52. Winters Flame Part One (1/2)

salem-x

issue #50 – winter's flame - part one

salem school of witchcraft

hex-room

"thanks for coming, everyone," shaman said as he looked around the room.

mike twoyoungmen was feeling a little better and eased, especially after the recent event of wanda and the other vanishing and then the battle with chad and the spellbinders. they had managed to calm down the spellbinders and convince all of them to remain at the school. after the death of one of their own, paul the charmer and the defeat of chad the thief, it was clear how important it was to keep them all there and to train them in their gifts and how to use them for good. dr. strange was furious that he had been duped but agreed it was better to keep them there and they had all agreed that klara would devote all her time in teaching and watching over the spellbinders. since

yce was immune to magic, he would assist her in their training as well as with the other students.

with klara stepping into this single and important roll,

yce spread thin between the two groups of students and with cloak and the others missing that left mermana as the only other staff member present and with the depleted ranks of salem-x that left it more difficult for the core members to help handle both the school and any evil threats out there. mike knew that until wanda and the others returned she would expect him to do what ever was necessary to keep booth the school and salem-x functioning. so he had made some hard decisions and ones that had to me made whether the others agreed with him or not. the first was klara and the spellbinders and the rest was why everyone was assembled before him now.

"i still don't know why he is here," jason strongbow mumbled as his wife, tyllas kicked him under the table.

mike glanced at jason and his wife and then glanced at who he was referring to, max dillon the villain once known as electro and former member of daman harkness' group as dark bolt and currently father of former salem-x member and wanda's son, wade harkus. he then glanced at the others sitting around the table; laura dean - portal, sam le – salem, ling kong – time witch, lucy france – python, sorana zafar – elementa, erik williams – reaper, folma – mermana, clara holdsworth – natura, analee bergwood – shifter and jillian woods – shadowoman. it was an odd group, friends old and new but he had a plan and they had all agreed to trust him and follow his leadership.

"now, you know klara has taken on the new role as only working with the spellbinders. her only wish is to train and watch over that group of students so she has chosen and i agree that she will have no connection with salem-x or the running of the school. that is why she is not here with us, but she is aware of all that is transpiring," mike said as he began the meeting.

"what about finding my son and the others," max interrupted.

"now, as i've said, there is nothing we can do at this point. and on authority from madam webb, she said that we are to do nothing and when the time is right, wanda will return to us," mike said as he knew in his soul that cassandra's premonition was true and that they would return to them.

mike was glad to hear these words from cassandra when he had called her. mike was in need of some recruits and despite the wishes to try and keep the coven and salem-x separate he had decided to see if he could call on any of them to help till wanda and the others returned. amanda szardos was currently unavailable due to something going on with x-calibur as was cassandra who said that she had other things she had to deal with at this time. both victoria hastings and latoya worrik were too busy in their personal lives to help. the only one willing was analee bergwood who decided she wasn't ready to deal with her son and had reached out to him at a chance to make up for all the bad she had done. with a hint from cassandra, he had agreed to give her a shot.

he was disappointed that she was the only one from the coven willing to help. he had even begged his daughter. elizabeth to come help and she had said no. like fellow coven member, topaz, his daughter was also a mystic avatar for dr. strange and they were too busy for them to assist him. he had begged her to do it as a favor to her father but she said no, which even if she wanted to, dr. strange at this time would not allow it. but she had made a compromise and offered another to help in her place. that was jillian woods, the woman known as shadowoman who was a past member and now current member of a group known as the secret defenders.

elizabeth had told mike that dr. strange had assigned each of his mystic avatars with a special group to look after. she had been given the secret defenders. unfortunately she had a round of bad luck with her newly appointed group. her team leader, cadaver had finally been granted his wish to finally cross over and had. vengeance had finally been separated from his ghost rider bond and was now back to being ordinary cop mike badilino. then beta ray bill had been called away to attend to something going on with thor and asgard and was on temporary leave as was amanda szardos. this only left her with two team members, nocturne – angela cairn and jillian woods. she wasn't sure about angela but his daughter had grown close to and had become good friends with jillian and trusted her greatly and suggested that until she figured out what to do and reform her secret defenders team that shadowoman was all his if he wanted her and because it was his daughter, he agreed to shadowoman in her place.

"now, we need to not only keep the school running and tend over the other students, but we have to keep going as salem-x. now, i've officially taken over wanda's place as headmaster of the school and leader of salem-x. thanks to my powers and the power of our hex-tech i will make sure all know mistress x is still present and accounted for," mike said as in a swirl of magic he was now wearing the white hood and robe of mistress x.

