Issue+47+-+'Sick+Things'


 * Issue 47 - 'Sick Things' **




 * Plot**

At combat club Wednesday morning, Nick takes a solid hit and goes berserk! He flings Aliyah into a tree, impaling her on a branch and leaving her dying. He advances on Chelsea next. Hayley, Chelsea’s girlfriend, rubs the makeup off her face, activating her previously-unknown mutant ability. Suddenly all the men are charmed! Nicholas shrinks down to normal size to start ripping off Hayley’s clothes. Even the male teachers that are there, Mac and David, advance on Hayley. The female students try to stop them, but to no avail. Suddenly Zach screams, “Leave her alone!” and bedlam ensues. Bastienne and Samantha find themselves standing over a nearly naked and sobbing Hayley. They quickly realize they’re not in their bodies – Samantha is in Mac’s body and Bastienne is in David’s! Samantha throws Mac’s shirt over Hayley while Bastienne tries to calm the students. It’s chaos in the backyard. All the students have swapped bodies, as well (except for Zach, that caused it). Some are in shock, others are screaming or crying, while others seem unfazed or happy about the switch. Rafé (in Rina’s body) and Amanda (in Glob Herman’s body) also help to calm them down. Meanwhile, Cameron is shocked to find himself breast feeding Samantha’s twins. David is surprised to find himself in Bastienne’s body – and standing before a very confused Billy, now in Jubilee’s body! Dagan is in Robin’s body, while Jubilee is in Dagan’s body. Mac is in Cameron’s body. Jess is in Lucius’ body and is disoriented from having one eye. After David locks Billy in the vampire-warded room, he finds Jessica’s body screaming in the lab – it’s really Lucius!

Samantha heals Aliyah, then everyone heads to the school cafeteria. Ruben is in Taz’s body, Hayley and Chelsea have swapped bodies, Gerard is in Billy’s body, Leong and Nga have swapped bodies, and so on. Other changes are surprising: Sarah, once trapped in the hand, now has Dane’s body! Dane is trapped in the hand! Ruth has Agape’s body, while Agape is disoriented inside Ruth. She has been having visions she can’t explain (like a shadow wielding a katana at the school). The group figures out that Nick is in Gunther’s spirit body (and is thus invisible), while Kurt and Davan have swapped bodies. The only ones not affected are baby Alex (due to her mental abilities?) and Zach, who started the mess. The group soon realizes they can’t reverse the change. Zach is uncommunicative and no one can penetrate his mind. They’ll have to wait for the effect to wear off on its own.

David and Bastienne decide to send the kids to their rooms for now – that is, where the minds belong, not their bodies. Jessica brings up the concern that the school is vulnerable. Who will defend it? Though Samantha figured out Mac’s healing abilities, most of the staff have no idea how to use their new bodies’ mutant powers. The group agrees something has to be done. After students are in their rooms, the staff members begin practicing. Mac figures out Cameron’s abilities quickly, while others like David and Bastienne struggle to learn their new powers. Samantha checks on the students later to find that they’re not staying in their own rooms as instructed; many are hanging out together, trying out new powers, or “having fun” alone or with a partner. The cat watches from nearby. On Thursday the group decides to cancel Combat Club for now. They discover that Sarah (in Dane’s body) has left the school, presumably to visit loved ones. Pedro (in Carlos’ body) is also missing. The psychic twins locate him by the pond on the school property. He transformed into a jaguar at night and didn’t make it back to his room in time, leaving him handicapped and helpless. Cameron tries to figure out if Lucius (kept sedated for now) was scanning for the mystery signals being sent from Academy X, but he can’t get into Lucius’ computer. David searches for the Hope that Jess gave to Dane. Couples also spend time together – Mac and Jubilee are able to be intimate now that Jubilee isn’t in a vampire body, Cameron and Agape spend time together, Ruth spends time with Billy as he struggles with vampiric blood lust in the Danger Room, Bastienne visits Jessica in the security room (and discovers Lucius has technology under the eye patch), while Sam shows Cameron how to pump for the twins.

By Friday night most of the staff members have figured out their new forms’ powers. David has figured out Bast’s shadow stepping (but can’t figure out how she moves silently), Jubilee can use Glimmer’s light blasts and flight (but not her power stealing), Cameron can use Phantasma’s flight, telekinesis, and deflection (but not her mental powers), while Sam and Mac have figured out all the powers of Medic and Vortex, respectively. On Saturday, an earthquake rocks the school. Jessica receives a panicked call in the security room: the police chief of South San Francisco is asking for help! The eXalts turns on the news to see a devastated city: it’s as bad as the 1992 quake, and several buildings have collapsed and fires have spread through the city! The team agrees to help. Samantha orders the group to the Blackbird. They fly to South San Francisco to see a shocking sight – at the epicenter of the quake, a rift has opened in the ground and standing near the opening is none other than the giant monster Fin Fang Foom! Several buildings are damaged and on fire. Many civilians are trapped inside. The emergency personnel can’t get near due to the huge creature. The military, along with S.H.I.E.L.D., are attacking Fin Fang Foom, but to little effect. The eXalts spring into action. Vortex (in Phantasma’s body) takes over as team commander and orders some of the eXalts to save civilians and others to tie up Fin Fang Foom. Mustang (in Bast’s body) makes the most of being able to leave the school. He uses his shadow step ability to teleport several civilians to safety. Phantasma (in Medic’s body) heals the rescued civilians. Medic (in Vortex’s body) sucks the oxygen from the fires, but finds it difficult to put out the burning buildings. Vortex (in Phantasma’s body) pulls civilians from upper-story windows with telekinesis. Jubilee (in Glimmer’s body) blasts Fin Fang Foom, hoping to distract the mammoth creature.

