'We have the power to make this the best generation of mankind in the history of the world - or to make it the last.' - John F. Kennedy

The year is 2099.

It is a time of great joy and a time of great pain. What they had gained could never be equal to what they had lost. A symbol of old had died, passing the torch to a new holder... or rather, passing the hammer. However, loss and gain were part of the never-ending cycle to one part of humanity in particular, the branch of humanity known as mutants.

Gifted with powers and abilities beyond those of normal men. All they have tried to do for the past one hundred and fifty years is fit in, live their lives without the fear of persecution by those jealous of what they could do. Jealous of what they represented.

Those fears had led to conflicts between those who believed that the mutants should be dominant and the humans who saw that someday they would be obsolete. Caught in the middle of this war were one group who wanted to show that Homo Sapiens and Homo Sapiens Superior could live in peace. Mankind working together as one for the benefit of all was the dream of the man who brought them together, Charles Francis Xavier, founder of the Uncanny X-Men.

However, that was a long time ago, and the various incarnations of X-Men have been under the tutelage and leadership of many since his demise all those years ago.

The latest man to promote the ideals of Xavier is one Xi'an Chi Xan, once called the Desert Ghost, and a man of a dubious and tortured past. However, he has put these times behind him and is now the leader of the Council of Xavier City, in the heart of the Savage Land. And in the past few months, things have changed, placing a toll both emotional and physical on the whole planet. And such a strain created conflict.

"That's not what I'm saying..." said Miguel O'Hara, over a holo-cam to Xi'an. O'Hara, formerly the costumed hero known as Spider-Man, was the current CEO of Alchemax, the largest of the remaining corporations and now holder of the sacred Mjolnir. This made him the undisputed leader of humanity, both physically and spiritually - a role he was not entirely comfortable with, seeing as he could lift the mighty hammer, but not activate its' powers. However, the potential was obviously there, and as his predecessor had said 'with great power comes great responsibility.

(Chief Executive Officer - Eric)

(given to him by Captain America in the 2099: Manifest Destiny one-shot - David)

"But I feel that the presence of Alchemax in Xavier City will reassure the non-mutant populace." finished Miguel.

"That is pure rubbish!" said Xi'an with contempt. Alchemax had never played by those rules, otherwise it wouldn't have been in business as long as it had been. "What it will do is undermine the authority of the Xavier City Council! It will show the 'non-mutant populace' that you don't trust the mutants who are in charge!"

"That's not what I meant!" shouted Miguel, standing up. "Don't you imply that I'm a racist, as nothing could be further from the truth!"

Miguel's hand reached for Mjolnir, "I didn't ask for these powers, or for this responsibility!"

"So now you know what it feels like to be a mutant. The fear, the envy directed at you because of your status and power is what we've coped with for the past one hundred and fifty years. The bridges we've built in the Savage Land are based on the blood, sweat, and tears from the past century and a half, and it is still in a very fragile state!"

"I thought that the Phalanx War had united the human and mutant refugees in the Savage Land, and that it has held well since then."

(at the end of 2099: World Of Tomorrow #8 - David)

"It did and still does, but recent events have strained things. The death of Uatu hasn't affected the people as much as the loss of Steve Rogers. Captain America was an icon, and now he's gone. Alchemax waltzing in to Xavier City and taking over..."

(it happened in the 2099: Manifest Destiny one-shot - David)

"Now wait a minute..."

"Let me finish, O'Hara. Alchemax waltzing in and taking over would ruin what we've achieved. This isn't America. You have problems enough of your own to deal with. Xavier City is a new-born, where the ideals of one man have finally been realised, but it's not enough to rest on our laurels. We need to keep it going. Your presence will undermine everything we've achieved!" Xi'an's tone was not defiant, but determined, showing that he truly believed in what he was saying.

"Look, Xi'an..." said Miguel, keeping calm as he sensed the meaning in the mutant's tone. It was true he had been expecting less of a struggle with Xi'an, and he knew that unless he resolved the situation now, relations between America and the Savage Land would be frosty at best, and that would not do at all. "I'm not saying there aren't enough problems over here to keep us occupied for the next hundred years. What I am saying is that we need to work together! This isn't the Alchemax of old any more. I know what it's like to be hunted, to have to fight. Remember, I am... was... Spider-Man. All I want to do is set up a base of operations for Alchemax, so that the ties between us are formalised. I don't want to take over, Xavier City is yours."

