X-men 2099UG #37

"Tim! Tim! He's gone! Robert's gone!"

The young mutant known as December stands banging on the sleeping quarters of Timothy Fitzgerald, the current leader of the X-Men. "What a respect for a leader." Timothy thinks to himself. "I wonder if Cyclops, or the Professor ever had mornings like this?"

"Tim! Wake up!" December still bangs at his door with no sign of retreat. "Tim…" Suddenly the door flies open, and Timothy stands at the door angry, and half-asleep. His hair is matted to his head at places, and other spots it is sticking straight up.

"What do you SHOCKING want from me, December?"

The young girl stands frozen in her spot. Timothy has never been one to be intimidating. He's never tried to be that way, but there are times when he's had all he can, and you can tell by his eyes. Those glowing green eyes can tell you all you need to know in a split second.

"Well, what is so important you had to wake me up at sunrise to tell me?"

"Umm.. Umm…. Its Robert…. He's.. He's umm… "

"Spit it out, December, or I'm going back to bed."

"Its, Robert. He's gone."

"He's gone? Well, where did he go?"

"I don't know. He asked Twilight, Uproar, and I to get him up at sunrise so we could all go rock climbing, and we went to his room and he's gone."

Timothy shakes his head. "Go get Shakti. Quietly. Tell her to meet the three of you in the Comm Room in ten minutes. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"But what about…"

"Just do it, girl. Robert's a grown man, he can come and go as he pleases, but something's not right and I want to know what it is."

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A world away on the edge of the desert's eastern border stands a small town. The people who live there were tired of the Corps running their lives, so they took what they needed, and moved west. They got as far as the desert when things got better. They heard there was a new President, and he was taking the Corps's power away. The people we no longer under their tyranny.

The new President set up environmental platforms to clean the air and to rid the land of all the toxins that the Corps had let ruin the earth. Things looked good for the people of America again. So, these "pilgrims" decided to stop their migration just on the edge of the desert. They set up their camp and decided to live there.

Months have past since then. The President was killed by a violent turn of events when Captain America returned home. When the Captain decided he was to be the new President things got bad again. People died all over the country, and then like the calm before the storm, it stopped. It wasn't just the killings, and the raids, but everything just stopped. The people who now live in this small town have built themselves a stable and self-supporting home. It wasn't built by the Corps or by any one benefactor. It was built by something that had almost become extinct, hard work. The town was built by honest men and women who wanted something for their own, and for their children. They wanted something that they could call home.

Today is no different than any other day. Some go out to the fields and gather their crops. Some go to their shops. The children go to their school. This town to the untrained eye would make you convinced it was a town right out of a history book. But, inside the buildings and on the farms, this city is anything but an antique. Some of the people that came here were not you average persons. Some were scientists. Some were doctors. Some were inventors. Technology was no stranger here, but it wasn't a crutch either. They used technology as a tool, to help them in their every day living. Not to replace the workers, but to help the workers.

This morning a stranger was seen near the town. He had saved some of the children from a pack of desert dogs. The way the children explained it to the people made the stranger seem like a angel from above. They were one moment from being ripped to pieces by the desert dogs, and suddenly they saw a flash before their eyes. The stranger flew through the air on his cycle and scattered the dogs. One jumped on his back and was about to bite him. He reached for the dog, and his hand began to glow and the dog limped over dead. He touched a few of the other dogs, and the same thing happened. The others scattered and ran away. They said when he walked over to them to see if everyone was all right, he had a voice that calmed their fears. He never gave them a name, but he did give one of the children a charm from his necklace, a broken triangle with a "X" in the center. He told the child that if they ever needed him again to press that charm, and he would be there with in a day's time. And as quickly as he came to their rescue, he was gone. The children wanted to press the charm to see if he would return, but they decided to wait. A gift like this, even in their young age, they knew was too valuable to waste of curiosity.

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Back in Halo City, a few hours have past since Timothy was awakened from his sleep by a wild, screaming December. Timothy has gathered a few of his teammates in the Comm Room to figure out why their friend, only known as Robert, has disappeared entirely from Halo without anyone seeing him leave.

