The MARVELOUS Muppets: X-Men Mark The Spot

[muppetwriter]

It's almost been four months since I've posted the first story of the Muppets/Marvel Comics crossover series that I've been working on, and I've finally been able to cook up another one for everyone to read. This story takes place right after the events of the first one, and puts the Muppets into the world of the uncanny X-Men.:)


The MARVELOUS Muppets
Presents
"X-Men Mark The Spot"

Chapter One:

Kermit the Frog, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo the Great had been in a desperate search for a story that was a thousand times more spectacular than the Spider-Man/Green Goblin incident that had taken place in Manhattan, only a few months ago. The three ambitious reporters had been anxious to find the story of the century for the Daily Bugle (their daily job); they would try to get a scoop on mutated alligators if they could. Although there had been actual stories of mutants that Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo had discovered in other tabloids, they only regarded it as ways of attracting readers’ attention.

However, one day, J. Jonah Jameson gave Kermit an invitation to a senate hearing in Washington D.C. that involved the “mutants” that he, Gonzo, and Fozzie had been hearing about in the other papers. Knowing that refusing Jonah’s request to attend the hearing would only get him fired, Kermit accepted the invitation and took the next flight to the nation’s capital, where he joined rival reporters and photographers in the Senate Hearing Room. While Kermit was finding his seat in the balcony area (where most of the reporters and photographers were collected), he happened to find a friend whose seat was right next to his.

“Scooter?!” exclaimed Kermit, and when Scooter saw Kermit in front of him, he was more shocked than he was.

“Oh, hi, Kermit.” Scooter said. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I was just about to say the same for you.” Kermit said. “What are you doing here at an important assembly like this?”

“Well, my uncle happens to be good friends with Senator Kelly.” stated Scooter, as he pointed towards the dais (a raised panel for senators) and a second, lower panel that was for the “experts” that were testifying. Senator Scott Frank Kelly sat in the middle of the first, higher panel; he had mastered the media much better than those around him, which was why he was the chosen front man. Kermit found it very hard that Scooter’s uncle was the friend of such a powerful figure.

“Y-Your uncle i-is the f-friend of Senator K-Kelly?!” exclaimed a bewildered Kermit, and Scooter nodded in reply.

“For as long as he can remember.” He remarked.

“Sheesh! This world’s a lot smaller than those other puppets think!” uttered Kermit, just as the lights in the room begin to dim, while Jean Grey (a strong, attractive woman in her early thirties) addressed the room and showed an image of a simply-drawn gene with, literally, an “on” and “off” switch on it.

“Play close attention to Dr. Grey’s speech.” Scooter told Kermit. “It’s very interesting.” Kermit sat himself down on the seat next to Scooter, as the both of them listened closely to Jean’s speech.

Dr. Grey began her lecture with the definition of an X-Factor (also known as the imitator gene), and how it existed within every creature on the planet; she added with various facts about genes, such as their way of telling the human body whether to change or stay the same and how it could be literally turned on or off. Jean allowed weather to be an example; her theory stated that as the planet gradually warms up, people whose mutator genes tell their bodies to adapt appropriately will live on and continue to multiply, while others die out; gradually, the species will change.

Jean continued on and on with the lecture, and as she was just about to conclude, Senator Kelly stood up and addressed her, stating that Jean was avoiding the question that he asked her: Are mutants dangerous?

“It is the appointed task of this committee to present to the President a comprehensive report that he may best decide whether or not to pass a registration act.” Kelly said. “We are not here to weed out mutants; we are merely here to assess their potential threat—if any—to national security.” While listening to Kelly’s comments, Scooter nodded his head, as if he was agreeing with it all.

“I am avoiding the question that is decidedly closed, Senator.” Jean responded. “The wrong person behind the wheel of a car can be dangerous.” Similar to Scooter, Kermit nodded in agreement with the comments that Jean made. Kelly had brought up a photograph: a grainy, super-zoomed, somewhat obscured image of a car on a freeway that appeared to have “melted.” He was really playing to the crowd at that moment in time.

“This was taken by a traffic control video in Orange County. A man in a minor altercation literally melted the car in front of him.” Kelly indicated. “I don’t know where you come from, Ms. Grey, but where I come from, you don’t go melting people’s cars when they cut you off. You do it the old-fashioned way: you give ‘em the finger.”

Kelly’s joke got some laughs from the crowd; while everyone was chuckling, Kermit turned to Scooter and uttered, “I usually give ‘em the flipper.”

“But what you presume to tell this committee, Ms. Grey, is that…” Jean immediately contradicted Kelly’s remark, before the senator even had the opportunity to finish it.

“I presume nothing.” She stated. “I am here to tell you that in time, the mutator gene will activate in every living human being on this planet; perhaps even your children, Senator.”

“I can assure you, there is no such creature in my genes.” said Kelly, and everyone in the room laughed, which Kelly mistakenly thought it was for him, until the double meaning occurs to him; he was momentarily embarrassed, but he quickly recovered. “That was funny, I have to admit. You certainly seem to be amused, Ms. Grey.”

“To be frank, Senator…I am tickled.” said Jean, and the room good-naturedly laughed, but were quickly silenced when Senator Kelly made his next comment.

“I wonder how tickled this committee would be to learn about your associate, Professor Charles Xavier.” Jean reacted to his comment with much discomfort, surprised to hear those words from Kelly. “Or about this so-called ‘school for the gifted.’ Come now, Dr. Grey. As you are so open to disclosure, share with the people here the purpose of this school.” Jean quickly collected herself in time to give a reasonable explanation.

“There is indeed a…a school specifically designed…”

“For mutants. Is that not correct, Ms. Grey?” The Senator gestured to the monitor, which displayed a massive estate mansion behind a high iron gate. There were mutters of confusion from the crowd, especially from Kermit and Scooter, while Jean bowed her head.

“A school for mutants?” said Scooter, truly amazed and stunned, all in the same time. “Now there’s something you don’t hear about every day. I wonder what they teach those mutants at that school.”

“Probably how to do weird things that are out of the ordinary.” Kermit assumed. “Like that person who melted that man’s car.”

“If they teach them how to do things like that, then this world could be in unquestionable danger.” said Scooter, and Kermit thought about Scooter’s sentiment with concern, wondering if Xavier’s school taught their students how to use their gifts to destroy mankind, instead of saving it. He had heard of the stories that involved mutants who had caused havoc, such as a man whose magnetic abilities have sucked the iron out of one’s body or an animal-like being with keen senses and a violent behavior.

“A school whose student body is almost entirely remote. Remote in the extreme, I believe you said.” Kelly told Jean. “So remote, the location and purpose of this school was, until this very moment, unknown to the American people.” The confusion was finding focus; and the focus was Jean.

“That was simply for the protection of the students who…”

“Who what, Ms. Grey? Who melt metal with their minds, perhaps control human thought? What goes on in that school that no normal person has been allowed to set foot inside? Who is this Professor Xavier? And what exactly is he preparing these mutants for?”

“Education. Enlightenment.” Jean responded.

“Enlightenment, indeed.” Kelly remarked. “Well, I’ll put this to you, Dr. Grey. I am thinking that this Professor Xavier is an extremist. Nothing more than a Michigan Militia-man with a degree and some very ‘extreme’ parlor tricks. Tricks he does not yet want the world to see.” At that moment, the crowd had chosen its side, and Jean was not on it; however, Kermit seemed to be the only one who was willing to have a second thought.

“There are some things the world is not yet ready to…” But Kelly did not give Jean the chance to respond any further, since he knew that he had already won over the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the press. Members of the committee. I put it to you that any mutant left alone may indeed be harmless to our national security; but if history has taught us anything, it’s that power unchecked is power to be corrupted. Unless we begin immediately to take action against the efforts of people like Dr. Grey and this…this Professor Xavier, a minority of a few thousand may very well be organized against a population of millions—totally unprepared for whatever unearthly perversions await them.”

The crowd reacted loudly in support of the Senator’s pontificate; some cheer, some roar, and some yell obscenities at Jean. Even Scooter got up from his seat, held up his left fist in the air, and shouted, “Protection for society! Protection for society!” That type of attitude from Scooter was very surprising to Kermit, who figured that he may’ve been spending too much time with Sam.

“Mutants are very real. They are among us.” Kelly stated. “We must know who they are. And above all, we must know what they can do.” As the crowd applauded for Kelly’s final words, Kermit’s gaze was hard on Jean Grey, who looked as if she had failed in her mission to form a peace between humans and mutants.

Moments later, outside the capital building where an angry mob had formed, voices roar in dissent when Jean emerged, coming down the steps without hesitation; she noticed signs of condemning mutants, a scarce few supporting them. Kermit and other reporters were behind Jean and more meet her in front, closing her in, with microphones shoved in her face. The reporters were asking questions like: how did Jean feel about the Senator’s statement? How is the mutant community reacting? Is it true mutants are dangerous? Is there a mutant plot to overthrow the government? Jean ignored all of the questions, trying to push through the crowd of reporters; but it was Kermit in the end who asked a more logical question for her to answer.

“Dr. Grey, why do you support the individuals that are separate from the regulars of society?” He asked, and Jean simply looked at Kermit, while everyone else had fallen silent, which really confused Kermit. That’s when the frog realized that everyone was watching a can of coke and its liquid trail, frozen in mid-air, a few inches from Jean’s face. Kermit was in awe over the hovering can, as he realized there and then that Jean Grey was really a mutant herself. “Well…I guess that answers my question.”

“We’re not the ones to be afraid of.” Jean told Kermit, as she slowly lowered the can to the ground, using her power of telekinesis. She shook her head, almost ashamed of the display, while the can rolled down the steps and people were moving away from it, as though the can itself was dangerous. The crowd stepped back in genuine fear, as an impeded Jean simply moved ahead, still shaking her head.

When Kermit and Scooter made it back to Manhattan that night and arrived in the Happiness Hotel, the first two people to greet them at the door were Fozzie and Gonzo, who were rather curious as to how their trip and the hearing went.

“So? What did they decide to do?” Gonzo asked.

“Are they gonna try to eliminate all of the mutants out there?” Fozzie inquired.

“They’re not trying to eliminate anyone, Fozzie.” Kermit said. “What Senator Kelly’s trying to do is keep the mutants and humans separate from each other, so there won’t be any dangerous altercations between the two.”

“But I still think that we should lock the front door to the hotel, just in case one of those mutants tries to force their way into the building.” Scooter suggested.

“Don’t you think that’s going a bit to the extreme, Scooter?” Kermit asked.

“You can never be too careful.” Scooter told Kermit. “Besides, think about what the senator said about that Xavier character, he’s an extremist himself! He could possibly send one of his students out to wipe out any of us at any given time.” Scooter’s statement made Fozzie very worried; so much in fact that he snatched the nearest thing he could clutch onto, and that happened to be Rizzo, who was carrying a slice of pizza and a can of Dr. Pepper.

“Oh! This whole thing is scaring the living daylights out of me!” Fozzie exclaimed. “I don’t want to be wiped out by some horrible outcast of nature!” Rizzo was desperately trying to break free from Fozzie’s grasps, while feeling a bit breathless.

“I don’t know if I should be more frightened of the mutated freaks out there or the furry menace that’s choking the life out of me in here!” shouted Rizzo, and he was finally able to wiggle out of Fozzie’s grasps. “If I want to be choking on anything, I’d like for it to be something off this pizza! Just do yourself a favor and go find a stuffed bear or something that you can strangle onto.” Rizzo walked away and left Fozzie thinking about what he suggested for him to do.

“Good idea.” Fozzie said. “My teddy will keep me safe from those mutants.” Fozzie quickly went upstairs to his room, while Scooter started heading out himself.

“Only a barb-wired fences, locked doors, and barricaded windows will keep us safe from mutants.” said Scooter, as he was moving away.

“Scooter, don’t you think you’re being a bit drastic about this whole thing?” Kermit asked.

“We’re living in drastic times, Kermit.” Scooter replied. “And you know the saying: drastic times call for drastic measures.” While Scooter headed out of the room, Kermit shook his head with discontent; but he wasn’t the only one that was uncomfortable with the whole “Mutant Watch” scenario.

“Kermit?” uttered Gonzo, and Kermit gazed at him, taking notice of the discontent that he was feeling as well. “This Xavier person that Scooter referred to…is he a mutant, too?”

“Well…I’m not sure, Gonzo.” Kermit said. “But…my hunch is that he must be one, if he’s running a school that’s filled with them.” Hearing Kermit’s reply to his question, Gonzo sighed with discomfort, and Kermit was quick to notice it. “What’s wrong, Gonzo?” It took Gonzo a short while to realize that Kermit had asked him a question, and once he did, he snapped out of the trance he was in and responded.

“Oh, nothing.” He said. “I was just thinking that…well…maybe it’s best if we give those that are different from us a chance. You know, get to know them, in order to trust them.” Kermit nodded in agreement with Gonzo.

“You sound a lot like Dr. Grey did.” Kermit commented.

“She sounds like a smart woman.” Gonzo said.

“Well, she has to be, if she wants to keep calling herself a doctor.” said Kermit, just before he pulled the latest issue of the Daily Bugle from his trenchcoat and handed it to Gonzo. “If you want to know more about Ms. Grey and Charles Xavier, just read that Daily Bugle issue.”

“Thanks, Kermit.” said Gonzo, as he gawked at the picture on the Bugle’s front page of Jean Grey.

“I’m gonna get some rest. It’s been one heck of a day.” said Kermit, while he was walking away from Gonzo and heading upstairs. “Good night, Gonzo.”

“Good night, Kermit.” murmured Gonzo, focusing on the Bugle’s main article, which gave information about Jean Grey, Charles Xavier, and the “School for Gifted Youngsters” that they were both involved with. The thing that caught Gonzo’s attention the most was the location of Xavier’s school. “It’s in Westchester, New York!”

“What’s in Westchester, New York?” asked a voice, which truly startled Gonzo, who screamed and startled the individual who owned the voice: Rizzo.

“You scared me!!” Gonzo cried.

“I scared you? You scared me!” remarked Rizzo, who was carrying a bag of jellybeans. “So, what is in Westchester that’s keeping you up this late at night?”

“Same thing that keeps you up every late night: urges!” said Gonzo, and Rizzo immediately hid the bag behind his back.

“Well, you can forget about taking my beans, because I found ‘em. Ya hear me? I found ‘em!” Rizzo shouted.

“No, no! I’m not talking about your…” said Gonzo, but he gave up, as soon as he realized who he was talking to. “Oh, forget it. You wouldn’t understand even if I told you.” Rizzo, anxious to know what Gonzo was thinking, was quick to convince Gonzo that he would understand.

“Hey, have I not understood anything that you’ve said or done?” inquired Rizzo, and there was a very quiet moment between Gonzo and Rizzo, as they both realized the awkwardness of Rizzo’s question and who it was directed towards. “Never mind. Forget I even asked that.”

“It was trick question anyway.” Gonzo uttered.

“Listen, I’d understand a lot better, if you’d just show me what’s in Westchester that’s got you so keyed up.” suggested Rizzo, and Gonzo took a deep breath and let it out for a moment, before looking around and seeing if there was anyone nearby; luckily, there wasn’t.

“Alright.” He said. “But we’ve gotta leave right now.”

“Tonight?!?!” exclaimed Rizzo, really surprised, and Gonzo shushed him to keep the others in the hotel from waking up. “Why the heck you wanna leave so soon?”

“Because I don’t want anyone, especially Kermit or Scooter, to know that I’m going there on my own freewill.” Gonzo replied.

“You don’t want to admit to them that you’re a mutant-lover?” asked Rizzo, and Gonzo was quiet for a brief moment, until he came out and said…

“I don’t want them to find out that I’m a mutant.” said Gonzo, and Rizzo was about to say something in an extremely loud tone, until Gonzo covered his mouth with his right hand. “I’m not one hundred percent sure about it right now, which is why I have to see this Xavier guy, so I can find out the truth.” Rizzo moved Gonzo’s hand away from his mouth, allowing himself to speak in a soft voice.

“But, Gonzo, just because you do a lot of stuff that some…no, a lot of people consider out of the ordinary doesn’t make you a mutant.” Rizzo stated.

“I’m the only one living in his hotel that doesn’t look normal.” Gonzo contradicted. “If no one can determine what I am or where I came from, then I’m definite that Mr. Xavier will.” Rizzo just shook his head with disbelief; he knew that Gonzo was determined in his quest to see Charles Xavier, and nothing was going to stop him.

“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but…let’s hit the road.” said Rizzo, and Gonzo was happy that Rizzo was supporting him.

“Great!” exclaimed Gonzo, just as he lifted a set of keys and showed them to Rizzo. “We’ll take Fozzie’s Studebaker. Westchester only has to be a couple of miles from Manhattan.”

“Well, let’s just hope they’re willing to leave a welcome mat for us, because no regular person has been able to get into that type of school, unless…”

“Unless they look like me.” Rizzo couldn’t argue with Gonzo on that sentiment, which was why he supported him on his belief. “Now, let’s go, before the others find out.” Quickly, Gonzo and Rizzo headed out through the front door, beginning their journey to Xavier’s school.


TO BE CONTINUED....

[muppetwriter]

More of this "uncanny" story is told in Chapter Two.;)


Chapter Two (Part One):

It was quite a long drive from Fifth Avenue, Manhattan to Salem Center, Westchester, especially with Fozzie’s beat-up Studebaker breaking down between hours. By the time Rizzo and Gonzo made it to 1407 Graymalkin Lane, which was the exact location of the Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, it was in the late part of the morning; Rizzo was beyond tired and only minutes away from drifting off to sleep, while Gonzo was anxious to see Professor Xavier and find out the truth about himself.

“Try to stay awake, Rizzo.” said Gonzo, elbowing the dreary Rizzo, who had been resting his head against Gonzo’s body, ever since they left Bedford. “We’re almost near the school’s gate.”

“Ohh, Gonzo.” uttered Rizzo, with his eyelids getting heavy. “Why couldn’t we just stay at a motel for the night?”

“Because they would’ve had the place quarantined if they found you in one of their rooms.” said Gonzo, and Rizzo seemed to have resented that remark. Once they were near the front gate of the mansion, Gonzo stuck his body out the window and pressed the “Call” button on the intercom. “Uh…h-hello?” There was a voice over the speaker that responded to Gonzo’s call, which sounded like that of an attractive woman.

“You have reached the main entrance to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters,” The voice stated, “State your name and purpose for your arrival.” Rizzo, who was beginning to wake himself up long enough to see what was going on, didn’t seem too impressed at the sight of Xavier’s mansion.

“This place better have some girls in bikinis walkin’ around there, or else I’m headin’ back to the slums of Fifth Avenue!” He said, while Gonzo did what the voice ordered him to do.

“My name’s Gonzo, and I’m here to see Professor Charles Xavier.” Gonzo said.

“Before you are allowed to speak with Professor Xavier, you must first answer these three questions.” The voice demanded.

“Oh, great. A pop quiz.” A sarcastic Rizzo said. “And something tells me that you better get ‘em right, or they gonna send the dogs after ya.”

“They’re just three questions.” Gonzo told Rizzo. “How hard can they be?”

“Question number one,” The voice said, “What is the genetic process of mutation?” It was that first question that really baffled Gonzo, since he was not all that familiar with the process of mutation.

“Er…Um…Can I use a lifeline?” inquired Gonzo, and Rizzo lowered his head in exasperation, realizing that he and Gonzo will never get past the gate and into the mansion, as long as they were being asked such hard-to-answer questions.

“Oh, geez!” uttered Rizzo, and he knew that there were two things that he could do at that moment: he could tell Gonzo that getting into the complex was useless and it was probably best to head back to Manhattan, or he could use his streetwise skills to get them out of their peculiar situation. Rizzo’s conscience was telling him the right thing to do for Gonzo’s sake; he hopped out of the Studebaker and walked over to the intercom, while Gonzo was still trying to find a proper answer for the difficult question.

“Uh…I guess the genetic process of mutation is…eating really bad cheese?” He answered, and Rizzo gave him a look that practically expressed how nutty he believed his answer was.

“Boy, if that was the case, then you can call me ‘Splinter’.” said Rizzo, just before he climbed up the pole that the intercom was attached to and started fiddling around with its circuitry inside, while the voice over the intercom evaluated Gonzo’s answer to the first question.

“I am sorry, but that is not the correct answer. It is evident that you are not qualified for meeting Professor Xavier. Please leave the premises before security defenses are activated.”

“I’ve got your security defenses right here, lady!” Crossing a couple of wires in the intercom, Rizzo was able to force the front gate to Xavier’s mansion open; however, he paid a price by handling such efficient wiring by accidentally electrocuting himself. “YEEEEEEOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!” The successful hacking had the voice over the intercom say the complete opposite of what it originally said before.

“You-You-You are granted-granted-granted access to-to-to Xavier’s School for Gifted-Gifted-Gifted Youngsters. Enjoy-Enjoy your t-t-time here.” Gonzo, happy that his rat friend was able to prematurely hack into the mansion’s security system, got out of the Studebaker and checked to see if Rizzo, whose char-covered body was lying on the ground, was alright.

“Wow! That was really great!” said Gonzo, as he helped Rizzo off the ground. “How ya feelin’? Are you alright, Riz?” Rizzo’s eyes were nearly bulging out of his head, as he looked towards Gonzo’s direction.

“Oh, yeah. I-I-I’m fine.” Rizzo stammered. “But remind me to tell Bunsen and Beaker that if they want a hacker, they can call Neo, ‘cause I quit!”

“Well, I hope you’re not quitting on me now, because I’m gonna need you to come with me inside Xavier’s school.” begged Gonzo, as Rizzo shook the char off his body.

“Why do you need me to come with you?” Rizzo asked. “Someone as normal as I am can’t go into a place like that. They expect someone with standards that are far more bizarre than your own.”

“Well, I need someone to prove how bizarre I am.” Gonzo said. “Otherwise, they’ll think I’m just some kind of nut that wants attention.”

“Believe me, with your nose and personality, there’s no way those other weirdoes will think you’re just wantin’ attention.” remarked Rizzo, and though he knew Rizzo had a point, Gonzo still felt very uncomfortable about confronting Xavier by himself.

“But can you at least walk with me up to the front door?” asked Gonzo, and Rizzo sighed in frustration and told himself in his mind that if he was Gonzo’s real friend, then he would do it for him.

“Okay. Okay.” Rizzo said. “I’ll walk you up as far as the front door; but after that, I’ll be waitin’ for ya in the car. Deal?”

“Deal!” exclaimed Gonzo, and they both looked towards Xavier’s mansion and took deep breaths, for they knew the big encounter that awaited them.

“Alright. Let’s do this.” said Rizzo, just before they got back into the Studebaker and drove pass the opened front gate and up to the mansion’s front porch. Rizzo kept his promise and walked Gonzo up to the front door of the mansion, and as soon as they rang the doorbell, Rizzo was heading back to the Studebaker, which confused Gonzo.

“Hey, wait a minute.” Gonzo told Rizzo. “I thought you said that you were gonna help me through this.”

“Hey, I helped you as far as going up to the front door and ringing the doorbell.” Rizzo contradicted. “You’re on your own from there.”

“Yeah, but…” Before Gonzo could’ve said anything else, the front door slowly began to open, letting out an eerie creaking noise as it did so. Rizzo, truly freaked out by the noise and not wanting to deal with whatever was inside the mansion, started to walk away from the scene; but Gonzo grabbed him by his tail and held him back.

“Let me go! Let me go!” Rizzo cried. “I don’t wanna be here when some freaky monster pops out of nowhere and tries to eat me!”

“I don’t think they would eat anything that came off the streets, especially if they’re living in a fancy place like this.” assured Gonzo, and despite the fact that he was afraid at that moment, Rizzo was very offended by what Gonzo said.

“Hey, whaddya mean by that?” Rizzo asked. “What? Am I not edible enough? Huh?” Gonzo simply shook his head and turned away from Rizzo, not passing the opportunity to walk right through the front door and into the mansion, with a still-frightened Rizzo following very close behind. As soon as the two were in the foyer, the front door closed itself at the same pace it did when it was opening. Wandering through one of the many hallways inside the mansion, Gonzo and Rizzo were taken aback by the classiness of the hallway’s design.

“Wow!” Gonzo uttered. “You have to be some kind of industrialist to live in a place like this…or maybe even a superhero.”