"Not solely," said Xi'an, a quietness in his voice as he remembered the last time he had tried to take something for his own. It was a time he was not proud of, and nearly cost him everything he had spent years in building. "I don't want power, only to guide our people. I want us to be an example to the rest of the world."

(when he joined the Theatre Of Pain, back in X-Men 2099 #25 - David)

"Which is also what I want." Miguel's voice imploring Xi'an to believe him. Xi'an nodded, thinking perhaps his judgement of O'Hara had been hasty, and perhaps the two men were more similar than Xi'an had first thought. "I am sorry I won't be able to make it to the ceremony."

"Yes, I realise that you have responsibilities of your own now." said Xi'an softly, noting the way Miguel's hand hovered over Mjolnir, as it had done since Miguel had stood up.

"What of the rest of the X-Men?" asked Miguel, "What is their role now that the dream has been realised?"

"I don't know..." admitted Xi'an, "The X-Men are iconic in their own right. The symbols they represent are not only good but bad. Perhaps, if they were disbanded, it would cement relations between humans and mutants further."

"Perhaps," said Miguel, "but it would be a shame. The end of a vast legacy. Of all the known teams from the Age of Heroes, only the X-Men have endured."

"With the city founded as a symbol of what was achieved," said Xi'an, "the legacy would never be forgotten or the truth of what it cost."

"As long as there are men like you, it never will be." said Miguel, with all sincerity, pushing his rounded glasses back up his nose. "I must go, Xi'an. Duty calls."

"We will speak again." said Xi'an. "Good luck to you, Spider-Man..."

"And you, Desert Ghost..."

Miguel terminated the signal, and Xi'an looked out at across the city, as if waiting for a sign from Xavier himself, and a thought crossed his mind which made him smile as realisation dawned. The future began here...

Next to the Xavier City Council Chambers stood the Four Unity Plaza, a twin to the Four Freedoms Plaza in America. It was home to the Fantastic Four whilst they were in the City, and currently it played host to three people - Reed Richards, his wife Sue, and Shakti Haddad, the former X-Man known as Cerebra.

Before stepping back into the Negative Zone from whence the Fantastic Four came to this future time, Reed had built a robot to act as an information storage for the new community. He named the robot Franklin, after his own son. After Reed left, the robot seemingly attacked Shakti, paralysing her and removing her powers. Now, thanks to her paralysed legs, she used a hoverchair to move around, though she retained the use of her other limbs. Reed was currently dismantling the robot to try and find the problem, whilst Sue comforted the crippled X-Man.

(in 2099: World Of Tomorrow #2 - David)

(it happened in 2099: World Of Tomorrow #3 - David)

"I'm so sorry..." said Sue, as she held on to Shakti's hand, "I'm sure that Reed never meant this to happen!"

"Like he never meant the cosmic rays to alter himself and his friends?" asked Shakti, bitterly. Sue bit her lip, and turned away, as Cerebra bowed her head in shame. It was an unworthy outburst. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. It's just..." she sighed in exasperation at her plight.

Sue nodded. "I know we're not the real Reed and Sue," she said, "and I hope that when we were created that everything about us was duplicated as well. I'd hate to think that Reed was responsible for what happened. He came after us so quickly when we were about to leave, I know he thinks he has made an error."

(it was revealed that Uatu the Watcher created this future Fantastic Four in the 2099: Manifest Destiny one-shot - David)

"Sue, we're only human," said Shakti, "and some more than ever..."

"True," said Sue, not sensing the cryptic words of Shakti, "but Reed holds himself to an impossibly high standard, now more than ever since Victor gave his life to save the world. A man who once would have stopped at nothing to destroy us all, using Reed's fear of error against him at times. There were X-Men involved back then as well..."

(see the Fantastic Four vs X-Men limited series - David)

"He changed a lot whilst he was here. There are rumours he isn't dead at all, just in hiding, as atonement for what he did." The unspoken word neither used was genocide, and for a moment they were quiet. Then, the silence was broken by the return of Reed Richards.