"with his transfiguring powers to give off certain curves you wouldn't know it wasn't wanda under that robe," tyllas whispered to her husband.

"i agree, we can't let anyone, especially our enemies know that powerful mistress x is not around to protect this place," elementa added.

"i know things have been blurred in the past but for my ruse to work and to keep things running smooth we will need to keep salem-x and school staff completely separated. for that to work we need staff to help

yce, who will already be run thin devoting most of his time to klara, teach and watch over the rest of the students as well keeping salem-x a mystical ten members strong.

"joining mermana will be lucy moving from salem-x to running the school and the students full time. tyllas, who doesn't really want to go into the field, has agreed to stay on as staff to help lucy. i have also asked analee here to come to the school to help lucy as well," mike said as he got many disturbing looks and murmurs from a few in the group but they all knew that if wanda had trusted her into the coven they owed her the chance to prove herself to them as well.

"what about us?" portal asked as she motioned to her and her group of friends.

"i was about to get to that, laura. you, sam, ling and erik will be promoted, or graduated if you will from students to student teachers. you will be part of the salem-x and be pulled when needed but will student assist as lucy needs. you all have proven yourself more than once in battle, but you all still have much to learn. clara here will also move from the student roster and join you as a student teacher as well as a part of salem-x," mike said as they glanced to klara's granddaughter who was wearing her same outfit but was now the crimson and red colors of salem-x.

"welcome to the team," sam said with a smile as laura glared at him

iefly.

"thanks," clara said with the tone that this should be no surprise to anyone.

"now, of course the core team of salem-x will be elementa with scarlet eagle rejoining the team. also we welcome new comers jillian woods codenamed shadowoman and max dillon taking the codename crimson bolt," mike said as they all looked at the two new comers who wore costumes designed just like their original costumes but were now the standard colors of salem-x.

"wait, with us i only count nine, thought there was supposed to be ten?" laura asked as she glanced around the table.

"who's going to be field leader if you are taking on the role of mistress x?" scarlet eagle asked as the same time.

"now everyone, i was just getting to that. i would like you all to meet your field leader and the tenth and final member to the core group of salem-x," mike said with a big smile as they all turned to a figure walking through the door.

"illyana!" tyllas, jason and the rest of the original salem-x members all screamed at the same time as a woman with short blond spiky hair, crimson red salem-x outfit that left her legs, arms, face and parts of her upper body bare while wearing boots, a glove on her right hand and a band on her left arm where her hand had once been that matched her body suit.

"silverflame is back," illyana said with a smile.

epilogue

"are you ssssure thissss isss a good idea?" spideress asked in a soft hiss as she looked at the building across the field known as the salem school of witchcraft.

"smells wrong," sharptooth growled as he sniffed the air and looked at the half woman half spider.

"we should go," skull the flaming skeleton said as the draconian named draco grunted in agreement.

"now, now, since when have we all gone so soft?" lord sirus asked as he landed behind them all.

"sssirusss," spideress began to say to the man with long wavy hair and a set of sharp fangs that glistened against his pale skin.

"that's lord sirus to you and we will storm in there and get my mother back. something has happened to her and i can feel it," lord sirus said out load as he kept to himself that he had also felt something change within him as well and he not only had to get his mother but he had to get answers.

"cold," draco grunted as a strange wind began to blow.

"ssskull, whatsss wrong with you?" spideress suddenly asked as they all turned to look at the skeleton whose natural burning flames had begun to go out.

"greetings, hope i'm not intruding," an icy voice said.

lord sirus and his demon squad turned to see a woman with snow white skin and long blue hair and eye

ows that looked like they were burning fire but the color of and made of ice. her finger nails and lips were a frosty blue and her eyes were a strange grey-blue color with flaming snowflakes for pupils. she wore a blue long sleeve top and matching pant with white boots and white long cape with a flaming icicle pattern all over the back of it. as she took in air and exhaled, they all could see her frosty

eath escape.

"who are you?" lord sirus demanded when a strong cold wind began to stir all around them.

"you bitter cold end," the woman said as waved her hands and

ought forth the full force of the north wind.

young avengers

new recruits – part one

high school – new mexico

"how's susan doing?" elijah

adley asked as he stopped at the entrance of the local high school.

"better, for all things considering for a person who found out not only is she adopted but her real father is dead and used to be the avenger known as the swordsman," kate bishop said as she adjusted her fashionable civilian outfit.

"sounds like someone else i know and she turned out great," elijah smirked and gave kate a quick kiss on the cheek. "so does she still want to play dress up like her little sister?"

"she insists and i'm not sure how i feel about it but i don't know if i can deny her either," kate said knowing how she had become the hero she was today.