Multiverse Networking

Disclaimer:

I do not own the X-Men or Dungeons & Dragons. This is a work of parody created for non-commercial purposes.



Warning:

NC, Femslash, and other naughtiness sure to offend prudes.



Chapter 2



When Ororo Munroe and Jean Grey arrived in the infirmary, no one was there (or at least no one conscious). For Beast had gone to a secluded area of the med lab to continue Todd Williams’s autopsy and Professor Xavier had gone to meet with Cyclops.



They were alone with Sophie Stepford and Emma Frost.



The drunken Phoenix paid no attention to the blonde Cuckoo and immediately went to Emma’s bedside.



The former White Queen looked oddly peaceful in her plain hospital gown.

None of the woman’s biting sarcasm or air of superiority was evident in her current state, and it made her appear far more innocent and vulnerable than the beautiful mutant normally did.



But when Jean psychically reached out to Emma Frost’s mind she felt NOTHING.



She didn’t feel Emma’s anger, fear, fealty, joy, sorrow, happiness or hate. She didn’t feel Emma at all.



It was as though the blonde telepath was already dead.





“OH NO I BROKE EMMA!” Grey exclaimed as she wrapped Frost in her arms and began to sob.



This was not the first time that Jean Grey had put Emma Frost in a coma. However, this time Jean was not protecting a friend or avenging a comrade.



Emma WAS a comrade now (although certainly not a friend) and Jean had attacked and savaged her mind for no better reason than anger, jealousy, and wounded pride.



And that revealed something about Jean Grey that she was ashamed of.



As the mutant known as Phoenix continued to weep and clutch the comatose woman to her, the watching Storm decided that doing this tonight had probably been a bad idea.







Thrintun was growing restless.



The mind eater had detected the presence of alien psionics (alien to him anyway) every time he had come to this strange world.



Fortunately Thrintun’s techniques for cloaking his presence seemed to be working. However, his relief at passing undetected (for he suspected that some of these psychics were far more powerful than himself) meant little compared to his hunger for psychic energy.

For some reason none of these odd humans known as mutants seemed to be out and about this cold night.







The psychic predator might have been surprised if he knew just how close the man responsible for the current state of affairs was.



In response to Williams murder Headmaster Charles Xavier had issued a mandatory 8 o’clock curfew for all students living on campus. Fearful that the murderer would strike again if given the chance.



However, Professor X’s attention was currently occupied by a different matter, as he watched Storm take Jean Grey to her room on campus and tuck the sobbing X-Woman in.



“It’s all right now Professor…I don’t think you need to keep watch anymore” Ororo Munroe mentally announced.



It had been the Professor’s idea to use Storm as a proxy during Grey’s visit to the infirmary. For if the sight of her romantic rival would cause Jean to call upon the Phoenix Force again they needed to know about it as soon as possible (and the wind rider would definitely need the assistance of the founder of the X-Men during such an event).



Storm had agreed to the idea on the basis that it would be (virtually) impossible to keep Jean from Emma Frost if the redheaded telepath/telekinetic really wanted to see Emma. And Jean had been frantic to see the blonde telepath after Ororo had picked her up.



Besides IF Phoenix was going to go on a rampage again, better that they nip it in the bud while Jean Grey was still weakened by alcohol, Munroe reluctantly concluded.







Professor Charles Xavier broke his mental connection to Storm with a sigh of relief. Then he turned to the only other person in his study and said “its all right…Jean shows no desire to attack Frost again.”



“Good” replied Scott Summers. His emotions concealed by his ruby visor and his veneer of professionalism.



However, the headmaster could feel the conflict within Cyclops. The X-Men team leader felt a confusing (to him at least) mixture of anger, guilt, and resentment towards his wife and his mistress, and these feelings were only exacerbated by recent events.



In response, Scott seemed to be falling into the familiar (to those who knew him) pattern of running off on his own or burying himself in his work, in reaction to a major personal problem.



It appeared that due to the Todd Williams murder and related issues, Scott Summers had chosen the work option this time.