(see 2099: World Of Tomorrow #7 - David)

"I've been over Franklin with a fine tooth comb." he said, putting his arm around Sue when he spoke the name of the child who was not their own, a truth which hurt them deeply. "I can find nothing wrong with the mechanics or the programming, but there are some very strange anomalous readings, and with luck this will work..."

He pressed a button, and the robot was reduced to slag. "That should restore you," he said, "how do you feel now?"

"I... I don't..." said Cerebra, a lump in her throat as her fear was realised. If the smartest man on the planet couldn't help her, noone could. Reed's face fell, and Sue put her hand to her mouth as she saw the look in his eye. The defeat on his face.

"But... but that shouldn't be!" he said. "The only possible way that Franklin could have kept you like this is if he was siphoning off your mutant energies. Your powers to detect other mutants is based on your nervous systems coming in to contact with each other, and with the strain of your powers being removed the nervous system shut down, which was why Xi'an couldn't heal you. Without the Franklin robot, there should be no link. I..." he hesitated, and then finished the sentence, "I don't understand why it didn't work!"

Shakti closed her eyes, as tears began to trickle down her cheek.

"Could there be another Franklin robot?" asked Sue.

"For it to still effect Shakti, it would have to be in very close proximity, but there isn't one in Xavier City. The X-Men searched high and low before I started working, as the violence of its attack on Shakti in benign circumstances could have been much worse when it was threatened. Robotics was never my forte, that belonged to Victor, and now he's gone..."

"Could it be caused by him?" asked Sue.

"He was in Latveria the whole time." said Shakti, "Miguel confirms it. He never even knew the robot existed."

"There must be something I'm missing!" said Reed. "If only I could find out what!"

"It's not your fault, Reed." said Shakti. "You gave it your best shot..."

"Perhaps," said Reed, "but I won't give up trying. I owe you more than that..."

Shakti nodded. "Thank you," she said, "but if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone now..."

Reed nodded and together, he and Sue left Cerebra alone, hearing her gentle sobs as they departed.

Morphine Somers looked out from the balcony of his apartment in the Council Chambers, and reflected on how things had changed since he'd been selected by Doom to be his Minister of State for Humanity - a position that came and went as swiftly as Doom's presidency. He'd made enemies for siding with Doom, and was enjoying the relative safety of the presence of the X-Men, but now Doom was gone. Halo City, the first Mutant Nation, was also gone. Xavier City remained, and out of courtesy to him, he was on the City Council. He figured that was not because they wanted him, but because of the old saying: 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'.

(in Doom 2099 #30-33 - David)

He was a Xi'an-like figure in many respects. A leader, a strategist, and a man after considerable power. They even had similar powers - Xi'an's touch disrupted the molecular structure of an object, whilst Morphine's touch caused the object to age. However, Xi'an had brushed with power, and ultimately was unable to hold on to it. The showdown in the Theatre of Pain was one experience the X-Men rarely spoke of.

(for the full story, see X-Men 2099 #25 - David)

Morphine had arrived there after Xi'an had been defeated from his dark side, and that experience had unified his schizophrenic mind for the better. He was calmer, more adjusted, yet the old Xi'an shone through at times. The days when he rode with the Lawless were not that far behind him, though now he followed the ideals of Charles Xavier. His path had turned, and Morphine had been unable to find out why. However, Xi'an's dalliance to the dark side had left him eventually stronger in the courage of his convictions. His strength was almost blinding.

Morphine glanced back at his wardrobe, looking at the picture of the bald headed old coot highlighted on black, with the words 'Charlie don't surf' underneath. Xavier had been a dreamer, and that dream had got him killed. All dreamers died because they were too busy with their heads in the clouds with not enough time spent on the things that mattered. His disrespect for the ideals of Xavier, and his defiance of Xi'an, were two of the main reasons why Xi'an didn't like him, and why Xi'an couldn't be turned to Morphine's way of thinking.

He sipped his drink, thinking that was too bad. Another time, he and Xi'an could have been friends. Now, that was out of the question. He'd deal with him later, as one other obstacle was in the way on his road of ambition...

The X-Men...

What their role was in this cosy little empire Xi'an was building around him, Morphine had yet to decipher. They were an annoyance, much like the sting of a wasp. But if you were stung too much, too often you died, and that was not what Morphine wanted. If his plans, both political and global, were to work the way he envisaged them, then the X-Men were obviously in the way. They would stop him. It was probably in their job description: 'Save the world that fears and hates you, and stop Morphine whenever he plays his little power games.'