“Yeah, well, I seriously doubt that this Xavier fella puts on black tights and goes out late at night to fight clowns.” commented Rizzo, and he & Gonzo jumped in surprise, when they heard the binging noise of a nearby elevator door that slid open. The two watched with concern as a man (whose features were so much like an animal, one would think he had animal in his blood) stepped out of the elevator and noticed Gonzo and Rizzo; his hair was coarse and black, sprouting wildly from his head. The man’s animal-like features were the first thing that Gonzo and Rizzo discovered about him, and the first thing that the man discovered about them was Gonzo’s unusual features.

“Who are you?” He asked, and Gonzo & Rizzo were speechless at first, until one of them was able to come up with something to reply.

“I-I’m Gonzo, and t-this is my buddy, Rizzo.” He said. “And we’re here to see Professor Charles Xavier. Do you know him?” The man looked at Gonzo and Rizzo a little closer, before he was sure enough to talk with them any further.

“No.” He replied. “Why do I have this feeling that you two aren’t residents here in this…place?”

“Maybe it’s because we don’t look like the type of guys who would live in a place like this.” Rizzo said. “But you, on the other hand, don’t seem to have the right appearance either.” The man was very offended by Rizzo’s comment about him; his hands suddenly began to tremble under his anger, until three steely claws, some nine inches long, sprung from the very flesh just above his knuckles. Gonzo and Rizzo were stunned by the sight of the man’s steel claws, both realizing what his mutation was.

“What do you mean by that, bub?” He asked Rizzo, who was hiding behind Gonzo, a lot more frightened than he was when he came through the front door.

“Uh, um, nothing! N-N-Nothing at all!” Rizzo said. “Hey, d-d-did anybody tell you that you look like the type of guy who’s really into Van Helsing?!” Gonzo could not stop staring at the man’s claws, ever since they extracted from his hands.

“That’s remarkable!” Gonzo exclaimed. “Say, what are you anyway?” After being asked that question, the man gazed at his claws, seeming as if he was ashamed of them.

“A genetic mistake.” He murmured, and Gonzo & Rizzo watch with great interest as the man’s claws retracted into the holes in his flesh that they came out from, healing very rapidly.

“Does it hurt when they come out?” asked Gonzo, and the man, again, was deep in thought before answering Gonzo’s question.

“All of the time.” He said, before he realized how harmless Gonzo and Rizzo were and decided to show a friendlier greeting. “The name’s Logan…but you can call me Wolverine.”

“That one won’t be hard to forget.” Rizzo told Gonzo, in a tone that was so low that Logan wouldn’t be able to hear him; but, unfortunately…

“Watch it, bub!” He told Rizzo, who was taken aback by his advanced hearing.

“How did he…Never mind. I don’t wanna know.” said Rizzo.

Rizzo’s whispering was not the only thing that Logan could hear from a far distance; he also heard a voice coming from one of the rooms in the mansion. Gonzo and Rizzo noticed how focused Logan was on the voice, and they followed its trail along with him. As they got closer to where the voice was coming from, it became clear as bell, coming from a room with a slightly ajar door.

Logan, Gonzo, and Rizzo peeked into the room and saw, in front of the chalkboard, a massive blue, furry creature called Beast; besides two arms and two legs, the only remotely human thing on his ape-like face was a pair of wire spectacles. Beast addressed a class of kids between the ages of sixteen and seventeen; and besides the occasional physical alterations, there was an overall oddness to the group, giving way to the fact that, in some way or another, these were all mutants.

“Man! Did you ever land yourself in the right place, Gonzo!” commented Rizzo, and Gonzo was indeed very surprised to see a variety of characters that were far more unusual than he was. Beast was soon interrupted in his lecture, as he noticed Logan, Gonzo, and Rizzo standing in the door.

“Can I help you?” asked Beast, and all of the students turned to see them, some of them giggling at the sight of Gonzo.

“Let’s get the heck out of here.” uttered Logan, just before he, Rizzo, and Gonzo turned and headed down the hallway to the left. They soon heard footsteps and quickly did a one-eighty back down the hallway, turning a corner and hugging the wall, and they afterwards halted.

“This is like something out of a prison break.” Gonzo said.

“That reminds me, I forgot to set the timer for tonight’s episode.” Rizzo told Gonzo. “I’ve gotta catch the rerun next week.”

Logan noticed a large oak door standing down the hall; he smelled something, taking in a deep breath and cocking his head to the side to listen. He turned and looked behind him, hearing more approaching footsteps.

“Someone’s about to enter the hall.” said Logan, and he, Rizzo, and Gonzo turned again, ready to run the other way, until they saw the shadows of two more people coming from the other direction.

“We’re trapped!” cried Rizzo, just as Logan gawked at the oak door again and realized that it was their only choice.

“That way!” He exclaimed, pointing at the oak door. “Follow me!” Logan, Gonzo, and Rizzo lunged for the large oak door and burst through it; once they were inside the room, Logan shut the door and leaned his head back against it with Gonzo and Rizzo, all three of them completely exhausted.

“Good morning.” said a voice, and Logan, Gonzo, and Rizzo opened their eyes to see a man sitting behind a large mahogany desk; he was Professor Charles Xavier, an intense and intelligent man. Gonzo was very pleased to have finally found Xavier, yet he was very intimidated by his appearance; Rizzo, on the other hand, was not so intimidated.

“That’s Charles Xavier?” He said. “Does Captain Picard know that he stole his look?”


TO BE CONTINUED....

[Beauregard]

Wow! I can't believe no one has replied to this yet!!! It's is a truely fantastic marsterpiece, and I say that as a very avid fan of the X-men films (Ask Vibs, or Tabi, hehe). I loved how you included the can-of-coke scene which was cut from the movie!!! And Gonzo thinking he's a mutent is fabulous!!!

I'm going to be back soon to read chapter two!

[Beauregard]

Ok, I'm back already. Hehe

"Because they would’ve had the place quarantined if they found you in one of their rooms.”

Hilarious! Really, it is!

There was a voice over the speaker that responded to Gonzo’s call, which sounded like that of an attractive woman.

Storm? Jean? Hmm...interestign thought about Jean, she became a Phoneix in later episodes...a phoneix is a sort of bird, chickens are birds, Gonzo loves chickens...

Not sure where I was going with that.

“Oh, great. A pop quiz.” A sarcastic Rizzo said. “And something tells me that you better get ‘em right, or they gonna send the dogs after ya.”

You got Rizzo's voice down well there man! "Oh great, a pop quiz." Fab!

“Question number one,” The voice said, “What is the genetic process of mutation?”

Did I mention that I like this Italics for the intercom voice?


“I am sorry, but that is not the correct answer. It is evident that you are not qualified for meeting Professor Xavier. Please leave the premises before security defenses are activated.”

“I’ve got your security defenses right here, lady!” Crossing a couple of wires in the intercom, Rizzo was able to force the front gate to Xavier’s mansion open; however, he paid a price by handling such efficient wiring by accidentally electrocuting himself. “YEEEEEEOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!”



Nice work Riz!

“Oh, yeah. I-I-I’m fine.” Rizzo stammered. “But remind me to tell Bunsen and Beaker that if they want a hacker, they can call Neo, ‘cause I quit!”

Oooh! Muppet Matrix..now THAT would be a movie worth seeing!!! Let's see, Kermit as Neo, Piggy as Trinity...ok, then I runout of casting options. Uncle Deadly as Agent Smith?

Gonzo grabbed him by his tail and held him back.

Light the lamp not the Rat! Light the lamp not the Rat!

“Yeah, well, I seriously doubt that this Xavier fella puts on black tights and goes out late at night."

OMG! Patrix Stewart in black tights...*shiver*

“Uh, um, nothing! N-N-Nothing at all!” Rizzo said. “Hey, d-d-did anybody tell you that you look like the type of guy who’s really into Van Helsing?!”

*snort*

Gonzo could not stop staring at the man’s claws, ever since they extracted from his hands.

Wau!

“Does it hurt when they come out?” asked Gonzo, and the man, again, was deep in thought before answering Gonzo’s question.

“All of the time.” He said, before he realized how harmless Gonzo and Rizzo were and decided to show a friendlier greeting. “The name’s Logan…but you can call me Wolverine.”

Um hmm. I'm sure I heard this dialouge somewhere....

Logan, Gonzo, and Rizzo peeked into the room and saw, in front of the chalkboard, a massive blue, furry creature called Beast; besides two arms and two legs, the only remotely human thing on his ape-like face was a pair of wire spectacles. Beast addressed a class of kids between the ages of sixteen and seventeen; and besides the occasional physical alterations, there was an overall oddness to the group, giving way to the fact that, in some way or another, these were all mutants.

“Man! Did you ever land yourself in the right place, Gonzo!” commented Rizzo, and Gonzo was indeed very surprised to see a variety of characters that were far more unusual than he was. Beast was soon interrupted in his lecture, as he noticed Logan, Gonzo, and Rizzo standing in the door.

“Can I help you?” asked Beast, and all of the students turned to see them, some of them giggling at the sight of Gonzo.

Now, didn't I read this scene was going to be in the movie? Hmm...problem is it may mess up the arrivel of Beast in X-3...

“That reminds me, I forgot to set the timer for tonight’s episode.” Rizzo told Gonzo. “I’ve gotta catch the rerun next week.”

Riz, did anyone teach you the correct time to speak? And when to keep silent. lol

“That way!” He exclaimed, pointing at the oak door. “Follow me!” Logan, Gonzo, and Rizzo lunged for the large oak door and burst through it; once they were inside the room, Logan shut the door and leaned his head back against it with Gonzo and Rizzo, all three of them completely exhausted.

Phew...

“Good morning.” said a voice, and Logan, Gonzo, and Rizzo opened their eyes to see a man sitting behind a large mahogany desk; he was Professor Charles Xavier, an intense and intelligent man.

Whoooo!

“That’s Charles Xavier?” He said. “Does Captain Picard know that he stole his look?”[/COLOR]

Hahahahahahaha! *cough* Hahahahahahaaa!!!!!

From a Trekie as well as an X-Men fan that's Hilarious!!!


TO BE CONTINUED....

Can't wait!

[theprawncracker]

Wha ha ha! This is AWESOME!! Sorry I haven't commented yet, but it truly is great!!

[muppetwriter]

Hey, thanks for the comments. And, speaking of which...Happy Thanksgiving!!:)

Here's the rest of Chapter Two:


Chapter Two (Part Two):

“Would you three like some breakfast?” offered Xavier, and Rizzo got very enthusiastic over the mentioning of food.

“Aye, aye, Captain!” He exclaimed, dashing over to the food tray that was right next to Xavier’s desk and digging into the eggs, sausage, and pancakes that were on the plate. Logan, who was prepared for anything but what was taking place in that room, just stared at Xavier.

“You act like you expected us to come here. How...?” asked Logan, and Xavier tapped the side of his head with his finger.

“You’re not the only one with gifts.” When Xavier spoke, his lips did not move; and it seemed that Logan, Gonzo, and Rizzo (who was still busy “chowing down”) heard the voice in their heads. Gonzo was surprised and pleased to know that his suspicions of Xavier were correct; he was the mutant that he believed him to be. “Of course I am, my little blue friend. I must say that your interest in mutants pleases me.”

“Whoa!” uttered Gonzo, who was caught off guard again by Xavier’s skills. “You are good!” In addition to Xavier’s voice in their minds, it was accompanied by the familiar sound of footsteps, indicating that perhaps Xavier had herded Logan, Gonzo, and Rizzo through the mansion with his mind, which Logan did not like at all. Xavier came out from behind his desk, and Gonzo, Rizzo, and Logan noticed that he was in a motored wheelchair.

“What am I doing here?” Logan asked him.

“Logan, I brought you here so that you would be safe from Magneto.” Xavier replied.

“What’s a Magneto?” Gonzo inquired.

“Sounds like something out a Saturday mornin’ cartoon to me.” commented Rizzo, as he bit off a piece of sausage.

“Magneto is a very powerful mutant who, for some reason, has taken an interest in you.” Xavier explained.

“Must be the claws.” Rizzo assumed. “Chicks dig those claws.”

“Magneto is a man, my friend.” Xavier told Rizzo, who was a little surprised.

“Oh, well…in that case, I don’t think I wanna know why he’s takin’ such an interest in wolf-boy here.” Rizzo uttered.

“I’m not sure why, but until we find out, I must ask you to stay.” suggested Xavier, and Logan took a moment to look him over; he was obviously a kind man who was offering his help. Logan was silent for a long moment, and then he gave Xavier his answer…

“No thanks.” He said, just before he went to the door, leaving a disappointed Xavier watching him go. Gonzo, who refused to leave the mansion as early as Logan did, excitedly approached Professor Xavier; he thought of all of the times that he was called a “whatever” and felt like he had no place in the world. The life of Gonzo the Great was about to take a tremendous turn at that very moment in time.

“Professor Xavier, I know my visit here isn’t very official,” Gonzo said, “But I’ve got to know something important…”

“You want to know if you’re one of us.” interjected Xavier, and Gonzo didn’t bother to tell how surprised he was again of the Professor’s ability, only because he already knew through his mind. For a moment, Xavier looked up, down, left, and right at Gonzo, analyzing his wacky appearance and determining what species he was. “Well, though I cannot exactly explain what you are…”

“I often go as ‘whatever’ or ‘weirdo’.” Gonzo interrupted. “And I remember once someone classified me as a monster, but I think they had me confused with the other blue character.” Xavier grinned at Gonzo, but quickly went back to a serious tone, realizing how serious Gonzo was taking his situation.

“The only logical thing that I can do for you is keep you here in the school, long enough to find out whether you have abilities or not.” promised Xavier, and hearing what he said made Rizzo stop eating and protest on his own behalf.

“Hold it! Hold it!” Rizzo exclaimed. “You mean to tell me that we’re gonna have to spend more than one day here in this house of a thousand freaks?!”

“Rizzo, please don’t be trouble…at least not in front of Mr. Xavier.” Gonzo pleaded.

“Hey, you said that we only had to be here for a measly couple of hours, before ‘Wheels’ here told ya whether or not you were part of the ‘Mutant World’ or the ‘Muppet World’.” Rizzo said. “Look, Gonzo, you’re my best pal, and I’d love to keep goin’ along with this little journey of yours, but I’m gonna hafta draw the line right here!” Gonzo just stared at Rizzo for a very long moment and then looked over at Professor Xavier, who just watched him and Rizzo argue amongst themselves observantly; it was then that he made a decision that would truly shock Rizzo.

“Fine, Rizzo.” He stated. “You just go back to Manhattan without me. ‘Cause I’m staying here in Westchester with Professor Xavier.” And, indeed, Rizzo was shocked by Gonzo’s sudden decision.

“Y-Y-You’re what?!?!” He exclaimed.

“Just tell Kermit and the others that I might be away for quite a while, because…because I’m trying to accept what I really am…a mutant.” said Gonzo, and Rizzo had a very hard time accepting Gonzo’s decision, fumbling his words as he tried to talk him out of it.

“B-B-B-But…Y-Y-Y-You c-c-c-can’t j-j-j-just…”

“It’s my final decision, Rizzo. I wanna know the truth about where I come from and who I am. And if I am the mutant that I was born to be, then you can tell Scooter that he can build his barb-wired fences and he can lock his doors and barricade his windows, because none of those things can keep us mutants away from society!” Rizzo just could not believe what Gonzo was saying to him; at first he wanted to believe that his best friend was just pulling his tail, but when he realized how serious Gonzo had been about the whole ordeal, he gave up trying to talk him out of his decision.

“Alright, buddy.” acknowledged Rizzo, with a sincerely disappointed tone. “I-I-If that’s how you feel…”

“I’m sorry, Rizzo.” Gonzo uttered. “But I have to know the truth.” At that moment, Rizzo had gone from being very disappointed to very angry in a matter of seconds.

“Well, ya know somethin’? The truth ain’t out there!” He shouted. “It’s just another governmental setup, like Roswell, Watergate, and Bush choking on that pretzel!”

“That was a setup?!” asked Gonzo, referring to the last item mentioned by Rizzo.

“How else do ya think he got elected for a second term?!” remarked Rizzo, and Gonzo had a stunned expression on his face, after hearing that revelation. “Ya know what? Go ahead, Gonzo! Go ahead and try to catch up with your mutated roots!” Rizzo started making his way towards the door, but he stopped for a brief moment to say one last thing. “But just remember this…Jim would’ve never turned his back on the franchise!!” And with that, Rizzo departed from Xavier’s office and the mansion itself, leaving Gonzo feeling sad, disappointed, angry, and confused, all in the same time.

“Do not worry yourself about your friend, Gonzo.” Xavier’s voice echoed through Gonzo’s mind. “He just hasn’t learned to accept those that are different from him.”

“But if that were the case, then why would he hang around with me?” Gonzo asked. “I mean, just look at me. I can’t get any more different than anyone else in the Happiness Hotel.”

“Well, thankfully, you’ve found a place where you’re just the same as those around you.”

“Thanks, Professor.” Gonzo said. “But, uh, do you mind if we set one thing straight between the two of us?”

“Of course not. What do you wish to be done?”

“Could you please not talk through my mind? That was cool at first, but after a while, it kinda grows on you, if you know what I mean.”

“Sorry.” And, respecting Gonzo’s wishes, Xavier began talking the old-fashioned way: through his own mouth. “Now, if you wish to discover whether you’re of a mutant lineage or not, we must discuss some of the things that you and others around you consider being…uncanny.”

“Uncanny things like what?” Gonzo asked.

“Well, you know, melting another person’s car in the middle of the street or freezing a warm soda with the breath of your lungs or…”

“Shooting myself out of a cannon?” Xavier thought carefully about that concept of being uncanny.

“Not quite what I’d call uncanny.”

“How ‘bout eating a rubber tire to ‘The Flight of the Bumblebee’?” Still, Xavier found the concept somewhat hard to believe, but it wasn’t uncanny enough to be considered a mutant trait.

“Um…do you happen to have any emotional abilities that one would consider to be uncanny?” Gonzo thought hard about any of his emotional traits; and then one thing popped in his mind that he shared with the Professor.

“The greatest love interest in my life has been a chicken.” He said, and Xavier slightly lowered his head and rubbed his eyes, as if he was getting a bit of a migraine from trying to figure out if Gonzo had any mutant skills in him. “Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the time that I recited Shakespeare while hanging on a feather boa by my nose, or the time that I tap-danced in a bowl of hot oatmeal while singing ‘Top Hat’.”

“Gonzo,” said Xavier, as he wheeled himself closer to Gonzo, “Perhaps I’ll have a better chance discovering what I’d like to know about you, if I were to have a moment to read your thoughts.” Gonzo thought about the Professor’s proposal, and it didn’t seem to bother him any.

“Um, okay.” Gonzo affirmed. “But I have to warn you that my mind is usually the last thing anyone would want to read.”

“Follow me.” Xavier told Gonzo, as he telepathically opened the door to his office and led Gonzo out into the hall.


END OF CHAPTER TWO

[muppetwriter]

Sorry it has taken me so long to get another chapter in. But now that I'm finished with my third semester of college, I have all of the time in the world to get more and more of the Muppets/X-Men story in (that is, until mid-January).:)

Let's get back on track with Chapter Three:


Chapter Three (Part One):

Later that evening, after realizing that it was useless for him to drive such an enormous vehicle like the Studebaker (especially with someone of his stature), Rizzo headed over to the nearest train station in Westchester and decided to take a train back to Manhattan. While he was there, he also decided to contact Kermit over an available payphone and inform him of all that had been happening with him and Gonzo. From all of what Rizzo was telling him, Kermit was surprised and upset that Gonzo was successful in handling such a task that seemed ignorant and intelligent at the same time.

“Yeah…well, I don’t know about the intelligent part, Kermit,” Rizzo said, “But you’ve hit the ignorant part on the money.”

“Did you at least try to stop him?” asked Kermit, over the phone.

“I did everything but drop a gamma-radiated bomb on him.” Rizzo remarked. “I’m tellin’ ya…Gonzo has gone completely nuts with this whole ‘I was a teenage mutant’ thing.”

“Does this ‘mutant school’ have a phone number or something that I can use to contact Gonzo?”

“The place is secured tighter than Fort Knox.” Rizzo said. “I’ll be surprised if you’re able to get into it like we did.” At that moment, Rizzo heard an announcement made over the station’s intercom that a one-way train trip to Manhattan was boarding. “Hey, listen, Kermit, I’ve gotta get goin’. My train’s leavin’ for Manhattan in five minutes.”

“Your train?!?!”

“Yeah. And be sure to tell Fozzie that if he wants his Studebaker any time soon, it’ll be in front of Charles Xavier’s mansion in Westchester…that is, if it doesn’t get towed away to Frank’s Fix-It Shop first. Gotta go!” As Rizzo hung up the phone, Kermit’s voice was still coming through the receiver, asking a lot of important questions that evidently won’t be answered…at least not from Rizzo.

Moments later, Rizzo was on board a silver Amtrak that was moving speedily through a dark countryside. The streetwise rat was sitting by a window seat, somewhere inside of the third passenger car, and he was thinking about Gonzo and the big decision he made to stay at Xavier’s mansion and learn what kind of a mutant he was. Rizzo silently uttered to himself as he looked out at the trees that were passing by in the dark.

“This is ridiculous. I come all the way to Westchester, only to be forced to go back to Manhattan in a train, after realizing that I’m too small to drive a comically dysfunctional bear’s uncle’s car, with my best friend cooped up in some funky mansion with some freaky people.” He said, just before letting out a big, depressed sigh. “Life couldn’t get any worse for a rat like me.”

While Rizzo was continuing to stare out at the dark atmosphere outside the train, a conductor made his way through the half-filled car of commuters and collected tickets. He passed a restroom and exited the car, taking a seat somewhere else. Suddenly, Logan emerged from the restroom, having avoided paying his fare. A few seats in front of Logan were four large guys in their early twenties, sitting in a grouping of seats that faced one another; they were college guys that all went by the name of Brad, drinking from beer cans in paper bags.

Meanwhile, the depressed Rizzo was still staring out the window and thinking about what life at the Happiness Hotel would be without his zany presence, just as a lone, oddly pretty twenty-year-old girl named Rogue approached the section of the car that he was sitting at. From the shawl around her head to her boots, layers of odd clothing wrap every inch of her body, except her face and hands; she was a runaway with a dirty duffle bag.

“Excuse me.” Rogue asked Rizzo.

“Yeah, whaddya want?” remarked Rizzo, without even looking at Rogue.

“Would it be alright if I sat next to you?” She inquired.

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” Rizzo said. “Plant your butt wherever ya like, it’s a free country.” Rogue, who didn’t seem to be offended by Rizzo’s sudden attitude, was just pleased to be finally going someplace that was a lot better than where she was momentarily; she sat down next to Rizzo and tried to converse with him, despite the fact that he was in a bad mood at that moment in time.

“Nothin’ personal, but I would expect anyone that’s ridin’ a train would be carryin’ some luggage.” She said.

“Well, I guess ya can say that I’m not the type that’s actually goin’ on a trip.” said Rizzo, still not facing Rogue as he spoke. “My friend’s car is too big for me to drive out of Westchester, so I’m forced to take a train back to Manhattan.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Rogue uttered.

“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t be in this mess if the friend that I came to Westchester with hadn’t decided to stay with Professor Charles Xavier.” said Rizzo, and when Rogue heard that name come out of Rizzo’s mouth, she seemed very mesmerized by it.

“Charles Xavier?” She said.

“Yeah, the goofball that supports the mutant race, only because he’s a mutant also.” Rizzo stated. “Anyways, my buddy decides that he wants to go see him to find out whether or not if he is a mutant, too.”

“Is he?” Rogue asked.

“Not even Xavier’s sure whether he is or not!” Rizzo exclaimed. “And because he’s not sure, he decides to keep Gonzo there for further observation…or something like that.”

“Gonzo?” said Rogue, enthralled and bewildered by the name. “Well, if you ask me, that seems to be the perfect name for a mutant.”

“Oh, yeah? And how would you know that?” asked Rizzo, and Rogue shamefully looked down at her hands, fretting over how she would answer Rizzo’s question.

“Well…I…I just think that…”

“Listen, I know ya mean well, wantin’ to have a pleasant conversation and all, but I really don’t feel like…” When Rizzo finally looked towards Rogue, he was stunned by her youthful beauty; it was at that moment when he realized that he had given up a seat to what he believed was a young goddess. “I don’t know why, but…my tail feels a little hard right now.”

Rizzo was not the only one that was captivated by Rogue’s beauty. The Brads sitting across the aisle from her and Rizzo were captivated as well, staring directly at Rogue and making lewd comments about her; they had obviously been drinking for a while.

“Hey.” said one of the Brads, and Rogue & Rizzo looked at him for a brief moment, and then they quickly look away.

