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CHANGE IS COMING
On Wednesday morning, Kitty Pryde is feeling restless. Too much has been happening recently and it has them on edge. Eventually, they decide to check in on the still-comatose Charles Xavier, only to discover that the symbol on his forehead has changed. That...doesn't seem good. Otherwise, the man's condition remains the same.
Just in case, they ask his nurse to let them know if she notices any changes at all. No matter how small.
Should they let the others know or will that just make them worry...?
While it seems like the day might pass without any further surprises, everything changes come evening.
As the day is beginning to wind down, everyone with a mark sees them begin to glow and feels them begin to pulse. While this soon fades for those whose marks have already changed, it only intensifies for the others. The light is blinding. The pulse is throbbing. They feel disoriented and as if they're being pulled out of their bodies. Soon, they pass out.
Fortunately, none of them are alone!
Kurt Wagner is with Bobby Drake in the Danger Room and gets them out of harm's way.
Manuel de la Rocha is with Illyana Rasputin taking a walk around the grounds and catches them when they collapse.
Emma Frost is with Scott Summers in town, having a casual outing in Salem Center. Hopefully they don't make too much of a scene!
Kitty Pryde is with Evelyn Free in one of their rooms.
Is this luck, coincidence, or something else? Regardless, everyone that falls unconscious has someone there to look after them and someone to witness their mark as it changes shape sometime later. Within the hour, everyone is awake again and seems all right.
Evie. Bobby. Illyana. Scott. Now, all the marks have changed.
But nothing significant seems to happen.
In the days that follow, however, all of the marked characters begin to feel a bit...off in a way that's difficult for them to place. Distracted. Restless. Incongruous. Something has happened. Something has changed. But what?
BACK TO CEREBRO
With this rapid escalation of the situation, Emma Frost decides to return to Cerebro with Kitty Pryde and Manuel de la Rocha on Friday (3/21). The trio is additionally joined by Illyana Rasputin, who will contribute magical shielding to the effort. Determined to locate the entity that had shut her out during the previous excursion, Emma retraces her mental steps with her focus on pinning down the entity's physical location. While she is once again noticed and forcefully diverted, she's more prepared now and has an additional layer of magical protection, prolonging her ability to withstand the onslaught. This allows her to make more direct contact with the entity this time before it overwhelms her.Through this contact, Emma finds a mind that is expansive but fragmented. A mind that belongs to a mutant, but one that is different than those she's previously encountered. She also picks up a clear sense of frustration directed at them, and at her and Illyana in particular. Good. Or not. Most importantly, though, she is able to narrow their physical location down to somewhere in...Antarctica? At this, even Emma's boundless confidence falters momentarily, but no. She knows what she detected and she's certain that she's correct. But she'll need another go at this to acquire tangible coordinates.
When the entity breaks the connection, Emma endures the same disorienting assault on her telepathic awareness that she did before. Adding magic to the mix, however, also results in a burst of feedback not unlike the one they'd seen when Illyana's sword came into contact with the mark. The resulting force knocks all four mutants back, sends a reverberation through all the marks, and leaves Cerebro smoking in a few unfortunate places. Some time for recovery and repairs are probably in order...