NB: The Prologue & first 10 chapters of Companionship Connections were the only ones actually written up, you will find them within CC - Prologue & Chapters 1-10. Lack of time saw the muse for writing up the rest as proper chapters lost a long, long time ago, hence the below summary of all the major events that happened leading up to the beginning of Mana4X2 (includes some events where RPG threads written up were lost).

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On November 3rd, 2003, after nearly 6½ years of traveling from place to place, keeping well ahead of those pursuing her, Ramana ‘Mana’ Cavanagh found him once again. Drawn to the fight ring beyond the doors, the mutant known as Blade Girl set eyes upon the very mutant she’d experience the fusing of adamantium to her entire skeleton with, and in her case, the additions to her lower arms to allow for the three blades Colonel William Stryker was also very keen to put in. Still, seeing him meant nothing, for Mana knew he did not remember her, so she walked away, left the pub in Anchorage, Alaska, heading along the back roads, just… traveling, going nowhere in particular.

Whether it was meant to be, more than likely it was just because they both had the same idea that the back roads were a better way to travel, the Wolverine was the one who pulled up to help the healer when her bike broke down on the morning of November 4th. After parting ways again, it took only the one night for his dreams to siphon through the long forgotten memories still somewhere within his mind to put a memory to her familiar scent, recognition to her name.

All the while, Professor Charles Xavier, after being informed by Cyclops, Storm and Phoenix, the three mutants that had witnessed Mana’s power usage outside the cinema after Sabretooth and Toad had attacked her on October 25th, used Cerebro to search for her, but to no avail. Little did they know, the very young woman they were looking for would soon turn up on their doorstep.

It took Logan awhile to track her down, almost five days later, on the night of November 9th, he found her, the Wolverine and Blade Girl once again reunited, however, Mana had unfinished business she had to do alone, leaving him a note, saying she would find him again, but for now… she had to go.

On her travels over Brooklyn bridge one afternoon, heading away from Manhatten, Blade Girl’s powers decided to take another leap, a change occurring that saw her almost fall off her bike right then and there. Managing to drive for a bit longer, not knowing where in the world she was going, she finally did come off the bike, right of the street that housed Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. She had no idea of the significance of that name, but somehow, and most likely by the use of her invisibility powers, she was able to get to the stables, up into the stable loft, where she stayed, even after she was discovered by Rogue, who looked after her until the power stealing mutant knew something more had to be done.

Alerting Iceman, who in turn let her know they had to inform the Professor, Mana was soon taken down to the medlab, where she remained, unconscious for almost four days. After awakening on November 19th, she was reunited with Logan once again, Charles explaining to her he had felt him experiencing the same things she had been, and knew the pain and concern was not the Wolverine’s own. From then on, Mana and Logan became a part of the Xavier mansion, Blade Girl soon reunited with someone else she had honestly thought she’d never see again… her foster brother, St. John Allerdyce, or Pyro.

A visit from her mother on November 24th saw her family reunited once again, and her Mom Nicole over the moon that not only was her daughter alright, but her foster son was doing extremely well too. Normal days at the mansion, settling in, becoming close to Rogue, who will always be the healer’s closest friend, helping Iceman to realise he had to assure her that just because they couldn’t touch each other didn’t mean Bobby didn’t love her… you know, the usual teenage stuff, even though Mana herself was in her early twenties. One is only as old as they feel however ^^.

It was two days later that Blade Girl finally witnessed the extent of her foster brother’s anger, on a field trip to the Evolution museum where his cockiness saw him showing off to some guys who wanted to use his lighter. His foster sister soon stepped in to give them a lend of her own, telling them to back off. When they stole it, Pyro went off, chasing the guy down, almost burning him alive if it wasn’t for Mana, Rogue and Iceman finding him in time. Thankfully, Charles erased the memory of John using his Pyrokinesis from the teen’s mind.

