It was a quiet day in the town of Newport. As a matter of fact it was too quiet. Main street was almost completely deserted, and it was still early in the evening, and that was when it was usually hopping with activity. Strolling down the street were none other than Jubilation Lee, Jonothan Starsmore, Angelo Espinosa, Alex West, and Lina Inverse. Jubilee and Alex were listening to their walkmans, occasionally exchanging tapes, while the other three just walked along side them.
     “Who put the hush in this town?” Angelo asked, trying to break the icy silence, “I mean, shouldn’t SOMETHING be happening around here?”
     “You’re right,” Lina said, “it is too quiet around here.”
     “What are you talking about?” Jubilee said, “I like having a little peace and quiet in this town.”
     “But should it be this quiet in the early evening? It’s not even seven yet.”
     <You guys shouldn’t worry so much. I’m sure there’s a good explanation for this,> Jonothan said in his own special way, which was telepathic.
     The group passed over the top of the hill that was main street, and looking down they saw a large crowd of people around one of the larger buildings midway down the street. The five stopped, looked down, and stared in horror as someone was lit ablaze. A moment later the person’s body turned to water, extinguishing the flames instantly before it reformed to normal.
     “Do you... think that something bad is happening?” Jubilee said as she started to run towards the commotion.
     “I know that we’re needed,” Angelo said as he ran after Jubilee
     “You two should stick to the back,” Lina said, her clothes changing to her sorceress equipment, her cape flowing and billowing out of subspace. “Let Alex, Jubilee, and myself take the front line.”
     <Well, is that because we’re your backup reserves?> Jono asked.
     “You could put it like that,” Alex said as he ran to catch up to Jubilee and Lina, his dragon printed shirt billowing out behind him.
     The trio arrived on the fringe of the crowd a moment later, staring in shock at the people tied to assorted podiums undergoing types of torture and what not. An older man with thick glasses and graying hair stood at the front, spouting stuff about how mutants are evil and such.
     “..... and some of them are even our little town here,” he said. Alex and Jubilee gasped a little when they saw him, since they had seen someone who looked like him a long time ago. He caught their gaze and said, “And two of them are right over there.” The crowd turned around to face them a moment later.
     “Um... hello... and... good-bye,” Alex said as he, Jubilee, and Lina took off at their top speed, passing Angelo and Jono a split second later. The two watched the three for a moment, then saw the advancing crowd and took off after them.
     “Will you guys hold up,” Angelo shouted as he and Jono fought to catch up to the other three.
     “If we wait for you we’ll get torn apart,” Lina said as she leapt into the air, “Ray WING!”
     Lina flew back and grabbed Jono and Angelo, air lifting them to safety. Alex skidded to a halt and turned around, a magic circle forming beneath him, an unseen wind blowing about him, his shirt billowing out about and behind his body. Jubilee stopped and shouted, “Alex, what the hell are you doing?!”
     “Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows,” Alex chanted, a globe of darkness forming between his hands, “buried in the flow of time. In thy great name, let those who oppose me be destroyed by the power you and I possess....”
     The man who had pointed them out stopped the crowd and said, “Look at how he focuses his hostility into a sphere of bio plasmic energy. Imagine the destructive force in that.”
     <Alex, get moving mate or else you’re going to get toasted,> Jono said, reaching for the top of his cowl.
     “Leave him be,” Lina said as she set down on the common, not more than 100 feet from where Alex stood, “if he fails then I’m here to back him up.”
     “Dragon....” Alex shouted, bringing the energy up behind him over his head, “Slave!” he finished, bringing the globe before his body. The globe exploded into a beam that sailed at the crowd, but arced upward and exploded into a blinding flash of light. In the moment of distraction Alex grabbed Jubilee and they retreated to the common, where they hid under the band stand.
     When the angry mob regained their sight and their senses they turned back to the building in the middle of Main St. and the mutants they were having fun torturing. As they walked off, Alex whispered to the others, “What is that building they’re congregating before anyway?”
     “I think it’s a mutant registration office,” Jubilee said, “and that’s a place that’s far from being hinkey.”
