Homeward Bound?

[Erinyes]

Erinyes and Major Domo had made their way to Madison Jeffries' lab, but the man did not seem to be there at the moment.  Neither did the little yellow robot Kitty Pryde had mentioned earlier. "Oh, great. We come down here and no one's here. Well, maybe I can make this computer work."

Bethany sat down at the computer terminal and watched as a holographic display popped up before her eyes. It seemed to encompass the entire room.

"Hello. Now what in the hell are you doing at my computer?" a hologram of Madison Jeffries asked as it looked down at Erinyes.

Erinyes looked back at Major Domo and laughed. "It just figures, doesn't it? Please, come, sit next to me. I may need your help." 

[Major Domo]

Major Domo made sure to stay with Erinyes in case something went wrong in the empty lab. His eyes were on her while she sat at the computer. A hologram's sudden vocals and appearance startled Major Domo. His body moved for a second as his eyes widened in shock. The android was quick to sit near Erinyes. ''What am I able to help you with?'' 

[Erinyes]

"Well, right now just keeping me company, and keeping me calm, would be great," Erinyes said to Major Domo as the hologram of Madison Jeffries stared down at them. "OK, I guess I talk to him," she said as she pointed to the hologram. "Do you have any data on a place called The Tank? It's in an alternate dimension from this one."

"Do I look like Sage?" the hologram quipped as it turned its back on the do at the computer terminal. "Give me a minute."

"He's charming," Erinyes whispered as she turned to Major Domo, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She was nervously wringing her hands as she waited for the hologram to chime in with some bit of information. Anything that would lead her home would help. "Thank you for helping me find my brothers, Major Domo. Josh and Jer are all I have left of my family. I never knew my father, and my mother died a long time ago."

As they waited, Jeffries little robotic friend rolled into the room and pulled up next to Major Domo. He looked like a little yellow cube with a set of goggles on a stick for a head.

"Dubya, you wait there," the hologram said to the little robot. "Let me help Erinyes and Major Domo first."

"Facial recognition software, I bet," Erinyes replied as she looked back at her android companion.

  

[Major Domo]

''I guess I could try to keep you calm, Erinyes,'' Major Domo said. How could he help her when the holographic display frightened him? *I thought Mojo was terrifying!* he mused. He nodded after his companion's comment about Jeffries being charming. ''Jeffries makes Mojo look like a complete angel!'' Major Domo muttered. He faced Erinyes and smiled at her.

''No problem, Erinyes. I'm more than happy to help you locate your relatives after you took me from the Mojoverse.'' The sudden arrival of a small robot caused him to turn his head and notice it. He eyed the machine's yellow body and unusual head. ''A bit primitive, but I guess you're cute,'' Major Domo said to the other robot.  

[Madison Jeffries]

"So, this thing did work!" Madison said as he finally stepped into the lab. "Bradley was screwing around with it, and then Puck was trying to watch...aw, never mind."

Jeffries looked down at his little yellow robot and smiled. "OK, buddy, let me help these good folks, and then I'll fix you up again. He blew a servo in his neck," Madison added as he walked over to a second computer terminal at the other end of the lab. "The Tank? I've never heard of any place called The Tank. Just a minute."

As he tapped his communicator, Madison looked at the pair sitting before him, one a very broken human from the sight of her, and the other an android who seemed to be looking for a true home. "Sage, can you hustle down to my lab? I might need you to tap into the Crystal Palace hooha again."

[Erinyes]

"You shouldn't be such a grouch," Erinyes said to Madison as she glared at him. "I mean your computer you. Wait. I mean your computer hologram needs to be a bit more friendly."

"What did I, I mean it, do now?" Jeffries asked as Erinyes sat there with her arms crossed. 

"It yelled at us when we walked in. Major Domo and I know a bit about cranky people, and you came across very badly," Erinyes added as she looked back at her companion. "You of all people should be attuned to how androids and sentient machines feel, Mr. Jeffries."

"OK, point taken, and please call me Madison. I'll work on it. Now, until Sage gets down here, seriously, how do you expect to get wherever you're headed. And won't you need a team? Or do you have some hidden fighting ability I am unaware of, Major Domo? Or did Mojo make you a teleporter like Spiral?"

[Major Domo]

Major Domo's eyes widened in slight shock when Madison Jeffries walked into the lab. He turned to Erinyes and muttered. ''Madison doesn't seem as horrifying as the hologram.'' Major Domo turned to Madison and seemed a bit uncomfortable when the latter stared. One would have thought the android had extra arms like Spiral! He frowned and nodded after Erinyes informed Madison about his grouchy hologram. 