Towards the end of November, Magneto’s obsession with making Blade Girl a member of his Brotherhood, and at the behest of another who was also very interested in Blade Girl, Erik sent his henchman to kidnap Rogue, Iceman and Pyro, knowing Mana would feel their pain via the telempathic links she shares with them and hesitate none in heading to rescue them. With the Wolverine’s help, she succeeded, Magneto and the rest of his Brotherhood disappearing to go after her another day, while the one whom urged him to do this pursued the healer after she left, later revealing himself to be Metlinque, however not succeeding in capturing her for himself thanks to the healer having already contacted the other X-Men.

The only casualty of that night was her Commodore, of which Iceman, Cyclops, Phoenix, Wolverine, Angel, Shadowcat, Xavier, Rogue and Pyro presented her with a brand new one a few nights later.


Mid December saw Jean and Warren return from Boston unable to find the mutant Charles had picked up via Cerebro, someone who had been witness to the mysterious Denver kidnappings;; someone the Professor and the rest of the X-Men not only wished to speak to, but to offer a place at the mansion too. Mana suggested speaking with him via the telempathic link she shared with Jean, while the telepath was hooked up to Cerebro. Charles agreed, however warned the both of them to back out the moment they felt any possible side effects happening. Thankfully this didn’t occur, and after much reassurance, some of which included informing the fuzzy blue elf she too was teleporter, he agreed to meet Mana, and Mana alone… at least at first.

Heading to Boston, it wasn’t long before he accepted the invite back to Xavier’s, meeting Jean, Wolverine and Storm. Back at the mansion, and thanks to the Professor’s telepathy, and permission from Kurt to search his mind, the license plate of the van used in the kidnappings was found out. It would take time to find out who the vehicle belonged to, in the meantime, Mana showed Kurt around the mansion, and the next day, Blade Girl, believing because she can get deep into her best friend’s mind, and therefore understand possibly even more than the Southerner herself does about her own powers, started the first session in seeing if she can help Marie to learn control of her powers.

Soon, the Denver kidnappings were brought to the fore once again when Ramana received a phone call from her mother saying her newest foster baby had been kidnapped right out of her room! Heading to Colorado Springs, the X-Men began an investigation, shocked to learn the base for where the mutants were being taken was only just down the road, the entrance well hidden within a rock face in the dried up creek bed. How in the world was it possible that this was going on and Nicky herself had not noticed? The fact this wasn’t the only entrance may have had a lot to do with it, since the creek bed stretched for miles, and what a perfect place to hide a facility… out in the middle of nowhere, down in the depths of the middle of nowhere again, and well camouflaged when the creek bed flooded as well.

Using her invisibility shield, back then able to incorporate her phasing powers into it as well, Mana infiltrated the base, finding out all she could about the security before it was time for the X-Men to go in together, of which they soon did, hijacking one of the vans and the people in it, easily gaining access. Splitting up into teams, the X-Men successfully made their way inside, soon finding and releasing the captured mutants, yet, unable to learn the identities of the true masterminds behind the entire thing (later it would be learned it was Christian & Magenta LeMasia’s first attempts at learning what exactly they’d need to make their dreams of gathering together many, many mutant trophies a reality).

It was here that Mana learnt for the first time just how cruel humans can really be to mutants, testing powers and abilities among the things going on in this facility, since the LeMasias couldn’t be there to make sure their one order, that the mutants were not to be harmed, was obeyed all the time. A mutant known only as Kyle, and later codenamed Catwings was released from the prison that day, forever and always grateful to the X-Men for rescuing him.

Mortally wounded, if he didn’t happen to be a mutant with the ability to regenerate, it took Logan at least two days to recover, the X-Men, plus 1, returning to the mansion on December 28th, 2003.


The beginning of 2004 came without any further major hassles, new ones turned up at the school, Logan and Mana became Senior X-Men to the fullest degree, already proving beyond a doubt they were well suited for life at the mansion, and the protection of all those within. Friends spending time together, training, Blade Girl studying to become an English teacher, it was all happening for them, the two ex Weapon X experiments now finding a place to remain and grow within.

What is it with humans and their damn mutant experimentation facilities, because again, around May of 2004, the X-Men were sent to Australia to take down yet another base, the only connection to the one in Colorado Springs, Dr Wayne Kensington, who had been in jail for many months now. If only they’d been on the Sunshine Coast, with its beautiful beaches and scenery, extensive shopping facilities and other attractions to actually be tourists. Being attacked in the Sunshine Plaza wasn’t much fun, the team knowing they were getting close since they had tried to eradicate them in such a public place.

