He has been passing in and out of consciousness for hours. The man named Charles Xavier. 'Charlie', as Nina puts it. For some unknown reason, Onslaught has called for Xavier's capture. To this end he had sent his telepathic elite - the Psi-Corps - to find Charles Xavier, and bring him back, no matter the cost.

Already an entire religious order - who Charles had spent a large portion of his life living with - has been slaughtered in the Psi-Corp's goal of capturing Xavier. A hundred holy men, brutally murdered. Yet still, Charles managed to escape. He found himself on an island, surrounded by strange creatures of immense power. And then he passed out.

Amelia is yet to wake. The strain of dispersing her molecules to the four winds - never mind those of her lover, Charles Xavier - and then pulling them all back together taxes both her mind and body tremendously. It will take time for her to recuperate. But the question is, do they have enough time?

"Wake up." Barks the voice of Callisto as she pours a bucket of cold water across Charles's face. He comes to life in almost an instant, bringing a sadistic smile to Callisto's tortured face. "Enjoy yer beauty sleep?"

Charles says nothing, instead wiping dry the water dripping down his face. Amelia is still unconscious. At her side is an odd creature. An obscenely obese child, with dark red eyes, and a gigantic cranium, apparently hovering on some sort of mechanical device. He looks up at Charles, and then returns to inspecting Amelia.

"Don't worry about him, Mr. 'Zavier." Comes another voice, and Charles turns to see Nina, the girl who greeted him on the beach. "He's jus' lookin'. He's not angry at her, or sumfin'."

"Where...where are we?" Charles asks, noticing that he is no longer on the bright shores of the island, but instead in some kind of wooden hut.

"Oh, this is where we keep the sicks. We thought you were a sick, so we put you in here." Nina answers.

"First thing's first, cueball." Starts the harsh voice of Callisto. "How did you get here, 'an what do you mean trouble?"

"I want no trouble..." Charles starts, wearily.

"I 'tol you already!" Nina scowls. "Mr. Zavier's on a chase. Frum the pre-lates. Ees not a bad man though, are you Mr. 'Zavier? No, it's those prelates who are bad business. C'mon, Mr. 'Zavier, I'll show you 'round the island." Nina says, taking Charles's hand into her own. Telekenetically she lifts him into an unright position, almost as though he were truly able to walk once more. The sensation startles him for a moment, until Nina assures him telepathically of her actions.

Outside the sun shines brightly down on them. They are in some sort of island village. There's several small wooden huts encircling them. But it's not the village that Charles notices first; it's the villagers. Mutants all of them. Either mutants, or 'Mannites'. A small green boy, covered in scales, is the first to approach them.

"Hi Nina. Who's your new pal?" asks the boy.

"His name's Charlie. Charlie, this is Leech. He's a mutant, 'jus like you!" Nina proclaims, as if being a mutant was a good thing. Something to be proud of.

An elderly woman walks up to them next. She has a wide smile across her face, and Leech hugs onto her when she approaches.

"Hello Charles. I am Annalee. I am Leech's mother. Leech, Callisto and I are all mutants, like yourself. Leech has the power to negate the mutant powers of anyone in his vicinity. That's why you can't use your powers here." Annalee explains, not knowing Charles cannot use his powers anyway, regardless of his vicinity to the small green boy, smiling up at him.

"Yes. Yes, of course." Charles answers as he looks around at the surrounding Mannites.

"They're my brothers and sisters." Nina explains, reading Charles's mind yet again. 'How is that possible? If their powers were supposed to be negated by Leech?'

Nina doesn't answer that question, instead choosing to introduce her fellow Mannites. "You already know Headcase and Glub..." Nina points out the green Mannite with a gun holstered over his back, and the obese thing that was inspecting Amelia before, "...'an you already know me, as well. Him over there is Darco, that's Totem, 'an Grace, 'an the little baby's Beautiful Dreamer. He sees tomorrows 'an talks about them today, know what I mean?"

Charles nods. A clairvoyant.

"But cos Leech's power steals our powers, Dreamer can't see into the tomorrows anymore." Nina explains.

"But, Nina, you read my mind. Leech can't negate your powers?" Charles asks.

