It's a crisp, weekday afternoon. The sun is shining brightly in the heavens, the wind rustles leaves in a small field, and Alex is walking home from a long day at school. He suddenly notices an unidentifiable figure in the distance, and realizes that it's his girlfriend, Rose West. In a flash, he dashes toward her, racingly yet stealthily, sets his things down, and covers her eyes with his hands. He says, "Guess who?"

She knows what's happening, and asks, "Who?"

He spins her around until the meet face to face. "You still don't know if it's me or not?"

"I know it's always you; I just say that to torture you."

"And you have yet to succeed. 'Yet' is the key word here, though. Did you read your envelope yet."

"No, I was going to wait until I got home to read it."

"Would you mind reading it to me?"

"No, not at all." She opens the envelope, which reveals a letter with an X on it. She reads the letter. "Dear Miss Rose West: My name is Professor Charles Xavier, and I am writing to offer you schooling--free of charge--at Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. One of our members will tell you more details about our school at a given time. Please, do NOT tell anyone about this offer except your parents. Sincerely, Charles Xavier. I guess that I wasn't supposed to tell you about this."

"No, it's alright. Um, Rose, I'm going to tell you something that you wouldn't believe. But you must hear me out, and if you don't believe me, I would like to invite you over to my house for dinner and then you might believe me."

"As your girlfriend, I'll believe anything you tell me."

"Okay, here goes." Alex takes in a deep breath, and then, "I'm from the future. I was born in the year 2084 A.D. My dad was a scientist doing an experiment on time travel. My dad and I were the only ones to test it in 2096 A.D. Once we got here in 1993, Professor Xavier contacted me and, therefore, I became an X-Man. I was sent back here to Tullahoma to help other neo-mutants come to the Xavier School. And now, you and five other neo-mutants must make a choice to either come and join us or not. There is so much more I can tell you about your future, or my history, but no one needs to know too much about their own destiny. I have told you too much already and if you hate me right now, I don't blame you.

Rose looks at him and begins to weep. He embraces her, and suddenly Rose opens a kind of dimensional portal. They both step in, and reappear in her bedroom. Alex wonders, There's no way she could've done that unless she's already knows how to use her powers. This is serious! She reminds me of Jean Grey when she became Dark Phoenix. She could travel any long distances of interstellar space by opening portals just like the one Rose used. I just pray to Jesus that Rose will not become the next Dark Phoenix! He lets go of her, and she falls onto her bed. He realizes that Rose has cried herself to sleep. I wonder if I should let her sleep or if I should wake her up. He leans over her and gently gives her a kiss.

She awakens and asks, "Where am I? What am I doing here?"

He replies, "We're in your bedroom, I presume. Listen, I still want to offer you to come to my house tonight. I can explain what happened then. Are you interested?"

Before Rose can answer, Alex senses something is wrong outside. He grabs Rose and they rush out the door, only to find a car reeling towards a helpless child in the middle of the road. Acting upon instinct, Alex, with his special powers, manually takes control of the car and stops it from hitting the boy just inches from his face! Whew, that was too close! Rose and Alex rush over to the boy, who appears to be in a state of shock. While Rose tries to calm the boy, Alex checks to see if the driver is alright. He is shocked that no one was driving the vehicle! A loud, shrieking sound of laughter is heard from above. Alex can't tell for sure, but he thought it resembled someone he used to know, from the future That laugh sounded familiar, but I just can't place it! Maybe Rose would know who. . . .

Sorry, Alex but I can't place that laughter either.

"Rose, I didn't know you were telepathic!"

"Neither did I. Alex, I think I'll take you up on that offer. But first. . ."

She touches Alex's forehead, and instantaneously Alex has a telepathic bond between himself and Rose. I wanted to give you something only we can share.

But I can't accept this. I mean. . . I don't have anything to give you!!

They embrace, for what seems like hours, and then. . .

"Rose! Don't just stand out there all night. You'll catch your death of cold!"

They turn to see Rose's mother on the front porch, calling them. Rose says, "Why don't you come in?"

"Thank you." I wonder if maybe I could stay over at your place for dinner?

Sure. My parents won't mind, especially with the topic that we'll discuss.

They walk inside, hand in hand, as they prepare for one night they won't forget.

Alex and Rose are sitting in the dining room with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. West. They are discussing the contents of the letter Rose got in school.

Mr. West asks, "Well, Alex, what do you think about this school in New York?"

"I am already a member of the student body there, Mr. West, and I must say that it's the greatest there. It's not exactly like a private school, yet discipline is a constant factor. And what we learn there is fifty percent more accelerated than our advanced classes at THS."