Gathered in the room are three members of the X-Men and four members of X-Nation, the name the kids at Xavier's have been given. Meanstreak is the team's speedster, and the team's scientist. He has developed several new piece of technology that has benefited the team. Towering above all the others stands Bloodhawk. His scaly skin and powerful wings make him a sight to behold. He is the desert's self-proclaimed protector against those who would pollute and destroy it. Shakti is the team's resident psychic. She has had a close encounter with Robert and his previous captors on a psychic level. Standing next to Shakti are four members of X-Nation-- December, Twilight, Wulff, and Metalsmith. Each of them young in their training, but old enough to know what's true in the outside world. December and Twilight felt the trials and pains of being a prisoner of one of Herod's more powerful allies- Avian. Wullf grew up in the troubles of being part of the Wild Boys, a gang of troubled youth to be putting it lightly. Wullf saw the dangers of being part of their gang, and he took Morphine Somers offer to come and join X-Nation. Metalsmith is a case all to himself. He knows the rough life, but he also knows the good life. There is a lot to learn about Metalsmith, as his teammates are learning. He's an amnesiac. When he was found beaten and near death outside of Halo City, Shakti took him in under Doom's request. There was nothing more said about him. Weeks after Shakti took him in, she decided it was time for him to try and start a new life as part of X-Nation. Then, before them in front of a holo-projector, stand Timothy Fitzgerald- Skullfire. He has once again taken lead of this team of mutants, much to his dismay. He has had this position once before when the Theatre of Pain kidnapped Xi'an and made him one of their own. Timothy had to quickly grow up, and become the leader Xi'an had always said he would become.

Now, Xi'an has left again, with no real hope of returning, and Timothy is again in the position of leading the team. He has promised not to fail where Xi'an has. He has vowed to himself that he will never abandon the team unless his life is taken. He feels it is time to make a difference in this world, but how is another question. Right now the question is…

"Where is Robert?"

"That's what I want to know, December." Timothy replies. "He was suppose to go with you and Uproar climbing. Now where was the last place you saw him?"

Shakti speaks up, "Tim. Robert is a grown man. We can't treat him like he's a child. Maybe he decided to take some time to himself." Timothy nods. "He may have, but something's still not right."

"I agree." Bloodhawk speaks in his deep raspy voice. "I spoke with him several nights ago, and he seemed troubled. He told me of dreams he was having."

"Shakti, did he ever say anything to you about these dreams?"

She shakes her head 'no'. "The only thing he told me about were his memories. He wanted to remember them. He said they were right in front of him, but he couldn't focus on the faces. That was it."

Timothy paces around the floor. "We'll give him 24 hours to come back. If he's not back, we'll send out a search party."

"What if he's dead by then? What if he's dead now?"

"December, we don't know that." Shakti says in comfort. "Robert has had his entire life erased from him. He needs time to figure out what he wants to do with his life."

"No one knows more of what's he's going through than me."

Twilight nods, "Joseph's right."

Metalsmith nods back to Twilight. "There's nothing more dear to me than remembering the past. I even want to remember the bad stuff. I just want something that will remind me and help me figure out who I was and should become. The way it sounds is Robert is remembering, and he's having trouble with what he's remembering. Didn't he say he saw his friends die in front of him but he couldn't do anything to help them?"

Timothy puts his head down, "Yes. He said something or someone was holding him back." He walks over to the window looking over the city's central square. "We'll give him time. I just wish I knew where he was.

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If you look through the city you will find al sorts of people. You'll find businessmen. You'll find merchants. You'll find laborers. But if you look hard enough, you'll find a stranger surrounded by friends. You'll discover a man without time or place. You'll see a man, a mutant like everyone in Halo City. You'll find a man who has seen and talked with legends, only to turn away from them. He is a man who wishes he could change time and join them. Join them in struggle, in victory, in death. No. If you look all of your life and the lives of your children and their children's children, you will never find a man with so much burden of the past. He is Dust. He brings a message of hope and doom. He knows there is someone that can erase the hate, erase the prejudice. There is a mutant that will lead his people to the new golden age of mutants. Dust has to find this mutant. It is the only thing he knows now.

Outside, wandering the streets in front of Dust's humble home is another mutant that feels he has let everyone down. He also wishes he could go back and change how things came out in his past. Nostromo keeps his past to himself. Only his close friend, Clarion, knows of Nostromo's past, and even what he knows isn't everything.

Nostromo likes to keep to himself, but today he is going to learn something about himself.

"Why are you wandering aimlessly, young one?"

Nostromo looks behind him, "Oh, its you, Dust. Many of us were wondering if you'd ever show your face again."

Dust nods, "I do apologize. The first time you meet me, and I tell you that one of you will be the leader of the entire mutant population. It's a bit much. I wanted to let all of you get back to your lives. I didn't want to be a burden so early on."

