Fish Story, Part One

*Bayville High, April 10, 2008*

Night had fallen over Bayville, and all was quiet...making it the *perfect* time for the Principal to catch up on some paperwork.

'*Why I ever put off the budget reports until the year's nearly over, I'll **never** know.*' Edward Kelly mused to himself as he quickly put the next signature on the extensive budget document sprawled across his desk, before taking a sip of his coffee. After Friday classes had finished up and all the students and staff had gone home, anxious for this long weekend, he'd stayed behind, to finish this task.

And now, several hours past midnight, he was *still* here.

Edward yawned, forcing his drooping eyelids back open, as he quickly filled in the final few spaces on the last sheet, and put in his last signature, completing the budget report. Edward smiled tiredly. '*Finally!*' he thought. '*Now, I can go home and get some sleep...*'

A rustling outside his window interrupted his thoughts. Confused, Edward glanced outside...

...in time to see a huge, hulking blue form dart past his window at alarming speeds.

Edward blinked in confusion, not sure if he'd seen what he thought he'd seen. He looked out the window, then back into his office...and then to his cup of coffee.

Edward stood up, took the cup, and walked to his trash can, before emptying the last of the coffee into the trash.

'*That's it. From now on, I'm sticking with decaf.*'

As he darted around the high school grounds, Hank McCoy couldn't help but feel a tiny twinge of regret. He missed this place. He missed being able to walk in the open; he missed being able to look into the eyes of students, and see hope and inquisitiveness. Granted, he could still teach at the Institute, but he could never leave its walls.

Lately, he'd been feeling more and more restless, there; he'd felt this indescribable *urge* to just...get out, and *roam*. It had gotten so bad, he'd *had* to go out, tonight, if only for a little while.

As he moved effortlessly through the back-woods around the little town, part of Hank felt at peace; he belonged here – he was in his element...

Hank shook off that thought; he was a *man*, not a wild beast. He *couldn't* lose himself out here.

By then, he was in sight of the Institute, as he effortlessly bounded over the gates, landing soundlessly on the lawn, before heading inside. As Hank walked into the main hall, he was greeted by Professor Xavier. "Out for some exercise?" Charles inquired, smiling gently.

Hank lightly smiled back. "I just...needed to get out, Charles." he said. "Lately, I've felt the urge to just...get out, to go into the wilds."

Charles nodded. "That's part of your mutation, Hank. You don't need to explain."

Hank lowered his gaze.

"Charles...when I'm out there, part of me...*loves* it; part of me *never* wants to leave the wild places, wants to stay there forever." He said. "That scares me, Charles; I'm a *man*, not a beast..."

"No-one's ever said otherwise." Charles said, placing a friendly hand on Hank's shoulder. "We all have our own inner struggles, Hank. You simply need to reconcile with the beast within you."

Hank sighed. "That's a bit difficult to do when the beast gets antsy when he's cooped up."

Charles smiled. "Then perhaps a little vacation is in order." he said. Hank's eyes widened in curiosity, as Charles explained his idea.

*North Atlantic Ocean, several miles above the Arctic Circle*

"*Mayday, Mayday! This is Arctic Tanker Alpha-75, calling Coast Guard! We have struck an iceberg and are taking on water! Main oil tank is about to rupture! Please respond!*"

The captain of the oil tanker looked grimly at his bridge-crew, including the officer who'd sent that distress call...for the seventh time since they'd hit the iceberg in this stormy ocean.

"Coast Guard's too far out." The captain said. "No way they'll get to us in time. Sound the evacuation order."

The executive officer looked to the captain. "Sir," he said, "that main tank is holding over 250 liters of oil; if it breaches, we could be looking at one of the worst ecological disasters in *history*..."

'*Don't you think I **know** that?*' The captain thought. "We're taking on too much water." The captain said. "If we don't abandon ship soon, we won't be *able* to do *anything!*" He hated himself for thinking this, but there was nothing they could do; that tank was just too badly damaged – it was the worst part hit by that iceberg.

"Sir!" the radar officer cried. "I...I just spotted something on radar, sir! It's over 1000 miles off our port-bow, closing fast! It'll be here in *seconds!*"

The captain froze; *no* ship he knew of was fast enough to travel over 1000 nautical miles in a few seconds. "That...that's probably just a radar malfunction." he said. They'd been getting anomalous readings all throughout this voyage; readings indicating that there were...*things* in the sea below them.

"Wait...it's gone, sir." the radar officer said.

"Figured." the captain said glumly. "Give the order to abandon ship."

*Nothing* could save them, now.

As he flew towards the dying oil tanker, Superman dove into the stormy sea, out of radar range; with any luck, the crew would think he'd been a radar glitch.

He'd heard the distress call a few minutes ago, as he was finishing up his patrol. It was a good thing he'd done that extra sweep of this area, or else he might have caught it too late.

"*Kal?*" came Alison's voice through the specially designed earpiece he now wore in his right ear, to communicate directly with his sweet spotter; he was glad that he'd made it waterproof. "*The data just came up on my system. That tanker's main tank is on the starboard side; its capacity is **well** over 300 liters, and it's **full**! If it breaches, it'll be the marine equivalent of the Chernobyl disaster!*"

"Got it, *taushi*." Superman replied through the microphone of the earpiece. He shot through the water like a torpedo, closing on the starboard side in seconds; there was a *huge* crack in it, threatening to burst like an infected wound, with a few small black streams of crude oil trickling from it into the water. His eyes started to glow red. "I'll just quickly weld this thing shut..."

"*No!*" Alison exclaimed. "*The main tank is **right** next to the outer hull, Kal! If you use your eye-rays, the heat might melt the tank; the tank has a low melting point – even a **tiny** bit of heat might cause a rupture!*"

The red glow instantly faded.

"I guess I'll have to improvise." Superman said.

"*Wait, I've got an idea!*" Alison exclaimed. "*If you can use your belt-computer to manually shut off the water-pumps that are pumping out seawater, you can momentarily flood the area around the tank; the seawater should distribute the heat long enough for you to weld the crack and then switch the pumps back on!*"

"Ali, that's *brilliant!*" Superman exclaimed. His eyes flashed electric blue as he scanned the area around the tank; it was clear. He quickly took out his belt-computer, and typed in a few commands; in seconds, the pumps disengaged, and the area around the tank flooded with water.

Superman worked fast; his eye-rays lanced out, welding the crack shut almost instantly. Once it was repaired, he quickly sent the commands to restart the pumps; automatically, the pumps reactivated, and rapidly pumped out the water from the flooded area.

The tank was safe.

Superman's eyes promptly turned to the traces of oil that had escaped from the tank, which were snaking their way up to coat the surface. Quickly, Superman unleashed a precisely-aimed burst of frost breath, freezing the oil solid, along with the water around it, trapping the crude in a cage of ice. He then promptly grabbed the ice from underneath, and tossed it up onto the deck of the tanker, making sure it didn't contaminate the sea any further, before he darted around the ship's hull, using his eye-rays to weld the remaining cracks, stopping more water from seeping into the vessel, letting the pumps get rid of the water that had already flooded parts of the ship.

"*Kal, you did it!*" Alison cheered over their link.

Superman smiled.

"*We* did it, *taushi*." He corrected. Before he could say anything else, he saw something.

It was far off in the water, floating there. Superman's eyes narrowed as he began to focus in on it; it looked like...

...a *man*...

The roar of rescue-helicopters overhead momentarily distracted Superman. When he looked back, the aquatic apparition was gone. Certain that the Coast Guard had the situation well in hand, Superman swam off, until he was well out of sight, before rising to the surface, flying home at top speeds.

Within minutes, he had reached the Institute. Slowly descending from the clouds, Superman smiled as he saw Alison's open window. Effortlessly, he glided in through the window, sitting down on the edge of her bed, where his *taushi* had been waiting for him. Alison smiled happily, her strawberry-blonde tresses lightly gleaming in the moonlight, her creamy skin now giving off a faint moonlit glow. She now wore a simple white t-shirt that covered her to her waist, as well as the pair of blue bikini-style panties with his crest on them.

"Hi." Alison cooed.

Superman smiled back, taking her hand in his. "Hi." he replied. "*Taushi*, you were *brilliant*, just then. You saved a lot of lives."

Alison beamed. "You mean, *we* did." she corrected, sweetly mirroring his earlier words. Her smile grew. "I'm so glad you started letting me help you."

Superman just grinned. "You've really helped, Ali." he said. "Having a second pair of eyes monitoring things ensures that I don't miss anything." His grin widened. "And hearing your angelic voice *definitely* keeps my spirits high."

Alison giggled, leaning in closer until their noses touched. "*Flatterer!*" she teased, causing Superman to chuckle, before lovingly kissing her.

After their kiss ended, Superman asked, "So, how was your day, today?"

Alison sighed.

"Stressful." She moaned piteously. "Right after school, Aunt Bridget called to tell me that my next CD recording was moved up to *today*. After *that*, I found out that sometime after school lets out, I have a *huge* concert coming up – the *biggest* one of my *career!* This kind of concert is the 'Make-Or-Break' kind of concert, Clarkie! If...if I goof it up..!"

"You *won't*." Superman assured her, gently embracing her, letting her nuzzle her head into the crook of his neck. "You'll *ace* it, *taushi*. If you sing just *half* as well as I *know* you can, you'll blow everyone *away!*"

Alison beamed, her powers activating, coating her skin in sparkles. "Thanks, baby." she cooed. "What about *you?*" Her expression became wary. "Any leads on..?"

Superman sighed. "*Zip.*" he said sadly. "There is absolutely no *sign* of the Speeder *anywhere*, Ali."

Alison's expression saddened. "Oh, *tausha*, I'm so sorry..."

Superman sighed. "I guess it just wasn't meant to be." he said. He smiled. "Hey, how are you and your dad getting along?"

