But then, I've been wrong about a lot of things lately, I guess. But the one thing I can't afford to have been wrong about...and that's my decision to risk everything I believe and infiltrate a terrorist organization known as the Point Men.

Dani Moonstar leapt across the air, dodging a pair of energy blasts from a gun wielded by Blockade. Sure, he was an incredibly strong and nigh invulnerable man, but neither power helped him if his target was constantly out of reach.

I've tried to cling to some pieces of my past. Such as developing an improvised Danger Room practice session so they can develop their team coordination. I saw no other way to hone my abilities without arousing suspicion.

Another leap, another bound, and Dani's got herself a few more seconds to act. She saw her chance to strike coming...

I need the practice, since my own powers just went through some transitions...again...since the New Mutants broke up. From the ability to pull fear-images out of someone, to seeing a 'death-shroud' around people destined to die, to being an Asgardian Valkyrie, chooser of the Slain--this little mutant sure has gone through more than her fair share of changes. And now, finally, something simple and easily defined has developed...the power to create psionic 'energy arrows' which nicely scramble a target's neural-synaptic control.

She let an arrow fly.

In this case, my 'teammate', Blockade, effectively paralyzing him for a short period of time. He starts babbling, like someone wired on drugs. My powers do that now. Nice, huh? I move up before the others catch up to me...and wonder what I'm becoming.

The island has some pretty rough terrain, but it's the best thing these Point Men have ever had. The island once belonged to a being called the Ani-Mator, an old villain I fought as a New Mutant. We came to the abandoned facility because it provided us with a great, ready-made headquarters. As for the rocky cliffs here, well, I grew up in the Colorado Rockies. This is second nature to me. Feral and Shortcut on the other hand, are both city kids, born and raised.

Feral. Her real name was unknown to everyone, even her former mentor Professor Charles Francis Xaiver. She, like Dani, was once a New Mutant. She came to the School for Gifted Youngsters because she was an outcast. Her fur, her cat-like appearance, her claws had left her a freak. Her heightened senses made her an amazing tracker. Unfortunately, her temperament made her the most vicious 'good guy' the school had ever had. Professor Xaiver once sought to help her control her rage...but since the team's disbandment, she's reverted fully to her angry ways.

Shortcut on the other hand was a man in control. His powers allowed him line-of-sight teleportation of himself and others. He knew why he was in the game and what was at stake. In some ways, he was the smartest member of the team. If only he wasn't blinded by his ignorant belief that humanity would never change...

As long as I stay downwind from Feral, she won't pick up my scent. But I was trained by my father...a chief of the Cheyenne.

Feral's eyes went wide as she sniffed the air. They narrowed quickly.

She is good. Nastier than ever since the team broke up...but I should be okay.

Feral leapt.

Unless, of course, the wind changes direction!

In a fit of anger, Feral lunged towards Dani's throat. Once upon a time, they were friends. But circumstances had long ago lead them apart.

She has no self-control. Her claws rake across my arm as I flip her off me. I feel the blood, hot. The sting, cold. It shocks me into action. A simple kick knocks her into the ocean. The ice-cold water will either calm her down, or because she hates it so much, drive her over the edge!

Feral hacked as she recovered. "You're gonna die for that one, Moonie!"

I was right. If she was really mad, Feral wouldn't threaten it, she would have done it! Now, as for Shortcut...well, he keeps getting braver and braver...or crazier and crazier with his tactics. And no matter what I do, I can't put any distance between us.

"Dani, you can't run away from me, y'know," Shortcut said as he teleported several feet in front of her.

He's not so bad of a guy. In another world, we could have been really good friends. But, typically, he stands there, waiting for the last possible instant before he teleports me away or himself into a better angle for attack. Like I said...braver and braver...crazier and crazier...stupider and stupider.

Dani reached into a pouch on her belt as she ran and tossed out a miniature orb. The orb suddenly exploded in a blinding flash of light. Shortcut yelled out, unable to see.

And since he has to see to use his powers...I manifest a psionic knife and plunge it into his head. A mumbled yell in protest, and he's down. My eyes hurt from the light, but I knew it was coming and had them closed. Plus, I wear a mask. Finally, I'm ready to give the three my critique.

"That was a pretty pathetic display, friends," Dani said, pulling off her yellow mask. "You should figure out that, in the life we lead, we're all walking targets with tombstones just waiting to have our names carved in them. If you want to survive what's coming, you're going to have to perform better in battle than we have been!"

"So you keep sayin'!" the drenched Feral yelled. "I'm axin you the same thing I axed Xaiver...why?! Why should we be bustin' our humps jumpin' through hoops for you?"

"We all have our own reasons," Dani answered as Shortcut and Blockade slowly walked over, recovering from the fight. "You're doing it because you were offered the chance to cut loose and be free of rules after the New Mutants disbanded. And my reasons are my own, furball. Understood?"