Domo rolled his eyes as he remembered how cranky Mojo was about low television ratings. The rants and fingers around his throat were painful reminders of what Mojo seemed capable of. Major Domo's eyes widened in shock as he stepped back after Madison revealed he was aware of Mojo and Spiral. ''How do you know about the Mojoverse?'' he asked. His shrug happened to be casual. ''To answer your question, Mojo never gave me any unique abilities. I was programmed to always compliment him and reveal television ratings. Although I did exhibit the ability to connect my arm to a machine and release a blast of energy, but I became exhausted after that particular action.'' 

[Madison Jeffries]

"We have a lot of data on file, and that includes files on Mojoverse, Major Domo," Madison replied as he looked toward the door to see if Sage was going to show soon. "Sage? That you?"

"Uhm, no," a short Japanese man said as he entered the room. "Hiro Harada. Ajari. I heard someone might be on a quest, and I want to help."

"Looks like you have your first recruit," Madison said as Hiro sat down to the side of Major Domo. "Now, about this place you mentioned, there appear to be no references to anything called The Tank. I'm sorry. Have you tried Merlin or Amergin or any of those hotshot mystics? They do a lot of interdimensional hopping around. And if Sage gets down here, maybe she has a way to get there through the Crystal Palace. It's sort of a dimensional Grand Central Terminal."

[Major Domo]

''I see!'' Major Domo muttered as he looked thoughtful. He looked neutral as a Japanese man stepped into the area. He turned to Erinyes and shrugged after the man introduced himself. ''The more the merrier!'' he said. Major Domo frowned after it was revealed that there weren't any references to the Tank. ''Why are you interested in joining our quest?'' he asked Hiro.  

[Deleted]

"Madison, I was on my way to the Hellfire gala when I got your page," Sage said as she came into the room, fastening an earring in her left ear. "What is of such urgency?"

"The Crystal Palace. Ever heard of a place called The Tank connecting to it?" Jeffries asked as Sage slipped on her computerized glasses and called up her holographic dashboard. "Erinyes there comes from that place and needs to get home. I heard you say your brothers..."

"Yes, Major Domo and I want to go back and find them," Erinyes said as she looked at Sage.

"And you?" she asked as she looked at Hiro.

"I want to go on a quest. It has been boring since we arrived, and I want to be useful," the young Japanese man said as he nodded to Major Domo. "I can protect you both. I am very good with a sword, and I can fly," he said as he formed black wings on his back.

"The Tank? What is that?" Sage asked as she continued to look through the data on her computer. 

"It's run by a family named Rydenborne," Erinyes replied as Sage looked at her and frowned.

"This may take some time then. Rydenborne is not an easy man to track."

[Major Domo]

Major Domo acknowledged Sage with a nod and tried to recognize her. There was something familiar about her. Did he and Mojo spy on her with cameras focusing on Earth? Then again he lost count of everyone he spied on for a possible television program idea. Major Domo frowned and nodded as if to confirm Bethany's words after she mentioned the purpose of going to The Tank. The sight of black wings forming on the Japanese man's back impressed him.

''You're a welcome addition to our mission,'' Domo said to Hiro. He glanced at Erinyes and Sage. ''We could use a telepath to locate Rydenborne.''

[Ajari]

"That I can't do," Hiro said with a frown as he replied to Major Domo. "Telepathy is not one of my gifts."

"And the Rydenborne here may not be the same person as the one you are trying to latch on to," Sage said to Erinyes as Hiro watched both women closely. "I'm cross referencing every mention of a Rydenborne in our files. That family is very old and has a very long reach."

"Then go grab a MacFeorais!" Madison chimed in as he looked over at Hiro, checking out the young man's wings. "We have enough of them here. Surely one of them is free to go with you."

"I know Zach and Cassidy, but they went to the party," Hiro said as he frowned again. "Maybe a Frost or a Grey or a Summers?"

"I'll see who is available among the telepaths and get one to you. My own telepathy is very short range, and I have another mission to handle at present," Sage added as she looked at Erinyes. "I take it your telepathic skills are limited?"

"Not one of my strong points," Erinyes replied. "I'll be able to find my brothers, but that is more a blood link than a telepathic one."






 

[Major Domo]

''I am certain you have other skills that will be useful to us, Hiro.'' Major Domo suddenly wondered how many Frosts and Greys there were. His eyes widened in a thoughtful way as he remembered Rachel Summers. ''What about Rachel Summers? If I remember correctly, she is a telepath. I never met Rachel, but Spiral mentioned luring her into her Body Shoppe. Information on Ms. Summers is based on what Spiral said about her. Then again, the time-dancer has been known to lie about various things. I wouldn't put it past Spiral to torment others in her Body Shoppe.''

[Deleted]

"Rachel would be an excellent choice, Major Domo, but she is away on personal business," Sage said as she kept clicking the keyboard on her holographic computer. "Emma and Elizabeth are also at this damnable party."