Mrs. West asks, "What about recreational events? What can you do there in your spare time?"

"Mrs. West, our football, basketball, and baseball teams are first in the state; we have one dance every month; our library has 11,000 books to read; and our classes are only forty-five minutes long so we can have time to socialize with our friends. All in all, it's the best school in the country!"

"Well, Rose, what do you think? Do you want to go?" Rose thinks for a moment, then answers. "Yes, I do, but I won't know anybody there."

Alex replies, "I'll be there to give you a guided tour of the campus and help you with any problems you might have. And don't forget-there are five others who will, hopefully, come to Xavier's, too."

Suddenly, there is a loud shriek in Alex's ears. He senses that something is wrong outside. Rose, did you hear that?

Yes, I did Alex, and I think we should check it out.

Very good idea. "If you'll excuse me, I have a little business to take care of."

He rushes out the door, only to find an image of Holocaust standing in front of him! Alex stands, baffled at the sight he is witnessing, but then yells, "What do you want, Holocaust?"

Holocaust answers, "What I want is you dead. Burning alive in a smoldering fire, disintegrating from a laser bolt, I don't care how. I just want you DEAD!" Within an instant, Holocaust fires a bolt of energy at Alex.

Alex easily dodges the bolt, yelling, "You can't kill me, no matter what you do!" He contacts Rose telepathically, saying, Rose, I'm going to need some help here. I'm pushing my powers to the extreme, and they're no match for Holocaust.

Rose replies, Alex, that isn't Holocaust! I sense that someone is impersonating Holocaust just to wear you out! I'm on my way, but we must be careful. We don't know who. . . or what we are dealing with! A long fight follows, magnetic and telepathic powers versus energy, yet in the end, it is Alex and Rose who are victorious. The entity called Holocaust disappears, revealing another person, wearing a blue mechanical body suit with a red cape, who is laughing hysterically. The person says, "You may have defeated me as Holocaust, but the war goes on, and in the end, you will die. . . horribly!"

Alex stares at the being with his eyes wide open. He thinks, This can't be! He's not suppose to be here! Now I see why the future was a disaster! The being continues, "Very soon, we will meet again, and when that time comes, you will meet your destiny. We will fight to the death, and the one who dies will be you! I shall kill you, I shall hurt you, and I shall eliminate you terribly. You and your puny friends haven't got a prayer against me!"

With those final words, he vanishes into thin air, leaving a cloud of mist in front of the heroes. Alex exclaims, "It takes more than destiny to stop us! You-AND Holocaust-are the ones who will lose this war!"

Alex collapses to the ground gasping for breath. Rose is at his side but she doesn't know what seems to be wrong with him. She turns to him and puts her hand on his shoulder. She uses her telepathic powers to talk to him. What's the matter? You aren't drained of your powers, are you?

He takes her hand in his, and stares longingly into her eyes. He says, "No, but remember what I was saying, about me being from the future?"

"Of course I remember. What is it, or do you want to talk about it?"

"The main reason that my dad and I came back about a hundred years is because we were running away from. . ." He point's up to the mist that is rising from the "battlefield." ". . . that. Everyone was afraid of Holocaust because we thought that he was responsible for what will happen in the near future, but it seems that we have a new enemy, now. The only problem is, he looked familiar."

"How do you mean 'familiar?'"

"There's only one other person who could have that much power, and that's. . . Holocaust's father. . ." Alex rises from the ground and brushes himself off from the smoke and mist from the fight.

"He has a father?"

"Yes, and he's even worse. His name is En Sabah Nur, but we call him. . . Apocalypse!!"

Alex turns to Rose and they walk back inside to finish their meal.

After dinner has ended, Rose asks Alex, "How long can you stay over?" I mean, what if that. . . thing comes back?

Alex replies in his thoughts, Don't worry. That. . . whatever that thing was. . .won't be coming back for a while. "Actually, I think I had better get home. My dad might be getting worried."

"Okay, then. Let me walk you out."

As they walk out, they notice that it has gotten a lot darker than it was before. Rose asks, "Are you sure you can get home safely?"

"Yeah, I can make it. That's why I wore light clothes. Maybe those dumb idiots on the roads can actually see me now!"

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Same as always, which couldn't be better."

They stare into each other's eyes again and clasp hands. They kiss, for what resembles like hours but in reality is a few seconds. Alex then climbs onto his bike, waves to Rose, and takes off on the road leading him home.