AN UNEXPECTED GUEST

                                  PART FIVE

                             By Davide Briganti

DISCLAIMER: All the X-Men, and their likenesses, depicted in this story are
property of Marvel. No profits are made by posting this story, which is writ-
ten only for entertainment purposes. Sid "Renegade" Mayer, Seyla of Arborea
and Songmaster Thax are copyrights of me, so if you wanna use them, please
ask me first.

                                   * * *

"Now, if you please, take a closer look here, my friends, and you 'll find a
little piece of metal alloy that's much more interesting than it seems."

Hank McCoy, codename Beast, was pointing at a tiny box inserted in a socket
carved in the skull of a monstrous insect-like creature lying dead on the
medlab's table. The other X-Men present in the room -Jean Grey, Iceman, Bishop
and Prof.X- leaned over to get a more detailed sight of the object in question.

"What it's supposed to do, Hank?" Bobby asked with a puzzled look.

"After some research, I've been able to discover that it's somehow connected
to our friend's nervous system. I dare say it may be able to control its actions,
giving the right amount of electrical impulses."

"Yes, but what about the its brain? For sure it must have a means to live wi
thout this control device! What about involuntary muscles?" Xavier interrupted.

McCoy shook his head, his face darkening suddenly. "Charles, I have analyzed
the creature's DNA, and I found the genetic matrix of almost ten species 
inside it, not to mention its own. Someone has been playing with this poor
inhabitant of another world to bend it to his will."

Bobby's gaze turned upward as he huffed. "Guess who? Ol' Sinister is back in
action!"

Suddenly, Seyla stepped from the shadows of a corner into the light, looking 
at the other with concern.

"Honored Sirs and Ladies" she begun "If in this land lives a sorcerer powerful 
enough to change the living beings so, and if he has the power to summon more 
creatures from my homeland, we must stop him as soon as we can. I myself have 
heard of horrors dwelling in caves and marshes, powerful enough to sweep away 
entire armies like dust in the wind, and if they make their way here....." She 
shuddered.

"Don't worry, young lady. We'll make sure it will never happen." answered a
deep male voice as a flash of white light nearly blinded the room's occupants,
and in the space of a second Doctor Stephen Strange was standing in the room.

"You'll excuse me for the unexpected appearance, but time runs short and we
must take action as soon as we can." he said, walking towards Xavier with
an extended hand. "Honored to meet you, Professor."

Professor X shook it vigorously. "Pleasure's all mine. Now, may I ask you why
you paid us visit?"

"I need to speak with a person who lives there. His name is Sid Mayer, and I
think he has informations about the force which brought this creature and
this young noblewoman on our plane of existence."

Jean nodded. "Wait a moment and I'll call him down.". After a few seconds, she
giggled. "He's coming down. But he said that 'it had better be serious business'!"

Shortly thereafter, a grunting Sid paced inside the mansion; his gaze fixed al
most immediately on the stranger in the red cape with whom the Prof. was talking.

"What's up?" he queried.

"Hello, young man. I'm Stephen Strange, and I have some questions for you,
questions that need precise and immediate answers."

Sid crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "'Kay, I'm here, spit'em out."

Strange pointed a gloved finger at the dead creature on the table.

"This being comes from a dimension on which you lived for a certain amount of
time, right?"

"Yep."

"And do you know if there was someone or something capable of bringing both it
and your young friend here in our reality?"

Sid's eyed narrowed a bit. "Why are you asking me?"

"Only because I fear that the same force that brought them here now walks on
the face of our little planet. The biggest source of raw chaos I've ever seen
in my life."

The young fighter's face suddenly whitened as he realized. "N-now, waitaminute
willya?! Did I hear you sayin' Chaos Source?" he gasped, swallowing a couple
of times.

Both the X-Men and the magician looked at him. with concern. "Hey, Ren', you 
all right?" Bobby asked.

Sid's fists clenched as he closed his eyes. "So....that hellspawned bastard 
tracked me down here. Well enough for me, I'll kick his ass outta the bloody
whole galaxy!" he muttered.

"Oh, no. He's gone off this world another time." Jean moaned. Concentrating
a bit, she gave him a telepathic 'shove'.

Renegade shook his head. "Whaddya want, Grey-Summers? I'm thinking." he replied.

