Stranger in a Strange Land

Posted on Fri May 30th, 2025 @ 2:45pm by Charles Xavier & Scott Summers & Connor Bruin & Hayden Davis & Jean Grey-Summers & Kennedy Kelly & Maeve MacKenna & Jennifer Bryant & Drew Williams & Desmond Greene & Sarah Mitchell & Alaric Thane & Angela Williams

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Episode 6: X-Fernus Agenda
Location: X-Mansion
Timeline: January 14th, 1991

“…dinner is at six every night, so make sure you arrive on time.” Jean had finished her tour of Xavier’s and brought Alaric and Scott back to the foyer. She had made sure to provide Alaric with every piece of information that she thought would be useful to him, it had made for a rather long trip across the mansion grounds. “You have enough clothes for the week but we can take you shopping for more, or for anything else you might need… you could also use a haircut.” Jean fussed over Alaric in an almost stifling manner but there was something sweetly endearing about it. Like a mother hen watching her chick, Jean followed him around and desperately wanted to care for him. It was almost as if she was expecting her love to suddenly heal the trauma he had endured. “Don’t forget that Kurt will bring you to the Baxter Building on Sunday for dinner.”

Jean looked over at the reception committee that had been waiting for the tour to finish. Connor and Kennedy stood next to Xavier, patiently waiting to introduce Alaric to the rest of the current student body.

“Am I missing anything?” Jean looked over at Scott as she tried to remember another boring detail about Xavier’s but she seemed to quickly give up on that. “Or do you have any questions, Alaric?”

"Okay, the evening meal you call dinner and it begins at the twelfth hour," Alaric said. "At least here. As far as clothing, I've never had a full weeks worth. Anything more and I would be very grateful." He sighed a little. "There is so much here that is different... I'd rather fight a demon hand-to-hand. Oh, that brings to mind, please tell me there is a place here where I can practice battles? And thank you, both of you."

"The Danger Room can simulate any battle you can imagine," Scott put in. "It's in the subbasement. We can take you there later if you want. It wasn't long ago we practically lived there with the constant training regimens we kept up with."

“Yes, there is a place for combat.” Jean agreed but there was some hesitation in her voice. She understood that the battlefield was where Alaric felt comfortable, that in this strange world the things that were familiar were needed, but she also wanted more for him. “Just don’t spend all your time in there, Earth has a lot to offer.”

Jean looked over at the trio who had been waiting for them. She knew that she was behind schedule but none of them seemed annoyed by it. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Professor. I think I just gave the most extensive mansion tour. But Alaric has his room set up and he knows the layout and a routine of the school. If everyone is ready, I guess we can take him to meet the rest of the Alternate Class.”

Professor Xavier's expression was warm, albeit faintly amused, as he watched Jean hovering maternally around Alaric. His hands rested loosely on the arms of his hoverchair, and a subtle smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth while she finished what had clearly been a detailed and heartfelt orientation.

"Thank you, Jean," Xavier said gently, then turned his gaze to Alaric. "While our school was not originally designed with adults in mind, we do have private quarters in the north wing once used by the First Class. They are yours, and should offer some quiet and privacy while you acclimate." The smirk softened into something more sincerely paternal. "I wish to welcome you again, Alaric. This place is not merely a school—it is a home, to many. I believe it will be so for you as well for as long as you wish."

Chattering voices interrupted him from the parlor. He glanced toward the doors that led into the west common area, following the hubbub that could already be heard drifting in from the assembled Alternate Class.

"Our student body can be... rambunctious," he said with just the right note of fondness. "But they mean well. You may find their curiosity overwhelming at first, having some connection with your parents." Whether he meant Scott and Aurora or Scott and Jean was left unclarified. "Some will assume much—about your powers, your history, your place here. I ask only that you be patient with them." He let that phrase hang for a moment, then added, more carefully, “And with yourself.”

Connor stepped forward then, arms crossed, his face as impassive as ever. "AURORA WAS NOT EVEN SHOWING WHEN SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS PREGNANT. THAT WAS FIVE MONTHS AGO. ON THIS SIDE OF THE TIMELINE, OF COURSE."