“Just ignore him.” uttered Rogue, but the Brad wouldn’t give up.

“Hey…Hey, I’m talking to you.” He said, and the Brads laughed amongst themselves at Rogue’s reaction.

“Where are you going?” asked a second Brad, looking at Rogue’s duffle bag.

“Aww…look, guys…she’s shy.” The first Brad uttered.

“Well, I’d be pretty shy too, if I were sitting next to a rat!” commented a third Brad, and Rizzo was angered by his comment.

“Hey, buddy, what don’t ya do yourself a favor and ram your head against a coke machine or somethin’?” said Rizzo, just before a fourth Brad grabbed Rizzo by the tail and threw him across the car. Screaming at the top of his lungs, Rizzo soared across the air and landed right in a bag of chips that another passenger had been eating. “Whoa! I’ve been saved by Doritos!” Meanwhile, the fourth Brad, who was closest to Rogue, leaned toward her.

“Never mind about that pest.” He told her. “I’ll keep you company.” Rogue was silent and turned her back on him, trying to ignore him. “Hey…I’m talking to you.” Rogue continued to ignore him, which got the fourth Brad angry and the other Brads laughing over his failure. “I said I’m talking to you!!” Rogue looked down, trying not to look at them; but the fourth Brad would not be ignored. He reached out to the one place that was not covered by clothing that he could reach: Rogue’s hand lying at her side. “I said…”

The fourth Brad suddenly grabbed Rogue’s hand, and his eyes opened wide as if he was in shock; an instant later, he collapsed and Rogue reeled back. The other three Brads stood up, completely angered with Rogue for what she did to their friend.

“Hey, what did you do?” The first Brad asked.

“Don’t touch me.” Rogue demanded; she stood, frightened and confused, while the third Brad blocked her in.

“Hey, Brad…she’s a mutant freak!” The third Brad exclaimed, as Rogue moved to get away, but the first Brad shoved her, making her fall to the floor of the train, right next to Logan’s feet. The first Brad moved toward her, just as Logan stepped in front of him.

“How about you sit down and leave the kid alone, alright?” Logan suggested.

“She’s a mutant.” The first Brad said.

“Yeah, well, nobody’s perfect.” remarked Logan, while Rogue was getting up and huddling toward the rear of the train.

“Why don’t you take a seat, ‘Freak-Lover’?!” shouted the first Brad, shoving Logan backward. Logan gathered himself, as the fourth Brad was regaining consciousness, though he was still very weak. The second and third Brads stood to back their friend against Logan; it was now three against one, and all the passengers were watching. Meanwhile, Rizzo was still stuck in the bag, munching down on the orange-colored chips inside; he was oblivious to everything that was happening outside.

“Man, I should really eat these things more often.” Rizzo uttered, as Logan confronted the three Brads.

“Listen…I don’t want any trouble.” He said.

“Well, you got trouble.” The first Brad told him, as he slammed his fist into Logan’s stomach, until Logan grabbed his fist and lifted him up and over, slamming him into the train floor. The second Brad grabbed a commuter’s briefcase and smashed it on Logan’s head; it burst open, throwing its contents everywhere. Logan turned to the second Brad, who stared wide-eyed as the gash on Logan’s head started to heal.

Suddenly, the first Brad was up; he grabbed Logan around the neck from behind and held him in his head lock, while the second and third Brads started punching him in the stomach and face. Logan was taking quite a beating, and naturally the entire train of people was doing nothing. After eating a whole bag of chips, the full and satisfied Rizzo stuck his head out of the bag and tried to compose his stomach.

“Ohhh…I haven’t felt this horrible since that Swedish Chef fed me those dancing bananas! That was the last time I trusted anyone who said it was peanut butter and jelly time!” uttered Rizzo, and it wasn’t long before he realized how everyone was staring at the incident that was taking place nearby. “Hey, w-what’s goin’ on? Are Britney and Madonna kissing again or somethin’?” Little did he know that Logan, who he met inside Xavier’s mansion, was in serious trouble with the group of Brads.

The pupils on Logan’s eyes were getting smaller, and his brow furrowed like a wolf at the same time a low, guttural growl was heard. Just then, Logan’s feet kicked out; his left foot struck the first Brad in the face knocking him backward, while his right foot hooked around the second Brad’s head, dragging him forward. With his left hand, Logan grabbed the second Brad by the throat, squeezing his esophagus; he was paralyzed, with his eyes rolling up as the oxygen was cut off.

As the second Brad collapsed, the third one was running out of the car with the other passengers, except for Rizzo, who was dropped to the floor along with the emptied bag of chips. A transit cop pushed past the fleeing passengers into the car. The first Brad still bear-hugged Logan from behind; Logan reached and pushed his knuckles against the first Brad’s leg. Suddenly, there was the sound of metal extending, then the sound of the first Brad howling in pain, and finally the sound of metal extracting.

The first Brad released Logan and stared down at three punctured holes in his leg. Logan wheeled around, kicked him to the floor, and punched him. All eyes in the train were on Logan, as he raised his fist; he was at the peak of his rage, with his metallic claws extending from his hands. Rizzo and the passengers stare in disbelief, and even Rogue was astonished.

“I can’t believe this is the same guy that I met only a few hours ago!” Rizzo cried, while the transit cop pointed a gun at Logan.

“Freeze…transit police! Drop your weapon!” He ordered, as Rizzo turned to him and gave him a sarcastic look.

“I think ya better know that those ain’t household appliances sticking out of his hands, buddy.” Rizzo told the cop. “The only way he’ll drop those weapons is if ya cut his hands off…and I don’t think ya can even do that!”

Logan paused, but only for a second, while the first Brad was wailing for his life. But the rage had taken over, and Logan raised his blades to finish what he started. That’s until the train lurched violently, causing Logan to fly backward. The train had been brought to a sudden stop; however, the wheels were still turning, until they were finally shut down. The lights were out in the train, and everyone gathered themselves.

“Boy, this just ain’t the night to be in Westchester, is it?” complained Rizzo, just before there came a low grinding creak and the sound of metal bending, with rivets popping. “When will the madness stop here?!?!” And at that moment, like the top of a sardine can, the entire side wall of the train car was peeled off, revealing the terrified passengers inside and five wicked mutants (Magneto, Sabretooth, Mystique, Toad, and Pyro) on the outside.


TO BE CONTINUED...

[muppetwriter]

Here's the rest of the third chapter. Enjoy!:D


Chapter Three (Part Two):


Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, often known as the rebellious mutant named Magneto, was strong and vital for someone after sixty years of age. Survivor of a hard life in the Auschwitz death camp, Erik possessed a power over magnetism; his experience in death camps had shaped his outlook on the current situation that mutants faced in the world. Determined that such atrocities would never be committed against mutant-kind, he was willing to use deadly force to protect mutants, whom he had several times expressed would eventually become the dominant life form on the planet. Erik constantly wavered between wanting to exist in harmony with Homo sapiens, wanting a separate homeland for mutants, and wanting to enforce his superiority over all humanity. His methods were often extreme, but his goals were often noble at their root.

Following Erik on his quest for mutant superiority were Sabretooth (a bloodthirsty mercenary who would not hesitate to murder innocent people to fulfill his contracts; he possessed a great healing factor—a thousand times more stronger than Logan’s—and the upcoming altercation was not his first with him), Mystique (a shape-shifting mutant whose history seemed very mysterious), Toad (whose name lived up with his special abilities, which were superhuman leaping and extending his tongue great distances and ensnaring objects and people), and Pyro (a young, ambitious mutant with a power to manipulate flame by shaping it as he desired; however, he couldn’t actually create fire, so he usually carried a flamethrower or cigarette lighter).

With a final thrust, the air rippled and Magneto tossed the car wall to the side. Passengers from the other cars stared wide-eyed out their windows. The train had stopped at a railroad crossing, with the gates down. Rizzo had taken a strong notice of the five mutants, who were members of a “Brotherhood of Mutants,” that had torn apart their train.

“I don’t believe it.” Rizzo uttered. “We’re being attacked by a group of Spinal Tap rejects.”

“You can come out now, Logan.” Magneto said. “You’re among friends.” The transit cop got to his feet, brandishing his pistol.

“Freeze!” He yelled, and with a turn of his finger, Magneto drew the pistol to him. The cop held tight and was yanked off the train, onto the ground. With another twist of his hand, Magneto made the gun leap from the cop’s grasp and hover, pointing at the cop’s head.

“You Homo Sapiens and your guns.” uttered Magneto, just as the gun cocked itself, ready to blow the cop’s head away; but that was until…

“That’s enough, Erik! Let him go!” Someone ordered, and everyone turned to see Xavier, seated in his wheelchair—flanked by Cyclops, Jean, Storm, and Gonzo; all, save Xavier and Gonzo, were in X-Men uniform. As thunder rumbled across the sky, Rizzo peaked over a frightened man’s shoulder and noticed Gonzo with the good mutants.

“Gonzo? Oh, I never thought I’d be glad to see him at the right moment.” Rizzo said, as Magneto confronted Xavier.

“I’ll never understand your regard for them, Charles.” Magneto said.

“And I’ll never understand terrorists.” Xavier remarked.

“I am trying to save our kind, Charles. You should do the same.”

“Not at the cost of lives, Erik.” Xavier’s metal chair was gripped by magnetic forces; it shook and began to inch towards Magneto.

“I go by ‘Magneto’, Charles.” He said, as the chair was pulled closer to him. Cyclops stepped forward, and Xavier didn’t need to turn to know help was coming. Magneto noticed and respected Cyclops’s power and the chair stopped moving.

“It’s alright, Scott.” Xavier said. “It’s alright.”

Gonzo was impressed with all of the mutant powers that he was witnessing before him; never had he seen abilities that were far uncanny than his own…that’s if he had any abilities of his own.

“What do you want with Wolverine?” He asked Magneto, who was impressed himself to see Gonzo involved with Xavier and his group.

“Hmm…it seems you have a new addition to the family, Charles.” said Magneto, focusing on Gonzo and his unusual appearance. “No doubt that one is definitely one of us.” Gonzo was somewhat pleased to hear Magneto’s conformation, although he was still unsure exactly what kind of mutant he was.

“My newfound friend is not the matter at hand here, Erik.” Xavier stated. “What do you want with Logan?” Magneto smiled, tapping his metal helmet with his left index finger.

“Can’t read my mind?” He inquired, and Xavier’s expression faltered; it appeared as if the helmet had been made to block Xavier from doing just that. “I’ll tell you something, Charles…we are more alike now than we were when we started.”

“Is that so?” Xavier said.

“Still trying to make the world safe for our kind. Still trying to find a way to introduce ourselves…definitively.” Magneto uttered.

“Your definition of definitive was always a bit extreme for me, Erik.” Xavier replied. “What is it like these days?”

“Let’s just say that I am out to make some radical changes.” Magneto told him. “Now, come on, Charles. For old times sake, for your sake…leave him to me.” Logan slowly arose from the huddled passengers, with Sabretooth fighting the urge to move on him. Logan glared back at Sabretooth. “Ahh…there you are, brother. I believe you possess something I am very much in need of.”

“And what’s that? King-size sideburns?” Rizzo jested, as Sabretooth roared uncontrollably and punched Toad in the stomach, doubling him over. Oddly, Toad was laughing and standing upright.

“Do it again.” said Toad, and with another roar and punch, Toad was crying and laughing at the same time. “Oh, God, it hurts! Do it again!” Magneto took notice of the incident that was unfolding before him; he was momentarily stunned, while Pyro suddenly grabbed hold of his face.

“I’m blind!!” He cried, as Mystique morphed into a small child and began tugging at Magneto’s pant leg.

“I have to go to the bathroom.” She said. The unusual and sudden actions from the members of the Brotherhood of Mutants not only surprised Magneto, but Gonzo and Rizzo as well.

“It’s hard to believe that half of the ‘Mutant Threat’ is coming from a bunch of loonies that act like they live on Sesame Street.” Rizzo uttered.

“Gee, I bet Christmastime is really fun at their house.” said Gonzo, just as Magneto realized and looked at who the cause of it all was: Xavier, with his eyes concentrating, had all of Magneto’s minions under his psychic control; Magneto was absolutely furious at that.

“If I could make you understand.” He said. “If you could just be made to see it the way I do. The way it’s going to be.”

“The way what is going to be?” Xavier asked.

“I’m going to change the world with or without you as a witness, Charles.” remarked Magneto, pointing to Logan. “And this one gets a front row seat.”

“What do you mean to do?” said Xavier, and Magneto stepped back a little further; his oddly behaving consorts followed.

“This checkmate goes to you. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.” Magneto told Xavier. “But you leave me no choice.”

“What’s he talking about?” inquired Gonzo, as Sabretooth and Toad walked away, still with the punching and asking to be punched. Magneto took the little girl/Mystique by the hand and the blind Pyro by the arm and led them away to their waiting helicopter, humiliated. “I don’t understand! What’s going on?!?”

“It’s for the best if you don’t understand, Gonzo. Trust me.” said Xavier, just before he and Gonzo turned back to Logan, still standing in the train car, amidst all the huddled passengers. Suddenly, all the passengers (except Rogue and Rizzo) lied on the floor and seated and went to sleep; a few of them even snored.

“And I thought this was supposed to be the ‘city that never sleeps.’” commented Rizzo, taken by surprise over the sudden lack of consciousness from the passengers. Gonzo (for the first time since he, Xavier, and the X-Men arrived at the scene) was happy to see Rizzo inside the torn apart train car, safe and unharmed.

“Rizzo!” He exclaimed, running up to his dear friend. “Are you alright? Why in the world did you take the train? What happened to the Studebaker?”

“Yes, I’m alright,” Rizzo answered, “And I took the train because I’m too small to drive the Studebaker.”

“Too small?” said Gonzo.

“Yes, too small!” Rizzo exclaimed. “Gobo Fraggle has a better chance at driving that thing than I do!”

“Well, despite the fact that the Studebaker is sitting out in the middle of nowhere and bound to be towed away in a matter of hours, it’s good to see that you’re alright.”

“Gee, thanks.” stated a sarcastic Rizzo, while Xavier and the X-Men approached Logan and Rogue; Rizzo was quick to notice the outlandish uniforms on Jean, Storm, and Cyclops.

“Uh, not to disappoint you people, but there aren’t much comic book conventions in this part of the state.” Rizzo bantered, and Cyclops gave the streetwise rat an unsure look.

“Why did we keep him awake?” He asked Xavier.

“Because he knows much more about you guys than I do.” Gonzo told Cyclops. “He’s with us on stopping Magneto from eliminating all ordinary life on the planet.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold a sec!” Rizzo protested. “Since when did I come in on all of this stuff, all I did was offer a seat to a hot tomato that turned out to be a mutated potato! What am I? The Rosa Parks of the mutant race? I’M NOT EVEN A MUTANT FOR CRYIN’ OUT LOUD!!!”

“Maybe we should put him to sleep.” suggested Gonzo, and Xavier looked towards Rizzo, just before he collapsed onto Gonzo’s arms and went to sleep. “Hey, I think you set a record on that one.”

“Now will you come back with us?” Xavier asked Logan, who had an uncomfortable look crossing his face.

“Look, I appreciate your concern.” Logan remarked, as Xavier indicated the train’s wreckage. “But, I do better on my own.”

“You got less than sixty miles today. So, I’ll make you a deal, Logan.” He said. “Two days. If we haven’t figured out what Magneto wants with you by then…I’ll bring you back myself.” Logan looked up at Xavier suspiciously, hating that he was making sense. As Xavier moved closer, Logan looked over at Rogue, covered in her layers of clothes; Storm was helping her off the train, yet taking care not to touch her skin.

“What’re you going to do with her?” Logan asked. Xavier looked to Rogue, with warmth coming over his face…a look of understanding. At a glance he had read her mind; he knew her pain…her struggle. Rogue looked to Xavier, their eyes meeting each other.

“Rogue is a beautiful girl, with an extraordinary power.” Xavier commented.

“I’ll say.” acknowledged Gonzo, looking up and down at Rogue. “Say, can you shape-shift like that other mutant woman could? If you can, do you think you could turn into a chicken?” Rogue gave him a very strange look, but she was able to show off somewhat of a smile, amused by his weird sense of humor.

“Her power isn’t shape-shifting, Gonzo,” Xavier said, “but if she wanted to, she could take Mystique’s power and use it…however, she could also take Mystique’s life as well.”

“Oh…well, I guess that’d be cool, too.” said Gonzo, while Xavier focused on Logan again.

“Anyway, her power is one that even her own family isn’t able to accept.” Xavier indicated. “She’s been on her own for weeks now, searching for a home. A place to belong.”

“Gosh…there are very few places like that here in New York.” Gonzo said. “Where will she be able to find one like that?”

“At the mansion…with us.” replied Xavier, as Logan looked at Rogue and then at Xavier.

“Forty-eight hours, old man.” Logan affirmed. “But if you cross me, I won’t feel any guilt about what I do to you.” Gonzo swallowed hard at the thought of what Logan could do to him or any of the X-Men, if they actually did dare to mess with such a wild animal-like man.

“Deal.” said Xavier, and Logan eyed the rest of the gang until he settled his gaze on Jean Grey, offering a faint seductive smile; that was not lost on Cyclops.


END OF CHAPTER THREE

Coming up next...Gonzo the Great becomes Gonzo the first X-Muppet!!:concern:

[muppetwriter]

While we're all waiting for the next chapter of the story to arrive on this thread, let's turn to those two old hecklers, Statler and Waldorf, and see what they think about the story so far.

Statler: What's the name of this story again?

Waldorf: I think it's called "X-Men Mark The Spot".

Statler: Sounds like the autobiography of Rowlf the Dog.

Both: Dohohohoho!!

Waldorf: If there's one thing that I can't stand in a comic book movie, it's a comic book fanfic inspired by a comic book movie.

Statler: I have to agree with you there. The worst part of this particular fanfic is the addition of those lame entertainers from that lame variety show.

Waldorf: I didn't know the cast of Saturday Night Live was in this story.

Statler: You old fool, I'm talking about Kermit the Frog and those other Muppet weirdoes.

Waldorf: Oh! Well, you gotta admit that the story with the Great Gonzo is mildly interesting.

Statler: If I wanted to know what the freak really was, I'd just watch Muppets From Space.

Waldorf: He's a whatever, he's a chicken, he's an alien, he's a mutant...will Gonzo ever find out what he is?

Statler: Who cares? I just want to see how this story ends.

Waldorf: The same way the movie ended....with a pointless conversation between two old creeps.

Statler: Sounds like Friday night at your house.

Statler & Waldorf: Dohohohoho!! *they stop, realize the seriousness of the issue, and both frown*

Statler: You know what this story needs....visual aid!

Waldorf: You mean pictures?

Statler: *sarcastic* No, I mean Nurse Carroll holding your eyelids open like the day she did while you were watching that episode of The O.C. *for real* Yes, I mean pictures!

Waldorf: Oh! Well, why didn't you say so? Personally, I'd appreciate any kind of picture that has Jean Storm and Grey in those leather X-Men uniforms.

Statler: Ugh!

Waldorf: What's the matter?

Statler: It's not Jean Storm, old fool! It's Jean Grey!

Waldorf: Then who's that African woman with the white hair that changes the course of the weather?

Statler: Storm!

Waldorf: *looking up* It is?

Statler: *shakes head* Waldorf, you old fool, why don't you do what your smilie is doing?

Waldorf: What's that?

Statler: Go to sleep!

Waldorf: I can't.

Statler: Why not?

Waldorf: Because Nurse Carroll's got me on that medication again; so I won't be sleeping until another 24 hours from now.

Statler: Well, since we're both gonna be up for a while, why don't we just read the next chapter of this dumb story.

Waldorf: But it hasn't been posted yet. By the time it gets here, we'll be fast asleep.

Statler: And that's a problem?

Waldorf: Good thing I brought those taped episodes of Everybody Hates Chris to keep us busy 'til then.


The next chapter of "X-Men Mark The Spot" will be here before you know it. Stay tuned.;)

[Beauregard]

Oh my! I have gotten far far behind! Will try to catch up! As I see a F4 fanfic appearing!!!

[Beauregard]

I just read most of chapter 3, I like it. I love how you have the basic story, but different. Added a fight scene, made it hilarious, and funny. Not sure exactly why youa dded Pyro to the list of badies, but...it's your choice.

[muppetwriter]

I just read most of chapter 3, I like it. I love how you have the basic story, but different. Added a fight scene, made it hilarious, and funny. Not sure exactly why youa dded Pyro to the list of badies, but...it's your choice.


I'm following the first draft to Bryan Singer's script, which includes a few more villians to the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Sometimes it helps to have a script guide you when writing a fanfic based more on the movie than the comic book.

I don't know what I'm going to do when I start writing a Hulk/Muppet story.:(

[Beauregard]

Ahh! Right, sounds good to me. Hmm..I think there are certain Muppet Monsters who will get on well with Mr Hulky.

[muppetwriter]

I see where you're going there, Beau.;)

I've already worked up a title for the story. I think I'm going somewhere with "It Ain't Easy Bein' Green: The Story of the Hulk".

The Hardest part to writing a story is the title, believe it or not.:)

[Beauregard]

*laughs* I agree with you!!!

[muppetwriter]

The next chapter has to be the shortest one in the story.:D


Chapter Four


The next morning in the beautiful city of Manhattan was a rough one for a confused, frustrated, and worried Kermit, who did not dare tell anyone about what Gonzo had done to himself and Rizzo. After spending a sleepless night just lying on his bed, he came out of his room (with his favorite robe on) and went downstairs to the Happiness Hotel’s lobby, where Pops was watching the morning news.

“Hey, Kermit,” said Pops, noticing him as he appeared in the lobby, “Have you been watching news lately?”

“Uh, no…can’t say that I have, Pops.” said Kermit, with a great deal emotion going through him.

“Well, you’re missin’ some really great stuff here, son!” Pops exclaimed, enthusiastically. “On one channel, there’s somethin’ about astronauts gettin’ hit by some cosmic thingy in space; then, on another, you’ve got somethin’ about mutants attacking a train.” The latter was a story that had caught Kermit’s attention, as soon as Pops said the word “mutant.” He moved himself behind the front desk with Pops, and the both of them paid close attention to the mutant story.

“Yes, viewers, passengers on a nine o’clock train to Manhattan experience a ‘Mutant Attack’ last night by at least twelve of the creatures.” The anchorman stated, over the television set. “Over the twelve mutants that were sighted at the scene, bystanders say that they all spotted a flying man with magnetic powers and a strange helmet, a half man/half wolf creature with metal claws, a blue female creature with shape-shifting powers, and some kind of chicken creature with a long, hooked nose.”

Many things had gone through Kermit’s mind as he listened to the news report over the set; he remembered how Rizzo contacted him during the previous evening and told him about all that Gonzo had done, just to find out whether or not if he was a mutant. He feared over the night about the dangers that Gonzo would get himself into as he sought to discover the roots of his existence, and his fears were confirmed by the news story on television. As the pictures of the ripped apart train car were shown on television, Kermit cringed and thought about Gonzo’s (as well as Rizzo’s) safety.

“Ugh!” He exclaimed. “This isn’t good! This isn’t good at all!”

“I’ll say.” Pops said. “They interrupted The Dark Crystal for a lame story like that?!” Completely ignoring what Pops just said, Kermit moved away from the front desk and headed into the living room, bumping right into Fozzie and making him splatter a cream pie all over his face.

“Ahhh! Hey!!” Fozzie cried, as he wiped the bits of cream from his face. “What’s the big idea anyway?”

“Oh, Fozzie…I-I’m sorry about that.” Kermit said, nervously, while Fozzie was able to get the cream out of his eyes and see that it was Kermit that bumped into him.

“Oh, Kermit!” Fozzie exclaimed. “Hey, listen, I just thought up this great joke to put in the ‘Funnies’ section of the next issue of the Bugle, and…well…just listen…” Kermit was not in the mood to listen to jokes, especially after hearing about the “Mutant Attack” over the news; he tried to tell Fozzie that he didn’t have the time to listen, but Fozzie didn’t give him the chance to speak. “There’s this duck that’s a huge fan of Spider-Man, and he wants to be just like Spidey, except for one problem…he has webbed feet! Ahh! Wocka! Wocka!”

“Yeah, that sounded amusing, Fozzie…but I really have to…” Before Kermit could have finished talking, the phone that was sitting on the front desk in the lobby was ringing, and Pops answered it right away.