Alison smiled. "We're better, now." she said. "Dad's still pretty busy, but at least he's *trying* to make time for me; we were going to go out for dinner, in early May! We're gradually mending our relationship, I guess."

Superman smiled. "I'm really glad for you, *taushi*."

Alison's smile became a bit more forced.

"As much as I'd *love* to ask you to join us...maybe you shouldn't." She said.

Superman's eyes widened. "*Why?*"

Alison sighed. "Because I'm *also* meeting my Aunt Embeth, too." She said softly. "*God*, if Auntie Bridget is my *favorite* relative, Embeth is my *least* favorite! She is ten *times* as snobby as LeRoux is on a *good* day, and she's cold enough to make *Iceman* look warm! Even *worse*, she's always hounding me to 'go out with *respectable* young gentlemen'...and *her* idea of 'respectable' is a guy like Shinobi Shaw!" She sighed. "If you meet her, Clarkie, after five minutes, you'll *never* want to see me, again..."

Superman chuckled, and held her close. "*Taushi*, if getting threatened by *Doom* can't scare me away from you, I don't think a grumpy aunt is anything to worry about."

"You don't know Aunt Embeth."

"No." Superman admitted. "But I know *you*. *Nothing* on this planet will *ever* make me give you up, Ali."

Alison beamed, smiling happily. "Oh, *God*, Clark Kent, I love you so *much*."

Superman smiled back.

"And *I* love *you*, Alison Blaire." He replied, before he lovingly kissed her, smiling as Alison sighed, happily reciprocating.

After a few perfect minutes, Superman ended the kiss, smiling as he saw Alison's eyes drooping. "Ali, you should have gone to bed..."

"I wanted to wait up for you." Alison said sleepily.

Superman lightly frowned. "Ali, you *need* to sleep, to let your body and mind recharge."

Alison pouted prettily. "*How* can I *possibly* sleep without at least a *few* minutes of cuddling?" she teased, her eyelids nearly closed, her movements slow, as she was falling asleep, right there.

Superman couldn't help but smile.

"Well, I'd better make sure my *taushi* gets a good night's sleep." He said, as he tenderly hugged her, before he pulled back the covers, and placed her in the bed, before tucking her in.

She was asleep the very second the blankets fell over her.

Superman smiled at his beloved. "Sweet dreams, Ali." he whispered, before leaving her room, heading towards his own room, to turn in, himself.

*North Pole, April 11, 2008*

As the sun slowly rose over the endless white of the polar snow, a single polar bear padded towards a hole in the ice, before diving into the frigid water, searching for food...but found none. The polar bear simply swam back to the hole, and climbed out of the water, shaking itself dry, before lumbering off, to try again, later...

Suddenly, a splash cut the air, causing the bear to turn around...and spy a fairly tall humanoid creature, with light blue skin, and long, white dread-locks, clad in scuba-type battle armor, with a water-filled re-breather fixed across his face, holding a trident, a pair of high-tech binoculars fixed to his belt, as well as a communicator.

The bear simply gazed at the creature, who stared back...before walking off. Alone again, the polar bear simply dove back into the water, to see if the creature's passing had scared up any food.

The sea-dweller headed even further north, hardly repelled by the cold...or by the slowly falling snow, which seemed to fall heavier and heavier as he continued on.

By the time the sea-dweller neared his destination, he was in the middle of a full-scale *blizzard*. Kneeling behind a snowdrift, he took out his binoculars, and looked ahead, to his destination.

It was a massive, seemingly crystalline structure, consisting of crystals jutting up from the ice at 45-degree angles, interweaving in seemingly impossible ways. The sea-dweller's eyes narrowed...as he switched on his communicator. "*This is Deep-Sea One calling Fleet Command.*" he said, his voice muffled through the re-breather. "*I am in line-of-sight contact with the structure.*"

"*Report, Captain.*"

The Captain of the elite Atlantean Deep-Sea reconnaissance unit widened his eyes in sheer surprise at the regally commanding voice who answered him. "*M-My King!*" he exclaimed. "*I am...I am honored!*"

"*Captain. Your report?*"

"*Y-Yes, my liege.*" The Captain replied. "*As I said, I am in direct visual contact with the unknown structure. It is as previous scouts described, Highness; a crystalline abomination in our territory, **mocking** us.*"

"*As I thought.*" came the King of Atlantis' reply. "*The surface-dwellers' arrogance knows no bounds.*"

The Captain paused. "*Highness...may I speak freely?*"

"*You may.*"

The Captain took a deep breath. "*Sire...truthfully, I am not entirely convinced that it **is** the surface-dwellers who constructed it. Whatever this structure is, or whatever its purpose, its construction does not seem to be something that the surface-dwellers – or even **we**, for that matter – are capable of.*"

The King paused for a moment. "*Go on.*"

"*When I initially approached the structure, Sire, the weather was calm, but as I drew nearer, the weather **worsened** to the point of a blizzard.*" the Captain said. "*It is entirely probable that this structure has caused the change as a defensive mechanism. That **alone**, my liege, indicates a level of technological sophistication that we have not yet even begun to **approach**! Based on this assumption, Sire, I would strongly advise against sending in a conventional demolition team!*"

"*I see.*" came the reply. "*And I agree. Return to Fleet Command for debriefing, Captain. I will deal with this matter decisively.*"

The Captain was confused. "*My liege?*"

"*I submitted the treaty declaring the North Pole as Atlantis' territory to the United Nations, and they signed it knowing full well that any outpost upon it would be forcibly removed.*" the King said. "*Though we are well within our rights to destroy that...monstrosity, I will at least **attempt** to see if the surface-dwellers can offer an explanation. Perhaps that fool Richards knows something of this; if not...the Fleet is on stand-by.*"

The Captain nodded. "*Of course, Sire. I will return for debriefing. Deep-Sea One out.*" With that, the Captain deactivated the communicator, before heading back the way he came, diving back into the frigid water, to head for home.

*Xavier Institute*

'*Will the New Mutants please report to my office?*'

At the mental summons of their mentor, all the New Mutants dropped their Saturday-morning activities, and headed to the Professor's office. "So, what do you think Professor X wants?" Bobby asked aloud.

Ray chuckled. "Probably to punish us for that prank we tried to pull on Clark, a few days ago!" He snickered.

Rahne shook her head. "When are ye lads gonna learn? Ye canna pull the wool o'er Clark's eyes when 'is eyes can see through *walls!*"

Amara giggled. "You'd think they'd have learned their lesson, by now!"

Jamie gulped. "But...you don't think Mr. Logan's gonna be there, do you?"

Everyone gulped; Bobby, Ray, and Roberto had planned to drop a shaving-cream balloon on the Man of Steel...but Clark had seen it coming, and sneaked up on them just before they planned to release it...causing them to drop it on *Logan*, instead.

"Ah wonder whah he hasn't done anything, yet." Sam thought aloud.

Jamie looked horrified. "Probably because it's taken him this long to think of something *really* horrible!"

Tabitha shuddered.

"Thanks a *lot,* guys!" She muttered, glaring at Bobby, Ray, and Roberto. "Now we're *all* screwed, 'cause when Logan gets mad at *one* of us, he takes it out on *all* of us!"

"Clark won't let him do anything *too* bad!" Jubilee exclaimed...and then her tone turned worried. "Right?"

By then, they had all reached the Professor's office...where Logan was waiting for them, just outside the door. As they spotted him, Roberto grinned sheepishly. "Uh...h-hey, teach! W-What's up?"

Logan merely scowled, and pointed to the door. The New Mutants all gulped, and went into their mentor's office...to meet whatever horrible fate their teacher had arranged for them.

The Professor was sitting at his desk, with Mr. McCoy standing to one side, and Clark was standing to the other side of the desk. The Professor smiled at them. "I assure you all, the reason I called you all here is not for anything *horrible*." he said.

The New Mutants all let out a relieved sigh.

"The reason I called you here was to let you know that you will be going on a little hike with Mr. McCoy, this weekend." their mentor continued. "Hank decided that he needed a little outing, and I thought it would be a good idea for you all to accompany him."

A collectively disappointed chorus of "Awww..." filled the room.

"Hey, it won't be *that* bad!" Clark said. "The X-Men went on an outing like this, last year, and *we* enjoyed it!"

Hank nodded. "And while we're on this outing, I'll be able to give you all a few lessons on the local flora and fauna."

"Terrific." Ray said under his breath. "We're gonna get bug-bites *and* get bored out of our minds."

Clark half-frowned. "I *heard* that, Ray."

Ray scowled as Tabitha chuckled. "Forgot he had super-hearing, didn't you?"

"Now, of course, Clark and several of the other X-Men will accompany you on this excursion." The Professor added.

"This *sucks!*" Roberto muttered. "There's no *way* we're giving up our long weekend!"

"Well, it's either go on the hike with Beast, Superman, Dazzler, Shadowcat and Avalanche or spend the day running Danger Room drills with Wolverine." Banshee informed Sunspot.

"We'll take the hike." Bobby said quickly, and the New Mutants all nodded in agreement.

Logan chuckled. "There ya go."

Clark smiled.

"Democracy in action!" He joked.

Noting their expressions, the Professor finished, "I believe that this hike will take you by a few swimming holes, so pack accordingly!"

That lightened the New Mutants' mood somewhat. "So...Kitty, Lance, and Ali are coming, too?" Jubilee inquired. "Cool!"

The Professor smiled.

"You all leave in a few hours." He said. "You'd best go get ready." The New Mutants all nodded, and headed out of the Professor's office.

"Oh, this is gonna be *sweet!*" Ray exclaimed, as soon as they were out of earshot. "We're gonna get to see *Alison Blaire* in a *swimsuit!* There *is* a God!"