Nostromo smiles, "A burden. Believe me, a burden is the last thing I was thinking of. True you really confused us. I mean, that is a lot to take in, but I guess I realized it wasn't me, so I didn't take it to heart."

Dust sits down next to a building's front entrance, "So, you don't think it could be you? Why so sure?"

"Why would it be?" Nostromo replies as he walks over to where Dust is sitting. "There's nothing special about me. I'm just me."

"Exactly. That, my friend, is what makes you a possibility."

"I don't get it."

"It's simple really. What makes you able to be the messiah is that you are you. You're not one to be controlled by other's influence. You are hesitant in what you do, but you never waver from what you feel you must do. A leader like the one I know is here in Halo City, is one who is not influenced by outside opinion. He knows what must be done, and he does it."

Nostromo squats next to Dust, "How do you know so much about this "messiah"? You seem like you know everything about him, but you don't know who it is. Why?"

"I wish I knew. I've been on this earth for over a hundred years. I have met legends, and I saw them die. I refused to accept their ways and turned away from them. But to this day, I am cursed with the knowledge of someone who will come and lead the mutants to a new golden age." Dust picks up some dirt in his hand. "You see this, Nostromo?" He then begins to let the dirt slowly funnel out of his closed fist. "This is what will happen if we don't, if I don't, find the messiah soon. Mutants will be like dust in the wind. They will be scattered and left without the comfort of each other. I've seen this happen. I was there when the end came for the original dream."

"Do you mean you saw the X-Men die?"

Dust shakes his head, "I wish I could remember if I was. What I mean, is I saw the falling from the dream first hand. I fell from the dream. They offered it to me, and I let them down. I feel the messiah will be my atonement for leaving Xavier's dream so long ago."

"What will you do when you finally find the 'messiah'?"

"I'll be done. My life's quest will be over. Hopefully I can be at peace, and simply die. Do you know what it's like knowing you cannot die because something in you mind keeps telling you to stay alive? I'm not speaking metaphorically. There is something about my powers that have kept me alive for all these years."

"Really? But why?"

"I wish I knew. I really wish I knew."

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Even as Dust thinks to himself of his past, wandering the evil that could have made his powers keep him a prisoner of life, below the streets of Halo City another 'prisoner' wanders about not his past, but his future. In the caverns that Doom had constructed, the mysterious figure that appeared out of pure psionic energy weeks ago has repaired the damage that occurred when he arrived. He uses the monitors and computer systems in the way they were meant to be used- to observe. He looks over the city, keeping tabs on all its inhabitants. He has noticed a few inhabitants in particular. He doesn't know their names, but names aren't important to him right now. Right now he has an adversary to confront and destroy. He smiles, "The time has come, old friend, where we finally rid the world of your weak life. I find it amazing you've lasted this long, long enough to let me return to kill you myself." The caverns fill with evil laughter, "Oh, yes. The time has come. It has come"

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The day turns to night, and the night turns into dawn. Timothy stands watch at the surveillance center in the X-Men's HQ. He knows Robert was not returning. Why is it that everyone leaves while he must stay? Now he must go tell the others what they will do. Will they go after Robert, or stay in Halo and let Robert live his own life. Timothy knows the right answer, and he smiles to himself. "Good luck, friend. I barely knew you, but you were a friend. I hope we will meet again."

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At Xavier's, someone else is awake to see the sunrise. December looks out her window and watches her first sunrise. A tear rolls down her cheek and she quickly wipes it away. She must be strong. She knows Timothy won't go after Robert, and she must except that. She's going to miss Robert. They shared a few moments together that no one ever knew about. For some reason Robert felt comfortable around her, and she to him. She wonders will they ever see each other again, and another tear rolls down.

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BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

"I'm up! I'm up!" Willow yells as she shoots straight up in her bed. She looks over at her clock and sees its only 5am. "What the shock? What am I doing up at…

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Willow shakes her head and pulls her hair back in a ponytail behind her head. "This better be good. Who ever you are pounding on my door this early I the morning better have breakfast or be a naked hunk." She opens the door and her jaw drops to the floor. Standing in front of her is December with a backpack full of equipment hanging off it.

"Get dressed, Willow. We're going on a trip."

NEXT ISSUE: Well it sure ain't Thelma and Louise. Morphine Somers returns to grace the pages of our favorite mutant book. Boy, what's he up to? Remember his visitor from two issues ago?