“Happiness Hotel, the place where you can’t be one bit depressed.” said Pops, and as he listened to the voice over the phone, Kermit and Fozzie walked into the room and tried to hear the voice on the phone. “Who? Mr. Jonah Jameson?” Kermit and Fozzie exchanged a stunned look, just before they both tried to get Pops to hand over the phone; but Pops was too into his conversation with Mr. Jameson to hand them the phone. “Sir, it sounds like you’re the one that has a frog there…in your throat!” And after that comment, Pops hung up the phone to the dismay of Kermit and Fozzie. “You boys were tryin’ to tell me somethin’, while I was talking with that loon?”

“Yeah…we were trying to tell you that loon was our boss, Mr. Jameson.” said Fozzie, as he put his head in his right hand, shaking his head. “There goes our perfect salary.”

“There goes our perfect career.” Kermit said.

“Well, I’m sorry about that, fellas.” Pops said. “He was being a real hothead, screaming something about hearing a blue thing with a hooked nose on the news.” Kermit was even more distressed to find out about Jameson’s discovery of Gonzo being a part of the “Mutant Attack,” while Fozzie was surprised over it.

“Oh, no.” Kermit murmured.

“How did Gonzo end up on the news?” Fozzie inquired. “What does he have to do with the mutant attacks in the city?”

“Fozzie…” Before Kermit could’ve explained, the phone had rung again, and instead of Pops answering it, Kermit quickly grabbed the receiver and spoke into it. “Yes, Mr. Jameson?”

“Frog! Who was that old fool that I just got off the phone with?” asked Jonah, and Kermit took the opportunity to answer the question, until Jameson abruptly cut him off. “Never mind! Listen, I just got done watching the morning news. Did you see the headlines?”

“Uh, yes, Mr. Jameson.” Kermit remarked. “And I just want to say that Fozzie and I didn’t have anything to do with it.”

“Well, that’s a shame,” Jonah said, “Because I was gonna give you and Bear a raise in your salary if you were!” Fozzie, who was listening in on the conversation, snatched the receiver from Kermit and shouted into it.

“It was ten o’clock in the evening, Mr. Jameson!” He said, while Kermit tried to get the receiver back from him. “Kermit had just got back from Washington…”

“Fozzie!”

“…And Gonzo was talking about seeing Charles Xavier…”

“Fozzie!”

“…So he took my uncle’s Studebaker to Westchester…”

“Fozzie!”

“…And he went to Xavier’s fancy mansion there to find out whether or not he was a mutant!”

“FOZZIE!!”

“Just a minute, Mr. Jameson.” Fozzie moved the receiver away from his ear and turned to Kermit, who had quickly lost his patience. “Yes?”

“Nor you or I have been in any of the recent chapters of this story…how do you know all of that?!?!” Kermit asked.

“Simple,” said Fozzie, pulling out a huge booklet with the title “X-Men Mark the Spot” labeled on it, “I read the bootleg copy.” Kermit, far more frustrated than he was minutes ago, snatched the receiver away from Fozzie and spoke to Jameson again.

“Listen, Mr. Jameson,” Kermit said, “We don’t want to be paid for this story.” Hearing that, Fozzie opened his mouth wide in shock and placed his hat over his face in despair. “Gonzo is a great employee and dear friend of ours. We’re not gonna to treat him as an article on the front page of the Daily Bugle.”

“H-He’s not speaking for all of us, Mr. Jameson!” shouted Fozzie, trying to make his voice loud enough to be heard over the phone.

“You’re making a mistake, Frog.” Jameson said. “This story could mean millions of dollars for the staff! We could all be billionaires!”

“And what about Gonzo?” Kermit asked.

“He’s finding out that he’s more of a freak that we imagined; isn’t that good enough for him?” Jameson remarked.

“That may be good enough for your paper, Mr. Jameson,” Kermit said, “But it’s not good enough for me.”

“Okay. I’ll make a deal with you, Kermit.” Jameson said, and Kermit knew that his boss was getting desperate, especially if he was addressing him by his first name. “I promise not to mention Gonzo’s name in the story, if you find out what the heck is up with these freaks and why they’re terrorizing all of New York. Deal?” Kermit thought long and hard about his decision; he knew exactly who he was dealing with and that if there was a possibility of a double-cross, then Gonzo could be shunned by his friends for life, all because he was part of the “threat” that was known as the mutant race. But, instead, the bold frog took his chances…

“Deal.” said Kermit, just before he hung up the phone and turned to the anxious Fozzie.

“Well?!” Fozzie exclaimed. “Why kind of deal did you make with him?”

“You should know the answer to that, since you’ve already read the story.” Kermit told Fozzie.

“I only peeked at a few chapters!” Fozzie remarked.

“Listen, Fozzie, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone else about what Gonzo has been doing for the past twenty-four hours.”

“Why?!?!” Kermit just shook his head as he started heading upstairs, with Fozzie following him close behind. “You heard what Mr. Jameson said…this is the story of the century! Kermit, I know this may not sound like a big deal to you, but we could all get paid a lot of money!”

“I’m not gonna risk our friendship with Gonzo for a high salary.” Once Kermit and Fozzie got into Kermit’s bedroom, Kermit took off his robe and got into his trenchcoat, brown slacks, and hat. “The only thing that I’m gonna do is go up to Westchester, convince Charles Xavier that Gonzo is no mutant, and get Jameson his story on the mutants.”

“Wow! I still can’t believe you were able to do all of that in more than ten pages.” Fozzie stated, and Kermit was no longer in the mood to chat, knowing how much work that needed to be done in so little time.

“If you really care about Gonzo’s reputation, then you’ll come with me to stop all of this madness.” Kermit told Fozzie. “But if all you care about in this is a nice paycheck, then don’t bother coming at all.” Not wanting to wait for Fozzie to make his decision, Kermit headed out through the bedroom door and downstairs. While he was coming back down to the lobby area, Fozzie quickly came up from behind and hugged him.

“Oh, Kermit! I’m sorry!” He shouted, surprising and choking Kermit a little from the sudden hug. “I got so caught up with dollar signs in my eyes that I completely forgot about what was important the most: friendship.” Fozzie let go of Kermit, and the two looked at each other, both on the same view of things.

“Thanks, Fozzie.” Kermit said.

“Hey, I might as well be one the few folks in this world that appreciate characters like Gonzo for what they are.” Fozzie stated. “Ya know, being a mutated outcast and all of that.”

“He’s not a mutant, Fozzie.” Kermit contradicted.

“But what if he is?” Fozzie asked. “I mean, for years we’ve been trying to determine what Gonzo is. There was one time when I thought he could’ve been a descendant of the ‘Elephant Man’.”

“Sheesh! You must have been desperate to find out.” Kermit commented.

“I’m just sayin’ that this might be the perfect opportunity to find out what Gonzo is.” Fozzie said.

“Well, until this whole mess is settled, Gonzo is our friend, and there’s nothing in the world that’s gonna change that.” said Kermit, and he & Fozzie were about to head out the door, until the phone on the front desk started ringing again, with Pops nowhere around to pick it up that time. “How oxymoronic…the phone rings at a time when Pops isn’t here.”

“I’ll get it.” Fozzie insisted.

“If it’s Jonah again, don’t give in to his talk about a nice salary…that leads to the dark side…and Jonah’s dark side is a lot scarier than that other guy’s.” Kermit warned.

“Gotcha.” affirmed Fozzie, just before he picked up the receiver and spoke. “Happiness Hotel, this is Fozzie the Bear speaking. Leave your message at the sounds of the ‘wocka’. Wocka! Wocka!” That’s when an unusual, high-pitched stream of beeps was heard over the receiver, echoing through the ears and minds of Fozzie and Kermit. Soon after the beeps stopped, Fozzie and Kermit were left standing where they were, with blank expressions on their faces; it was almost as if something (or someone) had placed a spell on them that froze them in place, keeping them from leaving the hotel.


END OF CHAPTER FOUR

[muppetwriter]

This next chapter has things getting kind of...uncanny.:concern:

Chapter Five (Part One):

Blackness…Total blackness…That was all that showered over Kermit’s vision, as he stood in the doorway that led inside and outside the Happiness Hotel. Have I gone blind, his subconscious believed; but he was far from blind. And where was Fozzie? He went to pick up the phone, and then there was that strange beeping noise, which sounded like someone’s beeper had gone off. What was happening? Had he finally made it to that big swamp in the sky?

Wait! No! His eyelids…they were moving! He was indeed still alive! As his eyes began to focus from the hours (or possibly even days) of slumbering, he realized that he was no longer in the environment that he was in before he blacked out. No, Kermit was no longer in the Happiness Hotel’s lobby; he was somewhere more alien…more different. He was in a heavily lit medical laboratory with sleek chrome-plated walls and floors, staring right up at the face of Professor Charles Xavier, whom he recognized from the hearing that he attended, only a few days ago.

“Is he inside?” Xavier asked, but he appeared to be speaking directly to Kermit.

“Is who inside?” Kermit replied, only he didn’t reply with his regular voice; he replied with the voice of Dr. Jean Grey, whose voice he also recognized. “What’s going on? That’s not me talking.”

“No, it is you.” A voice told Kermit, echoing as if it were inside a hollow room. The echoing voice also sounded like that of Jean Grey. “You are in control at the moment, only because I’m allowing you to.”

“Who is this? Who’s talking to me?” Kermit said. “Wait a minute. This isn’t one of those ‘Touched by an Angel’ moments, is it?”

“Just relax, Kermit. My name is Jean Grey.” She said. “I’ve transferred your subconscious to mine, so we are now two souls sharing one body.”

“But why are you doing this to me, Dr. Grey?” Kermit asked. “I’m not one of those mutant-haters that fear you guys. All I want to do is find my friend, Gonzo.” That’s when Gonzo himself had shown up in Kermit’s view, happy as he could be.

“Here I am, Kermit!” Gonzo exclaimed, and Kermit was so surprised to see him that he accidentally fell off of the bed that sat in the middle of the medical lab. As he picked himself up off the floor, he looked down at his “new” body, which actually belonged to Jean Grey.

“I must be dreaming!” Kermit shouted.

“Mind transference is a natural thing, Kermit.” Jean told him.

“You mean…you’ve done this stuff before?” Kermit asked.

“Uh…no, you’re my first.” Jean replied, and Kermit (with Jean’s beautiful face) cringed at the thought of sharing another person’s body, while Gonzo—whom Kermit had to look down at, due to the height difference between Gonzo and Jean—approached.

“Isn’t this cool, Kermit?” Gonzo inquired. “Now you, Fozzie, and Rizzo can all help us out in our fight against Magneto in a much safer way.”

“Gonzo! This has all gone far enough!” Kermit exclaimed, furiously. “You are not a mutant! You are a whatever, and you’re always going to be a whatever!”

“Professor X says differently.” Gonzo said. “He thinks that I have a mutant power that I have not yet tapped into, and should it come as soon as possible, it might be useful in our upcoming battle.” Kermit couldn’t believe what he was hearing; he even couldn’t believe what he was seeing, as soon as he noticed the X-Men uniform that Gonzo was wearing.

“I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like in your world, Gonzo,” Kermit said, “And I think this all may be a sick preview of it.”

“Well, hey, welcome to it.” said Gonzo, just as Beast entered the laboratory and approached Xavier.

“Professor, Logan’s x-rays have just come in.” Beast informed. “I believe there is something that you should see about them.”

“Very well.” Xavier said, and he turned towards Kermit/Jean again. “Jean, do not attempt to transfer your mind back in place while I’m gone. We don’t not want to permanently loose Kermit’s mind.”

“Permanently loose?” Kermit said, nervously, and without notice, the real Jean Grey’s subconscious made her head nod in affirmation to Xavier’s command. Xavier smiled graciously, as he exited the laboratory with Beast, at the same time Scott Summers (a.k.a. “Cyclops”) and Ororo Monroe (a.k.a. “Storm”) walked in. However, like Jean Grey, Scott and Storm were not themselves at that moment in time.

“Hiya, Kermit.” Scott said, and Kermit couldn’t help but to express his confusion, never seeing Scott Summers or Storm before in his entire life.

“I-I’m sorry, but…do I know you?” Kermit asked, and Scott seemed a bit surprised and puzzled.

“Kermit, don’t you recognize me?” Scott asked, and Kermit slowly shook his head. “Oh, oh, oh! Wait, wait! Maybe you’ll recognize this joke! There’s this duck that’s a huge fan of Spider-Man…” Kermit didn’t have to listen to the rest of the joke to realize who Scott really was.

“Fozzie?!?!” Kermit shouted, stunned and even more confused. “Is that you?!?!”

“Well, it ain’t Calvin Klein there.” Storm uttered, as she took out a bag of jellybeans and started eating them to the dismay of Gonzo.

“Rizzo! I thought I told you not to eat while sharing Storm’s body!” Gonzo snapped, and finding out who Storm really was nearly had Kermit’s head spinning.

“What does it matter to her anyway? I mean, look at this!” Rizzo said, just before he showed off the back of Storm’s body. “Minus the beautiful tail that I once had, I’ve got the biggest butt in the world!!” Kermit was desperately trying to keep himself from fainting, because all that was suddenly happening was taking a huge toll on him.

“I can’t believe this. Everybody’s becoming someone that they’re not. Fozzie’s turned into a man with red eyes, Rizzo has white hair and a big backside, and I…I’m a mutant doctor with psychic abilities.” Kermit said. “What’s next? Piggy becomes Wonder Woman!” Kermit sat down on the bed that he was lying on, putting his hands in his head.

“We all have some pretty neat powers, Kermit.” Fozzie said. “You can move things with your mind; Rizzo can control the weather; and look what I can do.” Fozzie was about to take off Scott’s ruby quartz sunglasses, which blocked the uncontrollable beams of solar energy that were projected from his eyes; however, Scott’s subconscious forced him not to take off the sunglasses. “Hey, what gives? My partner keeps screaming for me not to take them off.”

“Maybe that’s because if you do, you could risk the possibility of frying us all into ashes.” Gonzo told Fozzie, who had control over Scott’s body again and moved his hands away from the sunglasses.

“That sounds bad.” Fozzie said, and he listened to the comment that Scott’s subconscious made to him. “Well, hey, no need to get smart about it.” A frustrated Rizzo threw his bag of jellybeans down on the floor in anger, scattering them all over the room.

“I hate this!” He yelled. “I hate feelin’ like we’re not in control of our own selves anymore!”

“Since when have we ever had control of our own selves?” Gonzo asked.

“It just feels weird, sick, and wrong all at the same time!” Rizzo said. “It’s like we’re…we’re…Ah! What’s the word I’m lookin’ for?”

“Puppets?” Gonzo suggested.

“Right!” Rizzo exclaimed.

“Listen, it’s only to keep you guys safe from Magneto, the very powerful and dangerous mutant that wants to destroy the inferior race.” Gonzo said. “Not that you guys are involved in this, no doubt he’ll come to look for you and maybe even destroy you.”

“But, Gonzo, if the people whose bodies we inhabit now are destroyed in this battle, wouldn’t we still be in the risk of destruction?” Kermit inquired.

“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Gonzo told him. “Scott, Jean, and Storm are skilled fighters; and once they’re in control again, all you guys will have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride. Besides, Logan’s with us now, which gives us better odds against Magneto and his goons.”

“I hope you’re right, Gonzo.” Kermit said. “Because this lady’s got something worse than a frog in the throat…she’s got a frog in the head!” After Kermit made that statement, an unusual feeling had just come across him, followed by a vision of claws extending and people screaming; once the vision was over, he was left putting his left hand over his head, which concerned his companions.

“Kermit, are you alright?” Fozzie asked.

“I…I just saw something horrible.” Kermit said, stunned.

“It’s Logan, Kermit. Something’s happened to Rogue!” Jean informed. “I’ve got to get us upstairs now!” And that’s when the feet of Jean, Scott, and Storm started moving on their own (without notice for Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo) and taking them out of the lab; Gonzo, confused over what was going on, followed them out. Once the quartet had reached the door to Logan’s room, Scott’s subconscious made Fozzie burst it open and reveal Logan sitting upright in bed, with his claws extended into Rogue’s chest; she was literally frozen at the end of his arm.

Gonzo and his three split-persona companions could only stare in shock, as Logan finally pulled his claws free and retracted them. Rogue staggered, pitching forward and touching Logan’s face gently with her hands, as though she would like him to be the last thing she saw on the Earth. Logan and Rogue, locked in a fatal moment of tenderness, both with looks of loneliness that only they could understand.

But suddenly, Logan seemed to change; and before he could say another word, he began to tremble, and then he started to howl in pain. Rogue snapped back, with her mouth open in a gaping, screaming silently; what sound came out did not match the expression at all—merely a gasp, like steam escaping. Through the huge slash in her clothes, the wound on her chest slowly vanished; before long, she transformed back into a healthy young girl with no sign of injury. Then, her escaping breath began to accelerate, much in the way Logan’s did (in fact, it was too much like Logan’s did); it was as if she had taken in his trait of berserker rage. Soon she was smashing things all around her, and one hand raked the wallpaper like claws.

“Oh!” Fozzie murmured, as he had Scott’s body clutching onto Storm’s, which was what he always did with Rizzo when he got frightened.

“What’s with this girl anyway?” Rizzo asked, just as Rogue finally got a hold of herself, becoming the introverted Rogue everyone was beginning to know so well. Then she stood slowly, looking at the others.

“I’m sorry.” She uttered, and she ran from the room, with Gonzo running after her. Fozzie, Kermit, and Rizzo turned to Logan, who lied on the floor, convulsing. To the commands of Jean’s subconscious, Kermit went to help Logan, while Fozzie listened to what Scott’s subconscious was saying in his mind.

“What do you say that?” Fozzie asked, and Kermit looked back at him.

“What do I say what?” Kermit asked him.

“Oh, not you. I’m talking to my subconscious; his name’s Cyclops.” Fozzie said. “He keeps saying that it was a big mistake to bring Logan here and that we should get him out soon.”

“Scott was always cautious about Logan.” Jean told Kermit. “From the very moment we had found him up north, he had always been suspicious of him.”

“Well, judging over the display we all just witnessed, I’d have to agree with him.” Kermit stated.

“You cannot judge a book by its cover, Kermit.” Jean said. “Perhaps that’s another reason why Gonzo wanted you and your friends to experience this rare occurrence. Maybe someone as normal as yourself must learn to walk in the shoes of a mutant.” Kermit knew that Jean was right; he thought he knew all that he needed to know about mutants, but it seemed as if there was a whole lot more for him to learn. “Help me get Logan into the medical lab. I’ll take it from there.”


TO BE CONTINUED...

[The Count]

So... Where's the next part of Chapter 5? We wanna know how Gonzo became the first X-Muppet. This has had me laughing from the start, good to see another fan fic flourishing here on the forums. All the details are vonderfully captured and the story's progressing better then expected. Rully looking forward to the next installment.

[muppetwriter]

The next part of Chapter 5 deals with more of the "X-Men" side of the story than with the Muppets. It's awesome to know that you were laughing at the start, Count, because things get kind of serious at this point in the story.

Also, if some are finding the whole "Mind Transference" between Kermit, Fozzie, Rizzo, and some of the X-Men too freaky, then let me know. I'll find a way to change it up in the next chapter.

But for now, here's the rest of Chapter Five.:)

Chapter Five (Part Two):

The next day at the mansion, Logan had regained consciousness by the time dusk had arrived, believing that he awoke during sunrise. The same time he woke up was when the minds of Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo had been transported to different bodies (at the request of Professor Xavier), so Jean, Scott, and Storm would be able to focus more around the mansion; that, of course, gave Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo to help a few young mutants learn control of their powers.

Kermit’s mind was transferred to the body of Bobby Drake (a.k.a. “Iceman”), who was a mutant with the ability to emanate intense cold, which manifested as ice formations and the mental ability to shape those ice formations into whatever structure he could imagine; he was often seen to project cold from his hands in the form of “ice blasts” that could cause an enemy to be completely engulfed in ice in a matter of seconds. Bobby’s power was interesting enough to Kermit, since he was a cold-blooded amphibian.

Fozzie’s mind was transferred to the body of Jubilation Lee (“Jubilee” for short), who had the mutant power to generate bright bursts of energy from her fingertips; she referred to these globules as fireworks (and so would Fozzie). The globules obeyed her mental control, traveling where she directed them, arranging themselves in balls, streamers, and other shapes, and exploding when she wished. The strength of the energy could range from a multitude of colorful sparkles capable of temporarily blinding a person to a powerful denotation capable of smashing objects and destroying property. Jubilee’s power was interesting to Fozzie, since he enjoyed fireworks at times.

And, finally, Rizzo’s mind was transferred to the body of Peter Rasputin (a.k.a. “Colossus”), who possessed the ability to transform his entire body into a form of organic steel. In that transformed state, Colossus’ body gained around a foot in additional height and his body mass was doubled, and he had significant superhuman strength. Colossus’ power was of a great advantage to Rizzo, as well as his enormous physique (something that Rizzo had craved once in a while).

Walking down one of the dormitory-like hallways inside the mansion with Gonzo, the three tried to get use to their new bodies and the powers they came with, while coping with the fact that they were being targeted by a power-crazed mutant and still very far away from their home in Manhattan. Just like the way they functioned through Jean, Scott, and Storm, they spoke with the voices of Bobby, Jubilee, and Colossus, with their mannerisms intact.

“Have you spoken to Rogue since last night, Gonzo?” Fozzie/Jubilee asked.

“Now that you’ve mentioned it…no, I haven’t.” Gonzo said. “I’ve spent the whole day looking all over for her, and she’s nowhere to be seen.” A worried expression came across Gonzo’s face. “I hope she’s alright.”

“Oh, man! This is so awesome!” Rizzo/Colossus exclaimed. “Hey, check this out!” He started transforming himself from human form to steel form, over and over again. “I love this guy’s power! It’s a lot better than Mother Nature’s power that I had yesterday. Seriously, I don’t know how these people get ‘round with these gifts of theirs.”

“Maybe that’s the point of the whole ‘X-Team’ thing.” Fozzie/Jubilee stated.

“According to Professor X, the point of this school is to step into a more evolved position of social responsibility and recognize that there is a world out there and that we mutants are as much a part of it as normal beings.” Gonzo said, and that’s when Kermit’s exasperation had come back again.

“Look, Gonzo…don’t you think that this ‘Magneto Problem’ is none of our business?” Kermit/Bobby said. “We have a job at the Daily Bugle, remember? And Mr. Jameson, the walking car alarm that we call ‘boss’ everyday, is expecting a story about Professor Xavier and the mutant threat real soon.”

“Yeah, and all we’ve got for it are really up close experiences with mutants.” Fozzie/Jubilee said.

“But, guys, we have a responsibility here.” Gonzo indicated. “We can’t just walk away from that.”

“Gonzo, this isn’t a responsibility,” Kermit/Bobby said, “It’s just nonsense.”

“Nonsense?!?!” Gonzo shouted, and there were a lot of shushing noises beyond a set of double doors that they had passed by, which obviously led to the mansion’s library. “Our world, our freedom, and our hope are all at risk here! This just isn’t about me finding out whether I’m a mutant or not, Kermit; this is about stopping Magneto before he does any serious harm to our society.”

“I can’t argue with him there, Kerm.” Rizzo/Colossus said. “That magnetic weirdo wasn’t pullin’ a Milli Vanilli back at that train—he was for real.” Kermit wanted to believe in what he and the others were doing, but his fear was getting the best of him.

“We can’t get involved, Gonzo. It’s too…” Kermit stopped as they passed through Xavier’s office, where Professor X touched his throat and raised a shaking hand to his head. Concerned over his health, the four stepped into the office and checked on him. “Professor, are you alright?”

“Dear God.” Xavier murmured, as he stared at the four characters in from of him. “We must get to the Westchester Mall.”

“Why? What’s going on?” Kermit/Bobby asked.

“I sent Cyclops and Storm there only moments ago to find Rogue.” Xavier said, and Gonzo (as well as Rizzo) was a little confused.

“They’ve got a mall here?” Rizzo/Colossus uttered. “Why the heck didn’t we see it?”

“What’s Rogue doing at the mall, besides shopping?” Fozzie/Jubilee asked Xavier.

“She couldn’t take the pressure of being among a group of people that couldn’t connect with her.” Gonzo said, and he got very worried. “We have to find her.”

“Indeed,” Xavier said, “She is in danger from some of Magneto’s followers.”

