Feb 9 - The End of the World as we Know It.

[Malaika Gabriel]

Heedless of the pain that she felt as she shoved her hand through his shielding, Malaika grabbed Dr. Tomorrow by the shoulder, giving him a violent shock. "Shut.Your.Mouth." she said hotly.

[Robert West]

Tomorrow laughed. "Oh, but I'm just started," he said through gritted teeth against the pain. "If I recall, this is one of those worlds where you don't even have a mother and your daddy can't stand the fact of your existance, am I right? Too bad we can't go home, now."

[Will Stanton]

Will whirled around and glared.


Which is not very impressive at six inches tall, but still!

[Gideon Rede]

Gideon barely stopped himself from tossing a pain spike at Dr. Tomorrow. Instead his eyes flared, and he glared at Dr. Tomorrow.

"What an asshole," Gideon said to nobody in particular.

[Malaika Gabriel]

"I said to shut your mouth." Malaika said as she pulled Dr. Tomorrow's hands behind his back and cuffed him. She knew he could get loose, but it was the principle.

[Narrator]

Bluestar looked over at Starbrand. "Can you...?"

Starbrand frowned. "Their world feels... reeeeally far away. Not right next door like ours."

"I... think this little drama isn't completely played out yet," Mystic put in.

In the middle of the room, a spot of glowing energy formed and began to grow.

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear arched an eye, standing at the ready of the new possible threat.

[Will Stanton]

"Fuck," Will swore, whirling around. "Anyone able to be on your feet!"

[Gideon Rede]

Gideon took up a defensive position between Ronnie and the portal.

"Never ends," Gideon muttered.

[Narrator]

"You're sure this will work?"

"Of course I am. I'm always right, remember?"

"God, you're a bitch."

"Why thank you. I love your work, too."

The voices became more distinct as the light grew. They were at once eerily familiar and oddly strange at the same time.

"I know how his machines work, and this one is especially familiar. So just point, trace, and...."

The light flashed, and two figures stood in the middle of the room, a winged man and a white-skinned woman who was wearing a metal gauntlet on her hand, both instantly recognizeable to the X-Men despite being Dr. Tomorrow's age.

"...Open."

[Will Stanton]

"Um....

Hi there. Can we help you?" Will piped up after an awkward silence.

[Gideon Rede]

Gideon didn't relax for a moment as he stared at the two figures.

"No sudden movements."

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear stood, mouth agape.

[Malaika Gabriel]

"Daddy?" Malaika said, her voice torn between hope and disbelief.

[Narrator]

The other Ryan looked up at Malaika, a proud (and again, eerily familiar) grin on his face. "There you are, Princess. I knew you'd catch him."

"She didn't get him on her own. This still doesnt' count as me being wrong," the older Victoria said, checking something on the gauntlet she wore.

[Gideon Rede]

Gideon relaxed at the announcement, and sheathed his tonfa.

"This day couldn't get much stranger," Gideon mumbled eyeing the two figures.

[Will Stanton]

"Couldn't have showed up fifteen minutes earlier?" Will said, letting down his (very small) guard.

[Malaika Gabriel]

"Can we go home?" Malaika asked, as if she couldn't quite still couldn't quite believe what was in front of her.

[Janice Gilbertson]

"...your mother is Victoria?"

[Narrator]

"Actually," Dr. Tomorrow grunted to Will as he got pushed down the stairs by Malaika, "Probably they couldn't have. It took me a lot to make a connection to my home... I'd wager that they piggy-backed the rift to make their own, which wouldn't have worked until your little flying Chimp there blew up my spire... is that right?"

"Of course," the other Victoria said, pulling him roughly away from Malaika by the handcuffs. "Right as always," she added. Then she kissed him. Hard.

"Oddly," Malaika's father said, giving the Tomorrows a rather distasteful look, "Yes. You can." He looked up at the gathered X-Men. "You have no idea how sorry I am that our mess spilled all over your carpet."

[Byrna Cooper]

"Victoria... Wow."

Bear took a moment to process the situation, still incredulous.

[Will Stanton]

"He's guilty of about 40 billion counts of attempted murder; untold numbers of assaults, and generally being a jackass. Possibly jaywalking as well."

