Brutally short nails of youthfully awkward, slender hands scrabbled over the pitiful attempts of a goatee that itched abominably from those rare occasions when his girlfriend nagged him to “shave that piece of shit off.� He scratched it thoughtfully as he stared out onto the courtyard. The last vestiges of autumn leaves quivered in the branches and drifted onto the patchy lawn, showing patches of muddy yellow grass revealing that the landscape maintenance crew had skimped on their shift again, foregoing turning the sprinklers on at six PM as stipulated in their contract.

Acrid curls of smoke danced up from the glowing red tip of a Marlboro, quickly withering into a homely tube of whitish-gray ash as his companion dragged thirsty gusts into his lungs. He tugged on his earlobe, pocked with empty piercings where he’d removed several silver studs to comply with dress code on the ward. He worried the flesh out of long habit, silently mourning the absence of the trinkets – all eight, including a wicked ball hoop that cost him a bundle at the tattoo shop – and twisted the flexible nodule between finger and thumb. His heel bounced up and down on the concrete step as he tunelessly hummed a Prodigy song that wouldn’t leave him alone since his ride to work that afternoon.

Matt jingled the change in his pocket, counting it by touch and contemplating whether he had enough time for a Snickers and a Coke from the vending machine in the break room before resuming his shift. He cursed scratching his chin and that damnably short scrap of hair; now his whole face decided to itch, and he rubbed at it like a dog chasing a flea with its paw, scrubbing his nape and squinting at the shifting glare of the midday sun. Jayse flicked his butt onto the concrete as he yawned and stretched; his scrub top rose above his stomach, exposing a pitifully slender abdomen and sunken navel, also pierced, and skin that hadn’t seen the sun in months.

“Dude…ya better put that thing out. Don’t let Nurse Bitchface catch you flicking a butt out here.�

“I don’t give a shit. Let her catch me,� he yawned, letting his scrub top fall back into rumpled disarray as he leaned back on the heels of his hands.

Matt shrugged; let him get his ass in trouble, if he wanted. He wasn’t his shift mate’s keeper. The only thing that kept them coming out on breaks together was the mutual surrender of being the only two male CNAs on the ward of the Westchester County Rehabilitation and Convalescent Care Home. Jayse was good for a laugh every now and again. His beat-up Pinto had a fender bald all the way down to the primer, with decals of bullet holes on the windows and a bumper sticker that proudly declared “I’m the one who beat up your Honor Roll Student.� He had a band, or so he said, and they commandeered his dad’s two-car garage every weekend. He boasted about gigs at the coffeehouses that never materialized, and Matt had caught him on several occasions in the linen and supply closets, grimacing and arching over an air guitar that only he could hear, letting “riffs� whine out from his lips.

He reached into his pocket for his security badge, looping the lanyard back around his neck, and was just about to press it against the face plate of the door when Jayse’s exclamation of disgusted horror stopped him.

“Holy crap…DUDE! What time did you get in this morning?�

“I didn’t. I’m on the alt shift, ‘bro. S’up?�

“Did you already do shower rotation on wing two?�

“Nah. Lainie took that ward. Even numbers and window beds.� Jayse groaned and leaned his face into his hand, rubbing his eyes so deeply Matt thought they’d roll out of the sockets. His face was flushed when he faced him again, shaking his head.

“You don’t get it. That means we’ve gotta work showers today, man. Men’s bath, odd beds.� To drive the point home, he snapped, “Room seven A, dude!� Comprehension socked him in the gut, and he felt his bowels twist, shaking his head in denial.

“No way. Jay, man, I’ll flip you not to hafta do it this time. Better yet, I’ve give you five bucks, man! ANYTHING!�

“Nuh-uh, bro!�

“C�MON!�

“Fuck that. He’s all yours, bro,� Jay grinned. Matt smothered a litany of curses and slapped the doorframe in defeat, his palm smarting from the impact with the cool metal. Nevertheless, he re-entered the wing and wandered back to the battered time clock, punching his card into the slot with a hollow thunk. Back to the grind.

He shuddered. All that friggin’ hair… Most of it growing out of places he refused to try to describe.

The wing was busy today; Matt reviewed the schedule on the dry-erase wall scribbled with three transports for surgery at the main hospital in Salem. The low impact fitness hour was scheduled for three. The children’s choir from the local elementary school was set for three-thirty. Matt didn’t see any other way around it; Nurse Kinney, the senior RN on the wing, or “Bitchface,� as she was affectionately known, was a stickler for ensuring patients were groomed and fanatically clean at all times. Heads would roll if incoming family and visitors arrived to the stench of urine from an unchanged bed or the residents lying there riddled with bed sores or other ailments that were to be avoided at all costs. It was an ugly job, but someone had to do it, Matt mused. Memories of his own grandparents at a care home not unlike this one spurred him on. His grandmother had developed a habit of regaling his mom with tales of bingo games and showing off her manicure and pinkly permed curls, provided by the beauty school students on-site. He missed his grandparents ever since they passed away; he felt a pang of regret at conversations he’d skirted on those last few visits when all he’d done was watch the painfully limited television selections and scoot out of the way while his mother neatened the dismal room, brightening it with store-bought geraniums from Rite-Aid.

“Don’t touch my BABIES!� BOFF!

“Easy, there, Raven, I wasn’t touching your babies, you just dropped one-“ CLOP!

“I saw you do it! You were going to hurt my babies!� They made a comical sight. Terry was a middle-aged, dishwater blonde wearing a scrub shirt made from calico printed with Snoopy characters and her badge hanging from a beaded lanyard that her daughter made. She was generously built and very tall, seemingly more than a match for the anemically slender, fragile woman.

“She was going to do no such thing, now, Raven. Terry didn’t mean it.� Matt grinned briefly at the newest spectacle. Mrs. Darkholme was a real trip, he marveled. Every day, she babbled on in a tide of varying dialects, moods, and discernible personalities. She was a legend in her own right.

Not every rehab facility in town could boast housing one of the world’s last known mutants, let alone one immersed in the median stages of senile dementia and a slowly progressing lymphoma.

Raven was ambulatory, much to the combined relief and frustration of the staff. She scooted along using her feet to propel herself in her wheelchair, dressed to the nines in a fuschia dressing gown and matching slippers. It had taken Matt about a week to grow accustomed to her appearance, but lately she was the most fun thing about showing up to work.

Her skin was a mottled, faded, yet still distinctive shade of indigo blue. Her hair was surprisingly lush, cropped into a tidy blunt cut, the yellowish-white locks showing streaks of faded auburn. Deep brackets flanked the corners of her mouth, giving her a mulish look.

She roamed the halls at a sedate pace, reserving her most volatile moods for the LVNs when it was time for her medications. Accompanying her on her treks were her “babies,� namely about five stuffed animals, each with distinct names, genders, and life stories that ranged from the mundane to the sublime.

They also made excellent weapons. Terry was getting it by the dozens now, having had the unmitigated gall to restore the smallest of the lot, “Anna,� to her lap after the small, rust-colored bunny with green plastic eyes was knocked to the floor. Raven’s nearly skeletal arm rose up repeatedly, landing over every inch of Terry that she could reach with the stuffed toy, her voice huffy and full of righteous indignance.

“Raven,� Nurse Kinney intoned crisply, “we’ll have no more of that. It’s time to behave, now. Tell your baby you didn’t mean to get angry.�

“I don’t like you,� Raven pouted, snatching back the bunny after Nurse Kinney pried it from her hand. “You’re my enemy! You’re ALL my enemy! No cell can keep me, do you hear me? The Brotherhood will take me from this place!�

“Shit,� Jay muttered under his breath, as he struggled with a dispenser of hand sanitizer at the nurse’s station.

“I didn’t mean it, Anna,� she cooed, simmering down and staring into the well-worn face of the bunny with rheumy amber eyes. She stroked it and hugged it to her chest like a lifeline.

“That’s a girl; Anna knew her mommy still loved her. Raven, are you still my friend?� the nurse beckoned, leveling her voice to the calm one she reserved for her children at home.

“Yes,� she agreed affably, kissing the bunny between it’s ears.

“And is Terry still your friend?� she encouraged.

“Hmmph,� she huffed.

“Not yet?�

“Maybe tomorrow,� Raven decided pertly, throwing Terry a glare calculated to make her blood curdle. It almost worked.

“I’ll take that under advisement, Mrs. Darkholme,� Terry sighed. “Would you like some juice?�

“You may serve me in the sitting room,� she sniffed, scuffling off in the direction of the guest lounge down the hall.

“Yes, your Majesty!� Terry agreed, finally allowing herself a smile. She turned to Nurse Kinney and muttered, “I don’t know how you do it, Laura. I love her to death despite myself, but she just exhausts me!�

“Don’t be partial; the other residents rely on us to spend time on them, too, and not play favorites.�

“She’s so hard to read,� Terry replied, darting off in her silent-soled white sneakers for the juice before Raven could get into any more mischief.

Matt continued to make rounds, checking each bed and emptying urinals, changing sheets, and calling housekeeping to unclog a toilet in room three. He rescued a makeup kit for Mrs. Darkholme that she’d accidentally left on the bed when one of the other CNAs allowed it to be swept into the linen bucket in the main hall. He checked the clock.

It was that time. Matt steeled himself before adjourning to the linen pantry in the hallway, gathering up an armful of clean towels. He grabbed the waiting wheelchair outfitted in waterproof polyurethane and wheeled it painstakingly to seven-A.

The volume was low on the set; Mr. Howlett was one of the only residents in the men’s wing that didn’t crank the sound until Matt’s ears bled, simply because he wasn’t as hard of hearing, nor did he seem to crave constant background noise to stave off loneliness. Most days, he seemed content to keep his own company, preferring to be alone with his thoughts.

The room was spare and sparsely decorated. Among his cherished items was a faded, sun-bleached piece of contruction paper, scrawled with the words “Happy Birthday, Daddy� in blue crayon. Dried white navy beans had been glued on with a heavy hand in the shape of a snowman; there were gaps where some had eventually fallen off. An old-fashioned cigar box rested on the bedside table, right next to a framed photo of a woman that Matt never had a moment to peek at in his myriad, brief visits to Mr. Howlett’s suite.

He remembered that day well, when he was first transported to the facility from Westchester County General. Some impressions lasted with you for life, and Mr. Howlett was the brashest, toughest-talking, ornery old cuss he’d ever had the misfortune to piss off. All he’d done was try to get him to put out his Cuban so he could fit the cannula above his lip.

“Don’t even think about it, bub!� A gleam of life flickered in those dark eyes, his lids thin enough to be almost transparent, sagging beneath the weight of those heavy brows. “Ain’t finished yet. Better be movin’ those fingers if ya wanna keep ‘em.�

“But-“ Matt stood there futilely, gripping the hose of the cannula, peering back at Jay as though he held the answers as to how to administer his oxygen.

“Ya don’t wanna come between a soldier an’ his SMOKES, ya little pissant!� The most ironic part of it all was that Matt easily topped Mr. Howlett in height by at least six inches, but he was scared shitless of the old man.

Some illogical voice kept nagging him that he shouldn’t be. He beat that voice into submission and skirted around that room when he could, entering only to attend to his immediate needs, such as removing old sheets or emptying the trash bins. He filled them quickly with snack cake wrappers, used Skoal Bandits when he couldn’t have his smoke inside quickly enough to suit him, and countless wads of scratch paper scrawled in his own handwriting, such as it was. Matt tried to avoid peering at them when he emptied the bins, but curiosity burned a hole in his gut.

The old man was stubbornly perched upright in bed, impatiently chewing a fresh, unlit cigar, savoring the taste. He was still clad in his flannel pajamas and a graying white tank underneath. He stared at Matt as he wheeled the chair into the suite and put on the parking brake as he pulled it alongside the bed.

“Entre-vous, s’il vous plait, monsieur!� he rasped, giving a rusty chuckle at his own joke.

“What?� Matt replied, surprised at what sounded like surprisingly good French for a guy who hadn’t paid much attention to English phrases that didn’t include using “bub� and “fuck off, Chuckles!� every five minutes.

“Never mind. I know the drill. Get that other pencil-necked geek in here ta help ya saddle me up and roll me outta here,� Mr. Howlett barked, waving Matt out of the room. Matt reached for the intercom button and clicked on the light. “Wouldn’t want ya ta strain anything, Junior.�

“I think I can manage-“ Matt held up his gait belt.

“Naw, I don’t think ya can. Ya don’t wanna risk it, and ya definitely don’t wanna drop me on my ass tryin’ ta maneuver me inta that thing yerself, bub.�

“All right,� Matt sighed.

“Bring my shaving kit, too, while yer at it.� He reached up to give his jaw a rough, thorough scratching, making Matt wonder how someone’s skin and stubble could seem to be made from noisy sandpaper.

Matt and Jay were sliding Mr. Howlett carefully into the shower chair minutes later after changing him out of his pajamas into a spare bed gown, and Matt was shocked to discover that Mr. Howlett had been right on the nose about needing more than his own two hands to move him. Despite his thin, crepey skin and spare frame – there really wasn’t an ounce of fat on him – he weighed as much as someone twice his size, and he knew he’d be feeling it tomorrow in his shoulders. He heard Jay grunt a low “oomph!� under his breath as they got him settled.

“Let’s get this over with,� Mr. Howlett grimaced. “Gotta get all pretty fer the ladies.� Matt grinned. Jay just took off, his eyes saying “good luck, sucker.� Matt’s shot back a quick “fuck off� at his departing back.

“Hey, kid?�

“Yes, sir?�

“Don’t act like ya lost a coin toss.� Shame and guilt flooded him and sent hot prickles over his cheeks; Matt knew he was blushing.

“I’m not,� he muttered. Then, “Sorry.�

“Yeah, yeah.� They made their way to the shower, and Matt started the shower, wheeling Mr. Howlett carefully into the wide stall. The temperature was moderately warm when he initially set the dial, testing it on his wrist. His charge grunted at him to turn it up a notch or two.

“Feels good when it’s a little hot. Soothes these tired old bones,� he explained.

“Fine.� Matt obliged him, then got down to business. Jayse had kidded him about how hairy Mr. Howlett was, and he wasn’t joking. The guy wasn’t gonna catch a chill; he was practically hirsute, generous, graying layers of hair slicking over his upper back and chest. But what tore at Matt, and would haunt him even after he went to bed that night, were the scars.

Round ones. Narrow ones. Long, jagged ones. Sharply notched scars torn across his torso, spaced in such a way that they looked as though they were made by an animal’s claws, but he mentally slapped himself for thinking it. A wave of pity washed over Matt, and he felt a strange admiration for a man who surely shouldn’t have survived what he had. The human will wasn’t strong enough to live through what he had, let alone to keep struggling, day after day, to wake up every morning to watery applesauce and the daily barrage of needles and disinfectant.

Matt commenced with his ablutions, scrubbing more briskly when Mr. Howlett nagged him to get at a particularly stubborn itch between his shoulder blades. He heard his creaky voice groan in relief as he massaged a generous handful of shampoo into his hair and rubbed away what troubles of his that he could. There was a wealth of unspoken sorrow in the ropey sinew of his body and the slump of the once massive, still broad shoulders.

“Gotta look pretty fer the ladies,� he repeated huskily, picking at his ragged fingernails. Matt made a note to himself to trim them, too, before he started his rounds.

“Gonna chat up Mrs. Darkholme?� he teased. Mr. Howlett looked at him, squinting through the foamy runnels of suds as he rinsed his hair.

“Are ya stupid?� Matt couldn’t suppress a smile.

“What? She’s cute.�

“Broad’s outta her gourd,� Mr. Howlett claimed. “B’lieve me, she ain’t one fer a guy ta mess with. She’ll gut ya where ya stand, just like a black widow or a praying mantis. Gotta be careful o’ them femme fatales, bub. Yer gonna thank me one day fer warnin’ ya now.� He nodded for Matt to turn up the hot water. “Raven an’ I, we go way back.�

“No kidding?�

“I don’t kid about that shit, buddy.� Matt almost choked. “More’n once, back in the day, Raven tried ta take me out.� Matt paused in his attempts to clean behind Mr. Howlett’s ears.

“Take you out…as in-“

“Filleted. Stabbed. Shot. Drop-kicked off a building or two. Poisoned. Garroted with a wire. She ain’t so nice underneath all the tears an’ smiles. She don’t trust nobody, an’ I don’t blame her. She thinks the world’s out ta get her, an’ she ain’t wrong. Just cuz she’s old and mellowed out a little don’t mean that she ain’t the same poisonous viper underneath. She’s lonely, though, God love her.�

“You guys go that far back?�

“Yep. Ya know those babies she’s always cartin’ around, kid?�

“She nearly took Terry’s head off with one of ‘em a little while ago.� Matt’s grin was shameless. Mr. Howlett’s mirrored it, his teeth long and housed in dark, bruised gums. His canines were strikingly sharp-looking, something Matt hadn’t noticed before, but he put that thought aside. The old man’s eyes were bright and full of mischief.

“I woulda paid money ta see that.�

“Yeah.�

“Those really are her babies, ya know.�

“Get outta here.�

“She named ‘em after her own kids. Gray’s short for Graydon. That’s the homely little brown bear that she ripped the ear off of. The blue duckie is Kurt.�

“She was nailing Terry with Anna, the rabbit.�

“Right. That’s her favorite. Always has been. The little orange cat is actually Irene. Ain’t one of her kids. She’s special.�

“Her sister or something?�

“Her girlfriend. Or something,� Logan drawled, patiently letting Matt dry him off, trying not to scrub him too briskly lest he take his skin off. There was a funny weight to his words that gave Matt pause.

“Girlfriend?�

“Yep.�

“Wow.�

“Yep.�

“Wow…� he repeated again weakly.

“Kid…the images yer puttin’ in my head are startin’ ta creep ME out. Minda outta the gutter, awright?�

“…sorry, sir.�

“Gads…anyway, the other one she calls Trevor, the one that looks like a little mouse missing its nose. Weird story behind that one. Kid acted like Raven was his mama, but it was twisted. Everything about that frail’s always been a little twisted…� Mr. Howlett let his voice die off, and sucked his upper lip thoughtfully as Matt helped him into a fresh gown so he could get started on his shave. They approached the sink, and Matt ran warm water into the basin and opened the kit. He took out shaving foam and shook the can, letting a swirling dollop hiss out onto his palm, watching it expand into a bluish puff before kneading it into Mr. Howlett’s jaw.

“I kin handle it from here, kid,� he advised, scraping the remainder from Matt’s hand and finishing the job more than adequately, scrubbing it into the bristles of stubborn growth, making a dead fish face as he tackled his upper lip. “Yep, Raven’s a pistol. Ya don’t want a woman like that, boy.�

“What? Psycho?�

“Don’t be a smart aleck; she ain’t so much a psycho now as she let the butter drip off her noodle.� Matt bit back a laugh with some difficulty; his facial muscles cramped with the effort. “She’s troubled. We were all troubled, back in the day.� He ignored Matt’s reach for the razor and began to shave, briskly whisking off the whiskers.

“Sure you don’t need any help?�

“All I needed was the ride in here, kid.� He resumed his work, plowing clean patches of newly smooth skin from the layer of graying foam, rapping the blade against the sink. “Gotta let ya do yer job so we both don’t get in trouble. Legs don’t do such a great job o’ takin’ me where I need ta go, ya know?�

“Sure.�

“Back ta what I was sayin’…let’s see. Yeah. Yeah, about women like Raven. She ain’t consistent. Ya don’t want a woman who’s always changing her story about where she’s been. Or fer that matter, WHO she’s been.�

“Who she’s been with? Like, sleeping around?�

“Eh. I mean ‘who she’s been.’ That’s her gift.� At his baffled look, Logan shot him a measured scowl in the mirror. “Ya knew she was a mutant, boy. She ain’t baseline.�

“They told us in orientation on the ward-“

“They didn’t tell ya squat. They gave ya the polite version, bub. Raven can change her shape. If she ain’t now, it’s because she ain’t decided who she wants ta be. Either that, or she’s still wearin’ a chip.�

“A what?�

“Chip. Tracer. Just like they tag yer pooch with when ya first get ‘em from the vet.� Matt was immediately struck by two things. One, he really needed to talk to Nurse Kinney about Mrs. Darkholme. Two, Mr. Howlett was either spinning him a tall tale to pass the time, or they fudged a little about their residents during orientation to keep them from running off after the first day.

Thing was…he did such a damned fine job of telling the tale, tallness and all.

“I didn’t mess around much with Raven. She wouldn’t want me ta talk about it, so I won’t go inta detail, kid. She deserves that much. There were days when she wasn’t so bad.� He continued to neaten his lip. “Then there were days when we just about flattened a building trying to take each other out. I like my woman straightforward. Honest. Loyal.� Matt began to grow bored again, sighing behind him. “Of course, being built like a brick house ain’t bad, either.� Matt resumed his grin and slapped Mr. Howlett’s shoulder fondly.

“Now we’re talkin’,� he agreed.

“Whatever woman ya pick, that lights yer fire and stirs up a storm in yer gut whenever ya look her in the eye, she’s gotta have it all, bub. Scratch the surface, and everything on the inside better make ya feel just as good as the shiny gloss. A woman like that makes ya proud ta be a man.�

“I wanna hear about her.�

“Eh?�

“This woman. C’mon, sir, I want to know who measures up to all of that so I know what to look for!� He was coy; Mr. Howlett shrugged, then prodded him to hand him a face cloth. He rubbed his jaw, and Matt could have sworn he saw the threatening shadow of new stubble in his pores.

“If ya promise me one thing,� he grumbled. “Call me Logan. Folks used ta call me that.�

“All right, Mister Howl…Logan. Got it.� He bundled up the kit and snapped it shut, and wheeled them to the exit. The air in the hallway was cool after the steam of the shower suite. “Tell me about her.�

“Once I get into some new duds. Then ya can take me out ta have a smoke.�

“After your meds,� Matt reminded him.

“After my friggin’ meds. Slave driver,� Logan added as an afterthought. Matt grinned. From the opposite end of the wing, Jayse rolled his eyes at him, but Matt gave him a dismissive wave before taking Logan to his armoire.

Ten minutes later, Logan was combed out, spruced up, and smelling like Old Spice retrieved from his last care package he’d received for Christmas. The aroma battled it out with the acrid smoke curling up from his Cuban outside, on the same concrete deck that Matt and Jay had occupied earlier.

“Ororo coulda set tongues a-waggin’ just by walkin’ into the room. She was class. Ain’t never been, and ain’t never gonna be anyone like her. First time I laid eyes on her, my jaw just about hit the floor.�

“She really had you from go, huh?�

“Yep. Not that I let her know that, mind you. I was at a different point in my life.� He puffed contentedly, sucking the sweet poison deeply into his lungs.

“Those things’ll kill you,� Matt chided him. He wasn’t expecting the rib-cracking, rusty guffaws that exploded from his charge, despite his initial look up at him like he’d just farted in church.

“Boy…ain’t much in this world that can kill me.� He wiped his eyes with the cuff of his flannel shirt. “Damn, if only it were that easy. Then I wouldn’t be here. Hoo,� he chuckled. As if to dispute his claim, his lungs chose that moment to rebel, and his compact frame was wracked with wet, ragged coughs that left him gasping for air.

“Easy,� Matt scolded gently, grasping his shoulder in concern.

“I ain’t got much ta live for anymore. I can’t even tell ya what it is that keeps me wakin’ up ta each new day in so many words. I still hear screams at night.� Matt felt a faint chill despite the warmth of the afternoon. “One of these nights, I’ll lay down, an’ I won’t hear those voices screamin’ at me, makin’ me so damned desperate ta wake up. I won’t hafta.� He chewed thoughtfully on his stogie. “I’ll be where I belong.�

Matt felt that guilty pang return, chafing him. It felt too much like conversations his grandmother and mother had, during her more lucid moments. “Where’s that, sir?�

“Home with ‘Ro.�

Matt lingered by the nurse’s station, contemplating the plate of fresh sugar cookies with red sprinkles that were rapidly disappearing and feeling his mouth water. He didn’t particularly have a sweet tooth, but the treats presented an opportunity he decided not to pass up. He grabbed two of the cookies and purloined one of the wadded up, white paper napkins nudged beneath the plate and wrapped them up in it before he padded down the hall in his quiet, rubber-soled shoes. He’d made his rounds, and there were no lights flashing above any of the doorways on the ward for the moment. The activities aide was conducting the exercise hour in the lounge; Matt noted a wide circle of wheelchairs and walkers out of the corner of his eye as he strode past.

He smelled the residual scent of tobacco before he walked all the way into the suite. Mr. Howlett was taking up bed ‘B’ these days, closest to the window. Bed ‘A’ was surprisingly empty, the mattress rolled forward on the old iron frame. Lemon-scented cleanser battled with the other aromas in the room.

Matt could have sworn he smelled the lingering haze of death.

Mr. Howlett took his time greeting him; he was engrossed in a hardcover book with a dilapidated, forest green cover. His luncheon tray was empty, he was relieved to see, easing his mind that he at least still had some semblance of an appetite. It was difficult, watching the residents leave more of their meals behind, or untouched, as the weeks crept by.

“What’s that you’ve got there, sir?�

“Told ya it’s Logan, kid.� He inserted a laminated bookmark into the spine and clapped it shut, pinning Matt with his customary stare. “Just expandin’ my horizons, if ya wanna call it that. One of the nurses brought this back with her from the library, thinkin’ I might like it.� Matt eyed the cover; Edgar Allen Poe’s name was barely visible where the embossed print had begun to fade. He nodded to the packet Matt had clutched against his chest. “Whatcha got?�

“Goodies.� He unfolded the napkin and laid the cookies on the small side table. Logan grunted and allowed the corner of his mouth to quirk up.

“Nice little change from the slop they force down yer throat here,� he muttered, turning the cookie this way and that between finger and thumb, sniffing it thoughtfully before he took a hearty, savage bite. The pastry crunched loudly between his teeth as he flicked away a crumb from the corner of his mouth. “Tastes like they used real butter.�

“My mom swears by it.�

“So did ‘Ro.� Logan dispatched the rest of the cookie, then patted his shirt pocket, feeling for his lighter. “They ain’t keepin’ ya busy enough, kid?�

“I’ve been on my feet all day,� Matt countered. “You don’t have a new roommate yet,� he observed.

“Marko was all right, I guess; snored like dueling buzzsaws. Smelled like his pappy. Could always smell Cain comin’ from a mile away.� Matt stared at him incredulously.

“You knew Mister Marko’s father?’

“Yep. Abel didn’t take after him so much in looks; his dad was wide as a treestump. Never was one fer finesse.� Logan leaned back in his chair, letting out a leonine yawn and lazy stretch, allowing all of his limbs and joints to pop. “Think I need a smoke.�

“You’re worse than Jay,� Matt remarked, thinking back to Jayse’s long, starving drags on his cigarettes during their morning break. Day shift was killing him.

“Ain’t like I’ll be running any marathons any time soon.� Logan reached down to adjust the pedals of his wheelchair before Matt could reach them, letting up the brakes. “I felt him leave, y’know.�

“Felt him leave-?�

“Marko. Ya can feel it. When someone’s soul leaves the room. Feel it brushin’ over ya, like a cold fog. Almost whispers in yer ear.� Those dark brown eyes were never rheumy or bloodshot like so many of the residents Matt cared for; the lucidity in their depths pinned Matt and held him immobile, his hands hovering over the handgrips of the chair.

“That’s…that’s never happened to me yet,� he admitted.

“Thank God fer that, kid, when ya go home ta say yer prayers tonight. Don’t mean it never will, in yer line of work, or at some point in yer life.� His tone became slightly wistful as he waved Matt ahead to wheel him from the suite. “S’happened ta me more times than I can remember. Ain’t sorry that my memories ain’t what they used ta be. Such as they are.� Matt’s ears perked up when he muttered “Some of the damned things ain’t even mine, near as I can tell…�

“Come again?�

“Take us outside, under that big magnolia tree. Should still have the last of the blooms on it.� Matt obeyed, once again enjoying the brisk air washing away the scent of disinfectants that seemed to cling to his clothes. The pall and pong of the clinic choked him.

Mr. Howlett blew a thick cloud of cigar smoke that wafted up and burned Matt’s nostrils, but his voice was a soothing rasp. “First met ‘Ro at the school right when I was in the middle of cussing out Scooter.�

“Which school?�

“Mutant High,� he scoffed, choking slightly when he swallowed too much saliva. He made ragged, gagging sounds as he recovered, and Matt winced when he saw his eyes watering with the effort. He rubbed his back and grasped his arm, bringing it up to help waylay the full-bodied, wracking cough. It helped. “The Institute,� he amended. “Called it the School for Gifted Youngsters, back in the day.�

“No shit?� Matt muttered, before excusing himself. “Sorry…�

“S’okay. That’s about what I said, back then, when Chuck recruited me.�

“Recruited you? To go to school?�

“Uh-uh. Fer a retrieval. Had a crisis. Some of his best and brightest were missing. He needed me ta help bring ‘em back.�

“Whoa…you mean some of the kids at the school were kidnapped?�

“Not quite, kid. Chuck was always concerned about the squirts. Kept a close eye on all of ‘em. Heard ‘em comin’ and goin’ every minute o’ the day. He needed his graduates ta help him keep things runnin’ like a top.�

“So, kids actually ‘graduated’ from that school?� Matt squinted at Logan and rubbed his nape.

“Whaddya think? It was a friggin’ school, Einstein,� he carped, craning his grizzled head up to stare at him like he just grew a third eye. ‘Course kids graduated.�

“Yeah, but…what, do you have to ‘learn’ how to be a mutant?� Mr. Howlett sighed, giving him a look that admitted that he had him there.

“Yeah. Every now an’ again, ya do. Ya don’t just wake up one day, knowin’ how ta fly without fallin’ a few times.�

“So…what did you do, sir?�

“Whatever the hell I pleased.� He puffed on his stogie and impressed Matt with a set of three impeccable smoke rings. He gave Matt a harsh laugh, and Matt grinned back, knowing every bit of it was at his expense.

“More’n anything, I was lookin’ fer an out from what I was doin’. Chuck made me an offer I was about ta refuse. Scooter was makin’ it easier fer me ta say no. Already played soldier. Had folks tellin’ me what t’do. Showed ‘em why that was a mistake. I wasn’t ready ta try on a different hat and play Boy Scout. Or hero.�

“What made you say yes?� A chorus of voices in Matt’s head screamed for answers. Who was ‘Scooter?’ Who was ‘Chuck?’ How did you learn to be a mutant?

“My reason fer living. My sweet ‘Ro. ‘Cept back then, she didn’t know she was mine yet.� Matt chuckled under his breath, enjoying his spunk. He leaned back in this chair and draped his arm over the back of it, twisting his body to face Matt. His stare was intense and canny, and as usual, it unnerved Matt. “Either of yer parents drink tea, kid?�

“Once in a while.� Matt’s mom liked that Celestial Seasonings herbal crap in the artsy-fartsy box. Orange Zinger, or some such nonsense.

“I smelled Chuck’s tea before I even walked into his study. Guy tried ta convince me it was the good kind.� Logan chewed his cigar thoughtfully. “Never really was big on tea. Wasn’t big on anything that ya couldn’t pump outta the tap that had Molson written on the label.�

“You don’t look like you drink much tea,� Matt considered. Logan shook his head ruefully, sighing.

“Everybody’s got their own special scent that sets ‘em apart from everyone else. Ya can tell a lot from scent, an’ from how they move. Chuck was in a wheelchair, but he still moved like someone who was used ta bein’ in charge. Didn’t waste his energy on broad gestures. Guess ya could call him meticulous. Smelled a little like that damned tea…Earl Grey, I wanna think. Yeah. That and old-fashioned black licorice. Stood on decorum, too. Never left his room in anything but a damned suit. Always had ta look the part of a professor.�

“And he went by Chuck?�

“Nope. Pissed him off when I took ta callin’ him that, though.� Mr. Howlett’s cigar was nearly burned down the last mangled stub, dying embers threatening to blow loose and leave holes in his soft flannel shirt. “Scooter didn’t like his nickname all that much either. Henh.�

“Man…bet he didn’t.� Scooter?

“Even the guy’s scent was uptight. Could barely tell he owned pheromone number one from all the shit he tried to cover it up with. Had that sterile smell, like when ya open up a new box of Band-Aids. Think folks that spout off all that psycho babble call it ‘obsessive compulsive’ when ya wash yer hands every time ya walk past the tap?�

“Eh.�

“That was Scooter. Used ta love gettin’ his goat, too. He made it easy. ‘Ro let me know right off the bat that wouldn’t wash while she was around.�

“She liked him?�

“She was protective of him. Had this thing about loyalty. I came ta love that about her, but she threw that up like a big brick wall when we first met. Wasn’t all she threw at me…’Ro had spunk. Gotta love spunk.

I was halfway out the door when she asked me where I thought I was goin’. Not where was I goin’, but where I thought I was goin’. I ain’t the kinda guy ya wanna hold up if I look like I’m in a hurry. But ‘Ro wasn’t the kinda woman ya just walked away from, either.

She smelled like sandalwood and almonds…�


Fifty years ago; Westchester County, New York:


“Can I offer you anything to drink, Logan?�

“Ya can’t offer me anything I want, bub. Knew that the moment ya called me here,� he grumbled back, scratching at a callous on his palm with his blunt fingernails.

“Then why did you come?� Logan craned his body around toward the steady baritone that sounded older than its owner. “Since you have stuff to do that’s so much more important? Don’t you?� Logan barely discerned the silhouette of intelligent, sharp eyes mostly obscured by the thick, crimson lenses of a pair of Oakley sunglasses that he knew must have cost a mint.

“Short list of what I hafta do doesn’t include kissin’ his ass, or yers, Boy Wonder,� Logan smirked back. Charles Xavier sighed heavily as he retrieved his cooling up of tea by its delicate handle and took a fortifying sip

“We contacted you because everything in our records indicated you were the man for the job, Logan,� he continued, appealing to his ego.

“Who’d ya hafta kill, fuck, or blackmail ta get those records?�

“I employ methods far more subtle than that, I can assure you.�

“In the meantime, watch your mouth,� Scott snapped, folding his arms over his chest. He was tall and athletically built, broad in the shoulder and long in the leg. His walnut brown hair gleamed in the sunlight filtering through the sheers of the study’s large picture window, trimmed neatly and nudged obediently into place with hair gel that tickled Logan’s nostrils, even standing ten feet away.

“Your associate, Mr. McKenzie, is a former colleague of mine.�

“Mack ain’t the type ta go offering anything he knows about me on a silver platter ta some snake oil salesman like you, bub.�

“He didn’t. He merely returned my voice mail message.� Charles leaned forward and pressed the message button on his phone keypad without further prompting. Mack’s familiar voice rumbled clearly into the study, easing the scowl on Logan’s face into less mutinous lines.

Charles, it’s James McKenzie. Got your message about Logan. Not sure what want me to tell you about him, except that even if you manage to track him down, don’t be surprised if he gives you hell. What you do, once you get in touch with him, is out of my court.�

“He sent me a medical report of tests that Department H ran shortly after you entered their contract,� Charles explained. His voice held no artifice. “I didn’t ask for personnel records above and beyond that, nor any other character assessments that I normally request when I recruit individuals to teach at the school or work on my staff.�

“What, is that s’posed ta make me feel all warm and fuzzy that ya didn’t go pryin’ into shit that don’t concern ya, anyway, Chuckles? Yer playin’ a fool’s game.�

“I like to think that it would foster more trust between us if you volunteered things about yourself, dependent on whether you feel you’d be willing to stay. Prior to contacting Mr. McKenzie, I located you myself.� Logan didn’t hold back the snarl that clawed its way up from his throat. His pupils were dilated, nostrils flaring as he sized up Xavier with a scowl meant to make him piss himself.

Charles had the nerve to chuckle softly. Logan’s knuckles itched.

“We used Cerebro. It helps us locate mutant power signatures,� Scott explained behind him, leaning against a cherrywood side table.

“I don’t care if ya used a metal detector held together with chewing gum and paper clips. Ya ain’t convincin’ me why I shouldn’t gut both of ya fer pryin’ into my affairs.� He heard Scott lean away from the table, making it creak slightly before he crossed the study, flanking the professor’s desk like a sentinel.

“We wouldn’t have contacted you if we didn’t need you. Trust me, Logan, we don’t want to need you.�

Logan grunted. “This is a friggin’ school fer mutants. Try livin’ up to that name some time.� Logan lifted his hand to swat at an errant gnat that was buzzing around his hair. “What’s the point of bein’ a so-called ‘gifted youngster’ if ya aren’t gonna use those gifts?�

“We lost six of our alumni and staff while we were scouting out a mutant power signature in the Mediterranean,� Charles murmured.

“Boo-freakin’-hoo.� The gnat was wearing on his last nerve, stubbornly dive-bombing the sharp, shaggy peaks of his hair. He swatted at it again, picking his moment.

“Your enhanced senses would come in handy,� Charles suggested.

“Great. So ya need me ta be a bloodhound.� He nodded to Scott, who was watching him silently, a blank expression on his face. He peered back at his own reflection, distorted by the red lenses of his glasses. “Why dontcha send Scooter here ta do it, with yer fancy mutant signature-tracking thingamabob?�

“I’m not the one who knows how to use it. Oh, by the way, Logan?�

“Yeah?�

“Hold still.� VRAAAAAAMMPPPPFFTT! Scott’s fingers flew up to his glasses, lifting them by the stem before Logan could utter “Holy shit!� and his eyes narrowed, glowing scarlet before emitting a needle-fine laser beam that nearly parted his hair. He dropped his glasses back into place and reached up to scratch his chin.

The buzzing stopped. The gnat’s body dropped from mid-air, landing almost silently on the Oriental rug by Logan’s feet. Almost silently. Logan could have sworn the gnat uttered “wtf?� before meeting its demise.

SNIKT…

“Try that again with a movin’ target, Bright Eyes,� Logan offered, lunging up from his chair, claws extended and baring his fangs. Scott’s feet were already bringing him close enough to smell Logan’s breath, nose to nose with the compact, scrappy Canadian, never flinching at the sight that sent men bigger than him home to stubborn, pissed-bed inducing nightmares.

“Keep talking like a target,� Scott hissed back.

“Scott!� Charles barked. “Remember yourself. Logan, calm down.�

“Who’s gonna make me, bub?�

There are ladies present, Xavier’s liquid voice intoned, except that his lips weren’t moving. Logan sneered.

“A friggin’ telepath. Great. Just great.� SNAKT. He sheathed his claws, then growled, lunging forward a little and stamping his foot at Scott just because he could, as though shooing off an errant puppy. Scott made a disgusted sound before standing down, leaning back on the edge of the professor’s desk. “And I don’t see no ladies…� Soft footsteps padded down the hall before Logan had the chance to focus on the incoming guest.

Sandalwood, almonds and a fragrance that he could only define as the warmth of her skin and the natural pheromones of her hair toyed with his senses, teasing him fleetingly as he turned toward the doorway of the study. No one could look as good as she smelled.

He was proven wrong again.

“I thought you all might like some cookies,� she offered. Her voice was rich and dark as maple syrup, with a faint accent that intrigued him. “Moira sent them up, and asked if you needed any more tea, Professor.� She set the platter down on the side table, laden with a plate of sugar cookies and a small candy dish of mints. The good kind, Logan noticed, pastel-colored crèmes dotted with white nonpareils. She helped herself to one briefly, smiling in satisfaction as she popped a pink one into her mouth and savored it.

“Ororo, I’d like you to meet Logan, our guest. We’ve requested his assistance in retrieving our First Year graduates.� She hastily covered her mouth, attempting to swallow the mint so that she could greet him without talking around a lump of mint crème. She fluttered her hand errantly, as if coaxing it down her throat before extending it to greet him properly.

“I apologize. I’m Ororo. Ororo Munroe.� He stared at her hand a moment, and she wavered slightly, wondering if he would take it, or if her arm would fall off in the process.

His hand felt warm, strong and solid cupped in hers, seeming to hold her captive. “No need ta apologize, darlin’. Name’s Logan.� Then as soon as he’d greeted her, he dropped her hand and retreated, turning back to Charles. “And I ain’t accepted that request yet, Chuck.� Logan heard the faint sound of disapproval she emitted over his familiarity with the Professor.

“I see.� He turned back to face her, smirking over the defensive posture she had, so much like Scott’s. “So you will not help us?�

“I don’t know you people from Adam,� he shrugged. “Wouldn’t mind gettin’ ta know YOU better, Sunshine, but it looks like ya’ve got yer mind on one thing that ya need from me.� One delicately winged white brow – white, Logan marveled – cocked itself in the air as her hands settled on her hips. They were nice hips.

“I do not particularly need anything from you, sir,� she huffed. “The Professor told Scott and I that you have special gifts that would help us track down our friends. Cerebro located a powerful mutant signature.�

“They told me that already.�

“We lost the power signatures of all six of our alumni shortly after they departed the school. Scott was the only one to return.� She pinned him with eyes that seemed to scold him, even though her voice was soft. “My best friend is missing,� she informed him. “You could help us get her back.�

“Is yer friend hot, too?�

“I said it once; I’ll say it again. Watch your mouth,� Scott growled behind him. Logan’s laugh was brittle, rumbling through a chest that was broad as a tree trunk.

“Guess that’s a yes. Guess she’s taken, too?�

“In a manner of speaking, yes. Jean is Scott’s fiancée,� Ororo replied smoothly. “Think about that, then, when you consider whether to refuse help to someone trying to save the woman he loves.�

“Wouldn’t know what that’s like, darlin’.� It was a boldfaced lie.

Her face refuted it as such. And oh, what a face it was.

Eyes clear and blue as tourmalines glowed out from a face imagined by an Egyptian sculptor of old, her skin dewy and glowing, a rich shade of cinnamon. High, proud cheekbones and a pert chin challenged him to walk out that door, or better yet, to risk remaining in their company to assume their shared burden. If she smiled, she’d have dimples, Logan pondered. He’d bet anything on it. Those large eyes were slanted and fringed with dark, curling lashes, and she stared down a nose that was narrow and straight, haughty in her bearing as she measured him. She was also miles tall, easily standing eye to eye with Scooter, but much easier on the eyes. Her curves were never-ending, and a rippling, gleaming cascade of lustrous white hair waved down her back.

Lips shaped like a cupid’s bow, full and ripe as strawberries then proceeded to tear him a new one.

“I do not think I have ever had the displeasure of meeting someone so cocky and selfish!� she hissed. “Do you have even one conscionable bone in your body, Logan? The Professor contacted you, asked for assistance in finding you, because he needed help he felt only you could give! We have lost telepathic contact with all six members of our team! We cannot reach them by radio, satellite, or radar! Scott came back to this house barely alive! His powers were temporarily stripped from him when he got back! We have been fretting, sleepless, and struggling for clues, for any means of getting back in there and bringing them out! We are mutants, Logan. That automatically makes us targets, if you like. It also makes us expendable. The military would never help us. The government would show a round of applause if their bodies were found drifting in the sea, if they knew who and what they were. We are each all that we have.� During her discourse, she’d slowly advanced, broadly gesticulating, her hands flying like thrashing falcons. He’d actually BACKED UP as she pled her case on the Professor’s behalf.

Behind him, Scott suppressed a smile.

“Ororo, that’s enough. This is Logan’s decision, whether or not to stay.� Ororo peered down at him in frustration, her back still stiff, bristling at being interrupted.

“Fine, then. Do as you will,� she shot back, directing her parting words at Logan as she swept from the study. Her loose cotton pants and tunic swished out behind her with her angry stride. “Do not let the door hit you on your way out.� Logan grew flushed with the heady shock of her rant, bursting forth from her lips when she’d seemed so calm and cool. Over her parting footsteps, he heard her grumbling words under her breath in a foreign tongue.

It was only then that he’d noticed that the study had grown slightly dark as the clouds outside blocked out the sun, rolling in from nowhere. Thunder rumbled overhead, sending a shiver through him. There was nothing he loved more than a good storm, even if the forecast said it was gonna be sunny today…

“Any idea what she’s sayin’?�

“You don’t wanna know,� Scott quipped coolly behind him. Logan turned to face him, and his chiseled mouth was twisted into a wry grin beneath his flamboyant spectacles.

“No. You don’t,� Charles agreed affably. “Cookie?� He nodded to the plate on the table.

Logan made a thoughtful noise, scratching an itch behind his ear before taking one from the tray. The pastry crumbled onto his tongue, rich with butter and cinnamon. Snickerdoodles; his favorite.

“Ororo’s English is coming along nicely,� Charles pointed out.

“Coming along?� Logan’s expression begged him, Are ya shittin’ me?

“It isn’t her native tongue. Ororo hails from Cairo. She came here six weeks ago. I’ve been teaching her English telepathically. She’s a quick study.�

“Wait a minute…so, she ain’t one of yer alumni?�

“No. She’s accepted my offer, much as I had hoped you had. She has been recruited for the recovery mission. She and Scott shall be leaving in forty-eight hours. I was hoping you’d join them.� Charles eyed him carefully, trying not to color his words with futile hope.

Logan polished off the cookie before brushing the crumbs from his hands against his worn denims.

“So, how do ya figure we get to this island o’ yers? In a friggin’ rowboat?�

Okay. So it wasn’t a row boat.

The hangar was two stories below ground level and as wide across as a football field. Scott pulled up the lever beside the door with a loud click, and row after row of fluorescent overhead lights illuminated the various aircrafts and vehicles. Logan sucked in his breath and scanned each one, not inclined to speak.

“Makes you feel like a kid in a candy store, doesn’t it?� Scott’s tone was smug, but Logan didn’t argue. He led him to an enormous, sleek jet, and Logan could have sworn it was staring back at him.

“Logan, Lockheed. Lockheed, Logan.� He gestured to the craft with his introduction.

“A Blackbird. A friggin’ SR-71 Blackbird??�

“Yup.�

“And a whole warehouse full of goodies right under the house? Ya ain’t afraid someone might get in and start pokin’ around, keeping all this on the property?�

“We’ve never had so much as the neighbors coming by to borrow a cup of sugar. And it’s a school for mutants, not just a house. Think we’ll manage.�

“Famous last fuckin’ words.�

“You always this social?�

“Sometimes I’m a real wallflower.� He didn’t resist the urge to peruse the rows of jets, land rovers, Jeeps, a couple of vans, and the most souped up Hummer he’d ever laid eyes on. “Nice,� he exclaimed under his breath. “And Charley foots the bill for all this gas?�

“Don’t get any ideas.�

“I passed ‘idea’ ten seconds ago. Call it a plan. Shit, call it a wet dream come true if ya want.�

“I’d rather not. I’m in such a bad mental place right now.� Logan smirked. “Besides, you’re dreaming too small.�

“Spoken like a man who’s whipped.� Scott’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly behind his spectacles and his lips flattened again.

“You’re the expert. Most men in your line of work and with personnel records that read like a rap sheet don’t usually bring anyone else along for the ride. Didn’t figure you’d be the one to know what ‘whipped’ looks like if you’ve never been there.�

“Ya don’t know where I’ve been. But assume what ya want, Scooter.� He peered at the jet again. “This thing got cruise control?� Scott didn’t hide his smile.

~0~

I miss you, sister. Ororo attempted to center herself, to no avail.

Something in her loft was “off.�

She closed her eyes and breathed deep, expanding her awareness of her surroundings. Fresh air streamed inside through the skylight and stroked her, making her clothing and her hair flutter.

She caught the offending problem and rose from her seat. She crossed the loft, stopping at the large, potted ficus tree, and with a thought, she summoned a palm-sized rain cloud, saturating the slightly crusty soil. The brilliant white glow receded from her eyes, reverting to their customary blue.

“Much better.� That chore finished, she began to dust her framed photographs with a soft rag. She held the five-by-seven of her with Jean that Scott had taken of them at Coney Island, saluting him with hot dogs and cotton candy in front of the roller coaster booth. Scott, amusingly, resorted to the chicken exit. Jean looked fresh-faced and pretty, wholesomely clad in a smart emerald sweater and denim cargo skirt. Ororo sighed at her own choice of attire, shaking her head at her large sunglasses and the roomy hat she’d pulled over her hair.

Traces of Jean decorated Ororo’s room and made her feel her absence more keenly. Jean’s graduation photo. The soft white silk nightgown she’d given Ororo for her birthday, folded neatly atop the wicker laundry basket. A spider plant hanging from a macramé holder by her window. A quilted photo album she’d made herself, covered in pale blue calico, knowing Ororo needed it, even though she abhorred arts and crafts.

I’d feel it if she was gone. That was the only thing that kept her going. Scott had been withdrawn and looked increasingly gaunt these past few days, despite Moira’s efforts and her own to fatten him up. The arrival of the Professor’s prospective new recruit had the unexpected benefit of re-igniting a spark of life in her second best friend; it didn’t matted it if was like watching two alpha dogs sizing each other up. It was just good to see him interacting with them again instead of being pent up in the suite he shared with Jean. The room was immaculate, save for Jean’s favorite cosmetics, still laid out across the dresser and the paid or green satin house slippers leading toward the beg as though she’d jut stepped out of them.

She dismissed it and headed downstairs. The Professor was expecting more company, and she wanted to help Moira prepare tea.

The attractive Scot was cursing under breath as she rolled out a flour-dusted pie crust. “Och, why do I persist in making bluidy pies, I’m a glutton for punishment!� Ororo chuckled, drawing her attention as she entered the sun-drenched room. “Don’t just stand there, lass, pick up a knife and peel these apples, they won’t do it themselves!� Ororo obliged her, washing her hands and donning the spare apron hanging from the peg.

“How many are we expecting?�

“According tae Charley, five more! I’ve yet tae air out the rooms, and I’m knackered! Fetch me the sugar from the pantry, there’s a good lass!�

“I wasn’t expecting so many,� Ororo admitted.

“Yuirself and me both. Always dropping things in me lap at the last bleedin’ minute, my Charley.� Ororo stifled a laugh as she continued peeling the apples, the long green strips hanging in coils as she worked.

“I’m curious to know if they’ll stay. Provided that we even come back.� She startled at the sharp flick of a rolled-up dishtowel smacking her bottom.

“Dinna talk like that, colleen,� Moira snapped. “If ye dinna feel yuir coming home tae me an’ Charley, then ye have no business getting on that blasted plane. Doubtin’ yuirself will doom all o’ ye from the start.� She resumed working the crust into the pie pans. “Don’t ye think I miss her, too? I dinna sleep at night, Ororo. Know that I dinna plan tae sleep until ye bring my other two colleens home wi’ ye.� Lorna’s empty bedroom had also been kept in pristine condition; Moira even missed Alex’s sloppy living habits, having decided to kick his bum properly once he was settled safely under their roof.

The pies were tucked in the oven and already filling the kitchen and hallway with the mouthwatering scent of cinnamon and cloves when the front doorbell rang. Moira hastily wiped her hands on her apron, but Ororo beat her to the punch.

Ororo, would you lead our guest into the study?

“Gladly,� she replied as she tugged open the heavy oak door. She stifled a gasp as she looked up, up, up into the face of a man whose head nearly reached the top of the doorframe. His expression, to her amusement, was just as surprised as hers as he studied her.

“Boszhe moi…I mean, good morning, er…�

“Are you here to see the Professor?� she inquired.

“Da,� he nodded, and she drew back to allow him inside. She continued to smile at his reaction to the enormous, well-appointed foyer and the opulent furnishings. “This is a school?� His voice was incredulous.

“Of a sort,� she chuckled. Her eyes were warm as she reached out to shake his hand. He noticed her grip was firm for someone with such slender, soft hands. Ororo herself was unused to feeling dwarfed by someone so much taller than she was, but his face was boyishly handsome and his cobalt blue eyes were warm and open. She liked him already. “The Professor said he’d like to see you in his study, Piotr.�

“You know my name?�

“The Professor just told me,� she explained cheerfully. “I hope you’re hungry. We’re expecting more guests shortly, but Moira and I have been busy in the kitchen all morning.�

“It feels good to stretch my legs,� he explained, and she easily believed him. “It was like being folded in half in those miserable airplane seats. The Professor paid my way here, but that didn’t make it any more comfortable.� His voice held a thick accent that she found appealing, much like the Professor’s faint lilt, Moira’s brogue or, surprisingly, the indolent, rough burr of Logan’s speech, even though she found the man himself unsavory. Yet she couldn’t shake their first meeting from her mind…

She mentally slapped herself and got back to the matter at hand. He lumbered silently behind her, occasionally gaping at elegant portraits and landscape paintings hanging on the walls, watching the sunlight streaming inside bathing the polished hardwood floor in a buttery shine. Professor Xavier was already smiling and watching the door, waiting for them.

“Welcome, Mister Rasputin! We’ve been expecting you. How was your flight?�

“Er, a bit…cramped.�

“Make yourself at home,� he offered. His voice was bold and rich, much like it had been when he came to his parents’ farm.

“Easier said than done,� he muttered under his breath, and Charles’ smile widened a notch. Ororo chuckled.