“Well, what’re we waitin’ for?” Rizzo/Colossus said, just before they headed out of the room. The group jumped into a specially designed car that enabled Xavier to drive solely with his hands and raced towards the mall, where chaos had begun—courtesy of Sabretooth and Toad, who were attacking Storm, Cyclops, and Rogue. Xavier fought the rush of traffic; people were fleeing madly from the mall. As Xavier and his companions pulled up to the front doors, he saw Cyclops emerging and carrying Storm, who was conscious but breathing shallowly. Scott’s eyes were shut tightly (his visor had been knocked off from the battle), and he must follow Rogue’s every direction, as sirens wailed in the distance. “Looks like we’re too late for the party.” Gonzo had seen no sign of Sabretooth or Toad anywhere near the scene.

“I don’t understand.” Gonzo said. “Why would Magneto’s men attack and leave the scene so soon?” And then there was a look of realization on Xavier’s face.

Moments later, the group had arrived back to the mansion, only to find the fence that surrounded the property had been bent and buckled violently. Once they were inside the mansion, Xavier wheeled down the hallway with Gonzo, Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo following, as pajama clad students were milling about the halls; their faces showing that they were afraid to go back to their rooms. One girl, younger and smaller than the others, seemed particularly upset; Fozzie approached her and gently touched the side of her face.

“Hey, don’t be afraid.” Fozzie/Jubilee told her. “Everything’s gonna be okay.” The girl managed a faint smile, while Xavier looked to the other frightened students; he was angered because Magneto and his brotherhood broke into the mansion and took Logan.

A short while later, inside a laboratory that was beneath the mansion complex, Beast reclined in his lab chair, with a splint on his leg (which had been injured from the attack), as Jean stood with Cyclops who watched through a new visor. Rogue sat off to the side, bearing the guilt; Storm, her neck badly bruised from the recent battle, stood near her.

“When Rogue left the mansion, they must have followed her.” Xavier assumed, shutting his eyes in fury. “Yes…they wanted me out of the way. If I had been here…I…” He opened his eyes and saw Rogue sitting on a chair in the corner, visibly upset. Xavier wheeled over to Rogue, reaching out and softly touched her clothing-covered shoulder. “This was not your fault. I knew there was a danger, I should have never left the school.” And with that, he turned his wheelchair to the door. “I am going to find Logan.”

Xavier wheeled himself into a room with a high-sphered ceiling that was entirely black; in the center of it was a device. Part computer/part superstructure, it had a space in the bottom that seemed to fit Xavier and his chair perfectly, while a web of wires, tubes, and cables that were suspended above its center were connected to the heart of the device: a chrome skullcap that descended onto the head of Xavier, who closed his eyes as the machine powered up.

Suddenly, the eyes of Charles Xavier flew open again as there was a terrible noise—the sound of a well-tuned machine going horribly wrong; Xavier was in terrible pain. His back arched, and he fell from his chair onto the floor, struggling to reach for a fire alarm on the wall; his fingers stretched until he finally pulled it. Warning bells wailed as Xavier fell unconscious, convulsing.


END OF CHAPTER FIVE


BTW, we'll see more of the "Gonzo the X-Muppet" scenario in the last chapters of the story, when the battle with Magneto begins. We'll even find out what "mutant power" he has that makes him so much of a mutant.;)

[The Count]

OK then... Looking very much to the progress of this story. And don't you dare remove the mind transference aspect! That's one of the funniest/best parts of this story. This has become a hit in a heartbeat, hope more gets posted soon.

[muppetwriter]

So far, this Muppets/Marvel story has beaten the length of its predecessor (the Spidey/Muppets story that I'd done back in August). It's reached its sixth chapter, and we're still in the middle of the story, according to Bryan Singer's original script. Hopefully, by the time we've reached the end of the story, the new X-Men movie will be out.:D

But for now, let's get back to the story with Chapter 6.


Chapter Six (Part One):


Xavier lied asleep in a hospital bed, inside the laboratory; several electrodes were taped to his head and a screen next to the bed monitored his erratic brain waves. Jean and the splinted Beast stared at the monitor, following its rhythm. Storm, Rogue, and Gonzo stood at the foot of the bed; they were each trying to hide their fear, and not doing a very good job of it. Cyclops looked on, the stress shown clearly on his face.

“What’s wrong with him?” Gonzo asked.

“His vital signs are weak and getting weaker.” Jean told him.

“I’m in the process of running more tests.” Beast added. “But it seems that every minute that goes by he gets weaker.” All were silent; Gonzo looked to Beast with desperate eyes.

“Can you help him?” He said.

“I don’t know.” Beast remarked, and Gonzo focused his gaze back on Professor Xavier, thinking about all that he had taught the blue weirdo over the course of his time at the mansion.

“Out of everything that he told me, there was always that one important thing that he said about faith.” Gonzo uttered. “He told me that God shares most of his abilities with mutants respectively, and the one way we can show our gratitude is by our faith in Him or the way He works in such mysterious ways.” Rogue, taking the advice that Xavier told Gonzo seriously, placed a hand on Gonzo’s shoulder and wept silently.

“Amen to that.” She said, and Gonzo looked up at her and nodded, smiling.

Meanwhile, inside the front hall, morning light shined through the jagged holes in the wood where the knobs of the two huge wooden front doors had been pulled off; the antique steel knobs lied twisted and mangled on the floor. Kermit, Fozzie were cleaning up the mess that Magneto and his brotherhood had left the night before, with help from the small girl that Fozzie interacted with.

“Man! If I wanted to be part of so much hard labor, I’d go back to my old job as a bellhop!” Rizzo/Colossus complained, as he knelt down in front of the door with a dustpan, sweeping up the mess. “But I’ve gotta admit, this Colossus character’s body is just the type for work like this.”

“I’m really worried, guys.” Fozzie/Jubilee said. “Now that Professor Xavier’s in a coma where does that leave us?”

“Where do ya think it leaves us?” Rizzo/Colossus asked, sarcastically. “It means we’ve got the opportunity to get out of this mess, before we get ourselves further into it.”

“We can’t leave here, until we get back into our own bodies.” Kermit/Bobby told Rizzo.

“That won’t be much of a problem.” Fozzie/Jubilee said. “Dr. Grey can always get us back into them.”

“Only one problem, Fozzie…” Kermit/Bobby said, “Professor Xavier was the only one who could handle the mind transference professionally.” Rizzo and Fozzie weren’t too pleased with that revelation.

“You mean to tell me that we’re gonna be stuck in these people forever?!?!” Rizzo/Colossus exclaimed. “I don’t know about you fellas, but I’m getting a little sick of being a Russian rat with a solid personality!”

“Hey, it isn’t so great for me either, pal.” Fozzie/Jubilee said. “I mean, how are people gonna react to a teenage Chinese girl telling jokes, while fireworks are shooting out of her fingertips?!”

“Actually, that should be an improvement compared to telling jokes as an ascot-wearing bear with a hat that he can’t even attach to his head right!” Rizzo/Colossus snapped.

“Well, being a six foot whatever Russian guy is an improvement to being a foul rat!” Fozzie/Jubilee shouted, angrily, and the both of them started screaming at each other and even tried taking swings at each other, with Rizzo holding back a swinging Fozzie by having his palm pushed against his head (that was possible for Rizzo, because of the height advantage Colossus’ body had over Jubilee’s). Eventually, Kermit came in between the two and stopped the fight.

“Now cut that out, you two!” Kermit/Bobby exclaimed, and Rizzo & Fozzie immediately stopped. “You think it easy for me having to worry about freezing someone, with just the slightest touch of my hand?” While the three talked amongst each other, something caught the little girl’s eye, as she leaned in closer to the jagged hole in the door; light from the hole washed over her face and then suddenly the light was cut off, as if something was blocking the hole. “I am sorry that everything seems to have gotten worse in the hours, but we have to work together in order to get out of this mess.” The small girl stepped back from the hole; a look of fascination coming across her face, as if she saw something coming through the hole. “Now we have to work together if we want to get things back on track.”

“Even if that means going up against this Magneto character in order to do it?” Rizzo/Colossus asked, and Kermit slowly nodded, realizing that facing the Brotherhood might’ve been a task that needed to be handled before getting back to their bodies. “Oh, now I know that I’m gonna hate this rest of this ride.”

“Excuse me?” A voice said, from inside the front hall, and the group turned in the direction that the voice was coming from (which was near the two huge wooden front doors) and shocked looks appeared on their faces as they gawked at their visitor. “I need someone to take me to Professor Xavier.”

Inside Cerebro, Gonzo was with Cyclops, Jean, and Storm as they stood before the device, as Beast rose awkwardly on his splinted leg, with his back to the open control panel. In Gonzo’s mind, he wished that Bunsen and Beaker could be where he was standing, admiring the structure of such a massive machine like Cerebro. Of course, he knew that they were probably having an even greater adventure in space with Victor Von Doom and his team of skilled astronauts.

“It’s gone.” Beast indicated. “The neuro-filter…someone removed it.”

“Well, let’s just get another one.” Gonzo suggested.

“I doubt if you’d find one in your local Wal-Mart, Gonzo.” Beast remarked. “The neuro-filter acts like a surge protector, regulating the infinite flow of information from Cerebro to the Professor’s mind. It’s what keeps him from being crushed by the consciousness of millions.”

“Wow. That must be one enormous migraine.” Gonzo said, while Cyclops stepped away, pondering Beast’s words; he understood the ramifications…the damage that had been done to Xavier.

“Can the Professor repair his own mind?” Cyclops asked.

“I’m afraid that without Cerebro’s help, he won’t have the strength to heal himself.” Beast informed. “And without the neuro-filter…there’s no Cerebro.”

“He’s already losing control of his vitals.” said Jean, who was noticeably upset. “Respiratory. Cardiovascular. Unless we manage to replace the filter by tomorrow morning, I’m afraid.”

“We have to find Magneto.” Cyclops said, and as he, Jean, and Gonzo exited Cerebro and into the sleek hallway outside, they were approached by Fozzie, Kermit, and Rizzo.

“You guys will never believe who’s here in all places of Westchester.” Kermit/Bobby said, just before Senator Kelly stepped around the corner to the surprise of Jean Grey. Kelly seemed as if he was not in the same state that he was in during the hearing that Kermit and Jean attended; he was wearing a beach towel that covered him from the waist down and a Hawaiian shirt.

“I don’t know about you all, but this isn’t the look of a man that’s on vacation.” Rizzo/Colossus bantered, as Kelly trembled as though from a high fever; his body was covered with a layer of sweat.

“Dr. Grey.” Kelly murmured. “Your front door was damaged…there was a hole…” Kelly made a hole with his hands that was not much larger than that of a coffee can. “…I squeezed through.”

“Yeah, you should’ve seen it!” Fozzie/Jubilee exclaimed, excitedly. “He was like something out of a James Cameron movie!”

“I wasn’t aware that you had mutant powers, Senator.” Kermit/Bobby commented.

“I’m not…a mutant.” Kelly uttered, and he buckled in pain, but then caught himself. Jean and Cyclops rushed to help him, as Beast crutched himself out to see what was happening, and Kelly was quick to notice his stunning appearance. “What in God’s name are you?”

“I’m Beast.” He told Kelly.

“Of course you are.” Kelly remarked.

Moments later, once the group was able to get Kelly into the laboratory, he was placed in a bed next to Xavier’s (where the Professor had his eyes closed, with Rogue at his side). Kelly was trembling and burning up from what seemed to be a bad fever that kept getting worse. Jean had a syringe in her hand and was swabbing some alcohol on Kelly’s skin.

“I’m sorry to come here, Dr. Grey.” Kelly said. “I was afraid if I went to the hospital, they would…”

“Treat you like a mutant?” Gonzo interjected, and Kelly looked towards him, not as surprised by his unusual appearance as he was with Beast. “We’re not what you think, Senator. Not all of us.” Kermit couldn’t help but roll Bobby’s eyes with annoyance, wishing that Gonzo would stop thinking of himself as part of the mutant race.

“Tell it to the ones that did this to me.” Kelly told Gonzo, and they all watched as the cotton swab ignited like flash paper in her hand, which was a sight that left them shocked. Jean paused and took the bottle of alcohol from the shelf and poured a small amount on Kelly’s arm, causing it to instantly catch on fire.

“He’s like a flame-broiled whopper!” Rizzo/Colossus uttered.

“With or without ketchup?” Fozzie/Jubilee inquired.

“Oh, will you two cut it out?!?!” Kermit shouted.

As the day progressed straight into the evening, everyone tried desperately to figure out what in the world was happening to Senator Kelly; and while the others did just that, the plans that Kermit, Rizzo, and Fozzie had to get themselves out of the mess they were in seemed to be halted by another uncanny event. The trio (sharing bodies and souls with Bobby Drake, Jubilation Lee, and Peter Rasputin) simply faced facts and realized that there was no escape from their problem, as long as Professor Xavier was in his vegetable state.

However, hope seemed to come early for Kermit, Fozzie, and Gonzo, as well as Gonzo and the X-Men, as Rogue came up to the group and informed them of Professor Xavier’s sudden regain in consciousness back in the lab. Without bothering to question Rogue’s certainty, the group followed her back into the laboratory, where they discovered Xavier, nearly conscious in his bed. Jean looked up at the screen above him and noticed Xavier’s brain waves dropping severely. Kelly lied unconscious in his bed—his heart monitor was weakening.

“The beepin’ sounds that are being made in this room must signal somethin’ bad…and I’m just guessin’ here.” Rizzo/Colossus said, as Beast limped over to Xavier, who was struggling to speak. Beast bent down so that Xavier could whisper into his ear.

“What’s he saying?” Kermit/Bobby asked, and after Xavier said all that he needed to say, Beast moved away from him and turned to the others.

“Perhaps we should focus on getting the Professor’s brain waves back on track, as well as the Senator’s heart monitor,” Beast said, “Then I shall share what Xavier has discovered from the mind of Senator Kelly.”


TO BE CONTINUED...


Coming up next...Magneto's ultimate plan revealed!!!:concern:

[muppetwriter]

Here's the rest of Chapter 6. Let's see what Magneto's up to (for those who've seen the actual movie, you've already guessed what's gonna happen next.:) )

Chapter Six (Part Two):


A little later inside the laboratory, after the team was able to get the vital signs of both Senator Kelly and Professor Xavier back on a steady pace again, Beast told the others all about what Xavier had discovered after using what was left of his telekinesis to find out what happened to Senator Kelly. It all had much to do with Magneto and some kind of invention that he created that somehow triggered the mutator gene in normal human beings, and he was using Adamantium as its core. To further descript his explanation, Beast grabbed a wax pen and drew a light bulb on a glass drawing board.

“Thomas Edison knew how to make the light bulb; he had the energy source, and he had the vacuum.” Beast said. “But he didn’t have the filament. He tried metal after metal, but nothing would hold to power…until he found tungsten.” Rizzo, of course, was lost in the middle of Beast’s lecture.

“So…what’re you tryin’ to say?” Rizzo/Colossus asked.

“You didn’t get any of that?” Gonzo asked him. “Where has your mind gone for the past twelve minutes?”

“Oh, funny, Gonzo! Real funny!” Rizzo/Colossus exclaimed, sardonically. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m having a bit of a problem listening to a five-foot blue-haired mutant with the intelligence of Einstein times a million! Why don’t you translate for me, Gonzo?”

“Alright, I will.” He said. “Apparently, Adamantium is the only metal strong enough to hold the energy this machine produces. Magneto used the Adamantium in Logan’s dog tag to test it on the Senator.”

“And I assume now he plans to use the rest of Logan’s skeleton for a larger demonstration.” Beast added.

“For what purpose?” Cyclops asked.

“Magneto thinks that the rest of the world’s problem is that they don’t understand what mutants are going through, because they’re too far into the Homo sapiens category.” Gonzo indicated. “But this machine mutates Homo sapiens.”

“Yes…only there’s a problem.” Beast said.

“And what’s that?” Kermit/Bobby asked.

“The mutator gene is not responding to the radiation the way it would in Mother Nature.” Beast explained. “It’s forcing the body’s cells to replicate thousands of times faster than they’re accustomed to.”

“And what does that mean for Senator Kelly and everyone else?” Fozzie/Jubilee asked.

“The Senator’s body is literally burning itself out.” Beast replied. “This machine…it kills people…and Magneto doesn’t even realize it.”

“So where do you think he’s planning this larger demonstration?” Storm inquired, just as Jean looked down and saw Xavier pointing with a trembling hand, trying to speak; he was pointing to a television set inside the laboratory and looking at yet a report on Ellis Island. Cyclops, Jean, Gonzo, Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo walked over to the set, and all they noticed was an aerial shot of Manhattan, slowly coming around toward the harbor. The television image was from the point-of-view of a helicopter circling Ellis Island, taking in all the security and construction.

Suddenly, the sound of Kelly’s heart monitor began to pick up speed. Jean rushed to Kelly and touched his pale neck; she drew her hand back quickly as if it was burned. The heart monitor kept speeding up until it was racing faster than a human heart could possibly produce, as Jean backed away helplessly. The sheet that covered Kelly’s body began to flatten out, and the sweat covering his body thickened into a viscous, clear liquid and began to run off the table.

“He’s…He’s…melting away!!” A shocked Gonzo cried, and Cyclops held Jean as she turned away.

“Well…I guess this means mutants everywhere can party like it’s 1999, eh?” Rizzo/Colossus uttered, and everyone turned and stared at him in disgust, which made Rizzo feel a bit sheepish…but not for the reason everyone else was thinking. “Oh, wait. This is 2006, right?” Meanwhile, on the television set, the helicopter was getting shots of the gathering leaders of the world, the water clogged with boats, and the thousands of onlookers on Manhattan Island; it was all well within range.

It was obvious that the team had to do something immediately to prevent Magneto from putting anyone else under the same deadly fate that Senator Kelly suffered. So, soon after all of Kelly had melted away, a team that consisted of Cyclops, Jean, Storm, and Gonzo had gone into the Ready Room and got into their X-Men uniform. As they were preparing themselves, Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo came into the room and noticed how Gonzo was dressed in his own uniform, which only increased Kermit’s dissatisfaction.

“What’re you doing?” He asked Gonzo.

“Don’t talk me out of this, Kermit.” Gonzo remarked. “You saw what happened to Senator Kelly.”

“Yes, I did…it was very appalling.” Kermit/Bobby said.

“Appalling?” Fozzie/Jubilee said. “It was more like tossing-your-cookies-and-sticking-your-head-in-a-toilet-and-drinking-the-water-while-gargling-and-then-kissing-a-dog-with-bad-breath-type appalling.” Kermit just looked at Fozzie and nodded.

“Thank you for the elaboration, Fozzie.” He said.

“And if that’s not enough, just think about a frog fryin’ on a hotplate, and you’ll have your definition of appalling.” Rizzo stated, and Kermit darted him a horrified expression. “Oops. I forgot that I was talkin’ to a human with a frog’s mind.”

“Listen, I know what you’re all going to say, but I have to do what I have to do as my civic duty as a mutant.” Gonzo said.

“Gonzo, for the final time…you are not a mutant!” Kermit/Bobby said. “You are as vulnerable to that doohickey of Magneto’s, just as everyone else.”

“I refuse to believe that.” Gonzo told Kermit. “Professor Xavier says that I have a mutant power until all of this weirdness, and I intend to use it for our upcoming battle.”

“But, Gonzo…” Kermit/Bobby said, until Rizzo stepped in and interrupted.

“Let me handle this, Kermit.” Rizzo/Colossus said. “I think he needs to listen to someone who’s willin’ to be on the same level of weirdness that he’s on.”

“Be my guest.” Kermit/Bobby said, and Rizzo turned to Gonzo, placing both of his hands on Gonzo’s shoulder.

“Gonzo, I…” Rizzo said, and that’s when he stopped for a moment and slightly shook his head, right before he began talking exactly like Colossus. “I believe we should come with you to stop Magneto from killing millions of innocent people.” Gonzo was pleased to hear “Rizzo” say that, while Kermit and Fozzie were taken by surprise.

“Rizzo, what’re you…” Kermit said, just before he and Fozzie started shaking their heads and talking exactly like the people whose bodies they were supposed to be taking over. “Magneto has to be stopped…and you’re gonna need our help to do it.”

“I’ve always wanted to be part of the X-Men action! This is so cool!” “Fozzie” said, and it was obvious to Gonzo that Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo were no longer in the minds of Bobby Drake, Jubilation Lee, or Peter Rasputin; however, there was still a part of them inside. Gonzo knew who was causing them to act the way they were, and he turned to Jean, who was in readiness with Storm and Cyclops.

“I thought you didn’t have the mind power to transfer their minds.” Gonzo said.

“I didn’t.” Jean told Gonzo. “It’s evident that Kermit, Fozzie, or Rizzo didn’t have the courage or skills to go out and help us stop Magneto and his Brotherhood.”

“And neither do the students who they were controlling.” Cyclops added.

“So where is the courage coming from?” Gonzo asked. “And who’s in control?”

“Both your friends and our students are in control of the bodies.” Jean replied. “I created new personalities that have the dedication of Colossus, Jubilee, and Iceman with the skills that Rizzo, Fozzie, and Kermit have learned to use over the course of the previous days, adding in some courage from Storm, Scott, and myself.” Gonzo was truly impressed by the small amount of mind power that Jean, and though it was small, it still rivaled that of Professor Xavier.

“Awesome!” Gonzo exclaimed. “This is definitely one experience that Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo won’t ever forget.”

“Unfortunately, that’ll have to be the case, if we make it through this battle.” Jean told Gonzo, who was a bit confused.

“What do you mean?” Gonzo asked.

“You friends have failed to understand the importance of what has been happening lately, Gonzo.” Cyclops stated. “They don’t get the mutant race at all.”

“How sure are you about that?” Gonzo said. “I mean, I know they’ve been trying to talk their way out of this whole battle, but that doesn’t make them cowards or mutant-haters.”

“No one’s saying they are, Gonzo.” Storm said. “It’s just that…we cannot afford to have characters like them speaking too much about us, once they leave this mansion.”

“That is why we’ll erase their memories of this whole incident, after we handle Magneto.” Jean said, and Gonzo wasn’t too happy to hear that; however, he knew in his mind that it was probably for the best.

“Gosh, I…I figured it would’ve been nice to share this experience with my friends,” Gonzo said, “But now that I know how they feel about my connections with you all, I guess you’re right. They’re not ready to accept the truth yet.” It was silent in the room for a moment, as Jubilee, Iceman, and Colossus were suiting up in their own X-Men uniforms; once they were all ready, they exited the ready room and entered a hangar (located directly below the mansion’s basketball court), which was the location of the Blackbird, a giant, sleek aircraft that the X-Men used to get around. Soon after boarding the Blackbird and strapping themselves to their seats, the X-Men and Gonzo (the first “X-Muppet”) held on tight as the engines began to fire up.

On the court above, a basketball sat on the ground in the middle; suddenly, the asphalt started to vibrate and the basketball rolled a few inches—then there was a grinding noise and the surface began to separate at the half court line. The basketball fell through the widening hole and bounced off the wing of the rising Blackbird. The aircraft turned and cleared the hangar before blasting off into the night sky.


END OF CHAPTER SIX


Coming up next....Mutants, Muppets, and More Mutants!!:)

[muppetwriter]

Just wanted to notify everyone on this...

For anyone who has Fox's FX channel on cable and for those that haven't seen any X-Men movies yet, FX's broadcast premiere of "X-Men 2: X-Men United" is tonight at 7/6c. I recommend watching this one, because it's the best one...that is, until the third one comes out this summer.:)

[muppetwriter]

Some old friends appear in Chapter Seven.:)


Chapter Seven (Part One):


That night on Ellis Island, security of every kind covered every inch of the island. Helicopters were coming in at the rate of about one every minute to deliver dignitaries and their families from all over the globe. A steady flow of limos poured onto the island over a simple two-lane bridge from New Jersey, as a Muppet newsman stood in the foreground.

“With the ceremonies beginning shortly, it looks as though the last of the dignitaries have landed at Newark and Teterboro airports and will be arriving momentarily.” The newsman said, during the broadcast. “It would seem the United Nations has had their wish tonight. There doesn’t seem to be an empty seat in the house.” The newsman looked around to see if there were possibly any seats available, and to his displeasure there were none. “And that might be a problem for this newscaster, considering the fact that he has been standing all day long and handling this stupid report! Could I please have a chair people?! My dogs are barking here!” Unusually, the newsman’s feet started barking like actual dogs, and they even went as far as dragging him away from where he stood. “Whoa! Down, boy! Down!”

Near the banquet table where fabulous and expensive cuisines were being served, the famous Swedish Chef was baking most of the delicious meals for all of the dignitaries, without even making a huge mess. Some of the vegetables that were sitting on the table feared whether or not if they would be included in one of the Swedish Chef’s dishes. Several times had they tried escaping from the banquet table, but Chef always spotted them and forced them to stay on the table.

