Free Plug : If you want to read back issues of this comic book fan-fiction,
proceed over the following webpage NOW!! : 

http://gwis2.circ.gwu.edu/~hawk/xmen.html

-*-

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@ Alternate X-Men #62 @
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Cover 
-----

Jean Grey, Bishop, Beast, and Wolverine stare in at the broken window
of the X-Mansion, their reflections present in the broken glass of the
window.

Caption : "The Lights are On, But.."

Corner Caption : Plus!!! Because you didn't ask for it! ONSLAUGHT!!

Title : Snooping In The Broken Home

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@ The Prelude @
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His name is Larry*. He runs a hot dog stand in New York City. His business has
been a little slow lately. Up until recently, Randy, a nihilistic preacher, had
served to attract people to his hotdog stand. "Hear about the end of the world,
buy a hot dog." What a publicity stunt.

(* Last Seen In AXM #59.. -Mike)

However, today, Randy nurses a broken leg. He sits on a stump, with a large
cast on his foot, holding his arm to his chin.

Randy <to Larry> : Seee! I told yeh the end of the world was coming!
                   The sky fell on me.

Larry <roasting a hot dog> : That wasn't the sky falling. It was a
communications satellite. Here, have a hot dog, and chill. 

Randy : I'm not hungry.

Larry <putting the hot dog down> : Fine, it will be sitting here until you want
it.

@@@ Five minutes later @@@

Randy gets an empty feeling in his stomach, and goes reaching for the hot dog.
He suddenly looks down in shock, his jaw dropping to the ground.

Randy <pointing to the hot dog> : My God! Somebody has written the word
ONSLAUGHT on this hot dog!!! It's a sign from above! Who, or what is
Onslaught??????

-*-

<nearby>

A short bald kid snickers, holding a tube of mustard in his hands.. He uses it
to write the word "Onslaught" on a brick wall in an alley.. Suddenly, from
a small medallion etched into his jacket, a digitized voice emerges.

### Arnie! This is your professor!!! What did I tell you about scaring the
locals of the prime dimension with your moronic Onslaught schtick!!! ###

Arnie <hiding mustard bottle behind back> : Onslaught? Whatever do you mean?

### You're not fooling me, Arnold. I have eyes on the back of my head. Now
hurry up and finish your paper. And REMEMBER! If you have any ingenious ideas
that are likely to cause a lot of property damage..

Arnie <pulling out a laptop computer> : I know, I know.. <reciting> Don't
  listen to them. Hear no evil, See no evil.

### Good.. You're learning ### <the speaker goes silent>
 
Arnie mutters curses, and continues typing : "This is such a boring place. I'll
  be glad when this damn paper's done."

<Harvey types at a computer, with rapid fingerstrokes.>

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@ A Quick Recap @
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

The remaining X-Men at the mansion were visited by Threnody, one of 
Sinister's more reluctant henchman. Being transformed by Sinister into
a living hologram for her disobedience, she warns the remaining X-Men
that Scott Summers has been captured by Sinister, who intends to do
something "bad" to him. Four X-Men [Beast, Wolverine, Jean Grey, and Bishop]
travel to the coordinates that Threnody supplies them, deep in the heart
of Alaska. Supposedly, this is where Sinister is located.

This turns out to be a trick. Sinister had implanted false memories in
Threnody, having her unintentionally send the X-Men to a fortress which
Sinister had rigged to blow skyhigh. The explosion destroys Threnody.

Jean Grey, Bishop, and the Beast are saved by some odd fire-like being.
Jean Grey discovers, after telepathically communicating with it, that this
being is some sort of entity related the Phoenix force. It claims that it
would like to help more. but it isn't "ready" yet.

Wolverine, who had previously shielded Jean from most of the explosion in
an act of heroism, is reduced to a bloody pulp by the explosion, yet
miraculously, through his healing factor, is able to piece himself
together. 

A mutant by the name of Locus, who apparently has some connections to
Gateway, appears to the four X-Men, who are stranded in Alaska without
a functional ship. Against their will, she scoops the four of them up,
teleporting them to God knows where..

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@ And that's where we left off.. @
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Scene : Xavier's Institute For Higher Learning.. About Ten Feet Above
        The Ground..

There is silence, as a cruel spring wind blows through the heavily forested
surrounding regions of the school.. Nearby, a shutter creaks..

Suddenly, against the arctic blue skies, a glowing portal appears..
Four bodies suddenly come flying out of the portal, landing with
a thud..

