at the front of the room at the head of the oval table, Lorna was still sitting in front of Alex close to the front on one side. She still appeared disgruntled at Howlett’s presence; so did Alex to a lesser extent. Howlett and Ali sat opposite them near the front while, as usual, Anole was at the far back end.

X took out what appeared to be an ordinary laser pointer device and pointed and pushed a small red button. A three dimensional hologram of the globe appeared at the center of the table. It then rotated and flattened as the hologram panned and zoomed to a pea shaped island far off the coast of the US and alone in the Pacific.

“The latest progress being made by Magneto is on an island called Savage Land. It was once populated by the Morlocks before they moved out into recognized political states. It is believed that he's constructing machines, sentinels to destroy all mutants.” said X in his usual calm tone.

Lorna seemed a little wary. “So this is just another factory bust.” she said. Apparently she wasn’t so convinced of the authenticity if the “intel”.

X continued, “Intel also cites that this is their last known base of operations.”

Lorna did a slight jump in her seat, suddenly realizing that this could mean that Magneto might actually still be present on the island. “So what are we waiting for?!” she said. Lorna, more than anyone else, wanted to bring in Magneto. In fact, it was all she worked at Agency X for.

“Don’t be so hasty Lorna. Magneto is not something you want to run into.” Ali interjected with her usual elegant comportment.

“We should know better than anyone. He's our DAD.” Alex added.

X took two steps closer to the team, peering at them sternly with his single, unpatched eye. “He’s right, Lorna.” he said. “They’re both right. You can’t take him lightly. You need to know as much as possible to prepare yourself before going in. I kept this info from you because I didn’t want to distract you from other missions while I gathered what information I could.”

It was a smart move X made keeping this from the team till now. Lorna would have lost focus on all the previous missions and it might have severely affected the team. She has always been a bit obsessed about finding, stopping and taking her father in. She would have spent even more sleepless nights researching and reviewing information, strategizing and probably even drilling Howlett, had she known about him.

“Well what we know so far is that his base is built into the ridges of the savage land hills. There are still some mutants living in the land but many don't go as far as the hills.” said X.

“Perfect cover, no one would expect Magneto to live on mutant-island.” said Ali.

“Even with Forge’s technology and Cipher’s abilities we can't take the craft too close to their HQ. So you'll have to land on the outskirts and make way by foot.” Continued X. “You have to treat this mission with the utmost delicacy. We absolutely cannot be sloppy. All directives must be followed to the T”

“Yes Commander.” said Lorna.

.............................

Hundred’s of miles away Magneto stood, in a purple suit with white pinstripes, peering through the widows of a control station. His hair was silver white and his face pale and ominous as a demon. 

Below the station in a room big enough to fit a house, were rows and rows of androids. The androids were all identical and looked remarkably human, dark haired and blue eyes. Indeed these machines would shock the world when released.

“It's almost time, Logan. When we launch the sentinel programme our work will be one step closer to complete.” He said.


........ To be continued

Episode One : Part One

Episode One : Part One

Lorna pushed the green button to her left at her co-piloting dashboard. A warm voice came on the aircraft’s intercom. “When is landing?”

“T minus ten minutes.” Lorna answered.

“Great job at locating the base. I want you take take them out and bring them in, as clean a sweep as possible.”

“We’re flying in in stealth, neither are they expecting us. But as soon as we make a landing I expect they’ll know we’re there and retaliate.” Lorna responded.

“T minus nine.” a voice from Lorna’s right responded. It was Ali. She was the pilot of the small craft; a girl with a quiet confidence about  her and spoke little unless it was important.

The mission was pretty simple considering who they were going after, Warrington. He’d been manufacturing banshee pills, an addictive and illegal drug whose prime effect was turning human beings into mutates with super powers. Too much of it drives its users feral, primitive.

Warrington is head and chief in the market which has grown and caused significant trouble in urban areas in particular. He has remained under the radar and unreachable, about ten times removed from any local dealer. It’s a pretty large operation that was about to end in one cut throat mission, or at least Lorna hoped so.

“We’re gonna take ‘em out, X” said Lorna.

“I have no doubt you will.” replied the voice on the intercom.

Lorna looked around at the other seats behind her, in the small craft. There were five more seats behind the piloting seats. Two of them were occupied with other agents. Both dressed in full black combat uniforms with a yellow X crest on the left shoulder.

“Here’s the gameplan guys. The factory isn’t that big so no backup is required till pick up. They’re on their way, but we’re ahead. There can’t be more than about 75 personnel in the facility, we take ‘em out and bag ‘em, quick and clean.” said Lorna. She was their commanding agent.

“We get it boss-lady.” A sarcastic tone came from a white haired young man sitting in one of the seats. His eyes glowed as silvery white in anticipation.

“Don’t start with me Alex.” Lorna replied.

“I’m only messing. Just don’t get too bossy on this one sis.”

Lorna sneered in response.
.

The other man remained mostly quiet. A very tall, slim, built fugure with skin as green as Lorna’s eyes sat in the seat next to Alex. He had overly large and scaly forearms with horns at the elbow hinge.

