2003

20 years later

Mutants. Since the discovery of their existence, they have been regarded with fear, suspicion, and often hatred. Across the planet debate rages: Are mutant the next link in the evolutionary chain...or simply a new species of humanity, fighting for their share of the world? Either way, one fact has been historically proven: Sharing the world has never been humanities defining attribute.

Location: White House

"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must no break the bonds of our affection." The tour guide spoke as they stopped in front of a painting of President Abraham Lincoln.

"Lincoln said that in his fisrt inaguaral address as our nation's 16th President. It's one of my favorites."

The tour group then reaches security checkpoint.

"So if you'll please have your tickets ready, we can begin our tour."

A man in a baseball cap slipped out and rounded the corner.

The president sat at his tabel looking at paper work.

"Jackie, could you clear my schedule this evening? I'm going to have dinner with my son."

"Yes, Mr. President."

Meanwhile on the other side of the checkpoint a flash of light and smoke appears under the closets doorjamb. And the door then opens and a man walks out. He the begins to walk away from the tour group until a hand falls upon his shoulder.

"I'm sorry sir. Are you lost?" The security guard asked as the man nodded and looked up, only to reval Nightcrawler with heavy make up on to blend in. The guard gasped and reaches for his pistol. Behind Nightcrawler his tail appears. The guard then runs at Nightcrawler. His tail wraps around the gun and throws the gun away ashe flips the agent and darts away.

"Perimeter breech at visitors checkpoint!"

Nightcrawler darts past another agent that shots at him, but he dodged and moved on to the second corridor.

"Multiple sunjects!"

2 agents then rush into the Presidents office.

"President, security breech! Jackie, leave."

The agents grab the President ad they take him away from the room.

"Let's get him out to the car!"

Nightcrawler pounces on agents as he teleports. And 3 more agents surround the President.

"The exits not clear--we don't know how many there are!"

An agent walks down the hall, gun raised as he speaks into his mic.

"Post five, secure."

Nightcrawler then emerges from the celeling and kicks the agent to the ground. Another agent aims his gun as Nightcrawler launched off his back and antoher agent turns to see Nightcrawler running at him full speed with his teeth beared. The agent aims and fires, until Nightcrawler literally dissappeared, leaving a trail of blue smoke. Nightcrawler then reappears infront of him, flying at him feet first, and before he could shoot he was pushed to a door. Nightcrawler then disappeared again and reappeared on the other side of the door.

Nothing but screams of fear were heard as more agents came.

"There's something in the corridor!"

"Shelter!"

The agents rush President McKenna toward a adjoining room, just then the door opened as swat teams filed in.

"Negative! Not clear!"

Meanwhile Nightcrawler peers through the crack of a door. His makeup now gone, reveling his blue face. He sees two agents running down the halls with guns. He then burst out, running at them on all fours, and as they raise to fire he teleports behind them and kicks ine, while he wrapped his tail around the other and threw him against a wall. And more agents round the corner.

"It's in the private hallway."

"Lock this place down!"

Agents close and lock all doors, securing the President.

Meanwhile Nightcrawler took out all of the agents and runs to the room where the President was held.

"Don't shoot!" An agent warned as Nightcrawler appeared. Nightcrawler appeared hanging on the celeling and took the other agents out. More agents surround the President as the west door busted open, blowing a few agents back, Nightcrawler grabbed an agent and disappeared, only to reappear on the celeling, dropping the agent. And he dissappeared.

"My god...." the President said as in slow motion Nightcrawler reappeared around the room, taking out all of the agents, he then turned to the President and lunged at him, pinning him down. He used his tail to take a knife from out of his boot and flicked it in his hand, ready to bring it down on the President, until a shot rippled through his shoulder, causing him to scream in pain, he shakes his head and disappeared. The agent lowered his gun and the knife was sticking stright up from the center of the desk. And a ribbon hung on the handle, and on it were three words in gold.

MUTANT FREEDOM NOW

Location: Muesam

"Neanderthals. It was once believed they were wiped out by years of conflict with a more advanced breed of humanity...." Storm explained as the students looked at an exhibit on human evolution.