Xavier gave Connor a long look. Not unkind. Just… weary. "Thank you, Connor," he said, with dry finality. "That input is noted."

“I don’t think we should judge him by his past or where he came from.” Kennedy interjected, her own family history was messy and painful just in a different way. “We’ll just take it one day at a time.” Kennedy offered Alaric a hand to shake, she was a tall, willowy blonde with pert features and a heart shaped mouth. “My name is Kennedy, welcome to Xavier’s.”

Alaric glanced over to Connor and the...thing that seemed to speak for him as he moved his hands. It was intriguing, to say the least. He'd never seen anything like it and for a moment wondered if it was a mystic connection that allowed it to communicate for him.

Then a blonde who looked like she would blow away in a strong breeze spoke and introduced herself. And there was that hand thing again, just like Hank had done. But this time, he decided to grasp the hand only and not the entire arm. "Thank you," said Alaric. "I am Alaric Thane."

“Come,” Xavier said, turning his chair toward the west corridor. "They're waiting for you, Alaric. And I believe some of them have put together a welcome gift or two." He smiled again, knowingly. "Whether or not it involves food remains to be seen."

The doors opened to the hall beyond, the light spilling in to reveal the gathered class—chatting, teasing, waiting. A few heads turned already.

Alaric walked in with all the confidence his five foot, eleven inch frame had and looked out at the class. They all looked so young and without a care in the world. Alaric took a deep breath, this was a different realm with different rules. Rules that he would have to learn and hope that they would be patient with him as he did so.

Professor Xavier paused just before the threshold, waiting until the students' voices softened with curiosity at the sight of the newcomer. The light behind him framed his chair like a beacon, and his calm, measured tone cut through the ambient noise without ever needing to rise.

"Students," he began, his voice resonant with that distinctive blend of warmth and gravitas, "I would like to take a moment of your time to welcome someone very important."

He turned his head slightly to regard Alaric beside him, then back to the class.

"This is Alaric Thane, who joins us under extraordinary circumstances. Some of you may already be aware that his arrival is... unconventional, even by our standards. And while his path here was forged by hardship and mystery, it brings him to us now not as a curiosity but a welcome guest."

Xavier let that rest on the air.

"Here, we are united not by our pasts, but by our potential—our power to shape the future together. I ask that you show Alaric the same compassion, patience, and camaraderie you have shown one another. Let him learn from you, as I trust you will learn with him."

Jennifer listened to the professor explain the extraordinary circumstances that brought the new student here. The students came from many backgrounds and many of them had suffered, often because of their mutant status, but not all. Alaric, perhaps, more than most, though she did not know exactly what the professor meant about his unconventional arrival. Still, she smiled broadly and genuinely, lifting a hand in greeting. "Welcome!" she said cheerfully. "Glad to have you among us!"

Desmond raised his hand in wave of greeting as well. "Hey dude, welcome to the mad house." The tree-man's deep voice rumbled as if part of the background noise, but still clearly audible. His amber eyes searched the handsome devil that had just seemingly joined them. A pang of envy shot through him.

That deep rumbling sound reminded Alaric of some things in Limbo that whispered, moved, or grew in twisted ways. His mind went to places where you were never sure if you were alone or if something ancient and watching was just below the surface. Being fresh out of Limbo, a twinge of caution seated itself in the back of his mind. That was something he would need to work on. And what better way than getting to know the one it came from.

"Greetings, Tree," he said with a smile and dip of his head. There was no condescension or disrespect in his tone. Alaric was brand new to this realm. This much friendliness and words such as 'dude' were alien to him.

Then he turned to face the girl with multi-colored hair. "And I'm glad to be here," he said, trying to find the right words. He then smirked as charm lit his dark eyes. "I've seen things that would freeze a man's blood. But I think you might be more dangerous than any of them. That's okay though, I like danger."

As he leaned over, Desmond whispered to Jennifer "I think he's flirting with you." The rumbling carried amusement about it. "Hey Alaric, right?" Desmond called over while sitting back up out of Jennifer's space. "Are you flirting with her? If so, that's pretty smooth!"

"JENNIFER IS NOT DANGEROUS," Connor cut in. "SHE WAS NICE TO RAHNE WHILE WE WERE AWAY AT GENOSHA. JENNIFER IS THE LEAST DANGEROUS PERSON HERE." He looked at his teammate with a broad, beaming smile of approval.