As for Professor Xavier, he was just glad that he glad not had to strike down his beloved Jean.



During her visit to the infirmary he had been prepared to temporarily shut down vital parts of her brain if he felt her calling upon the Phoenix Force again. Thankfully she had not done so, and Xavier had not felt compelled to resort to such extreme measures.







The predatory Thrintun knew he was being stalked.



The mind eater could not see the creature, but Thrintun could sense his consciousness. With practiced ease the psychic predator shielded the creature’s mind from outside intrusion (aside from his own) and used his telepathic prowess to hold him immobile.



The mutant was strong willed and tried to fight off Thrintun’s hold. But his willpower alone was not enough against a powerful and skilled telepath like Thrintun.







Wolverine could only watch helplessly as the robed figure stepped towards him. The creature pulled back its hood and revealed a head that resembled a four tentacled octopus, with white eyes that gleamed hungrily.



Logan had always been something of a loner, and often preferred to do things by himself. That was why he had hadn’t informed anyone when he followed a scent tonight that reminded him of something he had smelled on Todd Williams’s body.



However, as the monstrous creature grabbed him in its four fingered clawed hands, and the tentacles on its head lifted to reveal a circular mouth full of sharp teeth, Logan couldn’t help questioning the wisdom of his go it alone approach.



Then the creature’s tentacles wrapped around Wolverine’s head and the X-Man screamed as they released a powerful corrosive enzyme that began to eat away his flesh. However, when Thrintun attempted to bite down on the human’s head (assuming that his natural acids would have softened the skull beneath as they had always done before) he broke a couple of his teeth on the mutant’s adamantium coated skeleton.



This ruined Thrintun’s concentration and allowed the enraged Wolverine to shake off the telepath’s mental hold. With a blur of speed the former Canadian soldier’s metal claws came out and he sliced through one of Thrintun’s arms.



The predatory telepath let out an unearthly shriek as clothe and flesh parted and his limb and blood fell upon the ground. Then he fled away from the TERRIBLE human that had so grievously wounded him.



But Wolverine had no intention of letting the being who had just violated his flesh (which was almost fully healed already thanks to his amazing regenerative powers) and his mind go, and ran after the mind eater.



Thrintun tried to subdue Logan with psychic blasts as he ran back the way he had come. But the telepath’s mental power was weakened by his pain, fear, and blood loss. As a result each psychic assault did little more than briefly stagger and slow down Wolverine, while fueling the deadly mutant’s rage and bloodlust.



The former Canadian soldier followed the wounded telepath into the forest on the campus grounds. Each time the enraged mutant was on the verge of catching up to him, he hit Logan with another psychic blast, which slowed down the mutant just long enough for Thrintun to run ahead again.



Professor X and a number of the other mutant telepaths had been alerted that something was wrong when the mind eater was wounded and ceased all attempts to cloak his psychic signature (such finesse being far beyond the hurt Thrintun at the moment). However, Wolverine ignored all the telepathic voices in his head asking for or demanding answers and explanations.



The constant barrage of telepathic assaults combined with his growing rage had driven Logan into an almost feral state, and he had eyes only for his prey.



Eventually the pursuer and pursued reached an area of the forest especially familiar to Wolverine.



It was a place where the barrier between dimensions was known to be very weak, and where demonic invaders had tried to enter this plane of existence on several occasions.



Between two trees in the area was what appeared to be a blue glowing circle, ten feet across and ten feet wide. The energy vortex seemed to pulse as the dark haired mutant and his quarry approached it. The robed mind eater ran into it and disappeared.



Without hesitation Wolverine followed him.







Headmaster Charles Xavier leaned back with a sigh.



Logan and the strange telepath who had assaulted him were gone, Xavier could detect no trace of their mental signatures on the campus grounds.



Which meant that the two had been transported far away, or their psychic presences were being suppressed, or they were…dead.



But at least the Professor knew what Thrintun was.



He had began to explore the terrified and wounded telepath’s mind just before he had disappeared.



Thrintun belonged to a species not found on Earth.



A race of predatory psychics known as illithids.