     “Not again,” Angelo said, “they finally put one in your home town Alex.”
     Alex sighed, “I guess it was inevitable, though I’ve seen that guy before. We fought him a LONG time ago, or something that looked like him. He’s trouble, plain and simple.”
     “Do you think the others should know about this?” Lina asked.
     “It might be nice if they knew so that they could be on guard against the angry mob,” Alex said, “and we need to be careful about using our powers for a while.”
     <Which means I have to be a mute for a while,> Jono said, ending with a mental sigh.
     “We also need to check that center out,” Jubilee said.
     “Who hasn’t he seen?” Lina asked.
     “Well, we could call Monet and Paige,” Alex said, “then there’s Andrew and Adderson, Roxy and Bethany, Nicole...”
     “We’re not going to get Nicole involved in this,” Jubilee said, “if Erika, Michelle, and Susana found out then they would mangle us.”
     “We’ll call Monet and Paige,” Angelo said as he rose, only to crack his head against the band stand floor.
     “I’ll call Andrew and Adderson,” Alex said as he phased through the floor above him. A moment later his head reappeared through the floor. “Jubilee, contact Washu. Tell her we need to borrow Ryoko.”
     “Sure thing,” Jubilee said, “Lina, you assemble the others and as soon as we make our calls we’ll meet in Alex’s lab.”
     “Right,” Lina said as she nodded. A moment later they split up to take care of their respective tasks.

     Two hours later a large crowd of people either stood or sat in Alex’s lab. The two newest additions to the group, Paige Guthrie and Monet St. Croix, sat off to one side, Paige immersed in a computer program, Monet watching everyone in an attempt to figure their powers. So far she figured out Alex’s phasing and copy cat powers, Matt Emmerton’s flame generation, and the miasma of Richard’s powers, and was concentrating on Lizz and Jess when Ryoko passed by and caused a slight short circuit in her telepathic abilities.
     “Woah,” Monet said, shaking the cobwebs from her mind, “she just oozes power.”
     “Why thank you,” Ryoko said in her sweetest voice, “it’s nice that someone recognizes talent when they see it.”
     Monet looked just a little surprised when Ryoko turned around and leaned over to look her in the face. “I’m Ryoko, and kid, I’m power personified.”
     “Pleased to meet you,” Monet said, showing off her ritzy upbringing, “I’m Monet.”
     “So, are you a friend of Alex’s?”
     “Not per say, an acquaintance perhaps, but not a friend. You?”
     “Not really. Washu told me to go and help him as a favor to her.”
     “Yeah. Jubilee, Jono, and Angelo pleaded with me to come.”
     Paige overheard this and whispered in Monet’s ear, “I thought you did this because of that crush you have on Angelo.” Monet blushed a deep shade of crimson a moment later.
     “Your attention please,” Alex said over the in lab loudspeakers. When nobody looked up Lina got on the mic and said, “Be QUIET!” Silence fell instantly.
     “Thank you Lina,” Alex said nervously. He regained his composure and said, “We have trouble folks. A mutant registration center recently opened down on Main Street. We’re not sure why they suddenly decided to open one in Newport, but it’s trouble. The man running it is an old acquaintance of ours. He knows who most of us are.”
     “Which means a LOT of trouble,” Jubilee added, “some of you have been asked here to help us infiltrate the facility and shut it down.”
     “Those whom we invited we did so since you have not been seen by this man before. Your mission is to check it out and register under phony names and such,” Lina said, “if there is any sign of trouble, or if you are found out, which undoubtably may happen, Alex and myself will provide some backup. Adderson and Andrew can also provide assistance should it be needed.”
     Adderson and Andrew raised their hands to indicate who they were.
     “We will commence operation first thing tomorrow morning,” Alex said, “until then please try to stay out of trouble.”
     As he stepped down from the podium Adderson approached him with Andrew not too far behind. Behind them was Bethany, and with her Aurora, who was still a little bruised from her RPG adventure.
     “So now we’re breaking the law, are we?” Adderson said, his arms crossed before his body.
     “If you don’t recall we have a duty to make sure the town stays out of trouble,” Alex said, “and you haven’t been seen by this guy so you’re useful.”