"*I heard **that**, too!*"

Clark's voice echoing down the hall was like a glass of cold water right in Ray's face, causing him to stop right in his tracks. Jubilee laughed. "Serves you right!"

Amara shook her head. "*Boys*." With that, they simply headed to their respective rooms, to prepare for their little excursion.

After speaking with the New Mutants, Clark had quickly headed to his room, changing out of his street clothes into hiking gear: a dark, olive-green t-shirt, brown shorts, and black hiking boots. He'd then promptly loaded up his backpack, and headed down to the vehicle hangar.

A few minutes later, Hank came in, clad in a black t-shirt, brown shorts, and a broad-rimmed hat, with a backpack strapped on his back, and a walking-stick in his hand. Hank smiled, and walked over. "I trust the Professor told you about the reason behind this little outing."

Clark nodded. "You just needed to get out for a bit; there's nothing wrong with that." he replied. "Sometimes, I just...*need* to go flying, just for the sake of flying."

Hank's smile grew. "It must be nice, being able to see the world from up there."

Clark grinned. "There's nothing quite like it."

Just then, Alison walked in, clad in a light blue tank top and brown khaki shorts, with brown hiking boots, her backpack on her shoulders, her hair tied in a ponytail. As she saw him, she smiled, and walked over.

"Hey." She greeted.

Clark automatically smiled back.

"Hey." He replied. "All set?"

Alison nodded. "Compared to dealing with talent agents and CD recordings, this will be a *vacation!*" she laughed.

A few minutes later, Kitty, Lance, and the New Mutants, all in hiking gear, walked into the hangar, followed by Logan, who would be flying them out. "So, Mr. McCoy," Kitty inquired, as she walked over to them, "where are we headed?"

"I thought a trip to the Redwood Forest National Park would be a good idea." Hank replied. "It's only a few hours from here if we take the Blackbird."

"Sounds good to me." Lance said, and the New Mutants all nodded in agreement. With that, they all got on board the Blackbird. Clark strapped himself into the seat next to Alison, before smiling at his girlfriend, who smiled back, before slipping her hand into his...

"Hey, Clark!"

Clark couldn't help but smile as Jamie sat down in the other seat next to him, smiling up at him. "Anything new in the superhero business?" Jamie inquired.

Clark chuckled. "Oh, not much, really." he replied. "There was just an oil tanker in distress, last night; it wasn't too much trouble..." he glanced to Alison, and smiled, "...with a little help, of course."

Alison lightly blushed.

Clark then paused, looking thoughtful. "I *did* see something strange, last night, though." he thought aloud. "It was underwater; it looked like there was a *man* in the water, watching me. Whatever it was, it disappeared before I could get a closer look."

Alison looked worried. "Do you think that Doom is behind it?"

"I don't know, Ali." Clark replied. "If so, I suppose we'll find out, soon enough."

Jamie frowned. "Clark, why don't you just fly to Latvery...Lutver...wherever it is that Doom lives and kick the *crud* out of him?" he exclaimed. "He's probably the baddest bad guy in the *world!*"

Clark chuckled.

"No argument in *that* regard, Jamie." He said. "But if I *did* do that, what kind of person would *I* be? I have to play by the same rules as *everyone* else does, Jamie." He sighed. "And, *unfortunately*, those rules say that Doom, *officially*, is untouchable."

Jamie looked confused. "But why?"

Alison frowned. "Two words, Jamie: *diplomatic immunity*." She said. "It means that, since Doom is the ruler of Latveria, all other laws except Latverian laws don't apply to him." She sighed. "And since he's the ruler, he *makes* Latverian law."

Behind them, Bobby overheard.

"I don't know, Ali," he interjected, "after some of the stuff Doom's pulled, if Clark *did* stick it to him, I don't think there's a *single* court in the *world* that would convict him!"

Clark chuckled.

"Regardless." He replied, "if I did, I'd basically be saying that I hold myself *above* the laws of this planet." He frowned. "Just like *Doom* does."

Jamie lowered his gaze. "I...guess I didn't think of that."

Clark smiled. "But there's an old saying, Jamie: '*what goes around, comes around.*' Sooner or later, all of Doom's evil will catch up to him."

Jamie smiled. "Right!" he agreed.

By then, everyone had buckled in, and they were ready to go. From the cockpit, Logan called, "You all set?" They all nodded, and Logan powered up the engines. Slowly, the Blackbird accelerated down the underground airstrip, and soared into the sky, heading for the Park.

Within a few hours, they had arrived at the impressive Redwood Forest Park. The Blackbird touched down in a secluded clearing in the forest, far from prying eyes. As Clark and the others promptly disembarked, Logan called out, "I'll meet you back here, early Monday morning, so don't be late!"

Hank chuckled.

"We won't." He replied. With that, the hatch shut, as the Blackbird took off. After quickly getting organized, the group headed into the woods.

Clark had to admit, the forest was certainly peaceful; all around them, the massively tall trees loomed overhead, giving an almost ethereal stillness to the forest. They were traveling well off the beaten path, to keep out of sight of other campers and Park visitors. Although Professor Xavier had purchased a Park-permit, and informed the Park that they would be visiting, they had not been able to check in, due to Hank's 'condition.'

After a few hours of hiking, with Hank stopping them occasionally along the way, to point out noteworthy plants that could be used for food or had medicinal value, they came to a clearing, with a small pond being fed by a waterfall. Hank looked up to the slowly reddening sky. "Well, this certainly looks like a good place to make camp." he remarked. "Why don't we set up here?"

"Sounds good to me!" Clark agreed, and the others all nodded. With that, they set their backpacks down, and started to set up camp.

Within the hour, they had set up their tents and constructed a small fire-pit for campfires. They had brought mostly small tents, with two to each tent. By the time everything was set up, it was just about sunset. Using a low-powered eye-ray, Clark easily started a nice campfire, allowing them to roast hot dogs and marshmallows. After the sun had fallen behind the horizon, and the dark of night had cloaked the park, they all took turns telling ghost stories around the waning campfire.

After a few hours had passed, Hank said, "We all should turn in, now. Tomorrow, we can go on another walk; I think I spotted a grove of rare wild-flowers on the way here." With that, they all headed to their tents, to turn in.

All except Clark.

Clark simply flew to the large rock overlooking the pond, and sat down on its tip, looking up at the stars. This was another reason he'd wanted to come; out here, the stars were *much* easier to see.

'*There's the Crown of Creation,*' Clark mentally remarked, as he found the constellations of Krypton, one-by-one. Then, he lightly sighed, as he spotted a large cluster of stars, one that he was most familiar with.

*Xerius.*

Clark always felt a bit depressed when he spotted the galaxy of his birth in the night sky. '*It'll likely be millions of years before people on Earth see the explosion that was Krypton.*' he noted to himself. Judging from the few calculations he'd once done, Krypton's explosion had likely obliterated half of the Xerius Galaxy...

"Clarkie?"

Turning, Clark smiled as he saw Alison walk up to him, sitting down beside him, clad in her oversized t-shirt and blue panties, her hair flowing freely down her back, pooling around her shoulders.

"Hey." Clark greeted. "Why are you still up?"

Alison smiled. "I could ask *you* that."

Clark chuckled. "I just...wanted to see the stars."

Alison nodded, and looked up into the night sky.

"What's that?" She asked, pointing towards the Xerius Galaxy.

Clark sighed. "Xerius."

Alison paused. "Oh."

Clark nodded. "It'll take millions of years for the light from the Xerius Galaxy's star to reach here...meaning that, eons from now, astronomers will spot a bright flash from Xerius...and then notice a few dark spots in the sky where Krypton used to be."

Alison smiled lightly. "So...did Krypton have its own constellations?"

Clark automatically smiled; that was *exactly* what he'd needed to lighten his mood. '*How does she do it?*' he thought. He looped a loving arm around his girlfriend's shoulders, smiling as she rested her head on his shoulder, and used his free arm to point to the stars.

"There's the Crown of Creation." He said, gesturing to the large semi-halo of stars in the skies, "which Kryptonian mythology states was formed by the Creator after He breathed life into the universe; He left it in the sky, to remind all that He created that He would always watch over them."

Looking through the stars, Clark spotted another constellation. "And that one is the Blade of Von-El." he added. "Von-El was my ancient ancestor, and the founder of the House of El. He, along with eleven others, ended the Great War on Krypton, laying the foundations of modern Kryptonian society. These twelve were known as the Twelve Wise Ones, because they had great wisdom, and could understand the minds and hearts of their fellow Kryptonians, enabling them to negotiate peace. Legend says that, at the end of negotiations, Von-El threw his blade into the sky, and told his fellows to do the same. That day marked the end of all warfare between the people of Krypton, and the Creator is said to have left a memoriam to Von-El and the rest of the Twelve for all time, by creating that constellation, to remind all of Krypton how peace was won." He chuckled. "It wasn't known at the time, but the Twelve were actually telempaths, capable of both telepathy *and* empathy, making them wise negotiators."

Alison smiled. "They were mutants?"

Clark nodded.

"The Twelve had what we called the 'W-Gene,' since its gift imparted *wisdom* to its holders." He explained. "The Twelve went on to form Krypton's ruling body, the Council of Twelve, which ensured that all of Krypton had peace and prosperity for all time."

Over the next hour, Clark pointed out all the Kryptonian constellations he could find to Alison, until it was nearly midnight. As Clark pointed out the last constellation, Alison yawned, and Clark automatically noticed.

"*Taushi*, you should go to bed." He said.

"No, really, I'm okay." Alison said quickly. She looked to Clark. "So...are you okay?"

Clark smiled, and nodded.

"I guess I was just a bit bummed about not finding the Speeder." He admitted. "I just thought I might be able to *really* catch a glimpse into my people's past." He shrugged. "I'll be fine, Ali. Don't worry."

Alison smiled, and yawned again.