"Just don't call the Cuckoos. They freak me out," Madison added as he saw Sage give him a stern look. "Mini Emmas, all talking at once? They could scare Mephisto!"

"Rorian Xavier is not available either," Sage said as she kept cross checking files. "Wait. Paris Summers. She might be free." Sage then set off a beacon in her system that would alert Paris to come to the labs. "She should be here in a few minutes. And Rydenborne likely is unaware of her existence since she, too, is from another reality. As soon as she gets here, I need to go."

Sage was going to be needed to make sure Roberto DaCosta made it to this gala tonight. She did not envy the new Black King at all.

[Major Domo]

Major Domo smiled at Sage's compliment. He wasn't complimented very often if at all. He frowned when he discovered Rachel was absent. ''The Cuckoos?'' he asked with one raised eyebrow. Major Domo had no clue who Paris Summers was. ''Paris Summers?'' he inquired while he shrugged.

[Arsenal]

"And then I asked the bartender, 'Hey, who do you think you are? Magneto?' Then everyone glared at me. I mean hey, the jerk was using magnets to move stuff. Stupid jerk trying to get women with bad mutant power tricks," Paris said to Duke and Deion as they walked into the lab and saw, well, everyone staring at them. "OK, Sage, you needed a telepath?"

"Yes, Erinyes and Major Domo are headed back to her world to find her brothers, but we can't pinpoint her world as exactly as we need to," Sage replied as Paris shook her head and looked at the group in the lab again. "Perhaps you can scan her mind and find out which world on the spiral is hers? I can get you to it through the Crystal Palace, but I need to have a location."

"I'm going, too!" Hiro chimed in as Paris nodded to him.

"And I'm the only telepath not at that stupid party?" Paris asked before she turned back to Duke and Deion.  "And it's just the three of you on this mission? Seriously? Guys, we've been sitting on our butts too long. Think we should tag along?"

"You'd help us?" Erinyes asked as she got to her feet and walked over to Paris. "You don't even know me."

"I bet Hiro doesn't either, and he's going," Paris added as looked at Major Domo. "I'm still surprised you've stuck it out here this long, Major Domo. Then again, Mojo as the alternative does not bear thinking about, I guess. He'd stick you in a cell or something, right, for not going back before now?"

[Major Domo]

Major Domo faced Paris as soon as she arrived. *What a very vocal woman!* he thought as one eyebrow went up. His eyes widened while he stepped back in shock after Paris mentioned Mojo. ''How do you know about Mojo? As far as I know, he never enslaved you for entertainment.'' Major Domo shrugged in a casual way.

''Although I'm programmed to always compliment Mojo, I do find him quite repulsive and foolish. At least none of the X-Men order me around...yet! Mojo would probably tear me limb from limb. I suppose he could always create another Major Domo. Or he might force me to perform deadly stunts in one of his idiotic movies. If ratings are wonderful, I would live. If they are terrible, I would be removed from the air for good. Mojo tends to act according to his whims. I viewed him killing other slaves for fun! In other words, he probably won't imprison me.''  

[Nocturne]

"OK, who started a party down here and didn't invite me?" TJ asked as she walked into the lab. "Whoa. Not a party?"

"Not a party," Paris replied as she looked back at TJ for a minute and then back to Major Domo. "The three of us," she added as she patted Duke and Deion on their shoulders, "are part of a specialized team. We have to know about all the X-Men's adversaries. That includes Mojo and that freak show he calls his home."

"TJ, your arrival is actually a blessing," Sage replied as she looked at her former Exile and New Excalibur teammate. "The team here is going through the Crystal Palace. They may need a guide. They are going back to find Erinyes' brothers."

"Oh yeah, you have the Berto thing to deal with," TJ said as she looked at the screens Sage was monitoring. "Count me in!"

"Now I just need to get in your head, Erinyes," Paris said as she moved toward the young woman.

"Bethany. In my world, for most of my life, I was only called Bethany," Erinyes noted as she looked for a moment back toward Major Domo. "No one is going to order you around, and I won't let Mojo harm you if we ever cross paths with him again. Now, Paris, go ahead."

TJ looked on as Cybercide's resident telepath started to probe Erinyes' mind. That could not have been fun for either of them.



 

[Major Domo]

Major Domo began to squint at the sight of Nocturne. Her unusual appearance didn't shock him. As a matter of fact, he was the ''strange'' one in the Mojoverse where Spineless Ones ruled. He tried to remember her until he gasped. The android remembered seeing her as Mojo's prisoner. He winced at the memory of seeing her shaved head and bruised body courtesy of Mojo's other helpers.