“Ali stays with the X-Craft, so it’s just us three.” Said Lorna.

“T minus three.” said Ali.

Within three minute the craft was making a soft landing on the roof of a small facility in the middle of the desert. The facility appeared to be abandoned from the outside except there were three large and functional black vans parked there.

Lorna pinned her short blonde hair up in a ponytail and the three agents were leaping from the aircraft even before it fully landed.

“Agency X assemble!” Lorna exclaimed as she landed on the factory rooftop. “Anole, smash us in.”

Without a thought the tall green man smashed in the door of the rooftop exit with his large fist.

“Good going Hellboy!” said Alex.

Anole looked at him, displeased, but didn’t answer. He was someone of even fewer words than Ali, but not one to play around with.

“If you’re going to use em, then stick to the assigned code names, Havok!” Lorna grunted as she barged through the broken door.

They heard the factory alarms that had started screeching. All three ran down a few dimly lit, cement gray corridors and soon heard steps charging towards them. No sooner had they turned a corner that they saw the factories first line of defence approaching.

        About eight factory guards, all large and scary-looking charged towards them. Three were evidently mutates, one with glowing red eyes, another with fur, fangs and claws, and the third blue skinned. Whatever their powers were didn’t matter; Alex and Lorna took out their stun ray guns and fired expertly, immediately taking out the three while anoles fists dealt with the other five. Anole moved with superhuman agility and acrobatics as easily as though he were born doing it. The final move involved Lorna tossing small metallic ball and chains which wrapped around and secured the unconscious guards for when it came time to take them in. If they woke, the bondage would stun and knock them out again.

“Just got the scans.” Ali’s voice came from the communicator in the agents’ ears. “ The building is pretty hollow, with the two floors above ground having just  metal corridors at the sides. Most of the equipment is on the ground floor, large vessels and machines it seems. I’ll try and see if I can hack cameras. You guys just make another left now. Oh, and thermal scans indicate another group coming right up at you. I’m out.”

“Thanks Cipher.” Lorna replied.

The three ran through a door to an open corridor. Over the railing the other two floors could be seen.  The ground floor had large vessels with a red fluid among other industrial equipment.

Five more guards were just about on top of them and the rest were making their way up the stairs from the ground floor. All had guns.

“These guys have heavy artillery.” said Alex, who was just a ways in front of Anole and Lorna.

“Let’s show them we have bigger guns. Get outta my way.” Lorna pushed pass Alex to the front.

“Don't push me around, Polaris!”

Lorna extended her arms. Her eyes and hands glowed with a green aura; so did all the guns. The guns were all suddenly crushed by Lorna’s magnetic power. Then the metal ball and chains levitated out of her pockets as she hurled them at guards all over the factory with her powers. They stunned any human they came in contact with, instantly knocking them unconscious.

“That banshee-juice down there smells! And so many of the guards are mutates. This is disgusting!” said Alex.

“Let’s teach ‘em a lesson about knock offs then. Blast ‘em Alex.”

Another group of guards were barging up the stairs and headed towards them. Likewise the agents charged towards them and Alex, with his eyes glowing and silvery hair flailing with energy, blasted they with beams of white energy from his fists. All the guards were knocked out, but one still stood. He must was over eight feet tall and as muscular as a bison.

“Another cruddy mutate.” said Alex.

“Take care of this one, Anole.” Lorna ordered.

Anole immediately grew out large reptilian armour on his torso that ripped his uniform in places and had two large horns protruding from his back.

“I hate lizards.” said the guard.

        With that, Anole leaped over Lorna and Alex toward the mutate. Lorna and Alex ran pass while the two fought fist to fist with superhuman strength. Though the guard was much larger than Anole, the agent had his own advantage of agility and training.

Lorna and Alex immediately found themselves entangled in another batch of guards on their way down to the ground floor. They fought with fist and feet, taking out the guards with their superior combat training as they made their way down the factory floors. They’d fought like this on several occasions before, together.

“We better got to boss level soon. These goons are beginning to annoy me.” said Alex, with a heavy crack of his fist to one of the guards jaw.

The guards were not terribly difficult to take out in hand to hand combat, and the two were highly trained in non-lethal methods. Within minutes Lorna and Alex fought their way to the ground floor. Surrounded by what appeared to be the last fifteen guards a bout of tag-teaming with combinations of jabs, high kicks, uppercuts and a few energy blasts here and there knock the guards out. Lorna took the last one with a high kick to the head; he fell to the ground with a resounding thud.

“I’ve been waiting for this.” A raspy voice came from a shady corner of the ground floor, pass vessels and equipment and under the shadows of the corridors above. It was a man with low cut blonde hair and a business suit; Worthington. He had a pair of brown angelic wings on his back.

To his left was a woman with long, lanky black hair in a skin-tight white get-up. To his right there was a man who himself was lanky, with pale skin, green hair and an unattractive smile. All three persons were looking as devious as they actually are.

“It’s time you paid for taking my brothers.” said the winged gentleman.

Just as the man spoke the eight foot guard fell with a resounding thud to the ground floor next to Alex, knock out with Anole stooping on top of him.

