Attention: Generation X and their villains, as well as any other mutant mentioned in this story, is property of Marvel Comics. The character Richard Cale is named after family relations. Any other reference to anything copyrighted is a chance happening.

====================================================

Relatively Dangerous Redux

Chapter 1: Trust (Original)

It had started out a quiet day at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, which should have been the first sign that something bad was coming. Richard Cale was now wishing that more of the students had stayed behind. His mind was racing, and he couldn’t recall who had stayed behind with him and Yvette. That person wasn’t in good shape right now. They might even be dead for all he knew.

It seemed that once the others had left, someone had attacked. All he knew was that it wasn’t Emplate. He actually thought that was the kindest blessing, given how much the mutant vampire wanted both him and Yvette. Yvette had been the fiend’s prisoner and food source for a long time, and Richard knew she didn’t want that again.

He turned a corner with her now, and while the hallway appeared empty, he hit a wall. He had hit it so hard, he thought he heard bones crack. He staggered back, and noticed that Yvette was doing the same. The distraction was all their pursuer needed, however, and he felt something surround him, and start to crush him. He heard Yvette let out a scream of pain, and he was about to join her in it when he heard the voice of his attacker. It was a female voice that spoke, and it was malicious, as well as familar as it said “Your life is over.”

The words caused a rush of adrenaline to go through him, and it was just enough. Everything disappeared from sight, and he blinked, opening his eyes, and waking from the nightmare. He quickly sat up as his heart raced, gasping for breath out of instinct. It had only been a nightmare, but it felt too real.

That was the thing he hated most about nightmares like that. When they felt that real, they were more than nightmares, they were warnings. Even his uncle on his mother's side told him he already had a latent talent for predictions. He hated to think what this one meant.

Richard glanced over at his clock and groaned. It was three in the morning, which wasn't a good sign. The last nightmare woke him later than this, and he has gone to sleep at a similar time. He didn't want to think about what it would mean, at least not yet. He knew he would have to talk to someone about it, though.

He got out of bed, and went to his closet to get dressed. He wasn't going to get back to sleep. He did think, however, that a walk might help him think of how to tell someone about this, especially when they woke up. Once he was dressed, he put on his jacket, and headed out the door.

*******************************************

Elane Bonstein looked down at the letter she had received a few weeks ago. The letter offered her a chance at revenge against someone she had a strong hatred for. Someone who had ruined her plans for taking over the family she had been adopted into. The only thing that had stopped her so far had been that the person in question had a knack for laying low, or when he did draw attention to himself, it resulted in higher levels of security around him.

She quietly left the plane she had taken to Logan Airport, contemplating what this letter was offering. Someone who had crossed paths with her foe had found out about her. This amazed her as she kept a low profile as well, using her own powers to keep out of sight. Even now, she used them when she caught sight of airport security. She had no doubt that every law enforcement agency would be watching for her. She had had a few close calls, narrowly ducking out of sight before using her ability to cloak herself. When she did that, she would purloin something of her pursuers.

While these thought crossed her mind, she noticed a sign that had her name on it. It would have been easy for anyone to miss, since the person holding it appeared to be only half her size. As she approached him, the little man just said, “Ms. Elane?”

Inwardly, she winced, but since he didn’t say her full name, that might be alright. She didn’t respond until she was close enough, since she didn’t want the wrong people hearing her. When she was upon him, she nodded and said, “Yes, I’m her. Are you the one who sent me the letter, or do you work for the person who sent it?” She made sure she studied the little man who was holding the sign. He was a slightly unnerving sight to decent people, keeping a toothy grin plastered on his face, and having a card with the letters DOA on it in his chauffer’s hat. There was only one thing she knew those letters stood for.

The man shook his head, the grin never leaving his face, and he lowered the sign. “No, ma’am. The master sent you that note, and he is most eager to meet you. He feels he can offer you the one thing you desire most.” She had recalled the letter mentioning that she could get revenge on the one who ruined her plans in the first place. Of course, she wondered how her benefactor here had found that out.

Before she could ask another question, the little man turned, and started to head out of the terminal. She followed, making sure not to make eye contact with anyone else there. She had no doubt something about the little man put them on edge. No doubt it was the card on his hat, but there was something more. Before she could ask, however, he responded to any question she would ask. “I’ve been instructed to bring you back to the master’s place. For obvious reasons, I can’t say much else at the moment.”

