They have become unhinged from time; they are heroes from different realities who must travel from one alternate reality to another, completing missions in order to repair the broken links in the chain of time. They are the Exiles and this is their fate.

Exiles Volume 1. # 40 “Cat in the cradle”

Note: This story and the ones following it is a fan fiction based series derived from my imagination since I hated the King Hyperion arch and most of all the new changes that have occurred in Exiles. I seek no profit in this venture nor do I claim any ownership of any of these marvel characters that are trade marked by Marvel except the original characters that I created for this story and the original characters after this story. The Exiles and any other marvel character that shows up in these stories especially belong to Marvel Enterprises Inc. and I am merely using them to improve my skills as a writer.

The hands of the clock ticked by far too slowly for his tastes. His mind sorted through the various facts of the days that have passed. Too many bad things have happened in such a short time and already he feels a burden, a weight on his shoulders that’s almost unbearable to wear. He was waiting for the moment the doors would open and he would come face to face with her…

“Penny for your thoughts,” Katharine asked.

“Just thinking Kat,” Calvin replied.

“About us?” she asked.

“Well of all people I didn’t expect you to be here,” Calvin responded.

“I didn’t have much choice did I?” Katharine replied.

“I guess you didn’t, but then again you always seemed to get thrust into my life,” Calvin said.

“Now on hold on just a damn minute Calvin Montgomery Rankin, do you honestly believe that I am THAT hung over you?” Katharine replied with her eye sharply focused on him.

“It didn’t stop you from following me to the Avengers,” Calvin replied.

“Oh please. I joined the Avengers because they were short handed. It had nothing to do with you,” Katharine said.

“It never does,” Calvin replied.

The door opened and Magik walked in with a devilish smirk on her face. She pointed to Calvin and four guards came in. Kat tried to interfere, but Magik held her off with the soul sword.

“No need for you interfering,” Magik said.

“Bitch,” Kat said.

“Its okay,” Calvin replied as the guard’s drug him out.

Across from their cell…

Heather and Valeria sat on their beds wondering how long it would be before Calvin came up with a plan to get out of this hell whole. They had been here for three whole days since Magik betrayed them and Calvin had made no attempts to break them out. That and Morph had not been seen in quite some time since their capture.

“I wonder what he is waiting for,” Heather said rhetorically.

Valeria stared at the ground wondering the same thing though she suspected Heather knew. If anything Heather had been around Calvin almost as long as Morph and…T.J.

“You guys okay,” a voice said.

“Whose there?” Heather asked.

“Down here,” a white mouse said.

“Morph, how did you get in here?” Valeria asked.

“It wasn’t easy, but so far it appears the power dampeners here have no effect on me,” Morph said.

“That’s a good thing,” Heather replied. “Can you get us free?”

“No can do I’m waiting for Cal’s signal,” Morph said.

“What signal?” both women said in unison.

The emperor’s throne room…

Magik took a seat beside Lord Lykos’s side. A smile crept upon her face as he laid a kiss upon her cheek.

“Release him,” Lykos said.

“I’m surprised Lykos I didn’t think you had the capability to be a tyrant,” Calvin said.

“People change over time Rankin. I have noticed you have changed as well,” Lykos replied.

Of course I have. I’m not the Calvin Rankin you know.

“My love shouldn’t we dispense with this false modesty and just kill him?” Magik asked.

“In a moment dear, I won’t to test his mettle first in combat,” Lykos replied. “Take off his inhibitor.”

The guards removed Calvin’s inhibitor collar and he instantly felt his powers kick in. His body store of solar energies almost exploding with in him. He let out a large optic beam which blew Lykos backwards and through the wall.

Elsewhere…

“What was that?” Heather said.

“The signal,” Morph said as he deactivated the inhibitor collars on Valeria and Heather.

“All right now we are talking,” Valeria said.

“Let’s go free Kat,” Heather said.

“Did some one call my name,” Kat said with her head phased through the door.

“How did you do that?” Morph asked.

“My secret,” Kat replied.

“Let’s get going,” Valeria said as Kat opened the door.

Outside…

Lykos got to his feet. His body transformed into his reptilian form. His long beak breathed bio energy at Calvin which he dodged with Northstar’s speed.

“Nice try Sauron,” Mimic said.

Calvin had his game face on as he circled Sauron pelting him with optic beams and swiping him with his claws. The other Exiles emerged only to be stopped by Magik.

“Out of our way tramp,” Kat said.

“Make me,” Magik said.

Kat backhanded Magik knocking her on the ground. Sasquatch and Morph ran past to see if they could help Mimic.

“I see you’re stronger then you look squirt,” Magik said.

“I am,” Kat said.

“Then shall we,” Magik said.

The two traded blows. Countering move for move as they fought across the open field. Kat clearly was a seasoned veteran and was much more experienced fighter then Magik. A fact which made the swordswoman angry and frustrated as she tried every dirty trick she could to win. Magik swung her soul sword in a downward arc hoping to catch Kat, but she was too slow and Kat caught her in the ribs with a swift punch followed by a blow to the gut which left her breathless.

“Y-you’re good,” Magik said as she tried to catch her breath. “I underestimated you.”

“I’m the best aside from Calvin. Ever since I joined I never liked you and that’s been what three days in this hell hole?” Kat said. “I’m sure we could be better off without you.”

“Perhaps you could, but maybe you won’t find out,” Magik said as she lunged at Kat.

Kat caught the movement of her sword stroke and reversed it, shoving the soul sword through Magik’s heart. Magik stared into Kat’s eyes and grabbed hold of her soul sword pushing it in further while coming with in a hair of Kat’s face. Her lips so close yet so far. One last thrill was the only thought going through Magik’s mind, but Kat let go of the sword and Magik fell to the ground dead.

The battle…

Sauron seemed to absorb bio-energy in order to increase his strength, speed, and endurance among other things. It appeared he also had a healing factor or at least this reality’s did as well as being able to spew his stolen bio-energy as powerful streams. Mimic tried to whittle Lykos down with attacks they he was using, but his close proximity seemed to fuel Sauron so he stayed at a distance using his optic beams to batter the tyrant until he was weak enough to be taken out. Sasquatch picked up a boulder and tossed it once Sauron started slowly changing back to his human form. The large boulder landed on him crushing his small frame.

As the exiles gathered around where Magik was lying, a portal appeared and there new teammate emerged. At first they thought it was another Illyana Rasputin, but it was not. It was a much taller woman with a mallet in her hand. She wore a familiar garb to the Exiles. One wore by the mighty Thor scion of Odin.

“Welcome to the team,” Mimic said.

“Thanks. My name is Thor-Girl and I’m here as the replacement for Magik. So hang on tight as we port to the next world,” Thor-girl said.

Kat took a quick glance at Calvin before they disappeared in a flash of light.

Next Issue: “Memoirs”

Author’s notes: Originally I planned to keep Magik, but I realized since she was such a back stabber and rebel that she couldn’t gel with the team and that replacing was the best idea. Thor-Girl isn’t the designate in case you’re wondering as she some one totally different.