Jennifer blushed slightly but her smile didn't waiver. "Jennifer is flattered," she said, paralleling what the others were saying, "but spoken for." She smiled again at Alaric and then looked around for Drew.

Alaric chuckled, brushing off his comments as nothing. "I don't know what that means, Jennifer, but all is well," he said, smiling. "For everyone. And I look forward to learning all about this world from you. Tree, I think you and I will have some fine training battles."

Maeve cast her mind back to Genosha, the battle that took place that took a lot out of her. Her golem army put up a brave fight but in the end the fell back into the dust and mud they came from. Now they had brought someone back from that place and the whispers in the back of her mind told her to be cautious but not to dismiss him entirely... that would be rude. Moving into an empty space so she could be seen, Desmond dwarfed most and if the time of day was just right eclipsed the sun. "Excuse me, Tree." she teased Desmond, her playful Irish accent making it sound all the more sweeter. "Hi, I'm Maeve. Nice to meet ya'."

Drew smiled at Jennifer as he approached Alaric, his right hand extended in greeting. "Pleasure to meet you sir. I'm Drew Williams."

Angela approached behind her brother. She put on her best smile as she waited her turn to meet and greet the handsome newcomer.

"Maeve, greetings," said Alaric, taking note of the different lilt of her voice. "You sound different than the others. Is New York not your birthplace?"

"Oh God no!" Maeve giggled. "I'm from across a big ocean. From a place called Ireland, well a small island just off Ireland but still Irish." she talked herself a bit into a circle. "We can be strangers in a foreign land together, although I think where you came from is a bit different from what mine is like..."

Alaric chuckled at the response. "I suppose home is home no matter where you hang your cloak. But hopefully none of us will be strangers much longer."

"Hopefully." Maeve said simply as she caught sight of Drew and Angela moving in to welcome the newcomer.

Alaric saw the couple approach. And there was that right hand extended again when meeting someone for the first time. He would have to ask for an in-depth explanation later. To him, you were opening up yourself to an easy attack and take-down when doing that upon meeting someone.

"Drew Williams," he said, firmly grasping the hand anyway, "Greetings." The young man wrinkled his nose slightly as a lingering wave of sharp and spicy washed over him. It was like citrus peels crushed underneath leather boots. "Is there a sensory spell cast over your aura as a confusion tactic? I must say that it works very well and the sorcerer who cast it should be commended. A worthy battle tactic indeed." It was going to take quite a bit of time for Alaric to change his mindset and ways of being in battle mode.

Alaric smiled and nodded at the person standing behind Drew Williams.

Kennedy placed a hand over her mouth to hide the smile and swell of laughter that she was desperately trying to suppress. It appeared that Drew’s use of Old Spice continued to be a noted feature of the speedster. Rather than risk losing composure, she turned her back to the group and took a few steps away until her wave of laughter subsided.

“Oh no, Alaric, it's not a magical spell or a combat tactic.” Jean attempted to correct him with the same gentle tone she brought to most conversations. “It’s just the fragrance from a grooming product, it’s meant to make you smell nice. Not everyone wears them though, it’s a personal preference.”

Angela giggled as she stepped passed her brother to greet Alaric. Her smile returned, along with a happy sigh as she sized up Alaric. "I'm Angela and if there's ever anything you need. Please, don't hesitate to ask."

"Oh," said Alaric, as he had turned to face Jean. "I didn't realize that was something people did. Thank you for explaining it. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of that." He grinned, remembering the Professor's words about being patient with himself.

Then he turned back to Angela. "Girls here seem to giggle a lot. First Maeve and now you...I've never seen so much joy and mirth. I'll keep your offer in mind, Angela."

"ARE THERE NO GIRLS IN LIMBO?" Connor asked pointedly, confusion rife on his face. "I HAVE NEVER MET A GIRL WHO NEVER GIGGLED. THAT WOULD BE LIKE A BOY WHO NEVER HAD BODY ODOR. THEY ARE DISTINCTIVE GENDER TRAITS." He furrowed his brow in wonder at Alaric. Didn't everybody know that? "BOYS SMELL BAD AND LAUGH NORMAL WHILE GIRLS SMELL NICE AND GIGGLE."

