Allistaire Stewart frowned as the brown haired man bent over a console, studying the readouts intently. He wore a battered brown suit, smudged a bit from his work, and the long overcoat he had on looked like it had seen some wear. A woman almost alike enough to be his twin neared, the military uniform that she wore marking her an officer in the British army, a colonel in the Weird Happenings Organization. "Any progress?" Alysande Stuart asked her brother. "Not really," Allistaire looked up, taking in the ring of standing stones that were now lit up like a Christmas tree. The silvery fire danced from stone to stone, leaping and jumping eerily in the twilight. He puffed out a sigh, "It resembles readings from certain events stateside and up on Muir Isle, but that's all I've got so far." "The Phoenix incident?" Alysande raised an eyebrow in surprise. She was about to ask another question when an officer rushed to their side. "Something odd's happening by the lake," he puffed. "Something else?" Allistaire asked curiously. They walked over to the nearby lake, blinking in surprise as the water bubbled and frothed oddly, then it suddenly... it erupted! "Incoming!" Kitty Pryde yelled as the four women spilled out onto the shore, knocking the two of them over in a pile of limbs. "Pryde," Illyanna growled out, the slim blonde pinned beneath both Kitty and the badly embarrassed Rachel, her black and gold insulated uniform hugging her body. "Sorry about that," Phoenix smoothly rose, the redhead offering her hand to help up the frowning Alysande, her sweatpants and shirt chosen for comfort. "I didn't realize that would happen," Kitty quickly scrambled to get off of Illyanna then the brown haired woman helped her lover up as she mused aloud, "maybe it's something to do with the uncertainty principle...." "Fascinating," Allistaire looked them over after he picked himself up, brushing his clothes off rather absent mindedly. "Americans, I take it?" he asked. "Hi," Rachel waved tentatively as she looked around, "this is England, right?" Her red one piece hugged her slim body, the gold 'X' belt buckle gleaming. "Indeed," Alysande also brushed herself off, "my name is Alysande Stuart, the head of the Weird Happenings organization and this is our chief scientist, my brother Allistaire." "What?" Phoenix blinked. A ghost of a smile teased Alysande's lips as she said, "No, W.H.O." Kitty found herself smiling at that, meeting the amused eyes of the other woman. "Katherine Pryde," she said, tugging nervously at her blue bodysuit, "and these are my associates Illyanna Rasputin, Rachel Summers and... Jean." "The new sorcerer supremes," Allistaire looked at Kitty and Illyanna with respect in his eyes, as well as a bit of amusement.. "How did you know about that?" Illyanna blinked in surprise. "We try to keep abreast of this sort of thing," Alysande said gravely, "I take it you are here because of the stone circle here?" Phoenix nodded gravely as the red and gold haired woman said, "I think so, we're nearly on top of the... event that I sensed." Illyanna looked around, spotting the mystical flames that shone over the heavy stone blocks not far from where they stood. "Do you mind if we...?" she nodded towards them. Alysande looked over at Allistaire, "Will they contaminate the site?" "Should be fine," Allistare offered, "we're not making much progress yet, anyway. An outside, not to mention occult, perspective might be useful." "Lead the way," Kitty grinned. "I wonder how they found out about you two?" Rachel asked softly as the group briskly walked towards the site. "We did get into a public fight in Times Square," Illyanna noted. As they neared the circle of stones more and more sophisticated equipment was set up, Kitty looking around her wide eyed. "I'm impressed," she finally commented to Alysande, "you must be fairly well funded." "A combination of government and private donations," Alysande casually dismissed it as they reached the barrier intended to keep onlookers away. She lifted the rope and waved them on by, then followed them in. This near the ring of small stones the air crackled with static electricity, an odd sensation like there was a storm coming. The stones themselves were barely a foot or two high, inscribed with arcane symbols and text, set in an odd pattern almost resembling an eight. "Mobius strip?" Rachel blinked, looking at how the stones were placed. "Looks like it," Illyanna agreed, circling the area as she narrowed her eyes, calling on her training to try and get a feel for what was going on. Kitty noticed how pale the Phoenix looked and asked, "You all right?" "It's evil here," Phoenix answered her grimly, "and... corrupt, somehow." She shuddered visibly, "But oddly familiar, too." Rachel took Phoenix's hand, gazing worriedly at the woman who was wearing a body so like hers. "Let me help," she offered softly and Phoenix smiled at her in relief. "Interesting," a watching Alysande commented thoughtfully, standing there in a relaxed pose, her hands clasped behind her back. She looked over at Illyanna and asked her, "I take it your friend is a sensitive of some sort?" "Something like that," Illyanna calmly agreed as Kitty walked over to them, Allistaire lingering nearby as he observed. Kitty seriously asked, "What's the history of the site?" "The site came to our attention a little over a month ago," Allistaire provided, "when some phenomenon pushed the stones from underground to the surface." He nodded to rocks, "This appears to be just the tips of much larger slabs of rock, we've dated a sample to over 3000 years old." "How long has the lightning been there?" Illyanna asked. "Less than two weeks," Alysande said crisply. "Almost sounds like the same time Rachel arrived," Kitty murmured. She looked up thoughtfully, "Anything else we should know?" "The energies involved appear to resemble those registered at appearances of the American superhuman Phoenix," Allistaire offered, "but subtlety different, too." "Damn," Illyanna whispered. Kitty nodded grimly, her eyes narrowed slightly. She walked over to the stones, raising her hands to the amulet as she added, "I'm going to try a scan, see if we can find out what's going on." The amulet on her throat irised open, the shining gem floating as it began to glow, casting a beam into the earth below the rocks.... ..... when Kitty suddenly screamed, fire coursing back along the light to engulf her! "Kitty!" Illyanna charged while the Soulsword appeared in her hands. She swung two handed down on the beam, severing the connection with a blaze of power. Kitty was thrown backwards, limp as a ragdoll but Rachel reached out with her telekinetic powers to slow her fall. Alysande raced forward, grabbing Kitty before she hit the ground as the others ran over to their side. "Are you all right?" Phoenix demanded worriedly. "Owww," Kitty groaned, shaking her head. She managed to smile at Illyanna and Alysande, "Thanks, both of you." "What happened?" Illyanna demanded, helping her lover up with surprising gentleness. "Whatever is under there latched on to me somehow," Kitty pushed her now sweaty hair up out of her face, "tried to drain my life force right out of me." Allistaire was taking notes excitedly, "A psionic vampire, maybe?" "I'm just glad you're all right," Rachel sighed to Kitty. She looked up and over to Phoenix, her expression almost accusing as she said, "You know what it is, don't you?" "I think so," Phoenix answered, "or at least, I have a very good guess." "So what is it?" Alysande asked impatiently. "Anti-Phoenix," she answered, Phoenix's face grave.
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