"Understood, Dani," Shortcut replied. "None of us owe any explanations."

"Too bad the others didn't feel like joining in," Blockade frowned.

"Well, that's because they're busy," Dani shrugged. "Busy scoping out our next target..."

Once, many years ago, only miles outside this town, the very first atomic bomb was detonated. Mankind had entered a new age, which began with almost a fifty year period where the two most powerful countries in the world stood at the brink of war, and the world held its breath as the possibility of a nuclear winter became a very real possibility.

Yet it is inside that town that lies a government funded research complex, home to the top-secret 'Project: Armageddon'. To most, that project name doesn't exist, as it was replaced with 'Project: Wideawake'. It was created when the United States government first became aware of the dangers caused by the existence of mutants, of Homo sapien superior. Normal humans felt they needed a way to protect themselves. Huge, mutant-fighting robots called Sentinels were their answer.

Yet the original project was never given the full go-ahead. Too much money and focus was put into the Cold War efforts, and none could be wasted on internal problems that may or may not truly exist. The project was scrapped after the first Sentinel proved to be a bust. Years later, the project was recreated with funding by private investors and a governmental approval.

However, the base and original workings of Armageddon were never truly scrapped. And in that New Mexican town, there were even those who still worked day in and day out at the complex, working on new mutant-hunting technologies, new possible dampening collars, and, frighteningly, new, deadlier versions of the Sentinels currently in production at the Wideawake base in Colorado.

It was there that four members of the Point Men appeared in a cloud of white smoke, courtesy of the team's resident mystery and teleporter, Blank Slate, a woman forever covered in white sheets and always floating above ground.

Groundswell was unnoticeable, as he used his ability to become one with the ground below. He instantly knew the best way to their target. Serpenteen, descendant of Quezacotl, didn't mind the heat in New Mexico. As he was, basically, a lizard, complete with a razor-sharp tongue, claws, and poisonous fangs. The team's leader was a woman who could pose as a gargoyle without any trouble...Grey Lady.

"Just as you suspected," Blank Slate spoke.

"Project: Armageddon still exists," Grey Lady frowned. Her hands became fists. Prepare to contact the others. Our task is at hand."

Because everything's changed. I'm not a New Mutant anymore. Day has turned to night. I hear the sudden rustling in the trees.

"Bird-Brain?" she called out. "I can hear you out there! I know you're watching us! I'm not going to bite!"

"Dani friend," a voice squawked back, "different."

He's so scared of me. I first came to this island with the New Mutants months ago. An innocent bird-like creature we found and named Bird-Brain. By the Great Bear, we were so naive...the Ani-Mator's gone, but his experiments stayed behind. And now that we've taken over the island, they're afraid.

I guess I can't say I blame them. Feral's already hunted two of them down. As much as I disagree with her methods, I guess I can't blame her for being who she is. Sometimes life doesn't offer us an easy set of circumstances. So why do I still feel so guilty about this cover-up? Guess that's pretty obvious.

She walked slowly into one of the seemingly random caves on the island. Taking a staircase down, she took a path through a series of chambers, all filled with strange technologies and machines once used by the master of the island. Eventually, she found her way to the computer she had secretly been using.

"Computer: Voice-Activated command: Personal diary file: Danielle Moonstar."

"Enter access code," the computer spoke back.

The others suspect I've been keeping a running diary, using it to flesh out the conflicting thoughts in my head, to help me keep my sanity in this double life. I punch in my access code. The monitor flashes to life.

They might know I'm doing this, they might be suspicious of me, but they'll never figure out my password. Never. I begin recording.

"I am still a Cheyenne. I am still a mutant. I am still passionate about the things I believe in and the people I care for. But I'm also different. I'm stronger now. I'm willing to risk my own life if necessary, to undermine this deadly terrorist organization. Back then, Sam would've popped Star Trek II into the VCR and I would've been too busy laughing at Shatner and Montalban to hear the message, 'The good of the many outweigh the good of the few. Or the one.'

"I was younger. Only by a few years, but I was younger nonetheless. My own problems mattered to me more than the bigger picture. Professor Xaiver knew, though, didn't he? He knew the potential I had, even if I didn't. He knew I had the capability to be the team leader, that he could trust my judgment.

"Was I worth the effort, sir? Am I betraying everything you ever believed in me? Am I making a terrible mistake...?"

Her comm unit went off. Slowly reacting, she shut down the computer and responded. "What is it?"

"Blank Slate's ready for pick-up," Blockade said. "We're ready to move."

The team appeared in a cloud of smoke, thanks to Blank Slate's mysterious teleportational abilities.

"We have emerged inside the complex's security sensors," Blank Slate spoke.

"Makes things easier," Grey Lady nodded.

"So long as we get some action real so, I don't care," Feral said.

