The Evolution Continues...

[Christian]

Xavier's School. More than a simple school for fledgling mutants learning to harness their extra abilities, it has become a symbol. Not only for the X-Men, or the students themselves, but for hopeful young mutants the world over.

Once feared, the X-Men have finally begun to make headway as making themselves heroes in the public eye. Hand in hand with that, the student populace of Xavier's Institute has exploded in number, and Professor Charles Xavier has realized that while his dream of mutants helping to achieve peace and understanding is progressing exponentially, he has realized he cannot do it alone any longer.

His new faculty, comprised of himself, Iris MacDonald, Christian James, and J.M Zebulan Long, have been charged with keeping the peace. The majority of the old senior class have moved on, while the New X-Men continue to evolve, attempting to help train fellow students into becoming X-Men alongside them.

But as much as the X-Men have evolved, so has their enemies. The Brotherhood are now being headed from the shadows by local college bio-genetics professor Dr. Nathaniel Essex. Financially enabling the troublesome mutant thugs, and giving them their orders in secret, what sinister plans he may be forming from behind the veil are yet to be realized.

Again the underdog, the new X-Men walk a narrow line with the government, a violent one with the Brotherhood, and a frustrating one in training their own members.

Welcome to the Revolution of Evolution.

[Christian]

After a months-long sabatical, Instructor and X-Men captain Christian James (Ravage) made a sudden and unexpected return to the Institute. The first order of business: securing a team of new X-Men from the student ranks.

Meanwhile, Professor Essex has finalized his purchase of the Brotherhood Boarding house, and all those within. In one fell swoop, the Dr. has merged his preexisting Marauder bodyguards, Jo and Shrapnel (Sean), and his new Brotherhood; Drache (Natalie), Arsenal (Natty), Rhapsody (Rachel), and Boreas (Tobias).

Back at the Xavier's Institute, training begins. Ravage, along with Ellen (Diamond), led a group of New Mutants; Aegis (Artemis), Boom-Boom, (Tabitha), Crosswise (Nick), Ghost (Casper), Health (Eliza), and Tiger King (Mark) against a trio of robot Sentinels. Despite unexpected reinforcements, and a flashy, albeit unnecessary assist from captains Ravage and Diamond, the team was victorious, despite the abundance of collateral damage.

Afterwards, Shrapnel, Essex's right hand man and tracker, reported that Rachel of the Brotherhood, and Nick of the X-Men, have developed a mutual relationship with one another, although Nick is reserved once he learns his companion's benefactor, Essex, with whom Nick has already crossed paths with, the scars of which have yet to be revealed. At the Institute, Mark, Casper, and Jason continue to form a friendly bond as roommates.

However, in an attempt to help cull the side effects of his strong mutation, X-Men member Zeb Long has struck a deal with Essex, since revealed to be mastermind Mr. Sinister, to help give him better control of his powers.

All the while, Sinister is formulating a plan to show the world just how powerful his newly allied faction is. And the plan all revolves around a mysterious cryo-pod in his lab, designated "001". With Zeb out and now unknowingly under contract with the enemy, Shrapnel and Boreas, now partnered under the order of Sinister himself, have gained access to Sininster's labs, with the intent to unleash what sleeps in the pod.

[Christian]

Xavier's Institute became the sight of a terrible battle. With the pod open, Sinister's creation Cyclonus was unleashed. Taking his rampage to the Redwood Forests and pulling the X-Men team away from their home, leaving the New Mutants in charge, headed by Tiger King.

Using the "divide and conquer" strategy, Sinister chose this as his time to strike, aiming his new Brotherhood/Marauder coalition at the Institute with but two goals:

1. Destroy the Institute and lay waste to its students, and

2. Steal any and everything the X-Men's computer systems had in them.

The New Mutants began a desperate fight against seasoned warriors with a bloodthirsty attitude.

Meanwhile, Ravage and the X-Men arrived at the Redwoods, and combated Cyclonus. Damaging the X-Jet beyond use, only with the combined efforts of Psylocke, Weaver, and Diamond were they victorious. Learning of the trouble back home, Ravage and the others used a portal opened by Weaver to return, though this would effectively leave Weaver out of the fight, and on her own to guard against the captive Cyclonus.

Shrapnel, having downloaded the War Room's files, and successfully wired the Danger Rooms hard-light holograms to spread out all over the Xavier's grounds, rejoined the battle. All seemed lost, until the arrival of the X-Men's Away Team helped turn the tide, driving away the invaders.

Sinister now lays low with his cronies, surveying whatever the information from the computers may give him.

The Institute, however, is not without its continued drama. Stepping out for lunch after a day of cleaning, Christian confessed his romantic stirrings for Zeb, his longtime friend. Although a fight between them would see Christian come under attack when he unwittingly unleashed his powers in broad daylight, it was Zeb who would pay, being nearly detained and injected with a new Mutant-virus which overcame his healing factor.

Christian would return to save him, and reluctantly join Zeb back at the school, where their fight intensified.

At Xavier's behest, Christian, for starting the incident, fighting law officials, and evading arrest, would lose his position as leader of the X-Men, handing it to Zeb, now sick with the virus. Christian was last seen leaving the grounds with a bag prepared for him by the Professor, while Zeb was being tended to.

While the Marauders and Brotherhood continue to lay low and plot, and X-Men's strongest tactician has been outed, replaced and led by a spy...