     “I still ache all over,” Aurora moaned, leaning on Bethany for support, “my powers are phase shifting and some magical stuff, not combat heavy things.”
     “We need Ceres should things get too heated,” Lina said, stepping between Alex and the others, “Ceres, Pallas, Universe, and Orion are needed in this fight.”
     “Well, O.K., if you put it that way,” Andrew said, “I guess we’ll stick around.”
     “Thank goodness,” Alex sighed, “I can’t shoulder ALL of the responsibility. Now get some rest and maybe chart a path through town as an escape route. You might need it.”

     Bright and early the following day Monet, Paige, Ryoko, Andrew, Adderson, Bethany, and Aurora made their way to the registration center. There was quite a line outside of it, and people off to the sides with signs that said “Muties go home” and “the only good mutant is a dead one.”
     “I didn’t know there were so many mutants in this town,” Monet said, sliding her sunglasses down on her nose.
     “We’re not all from this town,” the young man in front of her said. He turned around and smiled at Monet. “I’m Mackenzie, and I’m from two towns away.”
     Mackenzie had short blonde hair that stood on end, piercing blue eyes, and sunglasses with yellow lenses. He wore black jeans, black boots, a black T-shirt, and a long red trench coat with black buttons. He also wore black palm gloves. He smiled again and Monet felt herself blushing.
     “Pleased to meet you Mackenzie,” Paige said, “I’m Husk, you know M, and our friends are...”
     “Orion,” Andrew replied, “how ya doin?”
     “Ryoko,” Ryoko replied in her sweetest voice, “what’s hanging kid?”
     “Starling,” Bethany replied, “it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
     “Aurora,” Aurora said, unable to come up with a suitable mutant designate, “glad to make your acquaintance.”
     “Call me Eruption,” Adderson said, sliding his sunglasses up onto the top of his head, “what’s new?”
     “Nice to meet all of you,” Mackenzie said, “I wish I had a cool designate like you guys.”
     “What is your unique gift?” Paige asked.
     “Energy manipulation.”
     “What type of energy?” Ryoko asked.
     “Umm.... fire and wind.”
     Paige and Ryoko thought for a minute before looking at one another and shrugging. Monet then said, “Heatwave.”
     “Heatwave?” the others said, “How do you get that?”
     “He controls fire and wind, right? Wind intensifies fire and fire makes winds unbearable, especially during a...”
     “Heatwave,” Mackenzie said, “I like it. Thanks guys.”
     “Think nothing of it,” Monet said, blushing again.
     “Girl’s got a thing for him,” Ryoko whispered to Paige. Paige nodded in response. Monet overheard this and blushed even deeper.
     “I think we’re next in line,” Andrew said, alerting the others to the fact that they were at the door. A couple of formidable looking guards stood on either side of the door, their arms crossed, daring anyone to try something.
     As they stepped inside the building the bands around Andrew’s, Adderson’s, Bethany’s, and Aurora’s wrists began to beep. In the subdued light they could barely make out the power readings for the immediate area.
     “Your names please,” a scratchy female voice said. They looked up from the readings to see an older woman with two normal eyes and a third in the middle of her forehead, sitting behind a desk, a computer screen illuminating every line on her face.
     “Pardon?” Monet said.
     “Names and all pertinent information for your abilities,” the woman said, “designates will be fine as well.”
     “Heatwave,” Mackenzie said, stepping up first, “energy or elemental manipulation of fire and air or wind.”
     “M,” Monet said, “Telepathy, super strength and speed, flying, minor telekinesis.”
     “Husk,” Paige said, “polymorph.”
     “Aurora,” Aurora said, “phase shifting and energy manipulation.”
     “Starling,” Bethany said, “combat expertise, electricity manipulation, energy formation.”
     “Orion,” Andrew said, “energy formation in the shape of spears, super speed, heightened senses, some telepathy.”
     “Eruption,” Adderson said, “control of gravity, some telepathy, induction of volcanic eruptions.”
