"Where the hell of you been?" Sage demanded. She and Hank were standing next to a large mechanical archway. Crazy bolts of electricity were zig-zagging all across the thing.

"But you told me to get the team togeth-I mean, I went to get a team together. See?" I turned around and waved at the group behind me. Wolverine (of course), Iceman, Warbird, Kodiak, Rogue (who was looking rather large and hairy after her long liplock with Kodiak) and Private Hudson. It looked like Kodiak was trying to avoid Rogue. I know I wasn't able to meet Warbird's eye. I'm going to have to show that girl what a real man is made of. Somehow.

"What about Storm and Pantha?" Sage asked.

"Yeah, we have to hurry up before they come back."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have them warming up the X-Jet."

Sage looked rather perturbed. "But we don't need a jet to get to the Astral Plane. It's a parellel dimension."

"Duh! I know that. That's why we're here. Let's go!"

Sage just shook her head. "Fine. Hank and I are staying here to operate the arch," she said. "The Manhunter is going with you. We can communicate with him telepathically."

"Then let's go kick some bug butt!" Hudson whooped. With a loud cha-chung, he pumped his energy rifle, just to emphasize his point. Hudson smiled at Sage, nodded his head a few times and winked at her. Sage just rolled her eyes.

Beast pushed the big red button and the arch sparked and crackled. A weird purple swirl formed in it. "Alright Xmen!" he shouted with glee. "Extricate the Professor from whatever peril he faces!"

We all jumped through the archway. I could feel my body becoming less substantial as the physical world melted around us. Soon all we could see was the strange other-worldly smokey realm of the Astral Plane.