"Oh Conner, you know just what to say to a girl." Maeve couldn't help but giggle again.

Kennedy had regained her composure and realized that Connor had divulged something rather important. The Professor had been rather careful in his choice of words when introducing Alaric. But now that Limbo was on the table Kennedy couldn’t help but ask a few questions. “So you are from Limbo, how did you survive? When we saw Aurora come back she was legitimately crazy. She was only there for a week and she was ready to enslave and murder us. I didn’t think people could be ‘okay’ after being in the place. Did you live with Belasco?”

Desmond had edged his way next to Connor. He bent down and gently nudged him in the side with his elbow. Desmond's face was a wooden mixture of amusement at the situation, and a bit of embarrassment for Connor's unvarnished statement. "Dude," Desmond whispered as he caught Connor's attention. "it's considered impolite to talk about how guys stink. I know we do, but we don't necessarily need to announce it to the room at large?"

Rather than reply, Connor squinted his eyes at Desmond and gave him a hard sniff.

Alaric looked at Connor and smiled. Something about him seemed different than the others. Like he fit, but not quite so. "There are girls in Limbo, Connor. But they don't giggle as much as the girls here on Earth apparently do. But in Limbo, everyone generally smells bad."

He turned to Kennedy. "Yes, I'm from Limbo." He let that hang in the air before continuing. "The rest is quite long, so I'll try to summarize it. I lived with Lord Belasco and the Goblin Queen until I was three years old. Then the fires came through the portals and devasted the demon armies. Mother took me and escaped while saving the humans that had been dragged in. I have no memories of any of that, but that's what Mother told me."

"THE PHOENIX BLAST," Connor deduced. "HOW DID YOU SURVIVE? WE SAW IT FLATTEN GENOSHA LIKE AN ATOMIC PANCAKE."

"We live in ancient temple, steeped with powerful magic, that was there long before Lord Belasco. It protects us from the corruption, but there is something to be said for a strong will that fights it."

Professor Xavier smiled at that. While Lorna had been the youngest and least experienced of the First Class, he always knew there was a strength of passion inside her dreamer's heart that would not be easily quenched. Of course she resisted Limbo's corrupting influence.

"The denizens are far from okay. The people that live there and give themselves heart and soul to the corruption, lose themselves. Those of us who manage to survive and fight against it, still lose a little part of ourselves all the time. Whoever this Aurora is was most likely there for a long while, which would have seemed like a week for you. It sounds like she would've given in quickly."

Listening to the story, Sarah became more and more confused at all the talk of goblin, demons and some place they called Limbo. To her, Limbo was a party activity involving a long stick. Gingerly, she put her hand up for a question. “I’m sorry to be the one putting a damper on things, but goblins and demons? Really?”

Connor blinked at Sarah’s question, though not out of confusion, but rather calculation.

"IN 1984, THEORETICAL PHYSICIST MICHAEL DUFF PROPOSED THAT SUPERSTRINGS COULD EXIST IN MORE THAN TEN DIMENSIONS," he began, his tone brisk but not unkind. "THAT MODEL LED TO THE CONCEPT OF DIMENSIONALLY ADJACENT UNIVERSES THAT COULD FLOAT IN A MULTIDIMENSIONAL SPACE LIKE SHEETS OF PAPER STACKED ON A COSMIC SHELF OR MEMBRANES ON THE MEDIUM OF EXISTENCE."

He paused, letting the metaphor land.

"LIMBO COULD BE ONE SUCH BRANE. A NONLINEAR DIMENSION WHERE TIME DILATES, AND QUANTUM DECOHERENCE THE BARRIER BETWEEN POSSIBILITY AND REALITY IS PERMEABLE."

Professor Xavier, ever the voice of reason, nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you, Connor. I might add that the line between myth and reality is often thinner than we think. For centuries, the city of Troy was dismissed as pure legend until it was unearthed over a hundred years ago, in what is now Turkey. Once, dragons and sea serpents were tales; now we know prehistoric reptiles ruled the Earth. So too might it be with demons, goblins, and realms like Limbo."

