#westpoint

Specifically in the vein of/following the story/style of Evolution and Black Ops 6.

**

In the wake of Apocalypse's defeat, X-23 ends up joining the Xavier Institute out of necessity and a desire for normalcy, though she still doesn't quite grasp how to be a regular girl. Alongside her as new students are Warren Worthington III (publicly recognized as the Avenging Angel, or Angel for short), Teresa "Terry" Cassidy, calling herself Siryn, long lost Summers brother Gabriel/Vulcan, a genius who, like the older Warren, already finished high school but is interested in his family and control over his powers, Japanese exchange student Shiro Yoshida/Sunfire, who can generate intense flames at no harm to himself, and first generation Greek extract Echo Marinos/Discharge, who's powers consist of high levels of electrical generation and control. Her mutant powers are vast enough that she inadvertently blacked out her entire block after getting struck by lightning, and Beast is doing the best he can to help her master them.

As they begin settling in, Echo manages to strike up a friendship with X-23, noting in a rare quiet moment that their features are similar enough for them to pass for sisters at a glance. This gets X-23 confused, as all but these five kids have avoided her like the plague (and even then, Terry needs some of Warren's convincing to join them at table) and, if her suspicions are correct, "Are you suggesting we act like sisters?"

Echo shifts nervously, fidgets with the book in her hands at their table, and amends, "Not necessarily act like sisters, in the sense of all those sappy movies, but - well, kinda adopt each other. Besides, you need a name, and I've got three older brothers and four younger siblings. I don't mind sharing the Marinos name, and I'm sure Dad could help scrounge up some documentation if governments get nosy."

X-23 snorts before deadpanning, "Documents shouldn't be made for me. The people who did this [claws briefly pop out] to me would manage to get through it and target him and your family."

Echo blinks, then watches the other four approach and says, "Well, can you at least take Marinos for a name, or consider it?"

X-23 stares at her for a moment, then decides as the others sit, "I'll think about it."

A few weeks later, just when Logan helps X-23 settle on the name Laura for herself, a new mutant school is put up in a nearby county - the Frost Academy. The headmistress is Emma Frost, a wealthy socialite, and her student body consists of Julian Keller/Hellion, a hotblooded rich kid who makes Warren's normally calm demeanor slip close to open hostility, Manuel de la Rocha/Empath, an expressionless young Spaniard who enjoys toying with others' emotions, Marie-Ange Colbert/Tarot, a gremlin of a French girl who loves her tarot cards too much, Cora Hansen/Astra and Fariba Shirazi/Khazri, adopted sisters whose literal polar opposite personalities and powers - stellar absorption and redirection, half human and half cheetah respectively - do nothing to their deep bond with each other, Makoto Hama/Hijack, an orphan boy of Japanese descent who is a potent technopath, and David North/Zero, a boy of uncertain ethnicity with peak physical capability who prefers riling up anyone to working with his team.

They end up meeting during some social gatherings for charity events or following a few political discussions regarding mutants. Hellion proves to be rather belligerent, often egging on a fight between the two schools. Warren does his best to diffuse the fights, though between Hellion's attitude and his behavior around Laura, even he struggles to refuse the bait. This causes some friction and negative reception towards the Xavier Institute, though to the "New Mutants'" surprise, Cora, Fariba, and Makoto don't often back up the others. Rather, they stay out of the way and/or get some of their teammates under control, with varying degrees of success. Fariba herself ends up playfully teasing Gabriel, who responds in kind, and with Gabriel's earnest good will towards her, Cora, and Makoto, Laura and the others decide that these three at least are worthwhile making allies of.

Unlike Emma's students - dubbed the Hellions, as Julian loves to remind the others - the New Mutants get field experience with handling both mutant threats and other villains. This causes some resentment from Hellion and his squad, though Fariba, Cora, and Makoto smell a con of some kind. This prompts them all to attempt low level investigations into Emma's unseen acts. Cora ends up diverting her attention most times, and they're all grateful for the mental lessons in blocking their thoughts from her. However, Fariba can only find trace documents of financial deals, and others with blacked out words in some files. Makoto, meanwhile, via his technopathy, can make a few more discoveries - including a "test subject" in use for the "Inner Circle's ventures."

Eventually, the three converse on this when visiting Cora and Fariba's family, and Makoto sends the X-Men an anonymous lead on a "man of superior physical capabilities with a broken mind making frequent strikes on European targets, last seen in France."