"...Called Cro-Msgnon man. But new evidence in our DNA suggests...." a young mutant boy stared at the wooly mammoth as a little girl glared at him.

"...that these two species may have interbreeded."

The young mutant boy smiled at the girl, but she scowled and stuck her tounge out. The young mutant boy returns the gesture, but his tounge is black and forked, the little girl whined and ran back to her parents.

"...eventually evolving into modern day humans. In other words, us." Storm said as she walked over to the mutant boy, he gave her an innocent smile.

"Not here Artie." Storm said as she took his hand and continued her lecture.

"But Ms. Munroe, aren't we mutants?" Artie asked loudly. Storm looked around to make sure no one heard him as she bent down.

"Yes, but mutants are only people with extra active genes. We're still human." Storm whispered as Artie smiled and she stood up and saw all the kids staring at an exhibit on mutation.

On the other side of the muesam Jean Grey smiles as she watched the students looked at the dinosaur display. But her smile fades as her attention is on the other tour, she can hear all of their thoughts. She closes her eyes as the computer behind her goes crazy.

"Jean?"

She opened her eyes to see Scott standing by a girl with a sketch pad.

"You okay?"

"Yeah...I'm fine...just a headache."

The young girl then tugs on Scotts sleeve.

"You were talking about the extinction of dinosaurs..."

"I need to talk with Miss Grey real quick. Can you draw me a picture of that big cat?" Scott asked as he pointed at the display.

"It's a saber-toothed tiger." The girl said.

"Right." Scott said as the little girl stampers off. Scott touches Jean's hand as she looks down.

"It's not just a headache, is it?"

Jean sighed as she shook her head.

"I wasn't sure how to say this...but ever since Liberty Island you've been..."

"Scott."

"Different."

"My telepathy's been off lately. I can't seem to focus. I can hear...everything."

"A month ago you had to concentrate just to levitate a book across the room. Now when your having nightmares, the entire bedroom shakes. It's not just your telepathy."

Jean sighed as she looked down.

"The dreams are getting worse. I keep feeling something terrible is about to happen."

Scott then embraces Jean, and she rest her head on his shoulder.

"I would never let anything happen to you."

"Are we inturupting again?"

The couple turned to see Storm and her group of kids.

"So...how was the giant squid?" Storm asked.

"The kids liked it. Scott was bored." Jean said.

"It was boaring."

Storm gets distracted and does a head count."

"Have you seen Bobby and Rouge?"

Jean concentrated and her face filled with concern.

"Somethings happening in the food court."

Location: Brooklyn, New York

A young Japanese woman sighed as she watched the T.V.

"Is this a sign of a mutant war?"

The woman sighed as she went back to cleaning cups in the bacl of the bar.

"Don't worry about it Mar, you ain't like the rest." Jimmy said, Jimmy was the boss of the bar and knew Mari was a mutant, but didn't care.

"Thanks Jim." Mari said as she finished with the cups.

"Better hurry back out there, the customers sure are thirsty today."

Mari smiled at Jimmy as she picked up a tray of drinks and rushed out to serve the customers. She could read all of their thoughts, they rushed through her head, making her head throb in pain.

'Damn mutants'

'World would be better off without them'

'What was that chicks name agian?'

'Man I was high last night'

Mari then dropped the tray of drinks as she clutched her head in pain, the cups shattered, but no one paid any attention. Once her head stopped throbbing she cleaned up her mess and got antoher set of drinks a ad served the men, Mari sighed as she looked at the news once again. And went back to work.

Location: Muesam

After the while incident with Bobby and Peter, Charles looked at the T.V

"...coming to you live from Washington with reports of an assassination attempt on the President, which took place in the Oval Office less then an hour ago. Details are still sketchy, but we do know that the President is alive and uninjured. While an official description has not been released, several eyewitnesses have claimed that the assassin was a mutant. The suspect is still at large and is considered armed and dangerous."

"Professor, I think it's time to go." Scott said.

"I think your right." Charles said as they left, and everyone was unfrozen.

Location: Xavier's School for the Gifted

Scott stares out the window, watching the kids, he then turns to Ororo, Aaliyah, Jean and Charles.

"My opinion? Magneto's behind this." Scott said.

"No, I don't think so, Scott." Jean said.

