Days of Future and Past<BR>
by Zaxxon<BR><BR></CENTER>
Part 10

[=== From Part 9 ===]

     After hearing the high-pitched buzzing both Ivanova and Garibaldi
both said, "Shadows."
     Spider-Woman nodded at the two and said, "Yes, that's what Sersi
called them, after the translation."
     "And the house being attacked was owned by the Sinclairs, right?"
Garibaldi asked.
     "How did you know?" the Scarlet Witch asked.

[=== End of Part 9 ===]

	"It would seem that we don't have /two/ crisises, Charles," Phoenix
began. "Instead, this is but a part of the *same* problem that Cable
came to us to help with."
	Charles simply nodded, turned to Garibaldi and Bester, and asked,
"What is your plan?"
	Ivanova answered, "We know that the Shadows have no defense against
telepaths. Yet, the Shadows are so old and different from us that the
most a telepath can do is hold the Shadow inmobile while another
destroys it." Seeing the looks on the other's faces, Ivanova added,
"It's the only way. The Shadows, like the other First Ones, are
immortal, virtual gods even worshipped as such. Nothing less that complete 
destruction of the 'body' is required to stop them."
	"The original plan was for us to split into twos. One telepath and
one shooter," Cable continued. Both Ivanova and Bester looked at Cable
with confusion written on their faces. Cable ignoring them, said, But
the original plan was to alert you, Xavier, to the threat. Since you're
a telepath and there are always X-Men around you, we figure that you're
not in direct danger. The Shadows would have to some things more
conventional to get you. So 'alpha' team would have gone to protect
Jonathan Sinclair and 'beta' team would have gone to protect Forge.
We would wait a week or so to make sure we had gotten all of the Shadows
and their allies."
	It was not missed by either Xavier or Magnus, that Scott Summers
was not mentioned in the original plan. Both also noticed that Jean
didn't seem to mind the ommision. In fact, Jean had been unconsciously
nodded her head through Cable's outline of the original plan.
	"Since that was the /original/ plan, what's the new one?" Phoenix
asked.
	"That's what we have to decide now," Xavier answered.

	It was decided that Garibaldi, Bester, Bishop, and White Queen would 
protect the Sinclairs along with the Avengers that remained on site.
Magneto, Gold Team, and the present Avengers would go rescue the
/fallen/ Avengers. Cable, Ivanova, Crusader, and Inferno would go warn
Forge and X-Factor. Professor Xavier would remain in the mansion to
coordinate the present efferts, contact Excalibur for help, and recall 
the Blue Team back. 

	It was quiet in the ShadowHawk as the four travelled towards
Washington, DC. Crusader sat in the pilot's seat while Inferno sat in
the co-pilot's seat. Ivanova busied herself with examining the flight
engineer's station while Cable simply sat cross-legged on the floor of
the craft meditating.
	"So, what can we expect from Genesis?" Ivanova asked Crusader and
Inferno.
	Crusader looked puzzled and Inferno looked surprised as well as
confused, so Cable added, "She means Forge."
	"Oh," Inferno said. "Forge is a practical man, I'm sure he'll
understand."

	"That's quite a story," Forge said to them. "But truth is stranger than 
fiction."