"I know, Sid." she begun, patiently as if she was talking to a child "But I
dare remembering you that we don't have the slightest idea about the one that
you seem to hate this much."

He blushed slightly. "Oops. Sorry, Red. It's only that....well, I didn't expect
to see ol' Songmaster again in my life."

"Songmaster?" Strange asked.

"Yes, Songmaster Thax, Master of the Chaos Dance. Every bit as nuts as he's
powerful. It was him who gave me my powers. Trust me, Strange, The whole mudball 
is in BIG, SERIOUS, A-Level trouble."

Xavier wheeled forward, stopping in front of Sid. "What powers he has?" he asked.

"He can warp reality around him. He sings and dances and...WHAM! All around
him in a certain radius gets warped into a nightmarish creature with a will
and intelligence of its own. Laws of physics are violated. Nothing is as it
seems, and you may be attacked from all directions. And he has some training
in magic. You know, teleporting and looking into other places in a water basin
and things like that."

Sid turned to face the sorcerer. "Where is he?" he simply asked.

"Actually, in a small village near the West Coast. He didn't move since yester
day."

Sid sighed. "If I bring him to you, can you send him back?"

Strange nodded. "I can enact a ritual to open a portal. But only at a certain
time of the month; if you are not back for that time, I might not be able to
establish a bridge between the two realities for at least a solar year."

"I'll be there. Now, time to go. Be seein' ya."

And with that, Sid stepped quickly towards the main door. Bishop firmly grabbed
his shoulder.

"Wait, Renegade. Where are you going?"

Renegade smiled wryly. "I'm goin' to make Thax bite the dust, or to die trying, 
'course. What else can I do?"

Bishop raised an eyebrow. "That's not the right way. We must prepare a plan 
and act as a team if we want to achieve victory."

Sid shook his head, smiling sadly. "You don't understand, eh, Bish'? He wants
me, not you. And he's powerful. I simply can't let you all risk your hide for
my private war. You're my friends....my family. If anyone of you gets hurt,
I won't be able to look at myself in a mirror anymore. No, I'm goin' alone."

"Don't _even_ think about it. I am going, too." Storm's voice resounded as she
entered the room. "I was not able to listen to the whole story, but be sure I
will not let the one I love run straight into the lion's open mouth!"

"She's right, Sid." Xavier interrupted. "You said we're your family. Well, let
me tell you one thing: a family never leaves one of its own to face death alone."

Sid gazed downward, unable to say anything. "Thanks, folks", he whispered.

Hank smiled, and patted him on the back. "No need to thanks, O young wolf. Now,
get back near the table. We have a baddy-bashing plan to discuss."

Strange bowed to Xavier. "Now, I have to go. I will prepare the portal for you: 
you have two days from now to bring me this Songmaster. And keep in mind that 
I can keep the gate open only for a few minutes after finishing the ritual. 
Good luck." And with that, he vanished without a sound.

Sid raised an eyebrow. "I was wise when I chose not to mess anymore with magi
cal types."

Xavier coughed a couple of times to get everyone's attention, then begun:
"I have made my choice of X-Men to send with Sid at target's location. Ororo,
you will be squad leader. The large radius of your weather-controlling powers
should prove useful in keeping the situation under control. Bobby, Remy, Rogue
and Psylocke will come with you. The others will stay at the mansion and monitor
the situation as it develops."

"Sir, I will come, too." Seyla interrupted. "I will prove myself useful."

"No way!" Sid shouted. "You'll get killed!"

She let out a sad smile. "As if it does matter to you."

"Now, listen up, girl. The only thing I want is bring you back home. So, why
don't you give me just _a bit_ of cooperation? Like stayin' safe here and let
the pro's do the job?"

She lowered her head, not answering.

"You'll never understand, will you?" Sid whispered before walking out of the
room.

Ten minutes later, the chosen team was making its way towards the Blackbird's
hangar. Remy turned to face Sid, and smiled.

"What's happened t'you, mon ami? Gambit was bettin' you 'll come out wid a
thing like 'let's kick the homme's ass!' or somdin'. You lost your humor?"

Sid sighed, and looked at him with a tremendously serious and preoccupied ex
pression.

"No jokes, Remy. This is SERIOUS business."

Glancing at Ororo's tense face as she entered the plane, the card-flinging Cajun
understood, and didn't talk anymore.

                          ** END OF PART FIVE **