“Good.” said the gentleman. “We’ve been waiting for him too.”

“I see you couldn’t resist your own juice, Worthington.” Lorna smirked. “Fancy new set of wings you got there. It’ll look good on you in prison.”

Worthington frowned in contempt. “I’ve got more than just that blondie. Take them down brothers!”

Worthington soared toward Lorna, the female changes into a werewolf and the other man, still with a dreadful smile on his face, frog-leaped at them. Of course, Lorna, Alex and Anole were very prepared to take them on.

Three hours later Lorna watched through the large glass window of a conference room as the last of The Brotherhood, once again being conscious after being taken out by the agents, being escorted through the white hallways of the Agency facilities. They were all bound by special cuffs and shackles specially designed for persons of extraordinary abilities. The look on Worthington’s face was cross and pensive. Whatever escape plan he was plotting, he would have a warm time trying to get out of the Triskelion prison facilities; facilities also specially designed for his type, the extremely dangerous.

Lorna turned to face her team. Anole sat silently at the far end of the oval table in the conference room. Alex sat much closer to the front of the room, fidgeting with a pencil on one side of the table side. Ali sat on the other side, legs crossed, her elbow on the table and temple resting in her hands, her waist length dreadlocks hanging loosely from her head.

“X will be in soon for debriefing. He also mentioned to me that he had an important announcement.” Lorna said. She walked towards the chair closest to her at the front of the room. Just then the door at the front opened and a tall man with a completely bald head and a cane stepped in. He appeared to be in his fifties and had a gentle face, which made his left eyepatch seem a little less intimidating.

“Good evening agents.” He said.

“Good evening Commander X.” They responded in unison.

X gave a warm smile. His countenance was more fatherly than military but he could switch in an instant when necessary. Commander of Agency X, he understood when it was necessary to be tough. He had been Commander since inception of Agency X ; he was responsible for the rigorous training that all the Agents had received since brought in at a tender age.

All agents were brought in from their early teens. They were still pretty young, still in, and barely out of, their teens. All the “X-agents” that sat before him constituted the first batch to make it into the field.

Agency X was drafted by the US group as a militant group which dealt with mutant, and some superhuman, affairs. It has been the widely accepted stance for years that mutants deal with mutant affairs, especially criminal affairs of the highest order. Who better than them to deal with their own –though Commander X was not himself a mutant- ? And since most of the booming population was still young, the agency had to turn to the youths, particularly taking in the troubled or disenfranchised.

Still with a warm smile X said, “You have done well. That’s the last of The Brotherhood.”

“All I did was pilot.” Ali smiled.

“Still, Alisa, you know very well this could not have been done without you. You’re not only our pilot, but our ultimate tracker, investigator and stealth extraordinaire.” X responded. This was true; Alisa, code name Cipher, was the best at all those things. The was the best at gaining intel and finding anything that didn’t want to be found, which was either ironic or expected given her power set.

“Very true.” said Lorna. “That said, it’s time to move to the next mission.”

“I was thinking more along the line of a break for you guys.” said X.

“What!” exclaimed Lorna. She was a workaholic, always getting on top of the next mission. She never cared for much else. Her motive, though, was more than just the satisfaction of a job well done.

“Alas, that may not be happening just yet. We have Intel on a looming threat that you in particular would be interested in. With that, let me introduce that newest member of our team, Jimmy.”

They were all so focused on X that they hadn’t noticed that a young man was now standing at the door. He had strong, chiseled facial features and blond wild hair that melded intimately with his bushy sideburns. He was wear full X-agent uniform.

All the agents jumped up in alarm.

“Howlett?!!” exclaimed Lorna and Alex simultaneously.

“How and why did you let him in the agency?! He  can’t be trusted!” exclaimed Lorna.

“Compose yourself Lorna. He’s our intel. He can help us get your father.” said X, sternly. At his words Lorna leaned back in her seat subdued but evidently still riled.

Howlett snickered, “Yeah Lorna, calm down.”

X continued, apparently in no mood to take objections or sass, “He's also been in training with us for a while now and I have reason to trust his intentions. Now, you all are dismissed. I propose you take time to get some rest and get acquainted. We meet again tomorrow right here to deal with the urgent situation.”

Lorna immediately became enraged. without a word she raised from her seat and stormed pass Howlett and the door. The only thing they heard from her was her voice from down the hallway loud and in a sarcastic tone, “Yeah right. ‘Get acquainted!’”, she howled.

Alex, following Lorna’s lead, walked out, passing Howlett without even acknowledging his presence. Ali and Anole got up next in a reluctant manner. “Good evening Commander.” Ali sighed. And proceeded out while Anole gave X a slight nod.

On her way out Ali stopped at the door and looked at Howlett with with a smile. Her face had a slightly questioning look as she summed up the new teammate with reservations.

“You’re the new intel huh? It's cool. But I'll be watching you.” she said.

As Anole walked out behind her he looked down at the shorter Howlett with a coy, charming smile- a far way from his usual serious expression. And with that the four X-agents were gone.

….........