The name of the man behind this particular facility was found out before they’d even left the States, Blade Girl visiting Kensington in prison and convincing him to give him up. A search of Dr Samuel Vitalin’s home found some old electricity bills for an old warehouse located on Bribie Island, but before they could leave to consolidate this information, they were attacked once again. Managing to allude both their attackers, and the ones shadowing in their vehicles, the X-Men head out to Bribie Island, intent on shutting this facility down for good as well.

Oh, success did come, but not after the initial, and very difficult aspect of actually gaining access to the facility, let alone helping to free the mutants within once they were inside. Dr Vitalin seemed to be a bit paranoid, setting up pressure trigger points all around the front entrance, along with guns sensor triggered, so it was Mana and Kurt’s job, as the teleporters, to get their team mates over the dangers. Eventually, and this time, with the military's help, this facility was indeed taken out of business, and all those kidnapped returned from whence they had come from.


Again, at least for a while, everything was normal, classes, training, greeting new ones, getting to know friends already even better, basically, fun… until one September afternoon, someone turned up at Xavier’s that had Mana’s heart racing ten to the dozen, Remy Etienne LeBeau, AKA Gambit, begging for help from the woman he remembered only as a young girl.

Apparently he too was being hunted by Colonel William Stryker, the man wanting him for the same reason he wanted so many other mutants, to use them for a means to his own end, to experiment on them, to do all sorts of things to make them apart of his Weapon X program. The X-Men agreed to allow him to stay, a few days later seeing a helicopter land on the Xavier mansion grounds, Lady Deathstrike and a platoon of soldiers exiting. Blade Girl, Shadowcat, Cyclops, Jean, Nightcrawler, many of the other mutants moved to intercept them, however, while Mana was busy using her healing abilities to seep the mind control drug from Lady D’s system, Gambit gave himself up to avoid anyone else getting hurt. However, his friends weren’t about to let him go that easily, pursuing in the Xjet, and succeeding in not only bringing the helicopter down, but sending a message to Stryker that Gambit was now off limits to him, and Lady Deathstrike was no longer his either.

Yuriko, although not really sure where she fit into the scheme of things, stayed at Xavier’s out of loyalty to Mana, the woman that freed her from a life of slavery behind a veil of control she been able to see through, yet had not been able to fight.

Because of her obvious abilities and now learning where she was staying, Stryker set his eyes on Blade Girl once again, having already put into action the altering of another mutant he’d had in his possession for many years now to counter her every power. He figured the best way to capture her was to have her come to him, so he made an attempt to capture Gambit and Lady D, then even threatened her mother, Nicky, before Mana, fed up, begged Charles to allow the X-Men to find, infiltrate and bring down the Weapon X program once and for all.

The Professor agrees, knowing that answers can be found for both Logan and Mana in the process, and that other mutants, some already victims and prisoners, and others will be spared such experimentation in the future. On November 3rd, an entire year since Wolverine and Blade Girl found each other again, the two of them, along with their team mates, Angel, who had been back at Xavier’s and dating Mana for a while now, accompanying them on this one. Once inside, they work to free the mutants already under Stryker’s mind serum control, including Elizabeth ‘Betsy’ Braddock, AKA Psylocke, and liberating those that aren’t, including Dr. Henry McCoy, AKA Beast, forced/blackmailed into using his experience in genetics into helping Stryker with his experiments.

Unknown to Mana, the mutant known as Nemesis was waiting in the shadows when she moved to confront the Colonel herself. Overpowering her, and steeling her powers, it is only due to Angel and Wolverine that Stryker does not succeed in whisking her off to another hidden base somewhere. While Angel watched over her and the mutant Nemesis, who was soon taken back and placed within the prison level of the Xavier mansion, the Wolverine, in a feral rage, moved to end the life of Colonel William Stryker once and for all…

And this leads us to Friday, December 31st, 2004, where the Professor is taken out, and Mystique infiltrates the mansion, impersonating him .