Chapter 1
Enter the Mimic
It was about two years back when it all started. Jean and Scott were still teaching at the Mansion with me, Storm, and Beast, and others such as Kitty and Bobby helped out the New Mutants with training sessions.
Scott woke up, but he didn’t know why. He opened his eyes and blurrily looked at the alarm clock beside his bed. It read 2:00 A.M. in bright red numbers. Scott figured he’d get a drink of milk and try to go back to bed. That’s when he realized what must have woken him up. He, his bed, and his nightstand were all floating ten feet up in the air. He looked to his left. So was his chest of drawers. “It has to be Jean,” he said to himself, “but why would she be doing this?” He tried to hop down, but didn’t go anywhere. He pushed off his bed and reached the door. “Jean, that’s not funny!” he called out, “Jean! Are you there?” No answer. Once in the hallway he dropped to the floor. “Well, maybe that’s a good sign.” He walked slowly toward Jean’s room and knocked on the door. “Jean, are you in there?”
Jean heard him knocking and woke up to hear his question. “Yeah, I’m here, why?” Her response was followed by several loud crashing sounds around the mansion.
“Uh, Jean,” Scott said, “I think we have a problem.”
“Why? And what was that noise?”
“Well, I think that was you dropping every piece of furniture in the bedrooms all at once.”
“What? Why would I do that?”
“I don’t think you did it on purpose. You haven’t been having any problems hearing people’s thoughts again, have you?”
“Not that I can remember. Ever since my powers went crazy in high school, they have been under control. Even that battle with Mimic last week didn’t do anything, I don’t think.”
“Are you sure? You were under that water way too long when he knocked you out. I thought we had lost you.”
“Yeah, I mean, I should have seen it coming, but I have been fine since then, so I think I’m ok.”
“Ok, but I think we should go talk to the professor right now, just to check. He’s probably up.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because everybody else is.”
“Everybody?”
“YES!” they all chorused.
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Once Scott, Jean, Ororo, Logan, and the professor were all gathered in the study, Professor X wheeled over to Jean.
“All right, Jean, now just relax. I’m going go inside your mind and see if I can find anything that would explain the weird behavior tonight. Just try to relax, and hopefully this won’t be painful.”
“Ok, Professor, but I don’t know if you are going to find anything. I can’t think of anything that would cause me to lose control like this.”
“That’s why I’m going in. There’s always a chance.”
Professor X put his hands to Jeans head and began searching her recent memories.
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Two Weeks Earlier
Everyone, come to the living room at once. Be prepared and suited up, I’m not sure yet how we’re going to handle the situation that has arisen.
The X-men that were in the mansion gathered as soon as they could get ready to leave.
“All, right,” said the Professor, “Now that we’re here, I can explain the situation to you. Cerebro has located a very unusual signature. It appears to be a mutant, but I cannot get an exact reading on him. I’d like to bring him to the mansion to be sure. He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever detected before. I would like you all to go and check it out. Be careful, as I don’t know anything about him, and I don’t know what kind of danger you are in.”
“It’s ok, Professor,” Cyclops spoke up, “I’m sure we’re prepared for anything he can throw at us.”
“I hope so, but it’s always good to keep you alert and on your guard. Logan, I’d like you to stay back for now.”
“Why am I staying?”
“I’d like you to locate Magneto. We may need him later and I’m currently unable to locate him. I’m hoping with you’re tracking abilities you will have better luck.”
“Will do, Chuck. But if they need me, I’m going to help the others.”
“Understood, but hopefully that won’t be the case. Scott, I’d like you to lead the team. You’re to take the Blackbird to near Lake Erie. That’s where our mystery man currently is. I’d like you to try to be peaceable if possible, and offer him our services here at the institute. This folder should give you more details.”
“You got it, Professor. Team, let’s move.”
They moved to the Blackbird and filed in one by one, first Shadowcat, then Iceman, Beast, Phoenix, Rogue, and Cyclops. Storm was in Africa, and conveniently unavailable. Nightcrawler was in Germany for the month visiting his foster parents, and no one wanted to interrupt his vacation just as a precaution.
Once the team was assembled in the X-Jet, Cyclops read the Professor’s notes and spelled out the plan.