He needed to deal with them, but how? Murder was out of the question, as that would raise too many awkward questions. He couldn't send villains out to break them, as the property damage to Xavier City alone wouldn't be worth it. Whenever two or three heroes gathered together to stop a villain, defending the property of the innocent went out of the window. Or through it...

No, sending their enemies to them wouldn't work. They were an effective team, he'd seen them in action, though that was when Fitzgerald had been leading them. Now, he was gone, and they seemed to have no real leader...

A thin smile spread across Morphine's lips, for he'd seen the answer. For his plans to work, the X-Men would have to be gone. Not dead, not missing, just not around anymore. He ran his fingers through his green hair and chuckled. The only true obstacle was Xi'an. Victor Ten Eagles was more of a human activist, Shakti Haddad had her own troubles, and it was Morphine's idea. He'd propose the plan at the next Council meeting, after the ceremony. If he worded it right, they'd vote with him and even if Xi'an objected, it wouldn't matter.

Maybe hanging around Doom had taught him something after all...

In the compound that belonged to the X-Men, underneath the park area in front of the Chambers and Four Unity Plaza, Krystalin Porter was getting herself a cup of coffee and wondering what to do. Henri Huang, the X-Man known as Meanstreak, had gone missing well before the Phalanx War, and yet he had suddenly returned alive and well in the Savage Land, miles from where Halo City had been. Where he'd been and what he'd done were a mystery, as he claimed he couldn't remember what had happened or how he'd got back from where he'd been.

He and Krys had been friends since Berkeley, and she knew he was lying to them. However, with Shakti out of commission, they had no telepathic options open to them. Not all mutants wanted to publicly use their powers and abilities to defend the greater good. Most wanted to live their lives as Quiver and Sham had chosen to - the life of the X-Men had been too much for them, and they had settled down in Xavier City.

(see X-Men 2099 #33 for what happened to Meanstreak - David)

However, the Meanstreak situation bothered her. Why should Henri lie? He had been one of Xi'an's most fervent supporters, and a lynch pin of the X-Men.

"Cred for them?" asked a voice behind her. Krys moved quickly, forming a staff of crystal in her hands, ready for trouble.

"Easy, girl!" said Victor Ten Eagles, the whirr of the servos in his bionic arm cutting through the air as he lifted his arms in defence. Krystalin sighed. Her doubts about Henri had put her on edge.

"Sorry, Victor," she said lowering her staff to the floor, "I guess I'm a little on edge..."

"Yeah, Cap's death has got us all down."

"It's not just that," she said, wondering whether or not she could trust Victor, and decided she could, "it's Henri. Meanstreak. There's something not right about him."

"What do you mean?" asked Victor, the only human on the City Council, and former member of the Lawless with Xi'an. Now he had settled down and become a techsmith of no small ability, heightened by the fact he wasn't a mutant.

"I've known Henri Huang for years," said Krys as they set down on nearby chairs, "I know him better than he knows himself. He's lying about where he's been."

"You sure?"

"Yes... I know it, and it scares me. What if he isn't him? An impostor? A shapeshifter of some kind?"

"Krys," said Victor, "Meanstreak was missing a good long time, and when we found him, he looked a little worse for wear. Maybe he is lying, but it'd be for a good reason. Suppose the Phalanx captured him before they attacked? Tortured him or worse? He may not be ready to talk yet, if ever! Give him space, he'll come round."

"If he doesn't?"

"Then we'll deal with it as and when it arises." He put his arm around Krys, "Trust me. Trust him. Trust yourself."

"I am..." she said ambiguously, but didn't elaborate as to where she was placing her trust. She took Victor's steel hand and held it tight. He wouldn't feel it, the warmth of her palm would disperse in to the soulless metal, but it was the thought that counted. "Thanks," she said, looking at him. "for everything."

"It was nothing. The Lawless have a lot to make up for!" he responded, grasping her hand in both of his, so he could feel her warmth. He looked at her, she looked at him. Were they imagining things, or was there a spark between them? If there was, they quickly recovered, and released each other's hands.

"I'd better get back to the Chambers." said Victor, standing quickly, "There are a few things to do before the ceremony."