"Well, I think I *will* go to bed." She said, getting up. As she walked down to the campsite, she looked over her shoulder, smiling. "And you should come *with* me."

Clark froze, his brain racing to process that sentence, unsure of *exactly* what he'd heard. "W-*What?*" He stammered, feeling his face go as red as his uniform's cape.

Alison froze, her face going *just* as rosy. "Oh, *no*, I didn't mean like *that!*" she cried. She smiled sheepishly. "I just meant...for *you* to go to sleep, too!"

Clark smiled, fighting down the fierce redness that had colored his face.

"I will." He promised. "Goodnight, *taushi*."

Alison smiled back, her eyes sparkling for him.

"Goodnight, *tausha*." She cooed, before she headed to the campsite, and darted into her own tent.

Smiling to himself, Clark took one last look at the stars, before heading down to the campsite, walking to the tent he was sharing with Hank. Carefully, he lifted the tent flap...only to find that Hank's sleeping bag was empty.

'*He must be out for some night air.*' Clark thought. After taking off his shorts and t-shirt, clad only in his boxers, now, Clark got into his sleeping bag, and went to sleep.

Shortly after all the students – save for Clark – had turned in, Hank left the campsite, now clad in only his blue shorts. The students would be safe with Clark.

He *needed* to get out, if only for a while.

Now among the foliage of the wilds, Hank allowed the Beast-side of his personality to come out a bit. He darted into the underbrush, moving like lightning through the shrubbery, guided by his beast-senses. Hearing the voices of a nearby campsite, he instantly stopped, crouching low in the foliage, to take a look.

The site was inhabited by a bunch of three armed men: hunters. "So, you think the Doc's gonna find anything?" one hunter asked.

"Beats me." a second replied. "But even if he *does*, he's *nuts* about just tryin' to study it."

"Yeah!" a third added. "*I* say if the Doc *does* find this 'Bigfoot,' we oughtta lock it in a cage an' sell it to a *zoo!*"

Hank frowned to himself; he didn't want to be mistaken for a 'Bigfoot,' as long as *these* types were around. He turned to go...

*Snap!*

Hank's eyes widened in horror as he felt the twig snap under his foot. The hunters instantly took notice. "What the hell..?!" one yelled.

Quickly, Hank darted off, trying to get as far away as he could...but it was too late.

"There's something in the brush!" another hunter yelled. "It's the Bigfoot! *After* it!" With that, the three hunters ran after Hank.

Hank darted this way and that through the forest, keeping well ahead of the hunters, but he was unable to lose them. Finally, he got an idea. He quickly made a sharp turn to the left, causing the hunters to lose sight of him, and ran for a pair of tall redwood trees. He leapt towards the massive trunk of one tree, and then leapt off the trunk towards the other. He did this several times until he grasped a tree branch, and climbed up to a well-leaved branch, hiding in the foliage.

The ploy worked perfectly; the hunters ran to the base of the trees, looking around.

"I don't see him." One hunter muttered.

"Must've lost him." The second said. "Well, it don't matter. The rest of the crew will get here, tomorrow; with all of us here, we'll track it down."

"Okay, then." The third added. "Let's get back to camp, and get some shut-eye." With that, the three hunters walked off, heading for their campsite.

Once the coast was clear, Hank dropped down from his perch, landing silently, frowning to himself. '*It looks like I'll have to be more careful.*' he thought to himself. It was probably for the best if he headed back to camp...

...but his Beast-self wasn't finished.

'*A few more hours couldn't hurt.*' Hank thought, before he darted back into the brush, moving swifter than the wind.

He was in his element.

After waking up the next morning, Kitty had promptly put on her yellow t-shirt and blue overall-shorts, and gotten out of her tent. Looking around, she saw that, except for Clark and Mr. McCoy, who were preparing breakfast, she was the only one up. "Good morning." she greeted, as she walked over to the kitchen-tent they had set up.

Clark smiled.

"Morning, Kit." he replied. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah." Kitty answered. "You guys?"

Hank chuckled.

"Truthfully, I didn't get much sleep, last night." He admitted. "I was out in the wilds until the early morning."

Kitty smiled. "Hey, that's part of why we all came out here."

Hank sighed. "When I was out there...I *enjoyed* it." He whispered. "The part of me that is a beast *loved* being out there, in the wilds, and the rest of me...the rest of me enjoyed it, too." He lowered his gaze. "And *that's* what frightens me." He whispered. "I'm a *man*, not a beast..."

Clark smiled.

"Why not be *both?*" He inquired. As Hank looked up, Clark continued, "For the longest time, I always thought of myself as a human, before I learned of where I came from. From then on, I thought of myself as an alien. But after I spent time in the Fortress...*and* after living in the Institute, I realized that I was *both*; I am Clark Kent *just* as much as I am Kal-El." He smiled. "And it can work the same way for *you*, Hank."

Kitty nodded.

"Maybe it's time for you to become who you were *meant* to be." She added.

"Morning." Lance greeted, as he walked over, rubbing his eyes. As he spotted Kitty, he smiled.

"Hey, Pretty Kitty." He said, giving her a sweet kiss on the cheek.

Kitty smiled. "Hey, Lance." she cooed, happily accepting her boyfriend's embrace.

Lance smiled. "I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?"

Clark chuckled, shaking his head. "Just talking shop, that's all."

Before too long, the others had all woken up. By that time, breakfast was ready, and the entire group enjoyed a nice breakfast. After finishing breakfast and putting away their cutlery, Hank suggested that they postpone their nature-walk until the afternoon, giving them all the opportunity to go for a swim.

The New Mutants all cheered at that.

Quickly, they headed to their respective tents to change, taking turns changing in their tents. Alison stood outside her tent, waiting for Tabitha to finish. Before too long, Tabitha stepped out, clad in a one-piece light rose swimsuit, with a diamond-shaped hole exposing her naval. Tabitha smiled. "All yours, girl!"

Alison smiled back. "Thanks." she replied, before she ducked inside to change. After a few minutes, Alison stepped back out; she now wore a two-piece swimsuit, consisting of a silvery, bikini-style bottom, and a silver-blue, tank-top-style upper-piece, completely covering her chest all the way up to her neck, with a zipper in the front, zipped all the way up to her swimsuit top's collar.

As Alison stepped into view, someone let out a whistle...a whistle that sounded distinctly like Ray's. Alison rolled her eyes. Tabitha chuckled, and gave her the thumbs-up of approval. "*Jeez*, girl, you're gonna knock Clark's super-peepers out of their *sockets!*"

Alison chuckled, suppressing a light blush at the thought.

"Thanks." She replied.

Tabitha grinned slyly. "Although." She added, "I might be hesitant to wear something like that if *I* had a boyfriend with X-Ray vision..."

"*TABITHA!*" Alison cried, her face going rosy. "Clark wouldn't do that!"

"Why?" Tabitha chuckled. "He *is* a guy, after all, Ali!"

Alison shook her head.

"Clark would respect my privacy." She said firmly. "He wouldn't do something like that." **Unless I** wanted' *him to.*' a naughty little voice in her head added. Alison quickly shook her head, silencing her libido.

Tabitha just smiled, as if she'd sensed her unspoken thought.

"So, where *is* the Man of Steel?" Tabitha inquired, changing the subject, as she glanced to the pond. "I don't see him."

"I think he's in the waterfall, cooling off." Alison said, as she recalled what her sweetie had said he was doing before they had gone to change.

Tabitha chuckled. "Waiting in the waterfall, huh?"

Alison half-frowned. "Are you suggesting something?" She quipped.

"Nope." Tabitha chuckled. "Just remarking on how that sounds like a sweet set-up..."

Alison suppressed a laugh.

"*Sure*, Tabby." She replied. "Later!" With that, she walked towards the pond. As she did, she took note of her friends in the pond; Kitty was splashing Lance playfully, seconds before Lance ducked under the surface and pulled Kitty under, only to come up seconds later with her trapped in his arms as they shared a sweet kiss. Bobby had crafted a makeshift ice-water slide, and was sliding down it, only to get splashed by a laughing Jubilee. Rahne had changed to her wolf-form and was dog-paddling to the edge of the water, climbing out and shaking herself off, spattering Roberto, before she changed back. Amara was helping Jamie build an impressive sand-castle, since Amara wasn't fussy about the water. And Sam and Ray were both doing cannonballs off the top of the waterfall.

Then, Alison spied a silhouette in the waterfall itself, and she smiled, before she walked around to the back of the waterfall, walking into the small cave formed by the rushing of falling water.

Clark was standing in the waterfall itself, letting the jet-stream wash over him, clad in his dark blue swim shorts, his eyes closed, a contented smile upon his face. Alison couldn't help but smile as she looked her boyfriend over; his eight-pack abs were perfectly defined, his pecs were *flawless*, his shoulders *equally* perfect, and his arms and legs were perfectly muscled; all in all, Clark had the physique of a Greek *god*.

As Alison drew near, Clark's smile grew, and he opened his eyes, stepping out of the waterfall. "Hey, Ali."

"Hey." Alison replied, fighting the blush that was creeping over her face as she saw beads of water collecting across her sweetie's skin, his jet-black hair down slicked down on his skull, only serving to enhance his good looks.

"What were you doing?" Alison babbled.

Clark smiled. "Listening to the water." he replied. "Each droplet makes its own sound; if you listen, Ali...it's nature's own *symphony*."

Alison smiled. "I can imagine." she replied, turning to look at the waterfall.

As she turned, Clark gazed upon his beloved *taushi*, admiring her beauty; her sapphire eyes, her strawberry-blonde tresses, her smooth, creamy skin, her perfectly slim midriff, her ample curves, and her perfectly trim-yet-sumptuous *derriere*...

'*Cut it out!*' he thought to himself, snapping out of his love-struck fog. He *couldn't* think of his Ali this way; she deserved *better*...

