The Adventures of Goldfish and Geneva: The Five Goldfish

"Bingo," said Dave as the other Dave came over to him. Then he guessed how this could be confusing to most people. "Let's deal with this later," he said as they turned to deal with Apocalypse, who was weakened. The new Dave joined with Boak and started to fire white hot, razor-sharp shards of iron from his hands at the Highlord whilst Throeblood and Dave began to deal with Ch'vare. Micah wan't moving, and neither was Remy, but Rachel was seeing to them as best she could in her weakened state. However through all this, Dave thought long and hard about the situation. The chains surrounding Rachel should not have broken so easily. Something wasn't right, but that was something to be dealt with later. As long people that he cared about were threatened, he would defend them to the end. The name of Goldfish was surely long forgotten. It was time to make them remember, and soon the members of the Clan Askani had the upper hand. In the back of his mind, Dave knew that this was just a battle in a war that the Clan would ultimately lose, only to be replaced by the Clan Chosen. But that was some years hence, and they did not need to know of it yet. Apocalypse was being driven back towards his own Gene Pool and Dave wondered the consequences of pushing him in. He considered it and realised that he couldn't. He had no idea if that was part of what was meant to be but he somehow doubted it.
"Damn it!," he said as he used his powers to take control of Ch'vare's weapon to fire on Boak, which caused him to cease firing, making Dave's assault less effective. He'd apologise later. If there was one.
"Ch'vare," he rumbled, "we leave these gene trash to their fate." Ch'vare nodded, as both Throeblood and Dave flying back. Ch'vare then used his abilities to ensnare En Sabah Nur and pull him from the battle as the exits began to cave in around them. The other Dave helped Throeblood and Dave to their feet, and as the two Dave's looked at each other a transfer of information occured. Each knew what the other knew, both knowing what had happened to each other and what was supposed to happen.
"We've got to get out of here," they said in unison.
"I'll hold the building up whilst you get the others out," said the other Dave.
"What about you?" Dave asked.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," he said. Dave nodded and with Throeblood they began to get the others out. Rachel was capable of walking, but Remy, Micah and Boak needed help. They were close to the exit when a large piece of rubble hit the other Dave, who had missed it. It hit him on the back of the neck and he fell to the floor and the floodgates were opened and down it all came.
"I've got to help him," said Dave, uncertain of what he could do to help.
"No, Dave," said Rachel. "There's nothing you can do. He's holding it off as much as he can so that we can all escape. Don't let his sacrifice be in vain." Dave nodded as they got out of there. As soon as they were clear the whole building collapsed forever burying the Gene Pool. And the other Dave Goldfish, but Dave had acquired the piece of him that he needed to restore himself to life back in 2006. But the cost had been high.
"To the cloister," said Rachel, reassuming her role of Mother Askani. "We must assess the damge done today." Her people nodded and they moved off, with Dave silently following, thinking that he had been missed something.

As soon as they were clear of the destruction, a figure emerged from the rubble dragging the body of Dave Goldfish behind him. He then turned back to the rubble and melted the bottom in to one solid mass, then cooling it quickly so that whatever was down there could not be reached without immense difficulty. He looked at the fallen warrior who had saved his friends and smiled.
"You're alive," said Dave Goldfish to the figure. "After all this time?" "Trust me, it's not been easy. I've lost a lot of things in the last few thousand years. And I normally don't intervene in the wars of mankind. But I remembered here and what was to happen so I made sure events worked out as they should."
"Will he ever know what you did?"
"Micah? No. Destiny sometimes needs a helping hand. As did Ch'vare to get his assailats of him. As did you to keep the building up whilst they escaped." Dave nodded as he closed his eyes.
"Was it all worth it?" he asked.
"Always," said the figure. "Always."
"Good," said Dave. "I'm... glad." The the injuries he had sustained from the building overwhelmed him and he died. The figure picked up the body and buried it far from the spot where it had died, so it would remain undisturbed. He turned to the young lady who stood next to him after he had finished.
"Is it over?" she asked.
"No, Bethany. It's never over. But this will be the last time I come back to Earth. There's no place here for Dave Goldfish. Not anymore." He smiled as he gave his daughter a hug. "Come on, let's head back out there. The universe is a big place, and I've not shown you a fraction of it yet." Beth smiled and the two of them were telported out.

In the tunnels beneath the Citadel, tunnels where a whole coomunity of misfit mutants had once lived, Apocalypse woke. His incredible power had saved him once more. The strong -- the fit -- survived as always. But he had received help. He looked over at his lieutenant, Ch'vare. He was strong. Powerful. Fiercely loyal. And stupid. By Apocalypse's own Darwininan code, Ch'vare could have rightfully left Apocalypse to die in the Citadel, and claimed the power for his own. However, he could utilize that stupidity to his own advantage.

"Come closer, my soldier." Ch'vare did so, speechless. This was the highest honor he could have received for his loyalty. Or so he thought. Apocalypse was about to top it. "You, who have served me so loyally, will now be my warrior. Renamed, a baptism by fire into my confidence. You are now Ch'vayre, the highest of my elite. Serve me well."

Micah lay in the medical diagnostic unit, all sorts of tubes connecting him to equipment specially prepared. It seemed he was still mutating, and Rachel had ordered him to remain in the medbed until further notice. He groaned in pain as he tried to sit up.

"I wouldn't be doing that, homme." Remy walked in and sat at the edge of the bed. Boak followed him in, but stood by the door. THe synthcon was holding something metal in his hand. "How you holdin' up?"