     Ryoko brought up the rear, placing her hands on the edge of the desk and leaning over to the woman. She said in her sweetest voice, “I’m Ryoko, and my abilities include teleporting, phasing through solid objects, energy manipulation, energy release, and telepathy.”
     “Oh joy,” the woman aid as she typed, the central eye blinking, “another bunch of telepaths. Please step through the two doors in front of you, women through one, men through the other, and strip to your undergarments so the doctors can perform some reflex tests.”
     Andrew and Adderson followed Mackenzie into the anteroom for men and both instantly activated their communicators. In stereo they heard Alex say, “What the hell do you.... oh, how are things?”
     “We’re up to the physical examination,” Andrew said, “and I’m getting one of those danger senses.”
     “I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Alex said, “just hold on for a minute or two.”
     The doors on either side of the room burst open a moment later, troops filing in and forming formidable looking walls. From one door came the agent whom they could identify as the one Alex knew.
     “I am Agent Tormaline,” he said, “and you are to become my slaves in a war on mutants.”
     He pressed a button on a remote he held in one hand, the wall to their left raising to reveal Monet, Paige, Bethany, and Aurora being restrained by some of the soldiers. Ryoko was sealed in an energy cage. All were in a state of undress.
     “We monitored your little communication, and there is no way that pest can get in. The walls are heavily shielded. His particular brand of phase shifting just won’t work.”
     “Maybe you should update your files,” Alex’s voice echoed moments before he appeared in their midst, hair blowing wildly by some unseen wind. He landed next to Adderson and Andrew, a psychic sword appearing in one hand.
     “Well, well, well, so you can now summon energy weapons, or are you just copying someone else’s powers?”
     “It’s all me,” Alex said, grinning evilly, “your ass is grass and I’m the lawn mower!”
     He leapt at Tormaline, the sword above his head. He swung downward, only to get sucker punched in the stomach by one of the soldiers. He found himself sprawled on the ground near Adderson and Andrew, choking for breath.
     “Keep it up and you’ll get more like that,” Tormaline said as the soldiers circled around them, one taking Mackenzie hostage.
     “Time to transform ourselves,” Adderson said. He, Alex, and Andrew stood back to back, their right arms extended and braced by their left hands. They nodded to one another, summoning their power items to them.
     “Universe Rebirth Power!”
     “Saturn Star Power!”
     “Orion Nova Power!”
     “TRANSFORM!”
     The soldiers around them fell back while their transformations began to take effect, blinding light filling the room as the three transformed into their more powerful alter egos. When the lights died down there stood Warriors Orion, Saturn, and Universe, all saluting in some style or another.
     “I see you’ve gained more powers since last we met,” Agent Tormaline said, smiling in such a way as to make anybody uncomfortable, “two supers and one star. You warriors have such incredible power.”
     Warrior Saturn sneered at him, a magic circle forming around him. Tormaline wagged a finger at him, “If you fire that spell off in here then chances are that someone will get trapped in the backwash and wind up dead, and you don’t want that to happen, do you.”
     <We’re running out of options,> Orion said mentally, his AT Field unfolding and surrounding them.
     <With M and Husk and the others as hostages we can’t do a thing,> Universe replied, <we might as well give up.>
     The hum of an incantation filled the air, the voice growing louder as it neared the final line for the spell. Orion and Universe looked over to see Saturn performing the motions for a spell, but one they hadn’t seen before.
     “... Spirits of flame and earth, grant me your eternal strength. Eruption!”
     A circle of flame formed around Tormaline’s feet moments before a geyser of magma erupted from the ground, engulfing him. Saturn began to give a victory sign, which was a bit premature, since Tormaline simply called the magma to his hand and dispelled it.
     “You can’t defeat me. Now this time, for you see I am one of you.”
     “You mean a mutant,” Orion said, “fancy the pot calling the kettle black.”
     “Laugh all you want, but when I show the town and the world your lifeless bodies then they will know true fear.”
     “They’ll learn to fear mutants even more than they do now,” Saturn said, beginning the motions for another spell.
     “You know, your little elemental spells are no match for my power,” Tormaline said, his hands glowing as he began to absorb the elemental energies in the room. He ceased a moment later, a look of fear crossing his face,” t.... that’s the...”