“I had the same reaction myself,� she admitted. “I think you’ll like it here.�

“It was difficult,� he explained, seating himself in the absurdly small wheeled chair opposite Charles’ desk and leaning his elbows over his knees, twisting his cap between his hands. “My baby sister cried the whole ride to the airport. She wanted to pack herself into my suitcase and come with me.�

“She’s a lovely child,� Charles agreed. “Like a little ray of sunshine. I promise you that you will have opportunities to visit her, or to bring her here, if you like.�

“She’s all I have,� Piotr rumbled. “My parents and I are not people of means, Professor. I’ve lost a brother already. My leaving them was not something done lightly, or without cost.�

“I realize that, son, and I’ve already taken some steps to ensure that they don’t suffer greatly from your absence, aside from missing you. I’ve already wired them a monthly stipend to supplement their income and hire another hand or two on your farm. I also replaced your neighbor’s tractor,� he murmured, and there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. Piotr blushed.

“Thank you, sir.� Ororo’s expression was curious and intrigued, but before she could ask for details, the doorbell rang again.

“I’ll get it,� she informed them, rushing out.

“Offer our friend Kurt a place to hang his coat, Ororo. He’s no doubt roasting by now.� Piotr raised an eyebrow, and the Professor wheeled himself out from behind his desk in anticipation.

“I’ll ask Moira if the food is ready in the meantime.� Piotr’s stomach grumbled in agreement.

Ororo opened the door, and this time she was greeted by a compact, wiry figure covered by a surprising layer of clothing despite the balmy day. His back was turned as he surveyed the expanse of the school’s lawn and the surrounding outbuildings, but he spun around to face her at the sound of her arrival. He seemed to stagger back abruptly at the sight of her before composing himself.

“Ach, Fraulein, you startled me,� he informed her. His accent was even more compelling than Piotr’s, and he had a lyrical tenor. Large dark glasses like the ones she favored when she was in the city covered his eyes, and a wool snow hat was pulled low over his ears. A black wool peacoat covered him to mid-thigh, and he wore a pair of sturdy black boots on his feet. A pair of dark blue mittens covered his hands, she noticed.

“Welcome, Kurt.�

“How did you…?�

“The Professor was expecting you. You must be boiling beneath all those things,� she tsked. “Let me hang them up,� she offered, gesturing for him to come inside, but he gently gripped her wrist as she reached for his hat. “I’m sorry…was I too bold, Kurt?�

“Nein. It’s…just that it’s a bit jarring when people meet me for the first time.�

“Why?� He felt a pang of frustration; no matter what he said to put her at ease was about to be sorely tested once he revealed himself.

“It’s complicated.�

“My friend, this whole day is about to become very complicated,� she assured him. “Come with me.� She reached for his mittened hand and tugged him along after her, and she heard his low exclamation of surprise. “And I hope you’ve brought an appetite. Moira and I made pie.�

“That…that sounds nice. And I didn’t catch your name?�

“Call me Ororo.�

“Unglaublich…how big is this house? I performed under a big top that wasn’t even half this size!� Then he added, “Where is that name from? I’ve never heard it before.�

“Kenya.�

“Then you’ve come a long way.�

“So have you, from what the Professor told me. And so has Piotr. I think you’ll like him.�

“That’s moot, if he does not like me,� Kurt reasoned, and she quirked a snowy brow at him.

“I like you,� she stated haughtily. He smiled beneath his knitted muffler.

Piotr turned at the sound of Ororo’s footsteps, and he received yet another shock -his day seemed to be full of them - as a heavily garbed young man who seemed to be draped in shadow glided inside after her.

“You can’;t be comfortable bundled beneath all of that, Mister Wagner. This is Piotr Rasputin. He just arrived today, too. You will be staying in the same wing.�

“Guten tag,� he offered, waving hesitantly, but he didn’t remove his garb before seating himself on a fainting couch in the corner. Ororo sighed, but any words she could form were interrupted by the clatter of Moira’s overloaded serving tray as she breezed inside.

“The bluidy food won’t serve itself, colleen,� she harped at Ororo, beckoning for her to help unload it onto the cherry table that was already dressed in a linen cloth. She got up to help her set out the silverware and layout the tea service cart beside it, bearing Moira’s ruffled feathers graciously before the doorbell rung again.

“Bluidy hell,� Moira grumbled. “Dinna let these lads starve t’death, lass, I’ll get it!� She tucked a gleaming lock of chestnut hair behind her ear and breezed out. “And take off yuir bleedin’ coat, lad! It’s hot as blazes in here!� Ororo smothered her smile, and watched Kurt fumbling with his scarf, unknotting it and laying it down beside him. She relieved him of it and hung it on the coatrack before offering him a cup of tea.

“Danke,� he murmured gratefully, before he peeled off one of his mittens and laid it aside, watching her reaction from beneath his glasses. He braced himself for revulsion, for her to revile him…and found only interest and acceptance written on her delicate features. His dark, three-fingered hand reached carefully for the porcelain cup and saucer, and she plucked up his mittens, wrapping them in his coiled scarf.

“Let me take these from you, Kurt� she murmured. His eyes flitted over to Piotr, who still looked uncomfortable in the chair as he fumbled with the sugar cubes. Kurt nodded to the seat beside him.

“There’s more room over here, mein freund.�

“He’s right,� Charles suggested. Piotr nodded numbly and stood, bringing his cup with him, and Kurt’s eyes rose to follow the line of his body, amazed at his size. The couch sagged beneath his weight as he settled himself.

“Did you travel very far to come here?�

“Da. And I left behind everything I had.�

“I left behind nothing,� he confessed. “Pleasure,� he saluted him, raising his teacup as he took a sip. Shadow seemed to love this new houseguest’s skin, seeming to become a part of him. Piotr couldn’t get over those remarkable hands.

“I feel like I left behind everything I knew,� Ororo mused. “Sugar?� she offered Kurt. She passed Piotr a the tray of snickerdoodles, and both men took their time studying her, still processing her unique looks with awe.

Whoever was at the door needed to stop leaning on the doorbell, Moira grumbled to herself. “I’m coming, no need tae be impatient! Och, hold yuir horses!� The door flew open with a savage yank. “Well, don’t ye just stand there gawking, come in before ye let in the flies!� A tall, rugged man nearly choked on his pipe, choking on a whiff of pungent smoke that went in through the wrong pipe, She smiled wryly as he attempted to recover himself.

“KAAARRGGHHH! *kaff* I’m…here t’see the Professor,� he rasped, his deep baritone missing its usual lilt as he wiped his now watery eyes.

“Aye. Tell me something I dinna already know,� she scoffed. “Put that out. Charley despises smoking in his home.� She yanked the pipe from his hand and knocked out the ashes from it before shoving it into her apron pocket. “Don’t stand there gawking all day. Follow me.� Before she could take his hat from him, he straightened himself and peered down into her face.

Blue eyes met green and lingered for one breathless moment. Her visitor cleared his throat sheepishly.

“What’re ye starin’ at, lad?�

“M’not a lad,� he informed her. He removed his hat and handed it to her, running a large, broad hand through his unruly hair, which gleamed a fair, golden shade of auburn. His fingertips bumped hers, and she felt a tingle of electricity run up the length of her arm, sending a rosy flush into her cheeks. She swallowed thickly, and her lips worked stubbornly as she tore herself away from him.

“Food’s getting cold. Charley’s waiting for ye in his study.�

“Then let’s not keep him waiting,� he agreed as he followed her. She felt the heat of his stare at her back; he drank in the sight of a long, shapely pair of calves revealed by her tapered brown skirt.

She lead him into the study and beckoned to him imperiously, “SIT!� He didn’t hesitate. “It’s gettin’ a wee bit crowded in here, Charley, I’ll fetch another chair.� He stared after her with a dumbstruck expression as she left. Charles nudged him briefly and reached to shake his hand.

“It’s good to see you, Sean. I trust you had a good trip?�

“Aye,� he murmured. “Er, who…?�

“Moira MacTaggert. She’s helping me to run the household for a while, and she’s one of my colleagues and dearest friends. I know she can also seem a bit abrupt.�

“Abrupt, he says,� Sean huffed. He rubbed his nape absently while Ororo came by and offered the cookie tray.

“Snickerdoodle?�

“Aye…oh. Hello,� he sputtered out, finally taking her in and noticing his new companions in their motley grandeur. He barely felt the pastry crumbling between his fingers as the caramel-skinned woman towering over him smiled at him with even, pearly teeth.

“We’ve nearly a full house,� she remarked. “Charles, I’m going to help Moira fetch the-“ She was cut off when the doorbell rang once more. “Oh, good, everyone’s showing up early!� She headed back outside, and Kurt shifted beside Piotr, tugging at the collar of his coat. Charles suddenly felt like he was caught up in some comedy of errors as each of the three men stared up at him, completely flabbergasted.

“And this is a school?� Kurt inquired. “Where are the children?�

“My students often come to me during their adolescence,� Charles explained. “I haven’t gained any new pupils for the past few months, but I’ve retained some of my graduating class as instructors, and for some of the school’s other interests and dealings.�

“Like Ororo?�

“Not quite. She’s here for the same reason that I’ve called you all together.�

Ororo didn’t expect to find two people on the other side of the door, both of them eyeing each other with no lack of disdain on the front porch.

“Come in,� she announced.

“Shit,� murmured the broad-shouldered mountain of a man garbed in well-worn jeans and thick-soled rancher’s boots as he gave her the once-over. “You don’t look like any school teacher I ever saw, sweetheart.�

“Call me Ororo,� she corrected him. The corner of his mouth curled slyly as he let himself in without any further preamble, brushing closely enough that she had to move back. His body radiated heat and unabashed virility, not unlike Logan, except his gaze was more open, and he took up more physical space. His skin was burnished and tanned, his bone structure sharp and angular. Glossy black hair hung down in straight sheaves down his back, and intelligent black eyes raked over the room.

“There’s no way this is a school. It’s like the friggin’ Hilton.�

“I’ve seen better,� his companion sniffed, “but it will do.� He looked down at Ororo’s extended hand arrogantly and decided not to leave her hanging, shaking it briskly. “I hope the Professor knows how much trouble I’ve gone through to be here.�

“And he appreciates it a great deal, as do I.� She pried his carry-on bag from his grip once he released her, also retrieving the other that his friend dropped on the floor with a plop. “And Shiro, John, it’s very nice to meet you.� John rocked back on his heels and followed her, noticing she didn’t stagger beneath the weight of the luggage, her posture straight and proud. “I’ll put these away. The Professor will be glad you made it safely.� She nodded toward the door of the study. “Be right back!�

“Och, I knew there wasn’t enough room in this blasted tiny room!� Moira complained, shooing both men inside. John was amused at the woman whose voice was bigger than she was as she steered him toward the end of the couch, already occupied by huge man and a second one seemingly swallowed up by his clothes. Shiro helped himself to the other chair beside Charles’ desk, crossing one ankle over his knee and folding his arms over his chest.

“It’s nice to see you again, Shiro.�

“Then you’d better make it worth my while,� he replied. He reached for a cookie, and was rebuffed by Moira flapping a napkin at him.

“Don’t drop any crumbs!� She turned to the Professor. “I’m headed back tae me kitchen, Charley! These tired bones of mine need a rest! Just give me a yell when ye need anything else, yuir Highness!� His smile was unperturbed as she spun on her heel and left.

“I like her.� Sean’s voice didn’t feel like his as it left his mouth.

“She’s a soft touch,� Ororo agreed. “And wait til you’ve had her pie.� It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her what kind, before he noticed the odd look Charles gave him over his teacup.

“I hope everyone’s had a chance to cool their heels,� announced a voice from the doorway. Scott strolled inside, looking all business while Logan trailed in his wake, looking like he’d been taken away from more entertaining affairs, but he leered knowingly at Ororo like a man who would suffer his current company gladly if he had to…

He perused the table’s offerings, muttering “What? Still no beer?�

“No shit,� John agreed brusquely, contenting himself with inhaling one of the finger sandwiches.

“Aye; we’d cool our heels a tad more easily at a tavern, if ya have any decent ones about,� Sean chimed in.

“Later,� Scott barked. “It’s time to get down to business.�

“What kind of business, tovarisch?� Piotr inquired.

“We have some people to save. We need you for a recon to bring them back.�

“Bring them back from what?�

“From where I lost them a few weeks ago,� Scott admitted, and his face burned with quiet shame before he continued. “We were scouting out a mutant signature in the South Pacific. We were tracking the signal on an island called Krakoa. It isn’t uncharted, but by all accounts, it’s uninhabited, or at least that’s what we believed until we got there.�

“Who did you find there?� Kurt asked, his voice still muffled beneath his cap and coat.

“We still don’t know. We were attacked. I woke up back at the jet, and I never saw what hit us. Communications were down when I tried to contact the others. There were five of us,� he explained. “My link with Cerebro was down.�

“With what?� Sean looked confused, and his expression was reflected on the faces of the other men in the room.

“Fancy thingamajig Chuck here used ta find me and the rest of ya,� Logan supplied. He helped himself to one of the sandwiches, waving it for emphasis. “Don’t ask. Yer gonna be there all day tryin’ ta understand it.�

“And let me get this straight,� John interjected. “You don’t know what we’re up against, but you want us to follow you back there, walk right in and bring back your friends? And they’re supposedly ‘students’ at this fancy school? You abandoned kids on a fuckin’ island?�

“Not kids. But yeah, they were students.�

“This little field trip sounds like a barrel of laughs,� John snorted.

“Sounds like you’re afraid,� Shiro accused dryly. John pinned him with a glare meant to intimidate but failed. Shiro was nonplussed; his chiseled mouth twisted and he shrugged. Almond-shaped brown eyes stared down a patrician nose as he drummed slender fingers on the arm of his chair.

“Afraid my ass. Better yet, bend over and kiss mine.� Logan liked him already.

“Like all of you, my graduates were mutants.� Charles assumed the reins of the discussion to Scott’s relief as he retreated to the doorway, leaning against its frame. “Perhaps you’ve heard news on television and in the newspapers of a group of people called the X-Men?�

“Da, but they’re criminals,� Piotr insisted.

“No, I assure you, they’re not, Piotr. And if you still want to help Scott in the search and rescue of my students, you’re welcome to join their ranks.�

“X-Men?� Kurt leaned forward, setting aside his teacup.

“Are you shitting me?� John looked ready to waltz back out the front door, but Ororo’s calm voice stopped him.

“He’s asking for your help. Hear him out. You have an opportunity to help some amazing people who desperately need it. Think about a time in your life when you’ve wished someone would have stood up for you and yours, John.�

“That ain’t easy, sweetheart. No one’s ever stood up for me and mine. Don’t see why I should return the favor.�

“And I don’t see why you feel you shouldn’t set the example.� She sighed deeply, planting her hands on her hips in a gesture that Logan was starting to grow accustomed to. “But it’s up to you.�

“Anyone who’s got any second thoughts can leave, and we won’t hold it against you,� Scott added, “but if you’re willing to take the next step and join us, and bring our people home, then you’ll be joining one big, happy, dysfunctional family and be starting something pretty damned rewarding, namely saving lives and shaping new ones. But if you’re not on board, I won’t stop anyone from walking back out that door.� He leveled his red-spectacled gaze at Logan and John, waiting for their reply. John participated in the staring contest for five long seconds.

“I ain’t going anywhere, Bright Eyes. But beer would help.� Logan’s grin was feral behind him. Knowing chuckles escaped Piotr, Sean and Kurt, and Ororo wearily shook her head and rolled her eyes in defeat, her and Moira’s earlier labors for naught.

“Fine then. Get settled in. Get some rest. Tomorrow’ a big day,� he continued.

“What then?� Piotr asked.

“Then we suit up.� The room was silent as he strode out, five sets of eyes following him.

“I don’t think I even wanna know what that means,� Logan grumbled.

“No. You don’t,� Shiro tsked.

“Speakin’ of which…yer creepin’ me out, bub, take that shit off,� Logan griped, striding over and yanking off Kurt’s hat before he could stop him. “Holy…

“I would’ve preferred that you didn’t do that,� Kurt informed him quietly, and his long, pointed blue ears twitched. He sighed and reached up to pluck off his dark glasses, and luminous yellow eyes held Logan immobile. “I’ll take that, mein freund,� he said, nodding to his hat. Beside him, Piotr’s eyes were wide as he gaped at him, but he didn’t shy away.

“Can’t say I expected that,� Logan admitted breathlessly. He handed him back his cap with limp fingers and stood back as Kurt slowly removed his coat and boots.

“Likewise,� he retorted back. “You have remarkable hair.� Ororo enjoyed his jaunty tone and wit, and she studied him with growing interest and delight. “As do you, Fraulein,� he commented to her, facing her now and bracing himself for her reaction.

“Thank you,� she beamed, and her lips twitched at Logan and Piotr’s inability to rein in their surprise. Sean and Charles were enjoying the show as Kurt pried off one boot, then the other.

He wiggled the two - two - long toes on each foot, the long, thick digits flexing as he groaned with relief. “Ach, I despise shoes.�

“I bet,� Sean agreed. He knew his departed wife, Maeve, would never believe him if he told her about the sights he’d seen today.

“Let me hang that up, Kurt,� Ororo suggested, motioning for his coat. He stood to his full height, now that he was unencumbered by his coat, and handed it to her gratefully. A slender tail, barbed sharply at the end like the head of an arrow, flicked back and forth as he continued to stretch. His face was lean and not unpleasant to look at; a European profile was finally illuminated by the sun bathing the study, and when he smiled, she could see slightly elongated canines, slightly more prominent than Logan’s, but he managed not to look menacing.

His skin was indigo blue, and for some reason, Ororo itched to reach out and touch it.

He didn’t stop her when her hand drifted up to stroke him, her caress feather-light and tender. “Oh,� she exclaimed on a whisper. Velvety fur tickled her fingertips, and he trembled beneath her touch. “I didn’t expect…� She cleared her throat and dropped her hand.

“I’m not what most people expect.�

“Ya think?� John piped up.

“Fuck off,� Logan growled, flicking him in the back of the head. He fought back the growl that rose up from his chest when Ororo reached out to touch him, suddenly covetous of that brief contact.

Did those hands feel as good as he imagined? How would it feel if she looked at him like that?

“I didn’t mean to be rude,� she apologized, and she felt her stomach do a funny little dip as he gave her an elegant bow, drawing her hand up to his lips for a kiss that made her sizzle all the way down to her toes.

“Nonsense. I’m honored, Fraulein. And I hope to meet any further expectations you might have.� Piotr’s chest rumbled with silent laughter, but he also looked slightly jealous. Shiro rose from his seat, disgusted by the display.

“This is a waste of time. Professor, I’d like to be shown to my room.�

“Moira would be happy to do the honors. And Ororo and Scott will be giving you a tour of the school shortly, if you like.�

“If you insist.� His gait was proud as a rooster’s as he waved himself out.

“Cocky little shit,� John muttered.

“Ain’t enough beer in the world ta chase out whatever bug crawled up his ass,� Logan agreed. He nodded to Sean and Piotr. “Beer?�

“Beer.� Sean was already on his feet. “But I want my pipe back first.� Ororo had said something earlier about Moira’s pie.

“Are you finished with your tray, James?� Terry motioned to the tray that had hardly been touched; the warming lid was slight askew, and when she lifted it, most of the contents were still there. The watery red Jell-O was gone, as were the crackers. “You weren’t that hungry today?�

“I’m done with it, if that’s what you mean,� he grumbled back, waving her away with knotty fingers as he turned his attention away from the sports program on the television mounted from the ceiling. “Leave it for ‘em t’take, so it ain’t in the way for the housekeeper.�

“You’re sure you don’t need anything?�

“There isn’t much anyone here can do for me, darlin’.� Her expression was quizzical and she gave him a sad little smile.

“Just ask. I’ll do what I can,� she assured him as she diligently assembled the napkin and discarded wrappers into a little heap and cleared the tray. Logan sighed as he watched her leave. It was almost time for his smoke break.

Ten minutes later, Matt ambled into his room and held up a brown paper bag. “I saw they had meatloaf on the menu today, sir. How was it?�

“Wouldn’t feed it to a hungry dog.� Logan chuckled at the young aide. His hair was doing something strange in the front that made him look like he belonged to a boy band, like the ones that Kitten used to enjoy so much.

“Wanna get some air?�

“Lead on, McDuff.� Logan smiled as he reached back and lifted the brake on his chair while Matt moved his sliding wheeled table away from the bed to give him room.

The other nurses and aides in the hallway smiled at them as they headed toward the exit. Mr. Howlett was more crotchety with most of them than he was with the boy on the alt shift, who was a lot more diligent than his buddy who didn’t keep up with the beds on the east wing. Of course, “less crotchety� didn’t necessarily mean more friendly. Terry and Nurse Kinney were fond enough of him, but they nagged Matt not to play favorites with the patients.

He was just so damned entertaining.

The blooms were off the magnolia tree, and the beginnings of rust-colored leaves began to drop from the tall oaks. “Haven’t seen a red maple in a long time,� Logan rasped, pointing to the spindly tree with pale bark and leaves that were beginning to turn crimson. Matt made a thoughtful noise as he opened his lunch sack.

“I didn’t know that’s what it was called.�

“Don’t they teach ya anything in that school of yers?� His eyes weren’t unkind, and Matt saw mischief twinkling in them despite his stern face. He extracted a plastic-wrapped sandwich that looked thick, as well as a bag of potato chips.

“My mom’s always asking me that,� Matt admitted as he divided the sandwich. “Want some of it before you light up?�

“Eh. Sure, why not?� He took the half Matt offered from him and sank his teeth - Matt still marveled at his canines - into the soft sourdough bread. He picked a bit of roast beef from his teeth and sighed in contentment. “Moira made a mean sandwich,� he remarked.

“She was the housekeeper?�

“More’n that. She was Charley’s right hand. Back in the day they had a thing going on, but the two of ‘em still fought like an old married couple. She was a pistol. Feisty and smart as a whip. Woman went to Oxford and came to the states after her husband was out of the picture.�

“Ugly divorce?�

“Nope. It’s complicated.� Matt handed him the bag of chips, and Logan extracted a few. “She was better off without that asshole.� Matt nearly choked on his portion of the sandwich. “She was frettin’ up a storm when we left fer that island. Irish wasn’t too happy leavin’ her behind, either. John an’ I had a helluva time yankin’ his chain on the trip over. Ya ain’t lived til ya’ve flown in a Blackbird, bub. First thing on my mind, though, when we came back was seein’ where I stood at that school. ‘Ro was already on my mind…�


~0~


“Tell me again why we hafta dress up in these monkey suits,� Logan grumbled as he tugged at the snug, stiff collar of his leather uniform. He was sturdy and strong, but the garments still seemed to weigh him down, almost like armor. Truth be told, he was more comfortable in as little as he could get away with when he wasn’t in polite company. He craved the cool evening air on his back when he was out in the woods, blowing a cloud with his Cubans.

“They could save your life,� Scott informed him, too occupied at the controls of the jet to face him.

“Mine ain’t the one that needs savin’. That’s why Chuck signed me on.�

“What makes you so special?� John scoffed as he toyed with the edge of his glove. He’d chosen to wear a necklace adorned with feathers, stone beads and bone tubs around his neck, a talisman that held special meaning to him. Charles didn’t press him when he balked at leaving it behind to keep it safe. “Aside from being able to drink any guy at Harry’s under the table?� The men on the plane had already soaked up some of the local color the night before. Without replying, Logan removed his glove. He balled up his thick fingers into a tight fist, and three gleaming, silvery blades shot through his skin as quick as a gun shot. John’s breath caught as he jerked back in his seat in surprise. He stared incredulously as Logan retracted them again and showed him his hand, palm down. The tiny wounds that leaked droplets of blood suddenly scabbed over, sealing the flesh until they, too, disappeared, leaving behind nearly invisible scars.

“Ain’t much of a parlor trick, but it gets the job done,� he muttered.

“That’s what we’re here to do,� Scott reminded him. “Save those for when we need them, Wolverine.� Logan couldn’t see much of Scott’s face from around the pilot’s seat anyway, but he guessed he was still wearing that constipated look of a guy still waiting to cop his first feel.

“Damn, what a bunch of freaks,� John grumbled.

“Watch yer mouth,� Logan snapped. It was becoming a habit. Across the aisle Ororo watched him curiously, measuring him in silence. He stared back at her in challenge. She hadn’t even flinched when he’d popped his claws, just like her reaction to Kurt. “Cat got yer tongue?�

“I’ve other things on my mind right now,� she admitted quietly, and she sat back in her seat, staring out through the window. Logan watched her twist the edge of her cloak in her hands nervously, despite her calm words. He grunted and went back to trying to find comfortable purchase in the hard seat and stifling uniform. He could still smell her tension from his perch, more distinctive among the mingled scents and pheromones surrounding him.

The jet lurched as it hit heavy turbulence, and he felt himself turn slightly green. “Petey, hand me some of yer gum.� Piotr whipped his head around to stare at him before he hastily dug in his jacket pocket and fished out a crinkled pack of Wrigley’s.

“I forgot I even had it,� he admitted as he handed him a stick.

“The nose knows.� He folded it into his mouth and felt better after a couple of chews. A brief flash of red flickered in his peripheral vision, and he turned his head in reply to the knock against the window. Shiro’s smug face greeted him and he saluted him, his face glowing as bright as the sun as he flew far and fast ahead of the ‘Bird. “Smug fucker,� he muttered. Ororo’s look of envy didn’t escape him.

“If ye’ve got it, flaunt it,� Sean reasoned dryly. “Yon laddie’s an arrogant young pup.�

“Dontcha fly, Irish?� Sean snorted.

“To be sure, I do. But if ye value yuir eardrums, it’s best if I stay in the plane, safe and sound.�

“I’m takin’ yer word for it.� The rest of the journey was spent in relative silence as they immersed themselves in their thoughts. Kurt lifted out a silver crucifix from the collar of his suit and dangled it thoughtfully in the sunlight. Piotr busied himself with a sketch with a small scratch pad and stub of a pencil he’d purloined from the kitchen. John occasionally peeked over his shoulder at it, lifting his eyebrows in admiration.

“Okay, folks, this is where we get off.�

“That was fast,� John commented. “Can’t wait to stretch my damned legs. Cramped as a sardine can in here.� Ororo smiled in agreement.

“Here’s how we’re going to do it, people. We pair up and do a recon from each side of the island, so we can cover more ground. Flyers will be on point to convey each of you to the ground.�

“Run that by me again?� John barked.

“Whatever got the drop on us before saw us coming and was counting on us to travel as a group. So we’re getting the drop on them this time. Literally. Storm, you and Colossus are phase one; take the north side. Banshee, you’re with Wolverine. And here,� he commented, tossing him an odd packet.

“What’re these?�

“Ear plugs.� Sean’s earlier remark no longer seemed so vague. He obediently ripped open the wrapper and stuffed them inside his ears. “Come in from the east. The Professor told me you had enhanced senses. You’ll make the best progress going through the brush.�

“Can’t wait.�

“I can track with the best of ‘em, One-Eye,� John reminded him arrogantly.

“Never said you couldn’t. I’m counting on it. You’re with me, Remember where we parked,� he quipped, straight-faced. “Nightcrawler, I want you to team up with Sunfire.� As if on cue, there was a brief knock on the hatch, and Logan smirked.

“Look who decided ta join the tea party.� Scott opened the hatch before anyone could protest for fear that the vacuum would suck everyone out, but Sunfire entered the plane without incident. He was the epitome of impatience.

“Get ready to head back out,� Scott told him cheerfully. “Thanks for offering us some of your time. We missed you.� The faint blaze of energy surrounding him dimmed as he stalked into the cockpit.

“What a motley, bizarre bunch you are,� he pronounced. His eyes lingered appreciatively at Storm’s uniform while Scott gave him his assignment. He instantly balked. “You want me to go with that…freak!�

“This freak has a new codename, mein freund. You would do well to use it outside of this plane.� His voice held no anger. Kurt’s expression was slightly droll.

“Of course. Nightcrawler. The Professor named you after a worm,� he jeered.

“Yo, Sunfire, stick it where the sun don’t shine. Don’t think yer doin’ us any favors,� John muttered. “And don’t think yer any less of a freak than anyone else here.� Kurt still bristled at the term “freak.�

“You two are heading south,� Scott intervened. “While you’re with us, Shiro, you’re a team player.�

“I’m also a Yashida. While you’re with me, you’ll remember to treat me with respect.� There wasn’t a hint of a smile on his lips. Ororo sighed as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

“You get back what you give, my friend.� She gestured toward the hatch. “Shall we?� He nodded, the gesture almost resembling a bow.

“After you.� Before she even beckoned to him, Piotr was activating his power and creating an impressive display. Before their eyes, his firm, ruddy skin that shone with such good health seemed to ripple as he transformed it to shining organic steel; it was like someone was gradually coating him in silver paint. Ororo was astonished to notice that he grew even taller and more massive than before, even dwarfing John’s broad frame.

“Shit,� Logan muttered. Ororo’s eyes glowed the same eerie white that Logan remembered from his first afternoon in the study, and she slowly descended from the hatch before he could cry out for her safety.

He received his second surprise visit of the day when she pulled Shiro’s trick and waved to him from the porthole. A slow smile spread across Logan’s face, and he winked. She wrinkled her nose at him and drifted back toward the hatch.

“Take my hand, Colossus,� she called out.

“Nyet. I will meet you on the ground.� With that, he raised his arms over his head and leapt neatly from the hatch, prompting a string of curses from Logan, Sean and John.

“Is he fuckin’ NUTS?�

“Storm’s taking care of it,� Scott assured John. “Look.� His grin was wide below his visor.

Piotr yelped in surprise as he felt a tug at the scruff of his collar that interrupted the whistling of wind in his ears. “Boszhe moi! What - STORM!�

“Have you taken leave of your senses? You can’t fly!� Lightning flashed from her eyes as she met his indignant expression.

“I would have been fine, and at any rate, I would’ve made a decent dent. I’m too heavy for you to carry, Storm!� She chuckled as she settled him more comfortably within her grip, twining her arms under his armpits so that her chest was at his back.

“Now you don’t have to fly by the seat of your pants,� she soothed by way of apology. “And I don’t want to test your theory, Piotr. I like you too much.� His laughter was torn from his lips as they soared to the marshy beach.

Ear plugs, Logan griped to himself. Precious little good they did him. He was in for a splitting headache once he reached the ground.

The best he could describe Sean’s powers as was sonic yodeling. And Logan felt like he’d left his stomach behind on the jet as Sean launched them aloft. He was whiteknuckling his gloved hands in an effort not to let him drop him as they careened through the air toward the trees. His curses were snatched from his throat, and he wouldn’t have heard them, anyway, over Sean’s earsplitting screech that resonated through his whole body. He hadn’t even reached his full octave range as he brought them in for a soft landing.

Sunfire was already well ahead of him, but Logan was surprised to see him alone in the air. Suddenly, several exploding puffs of dark blue smoke appeared across the sky, rapidly descending toward the island. He focused his vision and shielded his eyes from the bright sun.

It was Kurt. “Sonofabitch,� he murmured.

“Never expected that,� Sean mumbled. “Never in a million bluidy years.�

“Might come in handy before the day’s out.� Logan shoved his ear plugs into his pocket. “Let’s motor.�

“We don’t even know where we’re headed.�

“That’s what these are for,� Logan informed him, tapping a small device that looked like a compass. “There’s one in yer belt. It’s got a GPS system with a relief map of the island. Charley’s chock full of neat shit.� He pressed a button on the side plate and Sean suppressed a gasp at the tiny digital array showing an aerial view of the island. A small red dot blinked, indicating where they stood. Three more dots appeared in different quadrants of the display. “There’s the rest of the cavalry.�

“Why isn’t it picking up the Professor’s other students? Surely we’d find them easily enough without having to be so covert.�

“There ain’t no such thing as bein’ too covert. Ya worked fer Interpol, so ya know that as well as I do, Irish.�

“Just for appearances’ sake, call me Banshee, boyo. It’s daft, I’ll admit, but I won’t argue the need for an alias. Speakin' o’which,� he drawled, “why ‘Wolverine’?�

“Eh. Why not?� Sean “hmphed� behind him as he took the lead. The beach was deceptively calm and they’d arrived during low tide. Logan wrinkled his nose as the odors assailed his senses. “Damn, that’s a stench!� Palm trees swayed overhead, seeming to reach up miles into the sky. Sean began to sweat.

“Give me the drafty keep and dreich any day, an’ not this blasted heat!�

“Suck it up. It ain’t so bad in these suits,� he admitted.

“Tisn’t just that, boyo. This place has me on edge.� Logan nodded in silent agreement as they trekked through a swath of beach grass. “Wish we could signal them somehow.�

“Ain’t that easy ta hide a jet,� he mused back.

A strong wind kicked up, rustling the leaves and grass, and Logan heard a flock of birds take flight. They sounded like seagulls, only louder, creating a deafening cacophony that put Sean’s sonar to shame. “Sounds like they’re about ta feed.�

“Wonder what kinds of fish are common to these waters?� The screeching increased in volume, and the flock created broader shadows as they circled above the trees. Logan scowled at the pattern of their flight, noticing it was a little off. Ice shivered down his spine and his gut clenched.

“They ain’t lookin’ fer fish! HEADS UP!� He popped his claws and stood ready to fight first. Demonic red eyes and razor-sharp talons descended upon them faster than Sean could blink.

“Holy Mary, Mother of God!� Logan suddenly wished he had his ear plugs again as Sean took to the air. The birds flew in a veritable cyclone of beating wings and attempted to claw at him, having the singular purpose of bringing him back down to the ground. He was suddenly thankful for the unstable molecules and Kevlar protecting his body, but his flight was nearly interrupted as the birds aimed for his eyes and mouth. He beat them away with his fists, but they kept coming.

His upward flight had the benefit of leading many of them away from Logan, but they were just as interested in their grounded prey. He didn’t waste any time, and he moved like a restless shark, never pausing and as though his life depended on it. And it did.

Gleaming claws sliced through sturdy, feathered bodies and cut off their shrill cries. Their beaks ripped at what skin of this that they could reach. He was seeing through the blood running down his forehead as he was raked by their talons, but he held his ground and sliced, skewered and ripped his way through the flock. He was a man possessed, and he was pissed off.

Sean upped the ante and increased his pitch. He flew in a clean, sweeping arc, vocal chords pulsating as he penetrated the wall of avian attackers with pure, searing sound that paralyzed them before it ripped them apart. They fell dozens at a time and littered the ground in his wake.

Logan was just dispatching the last one, catching it savagely by the neck and wringing it over his head like a pair of bolos. The bone snapped with a sickening crack and it gave a final squawk as he released it in disgust. He kicked it out of his way as they headed into the thicket.

“I’ll never visit a beach again for as long as I draw breath,� Sean swore.



Elsewhere:


“So d’ya want the good news first, One-Eye, or the bad news?� John inquired as they stomped through the brush.

“Shoot,� he replied, looking puzzled.

“We found signals from the others. Looks like they’re all in one piece, according to this fancy gadget you made me carry around.�

“It’s a mini-Cerebro unit. It’s keyed into the Blackbird. Full GPS. We won’t get lost.�

“About that. The Blackbird ain’t where we left it, buddy.� Scott spun around incredulously, then turned in a slow circle. Nothing but trees, cliffs and surf. The Blackbird was nowhere to be found.

“A jet doesn’t just disappear!� he flared.

“Ya think?� John’s face was hard. “Nice going. We’re up shit creek without a paddle!�

“Not yet. Now’s the time to put those fancy tracking skills of yours to the test. Let’s find the others and let them know what happened. Storm, Banshee and Sunfire might have better luck searching from the air.�

“We might’ve too, if we’d have stayed in the goddamned plane!� The two of them hugged a tall, craggy cliff face, searching for veins of rock and caves in the hopes that their missing companions might have taken shelter inside.

“Watch your step,� Scott warned. The rocks were slippery and gradually becoming eroded by the incoming waves. Suddenly a strange, resonant noise resembling an echoing howl cut through the air, giving John a chill.

“That ain’t natural,� he growled.

“What’s wrong, Thunderbird?�

“Proudstar,� he snapped. “Call me by my name.�

“Out in the field, your name’s Thunderbird. When you’re out of uniform, you’re Proudstar.�

“Whatever made that sound isn’t any animal you find in a zoo, One-Eye.� John enjoyed taking umbrage with Cyclops’ codename. “Hnh. Look at that.�

“Look at what?�

“There’s supposed to be a mutant signature on this island, right?�

“Sure.�

“Chuck never said anything about several mutants?�

“Why do you ask?�

“Doesn’t seem like one person coulda built that thing over there.� He pointed toward a thicket of dense trees that nearly obscured a small temple made from something that resembled sandstone. John could pick out elaborate, runelike markings and jagged turrets.

“Wow.�

“Guess we’re headed that way.� They maintained their footing with no lack of difficulty, cursing as they nearly slid from the outcropping. The waves came hard and fast, their rolling suction threatening to sweep them away. “I’d climb up this cliff with no trouble, but you’d hafta ride piggy back to keep up with me, One-Eye.�

“Logan would never let us live it down,� he deadpanned. John threw back his head and laughed.

“Bet he could dig in with those friggin’ claws of - HOLY CRAP! LOOK OUT!� His eyes bulged and he braced himself against the edge of the cliff just as they nearly reached the juncture where the stony path widened enough for an easy hike. The entire cliff seemed to rumble and vibrate beneath their feet, threatening to shake them off. The rattling was deafening, and Scott’s heart leapt up into his chest.

“Avalanche,� he cried. “HOLD ON!� Massive boulders shook themselves loose from above, bearing down on them perilously close.

“Like hell!� John corrected him, snatching him by the arm and leaping as far toward the path as he could, shoving Scott from the line of fire. Once Scott was out of less immediate danger, he clung to the cliff face and readied himself.

He easily crushed an oncoming boulder to pebbles with one blow. On and on he swung, one-handed, swatting them away like they were enormous flies, where they splashed into the ocean. Scott recovered himself and raised his visor. Above John, the rocks were blasted into smithereens, exploding into harmless dust. He coughed and spat, but the two mutants continued their counterattack on the boulders until they ceased enough allow John to reach the safety of the path.

He choked back dust and shook it from his hair with impatient hands. “Are you all right?�

“Just…*KAFF*!...dandy, One-Eye!�

“Then let’s go.� They resumed their trek toward the temple, but they couldn’t shake the feeling that more obstacles were waiting to keep them from it.


On the other side of the island:


“I’ve never seen plants such as these,� Ororo commented as her boots trod over rotting leaves and crackling brush. Dense moss and winding vines wrapped around and dangled from enormous palms, and various exotic, spiky flowers filled every empty space. Some of them looked tuberous, she surmised, as Piotr sped up to catch up to her. His steps were heavier due to his steel form; she didn’t blame him for keeping his mutation activated. They didn’t appear to have a comm. link in their GPS modules, so the only way they had of knowing where their teammates were was the map display. Ororo sighed to herself. This was going to be a long, difficult mission, and she knew Moira would be worried sick til they came back.

“It’s nearly impossible to walk,� he agreed, and he wasn’t having any easier a time attempting to keep his footing. He began to cut a swath through the thick vines and branches, cleaving them aside as they made progress toward the unusual stone building in the distance, nestled in low foothills. It was the only place on the island that wasn’t completely hidden by shade and thick cloud cover as it gleamed in the afternoon sun. It reminded Ororo of some of the ancient structures she’d seen as a child in Cairo, but she doubted that her people had ever traveled this far. There were no signs anywhere so far that anyone had arrived on the island by boat or other means. And in the meantime, her friends were missing. Her gut was knotted up in a tight, uncomfortable little ball, and she shivered.

“Are you cold?� Piotr inquired with concern.

“Never,� she replied, offering him a vestige of a smile. “My gift keeps me pleasantly warm or cool no matter what the weather conditions.�

“Good. I was worried. If I weren’t in my metal form, I’d be pouring sweat by now. You’re very lucky.�

“Even so, this isn’t typical of how I expected it to feel here, in such a tropical climate. The air feels thick, almost charged. The plants seem to be emitting different gases than any others I’ve sensed before. The air feels thicker. Moist, as it should in this humidity, but definitely thicker.�

“How can you tell it’s the plants?� Piotr tore down a swath of tangled vines that were proving difficult to avoid.

“I have a bond with the atmosphere and the earth itself. I can feel shifts in the tides, air and soil,� she explained matter-of-factly. “Plants feed on moisture, and I can affect that directly, and tell how much of it they have absorbed. It feels like it rained two days ago.�

“That’s a helpful talent. It would have come in handy on my parents’ farm. We lost a crop to blight two months ago. My father’s been trying to recover from it ever since.�

“I’m sorry,� she murmured soothingly. “I wish I had been there, too.�

“You can’t be everywhere at once,� he reasoned, but he drank in her sympathy with a gentle smile.

“I can be there for anyone who needs me. And I will. Protecting the earth’s children is what I was born for, including providing sustenance for its creatures.� Her voice held conviction and personal obligation in its deep, smooth tone. Piotr frowned with confusion.

“You sound like some kind of bodyguard,� he muttered.

“Not quite. Once I was a goddess.�

“I don’t understand.�

“I lived in a village that relied on what they could farm and raise themselves, just like your family, Piotr. And it was my duty to take care of them, as they had taken care of me. The droughts that plagued them came to an end, and they prospered. I took great joy in that.�

“Then what made you come here, to be with the Professor and his school?�

“I had more encompassing duties than caring for one village.� Piotr mulled that thoughtfully.

“Then so do I.� The sounds of snapping vines and rustling leaves were their constant companion on their trek. Ororo felt the faint burn in her muscles as their path led up a steadily inclining slope. Ororo’s ears pricked up at the crackling of feet scrabbling over the brush, but when she turned around to trace it, she saw nothing except for more leaves drifting to the ground. They were about a meter closer to the clearing, but her ears dogged her to turn repeatedly toward the sounds.

“What’s bothering you so much, Storm?� He halted when she laid her hand on his arm and her fingers tightened on it convulsively.

“We’re being followed,� she whispered. “Get ready to fly with me.� A strong wind whipped up, and he felt the tense shock of anticipation wash over him. Flying in the open air unnerved him when the woman conveying him was so slight in build and he was so large. He felt himself snatched off the ground with her as her winds buoyed them up…

Only to be caught in a brief tug-of-war with thick ropes of vine that uncoiled themselves from the trees and snared them within their grip.

“GODDESS! Won’t…let go! Don’t let me go, Piotr! I won’t lose you!� The vines savagely yanked at her limbs, twining around her waist and chest to suffocate her. Snaking tendrils wrapped around her face to smother her. She saw dark spots before her eyes as she twisted and writhed to free herself, and she felt Piotr’s hand wrenched from her grasp. She flailed ineffectually as she heard his own shouts, the vines tangling him up in their web.

“STORM!� He snatched and yanked vines up from the roots, but they were sticky and they excreted a strange, gaseous toxin that weakened him, attacking his nervous system as he struggled for breath. He held his breath, filling his capacious lungs with the last vestiges of air, and he searched for gaps and chinks in the layers of vines, searching for a weak point.

And he found it. Piotr grasped as many layers of vines in his two hands as he could as he focused on the slender patch of light filtering inside, and she tore them apart. His legs plowed forward like a steer pulling a yoke behind it as he tugged himself free, muscles burning mercilessly, but he wouldn’t be defeated. He couldn’t. Ororo was depending on him.

“Storm,� he groaned, his heart twisting in horror as he saw her being swallowed up by the vines, her black uniform and white hair barely visible. The last sight he had of her was her wide blue eyes beseeching him, turning that eerie, glowing white. He bellowed in outrage, and he pulled and twisted at the weeds, bunching them up in his fists and pulling with all of his might until they snapped free from the ground and trees. Suddenly they withered into husks, desiccated and limp. He realized that they needed to be rooted into the ground or their host plant, or they would lost their source of nourishment. Storm had a chance. He just needed to act fast enough.

“I’m coming for you!� he grunted, going to work on the vines that balled themselves around her in a pulsing knot. Gleaming, thick fingers tore and yanked, but the weeds held fast and replenished themselves quicker than he could clear them. He felt her struggles beneath them, but they were weakening, and he cried out in denial.

Inside her cocoon, Ororo tried to scream. She was seeing spots that blinded her; she was trapped in the dark, clutched in its icy fingers. She was so cold; she hated her boast from only minutes ago, and her stomach rose up into her throat. Can’t breathe. Can’t think… The vines seemed to mock her, violating her and making her helpless. She could feel them crowing their triumph. She’d had enough.

Moisture…she felt it tickling her senses. Thick, overwhelming and insistent. Her own lips felt dry almost to the point of bleeding, and it hurt to breathe. The vines were feeding on her like leeches, depleting her and dehydrating her as they grew in strength. She harnessed her strength and called out to the Bright Lady for help, and she wanted to cry her relief when she felt a frisson of fresh air penetrate the weeds. It was a benediction, and she planned to thank her properly.

She braced herself and began absorbing the humid, cool moisture from the plants. Outside the thick husk enveloping her, Piotr felt his own mouth grow dry and the heat climbing nearly ten degrees. His efforts grew more sluggish but remained desperate in his attempt to free her. He could feel her helping him to free her.

The vines slowly began to ooze saplike fluids, and they twitched and rustled as they lost their deep emerald color and turned to a sickly yellow. The leaves wilted and withered and went slack. Handfuls of them gave way and he barked a laugh of triumph as he found Ororo’s hand reaching for him weakly. The weeds threw up a smell of rotting mulch and decay as they released their prisoner, coughing and gasping for air. She fell forward into his embrace and hung onto him for support. Her legs collapsed, and he shouldered her easily, even though his own strength was lagging from the dearth of moisture. There were cracks in her lips that began to bleed, and her skin was chapped. Dirt and bits of dried leaves littered her hair, and watery, bloodshot eyes peered up at him gratefully.

“Take us from here, my friend,� she pleaded. He nodded and threw aside propriety by sweeping her up into his arms for as much as the trip uphill as she would let him.



Base of the volcano:


“This place smells almost as bad as the stink you make when you ‘port,� Shiro remarked, wrinkling his nose beneath his mask.

“And only slightly less than your cologne, mein freund,� Kurt countered, shrugging as he scanned the landscape. “No signs of the others from here. I imagine Storm would have been visible from the air by now if they’d needed to get away from anything or to find us.�

“Or they would have seen me,� Shiro sniffed. His costume was unique; Charles had ensured that he was equipped with the same unstable molecules and Kevlar that were the standard issue armor for his team in the field, but Shiro insisted on a jacket with a red yoke, collar and sleeves that broke up the less conspicuous black. There was also an insignia on the breast of a rising sun. Kurt was content with his own uniform of black, cut simply and molding to his lithe, wiry frame. Even the boots were flexible enough for his toes to maintain their tactile agility.

“You stand out like a sore thumb,� Kurt grumbled under his breath. “And they could no doubt hear you rattling on with the need to hear your own voice from miles away.�

“Freak,� Shiro muttered back. He contemplated the sheer face of rock ahead of them. “We could fly over it.�

“We?� Kurt huffed. “Not likely.�

“Afraid?�

“Nein. I’m just not willing to be fried to a crisp if you misjudge how far across it you can fly. I’m not inflammable.� The volcano appeared dormant when they’d first noticed it during their recon, but Kurt felt the shifting beneath their feet and the occasional rumbles that broke through the sounds of native fauna skittering in their nests.

“It will take us all day to hike around it,� Shiro pointed out impatiently. “I, for one, don’t plan on wasting that much time. We’re here to get the Professor’s precious students and get back to the school. I won’t take up any more of my time than I have to with this mission, in such strange and unfortunate company.�

“In my life and travels, Sunfire, ‘strangeness’ is relative, and it can occasionally offer a pleasant surprise. No one thought it was unusual the first time you burst into flame?� Kurt’s tone was innocent, but mischief danced in his demon’s eyes. Shiro scowled.

“I could have lost everything, and I could not afford to. My family’s honor is all I live for. They could have seen my powers as a disgrace, and if they had, I would have been cast out in disgrace.� Before he turned his back on Kurt, his lips tightened and he clenched his fists at his side.

“I know something about being cast out,� he assured him. “I don’t think you have to worry about shame while you stay with us, and with the Professor.�

“My stay won’t be long.�

“Then godspeed. Until then, let’s go find our friends. They need us, and those fancy gifts of yours will come in handy.� It wouldn’t hurt to build him up, Kurt reasoned.

The entire time they talked, they were making good progress around the base of the mountain, but they coughed and sputtered over the clouds of volcanic ash the drifted down and littered the ground and settled on their uniforms and hair. The low rumbling that Kurt had noticed before returned and seemed to increase in volume. Unease prickled at the base of his neck.

Suddenly the earth rocked and nearly knocked them off their feet, and Shiro staggered for purchase on the shifting ground. Kurt maintained his balance thanks to his natural agility and center of gravity, and he leapt to a tree nimbly as a frog.

“Follow me!� he cried, and he teleported several meters away, then poofed away again, encouraging Shiro to fly after him. His companion had other concerns.

“It’s active!� he shouted. “The volcano’s active!� Terror bloomed in his chest as he saw the dark, rolling clouds of billowing smoke rise from the crater and smelled more of the noxious sulfur. Gouts of molten rock launched themselves from its maw like overheated kernels of popcorn, glowing orange and black and spitting fire. The barrage of flaming magma was rolling and splashing down the mountain and heading straight for them. Shiro was already hovering and bracing himself, increasing his body temperature and priming himself for the onslaught.

“GET AWAY, SUNFIRE! NOW!� Kurt shouted, wanting to jaunt him away to safety, but he was determined.

“Fight fire with fire,� Shiro murmured as he raised his hands and summoned blazing plasma, channeling it from his core and firing at the heated rock. Kurt watched incredulously and in awe as he blasted the flaming missiles and burned them out, disintegrating them before they could hit the ground. Kurt ported away, dodging debris and choking on the air that was too hot to breathe. He felt his hair and fur begin to scorch and he continued to port, creating a dotted line around the perimeter of the mountain with black puffs of brimstone-scented smoke. Shiro exerted his efforts tenfold, aiming faster and harnessing more energy as he glowed like a small sun.

A stray bubble of lava broke free from the roiling stew in the crater and bore down on his, gathering unnatural speed. His heat wouldn’t protect him; he had mere fractions of a second to fly free -

BAMF!

Shiro swallowed a cry as Kurt’s arms clotheslined him and dragged him clear, right before he teleported them just shy of being engulfed. It was jarring, and he nearly cast up his accounts. Shiro felt as though someone had turned him inside out.

“I’m sorry, but this won’t be pleasant, I’m afraid!� he apologized, and his grip around him tightened as he teleported again and again, knowing each jaunt was taxing Shiro’s reserves and making him hopelessly disoriented. He couldn’t risk Shiro not being able to fly fast enough or weakening from countering the rocks with his blasts.

His first responsibility was finding steady ground and evading the magma flowing in thick rivers down the crater and threatening the perimeter of the forest. He almost didn’t believe it when he felt gusts of cooler air and wind whipping against him each time he rematerialized, and Kurt smelled the tang of ozone. The sky overhead darkened this time with storm clouds, and rain from a sudden downpour drenched him and cooled his burnt fur and singed flesh. Ororo hovered a meter ahead of him, and Piotr gripped her hand as she wielded the maelstrom, looking the worn for wear but still in her element.

“I can fly,� Shiro grunted.

“Gut,� Kurt affirmed, “because I can’t!� He let himself go limp and allowed Shiro to shoulder him and hold them aloft.

“We almost didn’t make it,� Ororo informed them. “We can’t go by ground!�

“What do you suggest? I can’t stay airborn forever,� Shiro snapped.

“We won’t have to,� she informed him coolly, not the least put off. The wind picked up in its intensity, tearing at them despite the protection offered by their uniforms. The air grew chilled, dropping several degrees within minutes, and Kurt and Piotr could see their breath. Icy drafts crept beneath their collars, and Shiro was the only one who didn’t look affected. Rain changed to icy sleet and hail, and she swept it away from her friends, aiming it in a clean arc toward the crater. She pushed herself and her three charges higher in the air to avoid the resulting steam that threatened to sear them while she assaulted the molten rock. They felt a pocket of shifting warm air envelop them as she simultaneously protected them and froze the ground below until it sealed the rock in a solid crust of ice and several feet of snow. She gathered her reserves of strength and molded the blizzard around her, manipulating the currents and patterns of energy, reading its inconsistencies and anomalies. She knew the volcano’s spurt of activity wasn’t natural, nor was it in sync with the earth’s shifting plates.

They were being toyed with.

She was exhausted. Her entire body screamed for relief, and she nearly lost control of her winds, but she mastered herself and the gale. She began their slow descent to the ground, and she felt Piotr holding onto her fiercely. He muttered prayers in Russian and chiding her for endangering herself when she was already spent after her ordeal. She was too weak to laugh.

“Easy, Fraulein,� Kurt urged. His own lungs burned from the arctic temperatures, and he felt the laxity in his limbs. His uniform offered some protection from the sudden extreme, but he knew it wouldn’t be an easy journey through the snow. Shiro read his thoughts. Flame shot from his outstretched hand as he seared them a path through the forest, now a glittering tundra.