“Well, if his sharp-cutting blade doesn’t get us first, then those dignitaries eventually will.” A tomato uttered.

“Not unless if we spoil ourselves.” A cabbage suggested.

“Good idea!” A potato exclaimed. “Quick! Someone find out what happens in the next X-Men/Muppets story!”

All around New York City, many citizens were gathering to watch the historic event on television, including all of the residents in the Happiness Hotel. At the Hotel, many had been wondering what was going on with Fozzie and Kermit, who had been frozen in place for three days straight; Fozzie was standing by the front door and Kermit still had the phone receiver in his head, near his head. While Dr. Phil van Neuter (the only available Muppet scientist in the Happiness Hotel at that time) and Miss Piggy were trying to figure out what was wrong with Kermit and Fozzie, everyone else had their eyes glued to the television set in the living room.

“Like, it’s too bad that Kermit and Fozzie aren’t awake to see this.” Janice said.

“Yeah, I wonder what’s happened to the frog and our furry, funny bear.” Dr. Teeth said. “They haven’t blinked, moved, or done anything lately, since they tried to go out and find Gonzo & Rizzo.”

“Speaking of the weirdo with the blue hose, I’m starting to wonder if he and Rizzo are gonna come back any time soon.” Floyd stated. “No one even knows where they’ve been and why they’re gone in the first place.”

“Maybe they went on a little road trip.” Dr. Teeth assumed. “Probably going to the one place where Gonzo’s always wanted to be.”

“Where’s that?” Floyd asked. “Disneyland?”

“No. Area 51.” Dr. Teeth remarked, and all members of the Electric Mayhem burst out laughing, except for Animal, who was screaming “Road trip! Road trip!” over and over again.

“Hey, hey! Cool it, Animal!” Floyd exclaimed. “We’re not on tour yet!”

Back on Ellis Island, inside the security control tower, the operating commander monitored the countless video screens that displayed nearly every crevice of Ellis Island, as well as other parts of New York Harbor and the network news feeds of the event. Near the main entrance (the front of the Great Hall of Ellis Island, where once immigrants poured into the new world by the millions), a huge military band off to one side played music from the different countries to help with the milling about and shaking of hands. The President himself was in the crowd, meeting and greeting, with a mob of Secret Service always right there.

On a deserted part of the island (away from the action), a uniformed Secret Service agent kept tight watch on the island; it wasn’t long before something had fallen upon him, causing a sickening crunch. However, it wasn’t something that fell on the agent…it was someone…Toad. Because of Toad’s weight on him, the agent was tumbled into a heap. Toad looked around quietly, listened, and then leaped away, landing on top of another Secret Service agent in the process.

On Liberty Island, two Secret Service guys approached one another; one was holding a smoke, the other was producing a lighter. Just as his smoke was about to hit the flame, the flame dodged to one side; he moved to follow it, and the flame dodged the other way. The guy with the smoke looked at the guy with the lighter, as if to say “knock it off.” The lighter guy shrugged as the flame instantly grew to a raging intensity, engulfing them! As they were incinerated and their ashes fall to the ground, Pyro climbed to the scene from the seawall below, dripping wet. He had come dressed to make trouble on that night; strapped to his back was an impressive-looking flame thrower.

Near the seawall, a Secret Service man waved to a Coast Guard boat as it passed by; the pilot of the boat, a man in his late forties, waved back. As the Secret Service guy waved, he jolted upright, with his face contorting in impossible pain. Slowly, he was lifted off the ground by Sabretooth, who had the last Secret Service man impaled on his claws; he casually threw the body to the ground.

The Coast Guard pilot focused on the wheel of the boat as he morphed into Mystique and turned the boat toward Liberty Island. The boat bumped and grinded on the manmade rocky shore, while Sabretooth jumped down to the deck and met up with Magneto, who was coming up from below; they nodded to one another and walk toward the front of the boat. On the deck was something covered with a tarp; Sabretooth pulled it back to reveal Logan, unconscious from a drug that was inserted into him. Another much larger object was on the back of the boat under another tarp.

Meanwhile, in the night skies flew the X-Men’s Blackbird jet, which Cyclops was piloting as Manhattan came into view; they banked to the south, heading directly towards their main destination: Liberty Island. As Cyclops checked his monitors, Gonzo seemed to be really enjoying the ride.

“Wow! I think I’ve got goose bumps over my goose bumps!” He exclaimed, and he seemed to have just that, because his long hooked nose had bumps forming over themselves. Gonzo looked over to Colossus, Jubilee, and Iceman, who were calmly sitting in their seats. “Are they aware of all that’s happening right now? Will they remember anything from this battle?”

“No. They’re minds have been shielded by my telekinesis.” Jean told Gonzo, as she turned and grinned at him. “Kind of like putting on a blindfold.”

“Even if they weren’t shielded, they still won’t remember anything, after we’ve erased their memories.” Cyclops stated, as he finished checking his monitors. “Radar Stealth Mode checks out. All right, there’ll be less security north of the George Washington Bridge. I’m taking her down.”

“Into the Hudson?” Jean asked.

“Uh-huh.” Cyclops replied, smiling, as the Blackbird slowed to a hover, with its Harrier Jet engines tilting back until they were vertical to the water. The engines cycled down and the plane lowered until it was hovering a few feet off the surface. “V.T.O.L. off.” As the Blackbird sunk, the hatches closed off and the wings retracted to transform the plane into a submarine to the surprise of Gonzo.

“Is there anything you guys can’t do?” He uttered, and Jean, Cyclops, and Storm all smiled, while the engines pulled tight to the body of the craft and began to propel it forward. The water of the Hudson River rippled as the submersed aircraft passed under the bridge and into the harbor.

“So, Gonzo,” Cyclops said, “Has anything kicked in yet?” Gonzo waited for a moment to give a reply to Cyclops’ question, seeing if he actually sensed his secret mutant power anywhere within him. Unfortunately, he didn’t sense anything at all.

“Nothing.” Gonzo said, and Cyclops sighed with discomfort, wondering if it was such a bright idea to bring Gonzo along with them. “I know that I’ve got some kind of power. Professor Xavier told me that I do.”

“Maybe it’s on the fritz.” Cyclops uttered, in a sarcastic tone, and Jean slightly touched his shoulder, calming him down. “I’m sorry, Gonzo. Just…Just focus, alright. It’ll come to you soon.” And under his breath, he added, “Hopefully as soon as we make it to Magneto’s location.” Jean looked over at Cyclops and then to Gonzo, who had his eyes closed and focusing on finding his mutant power; her doubtfulness was just beginning to grow, and she knew that if things did get worse during battle, she must do her duty as an X-Man to keep Gonzo out of danger. For Gonzo’s sake, Jean hoped that Professor Xavier wasn’t wrong about him and his “inner mutant.”

Meanwhile, Logan awakened in an unknown environment, with his arms cuffed behind his back; he was delirious and weakened from the drug. He looked around and realized that he was in an oddly-shaped room with barely enough space for him and Magneto, who smiled at him in the half darkness.

“Where am I?” Logan asked, weakly.

“You’re backstage at the encore of creation.” Magneto replied, looking at his watch. “Three minutes to curtain.”

“What are you going to do?”

“In the road to survival, there is always sacrifice, Logan. We are the future…not them. We must protect ourselves. After tonight, when the leaders of the world return home, they will return as brothers…as mutants…and our cause will be theirs. This is survival; I know you understand that, Logan…or is it Wolverine?” Magneto stepped out of the hatch and closed it, coming to stand on a railing outside from his high perch, overlooking the island. He was standing on the catwalk around the torch of the Statue of Liberty, about a mile away from Ellis Island; he had his back to its gold translucent flame, looking over at the activity on Ellis Island and hearing the band and breathing the cool evening breeze. “Give me your tired, your poor…” He turned to the bright lights of Manhattan and its millions of inhabitants, “…Your huddled masses.” He brought a radio to his lips. “Lights.”

Elsewhere, Sabretooth was tearing the padlocks off of the generator shed that powered the island; he grabbed a hold of a fuse lever marked “Liberty Display Lights” and pulled it down, turning it off. Inside Liberty’s torch, Logan was in darkness; he frantically tried pulling on his binds, leading to no avail. Meanwhile, back in the Blackbird, Cyclops was monitoring the area above-water on a video screen.

“The lights on the Statue of Liberty are off.” Cyclops indicated.

“She never did look good in the dark.” Gonzo uttered. “Actually, I’d always thought she would look good as a chicken.” A statement like that made Cyclops believe that the only power Gonzo contained was the power of “Chicken Fetishes.”

“Beast said that Magneto would have to take a high vantage point.” Storm said.

“Let’s dock over there.” said Cyclops, motioning to an open area of water next to Liberty Island, just as he pulled a lever, which made the Blackbird surface. “Storm, give us some cover.”

All over the city of Manhattan, curious viewers were staring at their sets and watching an image of the Statue of Liberty sitting dark. The Happiness Hotel residents were a lot more puzzled than everyone else, as Scooter walked over to their television set and analyzed it to see what was wrong.

“Maybe the reception’s all screwed up.” Scooter assumed.

“Nah, it can’t be.” Pops told Scooter. “We had a repairman come in a few weeks ago to look at it. He only charged fifteen thousand for it.”

“Fifteen thousand bucks?!” Scooter exclaimed.

“Bucks? Naw…I’m talkin’ about penguins.” Pops said. “A buddy of his needed them for some kind of performance at Broadway next week.” Rowlf looked closely at the darkened image of the Statue of Liberty on the television set.

“Hey, is it just me or does Lady Liberty look a lot like Beyonce Knowles in the dark?” Rowlf asked, but no one answered. “What? Am I the only one who ever fantasizes anymore?”

Back on the Hudson River, the water level outside the Blackbird lowered as the plane surfaced. The plane rose until it was nearly flushed with the surface of the water. Out of the jet’s window, the Statue rose away into the fog that was rolling in over the harbor.


TO BE CONTINUED...


Coming up next...Gonzo Goes Up Against The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants! And...A New Mutant Power Is Born!!!:excited:

[muppetwriter]

Here's the rest of Chapter Seven.:)


Chapter Seven (Part Two):


Jean, Cyclops, Storm, Gonzo, Iceman, Colossus, and Jubilee stepped off the wing tip of the Blackbird onto the island; they climbed over the fog encased seawall and stand, staring up at the Statue and the desolated island. On the torch, Magneto took the moment in the darkness to point his hands and all of his concentration on the bottom of the torch. The air rippled with magnetic energy as the cap-like end piece of the torch began to vibrate; metal groaned and twisted, and with a crack of metal, the cap came free, dropping to the ground. Inside the torch, Logan stared down through the hollow torch as the cap fell away into the fog. At the bottom of the statue, the X-Men team was deciding how to proceed.

“We should check out operations,” Cyclops suggested, “See if the Secret Service is still around.” Storm was surveying the layout of the island; she looked up at the Statue and noticed something just in time.

“LOOK OUT!!” She cried, and they all looked up, seeing how the cap of the torch was screaming down towards them out of the sky. Everyone leaped out of the way, except for Gonzo, who was still focusing on bringing out his mutant power.

“Gonzo! Get out of the way!” Cyclops shouted, from a safe distance, and just when it seemed as if Gonzo was going to be crushed by the torch’s cap, his eyes popped open and he lifted his arms, catching the gigantic object with his bare hands! Cyclops, Jean, and Storm stared in utter disbelief, as they watched Gonzo toss the cap away into the Hudson River. Even Gonzo himself couldn’t believe what he had just done.

“I DID IT!!!” He yelled, and his companions shushed him, reminding him that they were on a mission that required stealth and silence. Gonzo kept himself quiet, as the other X-Men approached him.

“How did you do it, Gonzo?” Storm asked.

“I’m not sure.” Gonzo replied. “All I did was think about what particular power that I always wanted to have and super-strength came to mind. Next thing I know…I have super-strength.” Cyclops, Jean, and Storm were really happy for Gonzo; however, they didn’t have the time to celebrate over his newfound power.

“Well, how about we use that super-strength against Magneto and his twerps?” Cyclops said, looking up at the torch. “Jean, can you raise me up there?”

“It’s too far.” Jean remarked, and Cyclops began assessing the situation.

“Storm, Gonzo…you two take the south entrance with Bobby and Jubilee.” Cyclops ordered, just before he pointed to the main entrance. “Jean and I will go in here.” Storm, Gonzo, Iceman, and Jubilee started for the south entrance. “I’ll see you all soon. Oh, and Gonzo…” Gonzo stopped for a moment and turned back to Cyclops. “Be careful…even with that remarkable strength of yours.” Gonzo nodded in affirmation, and he continued on to the south entrance with Storm, Iceman, and Jubilee.

Back on the torch, Magneto prepared to execute the next stage of his plan when he looked out over the island; he realized that a dense fog had rolled in, obscuring his view of the bottom half of the Statue. He looked out towards Ellis Island and saw that the fog was localized over Liberty Island.

“Be careful, everyone.” Magneto stated, into the radio. “I think we may have company.”

On the Coast Guard boat that Magneto came in on, the giant tarp and the object underneath it both rose into the air, standing upright. The tarp slid to the deck to reveal the same machine that Magneto used to mutate and kill Senator Kelly; the air rippled as it rose higher in the air. While the machine was rising, Logan yanked at the manacles inside the torch, in an attempt to pull his hands free. Soon the machine had risen up and into the bottom of the torch itself; with it almost on him, Logan’s struggles turned to rage. Suddenly, he popped his claws and frantically cut at the wall behind him, as the machine drew closer.

Meanwhile, Gonzo and Rogue quietly entered the Statue’s museum with Jubilee and Iceman; it was filled with scale models and full-size displays documenting the history of Lady Liberty—one display showcasing the metal strips that lined the Statue for support. The group quickly headed for an exit on the far side of the room, until the lights suddenly went out. A low, guttural croak echoed in the void.

“I sure hope that was one of Kermit’s visiting relatives.” Gonzo uttered.

“Gonzo…stay close to me.” Storm whispered, as they started backing toward a six-foot copper replica of the Statue, which had the ability to turn its head and watch Gonzo, Storm, Jubilee, and Iceman as they backed toward it. The replica blinked and the eyes turned Mystique yellow.

Meanwhile, Cyclops and Jean were in a giant room that welcomed the many visitors to the Statue, along with Colossus; in the center was the old torch, placed there after the Statue’s 1986 restoration. The only light in the room was a soft red glow that emanated from the old torch. While inside the old torch room, Cyclops noticed a map of the Statue on a pedestal.

“Over there.” Cyclops said, and he & Jean studied the map, looking for the way to the torch. In front of them was the old torch; its eerie red glow was growing brighter. With Cyclops’ attention focused on the map of the statue, the dim red glow turned brighter and brighter; soon enough the glowing got Cyclops’ attention and he turned to look up at the old torch, which glowed fiery red hot. “Get down!”

The torch exploded and caused a ring of fire to wipe across the room, as Cyclops, Jean, and Colossus ducked behind the marble map pedestal, fire whipping around them. At the center of the old torch was Pyro, with his eyes wide, manipulating the fire like an orchestra conductor. Cyclops, Colossus, and Jean were all pinned down, as fire swept around the map pedestal. Cyclops turned and fired a series of optic blasts blindly through the fire, blasting the ceiling and causing chunks of debris from the ceiling to shower down onto Pyro. The distraction brought the inferno to a stop, since Pyro no longer had control over the flame. Smoke filled the room, as Jean tried to catch her breath; the sudden chaos had accidentally broke the telepathic hold she had on the minds of Kermit, Fozzie, Rizzo, Iceman, Jubilee, and Colossus, bringing the Muppet trio back in control of the students’ bodies.

“Whoa! What the heck’s goin’ on?!” Rizzo/Colossus exclaimed. “One minute I’m in a locker room, and the next…I’m in a shvitz that looks like it went haywire!” Rizzo looked around the smoking room and noticed how neither of his friends was there with him. “Hey, where’s Gonzo?” Meanwhile, Cyclops stood and headed toward the old torch trying to draw a bead on Pyro; but he didn’t see him. That was when a column of fire erupted from the thick smoke, rocketing at Cyclops. “Hey! Look out there!” Heeding Rizzo’s warning, Cyclops dodged, flipping a heavy wood table with flaming pamphlets on it and using it as a shield against Pyro’s fiery onslaught.

Jean, having caught her breath, looked over to see Cyclops pinned down as fire wrapped around the table—the fire was burning through it. She also took notice of how “Colossus” was acting really frightened and nervous, signaling that Rizzo was in control of his body again to Jean’s displeasure.

“Rizzo,” She said, as she stood up from behind the marble podium, “Do you think you could distract Pyro long enough for me to stop him?”

“Are you crazy?!” Rizzo/Colossus exclaimed. “That guy will turn me into a Pop Tart!”

“Not if you use Colossus’ special power.” Jean said, and Rizzo knew exactly how to work the mutant power of Colossus; it was like a bad cold to him, in the sense that after spending two or three days with it, it was easy getting use to. And with that, Rizzo stepped up bravely and confronted Pyro.

“Hey, matchstick!” Rizzo/Colossus shouted, and Pyro stopped his assault on Cyclops, focusing on Rizzo. “Why don’t ya mess with someone your own size?”

“Scott Summers is my size!” Pyro exclaimed, and Rizzo was at a lost for words.

“Well, uh…how ‘bout messin’ with me?” Rizzo/Colossus said, and he couldn’t believe those words came out of his mouth.

“My pleasure.” Pyro uttered, just before he unleashed an arm of fire toward Rizzo. By the time the arm of fire got a hold of Rizzo, he had already transformed his skin into steel, making him impervious to the deadly flame. Rizzo looked at himself and realized that what he was doing actually helped; the only thing that the flame was doing to his steely skin was making it extraordinarily hot. While Pyro had his attention on Rizzo, Jean stretched out her fists and focused her telekinesis on Pyro’s mind. It wasn’t long before Pyro suddenly got very tired and stopped himself from scorching Rizzo any further.

“What’s wrong, matchstick?” Rizzo/Colossus asked. “Had enough?” Pyro didn’t answer; instead, he just slipped into unconsciousness and passed out across the floor. “Ha, ha! I wore him out!”

“Rizzo!” Jean shouted, and she pointed to the opposite walls near the old torch, where there were two large fire extinguishers. “Use the heat from your body to take out those extinguishers.”

“Right!” Rizzo/Colossus acknowledged, and he ran through the flaming room to the extinguishers; once he grabbed them, he held them close to his body, causing the extensive heat from his body to make the extinguishers explode in front of him. Since the power of Colossus’ steel form was so extreme, Rizzo was left harmless from the effect of the blast, while the flames once covering the room were gone, leaving a choking smoke behind; the column of flames against Scott vanished. After the explosion, Rizzo looked at himself and noticed how Colossus’ body was back to its normal form, with a ravaged uniform that was covered with white foam. “Man! What a rush!” Cyclops walked up to Jean, and the both of them stared down at Pyro’s unconscious body, still lying on the floor.

“What did you do to him?” Cyclops asked her.

“He’s just a kid, Scott.” Jean remarked. “He’s no older than you or I was when we first joined Xavier’s school. Maybe there’s still hope for him.”

“Yeah, and maybe Charles Manson just wants to hold the Beatles’ hands!” Rizzo/Colossus said, sarcastically, and Cyclops was quick to notice how “Rizzo-ish” Colossus was again.

“Looks like the rat’s in control again.” He commented.

“You’ve got that right, buddy.” Rizzo/Colossus stated. “And I don’t know how you twerps and Gonzo were able to get us to come with ya on this crazy mission, but you’re gonna get us out, alive and uncooked!”

“We will, Rizzo.” Jean promised.

“But for now, how about we watch our own butts and keep an eye out for any more of Magneto’s goons?” Cyclops suggested.

“First we have to get Pyro out of this room; it’s unhealthy for him to be in here, when he’s still very much alive.” Jean indicated.

“Jean…” Cyclops said, not sharing her thoughts on Pyro.

“It’ll be alright, Scott.” Jean assured. “Trust me.” Cyclops just stared at her for a long moment, and then he turned to Rizzo.

“Carry him as far as the hallway outside and leave him there.” Cyclops ordered, and Rizzo picked up Pyro’s unconscious body, right before they all got out of the smoke-filled room.


END OF CHAPTER SEVEN


Coming up next...Fireworks and Ice, With A Dash of Weirdo!!

[The Count]

Good stuff here. Some small touch-ups might be needed when rereading the story before posting, but otherwise it's been a great read. Post the next chapter when ready, please.

[muppet maniac]

Apparently some years ago(say around 2000), the Henson Company had ideas for a Muppet superhero movie. The plot was going to be about the characters getting superpowers. But after that, there was no word of a complete plot and production date has yet to come.

[muppetwriter]

Apparently some years ago(say around 2000), the Henson Company had ideas for a Muppet superhero movie. The plot was going to be about the characters getting superpowers. But after that, there was no word of a complete plot and production date has yet to come.

Hmm. I didn't know that. Interesting.:cool:


I apologize if I still haven't gotten the chance to get back to finishing this story. Lately, I've been writing some other superhero crossovers (for both Marvel & DC), and I just haven't thought up a good ending for this one. When I do, eventually, get back to finishing this, I might do an "Ultimate Muppets" story (based off of the upcoming "Ultimate Avengers" DVD) that'll be similiar to the Muppet superhero idea that the Henson Company had.:)

[ReneeLouvier]

OOH! I finally got around to reading your story, I love it muppetwriter! Very nicely done!

Kinda odd in the first chapter to see Scooter like that. I could just see him doing that like, you know that "Black Power" thing and all. Cool, yet creepy.


Gave me shivers.

[muppetwriter]

OOH! I finally got around to reading your story, I love it muppetwriter! Very nicely done!

Kinda odd in the first chapter to see Scooter like that. I could just see him doing that like, you know that "Black Power" thing and all. Cool, yet creepy.


Gave me shivers.


Thanks, Renee.:)

I'd always figured Scooter was a complicated muppet, long before I began reading the "Sadie Stories." Out of all the Muppets, I wanted either him or Sam the Eagle to represent the "Mutant-Haters" that characters like Senator Kelly do for the humans.

The "X-Men" story had always been like a discriminatory series, in which the characters Magneto and Professor Xavier resemble historical figures like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. Stan Lee himself made that point when he first started the comic book.:D

[muppetwriter]

Good news, everybody!:D

I've finally thought up the perfect ending for this story! It'll require adding some characters from a comic-turned-cartoon series that I enjoy watching out of Disney's Jetix program. These characters will be popping up now and then in other Muppet/Marvel stories that I'll write in the future.:)

[muppetwriter]

In just a short amount of time, I was able to cook up this brand-spanking new chapter.:)

Chapter Eight (Part One)

“Lights on.” Magneto ordered, into the walkie-talkie, as the machine finally locked into place. Sabretooth grabbed a hold of a lever for the “Liberty Display” power breaker and pulled up, turning it on. The lights of the Statue came back on, and the crowd of dignitaries burst into enthusiastic applause as if it was part of the proceedings. Magneto turned and opened the hatch; seeing the hole, he realized that Logan had escaped. He walked over and stared at the hole, which was clearly cut out by Logan’s claws; he wiped the edge of the hole and noticed Logan’s blood on his fingers. “Remarkable.” Magneto looked down and saw Logan’s claw marks down the arm of the Statue, marking his escape. He scanned the island from his high perch and did not see Logan. “Very remarkable.”

Meanwhile, in a fashionable Chinese restaurant in Downtown Manhattan that was closed down for the evening, five teenage girls and a young man named Caleb were watching aerial footage of Liberty Island on television. The secret behind the five girls was a fascinating one: they were chosen to be the Guardians of the Veil (mystical portals that led to parallel worlds) and given magical powers over the five elements (fire, air, water, earth, and energy). 14-year-old Will Vandom was the leader over her friends (Irma Lair, Cornelia Hale, Hay Lin, and Taranee Cook) and the keeper of a small crystal called the Heart of Candracar. The Heart was absorbed into Will’s body and emerged when it was needed; it transformed the girls into Guardians (they age to 16 and wear special costumes) and strengthens their elemental powers. Their ally, Caleb, was a rebel soldier from the world that they protected (Meridian).

“That is one impressive statue.” He said, keeping his eyes on the television set, which was a scarce object in Meridian. “Most of ours only stand at eight feet tall.”

“Never mind about Lady Liberty,” Will said, as she clutched the Heart of Candracar, “Something bad is happening on that island.”