Elane remained silent, and got into the vehicle that he apparently drove; a slightly beat up limo. While the vehicle was roomy, it gave off an air of evil. It actually made her feel more comfortable about her trip here. She then sat back, enjoying the supposed style the limo was supposed to give.

Eventually, the vehicle went past a place marked by a single sign, but the name on it had become synonymous with mutants, and trying to achieve a peaceful coexistance with human. It was the sign for the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. She stared at the place as the limo went past it, catching a glimpse of the school’s austere buildings. She was still looking at it when she said to the driver, “Is that where he is?”

As the place started to become swallowed up by the distance, the driver responded to her question. “Yes, that is the place. I’ll probably be bringing you back here after the master explains his plan to you. Should be easy, given what the boss knows about your powers.” That statement surprised her a little. She didn’t even know who this master was, yet he knew a deal about her.

Eventually, the limo stopped, and from what she could tell, they were outside an old lighthouse. The little man got out of the car, and then escorted her inside the building. Inside, the building gave Elane the feel that it wasn’t just a lighthouse, and as they climbed to the top, she noticed what looked like a cell halfway up. A brief glance inside the door showed her that the walls of that cell had claw like gouges in them.

As she reached the top, she already concluded that whomever was in charge here was evil. Every thing she had seen so far hammered that fact home, and she loved it. She passed a few more rooms, and something told her they were rooms for henchmen. At the top of the lighthouse, she saw her escort enter a room. She had a feeling it was the place her new boss would call home. She refrained from listening at the door. If she truly wanted to find out what was going on, she had her own ways of sneaking about.

Eventually, the little man came back out of the door, and beckoned her over. “The master is ready to see you. He’s certain you’ll like his offer.” She nodded, and entered the room. For just a moment, she was startled by the person she saw. Sitting in a high back chair was a man who was scarred. His dark skin was discolored by multiple scars, and his dark hair was in dreadlocks. Of his face, all she could see was his eyes, and they were dark and evil, but also still that of a human or mutant. The rest of the face was covered by what looked like a respirator, one that appear attached to the outfit he wore. During that moment, she also locked eyes with him, if only for an instant, and she liked what she saw.

Emplate knew full well what he was doing. After that confrontation at the school months ago, he started looking into the new mutant that had outwitted him. This is what led him to finding the woman now before him. From what he could tell, and what knowledge he could access from his one power of knowledge on sight, she was an adopted cousin of his latest adversary, and one who tried to manipulate Richard Cale’s family for her own gain.

Physically, the girl was very appealing to the eye, or at least to his eye. She was blonde, and blessed with a very appealing figure. He knew she was at least three years younger than Richard Cale, which had to put her at eighteen. He could also tell she had a good deal of power in her mutant power, aura manipulation, and she had a good grasp of what her power could do.

His appraisal done, he looked at Elane and said, “Welcome to my home, Ms. Bonstein. I take it you had an enjoyable and safe trip here.” In all honesty, he had hoped her trip here had not caused anyone to take notice of her. The last thing he needed was for Generation X, especially Richard and Yvette, to know about her presence in the area.

He could tell she had been studying him as well, no doubt a bit suspicious about him, but he could sense something more. She then appeared to recover herself and crossed her arms, an action Emplate couldn‘t tell if it was defensive, or calculated. Her words, however, were straight to the point. “And who are you, claiming to be able to offer me the chance at revenge on the one who ruined my plans years ago?”

Emplate had to respect her for getting straight to the point. He stood up, noticing as he did that the girl appeared to be almost the same height as he was. “I am Emplate. A few months ago, I had crossed paths with the object of your fury. At that time, I knew he was capable of great powers with his ability, but knew not what it was. I tried to ambush him at Logan Airport, but he somehow had known I was there.” He started to step towards her as he spoke. “Later, I attacked the school, and he used my own abilities against me. He‘s some sort of mutant mimic, one that can copy personalities and thoughts.” He stopped, and pointed at Elane. “That‘s how he thwarted your plans. It is also how I can give you the means to ruin his life.”

He noticed that she didn‘t step back, but just kept her apparent defensive stance. “How do you know he ruined my plans back then? I never mentioned any plans.” He inwardly smiled as she reacted in the typical way that anyone reacted when revealed stuff they thought no one knew. Ironically, he thought the look of shock on her face looked good on her.