“All right, according to Cerebro, we have a man named Calvin Rankin, located up somewhere near Lake Erie. Once we arrive, Jean, I need you to zero me in on his location. Then I will go alone in my civilian dress and approach him casually to discuss his ‘condition’. If everything goes well, I should be back to the jet in under an hour and we can be on our way home. However, if not, Jean will be monitoring our encounter psychically and will give the alert. I want you coming in groups of two. Shadowcat and Iceman will come from one side, Beast and Rogue from the other. Jean, if we have to attack, alert Logan as soon as possible in case he can be of help. Once that’s done I want you coming into the fight and backing me up. Now, everyone, relax, it’s only gonna be a few minutes before we get there.”
At this, Bobby leaned forward and messed with the radio dial. Music began blaring out the speakers as loud as it could, annoying everyone except Bobby.
“What is wrong with you, Bobby?” Scott yelled as he quickly turned off the radio.
“Come on, Scott, you just need to learn to love the classics!”
“Classics! Bobby, you were listening to Nickleback!”
“Yeah, so?”
At this, Scott shook his head, gave Bobby a glare that could’ve melted ice, and turned back to piloting the plane.
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Thirty minutes later, the Blackbird touched down near the eastern shore of Lake Erie.
“Okay,” Jean said, “I’ve got him. He’s in a burger joint near the shore. As far as I can tell he’s all alone. Approach him with caution, he could be dangerous.”
“Will do. Now make sure you give the word as soon as something goes wrong.”
“Okay, and . . . Scott?”
“Yes, Jean?”
“Be careful. Please. I love you.”
“I love you too, Jean. And I promise I’ll be safe.”
At this a gagging sound could be heard from one of the passengers. It was Bobby, of course.
Kitty no longer used the Valley Girl speak that was so prevalent when she was a teenager, but when she got upset she went back to it. Usually, just to bug anyone who she was mad at. Although mainly that was Lance, this time Bobby was the object of her wrath. “Geez, Bobby, do you, like, have no feeling?”
“Of course I have feelings, Kitty, just not when it comes to Scott and Jean or You and Lance. I mean, come on, that’s just gross.”
“Calm it you two, I’m going in. Keep your fingers crossed and stay on the ready.”
As Cyclops approached the restaurant, he kept a wary eye out for any trouble. He had been blindsided one two many times in the past to let it happen to him again. He paused at the door, then opened it, stepped inside, and looked around. There was a group of people sitting in a booth near the corner, three or four workers behind the counter, and a single, solitary guy eating some fries by himself near one of the windows.
That him, Jean?
Yes, Scott, that’s him.
Cyclops walked over to the man, held out his hand for a handshake, and asked a simple question.
“Are you Calvin Rankin?”
Scott looked at the man whose face was now turned toward him. His eyes glowed an eerie, ominous red, and his face broke into a small smile.
“Who’s asking, punk?”
Scott! Look out!
Unfortunately for Cyclops, Jean’s warning came too late. Suddenly, a burst of energy came from Rankin’s eyes, hitting Cyclops full force. Cyclops flew back through the wall and came to rest in the parking lot outside, unconscious. Back in the X-Jet, Jean quickly reiterated Scott’s orders.
“Iceman, Shadowcat, you two are going to come from the left. Rogue and Beast, you two come in from the right. Once I contact Wolverine, I will go in from the air.”
As the two teams departed to where they needed to go, Jean telepathically called out to Wolverine. Logan, Logan! We are in trouble! We need your assistance. Can you hear me? There was no answer. She tried again with the same results. Professor, are you there? Where’s Wolverine? We need him and I can’t contact him telepathically!
Jean, calm down, I believe he’s still off trying to find Magneto. He must be too far away for you to locate him. If I thought he could help I would use Cerebro to contact him, but if you can’t reach him, he is too far away to help with your current situation.
Okay. Scott’s down, I’m not sure exactly what happened, but it looks like Rankin has a much more controlled version of Scott’s Powers. I’m going in now. Keep in contact, and I will let you know if we need help.
With that Jean took off to go help her teammates. If only she knew what was about to happen to her.
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After taking out Cyclops, Rankin had moved outside to a vacant lot close to the shore. As Shadowcat and Iceman approached, Iceman threw some iceballs at Rankin to get his attention. He was expecting Rankin to fire back with the same eyeblasts that had taken Cyclops down. Those came, and Iceman normally would have been able to dodge easily. But he was taken aback by the other thing that Rankin did. As soon as Bobby had thrown the ice at him, Rankin had iced up. Having never seen or fought anyone with his specific power, he was caught completely by surprise and couldn’t get out of the way of Rankin’s eyeblast.
“Rogue, Beast!” Kitty called out through the comlink each team member had, “Bobby’s down. I’m going to try to distract him enough for Rogue to touch him and take him out.”