"Yes," said Krys, "you have to go. I'll see you later."

He nodded, and left the room quickly, wondering what the hell he should do now. Krystalin shook her head as she was left alone. It had been a long time since she'd been close to someone like that. Maybe she was imagining it>

"Damn..." she said, and went for a walk to clear her head before the ceremony.

Meanstreak came to a screeching halt outside a cave deep within the Savage Land. He peered into the darkness, looking for some sign of the cave's current occupant.

"What news, my acolyte?" came a voice from within the cave.

"Master," said Henri, "I bring news from the heart of Xavier City. The building of the city is now complete."

"Curse his name and all his children!" came the voice, sharp and rasping, "I will bring his ideals down around him like a house of cards! Twice they have stopped me, but never again!"

"Tell me what I must do, my master. What is thy bidding?"

"Watch, learn and betray them to me. This time they will die, and not me, for the years have granted me power. Power that will break them all! The female sorceress was not as Supreme as she claimed she was. Now those powers belong to me, and I will have my revenge on all those who wear the X!"

"Master, I do not understand..." said Henri.

"Nor should you, my acolyte. She gave me her powers and made me Sorcerer Supreme, though she needed coercion to do so. Her magic skills were nought compared to my own, and so I altered her memories so she would remember nothing of me, or giving up her status. Not even her astral mentor could detect what has been so carefully crafted."

"Will she remember?"

"Only if I wish her to, and then what can she do? She lost to me when she wore the title, what could she do without it?" The voice became a laugh, "Begone, mutant! Return after the ceremony."

"As you command, my master."

Meanstreak took off at an incredible rate as the figure in the cave watched. Twice he had almost died at the hands of the X-Men. The first time, he was saved by the overlord of the fatal attraction and the second merged him with this place, where he was stripped of his status as sun god and reduced to a mere mortal, but his magical skills remained. But, as he was put in the Savage Land a god, only a like power could free him, and eventually there came Strange, the Sorceress Supreme. Her naivety freed him, and now he lived again.

(see Uncanny X-Men #116 and Uncanny X-Men #149 respectively - David)

(as seen in 2099: World Of Tomorrow #5 - David)

"I will tear down your precious dream, Charles Xavier, and grind your name in to the dirt! So swears Garokk, the Petrified Man!"

La Lunatica was hunting.

Her feral edge had become more pronounced in recent times, and her hunger for emotional pain was growing, eating away at her insides like a cancer. When she had been with Tim Fitzgerald, she had fed of his love, as it resonated with her own, and she was satisfied. Now, Tim was gone, lost just as they arrived in the Savage Land. He had gone to scout ahead, using his energy form to transverse great distances in moments, but he had not returned, and had not been heard of since. Luna grieved for the loss of her love, and that pain had sustained her, but the time of grieving had passed and she could no longer rely on herself for sustenance. The last good feed she had was from Xi'an at the Theatre of Pain. She craved that taste again, the power, the surge, the feeling of total exhilaration. The animals she had so far drained had nothing so exhilarating.

(a.k.a. Skullfire, former field leader of the X-Men - Eric)

(back in X-Men 2099 #25 - David)

With Tim she had been free of her hunger. Without him she was trapped. Her superhuman strength and dense skin was a side effect of the drain, and she looked like a white she-devil as she ran through the jungle, sweat pouring down her face, muscles tensed and ready for action. If she hunted the beasts of this jungle, drained them of their innermost emotions, it would work. It had to, otherwise the alternatives were too dire to contemplate. She'd worked hard to establish her place in the X-Men, and only Tim had seen the light within her. The others tolerated her for Tim's sake, but now Tim was gone and with it her dreams of a better future, a future full of love, kindness, action, and adventure. A good life, and a good man to share it with. She saw it slipping away from her, like sand through her fingers, and she knew she would never have it as good again.

Anger born of sorrow built within her, and the urge to not only drain emotions but kill came upon her as well. She spied what seemed to be a prehistoric animal of some kind, and wondered what it's pain felt like, and if it was enough to keep the hunger at bay this time. Unleashing a savage war cry, she leapt on the defenceless animal, determined to find out.