"See anything you like?"

Clark froze, as he saw Alison looking over her shoulder at him, smiling coyly, looking at him as if he'd been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

Clark grinned sheepishly. "Uh...well..."

Alison smiled flirtatiously. "You were looking at me, *weren't* you?" she teased.

Clark smiled goofily, and nodded. "Sorry."

"*Why?*" Alison laughed, her laughter echoing like a chime.

"Well...I know how upset you get when people stare at you." Clark said softly. "I just...didn't want you to..."

"I don't like getting ogled by every hormone-crazed teenage boy in a twenty-mile radius." Alison agreed. Smiling flirtatiously, she walked closer to him, standing up on her toes until their noses touched. "But being stared at by the man I *love*, and the man who loves *me*, whose thoughts are going haywire simply because I'm in a swimsuit...well, that's a *different* story."

Clark didn't dare speak. Alison smiled, and added, "You're my *boyfriend*, Clarkie. You're *allowed* to ogle me." Giggling, she finished, "Within *reason!* I don't think it's appropriate to use your X-Ray vision to look at me all the time!"

"Well, I know *that*, Ali." Clark said. "I wouldn't betray your priva...wait, '*all* the time'?" He froze. "Ali...what exactly are you saying?"

Alison giggled, and touched her nose to his.

"What do you *think* I'm saying?" She cooed.

Not for the first time, Clark was glad that his respiratory system was constructed differently from a human's...because Alison had just made him forget how to *breathe*. '*Wow.*'

Alison giggled, looking just as flustered as he was. "So," she said quickly, leaning back, "how did you know it was me when I walked up?"

Clark gave her a loving smile. "Your heartbeat."

Alison's eyes widened. "My heartbeat?"

Clark nodded. "It's different from everyone else's." he explained. He gently placed his hands on her waist, lightly pulling her close. "I know *exactly* what my *taushi's* heart sounds like; I can hear it from *anywhere*." He smiled warmly. "It's how I know you're okay."

Alison smiled happily. "You are the sweetest man *alive*." she cooed. With that, she stood up on her toes, her eyes closing in loving trust, as Clark leaned down to her. Alison placed her hands on her lover's arms, eagerly anticipating their kiss...and froze.

"Clark, you're all *tight!*" She exclaimed, feeling the tension in his muscles.

Clark smiled sheepishly. "Ali, really, I'm fine..."

Alison frowned, folding her arms.

"Clark, it is *not* good for you to have all this *tension!*" She exclaimed. She lightly smiled. "You work *way* too hard."

Clark smiled. "Hey, in *my* line of work, working hard is par for the course!"

Alison chuckled.

"True." She agreed, "Which is one of the many reasons why I love you."

"So...what should I do?" Clark asked.

Alison smiled.

"Fortunately for *you*." She teased, "Your girlfriend has been doing yoga for several years; I think I can help."

Clark grinned.

"If you're talking about anything like my 'Christmas gift,' I'm all for it!" He joked.

"Oh, *you!*" Alison laughed. Smiling, she added, "Now, sit down." Smiling, Clark slowly sat down on the rock, and Alison sat down on top of him, straddling him, as she glided her hands over his shoulders, slowly working the tension out of them, smiling as Clark closed his eyes, letting her work her magic.

As she massaged her beloved's shoulders, Alison sighed as she felt the powerful muscles below Clark's skin; they felt *solid*, and yet fluid, like liquid *metal*, hard to the touch, yet capable of moving like lightning with *deadly* force. ''*Man of Steel' is **right***' Alison thought, as she continued her ministrations. She could feel her heart rate quickening, her breathing speeding up as she touched him, loving the feel of him...and *yearning* to feel him touch her, and to toss her inhibitions to the wind and just *pounce* on him...

'***Stop** it!*' she thought. '*I-I shouldn't be thinking this way! Nice girls don't think these kinds of things!*'

'***Screw that!***' that naughty voice in her mind shot back. '***Be a little bit bad, Alison. You owe it to yourself...and to Clark. You love him, you want him, and you KNOW he feels the same about YOU. Why don't you REALLY make this trip a memorable one?***'

That debate went on and on in her mind...until her heart won out. Slowly, Alison leaned into Clark's flawless chest, and placed a loving kiss between his pecs, over his heart. And another. And another.

Clark instantly took notice, and enfolded Alison in his mighty arms, to Alison's delight, as he tenderly lifted her face to meet his gaze, where he snared her lips in a passionate kiss. After a few blissful minutes, Clark ended the kiss.

"My God, Alison." He whispered, "how on *Earth* have I controlled myself around you for this long?"

Alison giggled. "I guess the time is just right." She cooed, as her heart and mind finally came to an agreement. "In most relationships, things *start* with physical attraction, and then turn to a very close friendship, and then blossom into true love." Smiling, she continued, "But with *us*, we *started* as friends, and *then* fell in love, and only *now* we're really starting to get physical." She looked into his eyes. "I love you, Clark Kent, and I want no other man but *you*."

Clark almost died, then and there, but he managed to smile back at his *taushi*.

"And I love *you*, Alison Blaire." He replied. And he meant *every* word of that declaration. He didn't know how he could have loved any other woman but this sweet creature in his arms, right now. The only way he could *possibly* have loved another was if he'd been born in another universe.

But it would had to have been a universe without Alison.

Slowly, lovingly, Clark pulled his beloved into another kiss, smiling to himself as she softly moaned in bliss, holding her close, savoring the feel of her against him. After a few more perfect minutes, Clark released Alison from the kiss, and tenderly leaned down to her, kissing the side of her throat, savoring her blissful gasps, as he lovingly cupped her breasts, gliding his hands over her curves, caressing her nipples through the fabric of her swimsuit.

"Oh, *God*, Clark," Alison whispered, "don't stop...*please*..."

"I won't." Clark whispered to his beloved. After another few blissful minutes, Clark stopped his loving caresses, to gaze into Alison's crystal eyes. They only needed that brief meeting of gazes to convey how they felt about each other. Alison closed her eyes in perfect trust, as Clark lightly grasped her zipper, and slowly began to unzip her top, every inch revealing more and more of her ample curves, moving flawlessly with her quickened breath. In seconds, pure bliss would be theirs...

When Clark had the zipper one-quarter of the way undone, revealing the swell of his beloved's curves, he froze; it was something that Alison knew all too well. Not knowing whether to scream in frustration or to laugh at how hilarious the timing was, Alison buried her head in Clark's chest, letting out a noise that sounded like a combination of the two. Clark's statement indicated that he partially shared her sentiment;

"Dang it, of *all* the lousy, rotten timing..." He muttered. He looked apologetic. "Oh, God, *taushi*, I am *so* sorry..."

"I know." Alison sighed, slowly returning to sanity.

Clark smiled. "Rain check?"

Alison smiled coyly.

"You'd *better* believe it, buster!" She teased. "Now, get going! I'll get to my communicator and get the 411, right now!"

Clark smiled.

"You're the *best*, Ali!" He exclaimed. He quickly gave her one more loving kiss, before helping her to her feet, and darting off. Seconds later, a sonic boom shook the air as he flew off. Chuckling to herself, Alison quickly zipped her top back up, and walked out of the cave, to get her communicator, to help her *tausha*.

It hadn't taken Superman too long to deal with this latest emergency. A cargo ship had developed engine trouble off the coast of Portugal, and he'd had to guide it into port. With Alison providing the layout of the nearest port, he'd easily towed the vessel into port from underneath its hull, easily avoiding the underwater hazards in *half* the time it would have taken him alone.

And now, he was just flying back to camp, his mission accomplished...

Suddenly, his belt-computer started to beep. Superman stopped in mid-flight, and took it out, opening it; he was getting an alert from the Fortress' computer. Apparently, the Fortress' scanners were reading significant activity in the Fortress' immediate area.

Superman arched an eyebrow in confusion; recently, the Fortress had been getting sporadic sensor contacts in its vicinity, but nothing like this. Before, it had only detected one or two individuals.

*Now* it was detecting what looked like an entire *fleet* approaching it.

"Fortress," Superman instructed, "deploy sensor-drones; analyze incoming vessels. Cross-reference with known Latverian aircraft and armaments." The only adversary he knew of with access to such military force was *Doom*. He'd hoped that the Fortress' current defenses were sufficient to shield the Fortress *completely* from Doom's sensors...

In seconds, the Fortress had sent out two small sensor-drones, completely shielded from enemy sensors. Seconds later, the drones returned to the Fortress. "*Analysis complete.*" came the computerized reply. "*Vessels do not match any known Latverian configuration.*"

Instantly, the screen brought up an image of one of the ships; it was quite large, slightly smaller than an aircraft carrier, but it was sleek, graceful-looking, and made of blue-green metal, and it did not bear Doom's crest. "*All vessels are Class-D shooter vessels.*" the Fortress continued. "*Armaments include moderate-yield concussive shells and low-yield beam cannons. Shields are not detected; hull composed of high-density alloy of previously unknown type. Tactical analysis indicates 100 percent vulnerability to Polaron Disruptor fire and conventional beam weaponry; higher-yield armaments would constitute excessive force. Overall threat assessment: none. It should be noted that vessel design suggests amphibious capabilities.*"

'*So they came from the sea.*' Superman reasoned. '*Well, hopefully I can talk with them without this turning into a firefight.*' "Fortress, raise defense shield and put the defense network on standby." Superman instructed. Hopefully, he could reach these people before they got to the Fortress at all...

Suddenly, his computer started to beep, indicating that someone was trying to contact him. He promptly put the call through. "Hello?"

"*Superman? It's Reed. Sorry to bother you; the Professor put me through to this line.*"

Superman smiled. "No problem, Reed. What can I do for you?"

