Disclaimer: X-Men belong to Marvel. Bloom County and its cast belong to Berkley Breathed.
Author's notes: I'd bet you thought I never get around to finishing this. I've made a few revision along the way. Many thanks go to Persephone Kore for her encouragements.
Slight change of plans. It's going to six chapters.

Meadow-X v. 2.0
by Sabia

Chapter Five

The next morning, Jean had her eggs and brandy while Scott stared gloomily at the newspapers. He always started gloomily at the papers, but now he had another reason.

Cable was coming home.

With Magneto in residence.

Scott had already put the building contractors on speed dial.

The PACRAT landed at the back of the mansion, effortlessly ruining the beautiful landscaping yet again. The ramp eventually descended and Cable strode out. He could see three people stting at one of the picnic tables on the patio off the kitchen.

The resident smokers, Remy and Logan, had been joined by Pete for some early morning carcinogens. There were empty beer cans on the table and the whiskey bottle was down to the half-way point. Logan had decided to catch some shut-eye and was now snoozing under his cowboy hat. After all, he wasn't as young as he used to be. He needed at least three hours of sleep a night. Remy and Pete were studying the racing sheets in preparation for a productive day at the track.

Cable reached the group just as Kitty stormed out of the kitchen via the wall. Pete grinned. She had returned to her senses, insofar as they related to him, after Jones had fled the mansion with the remains of the banana junior. He was really starting to enjoy his visit.

"Remy, you talk to her!" Kitty demanded. "She still says she's going. Oh. Hi, Cable. Nice gun."

"Okay, petite. I try." Remy sighed.

"Good," said Kitty. She flopped into a chair and helped herself to a beer as Remy stood and wandered back into the mansion.

Cable frowned. "What's the situtation with Storm?"

"The daft bird is planning to take off and be a Boinger groupie," said Pete with a smirk.

"A what?"

Logan growled from under his hat. The whole topic of Ororo's involvement with Bill the Cat was particularly irksome to the man who called himself Wolverine. He'd always figured, self-flatteringly, that Ororo was more a dog person.

"A groupie," Kitty repeated with exaggerated patience. "You know, a band bunny? Ororo's boyfriend is lead tongue for the Boingers."

Cable considered taking her explanation literally then decided against it. Kids have different ways of describing things, he thought.

"Keep me posted," he said. It was his standard response when people were doing things he didn't understand. "I'll check in with Scott. This situation will be brought under control."

Cable left the smokers to their patio. They were proabably still snickering at him, a part of his mind noted. He eventually found Scott in Xavier's study, looking as serious as ever. Scott looked up at his son and they stared at each other as an alternative to articulating greetings. Mercifully, the phone rang. Scott put it on speaker and waved Cable to a chair. Cable sat down.

"Xavier's. Scott speaking."

"Cyclops, what the hell is going on? Where are your people?" an angry Mister Fantastic demanded.

"And a good morning to you, Reed. What's got your short in a knot?"

"There's a group of transdimentional aliens invading Long Island right now! We need the X-Men scrambled to deal with them!"

"The X-Men are already scrambled," said Scott mildly. "Which is why we aren't going anywhere. Bye, Reed. Say hello to Susan for me."

"How do you justify not responding?" Cable snapped.

Scott raised an eyebrow. "Where's your team?" he asked pointedly.

"Dom took the kids to the mall."

"Nathan," Scott began, using that special tone parents use when they intend to interrogate their children without mercy. "There is a grave threat to the lives and security of the people of New York and you're telling me X-Force is at the mall."

Cable fidgeted. "Yes," he mumbled. Damn. Lost that battle in a hurry didn't you, Dayspring?

"Good for them."

Satisfied he had exercised his right to reduce his cybernetic, time-traveling super-powered son to about six years old, Scott made himself a mid-morning refreshment.

"We think it might be the proximity," he said, stirring his martini absently. "Charles was normal the Tuesday before last. Then Cutter John came by for lunch." Scott extracted the olive out of his glass and flicked into the air. One pinpoint optic beam later, it was vaporized. "He's been stuck in captain mode ever since. Or maybe he's always been crazy and we just didn't notice."

Cable was of the growing opinion that Scott wasn't acting all that well-wrapped either. Outside, the resident bassleope waddled by the window.

"What the flonq is that?"

Scott didn't bother to turn around. "Is it a dog with antlers?"

"Uh, yes."

"That's Rosebud," said Scott. "He moved in. No-one's sure how."

Magnus came to collect him for his visit with Xavier. Scott had to go to the police department. Warren had gotten arrested again at the local zoo for yelling drunken obscenities at the penguins. Explanations of an unhappy love affair had only made the officers more skittish about apprehending the winged mutant. Xavier had rolled out immediately after breakfast and had last been seen on the other side of the lake. Cable and Magnus went on the hunt for the stray professor, both of them contriving not to acknowledge the other person in any way.

The captain performed a visual scan of the approaching lifeforms. One was his old adversary who had been mysteriously close by for several days. The other .... the captain's eyes narrowed. The other represented a threat of the gravest kind.

"Stop right there!" he commanded.

Cable halted. When did Xavier start with the fake British accent? It was terrible.

"Xavier," he began carefully. "Do you know who I am?"

Magnus snorted. "He doesn't know who he is."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"Flonq you."

"I know exactly what you are," said Xavier in frosty tones. "You brought them here, didn't you, Q?"

Cable glanced around. "Who?"

"He means me," said Magnus sourly.

"There aren't any Q's in your name," Cable pointed out.

"I know that."

"Why did you bring the Borg here?" Xavier demanded angrily.

"The what?" asked Cable and Magnus simultaneously.

"This far and no farther!" Xavier hollered. " The line must be drawn here! Fire phasers! Rotating frequency!"

Cable yelled as the various psi-bolts hit. "You bastard....!" he managed.

The captain wisely decided to retreat and steered his ship clear. Only a magnetic straight jacket kept Cable from running after him.

"No telekinesis," said Magnus preemptively. "He'll keep throwing telepathic attacks if you try physical force."

Cable glared. "I'd only need one shot."

Concluded in Chapter Six

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