"I dunno. Maybe it wasn't me talking to your head, but maybe it was you talking into mine?" Nina offers.

Just at that moment Amelia, now conscious once again, emerges from out of the small hut she and Charles had shared while they recuperated.

"Charles? Where are we?" she asks groggily.

"You're one our island." Answers Callisto, as she joins them. "Now that you're feelin' better, I suggest you two get movin'. We don't want the same type of trouble people like you bring."

"Who are you?" Amelia asks, Callisto walking over to her.

"I'm the woman in charge." Callisto smiles. "'An I think its about time you left this island."

"Yes, I agree." Charles says as he comes to Amelia's side.

"No, Mr.'Zavier!" cries Nina, as she grabs around Charles's waist. "Don' go! We were just getting' ta know ya..."

"Nina, dear, Mr. Xavier has to go away." reminds Annalee as she crouches down by Nina's side. "Remember what you told us? About Mr. Xavier and Onslaught?"

"Onslaught?" Charles gasps. Memories of the past flicker through his mind. Onslaught, a creature of evil created by Xavier. Onslaught, the entity responsible for crippling Charles. Onslaught, master of the Psi-Corps!

{XAVIER!!!} screams a telepathic voice in Charles's mind. He clutches at his cranium, before hanging limp in Nina's telepathic grip.

"Mr. 'Zavier?" Nina asks, as she loses a mental hold on Charles.

"THE PSI-CORPS!" screams Headcase as he readies his energy weapon at one of the mutant telekinetics swooping down from the skies. The blast disintegrates the first of the Psi-Corps, but another manages to cut Headcase down with a psi-charged blade.

Headcase falls dead.

The rest of the Psi-Corps charge for the kill. Leech is next to fall, as Psiren's brother, Psimon telekinetically collapses the small mutant's skull. Annalee rushes to the side of her child, already knowing him to be dead. Psiren takes only a mere moment to pierce through Annalee's heart with her telekinetic powers.

{Take the Mannites to Onslaught! Don't let any of them escape!} Psiren barks to her minions.

{What about the race-traitors?} Psimon asks.

{Kill them.}

"Mr. 'Zavier!" Nina screams.

"Charles!" Amelia cries as she rushes to her lover's side.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a psicimitar soars through the air, breaking through Amelia's ribcage. She falls, bleeding profusely.

"NO!" screams Xavier, as both he and Nina telepathically hover over to Amelia.

"C-Chuckie..." Amelia gurgles, as blood pours from her mouth.

"Nina, we've got to get out of here!" Charles yells.

"But what about the others?" Nina asks as she looks around to see prelates slaughtering her friends. Callisto lunges at Psiren, knife in hand, but is swept away by a mighty telekinetic blow. She falls to the ground, her ribs snapping. Psiren lifts a boulder off the ground, and hovers it over the grounded Callisto. She lest go of her hold, and the boulder falls straight down.

"Nina!" Charles cries once again. He can feel that Amelia's dying. He'll do whatever he can to save her.

"Okay." Nina sighs, as swirling blue sparks twirl all around them.

{What's happening?! Somebody get to Xavier!} Psiren demands.

Several Psi-Corps lunge at Xavier, Amelia and Nina, but are too late. The blue swirling lights turn into a dazzling tornado, and in the blink of an eye the three of them vanish.

{NO!}

(As seen last issue - Benn)

Elsewhere.

The blue swirling lights begin to fade, as the three new arrivals settle in to their new surroundings. The first thing Charles notices is the sky. The bright, blood-stain sky. Next are the black mountains, on which they're standing. Where are they?

"This is the a place I found, that no-one else knows about!" Nina answers, again reading Charles's thoughts. "I made it up all myself. Amelia's gonna be okay now."

"Nina, what do you know about Onslaught?" Charles asks, remembering Annalee's words from just moments before the Psi-Corps attack.

"I know he's a mean man. An' I know how to stop 'im." Nina smiles.

"How?" Charles asks, confused.

"We'll get your powers back." Nina grins.

To be continued...

In Mutant X #03: Will Xavier regain his lost powers? What happens to the Mannites when they meet Onslaught? What will be the final fate of Amelia Voght? And who will the Psi-Corps kill next?! All this, and probably lots, lots more in 30!