"*We were just wondering if you could drop by the Baxter Building, just now.*" Reed answered. "*We have something of an...international incident.*"

Superman's eyes widened in surprise. "Is everything okay?"

"*For the moment.*" Reed replied.

"What's going on?"

"*This is something that you'll need to see to believe.*" Reed said. "*Please, just come as soon as you can.*"

"Of course." Superman replied. "I'll be there soon. Superman out." With that, he switched off his communicator, clipping it back to his belt.

The Fortress could handle itself, for now; with the shield up, those ships were no threat. If the Fantastic Four needed his help, he couldn't keep them waiting. Quickly, Superman changed course, heading for New York.

Superman reached New York in minutes, flying above the clouds, out of sight, until he was directly over the high-tech Baxter Building. He rapidly descended, touching down silently on the landing pad atop the Baxter Building, marked by the stylized '4'. The second he did, the landing pad automatically descended, stopping inside the Building's vehicle hangar. As Superman stepped off, the landing pad promptly ascended back to the top of the Building.

"Hey."

Turning, Superman saw an African-American woman, in her mid-twenties, with a slim frame, and mid-length, brown hair in elegant braids, clad in blue jeans and a light orange tank-top, walk towards him. Her glassy eyes told the tale as easily as her white walking stick did.

She was blind.

The young woman smiled.

"Alicia Masters." She said. "The Four said you'd be dropping by soon, Superman."

Superman smiled back.

"Nice to meet you." He replied. "So, what's the situation?"

Alicia chuckled. "Well, it's nothing world-shattering...*yet*." she answered. "So far, Reed's managed to keep His Highness from going ballistic like he *normally* does."

Superman arched an eyebrow. "Who?"

"You'll see." Alicia said. "Follow me." With that, she walked off, tapping her cane ahead of her, and Superman followed.

After a few minutes, Alicia led Superman to a conference room. "Brace yourself." She warned with a chuckled, before walking off. Superman opened the door, and walked in.

Inside the conference room were five people: the Fantastic Four, and one that Superman didn't recognize. The newcomer was quite tall, though a tiny bit shorter than he was, and well-built, with flashing green eyes, light skin and short black hair, with slightly pointed ears, clad in a sleeveless black vest and black pants, a gold belt around his waist adorned with a golden conch shell, and golden armlets around his wrists, with an imperious expression upon his face.

As Superman walked in, the newcomer whirled towards him, automatically glaring.

"Who are *you?*" he snapped.

Superman refused to take offense. "A friend." he replied simply.

Reed smiled wearily. "Hello, Superman. We're glad you could come."

The newcomer turned back to Reed, scowling. "If you think I will be intimidated by *another* surface-dweller, Richards, you are *sorely* mistaken." he snapped. "I have lost track of the number of times I have warned your people of the consequences of breaking this treaty..."

"We remember those times well, Namor." Reed replied, remaining calm. "But *we* didn't break the treaty."

"Superman," Sue interjected, "Allow us to introduce Namor, the King of Atlantis."

Superman blinked.

"*Atlantis?*" He repeated. He looked to Namor. "As in, the mythical island that sank below the waves? *That* Atlantis?"

Namor nodded condescendingly. "We are no more myth than *you* are, 'Superman,' or whatever you call yourself." he said.

Superman stayed cool. "Well, Your Highness, what seems to be the problem?"

Namor's eyes narrowed. "The *problem*, surface-dweller, is that there is a crystalline monstrosity on Atlantean territory!"

Superman had a sneaking suspicion about what Namor was talking about. "Where exactly is it?"

"It's on the North Pole." Reed explained. "Much of the North Pole is now considered Atlantean territory."

"Yeah, so when Namor here spots some crystal thing on his turf, by pure reflex, he blames *us!*" Johnny quipped. "And then he drags his two cousins here with him just so he can bitch about it!"

"*Can* it, Matchstick." Ben warned. "This ain't the time."

Namor momentarily glared at Johnny, before looking back to Reed.

"Though the flame-whelp's tone is insolent, his words speak the truth, Richards." He said. "*If* your people did not construct that...*abomination*, who *did?*"

"That's what we hope to find out, Namor." Reed answered. To Superman, he added, "This is why I asked you here, Superman. We need you to fly to the North Pole and investigate this crystalline construct. We'd go ourselves, but we need to stay here, to smooth things over with Namor."

Namor smirked. "What Richards *means*," he chuckled, "is that he doesn't trust me with his wife in his absence." Sue *glared* at Namor at that remark.

'*Hoo, boy.*' Superman thought. **So that's** Namor's' *fleet at the Pole. This isn't going to end well.*' Out loud, he said, "I think I can spare *all* of you the trouble." To Namor, he added, "Your Highness, the structure you're talking about is *huge*, consisting of crystals jutting up from the polar ice at 45-degree angles, all interweaving in a complex pattern."

Namor's eyes momentarily widened, as he arched an eyebrow quizzically. "You've seen it?"

Superman sighed. "Actually, Your Highness," he replied, "I *built* it."

The entire room was silent for a good few minutes at that.

Reed was the first on to speak. "You...*built* it?" he murmured. "Then that's..?"

Superman nodded. "The Fortress of Solitude." he replied. "I assembled it from the nano-crystal bequeathed to me by my father, five years ago."

Namor's eyes narrowed in sheer *fury*. "*YOU'RE responsible?!*" He roared. "*You DARE to trespass on Atlantean territory?!*"

Superman kept his cool.

"With all due respect, King Namor." He said, "In my defense, I didn't know the Pole *was* your territory."

"At the time, it *wasn't*." Sue said. "What you're forgetting, Namor, is that the treaty giving the Pole to Atlantis is only *recent*. Five years ago, Atlantis didn't care at *all* about the Pole."

At that, Namor calmed somewhat. "With all the polluting that you surface-dwellers seem to do, we had to take measures to safeguard the last great repository of fresh water." he said. He looked to Superman. "In light of this, I am willing to overlook your trespassing..."

His eyes narrowed. "...*provided* that you remove that crystal monstrosity *immediately!*" he snapped.

Superman wasn't intimidated. "Your Highness, exactly what *is* the problem you're having with the Fortress being there?" he asked. "Is the Fortress polluting your waters?" He was *sure* that the Fortress didn't produce *any* waste-emissions; the technology was entirely clean.

Namor scowled.

"At the moment." He admitted, "no." His scowl grew. "But, knowing you surface-dwellers, it's only a matter of *time!*"

"Well, then, is the Fortress occupying a territory on the Pole that your people had intended to use?"

"Don't be absurd!" Namor sneered. "None of my people can breathe on the surface, unless equipped with re-breathers; only myself and my family can survive up here for any extended periods of time! Personally, I can't *stand* the surface; I'm certainly not going to force my people up here unless absolutely *necessary!*"

Superman frowned, as Namor's arrogance and rudeness was starting to get on his nerves. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "Then *what*, Your Highness, is the problem?"

Namor's eyes narrowed, as he looked Superman in the eye. "Your crystal *abomination* is on *our* soil, and your presence is *not* welcome." he snarled. "Atlantis' Fleet is in position, ready to *blast* that...*thing* off of our territory." He crossed his arms imperiously. "Either *you* remove that abomination...or *we **will***"

The Fantastic Four all looked stricken. "Uh, boy..." Ben muttered.

Namor smiled smugly. "Well?"

Superman refused to lose his cool.

"Your Highness." He said calmly, "It's not as simple as that..."

"Then I shall consider myself answered." Namor sneered, as he took out a small communicator. "Commence firing!" he ordered into it.

After a few seconds, there was a burst of static over the communicator, and then a reply came. "*W-Weapons ineffective, my liege!*"

Namor's eyes widened in sheer surprise.

"*What?!*" He exclaimed. "Explain!"

"*Our beam-weapons, Sire, seem to be striking some sort of...of invisible barrier!*" came the reply. "*None of our beam-weapons can pierce it!*"

"And that would be the Fortress' defense shield." Superman said. "I noticed your Fleet approaching the Fortress before I came here, so I set the defense network on standby."

Namor scowled. "Increase rate of fire!" he ordered into the communicator. "Use concussive weaponry!"

"*Uh...we would, Sire...provided we were still in range of the structure.*"

Namor paused for a few seconds. "Explain yourself, Captain."

"*Well, Sire...shortly after we began firing, some sort of beam engulfed the Fleet...and we all found ourselves over a hundred miles from the structure, back where we emerged onto the surface.*"

"Wide-field quantum teleportation." Superman said. "It's one of the Fortress' passive defenses."

Namor put his hand to his head, as if developing a headache. "Return to the structure and re-commence firing!" he ordered.

"*Big* mistake, Your Highness." Superman said firmly; enough was enough. "You see, the Fortress' computer has been monitoring your communications to your Fleet; the minute you made the initial order to attack, the Fortress intercepted your signal. That static sound we all heard? That was the Fortress' computer piggy-backing into your signal, and uploading a virus into your computer systems. When you gave that *second* order, the Fortress switched on the virus. By now, your entire Fleet is nothing but the world's largest *paperweight* collection."

Johnny whistled. "*That* is one *smart house.*"

"You lie." Namor sneered. "Atlantean battle technology is *infinitely* superior to anything you surface-dwellers can muster! You cannot incapacitate the Fleet with a simple computer virus!"

"Call them." Superman suggested. "See for yourself."

Namor scowled. "Captain," he said, "have you reached the target?"

"*N-Negative, Sire!*" came the frantic reply, muffled by static. "*Every system on...ship has gone dead! Weapons...propulsion...sensors...nothing...working! All other...experiencing similar...dead in...water, Sire!*"

Namor froze, rage and disbelief warring on his face. "All I want," Superman said calmly, "is to live in peace; nothing more. If you send your Fleet home, I'll shut off the virus."

