Issue+25+-+'Watch+Out+My+Children'


 * Issue 25 - 'Watch Out My Children' **




 * Plot**

The eXalts are concerned that the Purifiers' MGH is part of some lethal plan. Through questioning Chancy, the staff learns that Chancy shared MGH with Thomas, Sarah, Darryl, Maria, Tanya, Maya, and Phillip. She says she obtains the MGH by sending a text message to order, dropping cash into a charity box at the local 7-11, and picking up the package at a UPS store. The staff tries to track the phone number, but it’s a pre-paid cell phone. Going to UPS is a dead end as well, so they decide to have her order and watch the money drop to see who picks up the payment. Gunther is tasked to watch invisibly, but he notices that Chancy’s previous payments haven’t been picked up. When the package never arrives, the group realizes that Robitaille is no longer selling MGH. The lead is a dead end and the group is unsure how to locate the Purifiers before they launch their plans.

That weekend, the group learns that the X-Men have returned from their other dimensional trip! The X-Men arrive on Sunday to attend the cross-school baseball championship and to discuss the recent happenings. Hank works with Lucius on a vaccine for Hope (though it will only work for a few hours), then does a physical on Sam (she’s pregnant with twins!). The babies are fine, though they contain the retrovirus from the MGH. Sam then talks to Emma, who’s been chilly with her. Scott asks Dane to join the X-Men, but he wants to stay with Academy X while the Purifiers are a threat. The west coast Exemplars (Bastienne’s team) wins the baseball game. Afterward, Maya tells Cameron that they’ll meet during breakfast soon for a “rendezvous.” Also, Sam’s babies start kicking for the first time. When she calms them, she believes they can sense her telepathy. It seems like at least one of them may even be sending their “thoughts” (emotions) back to her!

At the staff meeting that night, the staff selects their head boy and girl and prefects for the next school year. Rafé is selected to remain as head boy. Prefect Melissa is promoted to head girl. Prefect Santo is selected to keep his position. Dondre is promoted to prefect, while Joni and Amanda are promoted to become prefects as well. At the meeting Dane shares news from his source: there is an MGH epidemic throughout Los Angeles and San Francisco. The drug is widely distributed and cheaply available. His source believes that much of the recent crime in the cities comes from MGH users. There is even an underground superhero team in Los Angeles that is using MGH for their powers. Lucius shares that he has several doses of the Hope “vaccine” ready and will make more. The staff comes up with a plan to lure out the Purifiers by staging a fake graduation party for Roxy. They decide to contact her parents and make sure they’re okay with the idea.

That night, Daniel has a visitor: Illyana Rasputin! She tells him Nova has been contained. When Daniel explains his recent growth, Illyana says it’s not due to the MGH, but the piece of soul removed by Darkchylde. Daniel is now slowly aging! They spend a few hours together, but then she leaves to look after her brother who is haunted by the loss of Kitty Pryde. The next day Matt realizes something is amiss with the school’s network. He calls in Dane to take a look. The network is actually overperforming – a clue that the system has been infected by a S.H.I.E.L.D. datamine! Dane contacts Maria Hill who confirms there’s an unauthorized S.H.I.E.L.D. tap on their network. S.H.I.E.L.D. has a mole! The mole’s been tampering with S.H.I.E.L.D. investigations, keeping the Purifiers one step ahead of their pursuers. Later that day Maria contacts David. The mole tampered with the hard drive recovered from the destroyed warehouse and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were able to recover new intelligence. Some of it relates to David and Maria shares the file. Dane shares information about the S.H.I.E.L.D. mole at an impromptu staff meeting. The emergency staff meeting is held during the normal meeting time for David’s “combat club,” and Agape arrives wondering if David’s planning to come train her and Ginny. Dane is surprised to hear his sister’s been training with David.

On Tuesday morning several staff members and students have headaches and feel muscle pain at breakfast. Meanwhile, Maya and Cameron have snuck off for their "rendezvous". Suddenly the staff and students who took MGH begin vomiting blood! The ill staff includes Billy, Cameron, Dane, Daniel, Jessica, Matt, and Sam. The sick students are Thomas, Meghan (since she stole the powers of a student who used MGH), Chancy, Sarah, Darryl, Maria, Tanya, Maya, and Phillip. In the chaos, the only remaining staff are Bastienne, David, Lucius, and Jubilee. They direct the healthy students downstairs while Amanda tries to heal the sick. Then Bastienne notices there are intruders on the school grounds – the Purifiers are attacking! A gas grenade knocks out many healthy students. Bastienne, David, Lucius, and Jubilee defend the school and are assisted by Gunther, Agape, and Santo. Agape is nearly killed! Then Jacob Robitaille and Nightshade arrive on the scene Jacob takes a shot at his father (Daniel), but when he misses he teleports away with Nightshade. The defenders take out several Purifiers. When the battle turns against the terrorists they rush into the building and explode! Chancy and Sarah are killed. David and Santo kill the unconscious Purifiers while Bastienne takes charge of the school.