The temple, now closer, remained eerily untouched.

They hiked another two miles, gradually trekking through shallower drifts of snow and ash when they heard the familiar brogue and twang of two of their teammates. Joy suffused Ororo when she saw them both, and she stumbled forward to them, examining them with concerned eyes for signs of harm.

“Ya look like hell, darlin’,� Logan rumbled, his voice a hoarse croak.�

“We’re just glad yuir all right, lass!� Sean corrected, but he was also worried about her wan complexion and ruthlessly tangled hair, as well as the dust and grime smearing their clothing and flesh. Piotr looked unaffected, but even he was reduced to a stagger.

“Thank the Bright Lady you made it!� she cried, and she gently probed a sharp gash on Sean’s cheek. “What happened?� He was covered in shallow cuts wherever his flesh was bare, and Logan was just as bloodied, but she couldn’t’ see any broken skin. She thought she heard him growl, but she dismissed it.

“Ya ever seen that Hitchcock movie ‘The Birds?’� he piped up. She stared at him, and his face was resigned. He wasn’t smiling, and his dark eyes reflected relief in their depths as he inspected her. He nudged Sean out of the way and reached out to streaks of dust from her cheeks, cupping her jaw and making a sound of sympathy at the clots of dirt and blood-caked cuts on her forehead. Her hair was a dingy gray, and he smoothed it back from her face. Curious blue eyes flicked over him and followed the movements of his hands. When he realized what he was doing, he released her.

“We were attacked,� Sean explained. “Big feathered beasties with claws like daggers. Not so much as a warning before they tried t’tear us limb from bluidy limb.�

“We need to find the others,� Ororo insisted. Logan turned his head and sniffed the air. Various odors made it difficult; he was growing disoriented by the thick smoke and sulfur. A familiar scent of grooming products and antiseptic made itself distinguishable above the others, as well as the tang of worn leather.

“They already found us,� he confirmed, and Ororo turned a few moments later at the sounds of footsteps crunching in the snow.

“Thank God!� Scott shouted, and John followed him as he ran into the clearing. He followed Sean’s example and went straight for Ororo, gripping her. “You’re here!�

“We almost weren’t. All of us were lucky to make it this far.�

“Now that we’re all in one place, and in one friggin’ piece, we’ve got other shit to deal with.� John tapped his module with thick fingertips. “The storm knocked out this fancy gadget, so our layout of this heap of rock’s gone.� Logan checked his and swore when he noticed his wasn’t working either.

“We need ta rest,� Logan grumbled. “Wouldn’t mind some R&R in the jet for a spell.�

“We lost it,� John announced dully.

“What the fuck d’ya mean ya lost it?� Logan spun on him, disgust written on his face.

“It’s gone. I don’t even know how to explain it,� Scott cried helplessly.

“Try,� Logan barked. “Ya don’t have anything that’ll track us back ta the Blackbird? Not even these little gadgets?�

“They don’t work,� John reminded him, making him want to clout him upside the head, fuming and slightly sheepish.

“Fuck,� he muttered. He raked a hand through his hair, already wild and caked in blood and dirt. “Next time leave a friggin’ trail of bread crumbs.�

“Wouldn’t have helped if we did,� Piotr carped. “The same weeds that tried to eat us would have probably finished those off, too.�

“Would nae have been able tae follow them anyway, with the snow yon lassie cooked up,� Sean chimed in, gesturing to the snow.

“Feel free to hunt for the jet with those so-called sense of yours through all that ash from the volcano that nearly cooked us in our skins,� Shiro snapped. “Dig as deep as you like.�

“Enough,� Scott ordered. “Climb.� He pointed toward the temple. “We’re here. Why, we’re still figuring out. You all came here like we did.�

“Seemed like the most sensible course. We needed clues,� Kurt shrugged.

“Felt like something had other ideas. We had a devil of a time coming this far.� Piotr was already leading the pack of mutants up through the winding path, where John joined him, expertly climbing along the rocks. They created a chain, each helping each other, no one suggesting they fly them up the hill in their current condition. Not one of them could fly them all, and Sean’s sonar could easily alert anything else lying in wait.

The opening of the temple yawned open, larger than they realized from the ground. John’s suspicions were confirmed as he brushed his hand over the runes.

“Someone took the time to do some decorating,� he remarked.

“They’re beautiful,� Ororo agreed, squinting to read the symbols. “I can’t translate it.�

“No one’s expecting ya ta try, Storm.� Logan’s voice was suddenly rumbling over her shoulder, gentler than she was used to hearing it. “This place didn’t come with a tourist guide or a dictionary.�

“Charles loves languages,� she explained. “Particularly some of the dialects he picked up in the tropics. Cave paintings, hieroglyphics, and other inscriptions are some of the things he tried to teach me when I first came. It was a big order on top of learning English, but he enjoyed sharing it with me.� Her smile was warm and indulgent of the Professor’s eccentricities. “None of these look familiar.�

“Look again,� John suggested. “Sometimes it ain’t just about words someone left behind ta leave the folks that came after ‘em a message. Sometimes they paint a picture instead.� He brushed aside a thick layer of dust that settled over some of the carvings. “Check these out. Here’s the treeline over there,� he murmured. “And these little chevrons look like waves. Notice how there aren’t any indications of the people, though? Just the land itself. Here’s the volcano.� There was a rough, large shape depicting the peaks of the volcano that they easily recognized.

“Why would someone leave no sign of themselves, if they lived here?� Scott wondered.

“Maybe someone was warnin’ us away from this place,� Logan scoffed, but Piotr stared at him thoughtfully.

“Maybe they were. And we didn’t get the message.�

“We didn’t have time to scout this structure before,� Scott pointed out, and his mouth was a grim line. Ororo his thoughts were on Jean and their other friends, and she felt a pang of sympathy and sorrow for him. They’d both lost countless hours of sleep over the past few weeks.

“Now’s as good a time as any,� Logan decided, beckoning them inside. The entry way was open. There appeared to be no door. “Ain’t nobody ‘round ta tell us we can’t come in.� His teammates fell in step behind him. Ororo shivered at the dark confines, peering around nervously and startling at each minute sound. Logan smelled her fear and turned to face her. Tension was written on her face.

“It’s all right, darlin’, no need ta be spooked,� he assured her, even though he expressed confidence he didn’t feel.

“It’s dark,� she whispered. “I don’t like it.�

“I don’t blame her,� Kurt added, “but thankfully I can see fine in here.� His voice seemed to come from nowhere, since he blended so easily within the shadows. Ororo could only see his glowing yellow eyes and the glint of his white fangs as he spoke. “You’ll be all right, Fraulein. We won’t leave you for a second.� She swallowed and nodded.

“I’m going to try something,� she announced, and John and Logan felt the odd tingle in the air, like it was being charged before a storm. A sudden crackling erupted and brought a blinding flash with it, and they stared at Ororo as a ball of something bluish glowed like lightning from her hand.

“Ball lightning,� she confirmed, naming it easily and stepping forward to help lead the way. It created enough illumination to show more markings on the walls. Again, they didn’t indicate a specific tribe, only showing some of the fauna that occupied the forest. Sean noticed the birds and shuddered. Nasty beasties.

“It feels damp in here,� Shiro complained. “We aren’t close enough to a source of water for so much moisture to seep in here.�

“The forest was damp,� Ororo pointed out.

“It don’t smell right,� Logan declared. “Stone don’t usually smell like this. Been in a whole shitload of caves, and not one of ‘em smelled like this. Dirt, sure. Different metals, signs that animals have used it fer shelter, whatever. Not this wet…� he sniffed again. “Smells like rotting meat.�

“We don’t want to know what’s responsible for it,� Kurt reasoned.

“We can classify it and type it once I finish gutting it. Put that in yer nature guide then.� John grunted in agreement with Logan.

“Could use a little huntin’.�

The cavernous hall of the temple widened, the corridor no longer as sharply carved and angular, as though someone hadn’t excavated it as deeply when it was built.

Something pricked at the corners of Scott’s mind. His breathing quickened. It felt so familiar, and it kept pushing at him the farther they traveled. They followed the hall as it turned and winded around, and the air once again thickened, the walls becoming more moist. The pictographs disappeared, as though someone lost their tools and didn’t finish it. Ororo was having a hard time maintaining her ball lightning, and she despised the lack of contact with currents of fresh air. Her breath felt clogged in her throat, and she couldn’t escape the feeling of gnawing dread.

She nearly jumped when a large, solid hand reached for hers and gently closed around her fingers.

“Easy,� Logan whispered. “It’s gonna be okay. Yer okay. Don’t let this place get to ya.� He offered tangible comfort. He was close enough for her to feel his breath against her cheek, and she stopped trembling. She carefully studied him, mindful of her lightning and of not shocking him by bringing the illumination too close. Rugged features were lined in faint blue light, his dark, tousled hair falling over his forehead. His hand squeezed hers, and she squeezed back. She nodded, swallowing again.

“Thank you,� she whispered back.

Scott was fidgeting and tense. “We’ve got nowhere else to go. No door. No way out.� They were blocked by a solid wall.

“Then we make one,� John decided. “Move it, One-Eye.� He plowed forward and lead with a mighty right, pounding through the dense rock. “Give it some elbow grease, Tin Man!� Piotr looked surprised, but he too began hammering at it with blows that made the walls shake.

“Is this wise?� Kurt inquired.

“Don’t see any other way around it, laddie,� Sean muttered back. Ororo jumped back from the spraying rubble.

“Then we do this right,� Scott announced, and he lifted his visor. “Get back.� VRAMPFFT! A long, sweeping arc of force and red light hit the wall as his companions moved out of his way. He fired long and hard until the face of the rock gave way and collapsed in a heap of debris. Ororo felt herself knocked backward, trapped beneath the solid bulk of a stocky body that shielded her from the blast. She heard the “bamf� sound of Kurt’s teleporting and the scuffle of several sets of feet. Logan’s breath huffed out above her as she scrambled to get up, and she smelled his perspiration. Dark eyes swept over her briefly, and he cleared his throat, reluctant to let her up but dutifully pulling her to her feet.

“Was that friggin’ necessary?� John barked. Shiro looked annoyed, but he helped Sean to his feet where he’d fallen in his efforts to get free.

“Yes,� he countered. “And it did the job.� He paused before leading them inside, holding up a hand to halt their progress. “Jean,� he murmured.

“What?� Sean asked.

“Jean,� he repeated more loudly. “She’s here.�

“How d’you know?� John pressed. “Don’t look like anyone’s been here.� There were no footprints or signs of a disturbance or scuffle to his naked eye.

“I’m gonna go with One-Eye on this. It don’t smell the same as it did before. Still that smell o’ decay, but there’s other scents, too. Ain’t animal. Human. Recent.�

All they saw were damp walls that seemed to pulse, and the floor seemed to give with each step that they ventured inside.

“I can hear you,� Scott whispered. “I can hear you, Jean!�

“How?� Kurt was dumbfounded.

“Hell if I know,� John shot back. “Just feels like we ain’t alone.�

“I know she’s here.� His felt along the walls desperately as if looking for a latch or an opening. “I can feel you. I can feel you, damn it. Jean.� His voice climbed in pitch as he clawed at the rock, which was crumbling beneath his gloved fingers.

“I got this one, Cyke,� Logan insisted, unsheathing his claws and driving them into the stone. He cleaved at it, nearly throwing off sparks as he went through layers of shale and flint.

“Nay.� Sean risked life and limb coming so close to Logan’s claws on his backswing, and he cautioned him. “Cover yuir ears. All o’ ye.�

“Shit,� Logan yelped.

His scream was resonant, climbing and warping as it grew in volume and intensity. He rose two octaves, air bursting from his diaphragm and up through his lungs. John and Piotr both staggered despite their best efforts to remain steady, and all of them clenched their ears. Kurt and Scott both felt their noses bleed. Ororo fought to create a boundary layer of wind around them to buffer the sound.

The walls surrounding them crumbled like dust, revealing what they concealed. Scott was the first to recover, and he stared ahead, shaking as he pulled himself and stumbled forward, reaching for someone choking on the dust.

“JEAN! OH, GOD, JEAN!�

“Scott…oh, God!� she cried, her face barely visible, seeming to float out from the wall of ooze that trapped her and held her immobile. All around him gazed the graduates of the first class at Xavier’s, looking stunned and dazed as they hung suspended by the same muck. Long vines snaked over them and pulsed. Logan knew that was how they fed.

“You shouldn’t have come here,� Bobby rasped. “Cuz now we’re all done for.�

Matt was on tenterhooks, waiting by the digital time clock to sign in. He impatiently punched his pale blue card, the time stamp next to the perforation reading 7:45. Just on time for morning shift. He checked his wing assignment: Men’s Wing, odd beds. He grinned and hurried off, whistling jauntily through his teeth.

Someone had beaten him to the punch, judging by the female laughter of the morning shift LVN, Natalie Summers. His shoulders slumped in disappointment at first, knowing he’d have to move on to the next room, but when he paused at the door, she leaned her head toward the corridor and smiled, waving him in.

“Come on in, Matt, join the party!� she chuckled. “Mr. Howlett’s all ready for you. We just needed to remove his IV. He had a bit of a rough night,� she explained, “but he’s ready and rearing to go.� Matt peered at him with concern; Logan’s cheeks were slightly florid, standing out sharply against the rest of his wan face. Those intense eyes swung his way and softened for a moment before he offered his rusty greeting.

“Thought ya’d never show up, bub. Took ya long enough.� He scratched idly at the itchy gauze pad covering the crease of his elbow. “Gonna look like Swiss cheese by the time yer friggin’ finished pokin’ me full of holes.�

“I’ll get out of the way. You need me, Mr. Howlett, you can just turn on your light, all right?�

“Shake a leg, missy,� he grumbled goodnaturedly, watching her stroll outside.

“You didn’t sleep well?� Matt murmured, sidling up to the bed and preparing Logan’s chair for him.

“Eh. No need ta coddle me, Junior. I lost more damned sleep with them takin’ care of me than I did if they’d have just let me be. Nurse Laura got all in a dither and said I was too dehydrated. Apparently there’s a rule against giving ‘em too little piss…� Matt’s shoulders were shaking as he turned away to fish Logan’s bathrobe out of the armoire.

“You didn’t have that great a start to your day, I take it?�

“Bingo,� Logan deadpanned. “Let’s hustle, youngster. I need my smoke.�

“I’ll tell Natalie to have Dietary hold your tray til you get back.� Matt wheeled him into the hallway and slid the “Not Occupied� wall plate open beside his door. Breakfast was nothing to write home about, but at least now it wouldn’t be cold.

The shower was the usual. Mr. Howlett was still a stickler about taking care of his own shave, but Matt noticed his hair was longer in the back and wasn’t easily tamed with his tiny plastic comb.

“Bout time for a trim, sir,� Matt mused.

“Book me fer a haircut downstairs in that excuse fer a barber shop downstairs.� The facility retained students from the beauty school in the lower wing for the residents to enjoy comforts like pedicures and haircuts for a reduced price. “Do me good ta get out of that room fer a while.� Matt didn’t argue.

“So you were telling me about when you went to the island?� He hated to pry, but Matt was practically dancing on tenterhooks wanting him to continue his story. It had become habit-forming. His mother had grown used to him mentioning Mr. Howlett most nights at dinner, and she’d already offered to make him something nice, like a little tissue box cozy or a lap quilt. Matt didn’t object.

“Eh. Guess I was. Hmmmm…� He peered thoughtfully at his face before giving the edge of his jaw one final scrap with the razor, whacking it sharply against the porcelain as he rinsed it. “These ain’t like the razors ‘Ro used ta keep for me at home. Stores’ll sell ya any kind of crap these days.� He idly chucked it into his shaving kit and wheeled himself backward before Matt could grasp the handles. Matt didn’t want to nag him, but he was restless for more of the intriguing tale. He sighed and accompanied him back to his room for breakfast.

The tray was waiting on the rolling bedside table right on schedule, and the drone of ESPN greeted them as Logan was wheeled back to his favorite spot by the window.

“I shoulda had more important things on my mind back when we were tryin’ ta get off that island,� Logan muttered as he lifted the lid off his hot cereal and drizzled the packet of honey over it. “But all I could think about when we were in that temple was how nice it would’ve been ta be back at the school, enjoyin’ one of Moira’s sandwiches. I wanted my Cubans and a walk out in the back. Charley had shitloads of money and a huge piece of land. Five acres of those woods were his, and there was a tiny lake a mile back from the carriage house. But we had ta focus on getting back. We had five people that were dependin’ on us ta bring ‘em back from that hellhole, or they might not make it…�


~0~


Once Bobby broke the relative silence, all of the captives began to show signs of life, albeit faint. Ororo’s chest seized in horror. All of them looked positively drained, perspiration pooling on their cheeks and unearthly pale.

“Shit,� Logan muttered. “How the fuck did they end up like this?�

“Better question, genius. How’re we supposed ta get ‘em out?� John approached the wall and touched it, beginning to dig his fingers into the stone before leaping back. It turned viscous, like quicksand, and he felt the substance suck and pull at his hand. He’d been ready to slam it with his fists, and he paled with relief that he hadn’t.

“I can blast it,� Scott offered.

“No,� Jean rasped. “Don’t provoke it.�

“Listen to her,� a ragged baritone warned them. The source was a young man roughly Ororo’s age. His dark blonde hair was filthy and barely visible, and he looked doubled up within his prison, not stretched as supine as his neighbors.

“Don’t provoke it. Jean, I don’t understand.� Scott sounded frustrated and helpless, and he kept flexing his fists. Every time he reached for her, he drew back, knowing from John’s example that it was sheer folly.

“There was…no mutant,� Jean explained in a choked cry. “It’s all alive. Everything. You... fought it.�

“We were attacked,� Sean admitted. “And we had a devil of a time getting here, lass.�

“Whole island,� she attempted again. “Felt you. Saw you,� she gasped. “Heard you…�

“How?� Kurt inquired politely.

“Powers. Read minds.�

“Her powers are like the Professor’s. When we got here, Jean, I felt you! I didn’t know how.�

“Only you, Scott. Always…you.� Her voice held a deep regard that went beyond that between old friends or schoolmates. This was the girlfriend, Logan thought. He was moved by the relieved, soft look in her green eyes despite their current predicament.

He watched Ororo approach the wall and reach out purposefully for Jean’s hand, her fingers barely breaking through the surface. They twitched the closer she came.

“Storm…� Logan began, wanting to pull her away, but she reached back to wave away his objections. She wouldn’t be swayed.

“Sister,� she choked, and tears tracked through the grime on her cheeks as she laced her gloved fingers through Jean’s wizened, slender ones. “I felt you, too!�

“Knew you’d come.�

“Help us.� This voice was also female and strained. Her body wasn’t as deeply submerged; her shoulders writhed desperately and she limply twisted her neck around to speak. “Can’t break free. Powers…drained. Not…rocks.�

“That’s what I’m afraid of,� Sean sighed. “Me scream might help.�

“Standing around won’t,� Shiro declared, and his body glowed, seeming to go up in flame as he activated his mutation, powering up to full strength. “Stand back.�

“And get ready fer a royal headache,� Sean added, drawing a deep breath and expelling waves of sonar that would have normally cut through a mountain like soft butter. He was joined by Shiro, channeling energy through his fists. Focused beams of flame seared the ooze, beginning to penetrate it and heating it until it glowed red-hot.

“AAAANNNGGH!� Bobby cried, his face reflecting agony.

“You’re hurting him!� The young woman with limpid blue eyes beseeched them to stop.

“They won’t,� Jean insisted, and she wore a look of concentration, her struggle showing in her reddening cheeks and veins popping out along her neck. “I have him!�

“You have your TK?� Scott was incredulous.

“Not…all of it. Cut them free,� she ordered weakly. The words had no sooner left her lips than the entire chamber began to tremble, the quake’s rumble nearly drowning out Sean’s scream.

Maintaining their footing was impossible, and they found themselves flung wildly around the chamber, making bruising contact with the shuddering walls. They seemed to pulse and moisten, becoming slick as they tried to get a grip. Logan finally decided to use his claws to his advantage and plunged them inside.

What could only be described as an outraged roar echoed through the room, making their bones rattle and ears ring. John whipped around to glare at him accusingly.

“What the fuck did you do!�

“Think I made it mad,� he snapped. Sean and Shiro remained steady and determined, channeling everything into their efforts to free the captives. Scott’s heart leapt when he saw the muck holding them immobile begin to recede back into the wall. He tugged firmly on Jean’s hand, drawing her arm free. The coagulated ooze sleeted off and dripped to the floor. She wasn’t budging any further despite his efforts and her telekinesis giving him a helping hand.

“Not letting you go!� he grated out through clenched teeth. Her face pleaded with him.

“Scott…�

“Won’t let you go, Jean!� He barked out orders to whomever was closest. “LOGAN! Grab on and pull!� He didn’t specify who. He lunged forward and captured the hand of the blond man seemingly trapped in the most unwieldy position. His body burned as Sean’s scream seemed to tear into him in rippling currents, and the chamber became unbearably hot beneath Shiro’s onslaught.

“Trying…to crush…me,� Logan’s charge insisted hoarsely.

“Hold yer horses, bub!� SNIKT! He sliced into the portion of the wall over his head to give himself a better center of gravity and pulled mightily, feeling a modicum of satisfaction when he slid part of the way from the muck. Another piercing roar assailed them, and he knew he was stirring the pot.

John’s blows against the wall met with little resistance, thanks to Sean’s sonar, which seemed to disrupt it. Bobby’s shoulders were finally exposed enough for John to grasp him beneath his armpits and haul him free. The wall made a sucking sound as it released him, covered in murky pink goo. John tumbled backward with the momentum, and Bobby landed on top of him with a thud.

“Ow,� Bobby groaned. It was like smacking into a boulder.

“Ecccchhh,� John sneered, shaking gobs of plasm off of his large hands before helping Bobby to his feet.

“Alex,� Ororo cried. “Help me get you out!�

“Hurts,� he groaned. “Weak. Sucked…life outta me. Worse’n the others.�

“Try,� she pleaded helplessly. “Jean!’

“I hear you,� she answered as she reactivated her TK and took hold of Alex. Ororo concentrated, and Alex watched as her eyes burned a searing white. She channeled lightning in a focused charge, coaxing the currents away from Alex’s body in order to paralyze the room’s “tissue� and stun it long enough for Jean to pull him out. His face twisted as he began to slowly move.

“AAAAAHHHHH!� His voice was guttural as he leaned forward, inching his way free. Ororo increased her charge, and Jean fought to maintain her telekinetic grip, shielding him from the electricity.

“Come on, Alex, COME OUT!�

“Take it easy, sweetheart,� John growled. “I ain’t finished.� He reached into the plasm and groped for Alex’s hand, grasping it and pulling as hard as he could. Piotr followed his example, and successfully located his other arm. He feared dislocating his shoulder but it beat suffocating and being drained into a lifeless husk. Ororo moaned with the effort; it was harder to generate lightning when she wasn’t outside, with the earth and air sustaining her and feeding her power. Alex gave one more hollow cry and stumbled forward on boneless legs, falling limp in John’s grip.

“L-Lorna,� he stammered, reaching for her. She was nearly free, but her strength was flagging. Kurt pried at her, nearly losing purchase on her where he had his arms wrapped around her ribcage, doing his part.

“Hold on as tight as you can, Fraulein!� BAMF! In a puff of noxious smoke, they both miraculously disappeared.

“Holy shit!� John struggled in his attempt to shoulder Alex and maintain his balance in the quaking room. Three seconds later, they reappeared. Lorna was all in one piece.

“That was harder than it looked,� Kurt groaned.

“It’s your turn, Jean! You can do it! They’re out! Come with me!�

“So tired…� Her eyes rolled shut, and her breathing was shallow. Sean’s voice began to falter in his attempt to buy them more time to release her.

“JEAN!� He desperately reached out and slapped her cheeks to revive her, and they snapped open again. “Help me get you out! Damn you, COME OUT!�

“Scott…� It was excruciating, taxing all of her reserves and creating a telekinetic barrier around her body, exerting pressure to repel herself out from the murky prison. Each ragged cry from her throat wounded Scott, despising having to cause the woman he loved more than his life pain.

“It’s time to go home,� he cried, nearly sobbing. “I’m taking you home, Jean!� Her arms stretched themselves free and clung to him, and they worked in tandem to extract her, the goop thick and elastic, stretching like taffy as she emerged, triumphant and spent. Sean’s sonar died down to its final wail, and he fell limply to his knees. Shiro extinguished his flames and caught him, dragging him to his feet. Chaos surrounded them as the walls began to cave, compressing ominously around them.

“Too close,� Ororo cried. “Out. Need to get out, NOW!�

“I hear ya, darlin’!�

“Ain’t gonna argue that!� John hoisted Bobby and Alex like sacks of potatoes over his shoulders and barreled toward the entryway. Sean led the blond man after him while Kurt escorted Lorna, ‘porting her at risk of weakening her further.

“Don’t let me go,� Jean moaned, and Scott felt the familiar, comforting buffer around him as she surrounded them in her TK field as he dragged her outside. She felt too light in his arms, and she was physically depleted.

They fled, not looking back as they dodged falling debris and the gradual shuddering and narrowing of the corridors. The walls glowed red and oozed slime and muck, losing their dark, stony appearance. Ororo shivered at the keening cry around her, the sound of a grievously wounded animal. Blessed light beckoned to her as they emerged from the tunnel.

“GODDESS!� She filled her lungs with the sharp, cold air and she scanned their surroundings. The precipice yawned beneath them, and she knew they had to abandon the temple and make their way down. Everyone was far too weak, she mourned…

“Can’t stay here,� Lorna panted. “Need…t’fly us down!�

“How?� Bobby looked up from his perch, leaning against Piotr for support. “Not enough of us can fly!�

“Just grab someone!� Scott bellowed, and he grabbed Bobby’s wrist with his free hand. “Take us down, Jean!�

“I’m on it.� She enveloped them again in her TK bubble, this time including Bobby, and she floated them off the ground. She strained, petrified that she’d falter.

“Let me help you, sister,� Ororo declared, and she stirred up a gusting wind to buoy Jean as she reached for Piotr’s hand and turned to search for Logan. “Coming?�

“Ain’t flyin’ with Irish this time around, woman!�

“I can port you down,� Kurt offered to the man slumped and trying to get his bearings. He was shocked when he stood fully erect with some effort and shook himself, large protrusions on his back unfurling themselves and rattling off the sticky goo. Vast white wings were soiled from his vigil inside, but they made him an imposing figure nevertheless.

“I can manage.� He, too, looked revived once he was exposed to the open air, free from the walls that fed off of him like a leech.

“Then off we go,� Kurt announced crisply, teleporting to the ground in two jaunts. He was followed by sweeping wings, hearing them rustle and flap behind him before we winked out. Shiro, Sean, Alex and Lorna followed, and John grunted at the shift in gravity as he was tugged into open air. He didn’t favor flying again by the seat of his pants, if he could avoid it…

They hit the ground running.

“We need to find the jet,� Scott huffed raggedly.

“We lost it, or did ya forget?� John reminded him. “Any time ya wanna whistle it back up’s fine by me!�

“You lost the jet?� Bobby shouted. “How do you lose a jet? What happened to the GPS?�

“Too much interference. It cut out on us as soon as we got here.�

A haunting voice rich with the rustling of leaves and the cries of ocean birds stopped them in their tracks. It seemed to come from all around them.

“YOOOUUUUUU WIIILLLL NOTTTT ESSSSSSSSSSSSCAPE, MUTANTS!� The ground once again began to tremble.

“I knew we weren’t alone in this hell hole!� A mixture of anger and fear colored John’s words.

“I WILL TAKE FROMMM YOOOOUUUU WHAT I CALLLLLED YOUUUU HEEERE FORRRRRR,� the voice intoned. The trees swayed from the force of the tremors, and the sky overhead darkened with clouds that Ororo did not summon. Her eyes glowed with the effort to keep the gale winds at bay and to rein in the building storm.

“What the hell’s goin’ on!� Logan croaked. “Called us here? Cyke, what the hell did ya get us into!�

“What do you want with us?� Scott called out, unsure of who was listening.

“TOOOOO FEEEEEDDD!�

“Holy crap,� Bobby muttered as several flocks of birds seemed to take flight from the trees and chime in their screams above the clamor. Shiro stepped aside, shocked as he watched his suddenly encase himself in sheer, durable layers of glittering ice.

“How the hell do we get out of this bedlam?� Sean saw the ground shift, and the backlash threatened to knock them off of their feet. He saw movement throughout the brush, and it seemed to look back at him with piercing, slitted yellow eyes.

“THERE ISSSSSSS NOOOOO ESSSSSSCAPE! YIEEEEEEEELLDD!� The voice was close, surrounding them. Piotr was bracing himself against the base of a towering palm, and his heart nearly stopped at the sudden, tangling grip of something wrapped around his wrist.

“BOSZHE MOI!� It shackled his other wrist above his head, and he struggled while the voice taunted him, relishing his pain.

The bark of the palm twisted and transmuted, shapes protruding out and becoming more distinctive. Jagged teeth warped and materialized, and amber eyes carved themselves out of the tree’s substance, staring at them wickedly from around Piotr’s writhing bulk.

“YOOUUU HAVE NOOOOWHERRREE TOOO GOOOO!�

“Who are you?� Scott demanded, his hand flying to his visor.

“I AMMMMM KRAKOA!� The being grinned evilly, and its eyes murkily swam and glowed blood-red as Piotr seemed to stagger and lose strength, agony written on his face.

“Swallowing…me!�

“NO!� Storm was about to attack it with her lightning, her hand crackling until Shiro stopped her.

“Foolish woman! You’ll fry him! He’s made out of metal!� he snapped, effectively wounding her and shoving her out of the way. “He won’t melt!� He sounded confident and stern as flames poured from his hands, licking up the tree’s hull.

“HAAAAAAHHHAAAAHAAAAAAAA!� Demonic laughter greeted his attempts!� Piotr’s steel body reflected blinding fire and turned red-hot, but he succeeded in pulling himself free, pulverizing the bark in the process.

“YESSSSSSSSSSS…FEEEEEEEEED MEEE MOOOOOOOOOOORRRE!� The visage was gone, leaving behind only charred bark.

“HELP!� Lorna screamed, and Alex stumbled to pull her out of the crater that seemed to swallow her. The ground was scarred in the same eerie face, eyes mocking him.

“I WILLLL FEEEDDD,� it spoke.

“No you won’t!� Bobby bent down and plunged his hands into the soil, freezing it into a crusty, brittle layer. John took the opportunity it afforded and stamped his booted foot, the vibrations shattering the ice. Alex pulled her to safety.

“Can’t catch a break,� he rasped, and he held her, cheek pressed against her hair, her pale green locks still plastered down by the murky pink slime.

“RUN!� Scott ordered, and no one argued with him, merely following in the direction that he pointed. “Go to the beach! Hurry!� If they could make it to the shore, they could figure out a way to get off the island…

Piercing laughter dogged their footsteps. Flyers assumed the burdens of those too tired to run. Ororo flew low and ahead of her peers, wanting to offer surveillance of oncoming obstacles -

The wind was knocked from her lungs as an enormous, exotic flower with gaping crimson petals opened up beneath her and shot out a long, snakelike stamen and snared her around the ankle. Her shriek was cut off as it sucked her inside, trapping her in a cramped, tight ball.

“STORM!� Logan saw her eyes, watched her hands trying to claw her way free. Smelled her fear. She was petrified, desperate, and mired in whatever nightmare that slowed her steps in the temple. That was enough.

He got cracking, raising gleaming claws and slashing into the base of the flower, cleaving through its bulky, milky stem, It lurched and swayed, and black sap oozed from it like gore. “Let her go if ya know what’s good for ya!�

“She can’t breathe!� Jean shrieked. “It’s killing her!�

“Not if I have any thing ta say about it!� He cut and stabbed it while the whole island seemed to laugh at him. He could feel her slender form struggling, see its petals bulge as she tried to push out against its hold. “That’ll shut yer lyin’ mouth!� he swore, kicking the flower off its base. Its stem began to wither.

“Move back if ya can hear me, darlin’!� His claws punched through the petal, and it squirted sap like ichor into his face, blinding him, but he reached out and clutched the petals, peeling them back and listening to the pithy fibers tear apart.

“RO!� he growled, Her face was pale, and she crouched, choking on the plant’s sap and clawing her way out of the sticky fibers, and she clung to him. Her entire body shook, and her eyes were dilated, but he read gratitude in their depths. Her fingers brushed his face, and he drew tangible comfort from her touch.

“I’m all right,� she insisted. If nothing else tries to eat me today…

“No yer not,� he argued, but he never let her go as they stormed through the thicket.

“I can see the beach.� Jean’s face was furrowed. “It’s coming after us. It won’t stop until it consumes us! I can feel it, Scott.�

Scott…

“Professor!�

I’m doing what I can to block its ability to manipulate your surroundings. I can buy you time to find the jet…

“We can’t!� he insisted.

It’s sentient. It’s in sync with the earth’s core, Scott. You have to break its connection and force it to release its anchor that keeps it from breaking away and drifting out into the atmosphere.

“HOW!�

You’ll need to work as a team…give me a moment to scan its thoughts, I need more clues…LOOK OUT! His words preceded a rumbling of rolling rocks that was bearing down on them, and the dodged falling trees. John and Piotr caught and bolstered two enormous palms that threatened to crush them, then acted as one, tearing them up by the roots, battering at the landslide and swatting the boulders away. The beach was just ahead of them in the clearing, if only they could reach it.

“I’m with you, Professor,� Jean replied, seemingly to no one, but Scott caught the dumbstruck expression on her face that he’d grown familiar with back at the school, whenever she communicated telepathically with Charles.

Lorna’s the key… She absorbed this information and catalogued his instructions quickly, her lungs pounding from their run.

“LORNA! We need you! I’m bringing you in,� Jean announced, and Lorna felt her gentle mind touch and the feel of her mind being transported into the telepathic link. Jean and Charles flanked her, their faces grave.

What now, Professor?

Jean and I will be working in sync with you, expanding your awareness of the island’s core and its minerals. Every last stone and bit of ore, Lorna. Harness it. Weaken its grip. Jean will guide you and help you.

I understand. She planted her feet in the shifting sand and opened her link with the metals, feeling the surge of power filling her being. It was a rush. The island was enveloped in a maelstrom of magnetic energy, and she dwelled within its core.

“Lorna needs me,� Ororo grated out, gently removing herself from Logan’s supporting hold, and she missed the frustrated and worried look he shot her retreating back. She spread her arms and looked up toward the sky, feeling the wind whip through her sodden hair.

“Bright Lady, guide me!� She glided aloft smoothly, her cloak whipping in the gale. She soared, up, up high, and the patterns of energy danced before her eyes, beckoning to her and divulging their secrets. She hovered directly above Lorna, feeling the pulse of her magnetic field, nearly buffeted by it, but she held steady. Lorna’s face was determined, beseeching her to do what she must.

The waves…Currents. Ororo’s gift gave her precision control of currents not only in the air, but of the tides. The ocean’s song resonated through her, bending to her commands as she exerted pressure against the island’s very crust, thrusting at it. The seismic affects threatened a tidal wave, but the shoreline never changed.

Below her, all hell broke loose on the beach. The sand whirled in towering cyclones, lashing out at her friends’ flesh like shrapnel. They flung up their arms to shield their eyes and keep it from smothering them.

“DOOOO NOT RESSSSSSSIISSSSST!� The voice seemed to wrap around them like the buzzing of a hive. Phantom, leering faces appeared in the sand, and stony fists took substance and pummeled them relentlessly. “I AM KRAKOA! YOU BELONG TO MEEEEEEEE!� Warren attempted to stay aloft, but he was tossed and flung through the sky and fell victim to the sand devils, crying out as they tried to erode his flesh from his bones. Piotr flung himself Warren’s prone body, making himself a bulwark to shield his fragile wings. Jean fought to maintain her telekinesis, all the while syncing with the Professor via her telepathy.

“STRONGERRRRRR!� The voices were defiant, rising in pitch and volume, and before their disbelieving eyes the sand gathered itself, growing and warping in a jagged basilisk. Lorna strained to focus her power on it as Ororo flew up above, manipulating the tides in an attempt to push the isle from its axis. Behind them, the wooded thicket seemed to ripple and shudder.

“It’s comin’ for us!� Sean cried.

“The whole damn island!� John roared.

Long, winding furrows of soil and vegetation tunneled beneath the sand and over land toward the shore, combining itself with the sand and taking form. Craggy brows and glowering eyes pinned them, and it opened its mouth, leaking moss and leaves. Savage birds swarmed around it in a deafening chorus.

“GIVE MEEEEEEE MOOOOOOOOORRRRE POWER, MUTANTSSS!�

“It’s not working,� Scott groaned. “It’s GROWING!�

“How’re we gonna cut it down ta size, Cyke?� Logan stood tall within the gale, his adamantium-plated frame giving him more leverage. His claws were extended, but he was at a loss.

“Banshee!� Jean shouted. “We need your voice!� Without any further urging, he flung himself aloft, until he was mere meters away from Ororo. His voice carried down to them in an even hum. “Close the circuit!� she cried to him, and he waved in understanding. He forced more air from his lungs and pushed his voice to the limit, aiming it toward Lorna. Her magnetic field absorbed the sound, but it resonated throughout the island, pulsing through everything within its circumference. His voice had disrupted its hold on them in the temple, Sean knew. It had to work. His companions were counting on it.

The behemoth seemed to stumble slightly, its voice wavering and less confident. “YOU WON’T STOP KRAKOA! WE ARE MANY! YOU HAVE SEALED YOUR DOOM, MUTANTS! KRAKOA WILL PREVAIL!�

Tell Alex he’s needed.

“HAVOK!� Lorna’s voice shook. “Give me everything you’ve got!� It dawned on him what she was asking him and he balked.

“No! I won’t! What if I hurt you?� His voice was ripped from his lips by the gale. Using his powers, potentially harming the woman that he loved was a sacrifice he wouldn’t make. She was his everything.

“Alex, please!� He shook his head, adamant until his brother’s hand clapped his shoulder, squeezing it til he ached.

“We need you, and we need her! We can’t wait, and you can’t have second thoughts about this, Alex! We have to take this thing down! Think about them,� he emphasized, sweeping his arm toward the team, all of them battling against the deadly sands and shifting ground. “What you want can’t get in the way of what we need to get out of here!�

“What if it were Jean, huh? What if she were the one being ripped apart, you sonofabitch!� Scott swallowed but stood firm.

“She’s giving Lorna all she’s got, Alex!� His face was mutinous, but Alex turned toward the shore with a sense of purpose. He felt as though he were being stabbed in the heart as he harnessed energy from the atmosphere, charged like a solar battery and aimed it toward the woman he loved.

Krakoa reveled in the burst of power sustaining and nourishing it. It crowed its triumph to the darkening sky, knowing it would be over soon. It would feast on their bones once they were all used up. Perhaps he’d release one of them to send more help, bringing him more choice morsels to devour…

It screamed. It grew sickened and disoriented, losing cohesion as the power that fed it turned on him. It was overloaded, bloated with power…

It couldn’t process thought.

It couldn’t form speech.

It couldn’t maintain its form.

Sinking…it was sinking…

The towering beast began to discorporate and crumble apart like a punctured beanbag.

Suddenly the rolling surf sucked at their feet. The island was thrashing in the throes of death, sending up its final rattle, even as Lorna still glowed with power, like a grounded star.

“She’s done it!� Scott cried. “We’re stopping it!�

“LORNA!� Alex ceased firing and ran, crying out to the others, “Storm! Banshee! NO! ENOUGH!� Ororo’s lightning ceased, dying down to crackling sparks from her fingertips. Sean’s cry held him aloft, but he too dampened his powers and focused them away from the woman trembling below as Alex scooped her into his arms.

“Iceman, we need you!�

“I’m on it,� he replied, already creating a huge sheet of ice, increasing its density until it was as solid as stone and a foot thick. “Climb on!� They all scrabbled aboard the makeshift raft.

“There ain’t any life jackets on this thing!� He and Piotr were shielding the weakened members of their party, searching for anything to hold on in a panic.

“Don’t worry,� Jean advised. “Just hang on!� She nodded to Bobby, who wore a look of fierce concentration as he built up the side of the raft, encasing them in an airtight dome.

They had three minutes. Three heart-stopping minutes.

It was true, Logan mused, as his blood tripped through his veins and caused his heart to jackhammer. Your life really did pass before your eyes…

He heard their voices crying out as they were pitched out to sea, bobbing and crashing in the interior. Seaweed and foam smacked the glassy walls and disoriented him. Air became scarce, and he fought to hold his breath. Ororo’s terrified face filled his vision, and she cried out prayers as she slid and lost her balance…

She landed against his solid bulk, and she held onto him for dear life. He tucked her head against his neck, allowing her to feel the solid, racing thrum of his pulse, and cords of muscle wrapped around her, offering her shelter and what could end up being the last, solid comfort he could muster…

She smelled like sandalwood and almonds.

Everything went black.

They spiraled down into the murky depths, where everything was silent.

~0~


“You’re kidding.�

“Nope.�

“THEN WHAT HAPPENED?� Matt realized that his voice had risen, and the other residents in the hallway lounge craned their necks toward the commotion.

“The only thing that could happen, after we tried everything else.� Logan slapped down another hand of solitaire cards, drawing the ace of spades and moving it up.


~0~


The morning sun was blinding.

Logan stirred awake, wincing at the piercing light and the faint tang of blood he tasted on his dried, cracked lips. A soft moan escaped from the soft form pressed against him, radiating heat that seemed to blanket him, even though his uniform. His arm convulsed around it, reflexively embracing it, not wanting the presence to escape him. A low wind ruffled his hair, and he smelled saltwater.

“Nnnngggh…hurts,� murmured a voice beside him. “Light hurts.� The lightly accented English told him it was Piotr.

“Head’s throbbing,� John groaned. “Someone turn off the jackhammers, already.� Logan let the sounds around him sink in so he could process them, taking them in slowly. The presence stirred against him again, and this time, fine tangled coils of hair brushed his cheek. The surface below him was freezing, chilling him to the bone, except for the side of him lying flush against that source of warmth.

“Mmmmmmmmm…� Another low, soft moan. The scent of sandalwood. Long fingers uncurling from beneath a dainty chin to scrabble and paw at him as she stretched.

Ororo.

“We made it!� A hoarse voice roused them all awake. “WE MADE IT!� Bobby clung to the edge of the dome where it was blasted away, allowing in precious air and sunshine.

“Barely,� Jean muttered weakly. “Bobby, thank you. You came through.�

“So did you, Red. We felt it. All of us felt it. That was the only way I could have held it together.�

“How long were we under?� Piotr wanted to know.

“Not long.� Scott was helping Jean sit upright and stroking back her filthy long hair. “Any longer and we wouldn’t be here.�

“How in heaven’s name did we come back up? Ice floats, but not easily enough that we’d all survive!� Sean was dumbstruck.

“It was Ororo,� Jean explained. She peered over toward Logan with worry. “Is she okay?� He scowled and followed her eyes.

She was resting against him, every inch of her body flush with his, and as if on cue, drowsy blue eyes fluttered open and pinned him in her gaze.

“Hullo,� she murmured.

“She’s fine,� he replied, not looking at Jean. “Ain’t ya, darlin’?� The endearment sounded foreign to her ears and spurred her to struggle up from him, feeling awkward with such proximity and familiarity.

“I am all right,� she announced crisply, scraping her hair back from her cheek. The impression of how it felt brushing his cheek lingered with him.

“Ororo can control air currents, including waves,� Jean said. “She held us afloat after we got sucked under.�

“Where’s the island?� Kurt inquired.

“See for yourself,� Alex told him. They followed the path of his pointing hand. All they could see was the blue horizon and unspoiled surface of the sea.

“Question,� Bobby piped up. “How the heck are we gonna get home?�

The waves stirred ominously, and Ororo sensed the pull of undertow threatening to drag them down again. “Jean!�

“Bobby, get ready -“ Her voice was interrupted as something dark erupted through the water’s surface.

The hull of the Blackbird rose from the sea like a bar of Ivory soap.

“Valet parking,� John quipped over the mingled shouts of joy and relief.


~0~

Moira’s sharp shriek and frantic brogue was the first sound that assailed their ears as soon as they tumbled down from the ramp into the hangar.

“OCH! Holy Mary, Mother of God! Look at the lot of ye, staggering in and looking like death warmed over! Yuir a sweet, bloomin’ mess! What the bluidy hell happened!� She flung herself at Scott in a barreling embrace, and he managed a weak grin, grunting beneath the impact. One by one, Charles’ former students drifted up to offer themselves for her inspection, fierce hugs and affectionate verbal abuse.

“I was worried sick,� she accused, biting back tears as she enveloped Alex and Lorna next. They took it gratefully, thankful for her strength and familiar voice, still too stunned to believe they were home. Her fingers scrabbled through Alex’s damp, mussed blond waves. She hugged them until her arms were about to fall off.

“Missed you,� Lorna blurted. “Didn’t think we’d see you again.�

“Thank God I knew better, lass,� she murmured, her voice muffled in the shoulder of her uniform. She drew back and laid her palm against Lorna’s cheek. “Yuir filthy,� she pointed out. “And haggard, dragging in here as weak as kittens! Go,� she ordered. ‘Get to the infirmary, and that’s that!� She spun on Logan, who had broken free from the huddle and was making his way toward the exit. “Dinna think yuir off the hook, lad!�

“M’fine,� he protested.

“I’ll be the one t’tell ye if yuir fine or not, laddie, now GIT!� She swept down on him and swatted him sharply on his rump. Ororo’s smile was wan, but her eyes twinkled with mirth, wholly at his expense.

All he wanted was a shower and a smoke, and maybe a spot to clear his thoughts. Every time he closed his eyes, all he heard was the thundering roar of water closing in on him and screams.

The vision of Ororo’s eyes pleading with him not to let her go remained. That was the most disconcerting of all.

Logan kept his promise to himself. The woods behind the estate felt as cool and welcoming as he knew they would. He sucked the pungent smoke from his Cuban deeply into his lungs, savoring its bite. He was clad in his jeans and a wifebeater tank, and he sat on a tree stump in a small clearing. It was still late summer, but he could smell a hint of autumn on the wind as it rustled the trees.

He wondered how long it would be til his feet itched, and he had to move on.


Ororo opened the windows to her attic, throwing them wide to allow moonlight and fresh air inside. The chamber was lit by candles glowing from sconces, small lanterns, and an enormous pillar on her bedside table. Her skin was so clean that it smarted to the touch. She showered vigorously to relieve herself of the smothering grime and filth offending her senses, forgoing her usual trek through the woods to swim in the lake or to generate a cleansing rain. The steam unknotted muscles and felt good pounding against her scalp and back.

It still didn’t erase Logan’s touch, something that piqued her. She still felt the solid weight and strength of his body against her, his strong, steady hands supporting her or holding hers. Over the past forty-eight hours, she’d grown accustomed to it. It made things…awkward.

It didn’t help that she didn’t have an ear to bend about the brooding loner, either. Jean and Lorna were wrapped up in Scott and Alex, respectively. They hadn’t come up for air quite yet…

It felt odd, occupying the same space as so many men. Moira tersely spoke Ororo’s thoughts out loud, that lately the school was “swimming in too much bleedin’ testosterone.� Bobby and Warren took some time to get to know the “new blood� over a game of eight ball in the den. After several hours of being pent up in the (overcrowded) Blackbird, it felt good to stretch her legs. The men could be men, uninterrupted, for a while. Moira muttered at her to shoo and to take some time to herself when she hovered in the kitchen, wanting to help.

The grounds looked peaceful from her vantage point three stories up. A strong breeze that she hadn’t summoned kicked up and lifted her hair. She smiled; its caress was invigorating.

Jean’s red hair drifting in the darkness caught her eye. She spied her taking a walk by herself, surprised that Scott wasn’t with her.

I needed some air. Ororo felt the gentle mind touch and opened their telepathic link, granting Jean full access, both to her thoughts and her emotions. Ororo’s thoughts were carefully guarded. Charles had expressed great interest in her mind’s natural psychic shields being very strong; he’d suspected her childhood traumas that she described to him were the cause. Ororo willingly granted Jean access as well as friendship formed quickly and grew strong.

I didn’t expect to see much of you, sister. Ororo kept her words bland, and she was rewarded by Jean’s chuckle in her mind.

Stinker. We haven’t been that bad…have we?

The telekinetic barrier around the bedroom door the last time I knocked was my first indication you two wanted to be left alone.

Heh…right. Point taken. Ororo grinned, plowing her fingers through her hair and leaning against the window sill. Hey, Ororo?

Hmmmm?

Why aren’t you downstairs?

Moira banished me from the kitchen.

So? No one’s holding you captive in there, anyway. Go mingle. Get to know everyone.

I already know Bobby and Warren. Her tone was innocent enough, even in her thoughts.

You know good and well what I’m talking about, you! Put your game face on and get down there! Talk about being the bell of the ball, kiddo! Ororo snorted aloud.

It seems silly to get to know everyone if they’re not staying all that long.

Didn’t stop you and me from being friends. I didn’t know if you were planning on staying with us or not.

I knew I’d stay the day we met.

Stinker…quit trying to butter me up. Go downstairs. Wear that pretty dress. The blue one.

Jean, really…isn’t that a bit much? We’re just here in the house, why should I –

The blue one, Jean insisted. Up and at ‘em, Munroe. If you’ve got it, flaunt it.

I’ve got things to do here in the loft. A little cleaning, taking care of my plants –

Baloney. You don’t have any “things to do� except getting your fanny downstairs. What you DO have are NEEDS. Ororo blushed and rubbed her nape. I can feel you blushing, Ororo, you know what I’m talking about!

Brat.

You love me.

Lucky for you. Ororo was already backing away from the window and heading for her armoire. She opened it and began rummaging through neatly pressed items, searching for a hint of blue. Naturally, it was all the way at the back of the rack. She extracted it and stood in front of the mirror, holding it against her thoughtfully.

See? Perfect. Leave your hair down with it and put on some lipstick.

Goddess, you’re so bossy.

If I wasn’t, you’d just languish upstairs like an old maid.

Who are you calling OLD??? Her lips twisted at the sound of Jean’s laughter in her mind.

Admit it, Ororo. You’re enjoying the attention, I bet.

Who, me? Perish the thought.

You are, too. Ororo slipped out of her pajama bottoms and ribbed cotton tank and tugged the dress on over her head, shimmying into it with practiced ease. She stood in the mirror and smoothed her hands over her stomach, right before doing the age-old “is my butt too big?� glance as she spun to take a look. Not bad…

See? The blue dress works. Told you. Ororo’s thoughts telegraphed things that she saw and heard across their link. Ororo smirked and shook her head. And it doesn’t make your butt look big.

You’re biased.

Yes I am. So go downstairs and see how many of ‘em agree with me, Munroe. Chop, chop. Pep talk over…oh. Oh, my…

Jean? Is there something wrong? Ororo paused in brushing her ivory tresses as she caught a hint of surprise and the sensation of butterflies in her stomach. It wasn’t her stomach, she realized.

Ororo…how many times have you actually talked to Logan since he’s been here?

Just a few. Why?

He’s just so…wow.

Wow?

Intense. Scary. A pause. And did I mention hot? Ororo snorted. A warm shiver still managed to work its way down her arms and up her spine, and this time, the butterflies were in her stomach. Hey…you like him.

Goddess, Jean! Smack your mouth for saying such things! Then it occurred to her. Why are you asking me about Logan?

He’s staring at me. And he looks like every type of guy my mom always warned me about. In tight jeans. Ororo remembered how rugged he looked, a study in rough edges and unadulterated masculinity. You know exactly what I’m talking about.

You have no idea what you’re talking about. He’s…so…earthy. Crass. And he cusses like a sailor.

So? He’s not boring.

Don’t tell me you’re suddenly bored? Scott’s wonderful.

I’m not bored with Scott. Her emotions were turbulent, and her “voice� lacked conviction.

All right. I believe you. And I don’t have a thing for Logan.

I never said you had a thing. I said you liked him. Jean sounded entirely too smug, until Ororo read panic in her thoughts. Er, Ororo, I’ve gotta scoot. I’ll be back inside shortly…if I don’t, send out the search dogs? Ororo grunted in disgust.

You’re a big girl, sister. Get your act together. Don’t tease that man. She felt another strange chill, this time from the abrupt break in their connection. Jean had hung up…

Ororo gave her mouth a once-over with her lipstick and puckered in the mirror. It would have to do. She slid on her strappy sandals and trotted downstairs, still feeling nervous and silly. Really. They were men, she was a woman, and they were all houseguests. What was the harm in that?

Her bravado fled shrieking in terror as soon as she crossed the threshold of the den. Six pairs of eyes swung her way as they heard her footsteps against the hardwood floor. John’s eyes lingered, sweeping over her in blatant interest. Hoooooooo… The look in his dark eyes was hungry; he widened his stance and paused in the act of chalking his pool cue. Piotr’s hands stilled on the triangle, ceasing the rattle of the balls.