“What? Are the pyrotechnics not functioning?” Irma joked, and Will shot a dirty look at her.

“I’m serious.” Will said. “I think someone’s putting the world in serious danger.”

“Is it Phobos?” Caleb asked, as the thoughts of the sly, arrogant, and ruthless prince of Meridian on Earth making him feel very nervous.

“No, it’s not Phobos.” Will told Caleb, who signed with relief. “It’s someone…more powerful…more…vengeful.”

“Then what are we doing just sitting around here for?” Hay Lin said, energetically. “Let’s get over there and kick this guy’s butt!”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Cornelia said, holding her hands up in protest. “Why should we waste our time stopping some weirdo on the Statue of Liberty? We only stop weirdoes from another universe.”

“Cornelia, we got these powers to protect both this world and the next.” Will said. “If we protect Meridian more than Earth, then we’ll just be leaving Earth to waste away more and more by the day.”

“Okay. Okay.” Cornelia said, as Hay Lin noticed one small thing about their wording in their conversation.

“Hey, that all rhymes!” She exclaimed, and the other girls just gave her an odd look, while Caleb was getting his caramel-colored overcoat on.

“You girls know what to do.” He said.

“Sure do.” Will said, just as she pulled out the Heart of Candracar from beneath her shirt and uttered the phrase, “Guardians, unite!” With those words, the five ordinary girls transformed into their Guardian forms in a quick second before Caleb’s very impressed eyes.

“Never get tired of that.” He commented.

“Let’s hope not.” Cornelia said, posing as if she was in a fashion show. “Because if you do, then we’ll start getting tired of lookin’ so darn good.” Will just shook her head at Cornelia.

“Come on, Heidi Klum.” Will told her. “Get your butt in gear, so we can start taking care of the trash that’s polluting Liberty Island.” The Guardians, with Caleb in tow, went up to the rooftop of the restaurant and used the beautiful, three-foot wide wings on their backs to fly over to Liberty Island; Caleb, who didn’t have any wings to fly with, was carried by Irma and Taranee.

Back on Liberty Island, the doors to the old torch room burst open, allowing smoke to billow out; Jean and Rizzo (who still had the unconscious Pyro over his right shoulder) ran out, both coughing violently.

“Man! The last time I inhaled something that bad, Gonzo had to remove his socks from our room.” Rizzo/Colossus said, just as Toad landed in front of Jean, grabbed her head, and (before she could react) launched his tongue at her face; his tongue covered her face with an adhesive slime. Jean fell to the ground, while Rizzo dropped Pyro’s body and turned Colossus’s body into steel. “Kermit, I’m sorry about this, but I’ve gotta take out your twice-removed cousin!”

Rizzo swung his steel fist into Toad’s face, sending the mutant flying across the air and crashing into a nearby display case. Shaking the cobwebs out of his head, Toad extended his tongue again and wrapped it around Rizzo’s ankles; he jerked his head back and caused Rizzo to fall flat on his back.

“Oy! What the heck was up with that?!” Rizzo/Colossus exclaimed.

“Just one of the many tricks I have in my hat.” Toad remarked, and as Rizzo got to his feet, Toad did a brilliant somersault in the air and attempted to kick Rizzo in the face; fortunately, he moved out of the way in time to let Toad hit nothing but the floor, which he put a huge dent in.

“Close, but no cigar, Froggy!” Rizzo/Colossus said, and he picked up Toad, swinging around and around, really fast. “Time…to…take…the…ultimate…SPIN!!” He let go of Toad’s body and flung him over the air; the mutant crashed right through a wall and ended up outside, still flying through the air at an incredible speed. When Toad was far away from the island, he landed in the water, disappearing below the surface and leaving nothing but bubbles. Back inside the complex, Rizzo was fighting the dizziness that Colossus’s body had picked up, after spinning so fast. “Remind me never to do that again.”

Rizzo collapsed on the floor, as Cyclops stumbled into the room; he saw the damaged that Rizzo and Toad caused during their fight, and then he saw Jean lying on the ground. He ran to her and turned her on her back, ready to perform CPR; he was shocked to see the slime on her face, which was hardening. Jean was suffocating, and Cyclops desperately tried to pry the hardened slime off; he stopped and put his hands on Jean’s shoulders, pinning her down.

“Jean, stop moving.” Scott demanded, and she started to calm down, with her chest still hitching involuntarily for air. “Jean, trust me. Don’t move.” He took a hold of her chin and gripped it tightly, and then he fired a thin, focused optic beam into the encrusted slime, splitting it in half. Cyclops pulled the remains away from her face, allowing Jean to gasp for air; she then looked up and her face turned to horror. Behind Cyclops, towering over him was Sabretooth; with one violent swipe from the monster’s hand, Cyclops was knocked out cold.

TO BE CONTINUED...

[The Count]

Wow! So much funneeeeeeee!
The fight between Rizzo/Colossus and Toad was my fave part.
Sorry Kermit, but I gotta take out your twice-removed cousin.
Classic.

And now that Toad's gone from Liberty Island, I guess that allows for the introduction of another slimy reptilian/amphibian creature... Blunc!
The introduction and rendering of the WITCH characters was well done. You captured Irma's joke-killing and Hai Lynn's odd airheadedness.
The problem I have with WITCH now is that it and I when viewing it are suffering from the same thing that happened with Winks Club. They just keep repeating the Season 1 episodes ad nauseum till Season 2 starts up.
And is there any evidence WITCH will have a Season 2? At least they took Schinzo off for the same reason to make room for the new stuff.

Look forward to more from this story.

[ReneeLouvier]

Really really awesome!

[muppetwriter]

Chapter Eight (Part Two)

Inside Lady Liberty’s head, Jean, Cyclops (without his visor on), and Rizzo were trapped in a hideous tangle of metal, which was taken from the Statue’s steel bracing; Jean and Cyclops were forced to face each other, while Rizzo (still unconscious) was hanging upside down. Two sharp points of metal rest on either side of Cyclops’ head, locking it in position; he was close enough to feel Jean’s breath, and if he opened his eyes, he will destroy everything in his path, including Jean.

Storm was also encased in a mass of sharp metal bands, along with Kermit and Fozzie, who (like Rizzo) had regained their personas and were back in control of Iceman and Jubilee. They were all pinned to the wall, with razor sharp pieces of metal warped and closing on their throats. Oddly, Gonzo wasn’t with the group; he seemed to have disappeared, just as soon as Magneto captured Storm, Kermit, and Fozzie.

“What’s going on here?!” Kermit/Iceman yelled, frantically. “Why am I strapped here inside of the Statue of Liberty like this, wearing this ridiculous outfit?! And where the heck is Gonzo?!”

“These outfits aren’t too ridiculous, Kermit.” Fozzie/Jubilee said, as he glanced at the skintight X-Man uniform that Jubilee’s body had on. “In fact, they’re kind of comfortable. Hey, hey! Be honest with me…does it make my butt look fat?” Kermit made a disturbed expression on his face, as Magneto stepped into the room, placing Cyclops’ visor against one of the metal straps that was lined on his belt.

“And who are you?” Kermit/Iceman asked Magneto, who only saw him as Bobby Drake and not Kermit the Frog.

“My boy, hasn’t your Professor ever shared his fondest memories of me with you?” Magneto said.

“Can’t say that I have.” Kermit/Iceman remarked.

“Excuse me, Mr. Scary-Old-Man-With-A-Cape?” Fozzie/Jubilee said. “But…why do you have us strapped inside of the Statue of Liberty like this? And I’m asking that question on behalf of my friend, Kermit.”

“Fozzie!” Kermit/Iceman exclaimed.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Fozzie/Jubilee said. “I meant on behalf of my friend, Bobby Drake.” Kermit rolled his eyes with disgust, as Magneto walked up close to Fozzie, glaring straight into his eyes.

“You really like to know, wouldn’t you, child?” He asked.

“Uh…yeah?” Fozzie/Jubilee remarked, and Magneto grinned, moving himself to the middle of the room.

“I am simply attempting to change the way God has created humanity.” Magneto said. “Before tomorrow morning, the Homo sapiens of the Earth will be one with the mutants, and there’ll be no need to fear any longer.” He looked to his hand, where a chip from Cerebro rested on his palm. “This small piece of Cerebro could very much save Charles Xavier, and if I’m correct and Logan is hearing everything I say now, he’ll have no other choice but to come and get this chip from me—that is, if he cares about Xavier’s life.” He went over to Jean and tucked the chip in an exposed part of her uniform. “If I get what I want, you can try and save him…for old times sake.”

“Magneto, I’ve seen the results of your machine.” Jean said. “I’ve seen Senator Kelly.”

“Ahhh, so the good Senator survived his fall and the swim to the shore?” Magneto said, very pleased. “He’s stronger than I ever could’ve imagined.”

“Your experiment was a failure, buddy.” Kermit/Iceman said.

“Yeah.” Fozzie/Jubilee said. “Thanks to you, Senator Kelly’s gone.”

“It’s true, Erik.” Jean said, as shock was registering on Magneto’s face, thinking that he could be totally wrong. “Yes, you were successful in activating his mutator gene, but you failed to take into account the rest of his body—it wasn’t ready for the strain.” Magneto’s mind raced and calculated the possibility; he considered what Jean was telling him. “Kelly was dead within hours. Your machine kills!!”

“I don’t believe you.” Magneto remarked, and he got angry, squeezing the metal surrounding Jean’s head. She gasped, and Cyclops was driven crazy, but he was helpless to stop it.

“Hey! Cut it out!” Kermit/Iceman shouted, pleading for Jean’s life.

Meanwhile, outside the Statue of Liberty, Logan had safely made it off the Statue and attempted to jump off the seawall, until he heard what Magneto had been telling the others in the Statue; his powerful hearing enabled him to hear the magnetic mutant from a far distance. Logan was severely frustration, wanting so desperately to walk away from the situation that was happening on the island. “To **** with it all,” Logan thought; he was able to jump off the seawall, until a blue blur sped up behind him, and Gonzo appeared in front of him.

“What the…?” Logan said, looking around puzzlingly. “Where did you come from?”

“It’s my speed, Wolverine!” Gonzo exclaimed. “Not only do I have remarkable strength, but I’m faster than Superman now!”

“That’s great, kid.” Logan said, uninterested. “Now, get outta my way. I’ve got some waves to catch.” Gonzo realized what Logan was attempting to do, and he reacted quickly to stop him from doing it.

“W-Wait! You can’t leave!” Gonzo told him. “The others…they need our help!”

“They need your help.” Logan contradicted. “Me? I’m taking the first train back to Canada; and this train ain’t gonna split open like a sardine can!”

“This isn’t you talking, Wolverine.” Gonzo said. “It’s Magneto talking.” That comment stopped Logan from taking another step; he knew how dangerous Magneto was, and it made him sick to his stomach that anyone would compare a monster like Magneto to him. “You’re saying that you don’t care if every human in the world doesn’t live to see the sun rise tomorrow. You’re saying that you’d rather let all those that fear us—only because they hadn’t gotten the chance to know us—die in less than an hour! You’re spitting on everything Xavier has ever taught us and letting bullies like Magneto destroy a world that you fear, Wolverine…not them!”

“I AIN’T AFRAID OF NO STINKIN’ THING!!!!!” Logan screamed, with a great deal of hatred in his voice, grabbing Gonzo by the collar with one hand, while his claws extracted from another. Gonzo didn’t show any fear on his face, as Logan glared into his eyes, ready to shred him to pieces at any moment. However, Logan didn’t tear the X-Muppet like he wanted to; he knew that Gonzo had a point to what he said about him, and even Logan himself admitted that he was a coward. The claws on Logan’s left hand went back into his hand, as he let go of Gonzo and gawked at his X-Man uniform. “Did those geeks actually give you that monkey suit?”

“Yeah.” Gonzo said. “I’m the first X-Muppet.”

“X-Muppet, eh?” Logan uttered, and he grinned, shaking his head at the idea of a Muppet being a mutant. “Heck, if you characters can turn a pig into a sex symbol, then I guess anything’s possible.”

“Then you’ll join me in saving the world?” Gonzo asked, as he pulled another X-Man uniform out from behind him, which was evidently for Logan, who took the uniform from him, looked at it for a long time, and made a funny face.

“Does it come in yellow?” Logan remarked, and Gonzo smiled, taking his remark as an acknowledgement.

“Great! Now let’s…” Gonzo stopped and noticed six figures flying across the night air, only a minute away from approaching Liberty Island. Logan noticed them as well, and he became a bit puzzled by their sudden appearance.

“Who the heck’s comin’ now?” Logan asked.

“I’m not sure.” Gonzo said. “But, for some strange reason, I’ve got a feeling that they might be able to help us out.” Logan looked over at Gonzo, giving him an odd look.


END OF CHAPTER EIGHT

[The Count]

That was rully good. You get points for the cleverness of having Gonzo in the scene from the movie where Storm's talking to Logan to convince him to fight.
The reference to his X-Men uniform color was funny.

And I hope the rest of the gang can pull outta those metal restraints in time for the big fight.

[ReneeLouvier]

Oh wow. This is a rully awesome story!!! :D I can't wait for more!!!

[muppetwriter]

Chapter Nine (Part One)

“Why can’t you see what I am trying to do?!” Magneto yelled; his anger was boiling over, trying to convince the captured mutants before him that he was some sort of savior for the mutant race. “Why do you stand in my way?!”

“Because someone has to be brave enough to let you know how much of a jerk you’re turning into!” Kermit/Iceman stated, and the furious Magneto was about to finish him off with the sharp metal bands, until they heard a thud above them, followed by the sound of footsteps, then another and another. The faces around the room looked at the stairs, as the footsteps got closer and louder.

“Check and mate.” Magneto murmured, just as Gonzo came up from the stairs and glared at Magneto, who was a little surprised and yet confused. “What is this? I ask for an animal, and they send me a…whatever!”

“You’re going down, Magneto!” Gonzo exclaimed, and though Kermit and Fozzie wanted to feel relieved that Gonzo had come, they couldn’t help but to sense that all hope was lost, if Gonzo was their only hope. “I’ve got Logan and some other heroes with me that are gonna bring you down, bub!” That last word in Gonzo’s comment gave Jean a hint; she used her mind to read Gonzo’s, and her eyes widen with surprise, discovering something that no one else in the room would, unless Gonzo revealed it to them.

“You know, if you were just an ordinary character, I could just as easily rip you to shreds with the metal in this room.” Magneto told Gonzo. “However, there’s something about you that’s so similar to the other mutant that I’m searching for.” Suddenly, Magneto raised his hand and magnetic waves rippled, as Gonzo’s body was lifted off the floor and left hovering in the air; but the strangest part of the display were the six claws that extracted from Gonzo’s hands. “Yes…you have adamantium…you are special after all!” The others, except for Cyclops and Rizzo, watched in disbelief.

“How is that possible?!” Storm exclaimed.

“Sheesh.” Kermit/Iceman uttered. “Just when I thought I knew Gonzo…I find out that I don’t know him!”

“Yeah.” Fozzie/Jubilee said. “He has more secrets than Houdini.” Metal groaned as Magneto peeled open a gaping hole in the top of Lady Liberty’s head; looking up at the torch, he levitated Gonzo out the hole in the Statue’s head. Magnetic waves thrust Gonzo through the air and through the metal skin of the torch’s flame; he landed in the center of the sphere on top of the machine. Inside the sphere was a metal structure that resembled the model of an atom; its rings expanded as it received Gonzo.

Back inside the Statue’s head, while Magneto impatiently stared at Gonzo (keeping his focus only on him), Caleb and Will snuck into the room and crouched low enough to avoid detection from Magneto. They went up to the others and tried to find a way free them from the sharp metal bands. Kermit, Fozzie, Jean, and Storm looked at Caleb and Will with confusion and suspicion.

“Now who are these people?!” Kermit/Iceman exclaimed, and Will shushed him to keep silent before Magneto realized that they were there. “Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

“We’re here to save your butts…what else?” Will told Kermit, as Caleb examined the way they were strapped to the metal bands.

“He’s got them in pretty tight.” Caleb told Will. “It’d take the exact same power that got them in these to get them out.”

“Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but none of us Guardians carry the power of magnetism.” Will said, while Magneto’s hand continued aim towards the machine; with a slight motion of his wrist, the rings started revolving on the machine, spinning slowly and then gaining in speed. The air around it rippled, gaining in intensity.

The rings were spinning around Gonzo at such a speed, until they were no longer visible, just merely a blur around the stationary Gonzo, who was screaming in unthinkable pain. Strangely, his skeleton was beginning to glow through his skin, as if the adamantium inside of him was a battery that powered the machine. Magneto looked at the incredible displays as magnetic energy flowed from his hands, continuing to charge the machine.

Outside the Statue, Logan (who was now wearing his X-Man uniform) stood at ground level with Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin, watching the activated machine build up energy and a deafening whine that got louder and louder.

“I hope the weirdo’s plan works.” Logan said. “It looks like Magneto’s beginnin’ the first stage of his demented scheme.”

“There’s something that’s got me a little confused about the plan.” Taranee said. “This guy Magneto is who we’re supposed to keep distracted, right?”

“That’s what Gonzo said.” Hay Lin said.

“But he also said that Magneto has two henchmen around here, watching over every part of the island.” Taranee said. “So where are those…?” Before Taranee reached her point, a massive clawed hand struck Logan’s chest, and the blow sent him sailing back towards a tree that his body smacked into; the impact broke the tree in half.

“Wolverine!!!” Irma cried, just as the girls noticed a very angry, very large Sabretooth towering over them. “Somebody know the number to animal control?” Sabretooth let out an incredible roar that sent Irma and Taranee reeling back, right into the blue, scaly arms of Mystique, who morphed into a larger and more vicious version of Sabretooth and threw Irma and Taranee into the air. Before they could’ve been flown completely off the island, Irma and Taranee got control of their flight. “WATER!” Just by shouting that one word was Irma able to conjure up a small wave from the water that surrounded the island and hurl it at Mystique, who was tossed ten feet across from where she stood.

Sabretooth stared at the wet and shaken-up Mystique in surprise over the impressive power that Irma unleashed on her. With his attention distracted for a brief moment, Cornelia placed her right palm on the ground and shouted the word “Earth!” She caused the ground beneath Sabretooth’s feet to crumble, and the mutant was swallowed up by a hole that had suddenly formed in the ground.

“Guess we showed him.” Cornelia said, dusting off her hands, just as there was a muffled roar underground. Sabretooth powerfully busted through the earth’s crust and stood back above the ground, dirty and furious, glaring right at Cornelia. “Oh, God! He’s gonna kill me!” He leapt at Cornelia, with his sharp claws lifted high in the air; but he was tackled in midair by Logan, who had his claws extracted from his hands, and the two animals soon went at it, slashing and howling. Cornelia, wiping some sweat from her brow after her life had been spared, joined Taranee, Hay Lin, and Irma as they went up against Mystique, whose skillful fighting techniques proved challenging for them.

TO BE CONTINUED...

[The Count]

Well... Here's hoping for an explanation of how Gonzo got an adamantium skeleton just like Logan...
And great action between the WITCH team and the goons of Magneto.

[muppetwriter]

Chapter Nine (Part Two)

When the machine became fully charged, the translucent torch of the Statue was cut to pieces by the spinning rings and strong force of energy. On Ellis Island, the President and the dignitaries turned to see what was happened to the Statue, and a wave of panic swept over the crowd. Millions of viewers were watching the unnatural event occur on their sets, including the one at the Happiness Hotel, which was shocking all of the residents that were watching.

“Aw, man!” Clifford exclaimed. “Either that one serious laser show or we’re bein’ invaded!”

“They’ve finally landed!” Dr. Teeth cried, in panic. “We better evacuate before our alien adversaries beam us aboard their ship!” All of the Happiness Hotel residents went into a sudden frenzy, frantically packing their things, crashing through windows, and screaming that they were all going to die. Scooter, on the other hand, just sat where he was and glared at the television screen.

“Mutants.” He murmured, as his hands gripped the armrests of the chair.

On the Manhattan Harbor, several Coast Guard boats headed full-speed toward Liberty Island; their decks were covered with armed Secret Service. Back on the island, Sabretooth picked Logan up over his head and threw him like a rag doll into a brick wall, putting a nasty dent in it. A dazed Logan struggled to his feet, just as Sabretooth, running at full steam, tackled him and slammed him through the brick wall. With the ferocious battle taking place in the museum, Sabretooth held Logan by his wrists, lifting him up high in the air and attempting to split his body in half. Logan was weakening, while Sabretooth was in complete control.

“Your girlfriend is next.” He said, and Logan stopped grunting for a moment to make certain about something.

“The one with the lightning?” Logan asked, and Sabretooth gave him a dumbfounded look.

“Uh, no.” Sabretooth said. “The one with the mind powers.”

“Oh.” Logan said, just before Logan put his dangling feet up and kicked Sabretooth with all his might, sending him flying back into an eight-foot model of the Statue of Liberty and shattering it to pieces. Logan started running at a speed faster than the rate Sabretooth was running and tackled him through another brick wall, harder than Sabretooth did.

Back in Lady Liberty’s head, Magneto dropped his raised hand after his machine was fully charged, and he seemed very weak afterwards. While he was weakened, Caleb and Will took advantage of it and charged at Magneto, knocking him to the floor and pinning him there, long enough for Will to take out the Heart of Candracar and use it to create a magnetic wave that was more powerful than Magneto’s.

“I thought you said that none of you Guardians had the power of magnetism.” Caleb said.

“I forgot that the Heart can generate any kind of energy…including magnetism.” Will told him, as she bent back the metal points and freed Cyclops, Jean, Storm, Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo (who was left falling on Colossus’s head, due to his unconscious state). Magneto, who was beginning to regain his strength, saw what Will had done to the mutants and became extraordinarily angry.

“No! I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!!!” Magneto yelled, as he flung Caleb off of him and sent the boy reeling back against the metal wall; creating another magnetic wave, he wrapped Caleb’s body together in the metal bracing of the Statue, just like he did with the others. Will, Cyclops, Jean, Storm, Kermit, and Fozzie attempted to take down Magneto again, until he raised his hand in protest. “Stop! Take one more step and I’ll squeeze this Homo sapien into a pulp!” Caleb could feel the metal bracing getting tighter and tighter, as his rescuers got closer and closer to Magneto. Immediately, Will and the mutants stopped, for the sake of Caleb.

“Alright, alright.” Will told Magneto. “Just…Just don’t hurt him, okay?” Will glanced over at Caleb for a second and then back at Magneto. “What do you want?” Magneto just glared at Will, with a devilish grin on his face.

“Control.” Magneto said, and his glare and grin sent a chill down Will’s spine, as if she saw exactly what he was thinking in his mind. Despite the fact that Will and the mutants were surrendering, Magneto was still going to squeeze Caleb’s body; but before he could’ve done just that…

“Oh, Magneto!” A voice said from above, in a singsong tone. Magneto looked up towards the hole above him and saw Gonzo, smiling down at him; the magnetic mutant’s eyes darted over to the machine, where “Gonzo” still was standing and screaming, and he became very puzzled.

“What in the…?” Magneto said, right before Gonzo raised his hand and sent some kind of energy force into Magneto’s skull; it wasn’t long before Magneto lost consciousness and fell to the floor, while Caleb was freed from the metal bracing and joined up with Will and the others, who were staring up at Gonzo puzzlingly.

“Gonzo?!” Kermit/Iceman exclaimed. “I thought Magneto put you into that machine of his!”

“Oh, no!” Fozzie/Jubilee cried, really frightened. “Maybe Gonzo’s already dead, and his ghost came back to haunt us!” For a second, that seemed to be what they all believed, until Jean (who seemed to be the only one that understood) just smiled and put her hand on Fozzie’s shoulder.

“He’s no ghost.” Jean said. “He just used one of his mutant powers to create a crossbred clone of himself and Logan to distract Magneto.” To discover the truth in the rumors of Gonzo being a real mutant with real powers of his own was more of a shock than the fact that he was able to create a clone of himself.

“You mean…Gonzo’s really a mutant?” Kermit/Iceman said, and Jean nodded, while Fozzie put his hand against his head and sighed.

“Boy, this sure does throw that whole ‘Muppet from space’ thing out the window!” Fozzie/Jubilee remarked, as Gonzo dropped into the room and noticed how Cyclops still didn’t have his visor on, leaving him still unable to open his eyes.

“We’ve got to get Scott’s visor back on him.” Gonzo said, just before Will noticed how the visor was on Magneto’s belt.