"While Erik might have organized something like this from prison, for him the gesture is far to irrational. It only hurts his goal of mutant prosperity." Charles said.

"You mean superiority." Aaliyah said.

"Your right, if Erik had his way." Charles said.

"You know how the government will respond to this. They'll reintroduce the Registration Act." Ororo said.

"Or worse." Charles said.

"Do you think the assassin was working alone?" Jean asked.

"The only way we'll find him is if we find him before the authorities do." Charles said.

Charles sighed as he thought of a certain mutant that could help.

"We need Mari." Charles spoke softly. The others eyes winded in surprise, not hearing that name in a while.

"Haven't heard that name in a long time." Aaliyah said.

"Yeah, but how can she help?" Scott asked.

"Erik trusted her, we get her, maybe Erik will open up."

"Where do we even find her, it's been 20 years since she left." Jean said.

Charles sighed, then heard a familiar motorcycle engine outside.

"I know where she is, and who we'll send to find her."

~ With Rogue and Bobby ~

After hearing the motorcycle engine, Rouge got all excited.

"Logan!"

"Miss me kid?"

"Not really." Rouge said as she threw her arms around him. Logan looks up to see Bobby.

"Who's this?"

"This is Bobby, he's--"

"Her boyfriend." Bobby said as he shook Logan's hand. And ice and vapor rises from the handshake.

"They call me Iceman."

"Right....boyfriend." Logan said with a pause.

"How do you guys.....?"

"We're working on that." Bobby said as Rouge looked away.

"So, where's the professor"

"Look who's come back." Storm said as she smiled while walking down the staircase.

"And just in time." Aaliyah added as she followed after Ororo.

"For what?" Logan asked.

"The professor needs you to do something." Ororo said.

"It involves an old friend." Aaliyah said.

Logan walks to where to Professor was, which was Cerebro.

"I'm glad your here Logan."

"Yeah, yeah, I was told you wanted me to bring back an old friend."

"Ah, yes, she'll be able to help us. Her name is Mari Akiyama."

"Tell me why I have to get her?"

"You two have a lot in common, and a long time ago I did something in shouldn't have, so it's best the two of us talk it out here."

Logan scoffed when all of the sudden he saw white and red lights.

"Those represent every living person on the planet. The white lights are humans...." Charles said as the white lights dissolved, leaving the red ones.

"...and these are the mutants. You see, we're not as alone as you think."

"I found the base at Alkali lake...there was nothing there." Logan said, but Charles ignored him as the people disappeared and a red line was shown.

"This broken line represents the path of the mutant who attacked the President. I'm finding it hard to lock on to him."

"Can't you just....concentrate...harder?"

"If I wanted to kill him, yes."

"It looks like he's finally stopped running. There."

Logan then became frustrated as their back on the catwalk.

"I need you to read my mind again."

"I'm afraid the results will be the same as before."

"We had a deal."

"Logan, the mind is not a box to be simply unlocked and opened--it's a beehive with a million separate compartments. I don't doubt that your amnesia and...skeletal enhancements are connected, but..."

"Spare me your lecture. I'm not one of your students."

Charles sighed as he set the helmet down.

"Logan, sometimes there are things the mind need to discover by itself." Charles said as Logan became more pissed off.

"I promise we'll talk more when you return."

"I never agreed to go fetch your toy."

Charles sighed as he faced Logan again.

"Mari is an important key to get information out of Erik."

"Why can't someone else get her, you scared?"

"Charles stiffened as memories ran through his head.

"I'm sorry Mari."

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"I took her memories away long ago."

Logan's eyes went wide as he stared at Charles.

"I did it to protect her, she was my friend and I wanted the best for her."

"So taking her memories is the best thing to do?"

"At the time it seemed right, but I know what I did to her was wrong, I need you to bring her back so I can restore them for her."

"What makes you think she'll stay after you do that?"

"I don't. But I'll try to convince her."

Logan sighed.

"Where is she?"

Location: Brooklyn, New York

The bar was full of drunk men, not not a lot of women came, so I Mari hand to deal with drunk men. She sighed as she brought another tray of shots to a group who cheered once served. Mari went to the counters and began to wipe them down. The don't or opened and she stopped to look at who entered. A tall, buff man walked in, his hair was styled weird and he had a cigar in his mouth. She went back to cleaning the counter, not noticing the man looking at her.