[Malaika Gabriel]

"No." Malaika said "She isn't. I'm not quite sure why my father is working with her. Right now, I don't really care." she added, a grin splitting her face as she ran over to the other Ryan and hugged him.

[Narrator]

Ryan hugged his daughter tight, ignoring eye-rolls from the Tomorrows. Then he looked down at Will. "Usually I'd say to just throw him into a power-dampened cell and let him feel like an idiot for the rest of his natural life, or whatever else you want to do to him."

"You're all heart," Tomorrow quipped. "Feathery idiot."

"Unfortunately, right now our world is under a joint attack by the Skrulls and a few other minor aliens, and we're losing. Badly."

"Which is why the Mighty Avengers came to me and said that yes, if I brougth my husband home, and yes, if he helped save the world, he'd only be put under an extremely heavily guarded and watche house arrest," Victoria added, glaring daggers at Ryan. "Instead of being shot on sight."

[Will Stanton]

"Usually, this is where I would raise a fuss about proper punishment and things of that nature--but I'm sick and tired of this bastard being in my universe. Get him the hell out of here, and do what YOU want with him.

And I hope it's VERY unpleasant."

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear's mouth was agape again.

"Wait.. he's not going to be arrested? But if your world is in danger, and the danger to ours is passed, I guess.."

[Malaika Gabriel]

"So, time to get to work?" Malaika asked cheerfully.

[Gideon Rede]

"Good riddance," Gideon said, "Hopefully he can do some good."

Hopefully some skrull chokes the life from him.

[Narrator]

Victoria smirked, and spoke with a purring voice. "Oh, I'll be sure that the bad boy gets his-"

"Will you shut the hell up," Ryan cut Victoria off irritably. "I expect," he said, still glaring at them but addressing Will, "That when the world is safe again, they're going to have a fun time of it. Someone managed to get Victor Von Doom completely enraged at her for the supernatural equivalent of copyright infringement, so I give these two about a month's time on the run. And this time, we have people waiting on the other side to ground the both of them into our dimension. Just to set your mind at ease.

"Hmmm... sounds like fun," Tomorrow said, smirking cockily at the room at large, his eyes still fixed on his wife, though.

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear actually smiled, looking at the older Ryan with a funny look.

"So, back to your own world, then? Of can you stay for some tea?"

[Narrator]

The other Ryan smiled, a little bit of a confused smile at her expression, but a smile nonetheless. "Sadly, we do need to get back. The spell she's using has a bit of a time element to it... and plus, I really don't want to give either of them a chance to get loose."

"So glad to see we're playing nice now," Victoria purred, flexing her gauntletted hand.

[Will Stanton]

"Well, then, Seraph--it IS Seraph, isn't it?--I wish you luck--and a very happy reunion," Will smiled. "I'd shake, but, um, you might squish me."

[Gideon Rede]

"Tell the Gideon in your world 'Hi' for me," Gideon said, "Take care of yourself Malaika."

[Malaika Gabriel]

"Thanks, Gideon." Malaika replied "We'll do that."

[Byrna Cooper]

Bear quickly hugged Malaika tight.

"Have a good trip. And if the situation ever presents itself again, Stop by the XU anytime."

[Narrator]

"Now... would you do the honors, dear?" Tomorrow said. "You stay here very long and you start to notice how much this dimension smells."

"Of course, love," Victoria purred. She held up the gauntlet, and the glow started surrounding the four of them.

[Malaika Gabriel]

"Thanks" Malaika replied "But I hope you won't be upset when I say that I hope that won't happen. I'd like to stay in my own dimension from here on out." she glanced at her father "Is everyone ok? And Asad.....?"

[Narrator]

"Just ask them yourself. They'll be waiting for you on the other side," Ryan said. And with another flash, they disappeared.

[Will Stanton]

Will looked around.


"Day saved. Villain gone for good.

Now I get to figure out how to write all this up, but, X-Men...you ready to go home?"

[Gideon Rede]

Gideon reached down to pick up Will.

"I am," Gideon said, "Need a nap before the celebration."