This feels like abuse of a mutant, with the nefarious aspect of it going without saying. Xavier sets up a team consisting of Cyclops, Jean Grey, and the New Mutants to France to take down the operation and retrieve the man once they've pinpointed his location. Banshee, calling in aid from old Interpol friends, will meet them there and help out.

Upon arrival, Cyclops splits up the team: he, Angel, Sunfire, and X-23 will take out the main group, Banshee and Interpol will cut off their exits, and Jean, Siryn, and Discharge will locate the mutant and perform a rescue. Things go well, though Siryn's scream does more to incapacitate him then anything - and even then, it's only through Discharge's electrification of his nervous system that freezes him long enough for Jean to enter his mind, wipe out the current mental hostile order he has, and put him into unconsciousness.

What she finds unnerves her, but all she can bring herself to say to the girls is that he's been severely brainwashed, likely before the telepathic programming she just ran into. Carting the man along (he's heavy enough that Jean's forced to use her telekinesis to help carry him) to the regroup site, they catch up with Cyclops, who relays that Interpol's taking the men in, with Banshee having mentioned the men they fought appear to be a multinational organization that's wanted by most of the world powers. As he and Jean converse, X-23 and the others come over, with Sunfire and Discharge turning over the man, the former removing the mask as the latter takes off some left over dog tags.

As the figure shows ethnic features paired with unusually long dark red hair and tan skin, Discharge tells them, "His name's William Calderon. Must be from South America or a later generation, given that first name."

Staring at him, X-23 flatly states, "Bull."

Everyone turns, and Angel asks, "What do you mean?"

"He's not from Latin America or Spain," she continues, stepping over and turning his face. "Sunfire, I need a light."

Igniting a fist with flame, the others slowly close around her as X-23 elaborates, "He's an Afghan. Pashtun, if I had to guess."

"Then why do his tags say he's Spanish?" Discharge asks as Siryn questions, "How do ye know this?"

"I've killed in Afghanistan," she returns, causing all to blink before adding as a brief afterthought, "And the dog tags might be stolen."

"I'll ask Banshee about this," Cyclops decides. "Load him up on the Blackbird and prep for leave. I'll join you as soon as I can."

After all's been settled, Xavier and Jean spend two days working on undoing the telepathic aspects of Calderon's brainwashing, learning from his violent reaction to the loss of his tags that they were his - while Logan gets to confirm via struggling with a crazed Calderon that he is indeed Pashtun thanks to his fighting skills. On the third day, Scott meets with them and informs them that William Calderon is his name - or supposed name, at least. Banshee made a few checks, and found that a rogue group of CIA agents had this man, nicknamed Case, as a member before he went MIA.

"He was assumed KIA, but that didn't stop two of his teammates from searching for him," Scott finishes. Pulling up a file, he adds, "Felix Neumann is one of the two, and he's on his way to verify and jog Calderon's memory. Apparently he and Sevati Dumas - the second member - got recruited by another governmental subdivision, who's also going to be sending some men to see him."

"We'll make preparations then. Preferably with quite a few capable combatants," the Professor notes.

Guinan’s Store

This store is where I would buy my cup of coffee and a copy of the New York Times every morning. This quaint little business was an institution in Garrison Landing, New York, which lies on the east shore of the Hudson River, across from West Point.

After I made my purchase, I would take a Metro North train (powered by two EMD FL9s) down to Grand Central terminal. From there I would walk down to 22nd Street to a photography studio owned by John Manno, with whom I would work for ten years.

On the way home, alcoholic drinks, beer at least, could be procured at the little bar in the back of Guinan’s Store, but I was always anxious to get home—the long commute added three to four hours to my work day (door-to-door).

Here’s an article written about Guinan’s when the place closed on the last day of 2008.

* See the newly-discovered images!

* Read Mike Ruane's incredible Post feature online!

More images from this incredible National Archives find!

Equestrian Training, image ID 404-WS-6-4518-7; hi-res here.

Equestrian Training, NARA image ID 404-WS-6-4518-8; hi-res here.

Huge shoutout to National Archives Preservation Specialist Richard Schneider, who made this project and Post story possible! See related Post story about ANOTHER of Richard's incredible finds:

Rare pictures of Hitler emerge from glass photo negatives Heinrich Hoffmann, Hitler’s sidekick photographer, chronicled the early days of the Nazis

See Richard's incredible Alaskan panoramic photo exhibit!

* Hidden Treasure: Uncovering Panoramic Photographs of Alaska Territory, National Archives News