More trapped people appear in windows while fires spread and buildings edge closer to collapsing. The eXalts begin to turn the tide, however, rescuing several civilians. Fin Fang Foom is momentarily distracted, though he crushes vehicles, killing the emergency personnel inside. Just when the eXalts think they may be able to handle the crisis, mysterious figures appear. Doc Rocket, a speedster, attacks Medic out of nowhere! She says, “Get out of here! You’re ruining everything!” Supreme, a teenaged girl in a flowing cape, flies near Glimmer and attempts to blast her with eye beams, but misses. Diehard, a cyborg, flies into view on rocket-boots and blasts Medic. He misses due to the obscuring cloud Medic raised with Vortex’s powers. Johnny Panic, a blonde man toting two guns, likewise misses due to Medic’s obscuring cloud. The team sees he’s firing hypodermic needles, and several take their Hope vaccines. Then a woman with white skin and pistols takes a shot at Medic and grazes him – and everyone realizes it’s Vogue, a member of the Mutant Revolutionary Front! Bedrock, another MRF member, confirms the team’s suspicions when he charges in to attack. Finally, Cougar (the leader of the MRF) appears and attacks Vortex, wounding him again. It becomes clear they’re not trying to kill the eXalts; they’re trying to stall them! Mustang yells at Cougar to help them, but Cougar says they’re helping all mutants instead. The group isn’t sure what Cougar means, but the fight is on.

The eXalts split their efforts between rescuing civilians and fighting the MRF members that seem intent on stopping them. They catch a break when falling debris traps Vogue, badly hurting her. Diehard rescues her and flies off, eliminating two foes from the fight. Supreme takes a swing at Glimmer, but misses. Bedrock takes several hits, but keeps swinging. Fortunately, his aim isn’t very good. Cougar injures Glimmer, but is stunned by Medic. When Cougar is hurt again, Doc Rocket grabs him and brings him to safety. Supreme finally lands a blow on Glimmer, but she flies off once Cougar leaves the field. Johnny Panic hits Vortex with a drug that causes him to be confused. He babbles to himself, then randomly attacks Bedrock. Bedrock then flees the scene. The eXalts rescue the remaining civilians while buildings collapse – only one trapped person is killed, which seems like a miracle. The group also realizes that Fin Fang Foom is being mind-controlled by an unseen MRF member. They locate the woman (Psi-Fire) and drive her off. Fin Fang Foom re-enters the rift in the ground and disappears. The eXalts are able to check in with Jessica back at Academy X. They learn the MRF attack was a feint. Fin Fang Foom had already destroyed the Benetech laboratory nearby that manufactured Hope, but a second MRF team attacked the San Francisco County Courthouse. A large group of mutants arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D. were being arraigned for their crimes. A Republican candidate for governor was giving a speech outside, decrying the mutants. The MRF team assassinated the candidate and freed the mutants…

After helping with humanitarian efforts and gaining some positive publicity, the team returns to the school. On Sunday James Sangrey of the Peaceful Coexistence Party (PCX) expresses his condolences and requests they put politics aside. He calls for the primary deadline to be moved back out of respect for the victims. Others agree, and the governor honors the request; this means Sangrey can now enter the race! The group theorizes there may be a connection between the PCX and the MRF. Sam misses a helicopter lesson that afternoon. David talks to the new school lawyer, Evangeline Whedon, but turns down the DA’s plea offer (plead guilty to be out on parole, but take Hope). On Monday Sam receives a bank statement that is actually a coded message from Matt: he’s okay. Michiyo arrives to talk to Bastienne and David. She says she respects them for taking care of the kids (she was an orphan once). She says Hellfire Club: Tokyo is deceitful. They allowed The Vault to be taken by the vampires by leaving only a skeleton force. Most of the guards were moved to search for something at sea. She also says that Ebon Shogun Maki Matsumodo is more concerned about “Crimson” than the vampires. Bastienne and David realize that it’s the Crimson Branch of Hellfire Club: Tokyo. They’re the ones behind the X-gene injections and are working with the vampires! Then, Tuesday night, the school’s psychics go catatonic – vampires are attacking Halfmoon Bay! What will the eXalts do?

**Next:** Issue 48 - 'Deception' **Previous:** Issue 46 - 'Free Falling'