“Gute nacht, Ororo,� Kurt greeted her. “We haven’t seen much of you today.� His tail flicked slowly back and forth. Her lips quirked at the gesture, and she seated herself on a barstool by the polished cherrywood counter. She avoided smoothing her dress or straightening her hair; her first mission was to find something to say that didn’t make her sound brain cell-deprived…

“Who’s winning?� she replied, smiling brightly. She liked Kurt. Despite his devilish appearance, he immediately made her feel comfortable.

“Piotr’s running the table,� Warren complained, nodding to the tall Russian, who was rubbing his nape and peeking up at her from lowered eyes. He was blushing, and Ororo felt less foolish. Darn you, Jean…I could have just worn jeans. “Charles recruited a pool shark.�

“That’s his other mutant gift, equally unimpressive as his other one,� Shiro snorted around the lip of his beer bottle before taking a swig. John scowled.

“Pussy,� he muttered. Shiro merely sneered.

Ororo’s arched eyebrow shot up as she reached into the small cooler the men had purloined from Moira and helped herself to a cola. Before she could head to the kitchen for the bottle opener, she felt a large, warm hand on her arm, stopping her. She turned to find John very close, scarce inches between them. He plucked the bottle from her fingers and turned to the pool table, propping the edge of its fluted cap against the bumper. He deftly slapped it with his fist, and cool, fizzy mist crackled above its mouth as he handed it back to her. He held it slightly too long, watching her face. A wicked, lazy smile rippled over his lips.

And Jean said Logan was dangerous…Ororo cleared her throat. “Thank you.�

“Any time.� His tone suggested that he was available for less mundane tasks.

“Are you headed out?� Warren inquired. His wings rustled slightly; Shiro tsked under his breath. He found the winged graduate from Xavier’s odd little school smug and self-satisfied. For him, that was saying something.

“Oh. No. Not really, I just…never mind.� She waved the question away. She barely managed not to pull a face when Jean’s thoughts intruded again. What, this old thing?

Quit it!

“Nice change from your uniform,� Warren offered. His smile was impish, the kind of look that sent women swooning over his boyish, blond good looks. Ororo couldn’t remember the first, or even the last time she’d swooned over anything. Or anyone.

“Thank you,� she replied, her cheeks dimpling prettily. “I could say the same of anyone here.� This time Bobby grinned.

“Beats wearing the same clothes for weeks. I can’t smell myself anymore.� This was met with a grimace from Warren.

“Thank goodness for small favors,� Lorna interjected from the doorway, preceding Alex inside. Both of them were casually dressed, possibly for a night out. Piotr, Shiro and Kurt took their time examining her flamboyantly green hair. “You look nice, Ororo.� Her eyebrow quirked; Ororo’s eyes said “Don’t ask.� Then she pondered, “Where’s Wolverine?�

“Logan.� Ororo didn’t stop the name from escaping her lips. “Jean said he’s outside.�

“Speaking of which, where’s Jeannie?� Warren laid down his pool cue. His wingspan widened, making him look like an eagle defending its nest.

“Taking a walk out back.� Suddenly it seemed like a good idea. “I’m going to see what she’s up to.�

“What’s the rush?� John called after her. Disappointment flavored his voice, but he still enjoyed the sight of those long, shapely brown legs flashing as she hurried off.

“That’s what I’d like to know,� Warren muttered. Lorna and Alex asked who was playing the winner. Warren left the den without excusing himself or any further preamble.


~0~

Logan didn’t know what to make of Jean’s presence in the woods. She looked out of place, like an exotic hothouse flower that someone transplanted outside. She was certainly beautiful, he considered. He recognized her as the kind of woman who could work a room, both memorable and striking, her looks and dignified demeanor things to be coveted and prized.

He felt mischief rise up in his gut. There was something appealing about ruffling her feathers.

He didn’t snuff out his cigar when he stood to greet her. He noticed she wasn’t even looking his way, her face wearing the same dreamy look of someone focusing on something else. He caught the scent of her hair on the light breeze as he approached.

He was by her elbow, and startled her out of her reverie when he announced, “Hey, Jeannie.�

“OH, SHIT!� she yelped, and she whirled to face him, her cheeks flushing scarlet and her hair whipping about as her hand flew up over her heart. His warm breath was like a caress. “Don’t do that!�

“Sorry,� he shrugged, and his smile was full of devilment. “Whatcha doin’ out here all by yer lonesome?�

“Getting some air.�

“Wasn’t expecting ta see ya in the thick of the woods.� He remembered her retreating with Scott to their suite and hardly seeing hide nor hair of her since.

And she cleaned up nice. Her hair was a rich titian red; he could swear that she’d have fairer, blonde highlights in the sun. Bottle green eyes had faint, wheat yellow burst of color around the pupils, seeming to light them with inner fire. A medium height, curvaceous figure was tastefully dressed in a forest green sweater and khaki jeans. She looked like the typical girl next door.

A niggling thought crossed his mind that he’d acquired a taste for blue eyes, lately.

“It’s a free country. And these are big woods.� She backed away, assessing him. “I don’t want to intrude, though.�

“Ya aint’ intruding.� That smile was still indolent, even impudent. “Are ya afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?� She folded her arms and huffed, a smile twisting her own lips.

“Most people can’t sneak up on someone who can read minds.�

“I did. I ain’t most people.� She agreed.

“What are your plans, Wolverine?� She tried to brush her fingers across his thoughts, but she felt the nearly impenetrable wall surrounding them and backed off. Just like she’d told Ororo, he seemed dangerous.

“Still figuring that out.� He took a hungry drag from his cigar, the gesture causing her to stare at his mouth. His lips were thin but chiseled, the top one sharply notched.

“Charles said that you were recruited. He mentioned you hale from Canada?�

“Among other places.� He wouldn’t volunteer any more information than she asked for.

“There’s a lot of things you could learn here.� This time his laugh was sharp and crackled from his chest.

“Tell me another one. Ain’t much anybody could teach me that I ain’t already learned.� Those dark eyes met hers squarely. “Anything you wanna teach me, Jeannie?� Once again, color bloomed deeply in her cheeks. Her breathing quickened, revealed by the faint flare of her nostrils. That attracted him, enjoying her reaction to him.

“No. I’ll take your word for it, Wolverine.� She turned to go, but his low voice stopped her.

“Scott gettin’ lonely without ya?�

“I’ll ask him that. I’m getting lonely without him.�

“These are big woods,� Logan reminded her, volleying back her own words.

“It’s still a free country,� she trilled back over her shoulder.

“Awwww, don’t run off,� he drawled, drifting after her. He extinguished his cigar in his thick palm, wincing at the sting. Her walk was graceful and brisk; he appreciated the long line of her back and the ripple of her soft hair on the breeze.

“I’m not.� She sounded indignant.

“Then stick around a while.�

“I feel like going inside.� A touch of annoyance flavored her voice.

That was the scene that greeted Warren while he was soaring aloft. His sojourn outside served the dual purpose of pursuing Ororo in her striking dress, and of keeping an eye – an eagle eye – on that smug feral. He looked every inch the predator, and that rankled with him. Scott was his best friend. Jeannie was another matter altogether. He’d spent weeks with her, her presence within his mind, assuring him that they’d get out of their murky prison, her telekinesis protecting them all from being crushed and swallowed.

Now he intended to return the favor.

If only the wind-rider weren’t providing such an appealing distraction. Her flight was carefree, her body bending to the will of the wind. Unlike Warren, she rode the winds themselves with no need for technical precision or natural aerodynamics. She possessed the same seeming immunity to the elements, an obvious gift for the woman who controlled them; Warren was gifted with resilient muscle and denser skin tissue that protected him from tearing gales when he flew at high altitude.

She also seemed to be circling, keeping her distance but also drawn to the two people below. Warren wondered about her sudden departure from the den. He chuckled at John’s attempts to get her attention. Nice try, buddy. Try again.

He enjoyed her flowing white hair, a unique trait even for a mutant, along with those eyes, like liquid crystals. This wasn’t a blushing socialite that ran in his father’s circles, which was a refreshing change. There was something untamed and wild beneath her calm demeanor and deep, lilting voice.

He heard Jean’s voice, raised high enough to bring him from his trance.

Jean was hurrying away in a huff. Logan was looking just as smug and like a man on the make.

His protective instincts rose to the surface in a rush, and electricity tingled down his spine.

It was good enough reason to head down and kick his ass…

His wings cut cleanly through the air in powerful, broad strokes as the ground rushed up at him. Jean’s face was wreathed in confusion as he veered straight for Logan.

“What the flamin’…WHOULFFFF!� Broad, wiry shoulders plowed into Logan’s mid-section, nearly clotheslining him, but Warren scarcely lost momentum as he dragged and lifted him from the ground.

“Warren!� Jean’s eyes went round with shock. He felt her words in his mind. What on earth are you doing??

“Stay out of this, Jeannie!� he cried aloud before barking at his reluctant passenger. “Don’t touch her!�

“Are ya friggin’ nuts? I didn’t lay a finger on her, flyboy!�

“I don’t believe you. And I damn well don’t trust a guy calling himself Wolverine, when we don’t know that much about you.� His flight was intentionally jerky. Above him, Logan grunted within his surprisingly strong grip. He had to choose his moment.

“All ya hafta know was that I helped save yer scrawny, feathered ass from bein’ that fuckin’ island’s first course. Ya wanna let go.� Warren’s reply was to dip and weave, spiraling toward the ground before he could get his bearings. “FUCK!�

“Goddess,� Ororo muttered, not liking the direction the scene before her was taking.

We need to stop them before someone gets hurt. Jean’s thoughts were frantic.

“You mean before Warren gets hurt,� Ororo corrected her, and her winds picked up, launching her after them, careening faster than the high-flying Angel on his best day.

Logan beat her to the punch, wrenching himself within his grip and sharply kneeing him. His fingers laced themselves together into one meaty fist and came down between Warren’s shoulder blades. Warren lost his equilibrium as Logan knocked the wind out of him. Warren wouldn’t be denied his chance, and he plummeted again to the solid earth, planning to use Logan as a shovel. Logan had other ideas. His wings were lowered mid-flap when Logan curled himself around his body and kneed him again, this time clutching his waist and using the momentum to flip him over his head.

His landing wasn’t pretty and didn’t tickle, but at least Logan was free. He was already healing from a wicked case of rug burn as he plowed through the hard soil and brush. Warren was already back up on his feet, but his ego had suffered the blow.

“Try that stunt now,� Logan snarled. SNIKT. His claws gleamed in the moonlight, razor-sharp and deadly, and he wore the face of a provoked beast.

“Fine with me, hairball!�

This doesn’t look good… “Logan, DON’T� Jean shrieked.

“Ya wanna let go!� Warren wasted no time rushing him again, this time using his wings to propel them toward a towering oak tree. Logan’s ears were ringing, but he was just getting his second wind. Before Warren could fly past him, he caught him by the ankle and heard his surprised intake of breath before he swung him around like a discus. He landed into a neighboring tree with a satisfying splat.

“I’m gonna pluck ya like a Christmas turkey, asshole!�

“BOYS! ENOUGH!� Before they could scramble toward each other, a loud clap of thunder rocked the woods, and the trees swayed with the sudden, relentless showers. Large, freezing rain drops peppered them so sharply that they stung.

Lightning crackled from Ororo’s eyes as she descended like an avenging angel, landing between the two of them and placing herself with her back to Warren. Slender hands landed on Logan’s chest, and she stared him down fearlessly. Her eyes dared him to defy her. He stared at her hands, impressed by the strength in them, and his skin felt beneath her touch. Her face didn’t waver, despite the rugged handsomeness of his face, his square jaw tilted at a stubborn…delicious angle. She shook it off.

A muscle in his jaw worked before he stated “He started it. Asshole,� he tossed over her shoulder. Warren’s wings unfurled themselves threateningly; Ororo knew they were strong enough to break a grown man’s arm. She didn’t want him to try that with Logan’s unbreakable bones.

“Leave Jean alone,� Warren shot back. “Don’t think for one second that you’re going to take advantage of her when she’s out here alone! She’s with Scott. He’s my friend, and you aren’t gonna come between them!� It didn’t matter to Warren that Jean being outside alone was her own doing.

“Some friend,� Logan grated, and his claws were still extended. He advanced toward him, but was shoved back by Ororo’s insistent grip.

“Perhaps you didn’t hear me,� she snapped, and she emphasized her point by summoning a bolt of lightning that arced down to the ground, searing the earth mere inches away from the three of them. “I said enough, and I meant it.� She peered down at his claws, her expression livid. “Put those away, Logan. We’re all adults here.� Those eyes were a brilliant, glowing white. She was still beautiful, but not a woman he wanted to cross.

“Like hell. He’s an animal, look at him,� Warren sneered. He wasn’t expecting Ororo to abandon her quarrel with Logan and spin on him, her anger still uncooled.

“You have wings, Warren. He has claws. You can’t call him an animal.� Warren was chastened.

Logan and Jean were impressed.

“This is a big house,� Ororo continued, “but there are more of us living in it now, for however long that any of us stay, and that means we have to get along.�

“He was messing with Jean!�

“I can take care of myself,� Jean informed him, stepping forward and reaching out to him to pry him away. Her hand was gentle on his shoulder, and he stared down into her face. Her hair was plastered against her face, soaking wet and appearing almost blood red. She blinked raindrops from her eyes. “I know you mean well, Warren.�

“I do. Remember that, Jean. And leave this punk alone. He only wants one thing, you know what that is, and Scott wouldn’t like it. Think about that.� He turned on his heel and took off into the night. Ororo sighed, and the glow in her eyes died down, her thunder fading to low rumbles. The dark clouds rolled away, revealing the moon and stars glittering in the sky.

“Scott has nothing to worry about,� she muttered. She faced Ororo. “Thank you.�

“Warren had a point.� She crossed her arms, then peered down at her dress, now soaked and ruined.

“And ya didn’t really have anything ta worry about,� Logan added, using his palm to scrape his saturated hair back from his face, shaking off droplets. His scowling, bushy eyebrows gleamed, and he looked like he had his fill. Unwittingly, Ororo imitated the gesture with her flowing white locks, which now hung down past her breasts. Logan didn’t hide his interest.

“You could've fooled us,� Ororo answered for her best friend. “Jean, go inside.�

“Are you coming with me?� Her face and posture were concerned and nervous. I hope you know what you’re doing, she projected.

“No. I’d like to talk to Logan for a moment. I’ll be along shortly.� Logan eyes didn’t follow the redhead down the forest path.

“Thought ya would’ve said all ya had to earlier.�

“You thought wrong.� Her hands lowered themselves to her hips, and the haughtiness he was growing used to was at its full wattage. “From the moment you set foot in that house, Scott made it clear that he was going back to that island to rescue the woman he loved. His fiancée. You heard him as well as I did.�

“Maybe even better than that,� he scoffed, shrugging. He didn’t elaborate on his enhanced hearing.

“So what was that about?�

“She’s an attractive woman. I ain’t blind.� Again, he restrained himself from bragging about his enhanced vision. She didn’t look like she was in the mood.

She did, however, look good enough to eat. She was still dripping wet, and her dress was plastered to her body, nearly transparent, and outlined a tempting body, more sensuously rounded than Jean’s. The dress was beautiful, or at least it had been when he spied her floating overhead. The halter neckline plunged just past “modest� and just shy of “Holy Mother of God!� and bared dainty shoulders and toned arms. The azure blue satin matched her eyes, and the hem was just short enough to show an enticing glimpse of thigh.

He longed to peel it from her body and lick her dry. It blazed from his eyes, and she swallowed roughly. She wasn’t finished.

“No, but you damn well know better, Logan.�

“Again, darlin’, it ain’t something I can just ignore. She was givin’ off a scent that I can’t mistake for somethin’ else. She was excited and wanted the attention.� She mulled that; Jean’s thoughts made her the culprit from their connection in her loft.

“Then don’t make this mistake. She’s with Scott. Regardless of what impression you had from Jean, he loves her very deeply. You saw him that day. You heard him and you could tell as easily that I was how painful it was for him to leave her behind, and then to see her suffer that way. She’s his life.� She inhaled a fortifying breath, and he saw something resembling hurt in her eyes. “Very few people have loved that hard. But maybe you wouldn’t know.�

Ouch.

“Have ya said yer piece, woman?�

“For the moment.�

“Good. ‘Cause I’m done listening, ‘Ro.� He stared down at his rumpled, dripping clothes. “And I could use dryin’ off.�

“Don’t let me interrupt your walk.�

“Ya already did,� he tossed back as he stomped off.

He entered the house through the kitchen, and he was greeted by Moira’s squawk of indignant outrage.

“So help me, lad, I just mopped the bleedin’ floor! Ye look as if ye tumbled into the pool out front with every stitch on! What were ye thinking?� She shooed him with her dishtowel. “Take off those shoes, I dinna want mud on Charley’s nice hardwood floors.� Beside her, Sean watched in amusement twinkling in his eyes. The thought occurred to Logan that he hadn’t seen him since dinner, either, and he cleared his throat as he stared him down. Logan smirked before Moira swatted him with the towel again.

“OUT!�

“Yes, ma’am,� he muttered, carrying his shoes in his hand toward the stairs.

“So help me,� Moira muttered. “God in heaven…�

“Tisn’t a sight y’see every day, lass,� Sean remarked. He didn’t want to be in Logan’s sodden shoes. She treated him to a look of disgust that made her green eyes flash.

“We got any more of that roast?� John inquired, ducking through the doorway; he was nearly as tall as Piotr.

“Fine. Just dinna make a mess o’ me kitchen, lad,� Moira warned, but she fetched him a plate from the cupboard as he raided the refrigerator. The kitchen door swung open and clapped itself shut as lighter footsteps clicked across the floor.

Ororo was a bedraggled mess. Sean and John both sucked in their breath as she combed her fingers through her sodden hair.

“Och!�

“Gads, ye’ve all gone daft,� Sean chuckled. Ororo scowled.

“What happened?� John held the mayonnaise mid-air, staring at her. She tried to school her face into calm lines but failed.

“Don’t ask.� Her sandals clicked down the hall toward her loft.

“You didn’t finish your apple juice,� Nurse Kinney commented, holding up the small plastic cup of clear amber liquid.

“You finish it,� he grumbled, hoisting himself up further in his wheelchair and wincing with the effort. He’d slept wrong on his neck, and now it was annoyingly stiff.

“Are you ready to head back to your room?�

“I’m about ready fer a smoke,� he informed her curtly. “Wouldn’t mind a change of scene, darlin’. That room ain’t exactly the Ritz.�

“Maybe tonight we can leave a mint on your pillow,� she suggested wryly. A smirk twisted his lips as he peered up into familiar amber eyes.

“Always were a smart aleck.�

“I have a good teacher.� She checked her watch. “I’d love to take you outside myself, but I’m due back to help with a transfer and two PT sessions. “Want me to fetch Matthew?� He grunted and nodded. “I’ll be back in a flash.� Before she could go, he caught the edge of her sleeve.

“Ya don’t wanna end up like me,� he grumbled. “Old an’ alone. Promise me ya won’t make my mistakes.� Her body stiffened at his words.

“Don’t worry. And you’re never alone,� she replied, her tone soothing. She felt a pang at the tremor in his usually strong grip. He’d been more restless lately, but he was still lucid and hell on wheels. She’d noticed that Matt doted on him, and she didn’t discourage him from it.

“Promise me, kid,� he rasped. There was something pleading in his expression, his craggy face appearing almost boyish, needy. She nodded and smiled.

“I promise. Oh, look, here he is, speak of the devil.� The lanky young aide strode into the dining room and spied them, making a beeline toward his favorite resident.

“I’m sending you two out to recess,� Nurse Kinney informed him. “Please take Mr. Howlett out to the courtyard for some fresh air.�

“An’ hurry up, bub, this native’s gettin’ restless.� He was already trimming the end of his Cuban and feeling in his shirt pocket for his Zippo. Matt chuckled and grasped the handles of the chair, letting up the brake.

“We’re outta here,� he announced. Matt felt a happy glow in his stomach.

It was time for his fix, too.

They edged their way past ambulating residents and LVNs. “Hey, I’m WALKIN’ here!� Mr. Howlett informed them with broad gestures, evoking grins and raised eyebrows. “Why we stoppin’?� Matt wheeled him into his room.

“It’s chilly. I’m grabbing your sweater.�

“Quit babyin’ me.�

“You’ll catch a chill,� Matt reminded him as he draped the thick black cardigan over his shoulders, tucking it between him and the back of his chair. Logan grumbled obscenities under his breath.

“Time’s a wastin’. Just gimme some air.�

“Aye, aye.� Matt grinned when they reached the door and were greeted by a cold draft as he pushed it open. He restrained himself from saying “I told you so� when Mr. Howlett snuggled more deeply into the sweater, threading his wasted arms into the sleeves. Matt took him to their customary bench. The red maple’s branches were nearly stripped bare, and he caught the faint scent of someone’s wood fire drifting on the breeze. The afternoon sun glanced off the shiny surface of Mr. Howlett’s pearl-handled lighter as he lit up.

“Nice ta get situated. I’ve always liked fall the best.�

“Just for the weather?�

“Not just that.� He took a long, thirsty drag of his stogie and leaned back thoughtfully. “Cuz ‘Ro loved it. She was big on American holidays and such, and she spent shitloads of time in Charley’s greenhouse. She always said there was something comforting about it, that the earth was takin’ a big rest an’ gettin’ ready ta come back bigger, brighter an’ more beautiful than before.�

“Nice way to think about it.�

“She made me see everything around me differently, and better than I ever imagined it. A good woman’ll do that to ya. Funny thing is, I never planned on stayin’ at the school after the mission to that damned island. I mean, it was a school, fer cryin’ out loud! I’d already been around the block, out on my own an’ looking after myself, not ta mention lookin’ over my shoulder. What was I ‘sposed ta learn at a fancy school for mutants?� He chuckled, and Matt allowed himself a smile.

“Charley, ‘Ro, and everybody else there planned ta teach me a few things, whether I wanted ‘em to or not.� He tapped the ashes onto the ground and sighed. “God bless ‘em, cuz I was damned stubborn.�


~0~

“Lemme get this straight. Ya want me ta walk from one end of the room to the other?�

“Yes, Wolverine.�

“Just walk. Nothin’ fancy. Ya wanna tell me what the point of this again?�

“Training, like we discussed. Give it a try.�

“Yeah, whatever.�

“You’ll have the chance to do it again, if you have to,� Jean murmured softly. He shot her a look of disgust, but curiosity pricked at him. He strode out of the tidy observation cubicle in a huff. Ororo sighed; Scott shook his head and rubbed his nape.

“This should be good.� John huffed.

“What’s the big deal? You walk from one side of the room to the other. I’ve had breathalyzers that were harder than that when I first turned legal.� He pantomimed touching one finger to his nose, then the other. “See?�

“Keep laughing. You’re next,� Ororo promised, but her eyes were focused on Logan through the reinforced glass as he stood poised at the doorway.

The “Danger Room� was echoingly empty and nearly nondescript. Bare walls gleamed with a chrome finish. Logan noticed various grooves in the wall where they were separated into panels, although for what purpose, he couldn’t guess. There was a strange, recessed light that resembled the kind in school hallways that accompanied the class bell.

“Let me know when you’re ready,� Charles inquired, speaking into the microphone in his console. Logan heard him clear as a bell.

“Fine.� The red light flickered on, indicating that his session had begun. He no sooner stepped out of the doorway than the door to the suite slid shut behind him with a faint swish. “What the flamin’…�


~0~

“Wait, wait, hold on a second…the Danger Room? So the Professor just sat up in that little booth and told you what to do?�

“Not quite, bub. He gave the assignment, made a few suggestions, and then told ya how ya messed up when ya came out. It was like bein’ put through a wringer… now, quit interruptin’ me, ya want me ta finish the story or not?� Matt sighed, then nodded eagerly.


~0~

Then all heck broke loose. Logan heard a strange “SPLANG!� erupt above him from the ceiling, putting all of his senses on alert. He no sooner craned his neck toward the source of the noise than a broad shadow fell over him. A net made from some odd, metallic mesh threatened to snare him. SNIKT! Reacting instinctively, he lashed out, dicing the net to ribbons in two swipes.

He heard ominous creaking in the walls, noticing a panel opening in his peripheral vision. He managed to duck as a cannonball-sized projectile nearly took his head off. “CRAP!�

“Whoa.� John rocked back on his heels, safe within the confines of the observation cube. “Careful, Twinkle Toes!� Ororo reached over and lightly punched his arm. “What??�

“He’s doing admirably,� Charles mused, as Logan dive-rolled beneath an array of laser pellets that nearly parted his hair. Logan’s curses could be heard clearly through the audio receptors and speakers, much to the team’s amusement.

“He’s entertaining, isn’t he?� Jean chuckled.

“He’s amazing,� Ororo murmured, earning herself a knowing look from mischievous green eyes.

Told you! You LIKE him!

Shut. Up. Jean.

But Logan got the job done. He feinted, lunged, jabbed and ducked his way through everything but the kitchen sink. Staccato thunks accompanied a neat row of spikes that threatened to fillet him if he hadn’t leapt neatly back. He never loses his footing.

“No, he doesn’t,� Charles agreed aloud, smiling back at Ororo indulgently.

TING! TING! TING! PLING! More mini-missiles glanced off his claws as he blocked them like a goalie, claws flashing and taking apart whatever the room threw at him. He sneezed at the puffs of smoke they emitted upon impact, his vision blurred. He felt himself being thrown up and off of his feet by another net that came up out of the floor, its four corners drawing themselves together to snare him. He volleyed himself free with a grunt, the impact thundering through his soles as he landed on the steel floor. The rush of air generated by several objects zinging at him from different directions, accompanied by the loud noises and stench of smoke was overwhelming.

“That the best ya got, Chuck?� His goal was in sight, mere inches from where he was standing. He just needed to tap the blinking faceplate by the exit. Logan managed two, maybe three steps…

THUNK! The floor promptly dropped out from under him, and a neat row of bars slid into place above him, effectively blocking him from leaping back up.

“This sucks,� he muttered.

“Does anyone care to tell me what went wrong during Wolverine’s exercise?�

“He was overconfident,� Scott offered simply. “He assumed the test was over and let down his guard.�

“Rookie move,� Bobby muttered smugly.

“You didn’t make it halfway across your first time,� Scott tsked. “Talk about your overconfidence...�

“Piece of cake, now,� Bobby shrugged, waiting for Scott to turn his back, peering out through the glass. The X-Men’s ruby spectacled leader promptly jumped and danced wildly in a frantic struggle. “GAAAHHHH! BOBBY! SONOFA-“ His arms tangled over his head and behind his back to rid himself of the slippery, icy pellet Bobby dropped down the neck of his uniform. “Gotta watch your back, Scott! Not exactly setting Wolvie a good example now, huh?�

“Right. Moving on,� Kurt murmured. “Professor? Were you planning on letting Wolverine out of the floor?�

“Feel free,� Charles offered cheerfully.

BAMF! “Guten tag, mein freund!� BAMF! One moment, Kurt was grinning at him, the stench of brimstone clogging his nose and making him cough, and the next, the elf grabbed his hand and tugged him into a black cloud of smoke. Logan felt his stomach turn itself inside-out as they rematerialized inside the observation cubicle.

“That’s why you’re a team,� Charles informed them. “Your teammates are there to help you out of rough spots, and for you to learn from them.� He smiled at them, turning away from the console. “Who wants to go next?�

Logan shoved John forward, making him grunt in protest. “He does.� Sean chuckled under his breath.


An hour later:

“Wouldn’t mind a cup o’ tea right about now,� Sean murmured from over the sink. “M’hoarse.�

“Take it easy, old man,� John grinned. “Don’t make us go soft on ya.�

“Cheeky pup,� Sean huffed, but his grin was wry as he tapped his razor beneath the faucet.

“Where’s Shiro?� Bobby inquired.

“Doing whatever he does until he makes up his mind to grace us with his presence.� This came from Piotr, who didn’t look up from the sketch he was working on. His skin was ruddy from a shower. Logan cocked his brow high, surprised at the sarcasm from this new source.

The locker room held mingled scents of steam and aftershave as they prepared to head upstairs for a conference with the Professor in something he nicknamed the “War Room.� The women made themselves scarce soon after their training session.

Logan couldn’t get the sight of Ororo maneuvering her way through the exercise smoothly and efficiently out of his mind. He gave her the benefit of having been there a couple of months longer, but he’d already begun cataloguing his own performance, looking for ways of kicking that room’s ass on his next go. Her smile was completely unsympathetic when Kurt ‘ported him back to the cube.

Meanwhile, the subject of his musings was muttering up a storm, peering into the contents of her locker.

“I can’t find my brush!� she complained.

“Where did you leave it?�

“No clue. I hate this!� She raked her fingers through her hair and let her eyes drift shut for a moment. She was still in her uniform pants and the thin white camisole she wore beneath it for comfort. Her hair clung to her sweaty nape, and she was dying for a hot shower, deciding to forgo her customary jaunt outside to the lake. She learned early on that you didn’t leave Charles waiting when he called you to the War Room. He’d informed them all with no lack of irony that “I know where you live.� And he’d said it telepathically. End of subject.

“You could use mine,� Jean offered goodnaturedly. She held up the small pink brush with spiky plastic bristles.

“Ugh. No. That thing would tangle up in my hair and you’d have to kiss it goodbye. I need mine.� Ororo sighed gustily. Her hair was enviably thick and glossy, but it was the devil to detangle unless she had her favorite brush with its flexible bristles of natural fiber and her wide-toothed comb.

“Mind if I take a look?�

“What, through the house?�

“No. In your head. I might be able to trace your footsteps better than you can right now. You want to find it too badly,� Jean chuckled. “More often than not, that makes me look around and walk right past whatever I’m looking for. It’s usually right under my nose.�

“Be my guest.� Ororo felt the faint tickle of Jean’s mind touch, warm and gentle, followed by the stranger sensation of her thoughts running through her head like a slowly operating movie projector as Jean combed through them, frame by frame. The redhead’s eyes were closed in concentration, her posture relaxed. Out of the blue, she asked “Hey, Ororo, can I borrow that bracelet you bought last week? The one you put in your jewelry box?�

“I don’t see why not. Just give it back.�

“’Kay. Aha!� Her green eyes popped open as she grinned up at her friend. “It’s up in your room, next to the phone on your bedside table. You tossed it down when you went to answer that call from Stevie. You guys going to lunch?�

“Not today. We keep promising to get together, but we spend more time making the promise than setting the date.� She peered at the wall clock and made a noise of panic. “I’m off! Meet you upstairs!� She disappeared in a swish of white hair while Jean resumed putting on her lipstick.

I hope no one sees me looking like Hope diggin’ potatoes, she griped to herself. She no sooner rounded the corner than she collided with something large and very, very solid. “Oof!�

“Oh! Sorry, I’m in a rush,� Ororo cried, meeting John’s look of amusement and feeling more flustered. His eyes were riveted by her disheveled, tousled hair and the gleam of sweat remaining on her smooth brown skin. She crossed her arms over her chest to hide the sweat triangles that formed beneath her breasts. “Didn’t see you coming.�

“No complaints, sweetheart,� he shrugged. The corner of his mouth quirked up slyly, and he almost imperceptibly widened his stance, as though to block her exit. “No complaints at all.� She read amusement mingled with appreciation in those deep, dark eyes.

“I’ll just get out of your way.� She ducked to move around him. He feinted into her path.

“You’re not in my way.�

You’re in mine, then. “I need to get ready for the meeting.�

“Just the meeting?� he drawled smoothly. “Nothing else special?�

“Nothing yet.�

“I could help you with that.�

“My day’s still on the table.� She stifled a sigh. “I’m a mess. I need something from my room…�

“Like I said, beautiful, no complaints.� He closed in on her, forcing her to crane her neck to meet his eyes. She felt heat radiating from him. John Proudstar was brash, virile and outspoken, and he enjoyed throwing himself out there, taking risks. Taking what he wanted and the challenge of getting it was his favorite risk on the list. “I can think of more fun ways of makin’ a mess, if you didn’t mind company.�

One finely arched, ivory brow rose in the air. “I don’t have a lot of time to discuss the details with you, Mr. Proudstar.�

“I’m pretty open. When’d you wanna make some time?� Her blue eyes were cool, not icy enough to pierce him. His gaze never wavered as his fingers plucked a lock of her hair from behind her shoulder, twirling it in a coil before letting it drop over her breast. A hot flush bloomed in her cheeks, both at the contact and at his nerve, and she felt slightly uncomfortable. And he was enjoying it, the scamp!

“What are you suggesting?�

“Nothing. No suggestions. Just a plan.�

“A plan to what?�

He answered by whipping an arm around her waist and tugging her against him, fitting her contours against his solid bulk and stealing a lazy, thorough kiss. His lips were hard, demanding. She “MMMPPHH!�’ed indignantly into his mouth, even though her body responded to him, to his very male taste and heat. Her hands weren’t obeying her brain’s commands to stop until she heard footsteps behind her and a sharp intake of breath.

ZAP! Before she could stop it, she released a flare of lightning from her palms, sizzling audibly as it found its mark. “SHIT! OW!�

SNIKT.

“What the FLAMIN’!� Ororo’s hands fisted and shoved him back sharply, but she looked both dazed and shaken. She spun and met the astonished looks of Piotr, Kurt, Sean and Logan, darkening her cheeks even further.

What’s the hold up? What did I miss?

Jean, this is NOT the time.

That means I missed something! What happened? Ororo had a visual of Jean bouncing up and down in her seat.

Not NOW.

“We interruptin’ somethin’, lass?�

“I’d say we were,� Kurt murmured dryly, rubbing his nape and smiling at his two-toed feet. Piotr cleared his throat.

Logan, on the other hand, stood there, veins working in his jaw like someone got his goat. His glare was accusing. John and Ororo were its targets. SNAKT! His knuckles convulsed a moment before he shoved his hands into his pockets. John challenged Logan’s stiff, broad stance with a leer.

“Dontcha both have a meeting ta go ta like the rest of us?�

“I’ll be on my way directly,� Ororo declared. “If you’re through holding me up.� She directed this to John. “Kurt. Sean. Piotr.� She nodded to Logan. “I’ll see you all upstairs.� She took the thunderous scowl and the questions burning in his black eyes with her all the way to her loft.

When she was out of earshot, John was just about to follow Sean into the elevator when he felt another shove, more insistent and with more back put into it.

“What the fuck was that all about?�

“You’ve got that fancy ass, enhanced vision, squirt. Use it and figure it out!�

“She didn’t look like she asked for it.�

“Woman that fine makes it hard for me to say no, whether she asked for it or not.�

“Next time ya wait til she does ask, asshole.�

“Next time, beat me to the punch, runt. Piss, or get off the damned pot,� John huffed, his tone doing nothing to smooth Logan’s hackles. Neither did the stubborn set of his jaw as his smirk gave way to a glare. “Your panties aren’t in a bunch that I took a little taste. They’re twisted up because you weren’t me.� Logan’s face turned stony, his fist just beginning to clench. His claws itched beneath his flesh, craving the five minutes it’d take to fillet him. His whole body tensed at the stiff clap of Piotr’s meaty hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t do that shit again.� Sean and Kurt both looked uneasy. “And the only thing ya better be doin’ with yer mouth the next time ya see Ororo is apologizin’ fer takin’ liberties.�

“Fine. I’ll apologize, but I don’t regret it for a damned second.�


Men! Cocky, arrogant…ooooooooooh! GODDESS! Why on earth did he DO that??? Bright Lady help me from knocking him into next week!

Fess up.

No.

C’mon. You know you want to. I’m gonna break out into a round of that song you hate until you tell meeeeee…

You wouldn’t dare…

Raindrops keep fallin’ on my head…

That’s just plain wrong, sister. Stop that. Fine! she fumed. Ever have one of those moments where you just want to sink into the floor?

Sounds like it was a doozy.

I can sum it up in four words. John. Kiss. Logan saw.

Oh, crap.

Exactly.

What’d you do?

Slipped Proudstar about fifty volts, turned tail and ran.

Ahhhh.

I’m not happy about this. Not happy at all.

…was it a decent kiss?

Errrgh…yes. Damn it. Still, that’s not the point.

Whaddever. You’re forgetting something, sweetie pie. How did Logan react?

Take a look. Ororo projected the moment at her full force, including the myriad feelings and her embarrassment.

Oh, Lord. Don’t worry, baby. Take this one consolation prize to rock you to bed tonight, Ororo felt Jean smirk as she added even though John might want that privilege.

And what, pray tell, is that?

At least you got Logan’s attention.

You’re not helping.

I know. You love me anyway.

I know. Brat.

Ororo finished her ablutions in the loft’s adjoining bath, muttering under her breath the entire time.


~0~

“Man. So Proudstar was trying to step out with your woman?�

“Damned straight! I was ready ta carve him up like a Christmas turkey. Don’t get me wrong. John wasn’t a bad man. I almost liked him, at least til he pulled that stunt. But he was right. I was pissed as hell that he’d gotten that close before me and kissed her. If ya saw her, boy, ya’d know exactly how I felt. I saw red. That was it, in a nutshell. Ya might as well be tearin’ a bone away from a dog, gettin’ between me and the woman who was makin’ me lose sleep.�

“Did he at least get his butt kicked in the Danger Room?� he pried hopefully. Logan’s grin was feral as he puffed on his cigar.

“Yup. That wasn’t gonna be the last time we’d butt heads. That big ass school was still too small for the both of us.�

“The Danger Room sounds freakin' cool! Kinda like the holodeck on the old Star Trek show! So, what’d Ororo think of him?�

“At that point, it was kinda hard ta tell. All I knew was that I wanted her ta think about me. And I damned well didn’t wanna share.�


~0~


Moira was fiddling with a pan of lemon squares, cutting them into neat diamonds on the counter when Sean took a shortcut through the kitchen.

She was beautiful, her good looks girlish and saucy despite a plain, sensible khaki dress and her customary green apron printed with apples. The heat from the stove left her cheeks slightly rosy, and she fanned herself with an oven mitt, the air shift stirring her auburn bangs from her forehead.

“Ye look knackered, lass.�

“What’s it to ye, laddie?� Sean’s lips twisted.

“Just observin’, Moira.�

“Yuir running late for Charley. Now hop, I’ve work tae finish here before you heathens set upon it. Lunch is at one,� she reminded him, shooing him with a dishtowel.

She wasn’t expecting the sharp twist of his hand, coiling the other end of it around his fist. She gasped and jerked forward with the momentum of his yank. “Sean! Are ye DAFT??� With one foot he snagged the run of a kitchen stool and pulled it toward them before nimbly shoving her onto it.

“Take a load off, and ye might not feel so much like snappin’ me head off.�

“Och,� she muttered, preparing to take umbrage with the towel, once he released it. He hummed a song under his breath as he crossed to the refrigerator and pulled out the pitcher of iced tea. “Bossy pup…� He moved efficiently from cabinet to cabinet, tugging out plates and glasses as he went. He paused to fill one with the tea and came back to press it into her hand. “Thanks, Sean.�

“Yuir welcome, colleen,� he replied. His tone was husky and deep, and those blasted eyes of his, those crystal clear, soulful blue eyes that crinkled at the corners were twinkling at her. Twinkling, her brain nagged. Och… “And yuir a fine mess.�

“Hmmph. Move yuir rump, Mr. O’Rourke.� The towel cracked through the air and hit its target, the rump in question, nearly making him drop the plates.

“Gladly. Let me know if ye need me t’move anythin’ else, lass.� He balanced the plates and used his free hand to free a tendril of her hair that was stuck to her cheek by a small blob of lemon filling. His fleeting touch made her tingle, and her stomach performed a small flip. He whistled the rest of his tune as he made his way to the dining room with the dishes. Behind him, she smiled before taking a welcome sip of tea.

Charles watched his assembled students, old and new, struggling to arrange themselves around the large oval table as he assembled his motes with some amusement.

Kurt and Piotr sat easily enough; Kurt leaned forward slightly in his seat to allow his tail comfortable room to flick as he needed. Scott and Jean huddled together, hands entwined and silent, their eyes giving away their telepathic chatter. Alex and Warren drifted on the periphery, muttering between them and looking standoffish. Shiro was doing an admirable job of ignoring everyone, taking the seat closest to the door.

Warren’s wings bristled as Logan strode into the room, with John hot on his heels. They held an odd staring contest of sorts, both drifting around the empty chairs and pacing, if Charles had to describe it. And…waiting? Hmmmm. Warren and Bobby both took that opportunity to move away from the door and take their seats next to Alex.

Ororo swept in and zeroed in on the empty seat next to Jean, shuffling around Warren’s wings.

Two heavy sets of footsteps thudded around the table, making a beeline to fill the seat to her right. Ororo’s eyes became saucers. Time stood still for one breathless second.

Lorna’s sheepish “Am I late?� was greeted by a chorus of hello’s and cut off on a startled “What the heck…oof!� Jean’s telekinetic shove threw her off course from the empty spot beside Alex. “Okaaaayyy…I’ll just be sitting here,� she muttered, giving Jean and Ororo an odd look. She settled herself next to Ororo and met her grateful look with questions in her eyes.

Nice save.

You owe me.

Would one of you ladies like to explain what this little song and dance is all about? And may I start my meeting now? Charles leaned back in his chair and drummed his fingers on the table.

“Heh. Right.� Scott elbowed Jean. She elbowed him back.

“Don’t be strangers, gentlemen. Sit,� Charles insisted. His expression was bland despite weary impatience in his voice.

“Sorry m’so late, Professor,� Sean barked as he entered the room. He took the middle seat of the remaining three. John and Logan promptly flanked him, creating a tight squeeze. “Er, hello lads.�

“The sooner we get done here, the sooner we eat,� Bobby informed him.

“What’re we having, anyway?� Warren wondered.

“Lemon squares,� Sean replied, then bit his tongue. Logan’s shoulders shook.

“Then let’s begin. I’ve a few announcements to make regarding the team’s roster. A few of you have approached me regarding your ongoing tenure at the school. I know for some of you, that’s coming to an end, though I’m reluctant to see you go. Alex and Lorna will be relocating themselves to New Mexico and will assume inactive status.� Ororo and Jean made sounds of disappointment. Lorna offered them a contrite look and patted Ororo’s hand.

“There’s never any girls here,� Jean complained.

“We’ll miss you. But it’s time to move on,� Alex mused. “And time to hang up the tights. We’re both going back to school.�

“Nice.� Scott gave him the thumbs up.

“Robert and Warren have also announced that they plan on furthering career choices that they both put on hold over the past few months.�

“It’s time for business suits, a Volvo, and a mortgage,� Bobby admitted. “And time for Wings here to count his millions and jump on board with his dad. Must be nice,� he added sourly, just for Warren’s benefit. Warren kicked him under the table.

“And last but certainly not least, Shiro has mentioned that he, too, would like to return home to Japan to his family.� Several sets of eyes found him sulking in the back. He shrugged.

“I’d like to say that’s my main reason for wanting to leave. I’d be lying.�

“You’ve been a valuable asset to the team. We hope that when you leave this school, you’re leaving behind friends who wish you the best,� Charles offered.

“You’re welcome to change your mind.� Ororo thought she detected a warmth in his eyes, just for a second, before it passed. He nodded his reply.

“We might even hook back up with Hank,� Warren interjected. “We miss working with Blue.�

“Give him my best.� Charles then opened up his laptop and keyed in a few commands. A holographic image blinked open, hovering above the conference table. The image shimmered, revealing a young teenaged girl and a short screen of statistics. “You might not have to worry about not having enough females in this school, Jean. You’re looking at our next prospective student. Her name’s Katherine Pryde. She lives in Deerfield, Chicago. Her mutation emerged recently on Cerebro, and I’ve logged her profile in my data banks. I’ve contacted her parents and arranged a go-see to meet them next week.�

“That’s wonderful, Professor. How old is she?� Jean inquired.

“Thirteen.�

“Just a pup,� Logan chided him. “She gonna be out on missions with the rest of us? Do ya recruit kids ta fight the good fight?�

“Not in Katherine’s case, Logan. My goal is to help her use her abilities. Not everyone who passes through these doors becomes an X-Man.�

“Amen ta that.� He felt Ororo’s heavy stare, but she said nothing.

“I’d like some of you to accompany me.�

“Count me in.�

“Thank you, Ororo.�

“Make that two,� Piotr chimed in. He studied her image intently, admiring her wiry strength and her pixieish features. Large, walnut brown eyes gleamed with intelligence. He liked her already.

“Make a little more room on the welcome wagon,� Logan ordered. Charles stared at him a moment.

“Fine. I don’t see why not.�

“Me either,� John sized Logan up knowingly. This time, Ororo watched them both.

This, Jean gloated, is getting good.


Elsewhere:

“Excellent work, Pierce. I have to commend your intel on getting us this feed.�

“It was no trouble at all, my queen.�

“Don’t preen so soon, Pierce.� A formidable looking man stood from his seat, an ornate King Louis XV chair with a dark finish, and strode toward the white projector screen. He pointed at the image of the girl covetously. “She’s an ideal candidate. Smart. Gifted, even. She has unlimited potential.�

“Potential I intend to put to good use, Sebastian.�

“I know you will, Emma.� She tapped a cigarette from its pearl enameled case and smiled.

The room was quiet except for the low beeps of the blood pressure monitor and the drips of the IV as Matt pulled the shades. The room smelled like lemon deodorizing cleaner. Mister Howlett was comfortably bundled beneath an acrylic fleece blanket his mother had made for him to take to work. He looked smaller, yet younger in sleep. His face was paler than usual, making the contrast between his skin and the red fleece more stark.

“Gettin’ inta trouble. Kid?� he muttered, making him jump.

“Geez! Scared me, sir!� He came around to the side of the bed and studied him. “How are you today?�

“Eh. Tired. Always tired. Ain’t nothin’ new. Been meanin’ ta ask ya, kid, how old are ya?� Matt paused in pumping hand sanitizer from the dispenser on the wall.

“Oh. Eighteen.�

“So ya just graduated from high school, eh? Ya plannin’ on furtherin’ yer education?�

“Kinda. Might take a few units part time next semester.�

“Spring. Good. Great time fer a new start, boy. Don’t cheat yerself of an education. There’s plenty of shit ya don’t know ya were even missin’ til ya go ta school. Thought I knew everything there was ta know, back in the day.� He tried to lean up onto his elbows, but he was still slightly groggy. Matt obliged him by raising the head of the bed several inches. Logan groaned in relief. “Thanks, bub. Helps. Still feel like shit today, though.�

“Sorry, sir.�

“Call me Logan. Don’t be shy about it. Never was one ta tell folks what my real name was, either, back when I was still a soldier, and then an agent. So ya won’t wear it out.� Matt returned his smile.

“What’s your plan for the day, Logan?�

“Might head to the sun room. Gonna have a smoke. Might get a haircut. Play shuffleboard. Learn the tango…� He was never averse to pulling the boy’s leg. “Got a full docket.� Matt moved to clear his tray, peering under the lid. Half the contents still remained. He suppressed a sigh.

“I brought you something.� He reached into his jacket pocket. The ward was draftier as the building maintenance staff still worked to regulate the heating now that they’d move into late fall. “You said you liked this kind.� Logan grinned with delight. The packet of Pemmican beef jerky crinkled in his withered hand.

“Someone forget ta tell me it’s my birthday? Yer a pip, kid. ‘Preciate it.� He tore open the pouch and ripped off a strip, folding it into his mouth. He sighed, content. “Know what ya plan ta do with yer life when ya finish?�

“Not really,� he admitted guiltily.

“Then all I can tell ya is this: Don’t let anyone else decide it for ya. It’s gotta be somethin’ that makes ya wanna wake up in the morning and that don’t trouble ya before ya go ta bed at night. A man’s gotta be able ta live with himself and the choices he makes, bub. Remember that. Somewhere along the way, I got lost. Took me years ta find myself. I paid the price and took a lot of people with me.� He scratched at the strip of IV tape pulling at the back of his hand; it itched horribly.

“I’ll remember.�

“Charley usually got new students when they were kinda young. Not grade school-aged so much, but young, younger than you. They always looked the same, thunderstruck and wide-eyed, gapin’ an’ starin’ at that huge school like it was the Taj Mahal, and to some of ‘em, it was. Was ta me, fer a while, too. Jean, Scott, Warren, Bobby, Lorna, all of ‘em came there as snot-nosed punks, and from what Moira told me, she had her hands full. They were her chicks.

One day that stands out in my mind, though, was the day we met Kitty.�

“Did she end up on the team like you and ‘Ro?�

“She ended up on the team before she even became a student. The first day that we met her, she just about saved our friggin’ lives.�

“Dude, THIS I’ve gotta hear! What could she do?�

“She could walk through walls, and pretty much everything else,� he grumbled. “Kid sometimes walked in on stuff she wasn’t s’posed ta see. Kid was only thirteen, and the last thing any one of us wanted ta do was give her an eyeful when she had ta call home ta her parents on how an’ what she was doin’. Kit was a scamp. ‘Ro an’ I loved her. All of us were wrapped around her pinky finger, but fer her, I was a soft touch. When she wasn’t drivin’ me nuts. Neat thing ‘bout Pryde, though, was that we got ta watch her grow an’ develop those powers. Kid was one of those people who makes ya sick with all the special stuff she could do, like there wasn’t anything she couldn’t do. She made it all look easy.�

“She sounds cool,� Matt marveled.

“Eh. Kids her own age called her a geek. None of ‘em lived a life as full as hers, though, and most folks walkin’ this earth never will.�

“So what happened the day you brought her to the school?�

“We had a spaghetti dinner with her folks. Shot the shit, let Chuck toot the school’s horn, went out fer treats, an’ got our asses handed ta us.� Logan tore off another piece of the jerky, holding the bag out to Matt, who was staring at him openmouthed. “Just another day in the life…�

~0~



Elephants. Riverdancing elephants were clogging in her head. Oh, the humanity.

Sweat rolled down her neck as she emerged from the subway and wove through the people crowding the sidewalk during rush hour. She heartily wished she’d grabbed a Tab on her way out of the studio, but the vending machine was all out.

Kitty regretted keeping her leotards on beneath her clothes, but the last time she’d worn only her dance gear home on the train, her mom had thrown a fit. Her backpack felt heavy, its well worn straps about to give up the struggle against the thick stack of texts and novels stuff inside. That’s what she got for taking two college electives on top of her full load.

She trudged to the bus stop beneath the evening sun that hadn’t dimmed much, despite that it was nearly autumn. After paying her fare, she sighed in relief, once seated, and dug a small pebble out of her black Chuck Taylors where it had rubbed her foot raw.

Kitty toyed with her Star of David pendant until more throbbing in her temples made her lean her head against the cool window and release a low moan. Hurts. Why’s it hurt so darned much? Why me? She tried and failed to ignore two boys across the aisle playing loudly with Transformer action figures.

Both her parents’ cars were parked in the driveway when she came up the front walk. Her mother, Theresa, opened the door before she could try the knob.

“Freshen up, dear, we’re expecting company.�

“Hi, Mom, my day was fine, how about you?� she quipped sourly. Her mother tutted and let her inside, giving her a quick peck. She scowled at her daughter’s appearance.

“Why do you look so flushed?� She was already relieving Kitty of her backpack and laying a cool hand against her forehead. Kitty winced.

“Too many clothes. And I have a headache. A real whopper. Mom, can I go take a nap?�

“Go shower. Toss your dance togs into the hamper and I’ll wash them tomorrow. Then go lie down until dinner’s ready,� Theresa suggested, clucking.

“Can’t I just stay in my room tonight?�

“I think you’ll want to come down to dinner for tonight’s guests, Kitten.�

“Phooey,� she muttered, already heading upstairs and shucking her battered Star Wars tee shirt.

She headed into her bedroom halfway down the hall, taking refuge amid the clutter and tossing herself on top of the rumpled pink canopy bed. She laid back and grabbed a Hello Kitty throw pillow, clutching it over her face. Maybe if she pressed hard enough, she could smother herself, or at least the migraine pounding its way out through her eyeballs…

She didn’t know when she fell asleep.

Theresa was stirring a pot of spaghetti sauce a few minutes later when the doorbell rang.

“Can’t let a woman catch a break after she gets home from work,� she muttered as she approached the door and peeked through the hole. Her grimace was replaced by a bright smile as she opened it to her visitor, an elegant blonde in her late twenties.

“I wasn’t expecting you so early! You must be Ms. Frost! Come in, please!� Theresa reflexively tucked a lock of her sandy brown hair behind her ear and waved her in.

“No need to be so formal, you can call me Emma? Terry, correct?�

“Carmen’s in the den. Make yourself comfortable.� She ushered her to the spotless, comfortably furnished dining room and nodded to the chairs. “Go ahead and set down your briefcase.�

“Thank you.� Theresa’s back was turned as she moved to the refrigerator to fetch a pitcher of iced tea; she didn’t see Emma press a small button set into the lock. Almost imperceptibly, a laser-fine beam of light scanned over the contents of the room. “You’ve a lovely home.�

“You’re too kind! How was the flight?�

“Uneventful.� Emma’s slate blue eyes were thoughtful, fixing themselves on her hostess’ modest attire and unassuming looks. She didn’t seem like the mother of a Class Three mutant. “So she’s currently attending public school?� She kept the disdain out of her voice with some difficulty.