“Got it covered.” She said, and used the Heart of Candracar to remove the visor from the belt and hover it right into her hands. “If your eyes are just as pretty as your face, then it’s too bad you’ve gotta walk around with this thing on.” Scott smiled, as Will placed the visor back over his eyes.

“Trust me,” Cyclops said, “It’s not the eyes that makes the man.” With Cyclops’s vision regained and Magneto defeated, all seemed to have been taken care of…that is, until a loud thud and the roars of two animals were made from above the group’s heads.


TO BE CONTINUED...

[ReneeLouvier]

Holy crap. *hugs Muppetwriter* Absolutely loving these stories MW! May I call you that? Cause you can call me RL if you want. XD

[muppetwriter]

Here it is, everyone. The last part of the final chapter. Enjoy!:)


Chapter Nine (Part Three)

The fight between Sabretooth and Wolverine had surprisingly ended up on top of Lady Liberty’s head, as Sabretooth threw Wolverine across the air and made him roll off the back of the Statue’s head and fall. Sabretooth stood and looked over the edge, seeing nothing but the Statue’s body curving away towards the ground. Smiling, he turned back to the hole; before he could’ve jumped through it, the sound of a girl screaming echoed through his ears, and he looked up to see Cornelia, flying directly towards him, with her fist raised high in the air.

“Here, kitty, kitty!” She said, just before she punched Sabretooth right in his face and flew over him.

“You’re gonna pay for that, bug!” Sabretooth roared, and as he tried to jump and grab one of Cornelia’s legs, a huge gust of wind started blowing past him and nearly sent him falling off the Statue’s head. He looked up again to see Hay Lin, hovering high in the air and blowing the gust of wind through her mouth. Sabretooth withstood the powerful wind force and kept his feet glued to where he was standing. Hay Lin had gotten blue in the face and gave up blowing any longer; it was obvious to her that Sabretooth was too strong to blow away. “What are you freaks?!”

“Freaks? Look who’s talking!” A voice said, from behind Sabretooth, who turned and saw Irma flying at him. She attempted to kick Sabretooth away, but he was too quick for her; as soon as she was near him, he grabbed her leg and flung her right into Hay Lin. The two Guardians fell from the air and landed hard on the Statue’s head; with them grounded, Sabretooth took the opportunity to charge at them and tear them apart. Just when it seemed to Hay Lin and Irma that the end was near for them, one last Guardian emerged from the edge of the Statue’s head: Taranee. Sabretooth stopped in his tracks, just as she caused a tremendous spark that blinded him.

“AARGHHH!!!!” Sabretooth roared, as he wiped his eyes, desperately trying to regain his vision. Meanwhile, hanging from the ear of the Statue was Logan, whose claws were embedded in the lobe at the end of six sets of long claw-marks. Looking up with an expression of brutal determination on his face, he hurled himself back up to the Statue’s head and glared at the blinded Sabretooth. While Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin were flying away from the Statue’s head, Wolverine started charging at Sabretooth once more, screaming.

“I AIN’T FINISHED WITH YOU YET!!!!!” Logan shouted, and as he got near Sabretooth, he dug his claws deep into the monster’s chest, making him roar in pain. The two animals fell through the hole in the Statue’s head and landed with a loud thud on the metal floor inside. Logan removed his claws from Sabretooth’s chest and backed away from him, joining Gonzo and the others, as they watched Sabretooth recover quickly from the blow.

“Cyclops, quick! Fire away!” Gonzo ordered, and a focused optic blast from Scott’s visor hit Sabretooth like a freight train, slamming him through the wall. His body blasted through the eye of the Statue of Liberty; for a moment, Scott’s beam continued to fire through the eye as if the Statue itself was imitating his power. Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin watched Sabretooth fall several feet and smash through the roof of Magneto’s boat; the tarp flew up and drifted back down to rest over Sabretooth’s body.

“So much for cats landing on their feet.” Irma uttered, as she and the other Guardians flew into the Statue’s head and reunited with the others.

“Nice job, team!” Will said. “We kicked some serious butt tonight!”

“Yeah,” Hay Lin cheered, “Even though most of the butts that got kicked were ours, we still rock!” Logan looked back over to Jean, whose eyes had met his; the two smiled at each other, and though Jean was in love with Scott, there seemed to have been a bit of affection between the two. All seemed to have been very serene for a moment, until Gonzo felt a bit lost.

“Hey, are we forgetting something?” Gonzo said, and the group was silent, trying to remember what they forgot; and that’s when it hit them.

“THE MACHINE!!!!” They cried, as they looked up at the still charged up machine, which was sending a massive wave of energy towards Manhattan that, if touched by any being other than a mutant, could kill everyone in sight. The wave was coming very close to Ellis Island, where the President, the dignitaries, and everyone else were frantically boarding a nearby boat in a desperate attempt to escape.

“We have to stop it before it annihilates the city!” Kermit/Iceman shouted.

“Guardians, let’s fly over to that thing and take it down!” Will commanded.

“No!” Logan exclaimed. “It’s obvious that you girls aren’t mutants, so if you get anywhere near that thing, you’ll be in more danger than everyone else.”

“Then how are we going to stop it?” Fozzie/Jubilee asked, and Gonzo’s mind began to race, coming up with a quick plan. He looked over at Kermit, who (to Gonzo and everyone else) was still the mutant known as Iceman, and then he looked over at Logan, whose claws were still protruding from his hands; in less than a second, he got an idea.

“Kermit,” Gonzo said, “How much have you learned of Bobby’s powers?”

“I feel like I need a bit more practice with them,” Kermit told Gonzo, “Although, my mind feels like it knows a trick or two.” Gonzo smiled as if he knew that there was no doubt in his mind that his plan will work.

A short moment later, Kermit was using Iceman’s powers to create a big ice slide to carry both him and Logan from the head of the Statue of Liberty to its torch, where the rings of the machine continued to whirl at an incredible speed. The skin of the Wolverine/Gonzo clone had turned into a mixture of blue fur and goo; the only thing left of it was the adamantium skeleton, which looked almost like a statue of Gonzo with claws.

“Now that’s just sick.” Logan commented.

“Never mind about the clone,” Kermit/Iceman said, “Just worry about taking that thing down! Hurry!” Kermit had stopped the ice slide only five feet away from the machine.

“Here goes nothin’!” Logan shouted, just before he jumped high into the air and, with one mighty swing from his right arm, his claws ripped through the machine, cutting apart the spinning rings. The machine exploded, sending pieces of metal flying everywhere, and the impact shattered the ice slide that Logan and Kermit were standing on, leaving them falling to their doom. Luckily, Will and Cornelia had caught them before they could’ve fallen any further.

“Man!” Will exclaimed, as she was carrying Wolverine. “What are you made of? Steel?”

“Yeah, somethin’ close to that.” Logan remarked.

A moment later, the Coast Guard, Secret Service, and FBI descended upon the island; security entered the smoldering remains of the old torch room, where the walls were blackened by a past inferno. Inside the wrecked museum, Mystique had been tied up by Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin and left to feel defeated and embarrassed. Across her feet, a crack of light appeared as a door began to open, allowing the NYPD to enter the room; as soon as they entered, Mystique had taken the form of a Secret Service agent.

“Hey, could somebody untie me!” Mystique (as the agent) said.

By the seawall, a Secret Service man spotted the wreckage of Magneto’s boat and the large tarp that covered it; him and three other agents pulled their guns and aimed at the tarp. The first agent pulled it back to reveal Sabretooth, whom the agent had fired a bullet into—but he didn’t seem to jump from it. If Sabretooth wasn’t killed by that bullet, then it was definitely either the drop or the optic blast that was able to slay the monstrous mutant, despite the fact that he carried a healing factor.

“Let’s take this freak for an autopsy.” The agent said. “Maybe we can find a way to eradicate them.”

Inside the Statue of Liberty’s head, the NYPD and Secret Service rushed up the stairs and into the head to find Magneto, still lying unconscious on the floor. The lead guy, an NYPD officer in a flak jacket and holding a shotgun, stared up at the ceiling; he peered out through the gaping hole. Beyond the damaged torch, the star-filled sky was momentarily eclipsed by an aircraft…the Blackbird. The officer turned to say something to his comrades; but he stopped, wondering if his eyes were merely playing tricks on him.

END OF CHAPTER NINE

Coming up next...The end of the X-Muppet?!?!

[The Count]

Great stuff... Bring on the finale!

[muppetwriter]

Great stuff... Bring on the finale!

This finale has been brought to you today by the letters "M" and "W".:)


Epilogue


The next morning was very rough after the hard battle on Liberty Island for Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, Rizzo, Caleb, and W.I.T.C.H., as they all sat in the Happiness Hotel’s living room and put ice packs all over their aching bodies. After Professor Xavier had gone back to normal in the previous evening, he gratefully returned the minds of Kermit, Fozzie, and Rizzo back to their own bodies; however, the pains that they received in battle were still in their heads, which was why they still bothered to put ice packs on themselves. Rizzo’s head was still spinning from his fight with Toad, Kermit and Fozzie were hurting in places that weren’t even bruised, the tip of Gonzo’s nose was bent upwards (giving it a Pinocchio-type of look), and the girls (back in their normal forms) had bruised hands, sprained ankles, and hurt knees.

“Now I know how a cheerleader feels like, after making a bad move during practice.” Cornelia said, as she pressed her ice pack against the hand that she used to punch Sabretooth in the face.

“Man, Phobos was Mother Theresa compared to that Magneto guy.” Will commented.

“Yeah, but ya gotta admit that he was great challenge.” Hay Lin told Will, enthusiastically.

“Challenge? Ha!” Irma exclaimed. “Goro was more challenging than that dude!” While the girls were talking amongst themselves, Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, and Rizzo just stared at them with interest, surprised that the same beautiful, winged young women that assisted them on the night before were the 14- and 13-year-old girls sitting in front of them.

“Boy, puberty must be like a yo-yo for you kids.” Kermit said. “You can be sixteen for one day and turn back to fourteen the next.”

“It’s all in the Heart…,” Will said, just before she pulled out their source of power, “…of Candracar.”

“So you guys are from another universe?” Fozzie asked.

“Actually, I’m the one that’s from the other universe.” Caleb told Fozzie. “Meridian is the world that the girls protect from wicked forces, like the ones we faced last night.”

“You see, we’re part of a long line of warriors that have ensured the safety of Earth and Meridian for generations.” Will explained. “And Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, Hay Lin, and I were the lucky ones to be the Guardians for this generation.”

“Though being one takes quite a toll on us, with fighting off goons at the same time we try to get to class on time.” Irma said. “But, even if it does give you an ‘F’ in Health class, at least we’re saving two worlds for the good of all humanity.” Just as Irma uttered the word “Humanity,” Scooter had passed by the room, with a disturbed look on his face.

“How long will humanity be able to last, with all of those mutant freaks on the loose?” Scooter said, and the group was a little puzzled over his comment.

“What do you mean, Scooter?” Kermit asked, just before Scooter grabbed the remote control and turned on the television set, revealing a Special Report on the Mutant Registration Act vote.

“Even after last week’s terrorist vandalization of the Statue of Liberty by an unidentified mutant organization, the outcome of the vote was fifty-one to forty-nine in opposition to the Mutant Registration Act.” The anchorman reported, and Scooter hissed at the television set, while the others were smiling a little. “This narrow defeat was probably due in large part to the surprising last-minute reversal by Senator Scott “Frank” Kelly, who until today provided the loudest voice in the cry for Mutant Registration.” Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo, and Rizzo were taken by surprise over that part of the news; they knew the truth about Senator Kelly, and perhaps they even figured out who it really might’ve been, as “Senator Kelly” appeared on the screen.

“If we can not go into the future together, the divisions of fear and prejudice will tear this country apart.” Kelly stated, and Scooter’s anger increased as he heard the comments Kelly made.

“Traitor!” Scooter yelled. “One of these days, someone’s gonna find a way to eliminate all of those weirdoes—no offense, Gonzo—from the face of the Earth!” What Gonzo found ironic about Scooter’s statement (other than the “weirdo” crack) was the fact that it wasn’t meant to offend him; he wanted to tell his friend the truth that moment, but he feared the consequences.

“Scooter, don’t you think you’re being a little harsh about this whole thing?” Gonzo said. “I mean, it’s not like they’ve done anything to hurt you.”

“I just don’t feel comfortable around such weird characters like them.” Scooter remarked.

“Well, what about Gonzo?” Fozzie asked.

“Oh, Gonzo’s different.” Scooter replied. “Yeah, he’s kind of funny-looking; but, rest assured, you won’t see him with any unusual abilities that’ll do outstanding things like melting automobiles or running through walls to steal things. Gonzo’s a normal weirdo, and that’s why I respect him so much.” The others and Gonzo (especially) felt a bit sheepish, all knowing what the whatever was really capable of doing, now that they’ve witnessed it all. “Well, if you guys will excuse me, there’s work that has to be done at the theatre. See you all later.” Just as Scooter opened the front door, he noticed how Logan was standing in the doorway, carrying a duffle bag over his left shoulder and holding a lit cigar in his mouth. “Oh, hello there.”

“Yeah, hey.” Logan said, and he allowed Scooter to walk past him, right before he went inside the Happiness Hotel and looked around the rusty apartment, while greeting Gonzo and the others. “This has got to be the saddest thing I’ve ever seen. I would dump my ashes on the floor, but it just ain’t worth it.”

“Hey, it may be a dump, but it’s ho…” Kermit said, and he stopped for a moment, realizing what he was about to say, “Never mind.”

“Logan, I’m glad you’re here.” Gonzo said, walking up to him and shaking his hand. “How’s the Professor doing?”

“He’s alright.” Logan told Gonzo. “He’s visiting Magneto in his plastic prison, outside the city.” Gonzo nodded, as he noticed the duffle bag that Logan was carrying.

“You, uh, going somewhere?” Gonzo asked.

“Yep.” Logan said. “There’s some business that I’ve got to take care of up north.”

“You’re goin’ to see Santa?!” Hay Lin exclaimed, and everyone looked at her oddly and then continued on with the discussion, pretending as if she never said what she said.

“Anyway, the Professor wanted to me to tell you that there’s still a position on his team for you, weirdo.” Logan told Gonzo. “They still consider you an X-Muppet.” Gonzo smiled, feeling a great deal of joy. “If you’re interested, I can take you back to Westchester in an hour, with Scott’s supped-up motorbike.” Gonzo thought carefully about the offer; he looked over at Kermit, Fozzie, Rizzo, Caleb, and the girls, who were all very proud of him. Becoming an X-Muppet had to be the greatest thing in the world for him; but being with his friends was a lot more important.

“I…I don’t know what I should do.” Gonzo uttered, and Kermit got up from his seat and went over to Gonzo, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“It’d be for the best, Gonzo.” Kermit said. “You have so many great powers, and if Scooter were to find out about them…well, it could ruin your friendship.”

“But I can’t leave my friends, Kermit.” Gonzo said, just as Will limped over to him, knelt down, and placed her hand on his other shoulder.

“Hey, G-Man,” She said, “If it makes you feel better, the girls and I will be with you every step of the way.” She pulled out the Heart of Candracar again and let Gonzo get a good glimpse at it. “I can pick up any voice from a thousand miles with this thing. All you have to do is say my name, and W.I.T.C.H. will be there.” Gonzo’s eyes glittered from the glowing Heart of Candracar; his mind was filled with many thoughts about being an X-Muppet. After some hesitation, he finally made up his mind.

“Alright.” He said, looking up at Logan. “I’ll do it.” Logan grinned, and he again shook hands with the very first X-Muppet.

“You wanna grab your things before we leave?” Logan asked him.

“No bother.” Gonzo said. “I’d accidentally left some stuff back at the mansion anyway.” Logan nodded in acknowledgement, and before the two headed out the front door, Gonzo turned to his friends and gave a weak smile. “Well…I…I guess this is goodbye.” Rizzo was desperately trying to hold back his tears, hating the thought of goodbyes; Irma, who was sitting near him, gently patted his back. “Hey, Rizzo…thanks for being there for me, pal.”

“No problem, Gonz.” Rizzo said, with his voice breaking up. “I always knew you were somethin’ special, buddy.” Fozzie was getting a little choked up; he embraced Gonzo really hard, nearly smothering him.

“I hope you’ll be happy with your mutant family, Gonzo.” Fozzie said, and he let go of him, wiping away the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes with his ascot. “Oh, boy. I really wish I was that Chinese girl again.”

“I do, too, Fozzie.” Gonzo uttered, as Kermit looked at him and simply nodded.

“Sheesh.” He said. “This is like Cape Doom all over again.” Kermit and Gonzo stared at each other for a long while, and then the two hugged warmly. “Take care, Gonzo. Make us proud.”

“I will, Kermit.” Gonzo said, and after they stopped hugging, Logan and Gonzo headed out of the Happiness Hotel, leaving the others feeling sad and empty inside. They heard Logan’s motorcycle start up, and they moved over to the window to watch Logan and Gonzo ride away from the building.

“There he goes…off to save the world.” Kermit said, and it was very quiet in the room for a minute or two, until a nearby phone started ringing. Kermit picked it up and spoke into the receiver; on the other end was J. Jonah Jameson.

“Frog, have you gotten that mutant story yet? Did you see the news?” Jameson asked, and the emotional Kermit tried his best to answer Jameson’s questions.

“Uh…y-yes, Mr. Jameson.” He said, sadly. “I saw the news…but we didn’t get the story.”

“What?!?!” Jameson exclaimed. “I ought to have your legs for dinner, Frog! We could’ve used that story as evidence that the mutant race is a threat to everything normal people stand for, before Kelly had gone and eliminated the Mutant Registration Act!” With that offensive remark from his boss, Kermit had gone from being sad to becoming very mad.

“Look, Mr. Jameson, I don’t appreciate how you run your tabloid!” Kermit exclaimed, angrily. “You have no right to put down a group of people that you hardly even know! And, furthermore…” Before Kermit could’ve said anything else, a blue-furred hand snatched the receiver away from him and spoke into it.

“And, furthermore, you’re going to be impressed with the new story that we picked up on, Mr. Jameson.” The person said. “It’s a story about the one and only X-Muppet!”

“X-Muppet?!” Jameson remarked. “Who is this?”

“It’s your number one weirdo reporter, Mr. Jameson…The Great Gonzo!” Kermit and the others stared blankly at whom they had no other choice but to believe was Gonzo, standing back in the living room and talking over the phone. It seemed as if the whatever had fooled his friends into believing that he left them to become Xavier’s first X-Muppet, by using his mutant power to create a clone of himself (who would eventually become an X-Muppet, once it reached Westchester). “See ya first thing in the morning, boss.” As Gonzo hung up the phone, the blank expressions on his friends’ faces had suddenly turned into furious ones. Gonzo, realizing that he might’ve gone too far with his prank, immediately ran out of the room, with Kermit, Fozzie, Rizzo, Caleb, and the girls chasing after him.

“I BETTER LEARN TO TAKE THESE POWERS MORE SERIOUSLY!!!!” :concern:


THE END

Whew! That sure was a lot of story to tell! I hope you all enjoyed reading it, as much as I enjoyed writing it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to pass out.:sleep:

[The Count]

X-cellent and X-tremely well done MW... You deserve a good rest. The story was good and funny and x-citeful at times.

Thanks for this story.

[ReneeLouvier]

Wow, great wonderful story, MW!!

[muppetwriter]

Thanks, True Muppet Central Believers!;)

It'll probably be a while before I work on another "Marvelous Muppets" story; I'm thinking of having my next one be that "Hulk" story that I've been itchin' to do. I had thought about doing a Muppet parody of the "Ultimate Avengers", but I think I'll wait for the right moment to do that one.

It'd be really awesome if I were to get ReneeLouvier to include some of her chapters in the "Marvelous Muppets" stories, bringing her "Sadie" characters into the storyline. Reading her materials, I can actually see a "crossover within a crossover" thing happening here, if Sadie, Nancy, and Eli were to interact with Lori and Thomas (whom I'm thinking of bringing back into the series), all while W.I.T.C.H., the Muppets, and the Marvel superheroes are involved as well. Of course, that's up to Renee, whom I have a great deal of respect for, especially when it comes to writing.:)

In the meantime, I'm gonna catch up on some Z's that I've been missing out on for some time now.:sleep:

[ReneeLouvier]

Um, that sounds great! But who are Lori and Thomas? I'm not to familar with X-Men, and other superhero stuff like that. So, um, a little information will go along way with me, but I'd be very happy to help you in some of this.

I also cannot believe how you portrayed Scooter in this X-Muppet story though. Wow, he's.....almost as dark as I've made in on another level, like during my stories!

[muppetwriter]

Um, that sounds great! But who are Lori and Thomas? I'm not to familar with X-Men, and other superhero stuff like that. So, um, a little information will go along way with me, but I'd be very happy to help you in some of this.

I also cannot believe how you portrayed Scooter in this X-Muppet story though. Wow, he's.....almost as dark as I've made in on another level, like during my stories!

I didn't really anticipate on portraying him that way. I was originally going to have him just hate a minority of mutants (mainly the ones that possess special powers); but after some inspiration from your "Sadie" stories, I wanted to go further...I wanted him to hate all mutants. This part of the "Marvelous Muppets" storyline relates to the Peter Parker/Harry Osborn relationship, which took a sharp turn when he found out that his best friend was the same person who he claims killed his father.

Oh, and Lori & Thomas aren't part of the X-Men. They're just characters that I made up for my first "Marvelous Muppets" story, which was based on the story of Spider-Man. If you want to know more about them, click on this link and you'll be in the thread that I started the story on.

http://forum.muppetcentral.com/showthread.php?t=21289

And there are tons of information on Marvel superheroes on these sites:

http://www.superherohype.com/heroes.php (also includes info on DC heroes)
http://www.marvel.com/comics/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Comics

I don't know much about the Marvel Universe myself. I only go by stuff that I've seen in their movies, which is what I use in my fanfics. But you really don't have to know a lot about heroes like Wolverine and Spider-Man; as long as you know Muppets, then writing a "Marvelous Muppets" story isn't all that hard.

Just follow my lead when I start on the next story (which probably won't come for a while) and you'll be alright.;)

[ReneeLouvier]

Wow....my "Sadie" stories inspired you! That's...freaking awesome! I'm so flattered!!!

Oh, cool. I guess whenever you start, I'd just post adding onto it? I'm not sure how you'd do that. Just like add-on chapters portraying another part of "whatever" ya know?

[muppetwriter]

Wow....my "Sadie" stories inspired you! That's...freaking awesome! I'm so flattered!!!

Your take on the Muppets sounds a lot like something out of a Marvel Comics story. Seriously.:D

Oh, cool. I guess whenever you start, I'd just post adding onto it? I'm not sure how you'd do that. Just like add-on chapters portraying another part of "whatever" ya know?

Something like that. I just figured that since your "Sadie" characters are "legally" owned by you and my "Marvelous" characters are "legally" owned by me (at least, those that aren't Marvel characters), then we could take turns writing chapters in a "Marvelous Sadie" type of story. We'll just let each other know how many chapters we want to write, and once we're done writing them, then (at the end of the post) we'll say "Your turn, (person who writes next chapter)" and (at the beginning of the next post) say "OK" and tell how many chapters we're going to write until it's whomever's turn again.

This would be the perfect opportunity for our stories and characters to interact, without having to get permission to use each other's characters.

It may sound confusing at first, but it'll make a lot more sense once we get started on the story.:)

[The Count]

Oh... Kind os what Lisa and Ryan are doing with the time-travelling story?

[muppetwriter]

Oh... Kind os what Lisa and Ryan are doing with the time-travelling story?

What's it called?

[ReneeLouvier]

It's called "When the Muppets Beat Time".

And also, you can use my characters, I don't really mind it. :) Use them anyways you want, if that'll be easier for you, MW.

[muppetwriter]

It's called "When the Muppets Beat Time".

And also, you can use my characters, I don't really mind it. :) Use them anyways you want, if that'll be easier for you, MW.

Thanks, Renee. I appreciate it.:)

But I'd really like to know how to use the "Sadie" characters in the way that you have in the "Sadie" stories.

Hey! I have an idea! Since the both of us are big admirers of BTTF, let's work on a Muppets/BTTF fanfic together (once I get back from my break), using just your "Sadie" characters. This way, you can give me tips on how to work with the personalities of the "Sadie" characters and stuff like that, so I'll be able to incorporate them into my stories the same way you have into yours.

I might be switching from doing Marvel/Muppets fanfics to DC/Muppets ones, when I get back. So you might be seeing your characters alongside both the Muppets and DC heroes like Superman or Batman.:D