"Don't go tellin' anyone, kid." He chuckled, and stood. "De Mother wants to talk to you when you get out of here. She's talkin' to that stranger we met at the Citadel." He stood. "See you later." He waved, and walked out of the tent, looking into the stars, wondering if Jen was looking up at the same ones in some other time.

"Good. Then you can wear this." Boak held up the device he was holding. Some sort of headband. "This goes on the back of your head, and regulates hormones in the system, that fight off the mutation. You won't continue to mutate, and the pain will be gone. You'll have to wear it at all times." Micah took the device and placed it on his head. It fit perfectly. "We will find an adhesive to safely attach it to you later."

"So," said Dave as he spoke to Rachel, "you see why I'm here."
"Yes," replied Rachel. "You sounded like you were enjoying your retirement as well."
"I was. Saving the universe is a game for the young. And I'm not. And neither are you, 'Baby-Phoenix'."
"Like Indy said 'it ain't the years its the mileage' and you more than anyone should know that."
"Yes, I was sorry that you had to leave so that Brian could return. Excalibur lost something when you left."
"Thanks," she said. "You know I'd love to sit here and chat about the old times, but as always there's something to attend to. Micah's on his way so we can set you back on yours. I'd send you but the Phoenix force left me awhile ago. Not young enough or something. The residual effects..."
"Are good but not brilliant. It's me, Rach. Former cosmic being myself, remember?" Rachel nodded as Micah arrived. He saw the pained look in her eyes as she saw him approach, and he squeezed her hand. "What is, is."
:::I know, now you know what you have to do?:::
:::Yes. It solves a few mysteries as well. Will he remember everything?:::
:::Not fully. It'll be like a dream state, but he will eventually::: Dave nodded understanding at last.
"Hello, Bla... Micah," he said, correcting his error but smiling. "How are you feeling?"

Micah looked from one to the other, extremely curious as to what they had been talking about. Who was this stranger, where was he from? He was about to ask Rachel but she silenced him with a look. He sighed. "I'm feeling better. This device of Brother Boak's seems to work. However, this body, this new form, will take some getting used to."

"What is, is." the Mother Askani looked angry at Micah's attitude, but Micah glared at her. It was her fault he looked like this. Not human. He had loved her, and now there was a rift that may never heal. He looked back to the stranger. "It is clear am I not to know who you are, but it seems you know me. So, 'friend', what is it you require?"

"I need you to send me to a different time period, Micah. So I can continue the quest I am on, to make things right." Dave said what he needed simply, knowing Micah was fed up with mysteries. Surprisingly, Micah scoffed.

"Another time? Who do you think I am? I am not one of the Sisterhood! I have no ability to time-travel! You are asking the wrong man!" He started to turn, but was held in place with telekinesis.

"Remember your lessons, Micah. Time and thought are related. All it takes to open a rift in the space-time continumn is a powerful burst of psionic energy, enough to separate time and space." Dave nodded. "The ability to do this was unlocked with your transformation. You now have this gift, just as we Askani do. This is why I came to you, so long ago. It was written in your destiny."

Micah looked down, his bulbous eyes welling up with tears. He clutched his staff, leaning on it. He had found it hard to walk normally with his new form, as it was bent a odd angles. He required the staff as a walking staff, at least for now. He looked up. "Very well, Mother Askani. As always, I do as I am needed to do. What is, is." He looked deep within himself and his great and powerful mind grabbed space and tore it. The hole, the temporal vortex, was rapidly closing. It was sloppy, and it was weak, but it would take the stranger to the location in his mind. "Go, stranger." He had opened the rift permanently, now. He would no longer be the love who floated on Rachel's words. He was now a soldier, nothing more. He watched as Dave looked from one Askani to the other and jump in, and then he closed the rift. He walked away, saying nothing to Rachel Summers.

"I really hate this," said Dave as he fell once again through time and the astral plane. He knew that Micah would have taken other things from his mind to get the location of where he needed to go next. It was like a calling through the timeline, and he also knew that Rachel would sort things out as best she could. Yet again, he owed Blaquesmith one but he felt a deeper responsibility as well. He sighed and continued on his path.

He arrived on Earth with a thud, in a park which seemed ever so familiar.
"One of these days, I'm going to have to investigate why this place is so special," he muttered to himself as he looked about. It was the park where he had first met Jo, where she had died, where he had asked her to marry him. A nexus, he wondered as he looked about. A newspaper blew past him and he picked it up. It was 1928, and Dave wondered what was special about 1928. What was special about that year? Then it came to him. This was the year that penicillin was discovered by Alexander Fleming. He remembered the information he had acquired about that time period from the Hellfire Club records, just before he joined the Fringe. The Hellfire Club had funded St Mary's Hospital, where Fleming had his laboratories. Around that time, Apocalypse had awoken in a weakened state due to the virus Sinister had given him some decades earlier. Apocalypse had tried to destroy Fleming's work, so that only the strong would survive. It was also written that a stranger had stopped him. Was he the starnger? Or was it his other self? What events were predestined and what events were not?
"Damn," he said. There was only one place he could find the answers he needed, and using his powers to mold his clothes to period attire, he made his way across London to the Hellfire Club.

The Adventures of Goldfish and Geneva

The Five Goldfish (Part 2)

With thanks to Michael 'Blaquesmith' Peterson who helped write the Askani chapter of this fan fiction!!!