Dazzler #4 Dazzler is the object most radiant object in the arena that she stands trapped in. Once more, Prime-Sentinels surround her, with little hope for Alison Blaire to escape this battle. As well, Ali knows that this just might be the tip of the iceberg unsure of who is behind this attempt to play with her.
"Tiredly Toyed With"
by Pat Donovan
"So Spiral's out of sight, but I this doesn't seem her kinda caper anyway. She likes to muck with other body parts beside the mind. Probably something sneaky is waiting if I don't make it out of this fight," contemplates Dazzler, taking glance at her situation more heavily. "Next, there'd be the six supposed Prime Sentinels hovering about me. I'm doubting the authenticity of 'em. One usually doesn't buy a Sentinel off the street, nevermind six, at least not that I knew of anything like that before. *SIGH* More and more I think of what I missed here, or at least what I could have missed."
Her mind drifts outward, even in the midst of battle, she cannot help but wonder about the world she has missed out on. What situation are the X-Men in at the moment? With the appearance of these mutant-hunting Sentinels, could things be even worse than when she left? The X-Men 'died' in a way to help the world see that mutants are heroes just like the Avengers or the Fantastic Four. In the back of her mind, she can't help but wonder if she could have made a difference, but suddenly something takes over her thoughts...
*********
"Ali, phone's for you!" screams a voice.
"Huh?" Alison Blaire rises from a bed unfamiliar to her, in a room unfamiliar to her. Alison hesitantly rises, opens the door to find she is in the mansion of Professor Charles Xavier, current home to the X-Men and the very place she had intended to visit.
Dazzler leans from an above floor to stare down at the foyer. Below her is Jubilation Lee, former X-Man, screaming her name once more. "PHONE, Dazz. It seems kinda important. Hurry up!"
Dazzler shakes her head, then walks down the stairs. "Thanks, Jubilee, I think." Before Ali picks up the receiver, a bounding somewhat familiar mutant leaps before her.
"Good morning, honey," he smiles, the voice familiar, but the appearance not. The man before her is well-built, but significantly shorter than most. His hands and feet are not that typical of a man his size, either. The voice is familiar, yes, but the piercing eyes are what gives it away.
"Beast?" she mumbles.
"That'd be I, honey, the love of your life, indeed," he smiles some more. Alison only knew Henry McCoy as a blue-furred wonder, but in this dream or illusion or vision, he is as human as can be and quite handsome to boot. "Now, how about you answer that phone to learn who is calling you. Perhaps it's the President once more, or dare we say the Pope!"
Dazzler, too distressed to further question her situation, answer the phone without question. "Hello?"
"Ms. Blaire, escape your current battle if you can, for further more lurk for you on your new quest for life on Earth."
With the loud click of the phone, following, the images spin and swirl together. This illusion is no more, as she finds her way back to the battlefield....
******
Disoriented by whatever has just transpired, Dazzler is grazed by a blast from one of the Sentinels. "Ngh," she squirms, flipping backwards to avoid another such blast. "Whatever that was, it's not right, but it's time I took care of business here first."
Alison leaps up, tucking up into a ball, as she comes to a climax in light, leaving the Sentinels stunned for a second and allowing her to be 'lost' for a few vital seconds. Behind them, she lands with ease, catching her breathe. "Can't stray from the situation at hand, though. Pull it together. Someone else is responsible and I'm guessing these things aren't for real. As for my former hubby, I haven't the faintest clue what his deal is. Could be ... could not ... but I'm trying not to care ... real hard and it's just not working."
Dazzler's thoughts are interrupted, as a hovering Prime-Sentinel begins to shoot about her. Alison takes a quick, heavy breathe, then extends a hand to the ground, which propels her through the rest of the Sentinels. Her cartwheels and leaps surround the Sentinels, and in effect her plan succeeds a number of them getting hit with stray blasts by the hovering Sentinel. With a few loud pops and booms, three fall to the ground. "These are no real deals ... not a worse thing than bad, nasty, knockoff perfume, as far as Ms. Alison Blaire is concerned," Dazzler smirks, not really realizing she's talking aloud.
"Means I have no real worry, and I can take care of each, just like this." A flutter of light circles Dazzler's wrists until solid beams of light charge forth. With accuracy she leaves gaping holes in the chest of the remaining three sentinels. "So what's next? I'm hoping I've proved myself and can now go home, but it never is really that easy, now is it?"
********
Above in the panel sits the madman Arcade, a longtime foe of the X-Men, whose machines and deathtraps have caused troubles for years. For now, he realizes he needs better planning for his master plan to be conceived. "Spiral, send her home," he speaks.
"What? Why? We can still take her," Spiral growls.
"I'm not risking it, I've seen too many X-Men get away from my grasp in situations like this. We still have the upper-hand here, so let's keep it that way for now," continues Arcade. "She doesn't know who's really behind all this, nor does she realize whether or not that is Longshot. You can seize her at any time when we've readied. For now, though, we must make sure we can get her into our firm grasp, Spiral, while we still have the upper-hand."
With a groan, Spiral agrees, exiting the room.
********
Spiral spins and lowers herself from above once more, her body glimmering as she swirls about in the air. "In a way, it is that easy ... for now," plainly states Spiral as she then hits the ground. "We leave you now to wonder who exactly is behind your capture, and whether your former lover is truly involved."
As the conversation ends, things go fuzzy, as she feels abit woozy and is once again back on Earth. "Can't let my guard down, teleporting twice in just a manner of hours drains a person," thinks Dazzler, finding herself back in New York City, conveniently near her new loft.
"Take care, Ali, and remember that this is not---," as the Spiral attempts to leave a final warning, she is cut off, as something from behind hits the sorceress from behind.
A large creature growled under his breath, his large, yellow eyes peering into Dazzler, while Spiral laid at his feet, unmoving. His kin was chalky, white and rough, and his body immense with power. Alison couldn't help, but feel that something was familiar about the monster before her. "CALIBAN WILL CAPTURE THE DAZZLER!"
"The name only confuses me more, I can almost feel as though I know him from somewhere. But where?" thought Alison, still a little taken back, until the beast leaped for her, large talons slicing through the air. With an acrobatic leap, she lands further away from the monster, but he pursues Alison.
"C'mon, sucker, catch me if you can, while I try to figure out where I know you from," she encourages, taking off with speed. Alison was in no shape to be outrunning a beast the size of Caliban, but yet she had no real choice. Extending a hand behind her, Dazz fired a few quick dazzle-bursts. The streets were desolate at this time of night, yet she wondered if this was a great way to get familiar with her new neighborhood.
"CALIBAN WILL CAPTURE THE DAZZLER! DAZZLER CANNOT RUN FROM CALIBAN FOR LONG!!" The massive mutant continues, barely even stunned by the few dazzle-bursts, as he then takes a giant leap. "NOT RUN FROM CALIBAN!"
Alison turned back, and the creature was before her, in midair ready to pounce upon her body. "Could sure use another assist by another former X-family member," she thinks, making light of the situation at hand.
********
TO BE CONTINUED IN UNCANNY X-MEN #360: Will in fact an X-Family member save the day? What's going on here and how is Gambit involved?
NEXT ISSUE: Don't forget to come back here for alil more Caliban action with some guest-stars. And while Dazzler finds herself involved in other things, Karma returns with her own adventure taking center-stage for abit!