“Deerfield has some nice ones. We make do. And it’s moot, really, since Kitty’s advanced. She’s taking some college units this year. Loves spatial geometry, mechanics, computer science…I can’t even put together a jigsaw puzzle without getting a headache!� she chuckled deprecatingly. Emma beamed.

“Sounds like an excellent candidate, and hopefully a new addition to the academy.�

“Er…are there any scholarship programs available to help with tuition?�

“Of course! Most of them are based on academic merit as well as financial need. She’ll have no trouble documenting the former,� Emma assured her smoothly, mentally reeling in her catch. Theresa tucked a glass of tea into her hand and seated herself.

“It’d be nice for you to meet her…hold on.� She hopped back up and hurried back into the foyer, bellowing from the foot of the stairs. “KITTY! Come on downstairs, sweetie!� She tsked and sighed when she earned no reply. “She’ll be along soon enough. We’re just about to sit down to dinner.�

“I won’t keep you from it,� Emma promised, opening her attaché and pulling out several stapled packets. “Here. Brochures, scholarship apps and registration forms, the fall class schedule and catalog, a handbook, student intramurals…does Katherine play any sports? Participate in anything extracurricular?�

“Mainly her college coursework…oh, and her dance lessons! She dropped out of gymnastics.�

“Oh? Wasn’t her cup of tea?�

“No. Just not enough time, and she didn’t find it enough of a challenge. Dance class relaxes her!� Emma’s face was blank as Theresa rambled on, sifting through the paperwork. “Oh, look, horseback riding!� she gushed.

“Not enough of a challenge?�

“Perfect scores during her gymnastic meets. And the other girls weren’t always that kind. Kitten’s not fond of cliques, she tends to go her own way.�

“That may change, if she came to the Massachusetts Academy. She’d no doubt fit in just fine,� Emma suggested. “We aim to make our students feel like they belong. And we pride ourselves on recognizing a student’s skills and talents and nurturing them to their fullest potential.� Theresa paused mid-flip through perusing the handbook when Emma told her “She will have plenty of opportunities to prove herself worthy –“

“Excuse me?�

“Er…to prove herself academically while upholding the values of the school,� Emma recanted sweetly.

“I’ve got to let Carmen see all of this before we make a decision. This is such a new experience. Here I am, having schools scouting my daughter to recruit her, and she’s not even a sophomore yet!�

“Schools?� Plural. “There have been other, er, schools interested in enrolling Katherine?�

“One in particular that’s been in contact with us. They’re situated in New York, from what I understand. Westchester County. I’ve never been there, but I hear they have pretty fall leaves.�

“They can’t compete with Boston in the autumn, but I’m biased, you understand,� Emma murmured, smiling serenely and inclining her head toward Theresa. “Is the child coming down?�

“Oh! Sure. Let me try and get her again, once I turn this off.� She hurried into the kitchen and turned off the pot on the stove. “Just a sec…KITTY!� Theresa took that opportunity to search for her good table linens in the hall closet as she once again called upstairs. “Come on down, sweetie! Did you hear me?� Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she heard Emma rise from her seat behind her, high heels clicking against the tile as she roamed around her kitchen.

Emma entertained herself by staring at all of the framed photos hanging in the wall.

A skinny child with brown hair grinned out from most of them, her looks unremarkable except for big, intelligent looking brown eyes. She was something of a ham, if her silly poses were any indication, and as her mother boasted before, she was very athletic. She sported different costumes and uniforms in each one. Baseball togs, dancing costumes, gymnastic leotards, ice skating skirts; clearly the child was multi-faceted. Emma stroked the edge of one frame covetously with her long French manicured nail.

“Let me go up here and get that girl,� Theresa muttered to herself, marching up the stairs with a mission. She approached Kitty’s bedroom and noticed it was silent in the hall. No irritating hip-hop or New Wave music blasting out the doorway, and she wasn’t typing away on her laptop. There was no scent of steam from the hall bathroom, indicating she hadn’t yet showered.

“Kitten…what on earth? Where did she go?� Theresa crumpled her brow in confusion. She never heard her come downstairs.

Kitty rolled to her side, expecting to bury her face in the pillow and catch a few more winks…carpet. Fuzzy gray carpet. She smelled her mother’s spaghetti and a hint of foreign perfume.

“Mmmph…huh? CRIPES!� she hissed, sitting up and staring incredulously around the living den. Her father lumbered over to see what caused the loud thump.

“Kitty! Are you okay, kiddo? What happened, did you fall?� He gently prodded her head, checking for bumps.

“Ah…I’m okay, Dad. Kinda. Tripped, I guess. Fell over my own feet.�

“Carmen, have you seen…Kitty, what are you doing on the floor?�

“You’ve got me,� she muttered, brushing off her father’s assistance and standing up, looking sheepish.

“Is everything all right?� Emma intoned sweetly from the doorway. “Ah, Katherine! It’s nice to finally meet you!� She extended her long, slender hand and appraised her through her fashionable reading glasses. “I’m Emma Frost, headmistress of the Massachusetts Academy.�

“Oh. Hi.� She shook it after she absently wiped her own sweaty palm off on her jeans. She missed the way Emma’s nose twitched in distaste at the gesture as she turned to address her mother. “I’d better go on upstairs and change, be down in a sec!� She bolted back up the steps, taking them two at a time. It was only after she was safe in the room, leaning back against the closed door that it hit her: Her headache was gone as though it had never been.

“I’m sorry,� her mother apologized haplessly, shaking her head and smiling weakly at her guest. “She’s not normally so scatterbrained and impolite.�

“Perhaps I just caught her indisposed. Look, Terry, and Carmen, is it? I’ll be moving along. I’m only staying overnight and taking a flight back tomorrow morning. Here’s my card. Give me a call over the next week and let me know when you reach a decision. Enrollment closes at the end of the month, we’d love to get her paperwork going as soon as we can. I wouldn’t want her to miss out on a fabulous opportunity, or for our school to benefit from her special gifts.�

“We just want her to be comfortable no matter where she chooses to go to school,� Carmen emphasized, scratching behind his ear. His daughter took a lot of looks from him, including the intense eyes and broad smile.

It’s not up to her. Emma stifled the thought as she reached out to shake both their hands and to collect her briefcase. “I’ll be in touch.�

“Pity you couldn’t stay for dinner,� Theresa tsked.

“I’m sure it would have been delicious. Ta!� she trilled as she swept out the door in a cloud of expensive cologne.

Outside, she sighed wearily and shook off the invisible film of mediocrity and suburban grunge. It practically left a smell, she snorted…

She was already diving into her blazer pocket and fishing out her tiny cell phone. “Frost here. Send the car around the block, I’ll meet you there.� Almost a block ahead, she spotted a small group of people approaching, a motley assortment for lack of a better phrase.

Charles Xavier had the blessing, or curse, depending on how you looked at it, of having a distinctive face. She recognized him instantly from the Club’s data banks. She could tap into them on her wireless connection from the car to ID the rest.

The largest member of the group shyly let her pass as they crossed paths. She gave him a Colgate-bright smile and felt the warm tickle of male appreciation from his thoughts until she turned the corner. Just as noticeably, the shorter, stockier man’s eyes seemed to eat her up from beneath the brim of his Stetson. Him, she would definitely dig for information on before the day was through.

~0~


“Is this the house, Professor?� Ororo murmured, making a face briefly at the lingering scent of strong, flowery perfume wafting downwind from the attractive woman they’d passed. She’d had no doubts about her femininity, Ororo mused. Her suit was such a bright white it gleamed, and it looked like cashmere, a surprisingly warm fabric for such a hot day. Absurdly high heels made her almost as tall as Ororo in her flat feet, and something in her demeanor was smug as she appraised them. Ororo had the odd feeling of being…undressed.

It reminded her of the first time Jean confessed that she’d read Ororo’s thoughts.

“This is the address they gave us. They keep a nice yard,� Charles remarked cheerfully. “She’s an only child.�

“Smells like it’s dinner time,� Logan grumbled. “Hope we ain’t intrudin’ when they’re indisposed.�

“I don’t smell anything,� Piotr said, surprised.

“Spaghetti sauce. Extra oregano,� Logan shrugged. “They know we’re comin’?�

“I spoke with Mr. Pryde two days ago. He said he could arrange his schedule so they could meet with us.� Piotr wheeled him up the front walk and put on his parking brake before knocking briskly on the front door. Now that they were on the front porch, Ororo did smell the sauce.

“Told ya,� Logan teased under his breath, catching the way she sniffed the air. Her lips twisted and she gave him a playful elbow in the ribs.

“Nosy.� They waited patiently for someone to answer the door.

“Why ya nervous?� he prodded, not looking at her. She frowned thoughtfully.

“I’m not, Logan.�

“The nose don’t lie. She’s just a kid, darlin’, she don’t bite.� Before she could open her mouth, they heard the click of the lock sliding back before a man of middle years answered the door.

“Wow, our house is grand central today! You must be Professor Xavier,� he exclaimed. His rich baritone held a patina of culture and education, and he had the mannerisms of someone who looked ready to work, even when lounging at home. “I’m Carmen Pryde.� He studied the Professor’s companions carefully, emotions and curiosity flickering over his face. “We can make introductions better inside.� He waved them in, stepping aside to let Piotr wheel Charles into his foyer. The look on Carmen’s face was almost comical as he saw his guests up close, looking up, up, up to stare Piotr and Ororo in the eyes, yet finding Logan the most intimidating of them all despite being the shortest of the four.

“You have a lovely home. I’m Ororo Munroe, an associate teacher at the school.� The thought occurred to her that they were at a loss for how to qualify Logan and Piotr’s presence at the school.

“I hope we’re not imposing,� Charles cut in quickly, reaching out to shake his host’s hand. “Something smells wonderful. Is Kitty already home?�

“Every time I turn my head, that kid disappears! Teenagers,� he grumbled fondly. “Make yourself at home.� Carmen excused himself and headed to the kitchen.

“Kid’s here,� Logan muttered. “She was a few minutes ago, anyway.� He cocked his ear. “Just turned off the shower. Up there slaughtering some song on the radio. Might have gifts, but singin’ ain’t one of ‘em.� Piotr suppressed a smile.

“Goodness, let me set a few more places at the table! Hi, I’m Terry!� Her previous intimidation upon meeting Emma Frost disappeared when she shook hands with the modestly attired, dark-skinned woman with lambent blue eyes and a generous smile.

“It’s so nice to meet you, and thank you for showing us your hospitality on such short notice.� Her face brightened as she took in the knick-knacks. “Those are lovely, is that Lenox?� Carmen’s wife was adequately distracted with the promise of rambling about every item’s origin in long detail while Charles began the process of engaging Carmen’s trust.

“So what grade is Kitty in this year?�

“Ninth, but we’re thinking of accelerating her another year. To be honest, we’re at a bit of a loss. She’s so young, and this is such an awkward, vulnerable time of her life…� he hedged.

“What my husband means is that she’s bored,� Terry piped up cheerfully as she brought out more iced tea. “Brilliant, bored, and an expert at getting into trouble. She’s our pride and joy.�

“My kinda girl,� Logan mused. His smile was slow but took years off his face. Ororo gave him hooded glances as Terry continued to sing her daughter’s praises.

He seemed out of his element in their sedate surroundings, still looking untamed despite careful attempts with his clothing and grooming. He settled on khaki jeans and a chambray oxford instead of his beloved flannel; his beloved Ropers still shod his feet. His sleeves were rolled up in an effort to cool himself. Piotr and the Professor both looked slightly flushed, making Ororo feel a wave of concern and sympathy.

Logan felt the air in the room shift almost imperceptibly, circulating a low draft around them even though none of the windows were open. He turned toward Ororo out of instinct and saw the pearly mask of electricity fall over her blue eyes, revealing that she was using her powers, albeit subtly. He suddenly felt less stifled, the room was less stuffy. Her eyes returned to their normal state when Theresa appeared and gestured to them.

“We’re just about to have dinner, I hope everyone’s hungry.� She set a stack of plates on the table just as light footsteps made their way downstairs. “Kitten, come here and set the table for me, and say hello to our company!�

It was one of those moments that would linger in Kitty’s memory until she was old and gray. Her sharp mind instantly took a photograph of her surroundings and the faces smiling back at her, studying her carefully and measuring her reaction.

“Wow,� she muttered under her breath before she recovered her senses. “Uh, I mean, hi. I’m, uh, Kitty. Just call me Kitty.� Her cheeks burned scarlet as she dropped her gaze to her shoes, which suddenly seemed very, very interesting.

“I’m so glad to finally meet you, Kitty,� Charles informed her warmly, wheeling himself closer and reaching up to shake her hand. “I’m Charles Xavier. You’re father was kind enough to arrange for us to come see you. I run a school in Westchester, New York.� She released his hand and made a face.

“Man. Another school?�

“Be polite, Kitty,� her father warned. By way of explanation he offered, “We didn’t plan it this way initially, but we had another visit from a woman at Massachusetts Academy.�

“We haven’t heard much about that school, other than that it’s meant to be very prestigious,� Ororo remarked carefully.

“Mrs. Pryde, where do you keep the napkins?� Piotr inquired. Theresa swatted him with a towel.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that! Keep that up, and I might not let you leave!� He was already relieving her of the silverware and setting places neatly at the table before Kitty could assume that task.

“Hello,� he greeted her. She stood there open-mouthed, staring at him.

“H-hi.�

“My name’s Piotr.�

“Hi,� she repeated, this time clearing her throat.

“You’re lucky to have such a nice home. I still think you’d like the school. There’s a lot to do there, and it’s big enough to fit my entire house in Russia into one wing!�

“Wow,� she muttered again.

He was huge. She echoed her father’s initial response to his size by staring in awe, but she took him in bit by bit, cataloguing each trait, such as the tiny dimples that came out when he smiled, or the tiny crinkles around his deep-set, cobalt blue eyes. He said something about a school?

Sign me up, ASAP.


~0~

“Your shot, ‘Elf,� John grumbled as he took a long pull from his beer. Kurt chalked his cue and lined up his shot, smoothly sending two striped balls into the corner pocket. “Shit. Bein’ fuckin’ hustled again.� His challenger merely grinned with those disconcerting white fangs and shrugged.

“If it makes you feel any better, mein freund, you’ll only have to buy the first two rounds at Harry’s.� He sounded wholly unsympathetic. “I wonder how the Professor and the fraulein are faring with the girl’s parents.� John was unusually silent. “Proudstar? Any thoughts?�

“Nope.� He scratched, cursing and laying down his cue with a ragged sigh. “I might pack it in.�

“Maybe you just need to get out of the house. It’s a lovely day,� Kurt suggested.

“No offense, buddy, but yer not my idea of a lunch date ta take out on the town,� he replied wryly, seating himself on the long sofa and dangling his hands between his knees. There was something sullen and resigned in his dark eyes, marring an otherwise striking face. “Someone with tits, fer one.�

“Then we’ve reached an impasse,� Kurt deadpanned. Then he added “Perhaps you should have stepped more carefully and tactfully with the fraulein. She’s difficult to resist, ja, but she doesn’t appreciate anyone taking liberties.�

“Nope,� John agreed. “She sure doesn’t. Ain’t every day a guy gets his intestines crispy-fried fer one little kiss. Mind you,� he went on, mischief tugging at the corners of his mouth, “it was damn well worth it.�

“You should apologize.�

“Already did, no need ta beat me over the head tryin’ ta convince me.� Kurt’s brows lifted.

“Gut. We live in a large house, but there’s too much at stake when we can’t get along.�



~0~

A woman’s garden was her refuge. Ororo drank in the lush smell of her late-blooming begonias and the savory herbs she planned to harvest and dry for Moira. She kneaded a kink from her shoulder earned from bending and reaching for too long, rocking her head from one side to the other. Sweat, from hard work, not the humid interior of Charles’ greenhouse, ran down the back of her slender neck. She fished in the small toolbox sitting on the wooden picnic table and found a rubber band. Ororo fisted back her long fall of thick waves and tied it back hastily, sighing with relief at having the sticky strands peeled off of her skin.

Dark, hungry eyes watched her, assessing her graceful movements and utter contentment with her surroundings. She was an extension of the greenhouse, a sedate box holding wildness inside it, easily its most exotic flower.

She felt a strange sensation of eyes on her back. Out of long habit, she paused and stood from the table, scanning the house slowly. Her hand reached for the spare pair of bypass pruning shears before she could stop herself.

The door to the greenhouse was slightly ajar.

Not again, she vowed silently. The facility was quiet, the only sounds reaching her ears came from outside. Just because a pond had no ripples didn’t mean nothing was swimming below the surface… she’d learned that growing up among thieves, under Achmed’s wing.

Her irises were clouded by swirling white, and a faint breeze stirred the leaves of her cherished ferns and spider plants.

“I know when someone’s intruding inside my home. You can come out now,� she intoned, her voice brooking no bullshit.

“Boo,� a familiar, deep voice teased as John Proudstar unfolded himself, rising from a thicket of dormant gardenia plants. He dusted a few dried leaves from his midnight hair, and a lazy smile curled his lips.

“You were nearly deadheaded,� she warned him calmly, but her eyes still crackled, even as she set down the shears and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “Why were you sneaking up on me?�

“Practice makes perfect,� he shrugged. “And because I was wonderin’ where ya got off to.�

“Why?� Her eyes settled back to normal; even her hair, which had begun to rise on the wind building inside the chamber, drifted back down against her back. “Don’t you have anything better to do?�

“Nope.� His smile widened as he tramped out from the brush, dusting off his worn, broken-in jeans. He was a striking man, she considered, but cocky to a fault. She remembered the kiss he’d stolen after their workout two days ago and still flushed thinking about it, but she was still taken aback by his cheek. They’d had an audience, for Goddess’ sake…and Logan. Oh, the look on his face! She wanted to sink into the floor.

“There’re plenty of ways to occupy yourself in the house,� she suggested, turning back to her cartons of basil and rosemary.

“I’m more of an outdoor person,� he offered. “Kinda like you.�

“Unlike you, I don’t stalk my teammates, John. That’s a nasty habit.� He jerked back slightly, as though her words socked him in the gut.

“Everyone’s got a few. Did I scare ya?� There was a hint of amusement in his eyes, but he was wholly interested in her response.

“No. You unnerved me. Don’t do it again.� She eyed him levelly. “I don’t like it when people try to take advantage of me or catch me unawares, John. If we’d get along, you’ll remember that.�

“That’s another thing I came ta talk to ya about, sweet cheeks,� he sighed, sauntering to the table and seating himself, all crouched muscles and sprawling limbs. “I’m sorry. I know ya were pissed about me samplin’ ya just ta satisfy my curiosity. Figured ya weren’t too happy about it, bein’ that ya electrocuted me. That was new,� he muttered, cocking a brow.

“Nothing says ‘back off’ like a few joules of lightning,� she agreed. “So next time, John, back off. We all need our personal space; I know I need mine.�

“That why yer hidin’ out here?�

“No. I just like getting my hands dirty.�

“Shit. I coulda helped ya with that, if ya’d just asked.� She knew she walked right into that one.

“Scamp. And I’m not hiding. From anyone. I’m just doing a few chores before we head to Deerfield tomorrow.�

“Seems weird,� John mused gruffly. “I know why Chuck wanted us ta come here, and why he left it on the table for us t’stay, but I don’t get why he’s all fired up to bring in a kid.�

“It’s a school,� Ororo argued smoothly. “There’s so much she can learn from him.�

“What’s she really gonna learn? How ta use her powers, or how ta play soldier like us? Have ya asked yerself that since ya came here, babe?�

“I get the feeling you’ve done a lot of that, John. Are you planning to stay? I know Shiro’s set on leaving us, but what about you?�

“Might stay if I had enough of a reason,� he said pointedly, enjoying the picture she made, disheveled and garbed in a simple pair of cut-off shorts and a navy, ribbed cotton tank. Perspiration made her skin dewy, gleaming in the sunlight filtering in through the glass panes; that same light made her hair glow like new clouds.

“It’s up to you to find your own reason to stay, but I know Charles is glad to have you.� Her tone was polite. Ororo began deadheading a rosebush at the end of a row of flowering shrubs. “I know I’m needed here. To teach, and to learn.�

“But ya could do anything.�

“I still can. So can you.�

“I’m straddlin’ the fence,� he admitted. “I know what it’s like ta just be a kid and havin’ someone come along and feed me a line about what I can do ta be a better man, and how ta take care of my own. Used ta be in the Army,� he explained. “Went ta war. Came back a different person. And they recruited me when I wasn’t much more than a kid.�

“I didn’t know that, John.�

“Ain’t much else t’know, Ororo. Except that it’s hard for a guy like me ta trust anyone that comes along singin’ a song about duty and goin’ out to save the day. I don’t regret fightin’ fer my country, but this ain’t much different. Chuck’s just givin’ me nicer digs and a stupider lookin’ uniform, but he’s still expectin’ me, and all of us, ta go out an’ risk our necks. And the problem with that, is that sometimes ya don’t come back.� His body had tensed as he spoke, and there was something in his eyes that reminded her of a wounded little boy, piercing her and pleading with her to understand.

“No. Sometimes you don’t.� He sidled up to her and rolled a recycling bin over for her to throw the dead blossoms into and gathered up the stray ones that had already hit the ground. “You could stay to teach.�

“Depends on what Chuck thinks any kid could learn from me.�

“How to survive and tell about it. You’re hardheaded, cocky and full of yourself. But you’re not a bad man, and Charles didn’t make a foolish decision asking you to join us. Although you might stay out of trouble if you kept your lips to yourself.� Even if they were strong lips…

“It’s gonna be hard, when ya make it so easy,� he drawled. She felt the heat radiating from his solid, powerful body and suppressed a shiver. He was too virile, too sure of himself, and not someone she could take lightly, but she didn’t sense malice or resentment in him at her refusal. If anything, he seemed more determined to watch, wait, and eventually wear her down.

“Let’s revisit when we talked about backing off.� She wheeled the bin outside toward the compost heap, wrinkling her nose at its pungent odor.

“How’d ya know I was in there, anyway? Ya don’t have hearin’ like the runt’s.� Her smile dimpled prettily.

“I didn’t hear you. I have a bond with the earth, but also with living things, anything that shares the earth’s atmosphere. You might as well have been lit up like a billboard,� she demurred, poking him in the ribs, “smarty pants.� He helped her to empty the bin and followed her back inside. “I’m just about done here. I need to go pack for the trip.�

“Just a sec.� She turned to face him expectantly, hands on her hips. “What’s goin’ on with you and the runt?�

“Who…Logan? What do you mean, John?� He watched her close up tighter than an oyster shell, eyes flashing at him and her ripe mouth tightening into a thin line.

“Ain’t too hard ta tell when an animal’s guardin’ its territory, or its pack. Or its mate,� he accused, emphasizing the last word. “Guess which one of the three he thinks you are, Blue Eyes?�

“That’s silly. Ridiculous,� she dismissed, waving away his assumption like a pesky fly. She turned and stalked toward the house, letting her hair whip on the breeze that stirred back to life. While her back was turned to him, she swallowed hard.

“Yeah. Sure it is. I’ve gotta know somethin’, now, if ya don’t mind.�

“You’re awfully full of questions today.�

“Were ya mad that I kissed ya, or that he saw me do it?�

“I think you know why I was upset,� she tossed back.

“Yeah, babe, I think I do,� he murmured softly, watching her leave. Ororo walked proud and tall; her lithe legs flashed and posture was stiff, like a cat with its back up. He’d pissed her off again…Damn.

Charles approached him later that day and asked him to confirm his plans to accompany them to Deerfield for their go-see and admission interview with the Prydes. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell the old man he’d be there with bells on. But something tugged at him. The sleek minx needed a lighter touch, and like she suggested, more space for the moment, particularly after their discussion. It just rankled, knowing that smug bastard would have two days to monopolize her attention.

He was game when Kurt, Sean and Scott suggested they’d keep themselves busy as liaisons for the school in the professor’s absence. He begged off to the professor, confessing he didn’t much like flying, anyway, with the exception of the roomy cabin of the Blackbird.

~0~



“What brought ya here, Elf? Wasn’t just because Baldy was rustling up the cavalry.� Kurt’s easy smile dropped when he prodded him, “What were ya runnin’ from?�

“Everything, Proudstar,� he replied. “I was running for my very life. That was how Charles found me.�

“Don’t hate ya ‘cuz yer beautiful, huh? Yeah, that sucks.�

“When I wasn’t dodging the occasional pitchfork or wooden stake, living in the circus wasn’t that bad,� he mused. John eyed him with a modicum of respect.

“Yer whole family in the circus?�

“Only the family that mattered. But I never met the woman who gave birth to me. I’ll never know if…� he bit back his words and turned away a moment to compose himself, rubbing his nape absently. John watched the uniquely thick, dexterous fingers tugging at his wiry curls.

“If she didn’t keep ya because ya look like ya do,� he finished for him.

“Or even if she just couldn’t,� he clarified. “I can live with being a mutant. At the end of the day I’m still a man. It’s having to fight for my very life because I look like a demon that keeps me awake at night.�

“Ever get mad at God fer takin’ away yer chances at a normal life?�

“Nein.� Kurt set down his pool cue and retrieved three of the balls and the triangular rack and commenced to juggle them, flinging them neatly through the air. John rocked back in his seat and threw back his head in incredulous laughter. “Sometimes, normal can be overrated and a crushing bore, Proudstar. I have gifts. I don’t hate the Father who gave them to me. *‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.‘ * This is my burden. And helping Charles to help other mutants, or anyone who needs my gifts is my yoke.�

“Fair enough,� John conceded. “Least ya got yer faith.�

“Why did you come here, John?�

“Had somethin’ ta prove. Ta myself. My family. Got a kid brother,� he gestured, digging into his wallet and extracting a cellophane sleeve in the billfold. “Jimmy. Just turned fifteen. Kid takes after me.� Kurt deftly caught each ball, snagging the rack out from mid-air with his barbed tail as he leaned forward for a glimpse.

“Handsome boy. Has a twinkle in his eye. Mutant?�

“We don’t know yet. That picture doesn’t do him justice. When he’s not sitting up on that fence like that, he’s already over six feet, and he’s still growing.�

“Ach!�

“Size twelve shoes. He’s a good kid.� He sighed and shoved his wallet back into his jeans pocket. “I don’t want him ta end up like me. Disappointed that doin’ the right thing didn’t end up bein’ the right thing fer him.�

“He’ll have to determine what the right thing is for himself.� Kurt didn’t ask him to elaborate, sensing something within him that he didn’t want to share; his jaw was set and his posture, stiff.

“I’m thirsty,� he decided.

“Harry’s?� John said hopefully, already rising and reaching for his denim jacket.

“I’ll spring for wings if you buy the beer. Let me go change.� With that, Kurt reached into his pocket for the small module that fit neatly into his palm. He punched the small blue button and John stepped back in response to the sudden crack of sound and light. Kurt’s features and indigo skin shimmered a moment before his body was bathed in a mesh of filaments of light, weaving together and taking form, obscuring the man underneath.

John grumbled in disgust as he took in his friend’s new visage. “Couldn’t do any better than the runt, eh?�

“He’d want to be here to keep you honest, John,� Kurt deadpanned, speaking with Logan’s lips. Every detail was identical, from the flinty eyes to the hairs covering the backs of his hands.

“Just don’t get any ideas, like runnin’ up as high a tab as that asshole. I don’t give a damn if ya did hustle me at pool, ‘Elf. I ain’t rich, and yer not gonna convince me that yer that thirsty.� Kurt clapped him soundly on the back as they headed out to the garage.

~0~

Back in Deerfield, IL:


“Kid talks a mile a minute,� Logan grinned, watching Kitty hug her parents goodbye as they prepared to leave for the ice cream café downtown.

“I like her. A lot,� Ororo admitted, feeling a warm little tickle at the affection between the girl and her parents.

“So ya aren’t nervous anymore, eh?�

“Not so much.�

“Why were ya before?� Kitty ran back upstairs at the last minute to retrieve her purse.

“It’s nothing…it’s just that sometimes, I forget what it was like. Growing up in a home like this. No worries. I didn’t have my parents with me for that long, and I lost them when I was much younger than Kitten.� Her face was wistful and sad, and Logan felt a pang.

“M’sorry.�

“Charles is right to want the best for her and those gifts, even though we don’t know what they are yet. I just don’t know if she needs to be taken from such a loving home.�

“We’ll let Half-Pint decided that fer herself, eh? Think we might’ve earned a few brownie points bringin’ Petey along.� He enjoyed the awkward glances exchanged between their quiet, lumbering teammate and the shy yet exuberant teen.

“That’s awful; don’t tease.�

“Can’t help it. Kid’s in love,� he heckled. She elbowed him sharply. “Hey, don’t knock it. A crush like that strokes a guy’s ego.�

“He’s blushing.�

“He’s enjoyin’ the attention.�

“I hope she likes us,� she said suddenly, and a surge of protective concern rose up inside him. His touch was light as he brushed her arm with his fingers, stroking her reassuringly. Warmth bloomed in her cheeks at the faint contact.

“She likes ya already. Thinks yer the bee’s knees. Couldn’t tell by the way she talked yer ear off, or anything. And just think, ‘Ro, this is her before we feed her full of sugar.�

“We’ll have her back before dark,� Charles promised as they prepared to leave. Kitty was looping a light jacket around her waist, heeding her mother’s warning that the night was going to be cool.

“Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!� Kitty jerked open the front door, beaming at Piotr once more as he wheeled Charles outside. She then yanked Ororo out the door behind her, followed by a chuckling Logan as he tugged the brim of his Stetson back down over his eyes.

The ice cream café was predictably packed to the rafters with people wanting a cool treat. They ended up at a large booth, and while Logan stepped out to help himself to a cigar, Ororo and Kitty ordered their ice cream. Ororo watched, baffled, as the young girl who couldn’t have weighed more than one-fifteen soaking wet commenced to devour a sundae bigger than her head.

Ororo toyed idly with a modest scoop of mocha almond fudge. “What do you enjoy most about school, Kitten?�

“Science class. Computer lab. Latin. French. Music,� she ticked off. “Gym. Different stuff. The only thing I really hate,� she mused around another quick mouthful of melting vanilla, “is study hall. Well, that and lunch. Food’s nasty,� she grimaced.

“They’re barely feeding you?� Ororo jibed. “Shame on them. A busy woman like you needs her sustenance.�

“I’m always hungry,� she admitted. “Especially lately! Ohmigod, it’s like I can’t stop eating! And I get tired, too, and these headaches that really suck and just kinda come out of nowhere. Like today,� she went on. “I had a real doozy when I came home from dance class.�

“Bad?� Ororo pressed, her expression worried.

“It was the pits. And it’s not just my head that hurts. I kinda ache all over and feel dizzy. Like the floor’s spinning, and kinda like I’m not ‘all there.’ I hate feeling like that. Just…not whole.�

“That would upset me, too,� Ororo agreed, handing her a napkin to wipe off a blob of hot fudge from the corner of her mouth. She thought back to when she was roughly twelve, still under Achmed’s tutelage.

Her vision had changed. Everything was brighter and more intense, resembling layers of energy and static. Almost like patterns. Her head had ached, too, and she felt oversensitized to everything around her. Then one day, she created a rainstorm, and her life was never the same again.

“So you’re a teacher, Ororo?�

“I will be teaching at Charles’ school. Different subjects,� she explained.

“Cool! You’re nicer than the other chick that showed up today. She was just…ick. Snotty. One of those people who just kinda thinks she’s better than everyone else. She was all prissy and her clothes were really low-cut. I think she was showing off to my dad.� Kitty made a face. “And she wore too much perfume.�

“Really?� Ororo was amused. “She came to see your parents today?�

“Yeah…Emma something. Wait…Frost. Yeah. She was weird. Yuck, yuck, yuck! She was all ‘Send your daughter to MY school and look at my cleavage!’� She shrugged and shook herself like a wet dog at the memory, and Ororo hid her face behind her hand as her chest shook.

“We’ll take that under advisement. I think you’ll like the school, though, Kitten.�

“My mom calls me that,� she replied. “It’s, uh, cool if you wanna call me that, too. You’re cool, Ororo. I like your name, too.�

“Thank you,� she beamed.

“Sure. It kinda works for you. You guys seem different. The professor sure seems nice, too, but it’s just funny. I talk to him, and it’s almost like he can tell what I’m thinking!�

“He gives lots of people that impression upon first meeting him, but Charles is a wonderful person and an excellent teacher. He was a lot like you as a young man; he finished school at a young age.�

“Did he move up a couple of grades?�

“He graduated from college before he was old enough to drive.� Kitty was so surprised that she choked, prompting Ororo to lean over the table and give her several whacks on the back.

“Cripes…wow. I mean…wow.�

“He’s very impressed by you, Kitten.�

“Hey, Ororo?�

“Hmmm?�

“Is that Logan guy as he scary as he looks?�

“Logan? I don’t find him scary,� Ororo considered thoughtfully. “He’s an acquired taste, but a good man. Some find him intimidating. Why?�

“Cuz he’s been staring at you since he came back inside.� She nodded toward the ice cream counter, where Logan was, indeed, shooting them furtive looks as he halfheartedly gave the girl behind the counter his order for a soda. “He’s not bad-looking or anything, but he just makes me feel funny when I look at him. Kinda like when you see a dog that you don’t know, and you can’t tell if he’s friendly or not.�

Ororo felt butterflies take wing in her belly as his gaze settled upon her, eating her up. Her cheeks burned, and she tingled from his attention, stoking her feminine pride. They played tag with each other’s glance. “So, do you, you know, like him, like him?�

“Excuse me?�

“Do you think he’s cute?�

Cute? That wasn’t a word she’d ever use to describe someone so brash and raw. He was tanned from time spent out on the mansion’s grounds and the adjoining lake, and Logan radiated robust health. The sun brought out auburn glints in his dark hair. He moved fluidly, like some great beast padding across the jungle floor. His body was hewn from solid muscle. He had eyes meant to seduce or to kill with a single look. Either look was dangerous. He was sexy and knew it.

No. She would never, ever call the Wolverine “cute.�

“I suppose he’s cute enough,� she conceded. “Goddess, you weren’t lying when you said you were hungry!� Kitty was already scraping the bottom of the sundae glass, darting for the last of the rich sauce with her spoon. Then Kitty grinned shyly and peered at Ororo through her curtain of glossy brown curls.

“Ororo? Does, uh, Piotr have a girlfriend?�

“Actually, I don’t think-“

“STAND DOWN, MUTIES! NOBODY MOVE!� Piotr was just exiting the men’s room with the Professor and stood on full alert, curling himself around him protectively at the booming voices. Ororo’s blood froze in her veins.

Several men in dark clothing and flack jackets stormed inside, wielding long rifles of unknown caliber and wearing odd masks. Snug polyurethane cowls held them in place and covered their hair, ensuring their identities were completely hidden, but small emblems on their vests were inscribed with a stylized insignia. Piotr made out the shape of a trident.

“I don’t fuckin’ believe this,� Logan spat. SNIKT! “Can’t even get any friggin’ down time in a place like this!� He gestured to them roughly, “Ya wanna go back out the way ya came in, unless ya want ME ta show ya the door!�

“Oh, my God! It’s a MUTANT! Look at his claws, he’s not HUMAN!� a woman behind the counter shrieked, dropping a coffee pot on the floor with a loud crash. Several sets of footsteps could be heard running out the back exit of the kitchen.

Piotr, armor up, son! He obeyed Charles’ order, despite the already paranoid looks from the onlookers in the shop, and his flesh rippled into organic steel. He stood gleaming and imposing before them, and several tables of people fell back, edging away as far as they could. The mercs eyed him, sizing him up and calculating how to deal with this new, unexpected threat.

“Don’t hurt us, ohpleasepleasepleaseplease!� They weren’t begging the gunmen, to Ororo’s disgust. They were begging, soft-spoken, gentle Piotr.

“You’re the ones leaving, muties,� snarled their leader, cocking his gun pointedly and aiming it straight at his chest. “Say goodnight, asshole!� BOOM! A smoking shell discharged from the barrel and struck Logan squarely in the chest. Fissures of green gas hissed out as it exploded upon impact, making Logan choke and cough and knocking him off of his feet.

“WOLVERINE!� Ororo cried, leaping up and flanking Kitty, protecting her with her body. “What have you DONE to him? Kitten, get down!� Outside the sky darkened with rolling storm clouds; thunder boomed and cracked overhead. Electricity sparked in Ororo’s eyes and made her hair, previously restrained in a low bun, whip free and crackle around her head. She felt Kitty’s terror at her back and bit back regret. She wanted to win the child’s trust.

She’d settle for saving her life.

“You’ll get your turn, just keep talking, bitch! I said STAND DOWN!�

“I think not,� she informed him before she gestured and flung her fist in an arc through the air, harnessing hurricane-level wind to batter him senseless. Her wallop packed as much bang for the buck as a prizefighter’s right hook. “YOU want to stand back, now!� He was blown back into two of his fellow mercs, knocking them off their feet. Several of the patrons took the opportunity to slip outside, heedless of unpaid tabs or the safety of the mutants in the café.

“You heard the kind lady,� Piotr added grimly, circling the professor shielding him from an energy bolt discharged from another of their rifles. He grunted slightly; he felt the brunt of the hit even armored in steel. CRUNKKK! He yanked the nearest table out of the floor, popping the bolts and crumpling the Formica top, and he used it as a battering ram as two more of their attackers rushed him. They toppled but remained in the game, protected by their own armor and Kevlar.

Ororo, behind you! She managed to duck as one of the men swung for her head with the stock of the rifle, barely missing her. She lunged, using her lithe leg to sweep him off his feet; before he could recover, she grabbed his weapon and gripped it tightly, channeling enough lightning through it to deactivate it. The café filled with the scent of smoking metal.

Constricting coils bound her as one of the men hit her with something resembling a grenade. The mesh was woven from steel cable microfilaments, impenetrable to most types of force. Tiny hooks anchored her to the wall, immobilizing her and pinning her limbs.

All Logan could see was her face twisted in horror.

“Ohmigod! Help her!� Kitty shouted, tears brimming in her eyes as she scrambled back into the corner of the booth.

“Get clear, punkin’!� Fear paralyzed her as the burly guy with the Canadian accent ran back into the fray, virtually untouched and uninjured by the gas. His Stetson was gone, giving her a good look at his wild hair, seeming to grow in spiky peaks that resembled horns, a devil’s or bull’s, she couldn’t guess. His eyes were fierce, and full of something that looked like murder at the sight of the woman pinned against the wall. “RO! I’m comin’ darlin’!� he roared. Piotr was already there, digging his fingers into the mesh and pulling with all of his might, but it remained undamaged and unyielding, actually tightening around her body even further. Her cheeks grew gray as her panic and claustrophobia set in.

“Gotta get free, can’t breathe!� she gasped. Piotr’s eyes widened in understanding, but pain wracked his features one of the mercs blasted him again, this time with a long whip that coiled around his waist, emitting crackling electricity that rippled through his nerves.

“BOSZHE MOI! AAARRRRGGGHHH!� His metal body acted as a conductor, amplifying the charge. Unfortunately he was still grasping the mesh trap, conducting the charge through it and shocking Ororo as he fell limp. Her shrieks were sharp and chilled Kitty’s blood.

“Sonsa’fbitches!� Logan snarled, claws flashing as he first slashed the whip, disrupting the charge coursing through Piotr, cursing as he received a partial shock that singed the hair on his arms. “They planned this shit! Chuck, they kayoed Petey!�

Keep it together, Logan, don’t do anything rash…

“This is what I think of yer fuckin’ toys!� he bellowed, cleaving through one of the mercs’ Kevlar like it was butter. His eyes looked horrified through the slits of the mask, but Logan surprised him, merely kicking him in the jaw and knocking him out. He felt another at his back. He reflexively twisted himself, arcing his claws neatly through the air and slashing through the raised rifle before the man could even pull the trigger. “Ya don’t wanna get in my way!� he hissed, focusing once more on Ororo as he made it to her side. “Darlin’?�

“Yes?� she rasped.

“Lean back!� SLASH! With a lone claw, he sliced through the cable mesh, freeing her and catching her before she could fall. “Shit!� he swore. She felt limp and weak in his arms and her pulse was slightly weak, but he heard her heartbeat speed up as he lent her his strength. Perspiration marred her scent, testament to the panic that gripped her. “Ya alright, darlin’?�

“*KOFF!* Not…yet. Been better. KITTEN!� She reached around him, eyes blazing again and scaring him out of ten years of who knew how many he had left – he’d stopped counting a long time ago – and stretched out her hand, launching tennis ball-sized hail at the merc attempting to pry Kitty out of the booth by the wrist.

“Don’t hurt me, let me go!� she whimpered. She put up a struggle, nearly twisting herself free. Ororo’s hailstones struck him in the back, winding him and knocking her out of his grip. She stumbled back, evading his body that threatened to pin her. “NO!�

She fell back, bracing herself for the brunt of the shop window.

She landed hard, hitting the back of her head against something solid. She saw stars and heard her own cry for mercy before she blacked out on the ground. The sounds from the clamor inside and the flickering lights drew bystanders outside who witnessed the patrons running for safety.

STOP! Their attackers staggered beneath the backlash of the professor’s psychic call, focusing on them long enough to seize control of their minds, blocking the pathways to their nervous system wherever they stood.

“What the flamin’…what the hell happened?� Logan demanded as Piotr rose and shook himself, clutching his head. Ororo scrambled back from one of the fallen men who tried to grab her, rushing over to Charles.

“It was you,� she breathed, checking him over for injury. “You’re all right!� she cried, flinging her arms around him, sheltering him like a baby bird.

“I couldn’t latch onto all of their thoughts at once. It’s strange; there was a barrier of sorts around their thoughts that I couldn’t quite penet-“ He flailed in his chair, his blue eyes rolling back before he collapsed.

“CHARLES!� Ororo screamed, clutching him and feeling for his pulse. “GODDESS!�

“We gotta move, there’s somethin’ in here still-holy…shit…� Logan’s voice died in his throat. Piercing fire punched through his brain and nerve endings as his thoughts dissolved.

Ororo and Piotr lay crumpled beside him like discarded dolls. The shop was silent except for the bits of plaster hitting the floor from holes in the walls and dripping water behind the counters.

The front door of the shop squealed open on its hinge. White suede pumps nimbly dodged the rubble on the floor. “That was easier than I thought,� a lilting voice murmured.

“The targets have been immobilized, Highness.�

“So I see.� She frowned thoughtfully as her blue eyes scanned the shop. “Where’s the brat?�

“Shit! She was over there,� he insisted, rubbing his nape. “She can’t have gotten far, she isn’t even old enough to drive. We’ll check out back!�

“You failed,� she intoned icily. Her delicate features hardened into a ruthless mask. “The Hellfire Club doesn’t tolerate failure, and neither do I, Atkins.�

“Highness,� he pleaded, shrinking back from the look in her eyes. She extended one slender hand toward him and twisted her fingers into a fist. “UUURRRRKKKKK!� He gurgled and twisted as he fell to the floor. His body twitched listlessly before his eyes went blank. She sighed, shaking her head.

“Good night, Atkins. Sleep well.� Aneurysms were one of the sharpest tools in her arsenal. She sauntered over toward the wheelchair-bound man, slumped over the body of the woman who passed her that afternoon. “You gave me quite the struggle, old man,� she purred. “You won’t do it again. I promise you.� She nudged Ororo’s limp form with her shoe, firmly enough to make her roll onto her back. “Can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear,� she tsked. “But what fabulous power. I can’t wait to play with her. Shaw will be delighted.�

“We’ll bring the shuttle around back,� she was informed by one of her attendants, wearing the red vest of the Hellfire elite guard.

“I thought there would be more of them showing up by now. You’d think they’d have called home to let someone know they’d arrived. Careless, careless, careless. And they call themselves heroes.� Then she nodded back to him. “Go ahead. Load ‘em up, boys. Then I want you to fan out. Find the girl. Bring her back unharmed.� Then she amended that. “She doesn’t have to be conscious.� He patted the cartridges tucked into his belt.

“As my Queen commands,� he swore, bowing and grasping the sleeve of Logan’s ruined shirt. He grunted uncomfortably. “Christ, guy weighs a ton!�

“It’ll take four of you to haul him out,� she promised. “Gads, it’s been a long day.� She tapped out a cigarette from a silver case in her purse. “I need a smoke.�

“That clock ain’t goin’ anywhere, ‘Elf. Ya don’t hafta keep starin’ at it.�

“It’s been too long,� Kurt insisted, pacing across the kitchen for the third time. “No calls since they landed in Deerfield. No word from the Prydes when we called, except that the child’s father shouted bloody murder in my ears, frantic over his daughter’s whereabouts!�

“Tisn’t like my Charley, aye. I agree wi’ ye, lad,� Moira declared sternly as she put away the rest of the clean dishes. “Matter o’ fact, I kinna feel Charley at all. He’s in range, but just barely.�

“Within range?� John inquired. “Whaddya mean? Like, by radio communication?�

“Like up in here,� she gestured, tapping her forehead with her finger. “I’ve a bond wi’ Charley. I’ve known him for over a decade, an’ we’ve been linked this whole time. I take care of Charley’s affairs, but in the early days of ‘im receiving his injury, I took care of ‘im. He still held pieces of me heart, even after he broke it. That was why I came tae live here in Westchester. There was nothing left in Kinross for me except me family estate.� Low footsteps approached the kitchen from the rear hallway and stopped short of the door. “Real love does na’ die, it merely changes over time. Loved him when I was nae but a wee lassie still in school.�

“High school?� Kurt mused.

“Oxford,� she replied simply. John choked on a sip of Coke. She clapped him soundly on the back.

“Dinna inhale it, lad! And dinna be so bluidy shocked!�

“*KOFF* Why the friggin’ *KOFF* hell didja settle for workin’ as a housekeeper with that kinda schoolin’ under yer belt?� he sputtered.

“Call me a Jane of all trades,� she sniffed as he wiped his eyes. “I remained close tae me family estate so I could come back an’ see tae the needs of the village as a family doctor. But it was also the perfect place tae build a facility wi’ a fully equipped lab so I could continue me research.�

“What kind of research?� Kurt sat down at the pine table and leaned forward on his elbows, tail flicking back and forth.

“Nuclear and genetic.� Just as she finished, Sean entered the kitchen, nodding at everyone with hooded eyes.

“Er…h’lo, Moira. Lads,� he announced as he opened the refrigerator.

“Sean,� she greeted. “What’ve ye been up tae, laddie?�

“Danger Room. An’ wonderin’ if the others had been in touch yet?� He pulled out the milk jug and fetched a glass from the cupboard. Moira’s eyes followed his movements.

“They haven’t.� John’s mouth was a thin line; his sigh was deep, expanding and contracting his massive chest. Sean paused in taking a gulp of his drink.

“They haven’t? As in they have na’ called yet? Even tae tell us they arrived?� Unease prickled under his skin.

“Nay, Sean.� Moira tugged at her hair, a nervous gesture he’d grown familiar with from their more frequent talks. She was growing on him.

But the day’s revelations, coming from her own lips, confused him.

They heard the phone in the study ring down the hall, and all of them jumped until they heard Jean’s smooth, clear voice picking it up. They waited in anticipation as she hung up two minutes later. Her face was flushed, red hair flying as she hurried into the kitchen.

“The Professor, Logan, Pete and Ororo are in trouble! They made it to the Prydes’ house and took Kitty out and then got attacked, right out in the open!� Moira went pale.

“Bluidy hell,� she swore breathlessly, sitting down before she could collapse. Charley!

“S’okay, colleen,� Sean murmured soothingly. Despite his misgivings from what he overheard, he covered her back, squeezing her shoulder and lending her strength. He was warm, solid and reassuring. “Who was on the phone, lass?�

“Kitty,� she answered, looking as surprised as the rest of them felt. “The girl they went out to meet. She’s terrified, hysterical and all alone.�

“Alone!� John railed. “What happened to ‘em?�

“They were taken away. Wasn’t a trace left of them at the café where they were attacked, because the place went up in flames. Fire marshals are saying it was a gas leak, that’s what Kitty told me.�

“Is the fraulein all right?� Kurt fretted.

“She wasn’t hurt, just scared out of her wits. She wasn’t clear on how she got out of there. Just said that she fell through a window!�

“Ach!�

“Poor wee lass,� Moira crooned. “That’s it, then. Off wi’ ye,� she clucked, nodding at all of them. “I’ll hold down the fort. Did the lassie tell ye where she was?�

“More or less. We can use the Blackbird’s GPS to get a lock on where she is,� Jean decided. “So that’s it. Let’s go.�

John, Sean, Jean and Kurt adjourned to the locker room to suit up and ran into Scott en route.

“Where’s the fire? Where are you off to?� he inquired, looking concerned when he saw the firm set of Jean’s jaw. She gripped his hands and kissed him in greeting.

“Scott, we need to do a recon for the Professor.�

“What happened?� His brows drew together over his glasses. Jean winced over the panic that swept through his thoughts.

“They were ambushed,� she explained. “We just saw the news feed of an explosion at a restaurant in Deerfield. That’s where Ororo and the others went to meet the Pryde girl. The broadcast was vague as to what happened.�

“Things are always vague when anyone says they saw a mutant. Or the X-Men. This isn’t good,� he grumbled, then sighed. “Let’s go.�

“What have you been doing this afternoon?�

“Looking at the database update Charles made to Cerebro. He found another mutant.� Jean was intrigued despite their circumstances.

“Who?�

“A young woman named Alison Blaire.�

“Wonder what this one does,� John mused, “and if she’s single?�

“Gads, boyo, ye have a one-track mind,� Sean tsked, clapping him hard enough on the back to make him grunt. Kurt shook his head.

“I wonder what we’re up against?� Jean heartily wished Lorna and Alex were still available to lend them more muscle.

“Someone with enough fire power and resources to take out four mutants. That’s all we need to know. Stay on your toes, people.�

Jean was uneasy the entire flight to Deerfield; they were dismayed to learn that Kitty’s mutant signature tracked down on the mini-Cerebro unit had moved that far.

What on earth had happened for her to have moved so far away from home, so fast?


~0~


Holy cripes. HOLY cripes. I’m in such deep doo-doo. Kitty shivered in the dark and listened to the unfamiliar voices over her pounding heart. Her skin was clammy and chilled from the transition to hot and sultry to drafty and air-conditioned.

Never in a million years did she ever think she’d ride in a hover car. Terror killed excitement, and she cowered in the very back of the hatch.

Ororo, Logan and Piotr were bound in odd-looking metal restraints that covered their hands completely, as opposed to simple wrist shackles. Each of them lay unconscious in separate cages like captured animals, and the sight made Kitty feel sick. The Professor was similarly bound, but they left him in his wheelchair, using a special harness to anchor it in place. Each of them wore a collar that dampened their powers by disrupting the mind’s signals to their central nervous system. Kitty wanted to do anything, make a sound, shake them, anything to make them wake up. She was petrified, for them, and for herself.

Ororo’s pallor wasn’t good and she had bruises that made Kitty wince. She was so nice to me.

Kitty had to help them. But how?


~0~

“That’s three games in a row. Didn’t ya eat yer Wheaties this morning, kid?� Matt looked down in surprise at Mr. Howlett’s cards. Straight flush. Again. Damn. He was being hustled!

“All right. Deal’s a deal.�

“Think yer mom could add a few walnuts to the next batch?�

“In a heartbeat. She’s also got another Steven King book she just finished that she’s bringing this weekend.� It was shameful. Matt’s mother was spoiling Logan as much as Matt was, dropping in for occasional visits and bringing him goodies when she noticed how much her son looked forward to going to work every day. Nurse Kinney still warned him once in a while about not being too partial to one resident over the others, but she was still pleased that Mr. Howlett was enjoying better comfort and pain control since the visits began.

“Hot dog,� he chuckled as he gathered up the cards and shuffled them aqain. When Matt won – if Logan would let him win – he had to take his meds without complaint and finish his dinner. He was in fine form, occasionally winking at a couple of female residents that passed through the recreation room. Even the less lucid ones smiled back, dimpling prettily and giving him a swat. Matt was in the presence of the master.

“I’m not gonna sleep tonight until you tell me what happened when Kitty found you.�

“Hmm?�

“You said Kitty stowed away in that weird hover car to follow you…�

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. Tryin’ ta remember where I left off…man. That was a mess. Bein’ an X-Man was hard enough when ya had ta protect civilians from gettin’ hurt in the line of fire, bub, but this was different. In a sense, we had ta protect one of our own. Pryde was already provin’ ta be just that. Her parents trusted us with her, an’ look what happened.� Logan licked his thumb and deftly dealt out the red Bicycle cards like a shark, completing the image with his fanged grin. “Thank God Kitten was a survivor. To roll with us, she needed ta be.�


~0~

Logan’s body twitched as his body slowly regained its focus, but not its equilibrium. Brief clues came to him one at a time. He was in the dark. He was on a cold floor.