"We're just going in, deleting all computer files and getting out, right?" Dani asked.

"No way," Blockade frowned. "They'll have hard copies...and what if there's Sentinels already being made? We've gotta blow the place to hell and trash Project: Armageddon."

"Yeah," Serpenteen agreed. "Gonna blow some stuff up, la la la...kill some people, bite bite bite..."

It's one of the things I'm most afraid of. Yes, I know we're a terrorist organization, and I can't draw too much suspicion to myself, but how can I keep this group from killing people?

"Groundswell, you're our backup," Grey Lady spoke, apparently to no one. "Be prepared to act whenever we need you. As for the rest of us...let's get this done!"

There's not much I can do. Within seconds, Blockade has smashed through the wall of the complex before us, and he's got us inside. We're on a small balcony overlooking a floor below filled with computers. Feral doesn't hesitate in the least. She charges in and instantly begins sniffing. I know it's not just to find out if there's any guards they need to worry about...it's because she wants blood.

"Security Breach, level three!" a man's voice yelled over an intercom in the building.

"Now that they know we're here," Serpenteen grinned, "let's be naughty!"

And the team sprung into action. Grey Lady's wings flashed out from behind her and she glided down onto the next floor, slashing open the chest of a guard who had just entered the room.

Gotta do this right...

Dani leapt down before the others as she noticed a large group of armed guards pooling into the floor. Concentrating, she created sets of psionic arrows and began flinging them as fast as she could, hoping that by knocking them unconscious, she'd save their lives.

"Shortcut, begin a random teleportation sequence," the team's leader called as she landed. "Find me any rooms we need to trash, and we'll do it."

With a quick nod, the man was gone.

Blockade walked around, smashing computers and desks and anything he felt like smashing.

"When are we gonna get a real challenge?" Feral asked.

Shortcut reappeared, only seconds after he left. "Found the main operations room, seven floors down."

"Take us there," Grey Lady nodded.

A split second later and it was done. The team reappeared in a large room, filled with even more high-tech computers and gizmos. On the walls were designs of new Sentinels and weapons.

"Now I get to smash some fun stuff!" Blockade grinned.

They're not paying attention to me at the moment...Grey Lady, Feral and Serpenteen are engaging the personnel, the others are trashing stuff...it gives me the few seconds I need to put a CD into a computer's disc drive and download all the files I need. I'll be able to know everything these people knew about Armageddon. Come on, hurry up, computer...

Two men and a woman stood at the far end of the floor watching.

"What're you starin' at, flatscans?" Feral asked angrily. "You can't wait to die or sumthin'?"

"We exist just to see you mutants wiped off the face of the earth," the woman spoke. Her eyes were glowing red.

"What the ^#$%?"

The three people's skin burst apart, revealing themselves to be prototype robots!

"We are the Sentinels: Prime," one spoke. "Mutants will be terminated."

"Yeah right!" Blockade yelled. He smashed his fist into one of the Sentinels and sent it flying back. However, it recovered quickly, hardly damaged. "Umm...crap."

"Death to all mutants!" a Sentinel yelled as it began firing blasts of energy from it's fists.

"Point Men, form on me!" Grey Lady yelled. "Groundswell, get ready! Blank Slate, teleport us out!"

No...everyone still in this complex is going to be killed! Gotta end the download...save what I can and get out of here. Yeah, these people are gonna die...and I'm gonna feel real guilty in the morning...but right now, this mission takes priority!

Ejecting the disk and sliding it into one of the pouches on her belt, she regrouped with the others. A cloud of white smoke allowed the team to escape the attack being brought down on them from the Sentinels.

It only took a matter of seconds for Groundswell to get into action. Having merged with the ground, it was a simple matter for him to caused the very ground to collapse in on itself and bury the entire complex alive.

But at the same time, Feral's suspicious of me. She knows I don't have that killer instinct. To her, only the strong will survive. That's the same belief the rest of the Point Men have. I've got to remember that. I have to be strong enough.

"Computer, voice-activated command: Personal Diary: Danielle Moonstar."

"Enter access code."

I have to be strong enough to make sure that I finish what I've started. And I have to continue to be surrounded by people who would as soon put a knife in my back as consider me a comrade. I have to continue to miss my friends, my family and everything I ever cared about.

I really thought this was going to get easier. I was wrong. I may soon need to ask friends for help. But I know that alone, in my confusion, there's something I can cling to for my sanity.

"Still awaiting voice access code."

"You have extraordinary gifts, but they can harm you as well as others."

"Code verified. Access granted."

Some of the first words that I remember Charles Xaiver ever saying to me.

Would he think I was doing harm now? Or trying desperately to help our people by stopping evil mutants and trying to revive a dream? To move our people from a nightmare beyond reckoning, to give them back the dream.

A dream...which is all I have left, to get me through the night...until tomorrow comes.

END