Cameron and Maya are found in Maya’s bedroom. Cameron is still alive but Maya is dead. A S.H.I.E.L.D. medical team arrives but there’s little they can do. Through investigation the team realizes the source of the illness is in the water supply! Lucius tests and discovers nothing amiss except for elevated levels of selenium. He discovers that the selenium bonds with the retrovirus from the tainted MGH and causes the cells to necrose (explode)! He comes up with a treatment to remove the selenium from the afflicted students, and, thanks to Amanda’s healing, the sick staff and students survive. Meanwhile, David visits Academy M to find a ghastly scene: 43 students out of 66 are dead! Cordelia is in shock and two staff members have left to find the Purifiers. David has Michael take charge and bring the surviving students and staff back to Academy X. S.H.I.E.L.D. then contacts Dane – satellite imagery has revealed Purifier teams at water treatment plants in San Francisco and Los Angeles - and her teams are down! The eXalts, along with Meghan (who’s borrowed an exhausted Amanda’s powers to wield the Wand of Watoomb) and Jubilee, teleport to Los Angeles. They plan to stop the Purifiers while the remaining Academy M staff go into San Francisco to stop that Purifier team. During the battle in Los Angeles, the Purifiers switch to Hope rounds! Swipe teleports away with Blur to get Lucius’ Hope vaccine. Jacob Robitaille then teleports onto the scene. Before the eXalts can stop him, he teleports away with Survivor and Vortex! Jubilee is shot with Hope and loses her powers. Mustang, Panzer, and Bast finish off the Purifiers. The Academy M staff defeats the Purifiers in San Francisco, but Quill is infected with Hope! In both cities the water supply has already been tainted, however. Hundreds die in each city as humans who had taken MGH exhibit the same symptoms as the teachers and staff of Academy M and Academy X.

Daniel and Cameron have been teleported to some tunnels beneath Los Angeles. Daniel is within a Darkforce “cage” created by his son, Jacob. Jacob has taken Darkstar’s MGH (untainted, of course) and has her powers. Jacob points a rifle loaded with Hope rounds at him and explains that all he’s done was to kill Daniel. He blames Daniel for abandoning their family and forcing his mother into prostitution. When his mother contracted a disease and lost her mind, he had to take care of the family. His younger sister became a mutant but he never did, so he spent his life’s work to understand mutation in an attempt to “cure” it – all so he could kill Daniel. He hates mutants and is using the Purifiers to kill them, but he only views the Purifiers as a disposable weapon. Daniel manages to turn up his communicator and the eXalts receive the transmission. They broadcast Jacob's harsh words about his allies on the Purifiers’ frequency. After hearing this, the remaining Purifiers turn themselves in, commit suicide, or disappear. Daniel allows Jacob to shoot him with Hope. At the same time he throws his soul dagger, mortally wounding Jacob. Jacob’s last act is to shoot Daniel. Daniel chooses not to evade the attack. Both men die.

Meanwhile, Cameron is teleported to another tunnel where he sees Nightshade. Nightshade is Nikkya Lewis, the captive held in the cage next to Cameron while both were prisoners of Weapon X! She wants Cameron to come with her. Jacob promised her that he’d bring Cameron to her, and now they can be together. Cameron learns that she hates all mutants (except for her and Cameron). Part of the reason is that she lost control of her disease powers and killed her adoptive parents. She found her birth mother, the first Nightshade (Tilda Johnson), who took her in. Tilda’s boss at Benetech, Jacob Robitaille, taught Nikkya to control her powers and then had her create the retrovirus in the MGH. Cameron refuses to go with her, however, and Nikkya commits suicide. Cameron tries to find his way out and comes across the dead Robitailles. He carries Daniel’s body out and calls to be picked up. David arrives and retrieves the bodies of Jacob and Nikkya. Back at the school a memorial service is held for Brian, Oldeani, Chancy, Sarah, and Maya. Cordelia recovers from her comatose state and decides to leave. She asks Academy X to take in her students and they agree. Finals and state tests are held and the seniors graduate. The year is over, but sadness pervades. Hopefully the future will be brighter…


 * Next:** Issue 26 - 'Right Next Door'
 * Previous:** Issue 24 - 'I'm Your Pusher'