He couldn’t move his hands.

“Fuck,� he moaned. “Anyone…get the number of that truck?� His voice sounded groggy and drugged, and he tried to remember what he was hit with that left him so torn up. Must’ve been pretty good… “Ow.�

His vision was still blurred as he cracked open his eyes, but decided against it when the room rocked around him, threatening nausea and a wicked headache. Logan let his nose do the talking for what he needed to know.

Metal. A lot of it. If he didn’t know better, he’d think he was in a cage; he couldn’t explain it, but he felt confined. And it wouldn’t be the first time, he sneered. Great. Friggin’ great.

Blood. Just a bit, but it unnerved him. Logan guessed that most of it was his.

‘Ro. Wait…’Ro? Her warm, earthy scent was distinctive and close by. Logan could hear her pulse, but it was weak.

Logan groaned again, this time in concern, and he attempted to roll onto his side. The room continued to spin, and his head felt like someone clamped it in a vise, but he had to confirm it for himself that she was there. And that she was whole.

If not, he had asses to kick.

Kitty? Dimly he caught the hint of ice cream and Love’s Baby Soft deodorant, coming from about thirty feet away. Logan stiffened, fuming. If the kid’s parents didn’t ground her, then damn it, he would.

“Welcome to Hell,� a serene voice purred with rounded vowels. “I hope you’re comfortable.

That voice. That scent. The woman’s perfume was overwhelmingly feminine and expensive. Her voice was a bright, lilting soprano and too damned chipper for Logan’s taste.

“The media overestimated what you people can do,� Emma continued, tsking. “You almost made this too easy, you know. You should be ashamed of yourself, Charles.� Kitty smothered a gasp of relief when she saw the Professor stirring slightly. His eyes looked bruised and disoriented, but he was otherwise unharmed. He focused on Emma but his perceptions were still dim, hampered even further by the power dampening collar. “Don’t try to read my thoughts; it’s no use, old man.�

“What do you want with us?�

“The brat. First come, first served, Xavier. The Pryde girl belongs at my academy. She has Hellfire Club novitiate written all over her.� Charles looked taken aback.

“I’d heard rumors,� Charles replied uneasily. Her laugh was full-bodied as she reached into a tiny silver case. Emma extracted a cigarette and a slim black holder and inserted it into the end. Logan smelled the smoke from her match as it flickered in the shadows. She greedily inhaled the smoke and released it in swirling puffs.

“Not rumors. Fact. You no more think we’re ‘rumored’ than you believe mutants with powers are a figment of your imagination, Charles.� She slowly stalked out from the dark and flicked a switch on a nearby console. One by one, several rows of fluorescent light bars across the ceiling lit the room, bathing it in a bright yellow glow that hurt Logan’s eyes once he opened them.

Ororo protested just as much with a groan that made him wince. He finally had a good, long look at their captor. If he wasn’t so pissed off, he would’ve laughed…then drooled.

Hunger for power, greed and avarice never came in a prettier package than Emma Frost. It was the same broad from the street they passed on their way to the café, but she left the package unwrapped.

Her sedate blond pageboy was blown out and tumbled over her shoulders in careless waves, draping seductively over her eye. Her lips were glossed candy apple red, marred only by her smirk. If her cashmere dress and jacket puzzled any of them before, her current outfit was an even greater contradiction.

Lingerie. She wore white leather and satin like a second skin. Lush, full breasts nearly spilled free of a white bustier laced so tightly she shouldn’t have been able to breathe. Tiny, white leather bikini briefs revealed flaring hips and cupped her sex. Flamboyant boots reached up over her knees and added inches to her height, the stiletto heels looking sharp enough to put Logan’s eye out.

She crowned her look with a cape. Vintage and expensive, trimmed with a fur collar and a sleek satin lining. She wore a white satin choker around her neck with a silver cameo, engraved with the insignia of a trident.

“Hey, Hot Pants, do Prince and Apollonia know ya’ve been raidin’ their closets?�

“Insolent pissant,� rumbled a second voice from the shadows. His heavy musk reached Logan’s nostrils, unfortunately blocking the hint of fresh air that swept inside as he entered the chamber. “You will show the White Queen respect.�

“Uh-uh. I’m gonna show ya yer liver once I get outta these,� he argued gruffly, baring his sharp canines.

“Logan,� Ororo moaned weakly. Relief choked him at the sound of her voice.

“Isn’t that sweet?� Emma crooned. “It must flatter you, Wolverine, to hear your name on a woman’s lips the moment she wakes up.�

“Especially such a comely creature as you, Storm,� her companion agreed. He joined Emma and cupped her shoulder in his beefy hand, nuzzling her temple. Her smile was satisfied and indulgent.

“If I didn’t find her just as delicious, I might be jealous, my love,� Emma mused, “but just look at her.� She licked her lips. Ororo shot her a look of disgust.

“Leave her the fuck alone!�

“When I’m finished playing with her. I always put away my toys,� Emma shrugged. “But for now, dear Wolverine, it’s lights out.�

Logan’s world was turned inside-out as she struck him with a mind-searing bolt of telepathic energy, the strongest weapon in Emma’s arsenal, barring her looks. Logan struggled to hold on, but his nervous system felt like it was on fire. The power of Emma’s thoughts wasn’t the benign probe of Charles’; her methods were invasive and thorough, devoid of regard for its subject. For once in more years than he could count back, Logan was a victim.

The last thought that escaped him before he drowned in oblivion was that he wasn’t helpless. He took the sound of Ororo’s voice calling to him with him.

“You witch!� Ororo hissed. She attempted to expand her awareness of their surroundings. She couldn’t feel the atmosphere pulling at her or see the currents and waves of energy in the air. She felt the cold, dull thrum of metal around her neck and realized it was the culprit.

“Don’t bother, sweetling,� Emma assured her simply, taking another puff and blowing it out through pursed lips. “It’s a waste of time you can’t afford. We want the child, and you X-Men got in the way. Shaw and I plan to curb you of that nasty habit post-haste.�

“Now…who’s wasting time?� Ororo taunted back, tasting a hint of blood inside her lower lip. Sebastian Shaw smiled broadly, not unlike a crocodile.

He was just as decadently attired as Emma, albeit with more fabric. Sable brown hair was clubbed back from his face and tied with a black satin ribbon. He wore a Victorian waistcoat and vest with breeches, hose and buckled shoes, all in hues of black and gray. He was massively built, easily as tall and broad as John. Ororo began to heartily regret that he hadn’t accompanied them, after all.

It didn’t matter. They’d taken down the Wolverine. They still would have been caught by surprise, and for the moment, outmatched.

“We’ve been watching you. You’re quite entertaining, and I’m not just talking about the news feeds from the media.� She turned to Charles then. “We found Kitty at the same moment, the same way you did, Charles. Through Cerebro.� His expression mixed horror and outrage.

“No one can use it but me!�

“Ah, but we can plant a bug and transmit the feed to our own database,� Emma chided playfully. She sauntered smoothly toward him like a coquette, idly tapping her chin with one gloved finger. His skin crawled at her touch as she trailed it along his cheek, making him curse his helplessness, his shortsightedness.

“Man can’t rely solely on machines, Xavier,� Shaw mused. “He must rely on himself.� He gave Ororo and her other companions an appraising look. “They’re hardly more than children, man. You’re richer than Croesus, and you send children to fight for your…whatever it is you believe in.�

“They help people, they fight for the helpless!� Charles sputtered, jerking his head back from Emma’s offensive touch, even though she was leaning her hip against the armrest of his wheelchair, just grazing his hand.

Get your cooties away from him! Emma caught Ororo’s errant thought and whipped around to face her.

“Well! It’s like that, eh, weather-witch?� she teased. Ororo’s eyes were sparking with indignant rage.

“How could you treat him like that? You want respect, then show it where it’s due.� Emma abandoned the Professor and strolled back toward the containment cell. Ororo rolled to a sitting position, despite how it wrenched her shoulder, but it was more comfortable than lying on cold concrete.

“Don’t make me laugh,� she tsked with a roll of her eyes. “The Professor’s wasted your time and your potential, Storm; you know it as well as I do. I’ve seen inside your mind,� Emma informed her, and her voice grew silky, the way one would talk to a lover. She wrapped her fists around the bars and leaned against them, letting them press her breasts until they bulged up from the corset, framed by cold metal. Emma cocked her head and continued. “I know you tried to keep me out. You’re trying now. I’m flattered that you think me enough of a threat. It moves me.�

“When you’re on the other end of a tornado once I get free, then you can tell me how much I’ve moved you,� Ororo suggested helpfully.

“We need to work on your subtlety,� Emma sniffed.

“You’ll have adequate time, darling,� Shaw reminded her. “She’s not going anywhere.�

“True, true,� she murmured thoughtfully. Her smile was serpentine with her next words. “You like the wild man. I’m impressed. I figured you for being attracted for someone more bookish, like your friend Mr. Summers.� She licked her lips. “He can certainly do better than that horrid Jean. Or ‘Marvel Girl,’ for God’s sake. What was she thinking?� Shaw suppressed a chuckle.

“White Queen?� Ororo offered, cocking one slanted brow. Emma’s smile slipped.

“Your strong and silent friend here is young, malleable and easily trained,� Emma pointed out, nodding to Piotr. He was blessedly unconscious and more bruised than the rest of them, since Emma’s drones had attacked him the most vigorously, compensating for his immense strength. “I don’t think you could handle a ruffian like our friend here.�

“Logan is the friend of very few people, Ms. Frost,� Charles said softly. “Your first mistake is thinking you can ‘handle’ him, as you so charmingly put it.�

“Your mistake is thinking that I can’t, and it will be costly, Charles.�

“So you want the girl. Why take us captive?�

“Not just captive. Hostage. I know your other students will come running once they see the news of what happened downtown. I intend to use them as bargaining chips to recruit all of them.�

“Recruit?� Charles was incredulous.

“The Hellfire Club employs technology as well as mutant fire power to further its own ends. The Massachusetts Academy offers special opportunities for recruitment into our organization to a select few students every year. Mutant students, like our young Miss Pryde. They go on to run corporations, expand our business overseas, run our shipping lines, weapons contracts…�

“And become assassins,� Charles interrupted. Emma sighed, and with a flourish, she attacked his mind again, assaulting him with the memory of how he lost the use of his legs, magnifying his body’s recollection of the pain ten fold.

“We call them independent contractors,� she corrected him. “It’s not polite to cut in when people are talking, Charles.�

“I told you to leave him alone!� Ororo was up like a shot, staggering to her feet.

“Psh,� Emma snorted. “What are you going to do?� Emma continued to lean in against the bars, turning her mouth into a small moue.

BONG! Ororo’s head already throbbed, but the look of shock, followed by an explosion of pain on Emma’s face as she rammed it against the portion of her forehead that she could reach through the bars was worth it. Oh, was it worth it.

That would teach her to run on at the mouth instead of keeping her eye on her Ororo’s thoughts, or her movements.

Shaw wasn’t amused. Before Ororo could reel in her own pain and back away, Shaw reached into her cage, snapping his hand around her jugular.

“No one lays a hand on my Queen,� he admonished, his voice low and dark, “and expects to keep it.�

“Shaw’s gift is enhanced strength. Feel free to offer him the same treatment you gave me, Ororo.�

“Now, Emma,� he interjected. “Mustn’t give away too much, too soon, my sweet.�

“You’re an open book, Sebastian,� she replied as she stubbed out her cigarette. “And so are you, Storm, despite the psychic shields your dear Professor attempted to help you build. Unlike your friend Wolverine, whose thoughts are so jumbled I nearly got lost in the static and noise. The man’s dark, Ororo. So deep and dark, like chocolate,� Emma sighed, followed by a low “mmmmmmm� of approval.

“Bitch,� Ororo rasped around Shaw’s snug grip.

“Put her down, my love.� He flung her back with a thud. “Someone’s still cranky and needs her beauty sleep. Take a nap, Ororo.� She no sooner gulped in much needed oxygen than her thoughts dissolved into the ether. Ororo’s soft cry was full of denial as she collapsed.

“Damn you,� Charles cried. “You’re exactly the reason why baseline humans despise us!�

“Who needs love when they can fear you? Homo sapiens can hate us from down on their knees.�

Emma was so intent on Charles’ torture that she didn’t pick up the trace of frantic prayers from the darkest, tiniest corner of the chamber. Kitty’s heart hammered in her chest.

She bided her time and waited, listening to their captors and grateful to the bone that her mother and father didn’t make a hasty decision about her enrollment to that school. Yet.

Cripes. Mom and Dad! What if Emma tried to coerce her parents into doing what she wanted? She was a telepath, and she knew where Kitty lived, now!

Kitty had to act, and she had to act now.

Somehow.


~0~


“Who the heck was Apollonia?�

“Way before yer time, kid. Way before yer time. Ya gonna ante up or not?� Logan accused.


~0~


It felt like forever before Shaw and Emma finally took their leave, following their information technician’s request to review more of the data pulled from Cerebro. Charles was once again sedated, and Kitty cursed Emma again for mistreating someone as kind as the Professor had been.

Kitty shoved her fear down as far as it would go before venturing a few hesitant steps from her corner. Emma had thoughtfully turned down most of the lights in the suite; maybe she was trying to conserve energy, Kitty fumed.

She approached Ororo’s cell first. It chilled her to see Ororo confined in something so cold and uncomfortable. “Ororo,� she whispered. “Psst…psst…Ororo!�

She lay unresponsive except for a faint twitch of her fingers. Kitty grew braver.

“Ororo! Wake up, quick!�

“Uuunnnggghh…�

“Please wake up. I need you,� Kitty pleaded. She could almost reach her.

Ororo felt a tug on one of her fingers and instinctively tried to bat it away, then grabbed the hand instead. “Leggo,� she warned briefly. Her tongue felt thick and she hated the slur that came out.

“Not until you wake up. If you don’t, that witch is gonna come after me, she’ll hurt you, and then she’ll come after my parents if they don’t send me to that icky school. I hate her! She’s mean and she wears her underwear on the outside!�

“Goddess…stop yelling at me, child.�

“M’not,� Kitty protested.

“Head…hurts,� Ororo complained. She squinted up at Kitty, her beautiful eyes full of pain. “Hullo, Kitten,� she said fondly.

“Hi,� she blurted. “You look awful.�

“I feel awful. Kitty,� she remembered, “you shouldn’t be here.�

“I know! I wanna help you get outta here!� she whispered urgently. “How do I get you out of this thing?�

“I’m all out of ideas. I can’t even move my hands. If I could, I might be able to open the lock.�

“How?�

“Lockpicks. But they took them from me.� It was only then that Kitty noticed Ororo wasn’t wearing the sedate, stylish black dress she had on before; she was clad only in her underwear, stripped of all accessories and her shoes. Kitty didn’t have to guess how violated she had to feel, but Ororo was still a lot calmer than she was. “Kitten…I need you to remember something.�

“This isn’t the time to give me a pep talk,� Kitty scolded.

“No, Kitty! I mean I have something for you to memorize,� Ororo snapped. “I’m going to tell you a phone number, and I want you to use it to call the school. Ask for Jean or Scott.� Ororo spoke the number slowly at first, then repeated it more quickly twice.

“I’ve got a photographic memory,� Kitty assured her, repeating the number back to herself. “Once I get out, I can remember which building it was that I left. And I can come back for you…�

“Look! It’s the brat!� Shaw boasted. “Emma, she’s saved us the trouble of finding her, after all.� Kitty’s stomach lurched and knotted into a tight ball.

“Kitten! GET OUT, NOW!� Ororo shouted. “Find Jean! Quick! They’ll hurt you if you stay!�

“I won’t leave you,� she wailed, clinging to Ororo’s limp hand. Ororo squeezed her fingers.

“I’ll be fine.�

“No, you won’t!� she sobbed.

“GO!� Kitty yelped and ran, with the Hellfire operatives hot on her heels. Kitty took a hope-to-heaven leap and concentrated.

She passed without a sound through the floor.

“Fuck!� cried one of Emma’s pawns.

“So help me,� Emma muttered, cradling her temple in annoyance, “I hate teenagers.� She gestured to her operatives. “Go. Bring her back alive. How you do it, I don’t care.�


~0~

Her lungs felt like they were about to burst. Kitty’s shoes weren’t made for a running fight, and she was running out of alleys to duck into. Her cheek burned from where she scraped it, and her arm was beginning to throb.

They were gaining on her. Kitty sent up a silent prayer to whoever was listening and continued to phase, but it was weakening her.


~0~

“Still don’t get why ya agreed ta go on this wild goose chase ta find this Blaire chick,� John grumbled. Scott diverted them to Manhattan, where they found the other mutant signature. Kurt sighed.

“Because I trust his instincts. And he made a point. Sean’s at the school as backup to protect Moira.� John snorted. “Scott and Jean are looking for the girl, which might be for the best. The young fraulein might not be ready for me quite yet, in all of my natural glory,� Kurt mused.

“Eh. I’m gettin’ used ta ya, Elf.� John clapped him on the back, knocking a low “ooph!� from his lips.

“So we find Alison and introduce ourselves. And we put my inducer to the test.�

“But why a nightclub?�

“Don’t listen to popular music, John?�

“Not much. Give me Johnny Mathis or Smokey Robinson any day over the crap the young kids are listening to lately.� John made a sour face.

“The young kids know her as Dazzler,� Kurt explained as they reached the front door of a nondescript old theater.

“Wait…THAT Dazzler?�

“Hold still.� Kurt depressed the button of his inducer, and they were briefly enveloped in a bright light that resembled a camera flash. Kurt’s blue fur and yellow eyes disappeared, leaving behind fair skin, short and wavy black hair and a mustache. His features were nearly the same, minus the fangs, giving John an idea of what he might have looked like had he not been born a mutant.

“I don’t listen to much current crap, but her I’ve seen!� John exclaimed. “She stopped that bank robbery on Fifth and Salem Street last week!�

“Mm-hm,� Kurt acknowledged.

“She’s HOT!�

“Ja vohl,� he agreed again.

“Why didn’tcha say anything before?�

“All you wanted to know before was if she was single. This is still business,� he added. “But for the record, the tabloids say she IS single.�

“So what, are we just askin’ her if she wants ta sign up fer the school?�

“No. We’re making her a recruitment offer, like the Professor did for us. Scott and Jean are doing some surveillance of the café. They found bodies. Two of them were wearing special armor manufactured by Shaw Industries.�

“Okay. We know where they got their suits…which might be a whole lot sharper than the one ya gave me,� John muttered, looking down at his clubbing outfit that Kurt created for him. “Geez…�

“It’s stunning,� Kurt assured him.

“Yer buyin’ me beer.�

“Of course.�

“LOTS of beer.�

“Chin up. Look lively, Proudstar. Smile!� Kurt waved to two young women who eyed both men appreciatively.

“This place is a dump,� he complained back as he scanned the room. “Phew!� he grimaced as they waded through fetid perfume and the occasional tequila burp. The club was dark and poorly lit, having the nerve to feature a disco ball and two strobe lights flanking the tiny dance floor. “I don’t see her –“

“How’re y’all doin’ tonight?� a man crowed into his mike, sporting teen idol spiked hair and a logo tee shirt. “Give it up for …DAZZLERRRRRR!!!!� The crowd gave up a roar of applause, clapping and whistling loudly, and suddenly the room exploded in light.

“Jesus, Joseph and Mary!� John swore, holding his hand up to shield his eyes. “What the heck is that?�

“That, my friend, is our new recruit. If she says yes,� Kurt nodded to the slender figure standing within the glowing nexus.

She was stunning. Both men grinned at the spectacle.

Alison Blaire was born for show business. She sauntered, danced and stoked the crowd, singing her heart out, even if it was the kind of industrial rock music neither man cared for. But she made it work.

She was petite for a rock legend, and for a crimefighter. Kurt wagered that she didn’t stand any taller than five-three or –four in her flat feet, and she was currently teetering on chunky heels. Her body was lithe and toned, built like someone who lived in the dance studio and vacationed at the gym. Her stage costume consisted of silver lame pants and a tiny white halter top, and her strawberry blonde hair rippled down her back.

“Nice. She’s havin’ a great time up there, and ya wanna talk her into goin’ ta look for a mutant kid who just missed being blown up at an ice cream shop. Bet she can’t wait ta get on board for that plan.�

“She’s a mutant,� Kurt mentioned casually. “She’ll understand why we need her, if nothing else.�

However, before either of them could react, the ceiling collapsed.

“GET CLEAR!� Kurt shouted over the din as rafters and rubble threatened to pummel the crowd. BAMF! Bluish black smoke and the sharp stench of brimstone exploded around him before he disappeared. He rematerialized beside a young woman who stumbled on her platform shoes in the scuffle. Kurt covered her body with his, shielding her protectively before ‘porting her to safety. He released her by the exit. “GO, Fraulein, hurry!� he warned. She screamed in terror and disbelief.

“You’re a MUTIE!� she accused, jabbing her finger in his face. Kurt was grateful his image inducer was still working. Otherwise, she’d call him a demon, instead.

“Yer welcome, sweet cheeks,� John growled as he deflected a girder before it could strike her, swatting it away like a fly. She answered him by screeching her way into the stampede of people cramming the exit.

“That’s the least of our worries,� Kurt informed him, nodding toward the decimated ceiling. “Look!�

“Stand down, X-Men!�

They were huge. The operatives wore obsidian armor engraved with an odd insignia of a trident on the yoke. Their domed helmets hid any semblance of their faces from view, but Kurt knew they were smiling malevolently and sizing him and John up.

“Make us,� John countered.

“We have orders from the White Queen to take her in, and to take out anyone who gets in our way.�

“What’s the word I’m looking for…oh, yeah. Bullshit.� CRRRUNNKK! John stomped over to the long serving bar and embraced one end in his brawny arms, digging his fingers into the aged, scarred wood. It groaned and cracked as he tore it free of the floorboards. Amusement and annoyance mingled in John’s eyes and the quirk of his lips.

“Mein Gott!� The floor shuddered and trembled beneath them as he brought the mass down on their heads. Kurt teleported free of the splintered debris. His teammate’s methods weren’t subtle…but they weren’t bad.

Unfortunately they weren’t enough…

“Would either of you mind doing me a favor?� a mellow, whisky smooth voice inquired. Kurt and John turned as one, watching Alison Blaire fan away the smoke and dust, coughing for emphasis.

“Sure, toots,� John offered, saluting her with a wink.

“Explain to the owner of this dump why I won’t owe him thousands and THOUSANDS of dollars in repairs after he did me the favor of setting up this gig.�

“Oops.� Kurt rubbed his nape uncomfortably.

The focus of their search looked ready to rip them a new one. She crossed her arms beneath her breasts and glared before stalking over to John.

“Don’t thank us or anything fer gettin’ everybody out,� John snapped. She wasn’t amused. “Hey…OW!� Alison reached up and grabbed him sharply by the ear, giving it a savage twist. She jerked it until his face was eye-level with hers, despite the disparity in their heights.

“Look, Dimples. You. Ruined. My. Gig. And how’s it gonna look when the cops and firemen show up to make a report and start taking statements? Huh? ‘Oh, sure, Officer, I can tell you what happened. This guy just came in, picked up the bar, and dumped it over the heads of a couple of robots. And that’s Alison with one L.’ And you,� she whipped around to face Kurt. “I saw what you did, too. Don’t even think of pulling that disappearing act again, unless you plan to take me out of here, too!�

“Look, Princess…OW!� John protested, wincing as she twisted the crown of his ear again. “LEGGO, already! Sheesh! We came here to find you!�

“Why?�

“To make you an offer,� Kurt explained, “and to ask your help.�

“Unless it’s a record contract, I don’t think you guys can offer me anything I want,� she sniffed, releasing John’s ear and giving him a light shove. He looked thoroughly taken aback.

“Then get off yer high horse and think about helpin’ us instead. We’re lookin’ for a mutant kid. Some of our people got kidnapped when these same goons that crashed yer show blew up that café down the street from here.�

“Wait…you’re here about that explosion? I had nothing to do with it!�

“We know that, Fraulein Blaire. But John’s right. Three of our teammates and our school’s headmaster disappeared in the fire without a trace.�

“It’s Ali.� Before she could ask him anymore questions, the rubble shifted and John caught the sounds of the armor’s defense system coming back online with several metallic clicks.

“GET BEHIND ME!� he cried, gripping Ali by the arm and shielding her just before both operatives burst from the timbers and concrete. She ducked and huddled beneath him with a small scream.


~0~

Kitty blanched at the intrusive glow of headlights against her back as she sprinted over asphalt.

“You’re running out of places to run, little girl,� remarked the operative behind the wheel. He gunned the ignition, enjoying her look of fear as he cornered her.

“She’s tired. I think we’ve got her,� his companion chuckled from the passenger seat of the expensive black sedan. His face changed from smug to dumbstruck two seconds later. “Oh, shit.�

“What…?� Stunning redheads didn’t just come floating down to earth out of thin air, or at lease they weren’t supposed to. That was the thought nagging him as he slammed on the brakes.

“Pick on someone your own size,� Jean ordered, widening her stance as soon as she lit upon the scarred ground. Behind her, Kitty’s eyes had grown wide, and she stumbled back from surprise, falling back against a brick wall to steady herself.

“Aw, you’ve gotta be kidding! Another mutie! This one wants t’be Batgirl!� he sneered. “Look at her costume!� Jean’s telekinetic energy made her hair whip and crackle around her head, and her eyes glowed with golden energy.

“Doesn’t matter. From what my scanner’s telling me, she’s an X-Man! Run her down and grab the kid, and let’s go!�

“Marvel Girl!� Scott cried. “Duck!�

“No,� she pronounced darkly. She didn’t spare her fiancée a glance as she concentrated on the car. She watched and waited, letting the sedan barrel toward her. Kitty cowered against the wall, face down, and she braced herself for oblivion. Her life flashed before her eyes, and she was disappointed that it had to end before she became a prima ballerina, mayor of Chicago, or married John Stamos from E/R.

The speedometer read sixty miles per hour. Marvel Girl should have been a sitting duck, trapped in the headlights like a deer.

All she did was wave her hand, standing fast with Kitty stammering prayers behind her.

The car jerked to a stop; time seemed to, too. But both men kept moving, pitching forward through the windshield. Glass tinkled and glittered across the pavement. The car crumpled like a tin can.

Jean still held it aloft with the power of her mind as Scott ran toward them. Anger made his jaw work and clenched his fists.

“What the hell were you thinking, Jean?�

“Codenames, Scott,� she reminded him soothingly. His lips were still tightly drawn as he brought down the volume a notch.

“That’s the kind of grandstanding stunt that can get someone killed! The X-Men don’t kill, Jean! And you could’ve scared the wits out of the girl!�

“I think I already did,� she hedged, nodding to the blank face of the brick wall. Kitty was long gone. Scott sputtered, completely exasperated and ready to shake Jean until her teeth clicked. He loved her, heaven knew, but she’d become so…unpredictable.

“What now?� Scott grumbled.

“We follow the trail of bread crumbs,� Jean shrugged. Her face lost the blank, rapt look it often took on when she used her telekinesis, and her hair settled back down around her shoulders. The hectic golden cast left her eyes, and she was back to the same, sweet Jean whom he loved. “She’s hiding inside.�

“There’s no door over here; it looks condemned.�

“Then we use the window,� she supplied, taking his hand. Scott felt his feet leave the ground as Jean floated them up two stories and used her TK to flip open the window latch.

~0~

Over the cacophony of John and Kurt scuffling with the two Hellfire guards, Alison shouted “Now tell me again about this mutant kid we’re supposed to be protecting?�

“Our team leader’s out looking for her.�

“And you need a hard rockin’ girl like me to help you?� Kurt continued to teleport evasively from small projectiles that made more impact with the crumbling walls of the club than their target. Suddenly a small attachment in one of the guards’ gloves emitted a high-pitched, keening sound that lit Kurt’s nerve endings on fire. He became dizzy and disoriented and tumbled to the floor, unable to concentrate long enough to use his power.

“That’s it, mutie, take a nice nap,� he crowed, standing over him triumphantly.

“Mind if I sing him a lullaby?� Alison suggested. Slowly her body began to glow, seeming to draw all of the light and radiance from the room. She shone like a star and spread her arms wide, reveling in the heady feel of the sounds around her. She devoured it all, from the harsh pants of John’s breath to the sonar beam, even the stuttering thud of Kurt’s heartbeat.

“Holy shit,� the other operative breathed, but his voice was lost.

Alison’s aura glowed and danced; rainbow prisms of light wove around her body like fireflies.

“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,� she crooned as she gathered the energy she harnessed from the sound in the palm of her hand. She flung it with a flourish and knocked out the first of the two guards. “C’mon, Handsome, look alive and do your thing,� she encouraged. John shook himself from the trance her light show caused and grappled with the other one, easily digging his fingers into the armor plates. She absorbed the sound of buckling metal and his cries of shock as John knocked him unconscious. Ali’s radiance dimmed and she hurried over to Kurt’s limp form. “Are you okay? You took a hard…hit…� Her words died on her lips and her eyes roamed over Kurt, whose image inducer was damaged in the scuffle. He opened his yellow eyes and regretted it as the room around him seemed to spin.

“Hello, fraulein,� he murmured gently, wincing at the pain it caused.

“You’re blue,� she accused him.

“You’re beautiful,� he replied. Her look of apprehension was replaced with a soft smile as she probed a scrape on his temple and felt his smooth, velvety fur.

“Silver-tongued devil. C’mon. Get up. Let’s get outta here.� She nudged her shoulder under his arm and hoisted him up until John relieved her of that duty.

“Feels like someone shook me like a martini.� Kurt’s legs felt like limp noodles. He was grateful for John’s steady gait and the thrum of the pulse in his neck against his temple as he carried him toward the exit.

“Easy, Elf,� he muttered. Almost out…�

The floor beneath their feet shook, and Ali heard the groaning beams as more rubble crumbled down around them.

“Guys…I don’t think this place was built to take the beating we just gave it –GET CLEAR!� She shoved John and Kurt out of a large chunk of debris, nimbly aiming a photon beam and shattering it in mid-air. They coughed as large clouds of dust choked them, leaving their hair and clothes a dirty gray.

“Hurry.� John took off at a run, faster than any other man would be carrying another one who weighed two thirds as much.

“Hey! Slow down, for cryin’ out loud! I can’t move that fast, I’m not exactly wearing roller skates!� Alison puffed.

“Up ya go, Hot Stuff,� John promised, reaching back to snake his arm around her waist. She was buffeted against his solid chest, too scared to appreciate his muscles. John sprinted and leapt down flight after flight of stairs, just footsteps ahead of each crumbling story.

They made it outside quickly enough to take cover behind a large freight truck in the street as the building collapsed to the ground.

“Shit,� Ali breathed. “I hope to God they had insurance.�


~0~

Kitty shivered and hugged herself against the chilly air conditioning.

She stopped the car just by looking at it! What the heck did I get myself into?

Jean padded quietly into the empty office space, silently gesturing to Scott to follow her.

She’s this way. She’s scared.

No shit, sweetie.

Scott… Jean mentally tsked at him. He shrugged and stayed with her as Jean skirted around several cardboard boxes and some swivel chairs. She’s here.

Please don’t find me. Please don’t find me. Please don’t find me…

It’s all right, kiddo. We’re all friends here.

“Who’stherewhowuzzat!� Kitty nearly jumped out of her skin. The redhead with the killer bod didn’t look as scary now, but Kitty’s insides clenched. She prepared to phase until Jean spoke.

“It’s me. Jean. I can see it in your mind that Ororo told you about me. We’re here to help.�

“And we came to help find our friends.� Kitty’s shoulders unbunched themselves slowly, but she still looked wary. The sound of Ororo’s name helped. “We saw the explosion. We’re just as worried as you are, Kitty. We need to find them before anything else happens to them.� His face was solemn and open, despite the fact that she couldn’t see his eyes.

“I wanna go home,� she whispered.

“We need to make sure that the men who came after you don’t send more after you.�

“I just wanna see my mom and dad again. What happens if someone hurts me, or hurts them…� Tears welled in her large brown eyes and her hands shook as she reached up to dry them.

“You’ll see them again. I promise.� Jean knelt slowly down to her level, resisting the urge to mentally calm her. She wanted her trust.

“What if…what if they don’t want me to come back? I’m different now. I mean, I got up today, and I went to school. I came home from dance class, and everything was fine except for this wicked bad headache. Then I just wake up on the living room floor after I went up to take a nap.� Her face was pleading. “What if Mom and Dad think I’m a freak?�

“They love you. And when we get the Professor back, he can talk with them about it. And with you.�

“What if that icky Miss Frost tries to hurt him? Oh, God, she had them locked up in cages, and the Professor was wearing this scary collar! And I…couldn’t…do anything,� she sobbed. Jean crooned soothingly to her and enfolded her in her arms, stroking her hair.

“Poor baby. You’ve been through a lot today.�

“I feel like such a baby,� she moaned into Jean’s uniform.

“I think you’re pretty feisty getting this far. You made it out of wherever they were holding our teammates and you’re safe now.� Scott knelt beside them and probed a deep gash on her arm. “That looks like it hurts.�

“Got it when I was running down the alley. I fell.�

“Let’s go. We’ll fix you up, Kitten.�

“How did you know that was my nickname?�

“Lucky guess, sweetie.�

Once they were outside in the fresh air, Jean paused a moment and bade Kitty to sit on a stoop.

“Kitty, do you know what mutants are?� She nodded miserably. “Can you do something for me?�

“What?�

“I need your permission to look inside your mind.�

“You can do that?� Kitty looked sick with fear. Jean took her hand while Scott sat beside her, wrapping his arm around her narrow shoulders.

“She can do a lot of neat things. And it doesn’t hurt.� He smiled coyly. “She pokes around in my head all the time.� Jean rolled her eyes, and Kitty managed a weak smile.

“Why do you need to do that?�

“I might be able to gather what I need from your memories of where you came from, and what you saw. It’ll help us get where we need to go, except we won’t be on foot.�

“Okay,� she agreed reluctantly. Jean’s touch was gentle as she placed her fingertips against Kitty’s temples and closed her eyes, bidding her to do the same.

Kitty? I’m in.

I can…hear you?

Just taking a look around. It’s nice in here! I like what you’ve done with the place.

Wow.

Yup.

Feels weird.

I bet. Listen, I need…oh. Here we go.

Jean sifted through the fog of memories in her head, seeing them as flashes of light and color. One blurred into the next, faster than she had time to process them from the child’s panic. Take it easy, Kitty. Slow down, give me the chance to find what I’m looking for, okay? Scott stroked her arm soothingly, feeling her body sag from exhaustion.

“You’re a real trooper, Kitty.�

You sure are. A female body began to materialize before Jean, stepping out from the shadows.

Emma Frost. Jean heard Kitty’s voice seem to whisper the name in warning; it echoed off the walls of her mind, resonating around Jean’s astral form.

She’s some piece of work, Kitty.

I hate her.

The scene shifted as different forms around the woman drifted into place. Jean saw a large computer console behind her and glaring lights overhead. There were cages. Three of them.

Jean spied Ororo’s limp body in the first one. Bruises marred her face and she was unconscious. Jean stifled anger that bubbled within her, raging hot.

Uh…take it easy in there, okay?

Ooh. Sorry. Just…got upset for a moment, Kitty. Ororo’s my best friend.

I like her a lot, too. Can we save her now?

In a minute.

Jean could barely hear the words that Emma was speaking. She addressed a large man dressed as garishly as she was. Logan was the first to awaken; Jean caught the dim outline of Piotr’s bulk in another of the cages and felt Kitty’s fear on his behalf. She also detected a hint of girlish admiration from her and secretly approved her taste.

He’s a hunk, Kitty confirmed. Jean’s astral form nodded and smiled.

Jean then saw Kitty’s ordeal through Kitty’s eyes. Her own lungs seemed to burn with her exertions, feet throbbing as she ran. Jean experienced the heady, unnerving buzz of jumping through the wall, the molecules of her body mingling and dancing through its fibers.

Cool gift! She felt Kitty blush before she continued her journey. Jean catalogued each street and alley Kitty traveled, hearing the same sounds of traffic and the gunning engine behind her. Jean tensed as she heard echoes of gunfire.

How could those assholes shoot at a child? Scott heard her words in his head and sighed.

Humans can be cruel. He fed her a brief glimpse of one of his own memories from his time at the orphanage when he was twelve. She felt his sadness and frustration keenly. He knew it better than anyone.

Jean broke contact. “Open your eyes. We can go now.�

“I feel funny. Almost naked.�

“It’ll pass,� Scott assured her.

“Speaking of which, you tore your nice outfit.� Jean looked her over briefly and her eyes glowed golden again. Scott watched incredulously as Kitty’s clothing began to shift and ripple, rearranging itself into snug, black leather coveralls similar to the uniforms she and Scott wore.

“What the heck did you do?�

“These uniforms are special. More resilient in case we get in another scrap. Comfy, aren’t they?�

“I guess…wait. Did you say ‘another scrap’?�

“We’ll fill you in on the way over, Kitten,� Jean said sweetly.


~0~


Logan could feel her pain.

While his body continued to rest and recover from Emma’s latest assault and the sedative effects of the collar, he heard Ororo’s screams from somewhere within the complex. That bitch in the cape was torturing her.

If the cage wasn’t a big enough offense worth Logan kicking asses and taking names, then messing with ‘Ro fit the bill. I’m comin’ for ya, darlin’.

Logan concentrated, letting his awareness of his body be his guide. His claws. He could still use his claws if he focused hard enough. He experimentally tested the restraining cuffs. He could flex his fingers slightly. Logan grunted with the effort. Sweat broke out over his flesh, and he writhed against the cold concrete at his back.

Impressions of Ororo’s fear in the cave and swallowed up in the carnivorous plant at Krakow swam before his eyes. She was afraid of tight, closed up spaces. She must have been in hell down in this dark dump, he realized. It pulled at him, grieving him.

Logan had been caged before. He knew the drill. No one held the Wolverine for long.

His hands cramped and burned with the effort. SNIKT.

Success.

His claws cleaved through the cool cuffs like tin foil. The pain was excruciating. Instead of the sharp, burning sting that only lasted moments before his healing factor kicked in, boosting his endorphins and relieving the discomfort, Logan felt his hands bleeding freely. His entire body shook from the agony, but he knew what they had to do. Piotr stirred in the cage next to his with a low moan.

“Petey! Up an’ at ‘em!� he whispered hoarsely.

“NNnnhhhg,� he protested weakly.

“C’mon, wake up!�

Piotr was down for the count, but he was the least bruised and injured of his teammates, thanks to his near invulnerability. His body was almost too big for the confining cell; he’d no doubt be as claustrophobic as Ororo when he truly awoke.


~0~


“I can’t believe they took out the big guy,� Matt insisted as he made up Logan’s bed. “Now I know you’re pulling my leg, Mr. Howlett.�

“Size don’t matter when yer back’s against the wall. Look at me. Lot of fight’s packed into a runt like me.� Matt believed him. “Thing is, Petey was nice. For all that he looked like this big brawler, he was a softie. Had a big soft spot for the kid, too, even though he treated her like a kid sister. She kinda took exception ta that.� Matt guffawed. “Walked around with big cow eyes and brightened up whenever he walked into a room. Feeds a guy’s ego, bein’ admired like that.�

“So those collars shut off your powers? Man, that sucks.�

“You ain’t kiddin’. But I’ve been around a long time and learned a few tricks, and again, the kid didn’t just come to the rescue, she brought the cavalry.�


~0~

I hope this works. Boy, do I hope this works.

Kitty questioned her own sanity as she wove her way through the complex, feeling like a rat in a maze, except the walls weren’t a barrier. She slipped through them like butter.

Jean and Scott said something about a distraction?

Outside at the gate, the two mutants in question were putting the second phase of their plan into action. A black sedan pulled up outside the security gate. Two Hellfire Club centurions sidled up to the car; one of them tapped on the driver’s side window.

“Report.�

“Got ‘em,� the driver nodded. His eyes looked smug beneath his faceplate. The guard peered inside and smiled in satisfaction at the sight of two X-Men, bound and gagged. The tall male was blindfolded as well.

“Nice work. They give ya much trouble?�

“They tried,� he muttered. “Look, I’m gonna get movin’ and get these two put away for safe keeping. The Queen’ll want to look ‘em over and I don’t wanna keep her waiting.�

“Trying to score brownie points, eh? Eager beaver,� the guard scoffed, elbowing his partner on his shift.

“Ya gonna buzz me in?�

“Hold on a sec. Roll down the window in back, I wanna get a better gander at the redhead.�

In the back seat, Jean fumed. Dumb ass.

“I don’t’ have time for this, Simmons.�

“Then make time, Peterson. C’mon. Open up.� Simmons caressed the stock of his power rifle lovingly but widened his stance slightly. His tone didn’t brook bullshit.

Jean tensed, then rolled down the window with her TK.

The image she projected of them was partly manifested from the guards’ greatest desire, namely to see the X-Men brought in. It was easy enough to manipulate the car without her hands. Kurt, John and their new acquaintance, Alison, were on point on the roof. Bless their hearts…

“Nice,� Peterson crowed. He reached out and tugged lightly on a lock of Jean’s hair; thankfully, when he caressed her cheek, he didn’t touch the holographic “bandage� around her mouth. She still shuddered in disgust at his touch.

Motherfucker. Scott simmered silently beside her. Jean felt his body tense and the effort he exerted not to carve him a hole in his head with his eye blast.

Language, sweetie.

“You don’t have to take them straight inside, Peterson. What’s the rush?�

“Do you wanna be the one to tell Her Majesty that her time isn’t valuable enough to bring these two in ASAP? Like, yesterday?� Jean tried not to make Peterson’s voice sound desperate, having harvested its timbre and tone from Kitty’s memories. The child had a sharp mind, she marveled.

“She doesn’t hafta know.� Simmons leered inside the car again. “Wanna play, toots? Yer boyfriend here can watch.� Jean stifled nausea as the guard reached in, and this time, gripped Scott’s jaw. “Or he can join in.�

Oh, that’s IT!

Simmons was flung back from the car like a rag doll; Scott’s eye beam knocked the wind out of him and bruised his sternum. He felt the unyielding knock of a brick wall against the back of his head before everything went black.

I feel so unwashed. Jean still shuddered from the impressions she’d picked out of his mind. Simmons’ companion wasn’t laughing behind him anymore.

“Freeze, muties!�

“That’s Iceman’s job, but he’s on sabbatical,� Scott informed them. “You’ll have to settle for us.� VRAMMMPT! He knocked the rifle from his grip with another precision blast. Before he could struggle for it, Jean telekinetically grabbed it in mid-air and spun it around, forcing him to back up. The tip of the rifle was planted beneath his chin, prodding the tender tissue. He swallowed roughly, and he felt the sting all the way into his bladder.

“Marvel Girl,� Scott warned.

“I know,� she reminded him. “Whatever gets the job done, lover.� Again, there was that flip confidence and smugness that wasn’t like Jean. THWACK! Jean levered the rifle and clopped him upside the head, knocking him senseless.

“There they are! MOVE!� Reinforcements swarmed out from the entrance of the complex.

“We could use a few more pairs of hands.�

“I’m on it.� Jean’s eyes glowed again.

BAMF! “Miss us, fraulein?�

“You don’t know how much!� Jean glanced at Alison, garishly dressed in her stage gear. “Who’s your friend?�

“My stage name’s Dazzler.� Alison ducked a rifle blast just as John crouched over her, deflecting more fire. “Maybe when things settle down, I can give you my card. Shit!� she yelped.

“Remind me later,� Jean quipped.

~0~


“Mr. Logan?� Kitty whispered. “Mr. Logan?� He didn’t look good from where she was standing.

She’d emerged from the wall, seeming to appear out of nowhere. The chamber was once again dark. Kitty hid in the shadows and still moved silently, hoping that Miss Frost wasn’t there. Kitty’s stomach twisted when she noticed Ororo still wasn’t there.

The sight of Logan’s body, once again twisted in pain, chilled her; that much more, this time, because his hands were bleeding profusely through the strange, gleaming cuffs.

“It’s all right. You’ll be all right, y’hear me?� she soothed briefly, stopping herself before she could reach for him. She didn’t know what would happen if she touched the bars.

She heard him inhale deeply as he stirred. “Kid?� he rasped.

“Hey, mister –“

“Should’n…be here,� he scolded weakly.

“I know. I don’t wanna be, but I hafta get you out. Where did they take Miss Munroe?�

“Took…’Ro…� He sounded anguished and angry.

“I need to get you out of here, so we can find her!� she insisted. “I don’t know how this thing works. Where’s the lock?�

“Ya got me.� In the cell beside his, she heard Piotr moan. Before she could respond to it, she gingerly touched the bars. Nothing happened. Feeling bold, she wrapped her gloved hand around the cold metal and tugged experimentally on it. It didn’t so much as jiggle. She sighed.

“This sucks,� she carped. She had an idea. “Maybe I can, I don’t know, pass through this thing. Get you out, somehow.�

“What’re ya goin’ on about, kid?�

“It’s Kitty,� she nagged.

“Whatever. My bad.� She was a feisty little thing.

Kitty tried to concentrate on the bars, and she urged her body to obey her command to phase through them.

Nothing.

“Shit!�

“Hey, kid, do ya kiss yer mother with that mouth?�

“Sorry.� She tried again. Again, nothing. Maybe she wanted it too much. Her powers weren’t the easiest thing to figure out as it was, but now she had performance anxiety, too. She banged her small fist against a small plate on the cell door in frustration.

CLINK! She jumped back as the door suddenly sprang open.

“What the flamin’…how’d ya do that, half-pint?�

“You’ve got me,� she said, echoing his earlier reply. She hurried forward to help him, cringing at the blood that was still dripping from the cuffs. “They hurt you!�

“I’ll get better.� Try an’ do the same thing ya did fer me with Petey.�

“What’s this thing around your neck? Can you get it off?�

“Haven’t tried yet.�

“Maybe…� She groped for it, tugging it experimentally. CLAK! “Oh, wow! That’s cool!� Her hand passed through it and disrupted the locking mechanism, popping it open. The useless ring of metal clattered to the floor. Logan twisted his lips in a wry smile that almost – not quite – softened his face. Kitty still found him scary.

“I don’t know how ya did that, kid, but I ain’t gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.� Before either could react, a shrill shot rang out and Kitty pitched forward with a small cry. “KID!� She felt weightless as he caught her against him. Shock turned to outrage as he eyed the guard who fired the found from the power rifle. Kitty’s faint pulse still beat beneath his chin, but they picked the wrong kid, the wrong guy, and the wrong day when he was in this kind of mood.

“You’re not going anywhere. Lay the girl down and back away, mutie scum!�

“Pussy,� Logan hissed. “Ya shot her in the back. She’s just a girl, and ya act like a coward.� SNIKT! “Ya wanna run now. I’ll give ya a five-second head start before I show ya yer guts, even though I don’t think ya have any.� His smile was back, but his eyes promised hell to pay. The guard froze like a deer in the headlights as he eyed the angry feral and his gleaming claws.

He promptly pissed his pants.


~0~


"You must've been scared shitless when you woke up and she was just gone like that!" Matt had just ducked out into the hallway for Mr. Howlett's dinner tray. He was exuberant as he set it down on the table. "And the kid got you out just by sticking her hand through the lock? That's too friggin' cool!" He lifted the lid from the dinner plate. "Shoot. You asked for no gravy...Mr. Howlett?"

Logan had fallen asleep in his chair. The hardcover book was splayed open, face down in his lap. Matt sighed.

“You don’t like it in the dark. Pity.� Emma’s fingers were pressed firmly against Ororo’s temples as she continued her probe. Ororo was stubborn, she mused. She hadn’t gotten a scream out of her yet.

Ororo was in agony. Her shoulders and arms burned and her fingers were freezing. The blood flow was cut off from the tight cuffs restraining her to the wall, mounting her upright. The collar still dampened her powers. She had no control over her own body’s temperature, so she was shivering violently.

Emma tore a swath through her mind, heedless of the pain she inflicted. She rifled through her memories and emotions, measuring her, finding out what made the weather witch tick. Just for fun, she stimulated the pain centers in Ororo’s brain, sending manic signals to the rest of her nervous system. Her legs occasionally jerked like a marionette’s.

“Dance, Ororo. Dance,� Emma crooned. “I never would have guessed how entertaining you are, dear. You’re so buttoned up and uptight. Such lovely powers. So much self-control. You’re limiting yourself.�

“Won’t…break me.�

“Oh, but I will.� Emma’s smile was serpentine. “Being my toy sets you free. You don’t have to think. I’ll do the thinking for you. No powers means you can feel all those emotions fully that you’ve held back your whole life.� She took one of Ororo’s most excruciating memories and sharpened the details, manifesting it as a hologram for all to see. Shaw stood behind her, watching fascinated as the scene unfolded before him.

The sand burned her soles and while the sun beat down on her head. Her skin was parched, stinging and dirty. Hunger clawed at her gut and her throat burned with thirst. She carried no possessions, save for a canteen that was nearly empty, slung from a strap over her shoulder. It banged her hip with each dragging step.

She had no one except herself. Ororo was twelve years old.

She thought she was imagining things when she heard the sound of an engine behind her. The truck brought the odors of diesel and dust with it, offending her nostrils and intriguing her. She turned and shielded her eyes against the glare that glanced off the battered grill.

The man behind the wheel looked as surprised as she did, peering through the cracked windshield. He called out to her.

“What the hell are you doing so far out here, little girl? What’s your name?�

She stood motionless, hesitating.

“What’s your name? Where are you from?� he repeated, smiling winningly. He had a gold tooth, emphasizing how discolored the rest were. His face was young and slightly pocked.

Ororo’s lips were so chapped that her lower one cracked as she tried to smile.

“C’mon. I have a drink here for you. “Get in. It’s cool inside.� She wrapped her thin arms around herself. Her mind raced and the battle played itself out on her face.

She could keep walking, saying nothing. Or she could cool off for blessed moments, soothing her throat with precious liquid.

Her knees ached slightly as she climbed up into the cab and yanked the rickety door shut.

The music blaring from his radio distracted her. He tugged a bottle of lukewarm water from his cup rest and nudged her with it. His eyes ate her up.

“Look at you. Pretty little thing,� he grinned. Her throat worked the liquid down, almost choking her. The water left a muddy smear on the back of her hand as she wiped her mouth.

“You didn’t tell me your name, girl.�

“Roro,� she murmured, gulping down more water.

“Slow down! Don’t be greedy! There’s no more for at least ten miles!�

“M’sorry,� she whispered guiltily.

He eyed her, not watching the road. Ororo felt the unwanted weight of his palm on her knee.

“I gave you something to drink and a ride. What will you give me?� Alarms went off in her head and her heart began to pound, making her dizzy.

The cab jerked as he fought to hold her wrist while his other hand maintained shaky control of the wheel. No one would hear her scream, but useless sounds tore themselves from her lips.

“Goodness,� Emma murmured. Shaw tsked behind her, shaking his head.


His fingers bruised and his hands struck, snatching at her meager clothing. He pawed her chest, groping at the burgeoning lumps once the truck had rolled to a stop. She rolled her body over in an effort to scramble for the door handle, and her chin was abraded by the nubby upholstery as he jerked her back.

Ororo spied something shiny, jutting out from beneath the seat. It pricked her as she reached down and grabbed it. His fingernails scraped her as he jerked her panties beneath her skirt.

She managed to nick his hand as he leaned over her. He roared in pain, shaking his hand in shock before striking her. But he had reared back, giving her leverage. She had one moment. One precious moment to decide.

If she ran, he’d come after her.

She was smaller than him. She clutched the knife in both hands, raising it over her head. It struck home. She felt the sickening pop of the blade puncturing his flesh.

She wanted her mother to hold her and make it all go away.

She wanted to die.


~0~

“Bout time ya quit yer lollygaggin’. I need my smoke.� Mr. Howlett was almost chipper as Matt strolled in to check on him.

“You left me hanging yesterday,� Matt accused.

“Yeah?�

“Oh, yeah! I look up, and you’re out like a light!�

“I was just restin’ my eyes,� he claimed straight-faced, but Matt saw the gleam in his eye. Logan reached up and jabbed Matt in the chest with his unlit cigar. “Outside. Smoke. Now.�

He wheeled him outside. The weather was chillier. This time Logan was wearing a black jacket with a heavy lining that was old and worn, but still in good condition. There was an odd yellow logo embroidered on the chest. It was a yellow medallion with a black “X� etched over it.

“I only knew so much of what ‘Ro went through in there. She didn’t wanna share it with me at first. It was still a long time before she really trusted me as a teammate, and as a man. Those sons of bitches hurt her. If ya wanna see me hot and bothered and tearin’ someone’s ass up, ya hurt anyone that I love. Harm even one hair on their heads.�

“Hey, I’m not arguing with you.�

“Ororo was used ta lookin’ after herself. It was hard fer her ta ask anyone fer help. I wanted ta change that. But it was gonna take time.