At Housing Block One-Five of the North-East sector of Xavier City, on the eighth floor, Rosa Vasquez looked at the sleeping form of Eddie Van Beethoven, the X-Man christened Metalhead. He had been separated from the team for some time, and returned only to get caught up in the Phalanx War, where he was infected with the transmode virus, from which he was slowly recovering.

(during X-Men 2099 #8 - David)

(as shown in 2099: World Of Tomorrow #8 - David)

However, it had been a long time since he had been able to assume his human form, though his ability to assume the physical properties of any metal he touches still worked, and that was what had saved him from the virus. However, he still had nightmares about belonging to the Phalanx Collective, but for now though, his sleep was untroubled.

In the other room slept her son, Joaquim. He had access to his mutant powers from even before he was born, and it was obvious he possessed great power. Then Vulcann had arrived in Halo City and used his powers to prematurely accelerate the baby to adolescence. The X-Men fought them, defeating Vulcann, but it was too late. Physically, Joaquim was now approximately fourteen, but his mind was still that of a toddler. There was nothing they could do to restore him, at least, not yet. Next to him was Maddie, a little human girl who had been orphaned during the Phalanx War, and adopted by Eddie and Rosa. Maddie had developed a crush on Joaquim, even though she knew what had happened, but obviously did not fully understand.

(as seen in X-Men 2099 #35 - David)

"Hey..." said Eddie, as he stood in the doorway, gently placing his hand on Rosa's shoulder.

"I thought you were asleep, Eddie?" Rosa asked.

"Can't sleep all day," replied Eddie, "there's the ceremony to attend."

"There's quite a crowd gathering already." said Rosa looking down at the main square below. Xavier City was built in a large circle, with four major roads heading north, south, east, and west. They met in the middle of the city, which was known as the Compass, and that was to be the location of the ceremony. Xi'an was already standing there waiting, with the familiar green hair of Morphine making his way down the northern road. In the distance she could see the Fantasticar soaring through the Savage Land sky, piloted by Reed with Sue and Shakti also onboard.

"She doesn't look happy..." said Rosa, her arm around Eddie's waist, or as much of it as she could reach.

"Maybe Reed couldn't figure out what was wrong?" offered Eddie.

"I hope not, because as selfish as this will sound, I want him to figure a way of restoring Joaquim."

"It's not selfish at all," said Eddie, limping towards the door, as the techno-organic joint that was where his knee should be still wouldn't respond correctly, "it's what a mother should think."

"Or a father," said Rosa as she kissed Eddie, knowing that even though his skin was metal, he could still feel through it, and it was as alive as anything organic. Eddie kissed her back with the passion she extended to him, and finally she broke off. "You don't want to be late," she said.

"I guess not..." said Eddie. "Thanks, Rosa..."

"Anytime, Mr Van Beethoven." she smiled.

Eddie smiled back, and left the apartment. Rosa checked that the kids were okay, and went to watch the ceremony from her window.

This would be quite a show...

The Xavier City Council gathered on the platform in the Compass. Xi'an looked to Morphine, who was smoking a cigarette and shook his head. He was wearing his 'Charlie Don't Surf' shirt again.

"Let it go," said Shakti from behind him, "he's not worth it."

Xi'an nodded, and placed his hand on her shoulder, a gesture meant to reassure that things would be alright. Victor Ten Eagles stood behind her.

"You're on, Xi'an." said Victor, and Xi'an stepped forward. He could see what remained of his X-Men scattered about the crowd. They knew that when Xi'an talked, people listened, as if instead of addressing a crowd, he were speaking to them one to one.

"Brothers. Sisters. Friends. We are gathered here today to celebrate and remember. 2099 has been a hard year for us all, but we have endured, we have survived. Mutants, humans, degens, discards, all who were fractured when this year began have been forced to join together, to work with each other in order that humanity as a whole survived. Be it alien, Atlantean, or corporate, we have dealt with the many challenges life has thrown at us. We have seen heroes rise and fall, ideals created with the best of intentions fold and die, yet we remain. Xavier City is a tribute to the ideal that all of us can work together, live together, in peace and unity, drawing strength from our differences. Xavier City stands as a tribute to those who have stood up and said 'we are our destiny'.

