Welcome to the Future. It has been nearly a century since the United States of America existed. The place called, "The land of opportunity," doesn't seem to be all that glorious as it used to be. Now it is called, "Apocalypse's World," or to the inhabitants it is called, "Hell." However, greater New England has been the only part of the U.S. to ever survive the wrath of Holocaust. It is now known to all as, "Freedom." The capital of Freedom is New York City, ever since Washington, D.C. was destroyed during World War III.

In New York City, there is a very talanted professor named Michael Davidson who is responsible for the projects related for time travel. He has been working on a device that would open a portal to anywhere in space in any time period that is chosen. This project has been in development for five years, but so far there is no success.

One day Michael bursts from his laboratory, yelling at the top of his lungs, and says, "I've done it! I'VE DONE IT! AFTER ALL THESE YEARS AND I'VE FINALLY DONE IT!!!"

His son, Alexander, who is reading an old book from the 1990's replies, "Does this mean we have to evacuate the area and call the Bomb Squad?"

"No, my son. Besides, they wouldn't come anyway. Something amazing has happened. Remember that project I was working on?"

"The one about time travel? But I thought that the project was rejected three years ago."

"That's what everyone else thought. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner, but I couldn't let anyone find out about it. Anyway, after many years of research and development, and a tremendous amount of money, I have done it. I can successfully send someone through time!"

Alex looks at a calendar on the wall and replies with a little bit of sarcasm, "And on your birthday, too. Isn't that ironic? Well, 'Happy Birthday.'"

Michael's smile slowly fades. He doesn't want to say this but he has to tell Alex sometime. "There is just one. . . minor. . . glitch with this time machine."

Alex's smile disappears just as fast as his dad's and asks with fear trembling in his voice, "Why don't I like the sound of that?"

Michael explains gently. "Because I have no idea how to return a person to this point in time."

Alex looks puzzled, but then he understands. "That's why. Some 'minor glitch' you've got. Then again, who would want to come back to this place. It's a nightmare!"

"Why do you think I proposed this idea in the first place? So we can get out of this nightmare!"

Alex is in the city library studying about the history of the former United States of America. He suddenly remembers what he learned in school from his robotic, automated android teacher in world history. . .

"Now, class, the dawn of the 21th century was the dramatic and catastrophic closing of the United States of America before Holocaust came forth to reign upon this country we call our home.

"However, there was a group of mutants who thought that Holocaust was going to actually destroy this world. For three days they were at war with Holocaust, and for three days Earth never saw such widespread devastation until the pitiful rebellion was vanquished and Holocaust was victorious."

Alex ponders what life would've been like back then before W W III. Then he remembers a book that he read before about those three horrible days of mutant wars. Suddenly, the book starts floating toward him from across the room where the biographies are located. It stops in front of him and opens to a page where someone left an iron bookmark. Then he realizes that the bookmark used to be his! Alex thinks that either someone else made the book move, or he just happens to be. . . .

Without warning, there is a scream in the library and everybody runs. Three men dressed in blue uniforms with a rather peculiar red symbol with an X inside the symbol walk through the library and find Alex. One of the men puts his hand on Alex's shoulder. "Doing a little history report for school, son?"

Alex is somewhat startled but plays it cool, for this situation doesn't happen often. "Not really. What was all of that screaming? You're not that Homo-Superior Resistance Group, are you?"

One of the men says with an angry look on his face, "Could you say 'Resistance' a little louder? I don't think everyone in Freedom heard you! Listen up, Alex. We need you to. . ."

"How do you know my name?"

Another person replies with a deep, baritone voice, "We were sent to find you. We need you to fight against Holocaust so we can fully restore the blessed United States of America."

"And what makes you think that I can help you? I'm not the Great Houdini."

The third person asks, "The Great who?"

"Never mind. Anyway, why do you need my help fighting Holocaust?"

". . . Because you are a mutant, too."

Professor Davidson is preparing the time machine for departure. He knew this day would finally come. "At last, I can actually get out of this place without anyone knowing that I left. Maybe I can go to the Old West, or maybe after W W II. The possibilities are endless."