He made a motion of pointing to himself. “Part of my unique abilities have earned me knowledge on sight. I know of your hatred for your former cousin. I know of the plan you had for his family, and how they were ruined. In fact, I would not doubt that you aren’t the only one whose plans he has ruined because of his abilities.” He honestly had a good feeling that there were more out there, but they might not be so easily satiated with him just enthralling Richard Cale.

He watched Elane as she straightened up. He didn‘t even notice if she had cringed or not as he got closer to her. Her voice also kept a defiant tone in it. “And this helps me ruin his life how?”

Emplate smiled, even though she couldn’t see it. He then put a bit of delight into his voice as he told her something he knew she’d bite at. “Do you know that Richard Cale fears me the most? He fears that I will use his abilities to turn him into what I am. He also fears for a girl that he has fallen in love with. She had been a prisoner of mine, and he managed to break her free of my grip.” He then locked eyes with her as he delivered his last word. “Your vengeance would be to bring him and her back here to me. You can even watch him suffer.”

He saw a smile cross Elane Bonstein’s face. In that smile, Emplate could see both joy at the prospect of watching that suffering, and something else. He wasn’t sure if it was defiance or not when she asked, “And what if I fail? What are the consequences if I fail in capturing my former cousin, and his girl?” Something about the tone also hinted that she had some sort of ace up her sleeve.

To respond to her question, Emplate held up his hands, displaying the maws that graced the palms of his hands. To his surprise, she didn’t appear to flinch as he said, “Then I’m going to have to sup on you.” This girl was definately not afraid of him, or what he could do. A part of him admired her for that.

He was startled as she stepped towards him. It was done in a very seductive way, and he let his eyes study her in a new way. As he did, he heard her say, with a purr in her voice, “Then you’ll lose a chance at a woman who can offer you love, and even allow you a chance to breathe without that apparatus on your head.” He felt his eyes go wide, as well as a pressure on his shoulders, like someone put a helmet on his head. She even got closer as she said, “Remove that thing, so I can see your face, and even kiss you.”

He started to reach up to remove his respirator, and he heard D.O.A. shout, “Sir. It could be a trick. If you do that, it will…” He held up his hand to pause his manservant’s protests. He understood the concerns, but he could read it in her aura. She had developed feelings for him in just the short time he was speaking with her.

He started to smile when he breathed the air. This girl’s power gave him something he didn’t think possible. He smiled at her, and said as she brought her face closer to his, “I believe you have proven yourself worthy of not being my meal.”

As her lips neared his, she said in a very seductive tone, “I can do this for you any time. Consider this part of the thanks for allow me a chance to get revenge on Richard Cale.” She then kissed him on the lips, and Emplate knew there was love in that kiss. He was lost in that kiss as she backed away and said, “Now I think you better get that thing back on. I need to stop this so I can get ready to capture them.”

He replaced the respirator, and felt the aura helmet leave his shoulders. He then realized he had found the perfect partner for his plans. A woman as evil as he was. They would be an unstoppable team, or at least he hoped so. He then said, “Together, we will be able to destroy Generation X. Now, I want you to get ready. I have information that says that today will be the best time to strike. They will be getting a new student, and I am certain that we can set up an ambush. If luck goes our way, you might be able to abduct them when they are there alone.”

She laughed when he said that, and viciousness was in that laugh. “That would be perfect. Richard will never know what hit him.” Indeed, they wouldn’t know what hit them. He would just need a bit of information from that special source he had regarding Generation X. Given some information he had gotten in the past, he was certain there would be a chance to capture his prey by themselves in the next few hours.

He turned to D.O.A., and saw the shock on his manservant’s face. “D.O.A, prepare Ms. Bonstein some quarters. We have a new member to welcome to our group.” He watched as his manservant nodded, and escorted Elane out of the room. He then returned to his chair, certain that he would have his quarry back in his clutches soon.

**************************************************

Emma Frost had been having a very nice dream. She had been dreaming that the Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters had been flourishing, and that all her charges there were alive and well. That dream, however, came to an end when she heard a crash outside, like someone had tripped over something outside her lodgings on the grounds.