He looked to Sarah with fatherly warmth. “Skepticism is healthy, Miss Mitchell. But so is an open mind, especially in our line of work.”

“Because of his time in Limbo, Alaric has had an unconventional upbringing. Things that are mundane to you might be novel and foreign to him.” Jean couldn’t help but dote over Alaric to the point that she was borderline embarrassing with her good intentions. “We ask that you take the time to help him understand this world so that he might be a bit more comfortable here.”

Alaric give a quick nod of his head toward Jean. He didn't understand anything Connor said and wondered if he even could. But then again, there were things he was familiar with that none of them were, demons and goblins for one.

He then looked at the redheaded girl who'd asked the question. "Yes, really. Demons taught me to never turn my back on the shadows and that sometimes you have to become one. Goblins taught me to be deceptive. Mother taught me how to fight and walk away with my soul intact... for the most part. I used to sleep with a dagger under my pillow. Then I realized that if something got that close, I was already dead."

His dark eyes shone otherworldly as they did when he first exited Limbo. "One of my earliest memories was when I nearly died at the hands of a demon," he began. "I had yet to realize the full terror of the realm I'd been born into. I'd wandered too far away from the temple during a night of oppressive darkness. The ground was cold and damp and the air filled with decay. I started to panic as I heard the growls. Within seconds, the demon's claws were scratching my tender flesh as rivulets of blood flowed. It's hot, putrid breath washed over me in waves as it breathed. Then I heard Mother's voice. She saved me and brought me back to the temple. You don’t survive Limbo by being good. You survive by being something worse than what’s hunting you."

Scott visibly bristled as his firstborn son told the sordid tale of his childhood in literal hell. Whatever fate Aurora suffered was too good as far as he was concerned. This had all been her doing. "I'm so sorry," he said in a hoarse whisper.

"so what you're saying is that he's from an alternate reality? You're talking about multiverse theory" Sarah asked, looking between Connor and Alaric.

Alaric didn't understand a word of what the teenager was saying. He turned to face the others, "I don't know what this multiple universe or alternate reality is, but Limbo is real. Just as real as you and I and the demons that inhabit it." There was a hint of passion and forcefulness in his voice.

He looked at the Professor and Jean. "Mother has told me hundreds of times over the years that you two are the most powerful telepaths she has ever known. Look into my mind and I will show you demonic blood rituals and Eldritch horrors that would take the half of anyone in this room. I speak the truth. I like not about my home."

Many of the students were familiar with complex PTSD, the Professor quietly reflected to himself, yet this was an entirely different brand from which any of them were accustomed. Even so, the answer was still the same. Persevere.

"Alaric, could you tell us how you came to be here?" Xavier requested. Much of it had already been revealed to him in one way or another, and what had not been wasn't difficult to surmise. But in order to face the future, one had to step out of the past and into the present.

Alaric nodded respectfully to the Professor. "A few years after the fires, Limbo was starting to rebuild itself and heal as Lord Belasco willed. There was nothing outside the safety of the temple and no one dared to leave, with the exception of a few patrols or scouting parties."

"Then one day, we received word that a thin, blue demon had appeared out of nowhere near the Askani temple and then disappeared again in a poof. I was sent to investigate. It took some skilled persuasion on his part, as we never trusted any denizen of Limbo. Eventually, I brought him inside the stronghold."

Alaric paused a moment to let it all sink in before continuing.

"Kurt met the Mother Askani and the two Clan elders who'd protected us for years. We heard his story and came to know his name as Kurt, a mutant from Earth, who earned our trust. Unfortunately, we were unable to help him, but the fact that he'd entered Limbo and could leave was not lost on the elders. No one enters or leaves Limbo that easily, so he offered to show us the old portal. We needed to find a way to get Clan Askani out of Limbo and into a safe place. From what Kurt said, Earth seemed like a viable option. I accompanied Kurt to the portal, but it was a battle to get there. Eventually, he went through the dark fire and I followed. The portal closed, but that doesn't mean I will give up on bringing my people to safety."

Drew had listened carefullyto Alaric as he spoke. "Who are these people you are speaking of? If they need to be rescued from Limbo, then shouldn't we be making plans to do so?"