Namor snarled in pure rage, and spoke into the communicator, "Captain, at the earliest possible moment, you and the rest of the Fleet are to break off the attack and return to the rendezvous point!"

At that, Superman took out his belt-computer. "Fortress, disengage viral attack-countermeasure. Send kill-code to virus and stand down all active defenses."

After a few seconds, a reply came over Namor's communicator. "*We...we can move again, Sire! Whatever caused the failures is gone!*"

"Proceed to rendezvous point." Namor ordered, before he shut off his communicator.

"Well, I'll be darned!" Ben laughed. "How do you like *that*, Your Highness?"

Namor snarled at Superman. "This..is *an OUTRAGE!*" he roared.

"Aw, what's wrong, Fish-Face?" Johnny laughed. "Upset 'cause you're not the *big* fish, anymore?"

"*Johnny*," Sue admonished, while trying unsuccessfully to stifle her own laughter, "we shouldn't laugh..."

Utterly furious, Namor sent a murderous glare at Superman. "This is *not* over!" he shouted.

Superman glared right back. "I'm afraid it *is*." he said firmly. "You said so yourself, Your Highness: the Fortress isn't polluting your seas, and I can *guarantee* that it *won't*, it's not on any territory that you're using or ever *will* use, and as we've just seen, your Fleet is no threat to it. Now, if anything regarding the first two reasons changes, feel free to speak with me about it, but until then...*swim off.*"

Namor's eyes widened in surprise...and then narrowed. "*HOW **DARE** YOU?!*" He exploded, and he pulled his fist back to punch Superman.

"Namor, I wouldn't do that if I were you..." Reed warned, but Namor didn't listen.

*CRACK!*

Namor's punch struck Superman square in the face, and Superman merely leaned his neck back, taking the strike easily...but it was *Namor* who received the brunt of it. "*AAAAAAHHHHHH!*" Namor howled, clutching his hand, yelling in more incredulity than anything else. "My...my *hand!*"

"Don't worry." Superman said. "You didn't break anything, Your Highness." Namor scowled in fury, and stormed out of the conference room.

Superman shook his head. "Nice guy."

"Oh, yeah, he's a real runner for this year's 'Mr. Congeniality.'" Ben quipped.

"*Dude*," Johnny said to Superman, "You are *officially* my best friend! Do you know how long we've been waiting for *somebody* to put that tool in his place? I *swear*, every single time he comes here to bitch about something, he *always* plays the '*Do-what-I-say-or-I'll-send-my-Fleet*' card! It's about *time* someone called his bluff!"

"Namor's social skills leave...something to be desired, I admit." Reed said, "but it's not *entirely* Namor's fault; we *do* have to remember his...unique situation."

Superman arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Namor is half human, and half Atlantean, species name *Homo mermanus.*" Reed explained. "As a result, he has the superior physical capabilities of the Atlantean people, and he can survive on the surface, as well as several other unique abilities. However, due to his dual nature, he is afflicted with a condition similar to bipolar mood-disorder; constant exposure to the oxygen-enriched water of Atlantis puts him in a manic state – which we all just saw – and constant exposure to the surface atmosphere does the opposite, depressing him. His two cousins are also human-Atlantean hybrids, and are thus afflicted in the same way, but, unlike Namor, they divide their time equally between the water and the surface, which seems to neutralize this condition."

"Yeah." Johnny agreed. "Unlike Fish-Face, Arty and 'Nita are pretty cool."

"I'm guessing those are Namor's cousins." Superman hazarded.

Sue nodded. "Princess Namorita is the daughter of Namor's Aunt, Namora, who ruled Atlantis before Namor came of age, and stepped down, letting Namor take the throne." she said. "As for Prince Arthur, he is the long-lost son of Namor's Uncle. Arthur was lost for over ten years; apparently, he was raised by a human family in the U.S."

Superman's eyes widened, as he remembered one of his friends from childhood. "Where exactly was he raised?" He inquired.

"Hmm..." Sue thought aloud, "...I really can't remember the name of the town, but I'm pretty sure it was in Kansas..."

"Smallville?" Superman asked.

"Why...*yes!* That's it!"

"Did you say Namor's cousins were here, as well?" Superman asked. Sue nodded. Quickly, Superman darted out of the conference room, following Namor's trail; he *had* to be sure...

He soon found the room that Namor had entered, and headed in. Inside, he found Namor, and two others. One was a young woman, in her late teens, of a slender, graceful frame, with light blue skin, blue eyes, long white hair, and pointed ears, clad in a one-piece red swimsuit. The other was a young man, around the same age as Superman, tall, and well-built. He had light skin, green eyes, and mid-length sandy blond hair, clad in green pants and an orange vest. He had a small blond goatee beard, but Superman would recognize his face *anywhere*.

Namor snarled at Superman as he walked in. "*You!*" he snapped. "After what you've done, you *dare*..?!"

But Arthur cut him off. "*Smallville?!*" he exclaimed, laughing. "Smallville, is that *you?!*"

Superman smiled. "It's good to see you again, Aquaman."

"*Likewise.*" Arthur nodded, walking over and hugging his old friend. "How've you been, old pal?"

"Oh, I've been busy."

"I'll *bet!*" Arthur chuckled. "So *you're* this 'Superman,' that everyone talks about; should've known! Why, after all the misadventures us freaks had in Smallville, I should have *known* it was you!"

Superman laughed. "And what about *you*, *Prince* Arthur?" he asked. "It looks like you found your *real* family, after all!"

Arthur chuckled. "Well, shortly after you disappeared, I decided it was time for me to find my birth family." he replied. "I spent a couple of years searching the country; the money that Mr. and Mrs. Curry gave me helped keep me afloat while I searched. When I came to the east coast, I just...felt this *pull* towards the ocean, so I dove in. I met up with an Atlantean task force, who identified me as the King's long-lost cousin. One thing led to the next, and here I am!"

Namor's incredulous expression was nearly *comical*. "Cousin...you *know* this...*creature?*"

Arthur grinned. "Namor, he's *only* one of my best friends in the *world!*" He chuckled. "Guys, this is..."

"Kal." Superman quickly interjected. "My birth name."

"Oh. Right. Gotcha." Arthur agreed.

The young woman – Namorita – smiled kindly. "I am pleased to meet you; Cousin Arthur has spoken very kindly of you and his other four friends from the place he was raised in." she said.

Superman smiled. "Thank you, Princess."

Namor scowled. "My cousin's words *might* have been less kind," he said, "if he had been aware that his 'old friend' was responsible for that crystalline *abomination* upon the polar ice!"

Arthur frowned at his cousin. "Namor, didn't 'Nita and I *tell* you that trying to attack that thing head-on was a bad idea?" he said. To Superman, he asked, "Is that true? *You* built that thing?"

Superman nodded. "I found out about *my* birth-family, too." he said. "The Fortress of Solitude – the structure – was left to me by my father."

Arthur half-smiled. "And this old blow-fish was giving you grief about it, just now."

Namor's scowl grew. "My *duty*, dear cousin, is to protect Atlantis, just as it is *yours*. Perhaps you should remember that."

Namorita frowned. "We *didn't* forget that, cousin; we had no *idea* exactly what that structure was. Attacking it could have had consequences we could not have foreseen; blindly lashing out could have destroyed the Fleet, or incensed its creators." She lightly smiled at Superman. "We were fortunate that its master was so understanding. Personally, I think that structure – this 'Fortress' – is quite beautiful."

Namor rolled his eyes. "Cousin, your interest in things unnatural boggles my mind." he said. "If it is not this crystalline monstrosity upon the ice, it is the *smaller* abomination in the ancient shrine."

Superman instantly perked up at that. "Pardon me?"

Namor frowned. "Not that it is any concern of yours, but I was just referring to my cousin's 'hobby' – her interest in the lore surrounding the crystal object in the ancient shrine just outside of Atlantis' borders. Many of my people – including Namorita, I'm sad to say – believe that the object is a...craft, of some kind."

Namorita frowned.

"Namor, the object in the Traveler Shrine *is* a vessel!" She exclaimed. "Our records *clearly* indicate that a person escaped from it just prior to it crashing into the ocean's surface!"

Superman took a deep breath. "When did this happen?"

Namorita looked confused. "Approximately 500 years ago." she said. "Why?"

Superman didn't speak for a moment. "The object is 25 meters long, composed of both silver-colored metal and off-white crystal." he finally whispered. "Its shape is that of a rectangular parallelogram, but it extends out more at the top of the stern, and starts to taper at the lower section of the bow, just below an opaque screen."

Namorita blinked. "You've seen it?" she asked.

"No, but I know what it looks like." Superman said. "I've spent a good part of this year looking for it. You're right, Princess; it *is* a ship – a *Swift-Justice*-Class Speeder."

Namorita froze. "How do you know this?" she whispered. "How *can* you know?"

Superman took a deep breath. "Because it was my people who *built* it."

"This is *ridiculous!*" Namor sneered. "You expect us to believe that there were people who, 500 years ago, built such a device, on this planet?"

"No, Your Highness." Superman said. "Not on *this* planet."

All the while, Namorita had been slowly backing up, her eyes wide. "*Merciful Neptune...*" she whispered, "*...you're...you're a **Traveler***"

Superman blinked. "What?"

Instantly, Namorita dropped to her knees in mortal terror, averting her eyes. "*We didn't know, we didn't know, we didn't know!*" she wailed, terrified. "*Please, mighty one, have pity!*"

At once, Namor helped his cousin to her feet. "That's *enough*." He said sternly. His tone softening a bit, he added, "Namorita, I have told you countless times, there are *no such things as Travelers.* They do not *exist*. I do not know how that object appeared, but it was *not* by a race of beings capable of flight, abnormal strength, or anything *else* mentioned in the legends. They are not real; they are not coming to take that object and destroy Atlantis in doing so. The legends *are not true.*"

Turning to Superman, he scowled, and added, "The matter regarding your presence on our soil – for *now* – is closed...but if you set foot in my realm, creature, I will have your *head!*" To his cousins, he finished, "If you wish to conclude matters with Richards and his family, you may do so. I am returning to the Fleet, to debrief them." With one last contemptuous glare at Superman, Namor left the room.