This wasn’t the first time Emma had been roused from a nice dream, so she was better prepared this time. She got out of bed, and quickly grabbed a robe to put around herself. While she didn’t anticipate someone coming in tonight, she didn’t want to cause any incidents, or invite any unwanted thoughts. She then opened her bedroom window, and looked out.

While it was still dark outside, she could see enough to tell a male figure was outside the building, and clambering out of the shrubs around the building, brushing himself off. She listened for a moment, and finally heard a voice she recognized. “Not good. This is definitely not going to be a good day. I walked into the shrubs around this building, and if I recall right, this is…” It was at that point the figure looked up towards her.

She recognized him in an instant. It was the school’s newest student, Richard Cale. He was to lose that title in a few hours, but that wasn’t important to her right now. Emma knew Richard wasn’t usually awake this early. The only times he was up this early had been due to nightmares; prophetic nightmares. She tried to remain calm, though, since Richard’s presence around her home was, she was certain, an innocent fluke of luck. She did, however, try to lighten the situation with a little humor. “I am hoping that the appearance of you outside my home at this hour is due to a dare to try and peak in on me sleeping, Richard, and not the fact that you awoke early from a nightmare.” She let only a slight smile cross her lips, hoping it didn’t look creepy.

Her attempt at humor didn’t go unnoticed, and she could have sworn that he started to blush. “I guess it does look that bad, but I was not trying to spy on you. Unfortunately, I did have another nightmare.” That did worry her, since the last nightmare he had predicted Emplate’s last attack. With a new student about to arrive, they didn’t need another attack happening.

She took on a serious tone, and said, “Richard, would you like to come in and talk about it, or even allow me to enter the dream and try to figure out what we might be in for?” Last time she had tried that, she had done so against his wishes. She was not about to make that mistake twice.

She watched as he appeared to think about it, and then to her surprise, he nodded and responded, "I think that might be a good idea. You might be able to see something I couldn't in it." That little decision told her how serious Richard thought the situation was.

Emma nodded, and said, "I will be down in a few moments. Wait for me at the door." She closed the window, and quickly got dressed. She made sure to dress in her business casual attire, which included white dress pants, and a white sweater, since it would be the best for today. She then got down to the door and opened it. She stepped back as Richard entered, giving him the benefit of distance to keep his power from locking in on her.

She closed the door, and motioned to a couch in the sitting room. He nodded, heading over to it, but to her surprise, he didn't sit on it, but recline on it. This action told her a lot, but she felt she should ask before assuming what the action ment. "Would you like me to try and see this dream? It might be difficult depending how long ago you woke up."

She watched as he nodded, and then noticed that he was trying to relax himself. "While I am not keen on it, I have a feeling it might be the only way to get an answer. I couldn't get an idea who the attacker in the dream was, but if this nightmare is a premonition, the attack that is coming is going to be that person.”

Emma nodded, and mentally prepared herself. She didn’t want this time to be like the last time, where she forced her way in. She had done it in the equivalent of a brute force attack. This time, he was letting her into his mind, so she didn’t want him to think all psychic probes were done in such a crude way. She probed his mind in the most gentle way possible, and was rewarded with an almost instant arrival at where all his dreams were.

If she were still a force of evil, Emma knew she would have had a field day trying to enter every dream, and finds its meaning. That, thankfully, was the old her. She quickly located what had to be the freshest dream, and entered it with ease. From the outside, she had seen Richard and Yvette suspended in the air. Stepping into the dream allowed her to see that clearly, as well as the person attacking them.

She knew better than to mess with the dream, since changing any detail about a dream could mess with a person’s mind. Besides, it wasn’t like Sean’s dreams overwhelming her own. This dream had happened, and was a memory. Most dreams were memories, and in some cases, memories yet to happen. She just had to figure out who this person was, and all she could see was that it was a blonde woman. She might be psychic herself, since Emma saw no means for the woman to be holding Richard and Yvette suspended in the air.

As she watched, Emma remained as quiet as possible. She could feel the anger the figure had for Richard, and by extension, Yvette. Feeling that malice, Emma asked herself, “Who are you?” It was a question she wasn’t expecting a response to, and didn’t realized that it might have been heard, until the figure spun around to face her.