''I see your hair grew back after Mojo's men shaved it to torture you in Mojo's world, Nocturne,'' Major Domo said as he frowned. He wondered if Nocturne remembered who he was during her brief stay in the Mojoverse years ago. ''Nocturne, I...I apologize for what Mojo did to you so long ago. I never did anything to prevent his men from tormenting you. Battering you. Removing your hair.'' Major Domo glanced at Erinyes after she said nobody would order him around and smiled. ''Thank you, Erinyes,'' he said to her.  

[Nocturne]

TJ's eyes dropped to the floor as Major Domo came over and started speaking to her.  She had not been with the team too much of late before the move to San Francisco, and she did not know Major Domo was even with the X-Men at the moment because of her own California sightseeing adventures. She wasn't sure what to do after he spoke up, but then she thought about what her father would say about this.

Show mercy. Show forgiveness.

"Look, I don't actually remember a lot about some of my past missions. I had a stroke a few years ago, and it turned my body and mind into a roller coaster at times," she said softly as she looked at Major Domo. "Or pureed goop. Or just a big old mess. You weren't the one who tortured me. And you couldn't go against Mojo's will. That much I do remember."

Seeing Erinyes shaved head and thinking about what Major Domo said made her sad. "You were both his slaves, right? And you escaped. Like I did. I'd rather move forward than dwell on the past. But thanks. For what you said." 


 

[Major Domo]

''A stroke? I'm sorry to hear that,'' Major Domo said in a sincere tone. He frowned and looked down in shame when Nocturne implied that he was Mojo's slave. ''I know I didn't torture you, but I also didn't prevent Mojo's men from harming you. Knowing Mojo's unpredictable behavior, it was best for me to not interfere.'' Major Domo continued to frown and nodded after Nocturne said he was Mojo's escaped slave. ''You're welcome,'' he said with a small smile.

[Erinyes]

Erinyes smiled as Major Domo and Nocturne spoke. She knew this had to be hard for both of them, and the fact the blue-skinned girl had not launched some sort of attack spoke volumes. "Major Domo is a good friend, and thank you for understanding his position back in Mojo's realm," she said as she looked over at Nocturne. 

"Enough chatter," Paris said as she continued to probe Erinyes' mind. "Oh, this isn't pretty."

"What?" Erinyes asked as she looked into Paris' eyes. 

"What I'm seeing of your world. It looks like a big oil tanker. What's up with that? You lived on a boat?"

"No, it's a building called The Tank," Erinyes replied as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Could you find anything that can pinpoint you to my world?"

"I think so," Paris replied as she finally stopped her mind probe and went over to Sage. "Where's your friend the teleporter? Clarice? She might have been to this world."

"Major Domo, this might actually work!" Erinyes said as she hugged the android. "We might get to my brothers afetrall."

[Major Domo]

Major Domo smiled at Erinyes and almost touched her shoulder to thank her, but decided against it. Would such a thing be appropriate? He observed Erinyes wiping tears from her eyes and frowned out of concern for her. His hand stretched until it touched her face. Would it be appropriate for Major Domo to dry her eyes? Major Domo gasped when he was hugged.

His eyes were wide for a moment. Her action had been sudden to him. ''I'm certain we'll find your brothers, Erinyes. Hopefully they will be alri...'' He paused for a split second. Why jinx her brothers? His potential sentence was just like a person saying how rain would never arrive only to hear thunder a second later.  

[Erinyes]

Erinyes smiled as she looked at Major Domo. She couldn't believe that she was actually friends with someone who, in her world anyway, would be considered less than human.

"Oh no!" she said as she pulled back for a moment. "No, Major Domo. You are fine," Bethany added, thinking the android might mistake her outburst as anger at him.  "My world is not exactly the best place for androids. There are people there that might try to harm you. If you don't want to go, I understand."

Erinyes paced a bit as Nocturne and Sage spoke about someone they called Blink. This person could not get there fast enough for Bethany.

"We can protect you both," Paris noted as she looked at Deion and Duke. "Nobody gets the better of members of Cybercide."

"And I will be with you as well," Hiro said as he bowed slightly to the woman and the android. "And so will TJ."

"But it's your call, Major Domo. I do not want you in danger because of my family," Erinyes added as she looked at her friend.  

[Major Domo]

The android frowned at Erinyes after she revealed how androids were treated in her world. ''I was a slave of Mojo since I stood upright. I was designed after humanoids in the Spineless Ones' horrifying dreams. What I'm trying to say is that your world isn't really that much different from Mojo's dimension.'' Major Domo glanced at his metal arms. ''I could always wear long gloves to conceal my unusual limbs. It's almost too bad that Spiral isn't present. She could cast a spell to disguise my appearance.''

Major Domo smiled at Paris, Hiro, and TJ. ''Thank you all,'' he said in a sincere tone. He began to face Erinyes again. ''You saved me from Mojo, Erinyes. I would like to repay you in any possible way. Besides, we have our protectors,'' he said.