“Okay, but be careful! I’ll join you attacking him from the front and let Rogue surprise him from behind.”
“Be careful for his ice, Beast, all he needs to do is make you slip and he’ll take you out with his eyes.”
With this Shadowcat charged hard. Rankin shot several eyeblasts at Kitty, but he was surprised to see them go right through her.
“Well, well, what have we here? Intangible huh? If I can make you slip, you won’t be able to concentrate on doing that now, will you?”
“So, he talks. But, good luck making me slip, because that is so not happening. Bobby’s been trying for years and still has nothing to show for it.”
Rankin shot out several sheets of ice to coat the ground at her feet. She laughed as she jumped over them.
“If Bobby, who’s had a lot more training than you could ever hope for can’t take me out, what makes you think you can? ”As she said this, she noticed the scarlet energy already lacing towards her. “Oh, Right!” She couldn’t phase in time, and was knocked out cold.
“Boy,” Rankin cackled, “you ‘X-Men’ aren’t very good. You’re supposed to be the best superhero team in the world, and I’ve already taken out your leader and two others. You are just pathetic!”
“I would prefer the term unprepared.” Beast said as he launched a kick that connected with Rankin’s chin. “And while that may be sad, considering all the training we’ve had, let it never be said that it has stopped us from winning. Well, except the first battle against Apocalypse, of course, but that is a moot point since even he was defeated eventually. You may have taken out half of our number, but those should wake up soon, and the rest of us are not about to give up.”
Rankin recoiled and bounced away, right to where Rogue was waiting with her hand exposed to grab him.
“Ah got you now!’ Rogue exclaimed as she moved to grab him as he landed. Of course, she wasn’t expecting her hand to merely pass right through him. “What the heck are you? No one has all these powers!”
“Well, I guess now you know why I’m called the Mimic! Because you are all near me, I have every one of your powers. This, of course, means I now have the strength of the furry one coursing through me. Great, now I’m talking like him too! That is quite unfortunate, for you of course.”
As he said this he hid Rogue as hard as he could. She flew backward several feet and lay dazed on the ground. Beast swung as hard as he could, only to find the same result that Rogue got when she tried to knock him out.
“Well, that’s not good. By the way, the name is Beast. That is much better than ‘the furry one’!”
“Okay, ‘Beast’, but you still can’t beat me, and I can beat you. Look at your teammates; you are the only one left. You have a choice; you can go now, take your X-men and admit defeat. Or, you can make me kick your butt. Either way, I win.”
“I wouldn’t count on that!” Jean called from overhead, “You still have to deal with me.”
At this Mimic shot out an optic blast toward Jean. She dodged and moved around Rankin, hovering near the shore with her back toward Erie. Beast saw his opportunity to swing in for another kick as Ranking fired at Jean, but was shocked when he nimbly dived out of the way without even looking at Beast.
“Well, obviously you have Jean’s mind reading power too, which is just wonderful. Still, I’m sure that somehow we will defeat you. After all, we were only trying to help when you attacked Scott.”
“Don’t you EVER shut up!?” Rankin’s eyes blazed and he blasted Beast in mid-jump. Beast laughed as he hit the ground, sore but still alive. Unfortunately for him, as soon as he hit the ground, and before he could move, Rankin surrounded the air around him with ice, effectively covering him and rendering him a non-factor. Mimic turned slowly to face Jean and gave her the same ultimatum that he had given Beast just a few moments before. He got the reply he was expecting.
“I don’t just walk away, especially not considering what you’ve done to my friends!”
“Very well, but I don’t want to hear that I didn’t warn you.” At this Mimic filled the sky with a variety of optic and cold blasts as Jean tried to dodge them and dive to get closer to him.
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Scott opened his eyes and immediately noticed a splitting headache, as well as a dull aching pain surging through his body. Wow, Scott thought to himself, I had forgotten how bad my eyeblasts hurt. But how the heck did that guy have my power? As he pondered this, he surveyed the damage from his teammates fight with Mimic. As he saw his incapacitated friends all around, he realized exactly how powerful their enemy was. He took mental note of all who were down, and realized Jean must be still fighting. He glanced upward just in time to see her diving toward Rankin from the air 20 feet above him, dodging each and everyone of Rankin’s numerous blasts. All but one, that is. Just as she got near enough to hit him, Rankin let lose with a combination of eyeblasts and Iceman’s ice blasts. He hit her full force, knocking her unconscious and clear into Lake Erie. Scott’s eyes widened, and he screamed “NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!” as she slowly sank below the surface.