I didn’t get ta steal all the thunder savin’ her. She kept a little of it fer herself.�


~0~

A lone tear rolled down Ororo’s face. She shut her eyes to stop any more. Emma flicked it away with her thumb.

“Don’t you feel better with that off of your chest?�

“Stop playing games with her,� Shaw scolded. Emma whipped around to chide him, marring her beauty with her sneer.

“She’s mine. I’m just getting started. Once I peel away everything that she is now, I’ll have a blank slate to work with. We can condition her, Sebastian. All of them. They’ll die for Hellfire when we’re done. I’ll break them. And they will love me for it.�


~0~

“WOLVERINE!� Scott’s shout roused Logan from his dwindling blood rage. Red gore dripped from his claws while Piotr cradled Kitty in his arms protectively. Scott hurried forward and checked the Professor for injuries while Jean unfastened his restraints telekinetically.

“Ach!� Kurt cried. “What happened?�

“Ya don’t wanna know.�

“They’re dead,� John pronounced flatly.

“They hurt the kid.�

“That’s okay, then,� John agreed easily.

“No, it’s not! X-Men don’t kill!�

“Then ya might wanna rethink that offer ta sign me up. Til then, Summers, I’ve got work ta do. We need ta find ‘Ro. Stand here if ya want.�

“Where is she?� Jean asked softly.

“Her scent says she’s that way.� He nodded toward the door. “An’ ta the left.�

“Where are your clothes? You’re hurt,� Jean said.

“Ain’t got time fer that shit, Jeannie. Follow me, or get outta the way.�

“Lead on.� Her eyes glowed again. “I’m getting a visual, too. I’m with her, but it’s hard to make a connection.� A scowl darkened her face, and her voice became hard. “She’s been breached.�

“What?� Scott clenched his fists.

“Her mind. Someone’s attacking her.� She took Scott’s hand and began dragging him after her, nearly tripping him. Logan was already way ahead of her.

“Stay with her, Jean,� Charles called after her. He was still recovering his powers and control of his thoughts. He’d never felt so helpless, not since an accident took the use of his legs. “And bring her back, I beg you!�

“Shorty’s pissed,� John remarked.

“Who’s ‘Ro?� Ali asked.

“Storm,� John corrected her. “We have codenames.� He made a face.

“Hey, whatever works.�

“Don’t be flip, sister. She might be hurt.�

“Sorry.� He noticed the hard set of his jaw. “She mean something to you?�

“Let’s just say that if they hurt her, I hurt them.� He tensed the knuckles in his right hand, cracking them. Ali winced.

“Sounds like my kinda party.�


~0~


“Majesty!�

“What now?�

“We’ve got trouble. A breach. The containment cell alarm’s going off.�

“What’s the status?�

“Let me check the feed from the cams…aw, man.�

“Is something wrong?� Shaw looked impatient but calm.

“The cells are empty. And that bald guy’s gone.�

Emma merely smiled. “I think we’re about to have company.� She turned back to Ororo and patted her cheek fondly. “Sit tight, pet.�

Her skin crawled at Emma’s touch, but a seed of hope bloomed in Ororo’s gut.

She heard Logan before she saw him. His growls preceded him down the main corridor. Her heartbeat quickened.

“Don’t be too happy just yet.� She was surprised when her mental connection with Ororo was suddenly cut off. “AAAAGGH!� She felt amputated; Emma’s head throbbed and she sank to her knees. “What…?�

“First, stay out of my friend’s head. Second, go put some clothes on.� Jean was furious. She sized Emma up carefully.

“Get her, Red,� Logan muttered under his breath. “I wanna have a word with ya about you an yer girlfriend, bub.� Shaw smiled and unbuttoned his frock coat.

“Then talk, little man.� He shed it and laid it over a table. He motioned Logan forward, already enjoying himself. “Come and get me.�

“Logan, no! We don’t know what he can do yet!� Scott took matters into his own hands and blasted Shaw squarely in the chest. Shaw laughed and shook it off, rising to his feet. “Geez…�

“Let me take a crack at him,� John suggested as he barreled forward and slammed into him. Shaw was only slightly shorter than John, but brawny and broad. They grappled while Piotr shielded Kitty, giving her the chance to wake up.

“Whuzzat? What’s goin’ on?� She covered her eyes with the back of her hand. “Ow…�

“You were hurt.�

“Shiny,� she murmured, taking him in. He seemed to be made of flowing, liquid metal.

“You’ll be all right, Katya.�

“Katya?� The name sounded strange, but nice. Before she could ponder it, he was up and moving, swatting away one of Shaw’s pawns like a fly.

“Come along, fraulein,� Kurt said. He grabbed her and teleported them away, cutting off her scream at his appearance.

“So you’re a telepath.�

“So you’re an X-Man.� Neither woman was impressed.

“Leave her alone.�

“Make me.�

“I’m a telekinetic, too,� Jean warned. “Harm her again and kiss your limbs goodbye.� To prove her point, Jean flung Emma back against the wall, inches away from Ororo. Ororo stared at Jean, awestruck at the way her hair seemed to float and ripple around her face. A faint glow wrapped around her, building in intensity as she spoke.

Ororo flailed in pain as Emma hit her again with a mind blast. “ARRRRRGGGHH!� She didn’t try to stop the scream.

Guards threatened to overwhelm Logan, swarming into the chamber once the alarm sounded in the complex. He had to cut Ororo loose.

“I told you!� Jean cried. Emma struggled as Jean lived up to her word. Her arms felt like they were being pulled out of the socket.

“Kill me, and I kill her.�

“Know what happens when you try to rein in a storm?� Jean’s tone was sly. Scott was pressing the advantage John was giving him against Shaw. Alison incapacitated the guards with overwhelming light effects, hypnotizing them right before hitting them with laser bolts. She was a natural.

Emma watched as Logan made his move, slicing off the first restraint. She fell against him and he cursed at how cold and clammy her skin felt.

“What…took you so long?�

“Got tied up, darlin’.� SNIKT! Her other cuff broke apart, and he beckoned to her, “Lean back, lemme get this.� He cut off the collar.

He’d pried the lid off Pandora’s jar.

Ororo was pissed.

Time seemed to freeze in the room as Jean and Ororo both rose up from the floor, eyes glowing and crackling. They exuded power. Logan was reluctant to let go of her, but all he could do was watch her.

“No one controls me. Get out of my mind!� Thunder boomed overhead, shaking the foundations of the building.

“Now ya’ve done it,� John warned Shaw. Sebastian swung out and cuffed him, knocking him out cold.

“Cyclops warned you that you didn’t know what I could do. Each blow you’ve inflicted makes me stronger.�

“But you’re not strong enough against a psychic attack,� Jean pointed out. Her attempt to attack his mind was blunted by Emma’s telepathic shield, blocking her.

“Two can play at that game.�

“Your first mistake is thinking this is a game, Frost.� Some of the guards still stirred, reaching for guns. Ororo raised her arms and wind began to howl around them, buffeting everyone inside. BAMF! Kurt reappeared in a puff of smoke and took Ali out of harm’s way before she could be attacked.

Raindrops pelted Logan’s bare skin, making his wounds sting. Ororo had created a monsoon. It was an awesome spectacle, but one he couldn’t enjoy. Her winds tangled her hair. She was unfeeling and hard. White fire blazed out from her eyes and lightning flew from her fingertips. She was going to drown them all.

BAMF! John was next.

“Don’t forget about me,� Logan told Shaw.

BAMF! “Nein, Wolverine!� BAMF!

They materialized outside alongside the Professor, Kitty and Alison. Piotr soon joined them, and he looked sick from his journey.

“What the hell did ya do that for, Elf!!!�

“I saw the guards. You were about to kill.�

“I’m headin’ back in ta finish the job!�

“Nein. Don’t.� He nodded to Kitty. “She’s too young to witness such things. And think of Storm.�

Storm.

“She may take exception to bloodshed and the losses of lives. Don’t leave her with those lives on her conscience as the price of saving hers. It will break her heart.�

“Nightcrawler is correct,� Charles added gently. “I can feel her from here. She’s…not herself right now.�

Above them, the sky was a swirling stew of black clouds and lightning. Wind whistled through Logan’s ears and threatened to push them all back. They felt the anguish of the woman inside.

Ororo’s rain disoriented Shaw and Emma, battering them and slowing their steps. Emma was chilled to the core; her ruined cape gave her no protection from the maelstrom.

“I know your weaknesses, Storm! Surrender now, and I’ll make it easy on your when I wipe your mind!�

“Surrender now, and I’ll let you walk away,� Jean countered.

“You violated me.� THWAPPP! Ororo harnessed her thunder as solid force and flung it Emma, hitting her with the force of a hard slap.

“OHH!� She fell back with a splash, choking.

“EMMA!� He faced them both. “You dare?�

“Oh, I dare.� Jean reached for him, catching him up in her grip. Ororo actually saw energy seem to expand around her hand, resembling an enormous talon that seemed to dig into Shaw. Jean had never demonstrated such raw power before.

“You’ll only make me stronger,� he reminded her as he continued to struggle.

“Look into my eyes,� Jean boomed. “Does it look like I care?� She nodded to Emma. “You don’t have Emma to protect you now.� Ororo calmed the rain, dispersing it, but the winds still tore at them. The murky water tugged at Emma, now up to her chest. The entire east wing of the complex was flooded, thanks to the automatic shutdown of the security bay doors. They were all about to drown.

“You hurt my friend.�

“Jean…�

“I don’t take that lightly, sweetie,� Jean told Ororo, but she never took her eyes off Shaw. “Enjoy the ride. I will.� With that, she let herself into his mind.

Everything Shaw ever thought he knew about himself was tested and found wanting. Every secret was forfeit, every weakness flung back in his face. Memories poured over him. Every image from the worst moments of his life, every shame from lacks of good judgment, every mistake he ever regretted, every negative emotion he ever felt…

All of it was heaped on his head. Jean turned his soul inside-out.

A thick dribble of saliva escaped the corner of his mouth, and his dark eyes rolled back in his head. Jean’s talon released him, dropping him like a wet rag into the drink.

“SEBASTIAN!� Emma cried, wading to him. “What have you DONE! You BITCH!�

“Worry about yourself.� Jean’s voice was calculating. Thunder continued to boom overhead. Jean felt Ororo’s distress.

Don’t worry, sister.


~0~

“I’m goin’ in,� Logan muttered.

“I don’t think you should,� Charles broke in. “I sense Ororo and Jean. They’re alive, but…�

“I can still feel Jean,� Scott confirmed, but the Professor’s expression gave him pause.

“Oh, no!� He pinned Scott with a look. “The buildings about to come down! Get BACK!�

“Not again!� John was already grabbing Ali and the Professor while Kurt took Kitty and Piotr’s hands and ‘ported them several blocks down the street.

The sound of crumbling concrete and the whine of buckling metal was deafening. Gallons of water exploded from the entrance and windows of the building before it collapsed.

“JEAN!� Scott’s cry pierced his throat.

’Ro! Logan’s blood ran cold. He ignored Charles’ shout to take shelter. He ran headlong into the clouds of dust and slipped in the mud beneath his feet. He caught Scott’s scent, following him with the same goal in mind. Jeannie. No one had to spell it out for him.

He struggled to hear her voice, catch her scent…spy any movement amidst the rubble. He heard hissing water pipes and the sparks emitting from the ruined consoles. Logan tripped over a floating rifle; the water was up to his ankles now.

“I know ya can hear me, ‘Ro!� he called. “I know yer all right! I know ya made it through this, darlin’! ‘RO!�

“JEAN!� Scott shouted. “I can feel you.�

No need to shout, lover. Logan heard her voice, too, so he knew she was projecting, somehow. Go. We’ll meet you outside. There’s a few more unstable beams still shifting, so get out.

“GO!� Logan bellowed. He and Scott doubled back and ran. Jean was as good as her word. The rest of the building came down, making them choke dust.

“Where are they?� Scott demanded.

Here. *BOOOOOOOM!*

The rubble moved, then burst up from the ground, heralding Jean and Ororo’s arrival into fresh air. Both women held hands, huddled close to each other. Slowly they floated to the ground.

“I knew you’d make it,� Scott told her hoarsely. He ran to them and embraced them both, breathing in the fragrance of Jean’s hair. Ororo was soon yanked away from him. He looked startled as Logan held her, clamping her upper arms in his grip.

Her eyes were still haunted but weren’t throwing off electricity anymore. She was battered and limp in his grip, but she acknowledged his concern with a shaky smile. Their breathing seemed to adopt the same panting, ragged rhythm as they stared each other down. His fingers flex around her arms. Hers twitched.

“You…look like hell,� she murmured.

“Shit.� He was about to lose it. “Yer gonna give me a heart attack!�

“You’ll heal.� He shook his head.

“No. I won’t.� He pulled her to him gruffly, nearly crushing her. She assailed his senses. Her pulse and heart beat thundered within him. He smelled the scent of her hair and skin, the tang of her blood and heard her muffled gasp in his ear. His blunt fingernails lightly scraped her scalp as he buried his hand in her tangled hair.

“Damn you, ‘Ro.�

“Logan…�

“I can’t think right now. I just can’t.�

“Please…just let me go.� Her body cried out in protest. His solid bulk felt oh, so warm and strong, supporting her.

“Yer barely standing!�

“I can stand just fine,� she snapped. She pulled away from him roughly. “Let’s go.� Logan looked bereft and taken aback. He followed her but kept a wide gap between them. So be it.

“Wait. What happened to Frost and Shaw?�

“They’re alive.� Jean’s response was sharp and clipped.

“What did you-“

“Scott, they’re alive. Let the paramedics deal with it when they get here. And the authorities. They tried to kidnap a thirteen-year-old girl.� She cupped his cheek lovingly. “They have plenty to worry about as it is.�

You didn’t kill her.

I couldn’t. Kurt was right. I picked up a flash of his thoughts while I was inside. Ororo wouldn’t be able to live with one more death in our efforts to save her. But step lightly with her, Scott. She’s in a bad place right now.

Ororo stalked away from the wreckage, reminded of too much. Without asking further permission, Jean reassembled the molecules of Ororo’s underwear, extending the material around her body until she wore a simple white tee and beige khaki pants.

She stumbled on her way to greet Charles. John instinctively reached for her.

“I’m fine!� she insisted, eyes snapping.

“If you say so.� She opened up her mouth to say more, but the momentum of the past hour caught up with her. She collapsed. “Jesus!’ he swore, catching her this time and scooping her up into his arms.

“Get her to the Blackbird,� Jean ordered. “I can take care of her there.�

“She’ll be fine once we get her back to Moira,� Scott agreed.

“Uh, Professor?�

“Yes, child?�

“When are you gonna at take me home?� Kitty’s question had him at a slight loss.

“Uh, ditto?� Ali prodded, raising her hand. Charles sighed.

Ororo’s skin was still smarting and nearly raw, now caressed by the cool night air.

She’d nearly scrubbed it off. She still didn’t feel clean.

Jean had made herself scarce, bidding her a telepathic goodnight. She did Ororo the favor of heading Moira off at the pass, but the stubborn doctor sent up a tea tray to Ororo’s loft, with the stiff injunctive that she expected her downstairs in the morning. She was worried sick. Ororo sighed.

~0~


Carmen Pryde couldn’t remember the last time he’d genuinely wanted to kill someone. His wife Terry stood behind him slightly, still weak-kneed and stunned. Kitty held her hand tightly, nearly wincing at her mother’s grip. She’d nearly lost her baby.

“I let you take my daughter from this house, with the understanding that she’d be safe with you.� When Piotr approached the door this time, allowing Charles to knock, Carmen nearly pulled it from the hinges. His breathless joy at seeing his daughter safe and sound was brief; his hug was nearly crushing, squeezing tears from her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Dad. I’m all right, really. It’s okay.� It was a lie. Kitty still didn’t feel okay, herself.

“My baby,� he whispered into her hair. Tears dripped from his eyes and wet her jersey. Jean repaired the damage done to her original outfit. The sleek uniform was nowhere in sight.

He reluctantly let Kitty go to her mother, who was already sobbing and shaking in the living room. His voice boomed over the sound of her hoarse cry.

“How dare you. How DARE you.�

“Mr. Pryde, I’m truly sorry this happened –“

“I could have you sued, and no court would argue with me. You show up here as easy as you please after I watched the restaurant where you took my daughter going up in flames on live news last night. My heart nearly stopped! No bodies, no signs of you people anywhere, except for three men whose identities they couldn’t even find. Their faces were burned off and couldn’t even be matched for dental records! Did you know those men? Onlookers said they attacked people who matched your description before they escaped from the building!�

“Please, Mr. Pryde, we’re all right! We didn’t know those men, they had no rational reason to have attacked us! They were…terrorists,� he offered, even though there was no way he could explain this. Nothing sounded plausible to him. Behind him, Piotr sighed under his breath. Charles swore he felt the giant cringe, keeping a tight grip on his wheelchair handles.

Ororo was strangely silent, barely standing inside the door of the foyer. Logan never took his eyes from her on the front porch, chewing his cigar. He wanted to be near her, but her body language and scent were sending signals for him to back off. In the meantime, Jean was offering to fetch Terry a glass of water and pulling up one of her dining room chairs for her to sit. She was overwrought, while her husband was about to lose it.

“Why couldn’t you have phoned? Were they holding you for ransom? I would have paid anything, do you hear me? Anything to get my daughter back, if I had to! Or was that it? Is this school of yours some kind of scam to get my money? Lure me in, kidnap my daughter until I pay?� His nostrils were flared; Carmen’s broad chest was heaving with each word, and his face was florid with rage.

“Never. Never, Mr. Pryde!�

“You’re staying right here. You can stay at your school right here in Deerfield,� Terry pronounced. Her tears hadn’t dried yet, but her face was hard. “I wanted an opportunity to expand Kitty’s horizons. Nearly dying wasn’t what we had in mind, Professor Xavier. Give us one reason why we shouldn’t have you arrested.�

“Mom, it’s not his fault! It’s Miss Frost’s!� Kitty blurted out. Her father spun on her, agape.

“What!�

“Dad –“ He stared open-mouthed, jaw working. Jean gathered her wits and concentrated on him. Scott felt the shift in the room, a tingling awareness that Jean was using her powers. He assumed she merely meant to calm Kitty’s mother, seeing how she was already trying to soothe her with a cool drink.

Like that, Carmen’s shoulders relaxed. A brief look of surprise crossed his features before he brightened.

“Who wants a mimosa? Terry just made some. Here, sit, sit.� He herded Piotr toward the dining room table, relieving him of his charge. Carmen wheeled the professor toward the table, moving aside one of the chairs to make room.

Logan, Ororo and Scott stood bewildered across the room.

“What the fuck?� Logan whispered under his breath. He felt just as unsettled when neither of his teammates made any effort to scold him.

“Goddess…�

“Wow…�

Jean simply offered to help Terry with the dishes she had neglected in the sink that morning while they waited for word from the hospital. They’d been calling all day and night to see if a girl matching Kitty’s description had ever been admitted to the ER.

Ororo gradually made her way into the kitchen. Carmen was asking questions of the Professor, enthusiastically grilling him about the school and when the semester started. Ororo watched Jean’s smile toying with the corners of her mouth as she set plates and cups dripping into the rack.

Tell me that wasn’t you.

Then I’d be lying.

You manipulated them.

They were worried sick and apoplectic. Their daughter’s home safe. Jean paused a moment, catching her own reflection briefly in a large silver serving spoon. Her eyes held a note of gold radiance, nearly imperceptible, as she gently nudged the Prydes. Ororo watched her, transfixed.

This isn’t like you. The Professor wouldn’t approve.

Charles will be fine. He’s already fine! They’re already easing up on him. We don’t have to stay long.

You know what I’m talking about. Don’t play games with me, sister. Jean jerked her eyes from her task, staring at Ororo.

“I won’t,� she whispered. “Everything’s fine.� She took Ororo’s hand in her damp one and squeezed it. “We’ll all be fine now. Promise.�

Ororo silently began to dry and puttered around in the cupboards, finding where everything went until Terry bade them both to sit. The scent of frying bacon filled the kitchen minutes later, and soon all the adults in the room except for Piotr were laughing over anecdotes from Kitty’s childhood that turned her red as a beet.

“Geez.�

“You’re mother’s headed for the photo albums.�

“Can I just die now?�

“Nyet.�

“Can I at least sink into the floor?�

“Not until you tell your parents.�

“Aw, man…�



~0~


Every now and again, Ororo needed to be alone. On this particular night, she didn’t fill her solitude with a walk in the woods or time in the greenhouse.

She was frozen. It was futile to try to clear her head.

Emma dug up her nightmares and revealed them for all to see.

It was like being raped all over again, except she was defenseless.

Ororo took touch seriously. Her gift was a blessing and a curse. Those who witnessed her putting them to use were awed by her fierce beauty and control. Yet they wouldn’t draw close in the wake of such force and power, at risk of being struck down. Thorns of a rose.

Her haughty demeanor kept strangers at bay at the same time that it fascinated them. Her beauty was fascinating and striking; men and women alike gave Ororo a second look, reluctant to avert their eyes. Many were still intimidated, too intimidated to approach.

Her friends – her family – knew her bright, gentle soul, but they didn’t know the full scope of her heartbreak.

To touch Ororo was to be trusted, even cherished. It was sacrosanct.

The psychic attack left her more devastated than a physical one.

Jean swept in like an avenging angel, nearly harnessing fire at her fingertips. Ororo shivered. That wasn’t the Jean she knew, even though she praised the Bright Lady that she arrived when she did.

Moreover, it scared her, that heady feeling of standing by her side, feeling that same abandon and freedom of unleashing her powers. She nearly killed Emma.

It shouldn’t have given her a rush. Whatever wild impulses that had a hold on Jean were beginning to infect Ororo, too. She still felt too vulnerable…

Her musings were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“I wish to be alone, thank you.� The door creaked open despite her low, civil warning.

Wolverine.

Or Logan. Ororo realized that this was the man standing in her doorway, not the soldier. His body was broad, taking up most of the space in the doorframe as he leaned against it. His eyes were onyx chips, studying her with intensity. His gaze pinned her; she longed to turn her back on him, but she couldn’t.

“Please go back downstairs. I don’t want company.�

“I wanna talk.�

“I’m in no mood to listen.�

“Then I want ya ta talk ta me. Somethin’ awful happened in that damned call, ‘Ro. We got ya back in one piece, on the outside.�

“And?�

“But yer still bleedin’.�

“That’s ridiculous. I just need time to gather my thoughts. We had a difficult ordeal. You can recover from it your way, and I will do it in mine.� This time she did turn from him, but she felt his eyes burning into her back.

She didn’t know how vulnerable and beautiful she looked, with her silhouette outlined in the faint light shining in from the balcony. The rich, earthy fragrance of her myriad plants tickled Logan’s nostrils and mingled with her own scent. The two were nearly indistinguishable, except for the hint of warm flesh and her hair, washed in rain water every day. Her spine was stiff and straight, but her head was slightly bowed as she stared at the floor. With her back to him, she worried her lower lip with her teeth.

Don’t go. “Isn’t there a stripper bar waiting for its best customer somewhere?�

“Already paid my tab,� he grunted, but there was little humor in his voice. “That Frost bitch did somethin’ to ya, besides just lockin’ ya up in the dark. Didn’t she.�

“It’s none of your affair.�

“The hell it ain’t. Look at ya, darlin’. Ya didn’t know when ya were gonna get out. Ya hate dark, closed-up spaces. I know that about ya by now.�

“You know nothing.�

“Wrong. I felt yer heartbeat and heard yer pulse back in that cave, on the island. That wasn’t the only time ya reacted like that since we met. She locked ya up, and ya couldn’t use yer powers. She did that ta all of us, ‘Ro, but we’re here. Yer alive, and we’re home an’ safe. Part of ya’s still stuck in that cell, relivin’ it. Ya gotta let go.�

“No. You have to leave.�

“Uh-uh. Yer up here, pent up in the dark. That don’t make a helluva lotta sense. Speakin’ of which, it’s gettin’ stuffy in here, darlin’.� He walked right past her, close enough for the sleeve of his flannel shirt to brush her arm.

He was like a bothersome little boy, stubborn and unflappable.

“If you’re not comfortable, then feel free to –“

“I’ll be fine in a minute.� He threw open her balcony doors, letting in a cool draft of autumn air. He stepped out and reached into the pocket of his snug, faded jeans. He took out his pearl-handled Zippo and a Cuban cigar, tearing off the end with his teeth.

“Don’t light that. I won’t abide smoking in my loft, Wolverine!�

“I ain’t in yer loft. I’m outside, princess.� That blasted man! She watched him cavalierly lighting the stogie, puffing on it and sending tiny clouds of acrid smoke into the air, but he was correct. The wind was currently sweeping the smell downwind. Ororo helped it along, kicking up a slight breeze. She hoped the chill would discourage him, and perhaps send him back inside.

And yet, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose?

“Nice moon tonight.�

“You didn’t come up to tell me about the sky.� She contemplated it. It was huge and full, flanked by glittering stars. He turned his face slightly so she could see his profile nearly looking over his shoulder toward the sound of her voice.

“Bein’ up there instead of here might take yer mind off of what happened.�

“Nothing will take my mind off of what happened.� Her voice became hard. “That’s not something you forget.� She joined him on the balcony reluctantly. If you couldn’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

“Ya don’t hafta tell me twice about not bein’ able ta take yer mind off the stuff that tears ya apart, but bottlin’ it up ain’t gonna help.�

“You think you just know it all.� Ororo folded her arms beneath her breasts.

“Ya. I do. I know plenty about pain, ‘Ro. Don’t think ya have the monopoly on people walkin’ into yer mind and doin’ as much damage as they can and tryin’ ta break ya.� There was a crack in his veneer. He chewed roughly on the cigar and leaned over the rail, mastering his thoughts. “Back when I was processed, darlin’, some mean men did some mean things t’my mind.�

“Processed?�

“I wasn’t born with metal bones, ‘Ro, or hadn’t ya guessed?�

“Be snippy elsewhere, Wolverine. I didn’t ask you to come up here.� Then she sighed. “How?�

“Eh?�

“How did they…process you?�

“They put me through hell.� He held out his cigar. “Ya sure ya couldn’t use one of these?�

“No thanks.� She wrinkled her nose. He was stalling.

“Puts hair on yer chest.�

“That explains a lot…� Silently she perused him with her eyes. His had tiny crinkles at the corners. Fine bristles of hair covered his forearms and the backs of his hands, and a sprinkle of it peeked over the collar of his undershirt. Logan was very, very masculine, from his scent to his stance.

“Don’t know what yer missin’.�

“I’ll leave it up to my imagination.� She was sorely tempted to summon a brief rain shower to extinguish it…and him.

“It’s funny. I can’t remember the first time I had a smoke. Then there’s some things that I remember like I’m still livin’ the moment, darlin’. Have ya ever been scalded? By hot metal?�

“No.� Her stomach clenched nervously, unsure of what he about to tell her. Pity churned inside of her, as well as revulsion for what one human being could do to another.

“Eh. Then ya don’t have much of a point of reference. They plunged me into a big tank of fluids. They gave me a mask ta breathe through, but the stuff was full of narcotics. Dulled my senses. Deprived me of my scent and touch, and my hearing, except fer what they whispered into my ear through their little microphones. Know what they told me?�

“Tell me.� She’d gradually leaned beside him against the balcony railing. Their elbows were touching. There was something vaguely soothing about touching him.

“Yer about ta become a new man.� He took a long drag and blew it out through pursed lips. “That ain’t the first time in my life someone’s lied ta me, darlin’, but that was the worst, fuckin’ hands down. They pumped me full of metal. Adamantium. Imagine someone pourin’ the fire of the sun straight into yer veins. I woke up in hell. Screamin’. Beggin’ ‘em ta let me die. I was practically drownin’ in that tank.� His face was stoic.

Beside him, hers filled with sorrow. The wind picked up, chilling him through his shirt, but he didn’t care.

“I wanted ta tear my skin off. Anything ta take away the pain. I remember the sound of shattering glass, just this big, hollow explosion. First thing I heard as I got out. I smelled my own blood, tons of it. Then I saw these.� He slowly extended his claws, palm down, so she could see them break through his firm flesh and heal around the punctures, encasing his talons neatly and snugly. It was gruesome, yet breaktaking. “I wasn’t any fuckin’ new man. They made me a monster. I was a science project. And they weren’t done with me. I saw ‘em starin’ in through this big window, just watchin’ me ta see what I’d do. Know what they said next?�

“No.� She swallowed around a huge lump.�

“It’s a success.� He shrugged, sheathing his claws and throwing his hands wide. He bumped her in the process, stunning her out of her horror.

“That’s…inhuman.�

“So’m I now, darlin’. So’m I.� His voice was soft but full of pain. “I killed ‘em, Killed ‘em all. Because they killed an important part of me. They took my mercy. They took my soul. Ya only get one in this lifetime.� He peered askance at her. “I heard ya. Ya were screamin’ when Jeannie and I found ya. And then I saw what everything that happened did to ya. Ya had that look in yer eye, like a woman that had nothin’ left ta lose. Like someone stole yer soul.�

“Because she did.� The words tripped out of her mouth before she could stop them.

“No she didn’t. Cuz ya didn’t let her. Ya didn’t back down. I felt yer body’s rhythms as soon as I ran inside. Caught yer scent. Heard yer pulse. She didn’t break ya, even if she tried.� The clouds drifted across the moon, obscuring its face and extinguishing the stars. A low rumble of thunder raised the hairs on the back of Logan’s neck. “If ya hide away like this and hole up in the dark, she’ll win. It’ll be like she broke ya.�

“The hell you say!�

“What did she do to ya, darlin’?�

“You wouldn’t understand!�

“I’m the only one here that’ll understand it better than you even do! You’ve got pain, darlin’? I’m all about pain! And I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let it eat you up like it did me!� He caught her hand when she tried to flee, backing away from the railing. She refused to turn her back on him, unwilling to weaken herself even to get away.

“Don’t. Let go of me.�

“I can’t. Not til ya tell me what she did to ya.�

“Why, blast you, WHY?� The thunder found its voice. It rolled through the sky and suddenly blossomed, almost shaking the balcony beneath his feet. His eyes dilated and his nostrils flared. He could feel it racing through his veins.

She owned the storm. She was brandishing it over his head.

“Because I wanna take away yer pain!�

“Then LET GO!� Her eyes flared bluish white, crackling with electricity. She called lightning down from the sky, using her own body as a lightning rod. The force knocked him back, smacking him against the balcony door. He bit his tongue with the impact, tasting blood, and the back of his head throbbed as she pinned him with her wind.

She was in control now. “Don’t ever dare to hold me back! I won’t tolerate it from you, or anyone else. Not the White Queen, or anyone who tries to use me for –“ She hesitated. The lightning danced overhead, as though beckoning for her to come play.

“Someone tried ta use you.� He could barely hear his own voice over the thunder and wind.

“I’m not some helpless girl anymore, Logan! No one touches me unless I allow it! I’m the one in control! No one can lock me up and bury me in the ground! I’m not powerless! I’m not weak! I still have a soul. I still have a soul…� Her voice shook and broke right before she emitted a scream that he felt all the way in his bones and gut.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Jean looked up from her tea, fright blooming on her face. Scott froze as he was about to take his next shot at the pool table while Piotr and Kurt craned their heads toward the ceiling.

“By the saints!� Sean cried, staring out the window at the storm that had whipped itself up out of nowhere. The trees on the property tossed as easily as wind chimes.

“I know yer not helpless. Yer strong, darlin’. Yer cool hand Luke and a lot less hardheaded than me, but ya can’t do this alone.�

“I’ve always done it alone. I have no one. No family. No roots. No one to hear me when I…I –“

“I hear you.�

She stood staring at him, shaking her head in denial. Her hands clenched, reaching for something intangible. Wind whipped and tore at their clothing. Her hair blew around her face, which was filled with agony.

“I was buried. I was five.� The lightning still sliced through the darkness, illuminating her face. Logan was no longer held against the unyielding brick once she realized the threat of his grip had passed. “The ceiling came down on top of us, and I felt my mother…I felt her wrap herself around me and hold onto to me so…tight.�

He pictured her. Young and innocent and unaware.

“Fuck,� he hissed miserably. “Darlin’, I’m sor –“

“She was beside me. I tried to wake her up, but I couldn’t. I wanted my mother. I wanted her to hold me. She wouldn’t wake up and take me out of the dark.� His skin stung from the rain lashing against him, so cold it burned. He’d lost his Cuban a while ago. “I was all alone. And I ran away.�

“Then what? How did ya end up here?�

“I almost died again before Charles found me. I was in the desert. I don’t know where I was going. You’re right. Some memories are harder to bring back. All I remember was the pain. My feet burned and I was so hungry I was about to pass out. A man stopped his truck and offered me water. He smiled at me. He said he wanted to give me a ride.�

“How old were ya?�

“Twelve. I don’t even really know. I don’t know how many days or weeks or months it had been since she was gone. I had nothing left to lose. But he still stole my soul. That man tried to rape me. His hands were rough, and he smelled bad and he hurt me when he knocked me down. His hands bruised me, and scratched me when he tried to pull off my clothes. I cried. I told him to please stop. I had to make him stop.�

“Of course ya did.�

“He had a knife under the seat. It must have slid free when he pulled to a stop.� She was shivering, but not from the cold or the beating rain. “I know you know what it feels like.�

“What, darlin’?�

“When you pierce someone’s flesh. When you stick it in them and watch them fall. I know. I know how that feels.� There was no pride in the knowledge, nor acceptance. Her chest heaved, “Go. Please.� He wasn’t supposed to her so raw and exposed and out of control. He wasn’t supposed to know her weakness.

“Know what else I know? Every day that I wake up, that’s one more time that I survived. Ya made it out, ‘Ro. Not only that, but ya saved the day fer that kid. She made it home ta her family after we brought that building down, and I know ya gotta take cold comfort in that. YOU were the first one she asked fer help. She knew she could rely on you. Yer the coolest head in this place, darlin’. Yer strong and steady, not weak. Yer not helpless, but ya protect the ones who are.�

“I almost failed. I couldn’t fail.�

“Ya didn’t. Ya saved her life. Ain’t anything ta sneeze at, darlin’.�

“She was depending on me.�

“That’s because she knew she could. That’s high praise. I know why she feels that way. I depend on ya, too.� He stood before her, close enough for her to feel the heat from his body and to watch the faint outline of his pupils as his eyes flicked over her. “I know ya can take care of yerself just fine, ‘Ro, but I can’t see ya suffer. Out of all the memories I have stuck in my head and wakin’ me up at night, those are the ones that give me the most hell.�

Blue eyes probed black. They were locked on each other. His fingers lightly brushed hers before she collected them in her grasp and squeezed. She opened her mouth to speak.

Holding him took higher priority. When she reached for him he caught her and felt her heart pound and skip.

The embrace was crushing and vital, and it wrung tears from her eyes, pouring down her cheeks. He felt the inadvertent, sharp scrape of her fingernails in his hair as she clutched it, craving his comfort. There was so much strength in her slender arms and willowy body, and so much need in her voice.

“Don’t let go.�

“I won’t.�

His arms never loosened their grip. Her low sobs were broken and robbed her breath. He smelled her salty tears, almost tasting them until he realized they were his, forced from him by her anguish.

“I thought about you. Locked up in that cage.� Her admission surprised him. “I couldn’t bear it.�

“I managed.� It was a lie. He’d hated it as much as she had, for different reasons.

They’d made him feel like an animal again.

“I don’t like you very much.�

“I got that. Ya put out my smoke.�

“I can’t watch you be hurt. Or watch you hurt yourself.�

“Ditto.�

“You’re rude, arrogant and hardheaded.� She buried her face in his damp shirt, inhaling his scent. Her hands stroked his back, kneading the knots of solid muscle. “You think you can just barge in anywhere you please, any time.�

“So what’s yer point?� He rubbed his cheek against the satiny smoothness of her throat. “Yer uppity, uptight and ya have a stick up yer butt. And yer high-falutin’ an’ bossy, too.�

“You’re some piece of work.�

“Look who’s talkin’.�

BAMF!

“I heard you scream, fraulein, is anything the matter? Ach!� Logan and Ororo sprang apart and choked on the noxious cloud of brimstone. “Why is it every time I see you two lately, you’re both soaking wet?�

“Everything’s fine, Kurt.�

“Ya know it smells like ya cut one when ya do that, right ‘Elf?� Logan wrinkled his nose and coughed, fanning the air.

“Can I go down and tell the others not to panic?�

“It wouldn’t hurt,� Ororo agreed.

“Are you all right?�

“I feel…better.� She heard Logan clear his throat behind her.

“Gut.� She caught the look of relief on his face before he ‘ported away.

Logan.

She turned to him. Confusion made her bite her lip.

“What…�

“Ya don’t hafta say anything if ya don’t want, ‘Ro.�

“Thank-“

“I got it, I got it.� He flipped the words over his shoulder as he retreated. “See ya downstairs.�

He was gone, just like that.

“Drat him. Blast that man…that MAN!�

But the sky subsided to a dim rumble, and the stars drifted out once again.

She did feel better.


~0~


“Mister Howlett? Time for your pills.�

“I hate pills,� Logan grumbled. “Can swear yer all just tryin’ ta embalm me before I’m even dead with all this shit.� He stared balefully at the tiny white paper cup holding two tablets. Matt sighed.

“Bottoms up.� He handed him a second cup of room temperature water. Logan tossed back the pills and grabbed the other cup, making a face before he downed it.

“There. Ya happy?�

“Yup.�

“Yer a pip, kid.�

“You know what I’m gonna ask today, right?�

“Whaddya wanna know?�

“Did you ever talk with Ororo again about what happened? And what about that Proudstar dude? Did he step off?�

“Naw. He kept pokin’ his nose around just ta piss me off. It ain’t like I blamed him. Everyone was worried about ‘Ro after what happened. But things changed a lot when the kid came ta the school.�

“I can’t believe her parents just let her go.�

“Jeannie had somethin’ ta do with that. And the kid was still so crazy about Petey an’ ‘Ro, even if most of the rest of us scared her ta death.

Problem is, I don’t think she was even there at the school fer a week before we ended up in another pickle. Poor kid. Bless her little heart.� Logan was already taking the brake off his wheelchair and started to turn it toward the bedroom door before Matt obliged him. When a man needed his smoke, he needed his smoke.

“All we wanted ta do was help her learn more about her gifts an’ protect her. Her parents trusted us with her safety. Thing is, she spent more time saving us. Again an’ again. This time, though, she brought help none of us expected.�


~0~

“Ororo…this place is HUGE.� So were Kitty’s eyes, two brown saucers of awe.

“Do you like it, Kitten? I can show you to your room, if you like. You’ll have a chance to freshen up before I give you the tou-“

“You said there was a pool? And a gym? And a lake? Where am I sleeping? What’ve you got to eat? Can I still take dance lessons? Are there any other kids my age?� She fired question after question without taking a breath. Ororo’s grin widened with each word, and she shook her snowy head.

“Take it easy. Let’s go see your room first. Moira doesn’t like things left in the hall.� Kitty grabbed her duffle and jacket eagerly while Piotr easily hefted her trunk behind them. Kitty peered back behind them and gave him a shy wave. He smiled and winked back.

They climbed the first flight of stairs and turned right, heading halfway down the hall. Kitty’s shoes clicked against the polished hardwood floors.

“Who cleans this place?�

“We all pitch in, but Dr. MacTaggart is the housekeeper. She runs a tight ship,� Ororo explained. She turned the knob and let the door swing open into a sunlit, spacious bedroom. “Here it is. Do you like it?�

“Wow. Oh, wow!� Kitty tossed her duffle into the corner and turned in a slow circle.

The room showed elements of Ororo’s impeccable taste, but it was a teenaged girl’s paradise. There were little throw pillows and a fuzzy pink rug setting off a bookcase full of bestselling action and science fiction novels. The bed was a four-post canopy done in soft pastel colors. Sheer curtains filtered the light but still revealed a perfect view of the grounds. The room included a desk, leather chair and computer that had Kitty salivating.

“Somebody pinch me,� she squealed.

“Is it all right – OOF!� Kitty spun and caught Ororo in a tight hug. Her arms drifted up and gently embraced her back.

“I love it. Thank you so much.� She drew back and grinned. “I’m gonna call my parents and ask them to send my posters!� She peered around the room. “Where’s the phone?�

“There’s one downstairs. We can get one for in here later if you like.� Ororo watched her poke around the room. “We want you to feel at home here, Kitten.�

Kitty turned to face her and noticed something wistful in Ororo’s face and stance. She was serene, but sad. “Can we do something today?�

“Do something? What did you have in mind?�

“I dunno. Go to the movies, or something? Just us girls?�

“Would you like me to invite Jean?�

“She’s always with Scott.� Kitty wrinkled her nose.

“She loves a good chick flick as much as the next person. She’s also an ice cream addict. You two will get along fine.�

“I guess. I know. It’s just…she’s nice, and everything. She scared me, though. It was weird having her in my head.�

“How about the professor? He’s also a telepath, you know. Not telekinetic like Jean, but he has a powerful mind.�

“My chemistry teacher says I do, too,� Kitty quipped. Ororo tsked under her breath but smiled.

“Smarty pants. If you like, we can take in a matinee. I’ll let Moira know we’ll be home for dinner.�

“Are Moira and that Sean guy going out?�

“They haven’t mentioned as much.� But Ororo had pondered that lately, too. There were unresolved feelings and tensions afoot in the mansion between the good doctor and the retired Interpol operative. Ororo wasn’t blind to the way Charles seemed to watch them intently whenever they occupied the same room.

“They’d make a cute couple.� Kitty dug into her duffle for her denim jacket. “He kinda looks at her the same way that Logan guy looks at you.� Ororo felt her cheeks flush.

“Do you like butter on your popcorn, Kitty? I’ll go knock on Jean’s door! Go ahead downstairs!� Ororo nearly dashed from the room. Kitty huffed.

“Was it something I said?�


~0~


“What’s going on? Where are you headed, mein freund?� Kurt flicked his tail back and forth as he watched John cram a stack of folded shirts into a suitcase.

“Home. My mom’s not feeling all that great, and it’s making Jimmy fret. He needs some time with his big bro. And I need some time away from this joint.�

“That’s fine, I suppose, but I thought you were getting settled here. What’s wrong?�

“It’s a big house, ‘Elf. But it’s crowded. And this whole ‘team’ thing’s crampin’ my style. I’m all for fightin’ the good fight, but I need a vacation.�

“Does the Professor know your agenda?�

“I’ll tell him on my way out. All he needs to know if that I’m gonna be gone, when I’m gone. If he needs any more details than that, he’ll hafta fish around inside my head for ‘em.�

“It wouldn’t hurt to tell everyone goodbye.�

“They’ll quit blubberin’ eventually.� Kurt chuckled.

“Call us to let us know when you make it there.�

“I won’t talk to strangers or take any wooden nickels.� He punctuated his promise with a sharp zip of the suitcase, fastening it. “On second thought, I got one goodbye I wouldn’t mind makin’ before I blow this joint.�

*

“Come to the movie with us,� Jean nagged. Her arms wound themselves around Scott’s waist as he eyed his reflection. He deftly whacked the razor against the edge of the sink, dislodging a blob of stubble and foam.

“Can’t. I’m meeting the Professor later today at the studio. I want to be there to escort him home.�

“Ororo’s going.�

“Ororo’s on point to meet us there. I briefed her already; and the cinema’s not far from the TV station.� Jean pouted as Scott scraped another patch of skin clean. The bathroom was thick with the scent of steam and shaving lotion as he got ready. Jean was already fresh and pert in jeans and a white sweater. She’d woven her hair into a French braid, using her telekinesis. Scott complimented the look, but he felt more unsettled that she was flaunting her powers so much more frequently than before.

“I guess I can’t blame you,� Jean admitted. “I almost wish he would’ve canceled his slot on that show. Stryker’s audience is almost as bad as Springer’s.�

“Tell me about it.� He sighed as he wiped his face dry. Jean’s fingertips ran down the smooth, warm line of his back. He gripped her wrist to make her stop, then wrapped her arms around his own waist, letting her spoon against him. “Don’t be a brat, Jean. Let me finish getting ready.�

“You are ready,� she argued. She rubbed her cheek against the crest of his shoulder. “Mmmmmm…� She nipped at his flesh, making sounds of approval in her throat. Scott’s abdomen jumped beneath her touch.

“Jean…!�

“I can help you pick out your outfit. You have plenty of time.�

“Quit it! Geez…Jean!� he yelped. He batted away her hands as she tried to untie his towel from around his waist. Her eyes were mischievous and sexy peering over his shoulder at him.

She wouldn’t concede defeat. That was where her TK came in handy.

The traitorous towel unwound itself from his waist and flew across the room, landing on the bed. He whipped around to face her, jaw tight and skin flushed.

“JEAN!�

“All I need is a few minutes. You won’t be sorry, Scott.�

“No. I’ll be late!� He felt the fuzzy texture of her angora sweater tickling his bare skin, pebbling his nipples. She was grinning like a Cheshire cat as she backed him up against the edge of the sink.

His protests died on his lips as her fingers crept over his hips, clutching them as she stepped between his feet. Jean kissed him long and hard and felt keen satisfaction as he began to respond.

One piece at a time, her clothing landed on the bathroom rug.

Ororo?

Yes, sister?

You two go on without me. I’ll send Scott to meet you at the TV station.

What happened? Did he get tied up?

In a way…yes.

Downstairs, Ororo flushed at the emotions transmitting themselves over their psi-link and heard a note of husky, seductive laughter in Jean’s thoughts.

“Kitten, why don’t we just go on by ourselves?� Kitty beamed in relief and went to get her jacket.

Ororo waited in the foyer, absently sorting through the mail on one of the side tables. She heard heavy footsteps thudding toward her and turned to face John. She eyed him curiously, noticing his suitcase. Her brow wrinkled in concern.

“John? You’re leaving?�

“I’m takin’ a little trip home, babe. Don’t worry yer pretty little head.� His smile was lazy and sly, and she sighed in amusement.

“I know better than to worry about you. You seem to thrive on it, anyway.� She reached for his arm, gently rubbing it. “You miss your family.�

“They need ta see me. They ain’t gonna believe any of the stuff I’ve seen, just hearin’ me tell ‘em about it on the phone or in an email. And I need ta whip my kid brother Jimmy into shape.�

“Fair enough. Keep in touch.�

“Keep on bein’ sexy.� As usual, her stomach felt fluttery when he stared at her that way, like he wanted to eat her up. He removed her hand from his arm and raised it to his lips, steaming her knuckles with his kiss.

“Unhand yon fair maiden,� Kurt warned.

“What’re you gonna do about it, Elf?�

“Save all the fraulein’s attentions for myself,� he answered simply. “And you have a plane to catch.�

“Spoilsport,� he grumbled. He dipped his lips to Ororo’s knuckles once more. “Bye, beautiful.�

“Be safe.� She felt wistful as he closed the door behind him.

Logan’s hard embrace and how safe it made her feel lingered in the back of her mind.

*

Downtown Manhattan:

“Let us know how we can make you more comfortable, Professor Xavier. We go live in ten.�

“Thank you,� he replied fondly, smiling at the young production assistant as she adjusted the mic on his lapel.

Despite his tranquil demeanor, Charles’ gut was tied in knots. The audience members slowly filled the enormous studio, milling like ants and coveting the seats up front. He spied two teenagers, roughly Kitty’s age, unrolling what looked like an enormous poster.

Fuck off, Muties!

An usher wearing a tee shirt that said “Security� hurried over and warned them to put it away. Charles still felt discomfited.

His appearance today had to be worth the risk.

Across the stage, Stryker was being prepped by the makeup artist in front of a narrow vanity while he sipped bottled water. Briefly Charles caught his gaze and offered him a perfunctory smile.

William Stryker was spry and lean for a man in his sixties. He wore his expensive black suit impeccably and silver hair well groomed. His face was unlined, save for creases in his forehead, the sign of a man who frequently scowled.

His expression as he met Charles’ gaze was guarded. His nod was brief before he ignored him. Charles was uneasy.

Moments later, Neal Conan followed the camera man’s cue that they were ready. The lights in the studio rose, illuminating the stage.

“Good afternoon, and welcome to the Eyes on the World segment of our program today. I have two esteemed guests today in our discussion on mutants, and their place in our society. I’d like to first introduce Reverend William Stryker, founder of the Friends of Humanity, a nondenominational church right here in our own fair city with a congregation of…� he checked his note cards, “fifty thousand members strong! That’s amazing, Mr. Stryker!�

“Call me William,� he offered, nodding and waving to the audience to a round of applause that rippled through the studio.

“My other guest is Professor Charles Xavier, author of several books on the subject of mutants, a proprietor of an academy for gifted students –“

“The School for Gifted Youngsters, yes,� Charles interjected.

“And an expert in the field of human genetics.� The applause was less vigorous as the audience assessed the wheelchair-bound man in his expensive gray wool suit. Charles drummed his fingers against his knee.

“William, I have to ask you the question in everyone’s mouth: What’s your position on people that our society labels as mutants?�

“That answer’s very simple, Neal, and I’d be glad to share it with you.� He drew himself up proudly. “Mutants aren’t people. Period.�

*


Later:


“One of my friends gave me spoilers on what happened a week ago, so I saw that ending coming,� Kitty complained.

“It was still fun to get out and do something,� Ororo soothed as they filed out of the packed theater. Her lips still tasted salty from the bucket of popcorn they shared. Absently she wondered what Logan was doing. He was nowhere to be found when they left the house.

“Oh, I had fun going with you,� Kitty agreed, beaming. She tugged Ororo’s sleeve and nodded toward the small arcade by the exit. “Can we play a few rounds of Tekken before we take off?�

Goddess, please, no… “Ooo. Probably not,� Ororo pouted. “I have to meet Scott at the studio. I wanted to see the last of the taping and ask them if we can have a copy for posterity. It’s not every day the Professor gets to be on TV.�

“You guys sure do,� Kitty pointed out.

“Not on purpose.�

“Still, it’s crazy how scared everybody is of you guys. Of mutants.�

“If the public was better informed, they wouldn’t find us so scary.�

“Miss Frost was scary.�

“No, Kitten, she was just cruel. And you’ve learned something very important from what happened when she held us prisoner. People can wear a beautiful, benign face but may have bad intentions underneath. It’s important not to be swayed by their influence until you know where they stand.� Kitty sighed, feeling like she was in the middle of an afterschool special.

“Okay.�

“Let’s run. I want to beat the rush out of the parking garage.�

They walked briskly toward the elevator once they were outside. Ororo was just muttering about forgetting where they parked when they heard raised voices behind them.

“Did you see the new kid in tenth period math? Bet he’s a mutie!�

“Call the cops! Maybe they’ll put his mutie ass in jail!�

“Shut up, Connor!�

“What’re you gonna do, use your mutie powers against me? I’m sooo scared!�

“My mom’s been thinking about joining that new church. That Stryker guy says muties are going to hell.�

Ororo’s cheeks flamed. “Let’s go, Kitten.� She no sooner turned to nudge Kitty along before she saw her young companion’s back walking away from her, toward three teens about her age. “Uh-oh…�

“Hey! HEY! What’d you just say about mutants?�

“No one told you to butt in!�

“I make it my business to butt in when a bunch of jerks talk a bunch of shit!�

“KITTY!�

“What makes you guys think you’re any better than mutants? They just have powers. It’s no big deal. It’s not any different than having freckles or red hair.�

“Or being a flat-chested, mouthy little bitch like you!�

Flat-chested?!

POW! Ororo’s heart skipped when Kitty’s fist connected to the tallest boy’s jaw.


*

“Chuck’s gettin’ murdered up there,� Logan muttered around his cigar.

“What else could we expect? Even from a man of the Professor’s intellectual background, with his vast education and experience and humanitarian acts, the public sees him as a fraud because of his stance on mutants.�

“Don’t even matter that they don’t know he’s a mutant. This is a bunch of bullshit. I don’t know why he even bothered goin’ on this crap.�

“He’s a voice for those of us who can’t speak for ourselves, without fear of persecution.�

“Ya can teleport and fight just fine, ‘Elf. Ya that scared of bein’ persecuted?�

“The Professor found me outrunning an angry mob.� Kurt cracked open a bottle of Heineken and took a long pull.

“Ah.�

“They’re hardly letting him speak.�

“So what else is new?� Logan brooded as he watched the discussion, chewing on his cigar.

“What’s happening?� Piotr brought in a bowl of popcorn and set it on the coffee table. “How is the Professor managing?�

“Badly,� Kurt mused.

After several minutes of watching the heated debate, Piotr shook his head. “I’m glad Katya isn’t watching this right now. I think she’d find it very upsetting.�


Meanwhile:

“Kitten! Break it up! I said stop it, NOW!� Ororo fought to hold herself in check. She felt a current of electricity sparking in her veins as she suppressed her lightning. Overhead, the clouds moved more quickly, darkening to pewter gray. “This is a public place! I won’t let you engage in a brawl! What would your parents think?�

“But he said-“

“I know. That’s enough.� Ororo’s look chastened her.