Alex is packing his personal belongings with him while he is watching one of his favorite programs on FreedomVision. Just when he is almost finished packing his things, there is a Special FV News Report. He yells to his dad, "Dad!! You should take a look at this! Turn on the FV set! Hurry!"

Michael walks into his son's room instead and notices that the FV is on. The picture of the reporter is a little distorted for there seems to be sounds of thunder outside.

The reporter says with a stern look that all reporters have on FV when there's news of trouble:

"This is a Special FV News Report. Holocaust has crossed the border between Apocalypse's World and Freedom. It appears that he is making a direct path for New York City. Everyone in and around the vicinity of New York City please evacuate immediately. This is not a drill or a test. I repeat: this is not a drill or a test. Everyone evacuate the area immediately. Holocaust is on a rampage and is heading towards New York City. The XSE are on their way, so everyone evacuate New Yo.."

The FV set explodes and catches fire. "We had better get going before Holocaust destroys the city!"

Alex finishes getting his things ready, then runs down into the den where his dad is preparing the time machine for travel. Alex asks a question. "What does XSE stand for? I keep forgeting. Ever since Xavier died, their reputation has gone downhill extremely."

Another explosion rocks the ground. This time, the lights flicker. Michael answers, "The XSE stands fot the Xavier Security Enforcers."

Michael and Alex pull out a special gigantic ring with cords attached to it and lay it on the floor. Suddenly, the ground begins to rumble. Lamps inside the house start crashing to the floor. The wind is howling outside like a hurricane was on the front porch. Michael exclaims to Alex, "We had better leave now, or else we won't have our own lives to save! Time circuits on, destination time. . . what time do you want to go to?"

A window inside the den cracks and then shatters to pieces. The wind from outside makes a screeching whistling sound and Alex has to cover his ears with his hands. He shouts at the top of his lungs, "How about the year 1993?! It sounded safe in the history books!!"

Another explosion in the distance announces that Holocaust is in his giant phase and he is walking toward the Professor's laboratory! "Destination time: August 15, 1993. Time portal opening. Fifteen seconds to space/time dimensional warp."

The next-door neighbor's house is crushed to the ground from Holocaust's foot. . . and Michael and Alex's house is next! The XSE can be heard in the distance, using their mutant powers against Holocaust. The sounds from the fight indicate that the XSE seem to be losing.

". . . Ten. . . nine. . . eight. . . ."

Alex is searching for the battle outside the broken window when he hears a sonic boom and finds a member of the XSE flying through the air and lands with a loud thud on the front lawn.

". . . Seven. . . six. . . ."

The mutant immediately disintegrates and regenerates in front of Holocaust--which has come into view from where Alex is standing--and fires a beam of psyonic energy at him.

". . . Five. . . four. . . three. . . ."

Holocaust is knocked back a few hundred yards, but quckly regains balance and swings his fist at the entire team and hits all of them. Circumstantially, all land on Alex's front lawn, with the exception of three of them because they landed on the roof of the house! Holocaust leaps into the air, hoping to crush the entire team with one stomp!

". . . Two. . . one. . . NOW!!!!"

Michael and Alex jump through the portal just when Holocaust's feet smashes the roof and destroys the house, as well as killing the entire team that was once called the Xavier Security Enforcers.

Morning--one hundred three years in the past. There seems to be a little problem, though. The re-entry location is not the same as what Michael saved onto the computer right before departure.

A space/time dimensional warp portal opens in a wheat field about three feet above the ground. Two figures fall out of the portal and land on the ground. The time portal closes. Michael and Alex awaken from the time travel with dew from the wheat field covering their clothes. They look at each other and Alex says, "We're home. But when? What is the date?"

Michael pulls out a microcomputer--called the CompuPADD--from his pocket and starts pushing different colored buttons. The display squeaks, stutters, and shimmies. He then replies, "10:00 a.m. August 15, 1993! We've made it!" He collapses in relief.

Alex takes a look around and finally notices the wheat field in which they are lying in. He ponders the possibilities and explanations for this for a few moments, then asks, "Does this look like New York City to you, or do I need to buy some glasses because all I can see is a bunch of wheat!"