"This cause has seen many setbacks. The Sentinel Dawn, the Summers Rebellion, the Great Purge, the Phalanx War. There have been many who came before us, showing us that this was the way of things, that this was our manifest destiny. However, all dreams start with one man, and today we are here to celebrate his life, his ambition, and show him from his vantage point in the heavens that his dream is now a reality. Charles Francis Xavier!"

A curtain fell from behind him, revealing an adamantium and vibranium statue of the man himself, standing in front of them all. At his feet there was an engraved inscription, highlighted in gold, so it stood out from the rest of the block it stood up from. The block of marble that stood underneath Xavier, pushing the figure above the crowd, had the names of all those who had died in the service of his dream of unity. Starting with his own name, the list went down and along, going through the list of those who had worn the X in his name, and ending with two fresh names: 'Uatu' and 'Steve Rogers'.

The marble block was in fact a dodecahedron of a radius of two metres and stood four metres high, so that the names would fit on and leave room for more to be added. The applause and cheers started and became a deafening roar. After allowing the crowd a bit of revelry, Victor Ten Eagles motioned for quiet so that Xi'an could continue.

"From Magnus, we learned the rules of combat. From Del Ruiz, we learned sacrifice, and from Zhao, enlightenment. All these stem from the lesson of unity taught to us by Xavier himself. Xavier lived and died by those words, even through the dark times of the twen-cen. His marker bore his epitaph, and that same sentence is recreated here as a reminder: 'Any dream worth having, is a dream worth fighting for.' We have dreamed, we have fought, we have won! The future begins here!"

(taken from Uncanny X-Men #320 - David)

The applause began again, and Xi'an gave a smile to those who looked at him. Then he and the other three members of the Council placed their hands on each others', a symbol suggested to them by Sue Richards, then raised their hands in triumph, Shakti guided by the others.

Reed and Sue looked on, as they had their own memories of Xavier, and were the only ones in the crowd who knew him personally, or so they thought...

One man was not applauding. He stood at the foot of the statue, his finger tracing the names engraved in the marble. His withered skin was covered by the long overcoat he wore, and a hat covered his face, his long white hair only visible at the back. In the shadows that the brim of the hat created, an eerie red glow sparkled from his eye. He reached the end of the list and whispered two words, "Forgive me..."

Then, he turned and left the crowd to celebrate. After all, they had earned it...

After the initial celebrations, the Council met to discuss what to do next before enjoying the celebrations themselves.

Xi'an looked sombre, Morphine cheerful, Shakti downcast, and Victor hopeful. They took their places around the table in the centre of the room.

"It went well!" said Victor, breaking the unusually dark tone the room had taken. Xi'an and Shakti seemed to have their own problems, and when Morphine smiled, you knew there was trouble on the horizon.

"I agree..." said Xi'an. "The question now is that since we have achieved the ideal of Xavier, how do we keep it up?"

"Good question..." said Victor. "Putting Steve's name on the monolith was a good idea, and calmed down the more rowdy elements of the norms in the city. I'm surprised you came up with it, Morphine."

"We must keep the peace." said Morphine, sitting back, his hands behind his head. "We must do what we have to, to remove all obstacles from our path."

Victor wasn't sure he liked Morphine's tone, but let it slide. However, it was Xi'an's words that stunned him.

"I agree with Morphine." he said, slowly and calmly as if he had come to a decision about something.

The other three looked at him, and said in unison, "What?", though their tones implied they meant it to have three different meanings.

"Not in the sense that he perhaps means, but he is right that there are obstacles in our way. One major one is the obsolescence of one of our tools. They were always created to make the dream a reality. Now that it is, are they needed?"

"To keep what we have here?" asked Victor. "I'd say they are needed, but as a reminder of what we've achieved. Figureheads more than active freedom fighters..."

"I don't think so," said Shakti, "I think that the X-Men have outlived their usefulness. They've been going on and off for the past century and a half. It's time they were retired..."

"With all due respect, are you three out of your shocking minds?" asked Morphine. "The X-Men are needed now more than they ever were!"

"You're advocating we keep them on active duty?" said Xi'an, puzzled at Morphine's line of thinking.

"Yes," came the reply, "and this is what I have in mind..."

In X-Men 2099 #2: We catch up with some old friends and some old enemies! Also, find out what Morphine has planned for the X-Men, and what the X-Men think about Morphine's idea! Be here next month for the conclusion of The Future Begins Here !