"They are the Clan Askani," he said, and then grinned. "An eagerness for battle, respectable. But Limbo isn't a realm so easily entered or exited. For now, we wait. Mother Askani has protected them for years, she and the Elders can do so for a little longer."

“Alaric was sent to Limbo as an infant.” Jean attempted to explain the bigger picture to them while also divulging some of his origins based on the memories she and Xavier had gleaned. “Aurora left Muir by choice and delivered her baby at an undisclosed location. Alaric is that child.” She reached out for Scott before she continued, Alaric’s parentage made clear at that moment. “Time passes differently in Limbo and in the six weeks or so that he was there, he aged into the young man you see before you today.”

“When Aurora, now the Goblin Queen, appeared on Genosha it was through Belasco’s magic. Her and her goblin army were instructed that they needed to recover a relic that was missing from Genosha… that relic was the battery that powered The Machine you were subjected to. During that battle some citizens and mutants who occupied Genosha were dragged through the portals to Limbo.” Jean paused before she continued, her role in the events of Genosha still frightened her. “When the Phoenix Force appeared and destroyed Genosha it also destroyed a lot of the goblin army as well as Belasco’s wards that kept the Limbo portals open but it also saved those humans and mutants who had been dragged through.”

Jean looked over at Alaric and offered him a small smile in gratitude for the fates that brought him here, that allowed him to survive. “Those Genosha survivors became Clan Askani and they kept each other safe in Limbo. Now they need our help, to hopefully leave that place for good. But rescuing them from Limbo is no easy feat, access to the realm takes powerful magic. But that’s why Alaric is here… to find a way to access Limbo again and rescue his people… and hopefully to make a few new connections too.”

Connor had been quiet throughout Alaric’s account, but now his brow furrowed slightly in thought, his jaw tense. He glanced between Jean, Xavier, and Alaric before lowering his eyes, running the numbers in his head.

"IF ALARIC WAS AN INFANT SIX WEEKS AGO, THAT MEANS—" He paused, calculating again. "THAT IS APPROXIMATELY THREE POINT THREE LIMBO YEARS PER EARTH WEEK. THAT MEANS MORE THAN FIFTEEN YEARS HAVE PASSED IN LIMBO SINCE THE INVASION."

He looked at Alaric with a kind of startled reverence. "NO WONDER THE REFUGEES CALL THEMSELVES CLAN ASKANI NOW. THEY WOULD NOT CONSIDER THEMSELVES GENOSHANS ANY MORE, PERHAPS NOT EVEN EARTHLINGS."

His eyes drifted toward the floor, thoughts racing faster than he could sign. "WHEN I MET LORNA, SHE WAS YOUNGER THAN ME, BUT NOW SHE MUST BE OLDER THAN PROFESSOR X."

That thought hit him harder than expected. The world kept spinning, and time passed for everyone, but the thought of someone frozen in memory aging a generation in a place untouched by the sun or sky felt surreal.

"THEY CANNOT AFFORD ANY UNNECESSARY DELAYS ON OUR PART. IF A YEAR PASSES HERE, THAT COULD BE FIFTY YEARS IN LIMBO. WE MUST DO WHATEVER IT TAKES. TIME IS AGAINST US. WE OWE IT TO THEM FOR HOW GENOSHA FELL. WE COULD NOT SAVE THEM THEN, BUT WE CAN SAVE THEM NOW."

As much Professor Xavier swelled with pride at Connor's courage and initiative, the matter was more complicated than merely mobilizing a strike team. "I concur, Connor. Yet discretion is always the better part of valor. Quite candidly, we are off the map right now. The blind leading the blind will fall into a pit. At the moment, we cannot be of any help to anyone until we learn more, so I ask everyone to put their efforts and studies toward the problem so that we can uncover as much as we can in order to form a winning strategy."

Looking at the full group assembled in the room, Xavier couldn't hold back a fond smile. "And to Jean's point, Alaric will remain at the mansion so that we all may learn more of the nature of Limbo, this hidden city of Kamar-Taj, and the greater forces at work of which we know very little. Learn of him as you can. We will train, study, and prepare in order to help bring Clan Askani out of the fire and if fate favors us prevent this tragedy from happening again."

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