     “That’s right,” Saturn said as he crossed his arms before his body, the gems in his bracers glowing with energy, “the black blade of the lord of nightmares, the all cutting sword, the Ragna Blade!”
     A large sword of dark energy erupted from his hands a moment later, the blade consuming light with darkness. “Foul agent of hellspawn, prepare to take a message to your leader for me,” Saturn said as he swung the sword about. Tormaline leapt back with unknown agility, avoiding the dark weapon at all possible costs. Several of the guards found themselves in line for the next life moments after being struck by the sword.
     “You’ll never send me back there,” Tormaline said, ducking and dodging every swing before countering with a powerful kick to the gut. Saturn found himself sprawled on the ground for the second time that day, the Ragna Blade fizzling out. Tormaline approached, flanked by his guards, who picked Universe and Orion up by the backs of their shirts before two lifted Saturn from the ground by his armpits. “I told you that you couldn’t win, and I shall prove my point by sending you off to be my slaves.”
     “You’ll never take them,” Mackenzie said, his fists glowing with untold power. The temperature in the room suddenly increased to the degree that made breathing difficult for all but those raised in the hottest desert. One by one the guards collapsed from heat exhaustion, each one decompiling into a small black brick of matter. The energy field holding Ryoko in place fizzled and eventually shorted out, freeing one very pissed space pirate.
     “You’re going to pay for making me look bad!” Ryoko growled as she lunged at Tormaline, only to be thrown back by a force wave.
     “He’s improved,” Andrew said as he caught Ryoko, “almost like...”
     “He upgraded his powers due to the sheer force of will in the room,” Paige said as she husked to a stronger form, the new body glittering like gold and hard as diamond, “almost like a computer program.”
     “Or a defensive program,” Saturn said as he lifted Aurora into his arms as they ran for the door. As he said that the doors sealed shut, leaving them alone with Tormaline.
     “We’re trapped,” Aurora said, “I can’t phase.”
     “Nor can I,” Ryoko said as she nursed a swelling bump on her head.
     “Of course you can’t,” Tormaline said, “I am, after all, the ultimate in evil incarnate. Those bumblers who came before me could never compare to my powers.”
     “Oh, put a cork in it,” Mackenzie said, summoning flames into his hand. He knelt down and punched into the floor, a wall of flames surrounding Tormaline. The flames parted a moment later, Tormaline stepping through before dispelling them.
     “When will you learn that fire doesn’t affect me?”
     ‘If fire doesn’t affect him,’ Saturn thought, working some quick equations in his mind, ‘Then maybe an ice type ability or a combined spell will.’
     “Alex, are you still in there?” came from outside.
     “Yeah, and the door is sealed from in here,” Saturn replied, dodging a fireball from Tormaline. He held his hands, cupped, before his body, a small cloud forming. He hurled it forward, a large cloud of gasses forming and filling the room, “Ash!”
     “I can’t see,” Tormaline screamed, flailing as hot ash burned his eyes.
     “Lord of these dreams that terrify, sword of cold and darkness, free yourselves from the heaven’s bonds. Unite with my power, unite with my body, and let us walk the road to destruction together. Power to smash even the souls of the Gods. Ragna BLADE!”
     A black blade of energy slashed through the door diagonally from left to right before slashing from right to left. A moment later the door fell away in four pieces, revealing beautiful sorcery genius Lina Inverse.
     “Everyone out,” Lina said, motioning everyone to the exit. When she saw Alex clad in his armor she said, “I see you ran into some trouble.”
     “Yeah, and he’s still alive and kicking,” Saturn said as he pulled Lina to one side while the others exited. The ash cloud cleared as he said that, a very upset Tormaline stepping forth, the cloud closing behind him.
     “You are going to be my slaves even if I have to erase your minds like I would a hard drive and reprogram you myself,” Tormaline growled, a dark aura forming around him.
     “Not today buddy,” Lina said, grabbing Alex’s hand and dragging him from the building. Once outside she cast a Ray Wing and took them airborne.
     “What the hell was that?” she asked as they sailed northward.