Image : Jean Grey is hanging onto a tree branch, with a frustrated 
  expression on her face. Bishop lands in a thick pile of mud..
  Wolverine lands with a loud THUD.. The Beast bounces gently to the
  ground.. After leaping up and getting Jean from the tree, he stares
  back at the portal, as a fifth humanoid form, a masked female dressed in
  black and gold, with long flowing hair, with facial tattoos
  of some sort, emerges from the portal. Sill airborn, she lands on
  a tree branch, pulling herself up. Locus, as she is called, stares
  about dazedly :

"Sorry.. I'd like to stick around.. But I have aboriginial butt I'm going
 to kick!!"

Before the X-Men have a chance to respond, Locus drops backwards from the
high tree, in freefall, falling through another portal.

Wolverine lies against the ground, still in apparent pain.. Numb, he
mutters under his breath.. Bishop helps him up, as Wolverine puts his weight 
onto Bishop's shoulder.

Bishop <helping Wolverine to his feet> : It's good .. to be home.

Wolverine sniffs about, his nasal breathing sounding a bit forced and 
hollow.. With a SCCCCHHHNNNICK, he unleashes his claws, slowly, and
judging by the apparent expression on his face, quite painfully..

"Somethin' doesn't smell right about this place.. Too many scents, and
not enough of the right ones.."

Scene : Inside The Mansion
--------------------------

Everything is dark. The sound of bumping can be heard, as somebody trips over 
something. A strobe light shines on a large black/red metallic hand, as 
keystrokes are registered into a terminal.

A dimly lit screen flares forth, as a hologram-image of Cyclops suddenly
appears from a computer matrix. A tinny, metallic voice :

"Perfect. This is exactly what we were looking for."

Scene : Back outside
--------------------

Hank McCoy, the Beast, with a gigantic leap, proceeds in the direction
of the X-Mansion.. Getting himself up to the highest tree with a
series of swings and bounds, his jaw suddenly drops to the ground in
shock, as the cold wind blows his blue fur behind him..

"Guys.. I hate to be the one to point this out.. But I don't think we're
 in Kansas anymore.."

Jean Grey breaks into telekinetic flight, soaring into the
air, still trying to deny in her mind everything that is happening..
Her eyes do a double take, as she can see the outline of the Mansion in
the distance, with some definite structural damage..

Jean Grey <her voice the slightest bit shaky> : "My God.."

She soars up close to the wall of the Mansion, and gently puts her hand
along a large hole in the wall, the size and shape of a large humanoid..

Bishop and Wolverine come running forward from the forested area, followed
by the bounding Beast.. Wolverine grabs Jean by the arm, pulling her back..

Wolverine <sniffing> : Get back! Whatever onslaughted the Mansion is still
  in there..

Suddenly, a large hulking form, concealed by the darkness of the room, comes
stomping forward.. His size gradually coming close to that of the
humanoid-shaped hole in the wall.. With a breathing resembling that of Darth
Vader, he gradually comes out into the light, his head shining of metal..

Bishop instinctively attacks with a rifle.. Caught off guard, the hulking
figure disappears back into the house..

Wolverine : I'm going in..

Suddenly, Jean Grey holds her hand to her head in a fit of pain. She tries to
  grab Wolverine, holding him back. "No, wait! I rec-"

Wolverine : Ain't waitin' Red.. If this guy can do the same thing to me that
  he did to the wall, then I'll shoot first, ask questions later..

Wolverine is suddenly stops, sensing a presence.. He sniffs about, his nostrils
flaring up.. Without warning, he is impaled in the back by a series of painful
sharp sensations.. Twisting around, he only sees the metallic blade coming from
somebody else's hand.. 

Wolverine : "That's the last mistake you made, bu-"

Wolverine is knocked by an unearthly hammer-like punch, slamming him face-first
into the ground. He feels his internal organs crush under the weight of the
blow.. Still weak from his earlier attack, he blacks out --

-*-

Wolverine awakens, to the sound of violins playing.. He is in a large white
room, with a white table in the middle.. Stacked in piles atop of this
table are stacks upon stacks of large chocolate chip cookies..

Wolverine gets up, finding that all the pain in his body is gone.. He walks
over to the table of cookies, and grabs one, taking a bite out of it, in a fit
of hunger..

"Where Am I?"

A feminine voice, as pure and soothing as that of an angel, speaks forth,
coming from everywhere and nowhere :

"Welcome to .. ETERNITY."

<TO BE CONTINUED>

Next Issue : "Got Milk?"