To her shock, she felt a forced hit her as the figure just said, “I’m relatively dangerous to all of you, bitch.” She wasn’t sure what caused the force, but she was sure it came from the figure. If it had not been Richard’s dream, she would have been shoved through a wall. As it was, she was only knocked out of the confines of the dream. She did, however, let the force propel her out of Richard’s mind. The whole incident troubled her. First off, she wasn’t sure if Richard had done that, or if the figure had its own free will. She was inclined to think it was Richard’s mind, thinking she might have stumbled on something he intended to keep secret. It wouldn’t be the first time a student of hers tried to keep secrets from her.

She blinked, and noticed now that Richard was looking at her, a look of concern in his eyes. He was getting up from the couch, saying, “Miss Frost, are you alright? You looked like you were just struck.” She had a feeling she might have shown physical signs of having been attacked, most likely in an action that mimicked being pushed back into the wall.

She nodded, and held up her hand to halt his movements. “I‘ll be fine, Richard. I am, however, going to contact Sean about this. While I do that, I want to know if you have an idea about who this attacker is? For some reason, she responded to a question I asked of myself quietly in there. She had said she was relatively dangerous to us, and I think there is a clue in that statement. Is there any family members that could be a threat?” She could tell that he was at a loss for words now. It was quite possible that they might have another troublesome family member on their hands. Inwardly, Emma groaned, and started to wonder if any mutant could have a decent relationship with their family.

Sean Cassidy did not like being awoken by Emma, especially since the time she had invaded his dreams. He did realize then that it was because they were residing in the same building at that time, but since then, he didn't care for her mental communications at night. The fact that she mentioned Richard having a nightmare didn't make it any better.

Last time Richard had had a nightmare, Emplate had decided to attack a day later. It would be a disaster if he attacked today, with a new student arriving. It wouldn't be the first time, since the fiend did it when Jonothan had arrived, and tried to do it when Richard came to the school. It would be no surprise to him if the fiend tried something with this new mutant, a girl named Daria who was about Jubilee's age.

He made his way to Emma's cottage, desperately hoping that he wasn't jumping to a horrible conclusion. He saw Emma standing by the open door, waiting for him. As he neared, he asked the question foremost in his mind. "Is his nightmare a sign that Emplate going to attack?"

Her response was not good, at least in his mind. She shrugged. "I can't say. The attacker in Richard's dream was female." Hearing that, Sean wasn't happy. For all he knew, it was possible that the very person they were picking up was to be the threat. Then she said something even more troubling. "Judging by something in the dream, she is someone he already knows."

As he entered the building, Sean took that information in. Obviously, it wasn’t the incoming new student. Daria, who was joining the school as part of Richard’s uncle’s last decent act, was unknown to all of them. The only things they knew about her was that she had somehow been pulled into the secret program known as Zero Tolerance, and that she was a mutant. He still wondered how that detail had slipped by, but then again, some mutants had an uncanny gift for remaining undetected.

He stopped inside the door, and quietly asked, “Is there anything else ye can tell me? Did his dream say who all would be targeted? Where the attack was going to happen?” The plan had been for the whole school to go to the airport to fetch her, minus the young ones. They had been shuttled off to someplace where Franklin’s family were for an overnight trip, as a precaution.

Emma nodded, and started to walk to the room he figured Richard was in. “Yes. The dream, from what I saw of it, hinted that he and Yvette would be attacked at the school. Of course, it could be a metaphor, but given how detailed that part of the scene was, and his history with dreams like this, it could be accurate.” Sean took that bit of information and started running it through his head. If that was the case, they just had to be sure not to leave the two at the school alone.

Before they entered the room, he said to Emma, “Well, then our best course of action would be to make sure we all stay together today.” He then recalled one detail, and he paused. Richard’s last dream happened two nights before Emplate attacked. “And tomorrow. Unless we can get an idea on how soon this premonition might come true.”

Emma paused, and he could tell that was a detail she hadn’t considered. She placed her hand to her head, and shook her head. “Damn. I hadn’t even thought about it. I asked Richard to try and think about who it might be. I have a feeling it is a family member he wronged, or a woman he knew.” He had to admit that that was a good question as well.

They entered the room, and Sean noticed that Richard was positioning himself in a reclining position, in the act of placing his feet on the couch. It was an action he was familiar with, when a part of him was trying to unconsciously rest due to lack of sleep. No doubt the lad wasn’t used to this early morning wake up call. When he spotted them, he returned to a sitting position in a hurry. “Sorry, Miss Frost, Mr. Cassidy. Is there more questions?”