Charles said that she worked at a bar, he also said that she was Japanese and had brown hair, but her hair was and lighter brown. Logan watched as she cleaned the counter. She was wearing a tight black dress that went midtigh and she wore black heels, Logan grunted as he sat at a table, smoking his cigar.

"Hey hot stuff! Can we get another round!"

Logan turned to see a group of men eyeing Mari, who sighed as she got another tray of drinks ready for them. She walked over and placed the drinks down. The men cheered as they handed her money, she quickly snatched it and walked towards Logan, who watched the whole scene. He looked at her as she stood at his table.

"What do you want to drink?" She asked as a crash was heard, causing her to look back at the group of men who threw the a cup.

"Beer."

Mari raised a brow and shrugged heard shoulders, she left and came back with a beer, Logan took it and gulped it down. Another crash was heard and Mari quickly turned around and Logan looked around her.

"Hey! Quit breaking the damn glass!" Mari yelled as she went to the counter and picked up a broom. She stomped over and cleaned up the mess. She felt a hand grab her waist. Causing her to growl in anger.

"Calm down, love. How bout you take a break?"

The rest of the men whistled and clapped. Mari groaned in frustration and stomped on his foot, causing him to let go, she turned turned to walk away until another guy grabbed her wrist.

"Let go." Mari grolwed.

"I don't think so, love, I believe you owe us an apology."

"Screw you." Mari said as she spit oven his face.

"We got ourselves a fighter boys!" The men cheered.

"Let go!" Mari yelled as she tried to yank her hand away, trying to keep her powers in. Logan sighed as he got up. He walked over and grabbed the man who held Mari by the shirt, Mari feel back and watched as the guy she served earlier grabbing the other guy by the shirt.

"I think she asked you to let go." Logan said.

"Who the hell are you!"

"Apologize."

"Fuck no."

Logan growled as sales he brought out his claws and held them to his throat, Mari gasped at seeing another mutant.

"I said apologize."

"I'm sorry."

Logan dropped the man and walked over to Mari and held his hand out, but she just stared at him.

"I'm not gonna wait all fucking day."

Mari hesitantly grabbed his hand and let him pull her up.

"Let's go." Logan said as he walked past her, Mari followed after him and was led to an ally. She saw Logan leaning against the wall smoking a cigar.

"Who are you?" Mari asked as she clutched her jacket and walked over. Logan said nothing as he took another drag of his cigar.

"Your a mutant, I've never meet another mutant around here."

Logan dropped his cigar and walked over to her.

"Mari, I'm gonna need you to come with me."

"How do you know my name?" Mari asked as she took a step back.

"I was sent by a friend."

"What do you want."

"We need your help." Logan said as he approached her.

"Leave me alone!" Mari yelled applies she stuck her hand out and vines clamped onto Logan.

"The hell?"

Logan was then thrown to a wall, the vines still on him as he groaned in pain. Mari made a tightning motion with her hands as the vines tightened around Logan, who screamed in pain.

"Mari. Let him go."

Mari gasped gasped as her grip loosens and Logan falls as the vines retreat. Mari looked around.

"Who's there!?"

"My name is Charles Xavier, and we need your help Mari."

"Your a telepath." Mari whispered.

"All will be explained if you come."

Mari sighed as she shook her head. She walked over to Logan who leaned against the wall.

"I'm sorry."

Logan grunted.

"I'll go with you."

Logan sighed as he walked away.

"Come on."

Mari followed him to a bike.

"I'm Logan."

"I know." Mari whispered as he looked at her.

"I'm a telepath."

Logan stared at her.

"I didn't see much, there wasn't much to see, if that's what you're worried about."

Logan said nothing as he climbed onto the bike, Mari climbed on behind him and hugged his waist as he rode off. After about an hour they stopped in front of the school. Logan hopped off, followed by Mari who looked at the school in awe. Logan watched her.

"I feel like I've been here before." Mari whispered.

"Come on." Logan said as Mari followed after him. Not knowing what she was walking into.

To be continued