Superman lightly smiled. "Well, Arthur, your cousin is definitely...devoted to his country."

Arthur chuckled. "Try being *related* to him."

Namorita still looked fearful. "P-Please, mighty Traveler, forgive him." she whimpered. "*Take* your craft back, *please*...*but spare our people..!*"

"Princess, please, *stop.*" Superman said. "I don't want to hurt *anyone!* *No-one* has to be afraid of me."

Arthur arched an eyebrow. "So..." he began "...*your* people built the object in the Shrine? Exactly who *were* they?"

Superman took a deep breath. "Brace yourselves." He said, and he quickly told them of his origins.

When he was finished, both of them were wide-eyed.

"You're an *alien?*" Arthur said.

Superman smiled sheepishly. "I know that's a bit hard to believe..."

Arthur chuckled. "Actually, Smallville, it makes a *lot* of sense."

Namorita looked horrified. "Your people were...*destroyed?*" She murmured, her eyes full of sorrow. "I...I am so sorry..."

Superman lightly smiled. "Don't worry about it."

Arthur chuckled. "Well, we all sure were quite the bunch back in Smallville, weren't we?" He said. "You, me, Ollie Queen, Vic Stone, and Wally West: one alien who *can't* 'phone home;' one prince of a country that *never* has to worry about its water bill; one rich kid..."

"*Two* if you count Lex." Superman interjected.

"True." Arthur agreed. He continued, "One guy who's into heavy metal, *literally*; and one speedster whose feet run *exactly* twice as fast as his yap."

Superman chuckled. "The Six Musketeers."

Arthur nodded. "Whether it was taking down the local bully while staying out of sight, or trying to keep Lex's pranks from backfiring, we stuck together, through thick and thin."

Superman nodded. "It was great while it lasted." he said. "'One for all and all for one.'"

"So, why were you looking for this thing?" Arthur asked.

"It's the only piece of Krypton that's left." Superman replied. "I had hoped to examine it, to find out why it crashed. I thought it was lost, since I couldn't locate its power-signature; the ocean depths must have masked it from detection."

"Well, examining it will prove difficult." Namorita said. "To this day, the ship is surrounded by some kind of invisible barrier, though recently, the barrier is flickering."

"Its power must be nearly depleted, if its shields are fluctuating." Superman said. "I need to get to the Speeder to install a fresh power-module; if its shields fail at that depth, it will be crushed."

Arthur smiled. "I'm sure Namor won't mind if we help you find it, since the Shrine is outside of Atlantis' territory."

"I need to get a fresh module from the Fortress." Superman said. "When you're finished here, just head for the location directly above the Shrine, above the surface; I'll meet you there."

"How will you find us?" Namorita asked.

Superman smiled. "I'll find you; don't worry." he said. With that, he darted out of the room, heading for the vehicle hangar, took the elevator to the roof, and flew off at top speeds.

As he flew, he quickly called Alison on his communicator, brimming with excitement. "Ali, I *found* it!" he exclaimed. "I know where the Speeder is!"

"*Kal, that's **great***" Alison exclaimed. "*How did you find it?*"

Superman laughed. "I'd tell you, *taushi*, but you'd say it was just one big fish-story!"

"*Huh?*"

"I'll explain when I get back." Superman said. "You guys can handle things there, right?"

"*Oh, sure! Don't worry, baby; we'll be fine! See you soon! Love you!*"

"Love you, too." Superman replied, before he ended the call, putting his communicator back, and flying off, towards the Fortress.

*Atlantic Ocean, 500 meters below sea-level*

Deep beneath the ocean waves, a somber blue-green-metal leviathan glided through the waters. The Atlantean warship, resembling a massive manta-ray, made no sound as it headed towards its target.

Aboard the bridge of the vessel, the entire bridge-crew saluted as the commander entered. He was a very tall, strongly-built Atlantean man, with the characteristic blue skin of his people, clad in blue-and-gold battle armor, his helmet resembling the head of a fearsome manta.

"Lord Attuma." The Captain said, "we have just received word from one of our spies in the Royal Palace; Namor is heading out into the border-lands...*alone*."

Attuma smirked. "Proceed." he ordered. It was as if Neptune *himself* was smiling upon him; a direct confirmation of his destiny. The ancient Atlantean Chronicles had foretold that he would conquer Atlantis and its empire...

...and now, the opportunity to do just that had been *presented* to him.

Attuma chuckled.

"Namor, you *fool*." He said to himself. "Your attempts to reason with the surface-dwellers is *proof* of your weakness."

"My Lord?" the First Officer piped up. "The...crystal structure upon the polar ice..."

Attuma frowned. "What of it?"

"Well, my Lord...based on its description...it seems to...to resemble the object in...the ancient Traveler Shrine, my Lord..."

Attuma blinked...and then burst out laughing, along with half the bridge-crew. "The *Traveler Shrine?!*" He guffawed. "*Fool.* The Traveler is nothing but a *myth*; a story told to frighten unruly children!"

The First Officer lowered his head. "Yes...my Lord..."

Smirking, Attuma returned his gaze to the screen. "Full propulsion, Captain!" he ordered, smiling wickedly as his orders were obeyed. '*Soon, Atlantis will be **mine***' he thought, '*...and Namor will pester me no more.*'

Alison couldn't help but smile after speaking with Clark as she sat in her tent, in her hiking clothes; she was happy for her beau – she knew how much finding that Speeder meant to him. '*I hope he gets some answers from it.*' she thought to herself.

Currently, she and the others were back at the campsite, after a brief hike, led by Mr. McCoy; Alison had to admit, some of the plants around the Park were quite interesting. Hank had gone off, at the moment, after his beast-side-wanderlust started acting up, again. She and the others could only wait until their teacher got back...

Alison bit back a scream as a searing pain shot through her head; her headache was acting up, again. It had happened a couple of times, these past few months, but *this* one was a bit different.

The previous migraine-attacks were sound-based; every sound was amplified over a *thousandfold*. *This* migraine seemed to radiate from her *eyes*, as every light seemed *blinding*, as she occasionally saw the world in creepy hues of red, orange, blue, and violet, and then in black and silver-blue, before returning to being blinded by light. Alison shut her eyes tight, *willing* herself not to scream...

"Ali?" came Kitty's voice, as her teammate drew near. "We've got visitors..." but her voice trailed off. "Oh, my God...Ali, are you okay? Is it your headache, again?"

Alison nodded, as tears leaked from her scrunched eyes.

Kitty enfolded her in a sympathetic hug.

"Hang in there, Ali." She whispered. "It'll pass; just hang on."

Slowly, Alison's headache started to fade away, her vision returning to normal. "I'm...I'm okay." Alison whispered, smiling weakly. "Thanks, Kit."

Kitty smiled back. "What are friends for?" she replied. "Now, let's go!" Alison nodded, and they both headed out of the tent.

Outside, Alison saw that all the others had gathered to greet a slightly short, somewhat portly man, in his late forties, with red-orange hair, blue eyes, and a fine red beard, clad in khaki shorts, a green shirt and a khaki vest, with a broad-rimmed hat upon his head.

The man smiled kindly. "I hope I didn't disturb you all." he said. "I was just scouting the immediate area, looking for places to set up my sensors."

"No problem," Lance said, "But..who are you?"

"I am Dr. Lewis Patronete, Cryptozoology." The man said.

"What's that?" Jamie asked.

Dr. Patronete smiled. "Cryptozoology is the study of cryptids; animals that have not yet been identified."

Lance chuckled. "He's a Bigfoot-hunter."

Dr. Patronete chuckled. "We're not *hunting* the Sasquatch; we're merely trying to collect evidence that it exists. The sensors I plan to deploy about the Park will monitor for Sasquatch activity...and, hopefully, capture an image of the Sasquatch."

Kitty smiled. "Well...good luck with that!"

"Thank you." Dr. Patronete said, smiling. "Have a good day." With that, he headed off.

After the Doctor had left, Kitty looked worried. "What if Mr. McCoy gets spotted by these guys?" she exclaimed.

"Someone should go find him." Lance said.

"But who?" Bobby asked. "I mean, you'd have to *be* a beast just to keep pace with him, *if* you can *find* him!"

Alison smiled.

"Rahne?" She asked.

The young Scottish mutant smiled. "Aye, I think I can catch up to 'im." she replied. With that, she instantly changed into her wolf-form, and darted into the brush. Alison and the others could only watch her go.

Hopefully, Mr. McCoy was okay.

As he darted through the underbrush, Hank once again felt at peace. Perhaps Clark and Kitty were right; perhaps being a beast was just as much a part of him as being a scientist...

Suddenly, the brush rustled to his right, and Hank dashed away, to his left...seconds before a shot *whooshed* over his head, striking the trunk of a tree.

A tranquilizer dart.

Growling to himself, Hank doubled his speed, trying to evade his pursuers, rapidly darting away from sounds he heard in the brush, as his pursuers tried to close in on him.

He never even saw the almost-invisible trip-wire in his path...

Hank roared in fury as the thick net dropped from the tree, trapping him, snarling as he felt numerous darts pierce his skin. He groaned groggily, the drug flooding his system, as his pursuers stepped into view.

As he'd expected, they were the hunters from last night...but there were about ten of them, now...

"Looks like we caught us a Bigfoot, boys!" The leader crowed, as the other hunters cheered. "Be careful with it; we can't let our ticket to fame an' fortune get roughed up, none!" Then, as the hunters walked towards him, Hank passed out.