     “That was Agent Tormaline, the reason for all of this trouble,” he explained, “his power reading is intense.”
     “No kidding. What was that spell you used to blind him?”
     “A simple variation on your Blast Ash spell, minus the blast part.”
     As he said that they passed over a large crowd of people surrounding a smaller group. In the time it takes to blink he knew that it was the group from the center, plus a few others. Lina looked down in time to see the sword of light appear, temporarily blinding those around the user. Several flashes of colored light followed, a speech about the princess of pyrotechnics not too far behind.
     “It looks like Jubilee is in the fray of things once again,” he said, releasing himself from Lina’s grasp. He flipped through the air and landed in the midst of the fray, the red haired sorceress supreme following him in for a landing.
     “About time you showed up,” Angelo said moments before he ducked a flying blade, “Hey, watch where you swing that thing muchacho. You wanna kill somebody?!”
     <Give it a rest mate,> Jono said, <They’re all under Tormaline’s control.>
     “No place left to run,” Tormaline said as he stepped through the crowd. He was now dressed in body armor of a dark red with a flowing cape of midnight black, and wore a circlet of black and gold with a single golden gem in the center. “Just give up and let me use your powers.”
     ‘That bloody idiot,’ ran through Lina’s mind when she saw how Tormaline was dressed, ‘he’s parading around in the colors of the Lord of Nightmares and Shabrinigdo.’
     Tormaline noticed how Lina was looking at him and said, “So you’ve noticed my new look. Well, what do you think?”
     “You’re a bloody fool Tormaline,” Zelgadis said, “you’re flaunting colors you shouldn’t.”
     Tormaline mock pouted. “Do you know how difficult it was for me to find material that was darkness beyond twilight and crimson beyond blood that flows? Or even darkness beyond the blackest pitch, deeper than the deepest night, or even gold like the glowing golden lord?”
     A shudder ran down Lina’s spine when she heard this. What right did he have to say the words he couldn’t understand? The same sort of shudder ran down Alex’s back as well, since he knew what became of those who spoke pieces of spells they knew nothing about.
     “Miss Lina, Mister Alex, what’s wrong?” Amelia asked moments before she got clocked over the head with a large mallet.
     “You think he wants destruction?” Lina asked, ignoring Amelia.
     “More than likely,” Alex said, powering up his chaos emeralds, “Never underestimate the destructive power of nature, for what may be beautiful one minute can be destructive the next. I call upon the powers of thunder and lightning, wind and rain, to strike down all who dare to oppose me...”
     “That tired old spell? Puh-lease, spare me the time,” Tormaline said, his fists glowing  in an attempt to summon forth dark energy. A large globe of darkness formed between his palms, pulsing much in the way a Dragon Slave would.
     <What the bloody ‘ell is he doing?!> Jono asked, breaking off his own attack.
     “That looks like a Dragon Slave,” Jubilee said, plasmoids exploding left and right in a colorful and destructive display, “but he hasn’t chanted anything.”
     “We need to spread them out,” Paige said, “otherwise they’ll all get vaporized if he fires that spell off.”
     “I don’t think it’s a spell,” Mackenzie said, “his powers must have to do with controlling fire and darkness.”
     “How right you are,” Tormaline said as his minions fell back, leaving him alone with the heroic good guys, “any last requests before I wipe the floor with you?”
     “... Goddess of the sky, deliver your smiting blow,” Alex said, completing his incantation, “Storm Striker!”
     Rain poured from the sky in sheets, soaking all to the skin in a matter of seconds. Lightning crackled through the air, converging into one tremendous bolt that split the heavens apart as it tore down upon them, delivering punishment unto Tormaline. An explosion issued from where the evil force stood, the energy in his hands exploding and sending him screaming to the after life. The storm ended a moment later, the sun shining down upon the soaking wet heroes.
     “We finished him off,” Andrew said, giving a victory sign.
     “Don’t think you’ve destroyed me so easily,” Tormaline’s disembodied voice said. A heavy pressure closed in upon them, their lungs screaming for air as they were crushed into the ground. They lost consciousness a moment later. The crowd closed in around them moments later, picking them up and carrying them to the center.