Sean raised his hand in an understanding way, noting that Richard, who like most of the other students at the school, normally addressed him informally, had formally addressed him. It had to be a sign of how little sleep he had. “A few lad. Emma told me about the dream, and I was wondering if ye had any clue on who the attacker might be? Are there any ladies ye might have wronged? Anyone who knew you were here?”

He saw the lad shake his head. “No sir. When I told my parents I was planning to come here, I told them not to tell anyone. If anyone wanted to reach me, they had to go through them first. All of my family still think I’m back at the school I was at in Pennsylvania.” Sean took that information in, and processed it. None of Richard’s family knew he was here. That was a plus if the attacker was family. By extension, that would also mean that anyone he knew at that school might not know he was here. Still, something bothered him about that. Richard had been out of the loop when it came to his uncle, and they were all in the dark about Emplate’s relationship to Monet until that fact became known.

He decided not to press that issue. If Richard was right about that, it meant that this unknown attacker would be getting their information from somewhere else. That wasn’t a pleasant thought, since the only sources at the current time could be Emplate, or even a rogue operative linked to Zero Tolerance. Now they needed an idea on time frame. “Richard, I was just wondering how long ye’ve been awake?”

He saw Richard blink, and then look at a clock. “I woke at about three o’clock. I got dressed, and started walking the school grounds. Eventually I walked into the buiding, or something, here which woke Emma.” Sean looked over at the clock as well, and saw the time on it. It was five thirty in the morning.

Emma noticed it as well, and he heard her exclaim, “You’ve been awake for two and a half hours. Richard, how much sleep did you get? And when was the earliest you had awoken from one of these nightmares? There may be a link to how soon they might come true.” It had been what he was thinking.

He didn’t like the frown that crossed Richard’s face as he thought about that. He had a feeling the lad had never thought about it before. “This was the earliest I can recall. The one I had involving Emplate back when I first came here was a four in the morning. I also had more sleep that night.” He gave them a sheepish grin as he said, “Sometimes I can be a night owl.”

That didn’t set well with Sean. He knew a few people who needed very little sleep. Hell, he had seen Wolverine be wide awake and alert only after a half hour of sleep. The man might be the king of power napping. He set his eyes on Richard, and said, “Richard, when did ye fall asleep last night?”

He saw Richard look down at his feet. “I couldn’t fall asleep for some reason, and got to reading one of the Pratchett books I have. I finally fell asleep at two.” Sean groaned. That meant that Richard had only gotten an hour sleep. If that was a factor, it meant that the attack would be coming in the next few hours.

He then thought and how inseparable Richard and Yvette could be when they were together. If it hadn‘t been for the fact that Yvette had been at the school before Richard had even arrived, he might have sworn they had arrived at the same time, given the impact he had made on her. If they were the target in that dream, the two couldn‘t be left alone in the next two days. He finally voiced his concern for the next coming hours. “Lad, I hope there isn‘t a connection between how much sleep you‘ve had, and when the premonition comes true. If that is the case, then the events are supposed to occur when we have to fetch Daria from the airport.”

The words had an effect on Richard. His eyes had gone wide, as if the fact that Daria was arriving today had escaped his mind completely. “Oh my gosh, that‘s right. Today is the day she‘s arriving. Which means it is going to happen when everyone is gone. That means we just have to all go to the airport. It‘s the only way to avoid it all.” That would have been sound reasoning if not for the fact that the last word, to Sean‘s dismay, was punctuated by a yawn. He started to wonder if Richard‘s idea would be stymied by his own tiredness when the time came to leave for Logan Airport. For a moment, Sean recalled that in many stories, it always seemed folly to try and control prophecies. It always seem to lead to disaster.

*******************************************

@richgenx: And the Redux continues. :)

Yes. I also have to give the other redux entries an updated look. Fun fact: The original version of this chapter printed out on 8.5 x 11 comes in at near five pages. This updated one came out at about nine and a quarter pages, but for fundamental purposes, ten pages.

That's quite a bit of expanding. :)

Indeed. Truth Be Told went from 22 pages, with page breaks denoting chapter changes, to 33 pages. Changes went from 63 pages, with page breaks denoting chapter chages, to 94 pages. It is quite possible that this story will expand to about 42 pages when done, and the original is 28 pages.