Michael immediately sits up and looks around. "Either my vision is messed up, too, or we're in the wrong place." He pulls out his computer again and lights start to flash on the screen. He hits the hand-held computer so the flashing stops. He looks at the display and says, "This can't be right! According to the CompuPADD, it says we're located in a city called Salem Center in the state of New York."

Alex thinks hard about the predicament and finally states, "All that I can make out of all this are two reasons: Either when Holocaust smashed our house, he changed the location. . . ." Alex falls backwards onto the ground and puts his hands behind his head in an attempt to get comfortable. ". . . or there seemed to be more glitches in the time machine and the whole process of time travel than you first realized. One question, though. Did you happen to bring 20th Century American currency?"

"No, I wasn't able to. I had spent all of the parsec-credits on the time machine. And besides, the lowest rates were about five thousand credits to every one hundred U.S. dollars!"

"Well. . . there might be a place for us after all. I remember reading about a place in this state called Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters . I believe the location was inside this city. Professor Charles Xavier is still living in this century. Maybe he can help us."

"Wasn't he the one you we're talking about that formed the XSE?"

"No, he didn't form the XSE. That team was founded after he died. Xavier was the genius behind the ever-famed legends, the X-Men. Now, in this time, Xavier and the X-Men are still alive. They might help us."

"I guess then we have no choice but to go to this institute. We don't have any other place to go."

Michael and Alex reach Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters about three hours later. They ring the doorbell in the two-story building which covers about one third of the entire campus. Unknown to them, the bell is heard all around the estate. The door opens and who else would be standing there but Scott Summers, or to the X-Men. . . "Cyclops!"

Alex states to Scott, "Hello. My name is Alex Davidson and this is my dad, Professor Michael Davidson. We're here to see Professor Charles Xavier."

Scott stares at Alex for a moment before replying, "Ah, yes. Please, won't you come inside?"

They step in and look around at the many objects inside the estate. Scott leads them up one small flight of stairs into a main hallway. His wife, Jean Grey-Summers, also known as "Phoenix," is standing at the elevator doors, waiting for them to open. She gestures the other three over to her. Jean says, "You must be Michael and Alex. Welcome." The doors open behind her. "Please, won't you join us?"

Alex replies, "Surely." Scott, Michael, and Alex step into the elevator-- and into a new lifestyle that will soon change the history of the future.

The elevator stops. Michael and Alex look at each other and then at the doors.

Scott states to them, "What you are going to see through these doors will come as quite a shock. Are you ready?"

They nod their heads simultaneously.

The doors open. The four walk into a room with a table and eight chairs.

Alex asks, "Is this some kind of 'ready room' for meetings and stuff?"

Jean says, "You could call it that. Have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable. The professor will be with you very shortly." She leaves through the door they came in.

A few seconds of silence pass. Alex whispers to his dad, "How did she know that we needed to see the professor?"

Michael begins to answer when Professor Charles Xavier enters from the opposite end of the 'ready room'.

Xavier begins to say, "Gentlemen . . . ."

Alex cuts in, jokingly, "Who came in?"

"No, you."

"Oh. I keep forgetting."

"Anyway, we here at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters have found that you. . . posess special skills that would prove to make you. . . exceptional from other people. . ."

"If you're trying to tell me that I'm a mutant, you're right. And I have a proposition for you, Professor. Let me. . . enlighten you for what might come within seven years."

Professor Xavier connects his mind with Alex's, and Xavier becomes overwhelmed with pictures of a horrific world. . . a world in which evil has prospered, and the unspeakable always happens at every corner.

Xavier begins to sweat from the shock of what might happen. He speaks to Alex, "What should we do? How can we prepare for this?"

Alex answers, confidently, "I have an idea. I know that there was a team called the J X L-the Junior Xavier League-that fought Holocaust in the year 2000. . ." And Alex explains the history of the future. . . a future that no one wants to relive."

To continue reading, go to the second chapter.

To return to the J X L, go here!