“Yeah, go home, mutie bitch!�

“I said, that’s enough.� Ororo’s voice was hard and chilly. She wrapped an arm protectively around Kitty. “Would you like me to go and tell the security guard you started this? His booth’s right around the corner.� All three teens were mussed and petulant from their scrap. The tallest boy sported a cut above his lip. He sneered at Ororo and shrugged.

“Whatever. Tell ‘em whatever the fuck you want.� His friends followed him as they sauntered away.

“Assholes!� Kitty hissed under her breath. Ororo turned her by the shoulders and probed her eye.

“I can’t take you into the studio like this. I’m sending you home. We’ll call a cab.�

“But -!�

“No. I know you’re upset, but look at your face. It’s already swelling, and I’d rather not have to explain to Charles how it happened when he’s already got a lot on his mind. Let’s let him come home and settle down with a cup of tea first and unwind before he sees what you did to yourself.�

“It wasn’t my fault. They were talking out of their asses.�

“Language, Kitten.�

“Sorry…sheesh.�

“I know.�

“You can’t take me back?�

“You’ll be fine. I want to be on time to meet Scott and make it to the studio before the taping’s over.�

“Fine,� she grumbled back. Ororo let her into the passenger side of the comfortable sedan and backed out of their space. Ororo gave her enough for cab fare and an ice cream cone on the way back.

*

“…I’d like to read a few passages I’ve highlights from a report by Senator Robert Kelly,� Stryker intoned smoothly. “Twenty new mutant identification signatures were found last year. Three of them were determined to be hostile.�

“By intent or by nature of their abilities?� Charles argued.

“Does it matter? Mutants are dangerous. Their powers make them a weapon as well as a threat. Mutants don’t just discover they have these incredible abilities and then not use them!�

I think you’d be surprised. Charles raised one dark brow.

“I won’t completely disagree. Imagine if Beethoven discovered he could play the piano but refrained from ever writing a symphony because he was afraid of what the people around him thought.�

“Would that these mutants were only playing the piano and making pretty music.� Neal suppressed a chuckle and carefully turned his mic off. Behind the camera, Manoli Wetherell smirked and rolled her eyes. She wondered how her news partner and regular co-anchor would wrap up this episode. She wished that Stryker’s crappy views would end up on the editing floor.

Backstage, Scott watched the dialogue warily, feeling relieved as Ororo came up beside him.

“You smell like popcorn.�

“What did I miss?�

“Nothing you’d want to hear. Charles is getting slaughtered out there.� Ororo frowned. “And if Stryker had his way, we’d be next.�

“This concludes our discussion on mutants in our society, their contributions to the gene pool and the risks involved to those who fear them. I’m Neal Conan! Good night!� he called cheerfully. The audience roared, whistling and stomping their feet. Scott wasted no time in hurrying over to Charles’ side.

“Ororo’s got the car out front. Let’s go.�

“That’s the first sane suggestion I’ve had all day. I’m exhausted, Scott.�

“I don’t blame you. That was awful.�

“He’s not subtle. But he’s very powerful and very popular.�

“People at large fear us,� Ororo murmured. “But they should really fear him.�

They settled Charles comfortably in the car, specially equipped to allow him to buckle his chair safely into place without having to be transferred into the passenger seat. Ororo took the wheel with a sigh.

“How is Kitty doing? How does she like her new room?�

“She loves it. We had a bit of a difficult afternoon, though.�

“Oh?�

“We can talk when we get home.� Ororo expertly steered the car toward the on-ramp for the freeway.

“I have to admit, sometimes reading minds can be such a crutch. I don’t have to guess someone’s intentions when I deal with them face to face.�

“Meaning?�

“I couldn’t read Stryker’s mind, Scott.�

“Whoa.�

“I sensed a barrier of some kind blocking me.�

“You can’t read everyone’s minds. Like some other telepaths.�

“I don’t feel this was an organic block. I suspect he was using a device of some kind to keep me out. Leading me to wonder, does he know about my ability?� Ororo and Scott felt a cold flush at his words. Ororo pressed the brake hastily as the car in front of her stopped short.

“Odd. The brakes are sluggish. We just had a tune-up.�

“Be careful, Ororo.�

“What’s the bigger threat, Ororo, your power over lightning or your driving?�

“You could always get out and walk. Your blasts wouldn’t help you much then. Maybe you’d wish you could fly.�

“Don’t make me give you two a time out,� Charles joked fondly. His smile faded a moment later. “Oh, no.�

“What, Professor?�

“Stop the car! Pull over. Now.�

“Why?�

“We’re being watched. Cut off the engine before –“

THOOM! Ororo heard the faint, shrill beeps under the backseat of the car before tail of the sedan exploded, knocking them off the road.

Several cars behind them, a woman watched from the driver’s seat through a pair of binoculars. She clicked open a small cell phone and speed-dialed her contact.

“We’ve taken care of it, Reverend.�

“Good work. Bring them to me.� Then, “You’re a shining example of one of God’s servants, Anne.�

“I try.�

Harsh, wracking coughs quickened Matt’s steps as he approached Mr. Howlett’s room. He found him bent uncomfortably in bed, choking up viscous mucus into a white towel that Nurse Kinney held up to his mouth.

His condition wasn’t what alarmed Matt the most. It was the expression on her face before she acknowledged him that made him uneasy.

She was stricken, and her eyes were full of sorrow.

Nurse Kinney was unflappable. On any given day she gave terse, clipped instruction to everyone on her shift. Even the hospitalists onsite didn’t test her. In short, she was the charge nurse not to fuck with.

Nurse Kinney was a petite woman who walked tall. She never raised her voice because she didn’t have to.

Her lithe body contained wiry strength and perfect balance, not unlike a dancer’s. She wore no-nonsense scrubs in solid colors, unlike the busy prints and cartoon-charactered tops everyone else favored. She restrained her raven hair in a low, thick bun, adorned only with a pair of mother-of-pearl inlaid chopsticks.

Her eyes unsettled some. Rumor had it, she ate nails for breakfast and washed it down with gasoline.

Matt hovered in the doorway until Nurse Kinney finally snapped out of it. She and her patient turned in unison and beckoned him in.

“Don’t just stand there,� Mr. Howlett rasped before another wet cough escaped him. Matt came in and reached for a basin on the bedside table. Nurse Kinney let him take care of that chore while she tossed the towel into the soiled linen cart.

“How are you feeling, sir?�

“Don’t think ya heard me a minute ago, boy; I feel like crap. Do yerself a favor, don’t ever get old.� Matt was young enough to fear the alternative.

“Make yourself useful, Matt, and head over to clean utility. Bring linen for a bed change before you take him for his shower.� Matt nodded grimly. Logan suddenly cracked a smile.

“Quit lollygaggin’, kid. Gonna make you earn every penny of that minimum wage yer takin’ home. Grab me my good shirt from the closet, would ya?� His eyes were red-rimmed and tired and his cheeks were pale, but he was becoming more alert by the second.

Mr. Howlett went about his ablutions as capably as ever, but he needed help, surprisingly, opening the bottle of aftershave. “Damn, that smarts,� he muttered, rubbing his knuckles. The adamantium didn’t prevent him from developing arthritis.

“How they treatin’ ya today, kid?�

“Not bad.�

“Yer knucklehead friend still tryin’ ta put that band together?�

“Pfft,� Matt offered in reply. Logan grinned.

“Thought as much.�

“Where were you before, sir? Like, before you came here?�

“Hnh. Depends.�

“On what?�

“I didn’t really ‘live’ anywhere before I came here. Wasn’t pretty, Matt. Had a couple of safehouses. Saved every penny of my bank roll from Department H. Lived on a shoestring once my family was gone. Didn’t have any roots left ta put down. So I just left. Had itchy feet. Traveled around ta some of the places ‘Ro an’ me loved, but what I loved about ‘em in the first place was sharin’ ‘em with her. Seein’ ‘em through her big, beautiful blue eyes.� He stared into space for a moment. Matt held his breath and packed up Mr. Howlett’s shaving kit. “I had no place. No purpose.� He began to wheel himself back from the sink; Matt collected the damp towels. By the time they made it back to his room, his stubble was already growing back.

“That was that. I woke up one day on an operating table, despite the fact they gave me the strongest juice they had ta keep me out. Said they found me holed up at the sushi house where Harry’s Hideaway used ta be. Passed out.� Matt was nonplussed until he said “I got a metabolism five times as fast as a baseline man, kid. I don’t pass out with a little whiskey swimmin’ in my veins. Not even with a whole case. I burned myself out. It’s like my body knew it was time ta quit fightin’, and ta quit runnin’. In the meantime, though, I’m just fallin’ apart a piece at a time.� Logan settled back into his wheelchair and let Matt lay a blanket over his lap. Nightfall was coming earlier with each passing day, and the air was bringing a chill promising a long, early winter. “When the Department made me, they built me ta last.� Logan barked a harsh laugh that made him cough slightly. Matt poured him a pink plastic cup of water from the pitcher. “Too bad none of ‘em lived past my warranty, the bastards…�

“All of your family’s gone?�

“Yep.� He gulped down the water and wiped his mouth. “Ain’t the first time that’s happened, either, kid. I’ve got lifetimes of shit that I’ve forgotten, let alone lived. Old family connections, old friends, old loves, all scrambled in my head. That’s where I was in my life when Charles grilled me in his study for the first time over cookies. I didn’t have any anchor. That’s why I loved ‘Ro. She kept me steady.�

“It must have been something. Being X-Men. Worrying about each other getting hurt.�

“Ya don’t know the half of it. It was hell. But at the end of the day, kid, that kept me going. Fightin’ for her. Bein’ there for her. She knew I’d come for her no matter who or what came along ta try an’ take her away from me. I’ll always come for ‘Ro.� Matt noticed he didn’t use the past tense.

He felt his stomach sink.


*


Where am I?

No light or warmth pierced the gloom around him. He seemed to float adrift on it, untouched by sound or feeling. He didn’t know if his heart was still beating, making him feel even more unsettled.

“Beginning phase two. Subject’s sensory awareness has been fully suppressed.�

“Good. I don’t want anything or anyone getting through to him.�

“He’s nearly catatonic.�

“No. Adjust the feed. I don’t want him to end up a vegetable. Not yet. Our friend has work to do.� The scratch of his match was loud as William lit his Marlboro and then took a long, hungry drag. “God’s work, Phillip. I want him ready.�

“Yes, Reverend.�

In a different world, Charles Xavier and William Stryker might have been staunch friends, brothers in arms.

“He looks younger than I thought,� Anne remarked.

“Evil disguises itself becomingly to seduce the masses. You should know that by now.�

“Yes, Reverend,� she allowed. “There’s just something about him that surprises me.� She approached the reinforced glass containment tube and ran her fingertips down its cold surface in wonder. “That fragile, broken body of his houses one of the greatest minds on the planet.�

“Powerful mind, you mean. There’s nothing great about it. He’s mutant scum. He can make you think what he wants you to think.�

So could Stryker. Anne quirked her brow, then sighed. She backed away from the unit and sat beside William at the desk.

“How did he end up unable to walk?�

“Wasn’t he in the military?� Phillip asked.

“He might have served around the same time you did, Reverend.�

“Even our proud armed forces aren’t safe from the deceptions of mutantkind, my dear, but yes, he did.�

“So what’s wrong with sending mutants off to war on behalf of our country? What else are they good for?�

“Would you put a gun in the hands of a maniac and tell him not to shoot?� Phillip retorted wryly as he increased the levels of sedative in the tank.

“Unfortunately that mistake’s already been made,� William murmured. Anne stiffened at his hard tone. At times, he could be benevolent and charming, more of a father than the one who sired her, but this William brooked no disappointments, and no failures. “Our friend, Wolverine, served in the military and in the CIA before Xavier contacted him.�

“So, is that it? Is he training these muties to be soldiers?�

“Not any more,� William said. “He’s just made our job that much easier. He was even kind enough to bring along a couple of guinea pigs.�

“What if the rest of those kids at that school figure out he’s not dead? They’ll come after us.�

“We’ll be ready. But it’ll be moot, sweet pea. They’ll all be dead, soon enough. Have faith.� William patted her cheek fondly, and Anne relaxed.


*

Charles loved the lake. Moira stared out at its placid blue surface and remembered. A faint breeze stirred her hair.

There was so much to do. So many people to contact… her stomach twisted miserably and she bowed her face into her palm.

Sean heard her low sob as he approached, and then he hesitated.

Even from that angle, slumped and trembling, she captivated him. “Moira?� His voice was soft and full of concern. “Easy, lass. I’m here.�

“Nay, Sean…please.� Her words were muffled, but he heard her tears, barely catching her profile as she wiped her cheek on her sleeve.

“M’worried about ye, colleen.�

“Och. Hate it when I start blubberin’ like this. Feels like I kinna stop.� His heart wrenched as he looked down into her face.

“Don’t expect me tae tell ye it will be all right. I know from experience that nothing makes it all right when ye experience a loss like this.� He seated himself beside her on the pier and removed his sturdy loafers. The breeze picked up and buffeted them, chilling the tearstains on her cheeks. Despite the autumn chill in the air, he joined her in dangling his now bare feet in the lake; it felt cleansing.

“Then how will I go on? I kinna lose anyone else in m’life, Sean, and then try tae wake up tae another day. Not one more bluidy day.� He contented himself with her presence, not touching her yet except for the slight graze of her shoulder. She was close enough to lean on him, if she would allow it to happen.

“I took it one bluidy day at a time when I lost Maeve. I’d climbed into a bottle of scotch and didn’t come out for months. Night after night, I woke up passed out in me drink at the pub. She was my life.� He stared out at the water and pried a small rock loose that was stuck between the slats. Sean skipped it on his first throw. “Only thing that saved me was knowin’ it woulda broken her heart tae see me like that. I miss her most at night. She smelled like this oatmeal soap she loved.� They both sat in silence for a few moments. Moira listened to the faint plops of each pebble hitting the water. It amused her for some reason that Sean threw lefthanded.

“What was she like?�

“Eh? Oh, Maeve?� His voice became wistful. “Fun. Gorgeous, and she had a wicked tongue.� He gave her a slight leer that made her cheeks flush. “Get yuir mind out of the gutter, Miss MacTaggart.�

“Eejit,� she told him tartly.

“She loved me enough tae put up wi’ me even when I was assigned far from home.� He grew grim. “I wasn’t home when she died.�

“Och, Sean! Lad! M’so sorry.�

“When I lost me wife…I lost me child, too. Never even knew she was expecting a bairn.� He reached into his pocket for his pipe. Moira didn’t protest when he filled it with tobacco from a small tin and lit it. “Never knew what kind of da I would’ve made.�

“I think…ye would’ve done fine, Sean. Just fine.� Moira finished mopping her cheeks with the edge of her sleeve. “Ye may be the only one, then, who knows the ten kinds of hell m’goin’ through right now. Ye may know that Charles and I share a special friendship of sorts.�

“Aye. Well…nay. I…suspected there might have been something…?�

“There isn’t now. But Sean…Charles an’ me, we were engaged.�

His pipe slipped from his grasp in surprise. He caught it mid-air before it could land in the water, but burning ashes dropped onto the leg of his corduroy slacks. He cursed as he slapped them out.

“Jayzus…I dinna realize things ran that deep between ye.� She sighed.

“It’s complicated.�

“Aye, an’ that’s an understatement, lass.�

“I loved him. Och, Sean, I loved him so much, and it hurt me…so much, when he left. I sent him letters. I waited for him tae call whenever he was stationed somewhere new. Sometimes he was almost in close enough range tae reach me wi’ his mind.� The wind became slightly bitter, and she rubbed her hands to warm them.

“I didn’t know.�

“How could ye have known?�

“Ye simply never told me…Moira, I may have had the wrong idea all this time about yuirself an’ me.�

“What?� she cried.

“I understand if ye want me tae back off, if ye still have feelins’ fer Charley-“

“Do any such thing, Sean Cassidy, an’ I’ll never speak t’ye again,� Moira fired back. “Yuir not tae move a bleedin’ muscle, d’ye hear me? Dinna make me kick yuir bum. That’s what makes this so hard.� Her eyes were sparking with fresh tears. “I loved Charles, and I’m devastated now that he’s gone. I’m so raw and so lost, and I dinna know what tae do now at this damned school of his without him, but I’m guilty, too, Sean, because I…I’ve fallen in love with ye. An’ it’s na’ right. I shouldna be able tae love anyone else the way I loved Charley. There’s something wrong with me. I’m horrible, because…� She threw up her hands, and her voice quavered too much to continue.

“Lass?� Sean was dumbstruck.

“Ye know what I’m tryin’ t’say, ye bleedin’ eejit! Do I have tae spell it out? I love ye more’n I ever loved me Charley, an’ it’s killing me! I feel so…unfaithful. And now h-he’s gone!�

She slumped into his waiting arms, and he held her so tightly they ached.

“God, lass. Hit a man over the head wi’ it, why don’t ye?� Her answering sob was harsh. “An’ I’ve a confession t’make, Moira. I fell in love wi’ ye the moment we met. It keeps me up at night, an’ I’ve lost too many nights of sleep already wonderin’ how ye felt.�

“Hope it’s clear t’ye now, then.� Sean tingled and warmth spread through his chest. He exhaled with relief and a hint of satisfaction, but he remained somber.

“I’m here for ye; dinna ever doubt that, colleen.�

“I’ve lost Charley, and two of my babies,� she sobbed into his shoulder, dampening his Aran sweater. “Poor, sweet Ororo has no family to contact, but Jean’s fair beside herself!�

“Damn it.� Sean winced, then closed his eyes. His fingers clutched tendrils of Moira’s soft chestnut hair. His embrace was protective and warmed her.

“I’m so afraid of what she might do. Of what she can do.�

“We’re here for her, lass. All of us.�

“Nay, Sean. Ye dinna understand.� Moira leaned back but continued to clutch him. “Jean’s different, and it’s scaring me.�

“Why?�

“She’s so much more volatile in recent days.�

“Seems like her old sweet self whenever I’ve talked with her.�

“Sometimes she is. But sometimes, she’s not herself. I kinna describe it. She’s short wi’ everyone, and just…harder. And I’ve been monitoring her performance in the Danger Room since the incident in the city. Her power levels are stronger than they used tae be, and she came tae Charley about some difficulty she had wi’ screening out other people’s thoughts.�

“I dinna like the sound of that.�

“Aye, ye shouldn’t.�

“The worst of it is, I just feel…I dinna believe he’s dead.�

“Moira, the authorities said no one walked away from that wreck.� The accident made it onto the evening news, with footage of police arriving at the scene. The car was melted slag by the roadside, still burning as the news anchor announced that the explosion claimed three lives, with no probable cause.

No one wanted to call it a terrorist act or a hate crime.

“If Charley were gone…somehow I’d feel it.�

“How?�

“I’m not sure. But there’s something in me bones that refuses tae believe he’s truly gone.�

So Sean held her. Together they listened to the wind in the trees.


*

“Kitty?� Piotr knocked lightly and waited, listening for small sounds on the other side.

“Kitty,� he repeated more firmly. “Can I talk with you for a minute?�

There was a low scuffle, and then he heard sniffles that filled him with pity.

She yanked open the door, and her face broke his heart.

“What’m I supposed to do now, Peter?� she blurted. “What now?�

“I don’t know, Katya. I wish I knew what to tell you. Here,� he soothed, reaching out to her when her chin quivered. She threw herself into his open arms and sobbed into his shirt. Peter put aside the awkwardness he felt at their close contact and held her. She was slight, and he dwarfed her, but he felt her wiry strength and vitality. More than anything, he hated the new shadows under her eyes, and couldn’t begin to understand the events that put them there.

He would never understand.

“It’s all right.�

“No. It’s not. I’m so scared.�

“You’re allowed to be. Me, too.�

“You are?�

“Da.�

“But nothing can hurt you!�

“I don’t know that for sure, Katya. Most things can’t hurt me. Even so, plenty of things still scare me. I’m still human.� She nodded briefly against him.

“I was with her at the movies, and she told me I had to go home. It’s my fault.�

“What, Katya?�

“I got into a scrap at the parking structure. She didn’t want me to go with her to the station.�

“I saw those marks on your face when you came back. Must’ve been some fight.� It wasn’t the time to lecture her to be more careful, he decided.

“If I’d been with them, maybe…I dunno, maybe I could’ve phased them before the car blew up! Or she could’ve just come home with me, and she would’ve been fine.�

“Don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault, and you could’ve died, too.� The thought chilled him; his embrace tightened, and he gently rubbed her back. She sighed gratefully.

“I guess.�

“It’s not.�

“They’re really gone,� she cried. “I’m just…so angry, and I want to kick something! I just got here. I don’t wanna leave, but right now…I just want my mom and dad.�

“Have you spoken to them yet?�

“No.�

“You can’t put it off, Katya. If it were my parents, they would be worried sick-“

“Are your parents worried about you, Piotr?� she asked, pulling back slightly and staring up into his face. He saw her genuine concern for him, despite her own sadness, and it touched him. His expression turned thoughtful.

“I suppose they are.�

“Do you miss them?�

“Of course. Always.�

“It stinks that they’re so far away.�

“Da,� he agreed, and a new gloom settled over him. He wondered how they, indeed, would feel if they knew any of the circumstances that had befallen him over the past several weeks.

“So they’re really gone.� She eased back out of his arms and straightened herself. Kitty tugged her dark, wavy hair back from her face and slid a cotton scrunchie from her wrist, looping it into a simple ponytail. The style made her look even younger and more vulnerable. She folded her arms and hugged herself protectively.

She’s only a child. Piotr silently cursed the Professor for bringing her into their midst, only to let her witness such danger, and to suffer three deaths on the same day.

“I don’t want to accept it any more than you do, Katya. Come on downstairs. Let’s find something for dinner.�

“Like what?�

“We’ll whip up whatever we can find.�

“I’m not as good of a cook as my mom, so I’ll just pretend, okay?�

“Sounds like a plan.�


*

“Elf?� Logan tapped on Kurt’s door, interrupting his low murmur in his own language.

“…amen,� he finished before answering the door. His yellow eyes were grave and dimmer than usual until he looked Logan fully in the face.

It was like staring at the wrath of God. Kurt clutched the silver rosary more tightly in his hand. “Gute nacht. Come in.�

“Hell, no. Let’s go out. Grab whatever shoes that ya’ve got,� Logan barked. “Time’s a wastin’. Then yer buyin’ the brews.�

“Logan…how can you drink at a time like this?�

“How the fuck can I not, Elf? Shoes,� he repeated.

Kurt didn’t argue with him. He tucked his feet into a loose pair of sneakers that the Professor had custom designed for him to allow him better balance when his toes couldn’t make tactile contact with the surface he was walking on. He tucked a small device into his jacket pocket.

“What’s that?�

“Just a helpful little toy Scott’s friend Henry came up with that he thought I would find useful.�

“Ain’t got time fer toys.�

“You haven’t said where we’re going.�

“Huntin’.� Unease dogged Kurt as they made their way out to the garage.

Cold dread filled him minutes later as Logan navigated the Jeep through downtown traffic. Kurt huddled further back into his seat and pulled his hat low over his eyes.

“Quit doin’ that,� Logan muttered bitterly. “Don’t be such a wuss.�

“I’d like to think the angry mobs that used to chase me made me more practical.�

“Uh-uh. Don’t use that as an excuse. The mobs didn’t ‘make ya’ anything. Yer the man ya choose t’be, Blue. Besides, yer in New York. If there’s anywhere in the world ya can expect ta blend in, Kurt, it’s here.�

“I’ll take my chances with Hank’s invention. And I’d think it would be helpful to remain inconspicuous now, wherever it is you’re taking us.�

“I bet ya a twelve-pack of Molson ya can’t walk three city blocks as yer big, bad, blue self in broad daylight.� Kurt shuddered.

Then he reminded himself that he’d beaten Logan at pool.

“Name the time and the day.�

“Attaboy.� Both men sat uncomfortably in rush hour traffic, each caught up in their own dark thoughts.

“I left John a message to call us,� Kurt murmured.

“Tell me ya didn’t tell him this shit in a voice mail!� Logan twisted in his seat to glare him into paste. Kurt’s eyes narrowed, seeming almost serpentine.

“Nein, Logan. I merely asked him to contact us. I feel horrible about this. He will be crushed.� Kurt’s hand absently tugged on the fine silver crucifix around his neck.

“Ya think?�

“Don’t you dare be so cavalier about this.�

“I’ll warn ya once, ‘Elf: Ya don’t wanna lecture me today.� Logan turned back to the traffic and put on his blinker. He chewed his cigar and remained quiet for most of the drive.

Logan turned the Jeep left at the next intersection and cruised past the television station where the Professor gave his interview.

“What are we doing here?�

“Followin’ bread crumbs. They would’ve gone this way. ‘Ro ain’t one ta take a lot of risks behind the wheel, so she would’ve avoided the worst of the traffic by skipping this stop and taking the back roads.� He demonstrated by doing exactly that. He inadvertently cut another driver off but shrugged off his resulting honk and single-fingered salute. Kurt tensed up beside him and gripped the passenger door’s vinyl rail.

“She mentioned she was going to fill up the tank on the way to the movie theater with Katzchen,� Kurt remarked.

“Right. So she didn’t stop on her way back from the station. She sent the kid home first, from what Kitty told me.�

“Thank God,� Kurt agreed. Logan’s knuckles tightened on the wheel at the thought of anything happening to the girl.

“It was early yet when this happened,� Logan mused. “Still some sun in the sky, just about time fer dinner.�

“Ja. So?�

“So whoever it was who rigged the car would’ve done it when they were at the station. And they would’ve triggered the blast by remote. Their attacker would’ve been just another average Jane or Joe headed home to warm up leftovers in the microwave.�

“Ach…�

“This is just our first stop,� Logan warned him. “I hope ta God ya didn’t eat anything today.�

“Why?� Kurt’s insides twisted.

“Because after this, we’re headed to the morgue.� Logan’s face was a stony mask, but he stubbed out his cigar in the ash tray.

All he could focus on was the task ahead. He could mourn later. Nightmares wouldn’t even plague him now; Logan hadn’t slept for forty-eight hours.

He remembered the smell of rain mingled with her hair as it tickled his lips. He’d held her, an act that could’ve become a habit, if she’d let it…


No. He needed anger more than regret right now. Pain was his friend; it kept him sharp.

They pulled to the side of the road. Logan parked roughly a mile from the yellow tape-fenced area. He wrinkled his nose at the stench of burnt metal and earth that reached him even that far away.

“It feels wrong here,� Kurt whispered.

“Feels like yer walkin’ on their graves, doesn’t it? We’ll pay our respects, ‘Elf, once we’re done. And ya can grieve then, if ya hafta.�

“If I have to?�

“This ain’t the scene of an accident. Think ya know that by now by what I’ve shown ya.� Logan pointed to the skid marks as they approached. “Look. There wasn’t much of a change in the tracks here when the car stopped. It was abrupt. The explosion flung the car off the road. I think Ororo overcorrected a little; maybe Chuck or Cyke got spooked and sensed there was somethin’ wrong.�

“So the Professor could have felt the thoughts of someone watching them,� Kurt reasoned.

“He just wouldn’t have been able ta figure out who, with all those cars on the road. One more way they coulda got the drop on him out here.� Logan broke into a jog to speed their way to the site. Kurt caught up to him and dragged him to a stop by the wrist; before Logan could argue, he “bamfed� them there in an instant.

“Shit,� Logan coughed. “That stinks.�

“Beg pardon, mein freund,� Kurt offered. “Let’s not linger too long.�

“We won’t. Almost got all of what I need. I…� His voice drifted off.

He smelled her. All three of their scents, mingled with others, but he smelled her.

“Aw, man,� he croaked, staggering back. His head reeled at the low, lingering stench of blood. He felt Kurt’s strong, three-fingered grip hoisting him up before he shook it off.

“Breathe,� he admonished.

“I’m all right,� he answered roughly, shaking him off, but Logan still felt raw.

“There,� he said. “More tire tracks. Second car. Probably the guy pulling the trigger, or whoever might have been hired ta make sure the trap was sprung…and there.�

“What? Where?�

“The bodies were dragged.�

“That makes no sense. The hospital listed them as dead on arrival.�

“Naw. Most they would’ve had to go on was the registration of the car ta know it was Chuck’s, and word of mouth of when he left the station. One female, one male accompanying him. Three bodies. They said on the phone they found Ororo’s purse at the scene, too, and they ID’d her.�

“I don’t see how you can be so sure.�

“I can only go by what my gut’s tellin’ me, bub. And my nose.� He tapped it. “It don’t lie. Charley, ‘Ro and Cyke were here, out of the car, but they didn’t die.�

“But how?!�

“Ya got me,� he admitted. “Must’ve been an act of God.�


*

Ororo would have begged to differ, but she was in too much agony to argue.

Almost as if in slow motion, she watched horrified as the hood of the car warped and flew back toward the windshield at the same time that she heard smashing glass and twisting metal from the rear.

Forgive me, child. I never meant this for you. She heard the Professor’s desperate call in her mind in tandem with Scott’s ragged prayer for mercy.

She hadn’t time nor breath to scream.

Ororo’s eyes sparked with energy, turning a brilliant, icy white.

Air.

She could summon it and manipulate it, blowing or static. She felt it around her, being sucked away by the force of the shrapnel and now burning engine fuel. Heat licked at her, promising pain both unfathomable and likely to follow them into death itself.

Ororo!

Hear me, sister…

Take my hand!

The flames engulfed Ororo, but they didn’t burn her.

She glowed with eldritch, cosmic fire from head to toe. Air pressure built up within the car, keeping the shrapnel at bay and replenishing the oxygen the conflagration threatened to consume.

Ororo harnessed the air around her, gathering it in her fist. She felt Jean’s presence in her mind as though she were seated beside her in the passenger seat.

Let it go.

Once starved of oxygen, the flames erupted from the car in a rush. The resulting shockwave threw the car into a cluster of pines.

The strain was too much. All three occupants of the car blacked out.


*

Upstairs in the bedroom, Jean’s scream shook the ceiling.

SCOTT! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!

She couldn’t feel him. The chamber of her mind that he occupied was echoingly empty and ice cold.

Her pupils dilated before her irises began to glow with amber fire.

Live. Again.

The words were disembodied. She didn’t know where they came from.

She crumpled to the floor.


*

Ororo lost her tether. All she knew was pain.

Scott’s containment tank stood beside hers in the darkened chamber, which was bathed in an odd violet light. The chamber was nearly devoid of sound except for the low ticks of the pump that fed oxygen into the masks they each wore over their faces. Electrodes were implanted in their temples and the masks were equipped with tiny microphones.

They were stripped of their clothes, which were ruined by the crash and their rough transport from the roadside.

They floated suspended in the blood-warm liquid, occasionally spasming and causing ripples and bubbles. Narcotics discharged into their blood veins in half-hour increments, heightening their brain’s response to stimulus, specifically their pain receptors.

Scott’s face was a rictus of confusion and defiance; he rebelled at the constraints of the tank and of his own body obeying his signals. He saw nothing in the darkness surrounding them, and Scott cursed his eyes: His visor was gone.

He was powerless. He wanted to weep.

Stryker observed them from the other side of the glass. His smile was amused and satisfied as he raked his eyes over their bodies.

They were physically perfect, for abominations. Both of them were healthy and well-formed, with athletic physiques, their features flawless. Evil disguised itself with beauty; the woman was a Delilah, and she would die like Jezebel.

He liked them helpless. They would die like the ones Anne planted as decoys at the site of the crash, only he would make them more useful. They were still linked to Charles. While Charles was temporarily deprived of accessing his psychic pathways consciously, Stryker’s module sent signals to his cerebellum to maintain his link with his students.

They’re Satan’s spawn, Charles. You’ve succored evil.

William’s voice was a soft thrum as he spoke into the microphone. Charles heard it dimly as he slumbered. Nightmares clawed at him and pulled him under.

And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.

I rebuke thee, Charles.

Deep in the pit of his soul, Charles wept.


*

“Where are ye headed, lass?�

“Checking up on Jean. She’s destroyed, Sean.�

“Aye.� He watched her skip up the steps to the second level.

“Jean! C’mon down tae dinner, colleen. Jean?� He heard her low knock on the door. “Jean? Didn’t ye hear me? Come down, lass. Jean!� Her voice grew firmer and she jiggled the knob.

“Sean,� she hissed. He didn’t pause as he bolted up the stairs. His blood ran cold at Moira’s expression.

“Open it, open it NOW!�

“Easy, Moira…�

“Nay. Now!�

He tried to kick it down, but he felt something pushing against it.

“Her TK. She’s keeping us out,� he reasoned. Moira grew panicked.

“Try something else, then!�

“I’m open t’ideas!�

“Yer bluidy scream, then!� He was dumbfounded. He decided it was their best hope.

He clapped his palms over her ears and drew a sharp, deep breath through his diaphragm. His screech was more of a low roar, building in volume and pitch. The sound waves vibrated through them both, and Moira cried out as the floor shook beneath their feet. It was almost too much to bear.

His scream bent the air it traveled through, turning it into force. He cut the bedroom door in half, blasting back the force that held it shut. It hung splintered from the hinges, leaving the way clear into Jean and Scott’s suite.

Jean stared sightlessly up at the ceiling. Her body was sprawled like a rag doll’s.

“OCH! JEAN! Oh, my God, what’ve ye done t’yuirself!�

Moira had witnessed too many cases not to know when someone was catatonic. Jean was trapped within her mind.

*

“I’m so scared for her,� Kitty moaned into Piotr’s shirt again. “God, why her? Just tell me why. Why now?�

“Jean’s in good hands, Katya,� he promised, but Jean’s pallor and the apparatus monitoring her life signs chilled him.

They were down in the basement’s sub-level, ensconced in the med lab. Henry had been summoned and would arrive within the hour, compliments of the Quinjet Jarvis chartered for him. There were material benefits of being an Avenger.

They watched. They waited. Jean remained motionless and sightless, time ticked by, and they had run out of answers, not even know which questions to ask.

Piotr greeted Henry at the door grimly before showing him inside. By the time he reached the basement again, Kitty looked like she was at her breaking point.

“Let’s go.�

“Where?� she murmured dully.

“Out. Let’s get some fresh air.� Henry was already digging in his case of instruments and probes whose function he couldn’t guess. Piotr had seen enough.


*

“Let me know when you’re finished. Take your time.� Kurt braced himself while Logan stood stoic as ever in the cold confines of the morgue.

The attendant slid the platform out from the wall and unzipped the shroud. Logan asked to see Scott first.

The body was as tall as Slim, about six feet tall. Lean build. What was left of his hair was brown.

His body was marked with lacerations and bruises that were more mottled by the burns.

For all appearances, Logan was eerily calm. Kurt knew he was still working.

It wasn’t him. The scent was wrong. This man’s profile was slightly irregular, what he could see of it. Logan had seen Scott with his shirt off, a sight he professed burned his eyes, and noticed a café au lait spot on his abdomen, close to his belt line. This man’s abdomen was slightly flaccid but the skin was intact, not scarred as deeply as the rest of his body.

No birthmark.

Logan nodded for the attendant to return the body to its temporary home.

‘Ro was next.

Kurt grimaced and looked slightly ill. “Easy, Elf. Pull yerself together and put on yer big girl panties.� The attendant looked at him with distaste. His manner offended him; he had no tolerance for those who couldn’t respect the dead.

Logan’s breath caught as he undid the zipper. The shroud fell away and revealed a woman who was no doubt beautiful before her life was cut brutally short.

Tall and slender. Dark skinned. Long limbs and fingers. Her features were badly burned, but she had large eyes and a smooth, high brow.

She smelled wrong. All wrong. What he saw of her remaining hair was black. Strike two.

Beside him, Kurt fought for composure. His hands shook as he reached out to touch her hand and reverently stroke it. The image inducer masked him down to his eyelashes. He only saw a haunted young man with a slight build and dark good looks, mourning someone he held very dear.

She was covered carefully, almost lovingly.

Charles.

“Mein Gott,� Kurt breathed.

The body was hopelessly mangled, so much of the face burned away the exposed teeth formed a black, gruesome smile.

“Your friend must have been quite the athlete,� the attendant remarked.

“Ya think?�

“Look at those feet. Must’ve been an avid runner.� He reached down and flipped the toe tag away for a moment, pointing to a thick pad of calluses on the ball.

Strike three.

“Piotr…when did it happen?�

“Eh?�

“When did you first…y’know? Change? Go all shiny?�

“Oh. Hm.� He crunched the last of his sticky ice cream cone and licked his fingers. “I was around your age. Seems so long ago…�

Sure. Rub it in that you’re so much older than me, and so gorgeous. Fink. Why couldn’t I be nineteen??

“Were you scared? Did it hurt?�

“Yes. And no. It felt strange. I just tingled all over and felt hot, maybe even a bit dizzy. Then, every muscle in my body just tensed up; I felt myself ‘hardening.’ I can describe it.�

“Did your mom and dad mind?�

“Da. They don’t understand it. My gift had to be kept a secret. They would’ve been ostracized for having me as a son, and possibly hurt. And I couldn’t risk harm to my little snowflake.� Kitty stiffened.

Please tell me that isn’t a pet name for his girlfriend.

“Yeah. Heh. Guess not.� Kitty let the spoon slide around to the other side of the empty sundae glass.

“I couldn’t live with the thought of her being afraid of me. It hurts too much.�

“Awww. I’m not afraid of you, Piotr.�

“You’re thirteen. She’s six. It’s not quite the same.� Kitty brightened, even though she was confused.

“Six?�

“Illyana. My baby sister.� He untucked his billfold from his pocket and opened it, handing it across the table.

A remarkably pretty child with towhead blonde hair down her back and her brother’s dark blue eyes peered back at her, causing Kitty to grin.

“She’s sweet.�

“She watched Star Wars with me once and said I looked like C3-PO.�

“*snort.* She broke into giggles. Piotr indignantly snatched back his wallet and stuffed it in his pocket.

“Brat.� At least Kitty felt better.

“It just feels weird. Being a mutant… man, can I even say that out loud?�

“Perhaps not too loud,� Piotr agreed.

Several yards away, a sedately dressed woman focused on them intently while a cup of sorbet sat melting and forgotten in front of her. Her lips twitched at their words.

“It’s already too late, freak,� she murmured. She reached into her purse and unfolded her tiny cell phone. She autodialed the number and lifted it to her lips.

“Now,� she ordered calmly.

The sniper on the rooftop drew Piotr into his sights and fired.

Piotr felt the sharp, sudden prick between his shoulder blades before everything went horribly wrong.

“PIOTR!�


*


“Astonishing,� Henry murmured as he adjusted the leads below Jean’s collarbones.

“What?� Moira inquired. She’d changed into her work clothes and lab coat and joined him in the infirmary while Sean wisely occupied himself elsewhere in the house.

“Her EEG shows activity…it’s just not normal activity. Or not what you and I think of as normal.�

“Be blunt, Hank,� she snapped. Moira smoothed back a lock of Jean’s beautiful red hair from her brow.

“She’s not responding to stimulus, not any that we provide. No signals to her nervous system; we’re helping her breathe,� he pointed out. “But she’s in there. Our Jeannie’s in there.�

“Poor colleen. She has no reason tae come back to us, now, does she? Scott was her everything.�

“I know that,� he agreed sadly. “But as the other people in her life who love her, we need to find a way to bring her back. Give her new reasons. And if not that, then give her closure of some kind. She’ll need us more than ever once she’s awake.� He didn’t say “if.� Henry McCoy didn’t believe in if.

Moira continued to stroke her hair. “What on earth are ye doin’ in there, Jean?�

Deep within her psyche, Jean huddled in the dark. Brooding. Thinking.

Searching…


*

Kitty lost track of how long she’d been running. Her lungs and soles burned as she scuttled down the subway steps.

“She’s slick,� Anne remarked as their car skidded to a halt. “Out,� she barked to her associate, unlocking the passenger side with a sharp click. “Track her. Don’t’ be afraid to use force. Or to take her down.�

“She’s just a kid, for cripes’ sake!�

“She’s a mutie. And the best way to wipe out a pest is to catch them while they’re young and stomp them out, before they learn to fight back.� She held up a small remote. “This is your mousetrap. I have one built into the GPS here. Take this.�

“What is it?�

“That quack in the wheelchair called the one we bugged at the school Cerebro. Call this Cerebro Light. Just take it and go, already.�

Her skin felt clammy as Kitty phased through the turnstile and bolted down the corridor. The odors of the tunnel assailed her, making her wish she hadn’t eaten so eagerly.

“Why do they want me?� she moaned. “Oh, my God, Piotr! What’d they do to you?�

She’d wanted to stay with him. She’d shaken him by the shoulder, trying to wake him up. The patrons of the café stared and approached them in concern.

“Easy, sweetheart, what happened?� Their server had hovered earlier while he waited to give them their bill, but now he hovered over her protectively, kneeling by the prone man before her.

His eyes rolled open dully as he helped Kitty turn him. “Katya,� he whispered hoarsely.

“Please be all right! Oh, God, Piotr, you were shot!�

“He’s not bleeding…what the hell is this thing?� Their server reached out and tugged on the tiny object sticking out of his back. “Is this…some kind of arrow, or something?�

“Tired…� Piotr complained through dry lips.

“We’ve got to get you home!�

“Katya…no. YOU get home!�

“What!�

“Go. NOW! You can’t stay here!�

“I can’t leave you!�

“I’ll be all right. But I can barely move, and whoever did this…� his words were cut off by a spate of coughing.

“Who DID do this?� the server demanded, staring at them for answers.

“Never mind,� she snapped. “Look…here!� She dug into her purse and tossed a handful of dollar bills at him before she bolted.

“HEY!� The server cursed her departure and scowled down at the barely conscious man. Another dine and dash, he figured, but why was the big guy just laying around like that? He was about to ask him exactly that, but he’d passed out again.

Kitty ducked inside the third car of the train, which was so crowded with commuters that they didn’t notice when she phased through them. She fought to catch her breath as she sank into the seat.

She spied the map of the subway route on the wall and scanned it. “Shoot!� she muttered; her heart sank. She wasn’t on the correct train back to Westchester. She’d need to ride ten stops to catch the southbound, and even then there was a chance she’d be out in the open long enough for those people to find her.

“There she is. Move in.�

The man sitting beside her stared at her; she offered him a shaky smile.

“FREEZE, MUTIE!�

“What the hell?� her neighbor muttered. Cold shock washed over Kitty. The word “Freeze!� galvanized the other passengers into action, some ducking in their seats, and many making their way to the exits at the ends of the car. That left Kitty open and vulnerable.

“Please, what are you doing? Why are you following me? I didn’t do anything to you!�

“You live,� her pursuer shrugged. “That’s enough.� He cocked his pistol and aimed it straight at her heart.

She phased instinctively. The bullet passed harmlessly through her and punctured the wall of the car. The roar of the rails and the other passengers’ screams of panic filled Kitty’s ears and made her pulse throb.

There was only one way out.

She stayed phased and leapt through the wall.

“Bitch!� her assailant hissed. “She’s on the move. We’ve made contact. Target’s losing steam, won’t be long before termination, copy.� He jerked the cord for the buzzer and the train stopped moments later. Commuters poured out into the tunnel and the men slipped away in pursuit.

Kitty limped as quickly as her twisted ankle would allow and headed for the subway escalator. She tripped and stumbled her way up, thankful it would save her a few steps. Her side cramped from her uneven strides, but she couldn’t afford to stop.

She emerged onto the subway platform outside. The air was chilly enough to burn her lungs; night had already fallen and she worried about being out and alone so late.

“There she is!�

“Cripes! Leave me alone!� she cried. BLAM! She sobbed and ducked, forgetting in her haste to phase.

BLAM! Fire seemed to rip through her arm as the bullet nicked her. “AAHH!�

“We’ve almost got her.� She saw that there were three men chasing her, emerging through the stairwells and bearing down on her with their guns. They were dressed in flak jackets and hunter green uniforms with an insignia that she couldn’t read.

“Please don’t hurt me!� she cried.

“Save your breath, kiddo.�

“He’s right, child.� She looked overhead where the voice seemed to come from. The owner’s tones were calm and soothing. “There’s no point in trying to reason with the ignorant and misinformed.�

It was a man, old enough to be Kitty’s grandfather, dressed in a long coat in a garish shade of magenta. He wore a gleaming helmet that wrapped protectively around the sides of his face and shielded the back of his neck. He hovered in mid-air. His silver eyes shone with intelligence but made her blood run cold.

“Another mutie! GET HIM!�

“With those?� He extended his hand. “Don’t make me laugh.� He gestured toward their guns and made a tugging motion with his closed fist.

Their pistols were jerked from their grasp. “Holee!!�

“So now you choose to pray,� the new mutant sighed. Without a thought, he yanked the chain link fence out from its posts. Every one of the men chasing Kitty froze, limbs held immobile. Looks of terror twisted their faces at their sudden inability to control their bodies.

The stranger manipulated the fence, molding it like clay. Within minutes, the men were bound and tethered to the platform wall.

“I won’t ask why you were chasing this young lady. I know why, and I know who you are.�

“That makes one of us,� Kitty murmured. The man peered down at her and smiled.

“That’s enough from the peanut gallery, child.� He turned back to the man whose bullet had nicked her. “You like shooting at children?�

“She’s no child, and you’re no man! You’re spawned from Hell!� He spat at him.

“No. I’ve been through hell and back. Let me assure you it hasn’t improved my demeanor. I don’t take it lightly when someone threatens a fellow mutant.� He tightened their bonds, and they writhed in panic. “Tell me where to find your employer. Now.�

“We’ll die first! We’d die for the cause!�

“If you insist.�

“No! Wait!� Kitty tugged on his sleeve. “Please, don’t. You can’t.�

“I can, child, and I’d be well within my rights. And tell me, why be so quick to defend the same men who just tried to kill you?�

“Because…I’m tired of watching people get hurt and die.� Her face implored him. “Please?� The stranger tutted, then sighed.

“Lucky for you gentlemen I’m a soft touch.�

That didn’t mean he didn’t have a sense of humor. He shifted them, dangling them upside down in metal cocoons, mouths gagged.

“Don’t mean to leave you hanging, but my young companion and I have business elsewhere. Godspeed.�

*


“Any progress, Henry?�

“I’m afraid not.� He crossed the lab and seated himself at the control panel. His furred paws began moving at the keyboard faster than Moira would have given him credit for.

“What are you doing?�

“Consulting the med files on Jean. The Professor kept meticulous notes.� He toggled through each frame of data and reviewed the 3-D holographic display of her body for abnormalities. “Odd.�

“What?�

“The system’s running slowly…� The screen brought up a prompt:

[System resources running at 99.5%. Would you like to close down programs running in the background?]

“Background program? That’s ridiculous,� Henry insisted. Moira frowned as he backed out of the database and began searching the hard drive. He typed in vague search terms and growled in his throat at the results.

“Could it be a bug?�

“A virus? Perhaps.�

The screen beeped ominously and flashed another prompt.

[External hardware failure. Check connection and try again.]

“That doesn’t sound right,� Moira insisted.

“Time to peek under the hood.� Henry was already up, moving the console out from the wall. “Toolbox, please.� She handed it to him and watched him open up the cover protecting the circuits. Henry hummed to himself as he worked. Moira sighed and poured herself another cup of coffee. It was her third.

“Everything looks…oh.� He fumbled with a tiny plug that resembled a jump drive. “Why is this here? Charles never said he used a backup drive before.�

“He doesn’t,� Moira argued.

“Then what’s this?� The object blinked at him, its tiny blue light flickering when Henry pressed a small button that ejected it.

“That’s not a drive,� Moira told him as he handed it out to her. Henry stood and dusted himself off.

“How can you be sure?�

“It looks wrong. That light.� Both doctors examined it carefully atop a light table. “And look.� She probed it with a pair of pincers.

Behind them, the screen flashed again. The console made an odd whirring sound.

“What on earth…?�

[Transmission Interrupted. Data transfer connection terminated.]

“Transfer?� Moira cried. Henry felt himself pale beneath his fur.

“Oh, my stars and garters. We’ve been breached.�

Just then the phone trilled across the room.

“Med lab?� Moira barked into the handset. Her fingers were shaking.

“It’s Logan and Kurt.�

“Where the devil have ye been, lad!�

“Finding answers.�

“Well, we need ye both here, I’ve answers enough here at the house! Someone’s had us under surveillance! Cerebro’s been bugged!�

“Shit,� he muttered. “But I’ve gotta hand it to ya, darlin’, mine’s better than yours.�

“Explain yuirself!�

“Charley, ‘Ro and Scooter are alive.�


*

“This is nuts. You can’t just walk around in that…what are you wearing, anyway?�

“A uniform, my dear, like any other soldier fighting for a cause.�

“So who’s side are you on?�

“Mutantkind’s.�

“Are you one of the good guys?� They were hidden in an alley where he’d dimmed the lights.

“I’ll let you decide. You seem like a bright girl. What’s your name?�

“Kit…I mean, Kate. Kate Pryde.�

“Nice to meet you, Kate Pryde. My name’s Erik. Erik Lensherr.�

“So, you’re a mutant, and you wear a uniform when you fight.�

“Yes?�

“Don’t you have a codename of some sort? I mean, the only mutants I’ve ever met wearing uniforms, not like yours, but still, you get the idea…they all have codenames.�

“Give Kate a gold star. My powers speak for themselves, but I also answer to Magneto.�

Panic gripped Kitty and her intake of breath was sharp. Her words were dumbstruck.

“I’ve seen you on the news.�

“And?�

“You’re a bad guy.�

“It depends on how you look at it.�

“You sank a sub.�

“Point taken. Here. Sit.�

Kitty’s stomach was nauseous with fear but she did as she was told. She was tired, weak, and he hadn’t made any gestures of violence toward her. Yet.

“Let’s tie that arm up, shall we?� He reached for a garbage can lid. With a loud snap, he broke off the handle. Slowly he shaped it, flattening it and re-weaving its fibers into a paper-thin mesh. “This will function as a bandage until you return to your family.�

“They’re in Deerfield,� she admitted. “I’m here in New York for school. A special school for the gifted.�

“I can imagine.� She seemed precocious for her years, something he acknowledged easily enough.

But she was a mutant.

“What brings you into the city by yourself at this time of night?�

“We were attacked…oh, my gosh, PIOTR!�

“Who?�

“He’s my friend, I had to leave him behind! They knocked him out, or worse! They shot him with something and he told me to get away.� Her brown eyes filled with tears. “He was just trying to make me feel better after my teacher got killed.� She was surprised when he reached for her upper arm and held her immobile.

“Who’s your teacher?�

“You’re hurting me!�

“Who, Kate?�

“He’s a professor. Professor Xavier. He has this school in Westchester…� her voice trailed off as he closed his eyes, jaws working as he digested her words. He released her and gave her a gentle pat.

“Kate, if something has indeed happened to your teacher, it matters a great deal to me.�

“It was all over the news. They’re car crashed. My friend Ororo and her friend, Scott, were in the wreck. They called us from the hospital to tell us what happened and to let us know they had the bodies in the morgue!�

“They may indeed have believed they have the bodies of your teacher and friends in their possession, Kate, but someone may have wanted you to believe that, and took the extra steps necessary to complete their ruse.� Despite his words, Kitty noticed his faraway look and wondered what he planned to do next. She wanted to take comfort in his theory, but she wasn’t convinced.


*

“There he is. Five miles north. My readings on Piotr are weak.�

“Good enough. Thanks, furball.�

“You’re welcome,� Henry grumbled, too distracted to take umbrage.

“What about the young colleen?� Moira reminded them both. Logan’s voice was staticky on the other end of the comm. link.

“I’m the best at what I do. Trackin’ people down is one of those things, darlin’. I’ll find the kid and bring her back, safe and sound.� Somehow, Moira knew the child was in good hands. Sean’s soft, reassuring grip on her shoulder told her that she was, too.

“We’ve got three of the team out in the field. That’s a start,� Henry sighed. “I hated to take Cerebro offline, but at least now I have an idea of whose keeping us under surveillance.�

“Ye’ve tracked the signal?� Sean inquired.

“Uh-huh. Downtown. Here’s the irony.�

“What’s that, boyo?�

“It’s in the same vicinity of the television station. One-mile radius.� Henry opened another screen and brought up a topographical map of the city blocks. “There was a church rebuilt from an old movie theater.�

“Might be helpful if we knew who owned it. But that’s where the signal’s coming from?�

“Yes. What we need to know now is how much information do they have? How many mutants in our databanks have they targeted in the meantime?� Sean paled.

“Can’t we check the location’s address and cross-reference it with businesses in the area?� Moira was impatient as she checked on Jean again. Her charge was still unconscious, but slightly agitated, fingers twitching and features twisted in discomfort.

“Let your fingers do the walking,� Henry agreed as his flew over the keys. “And…bingo.�

“Who is it?� Sean leaned in and scanned the screen. His face went blank as Henry read the words they saw aloud.

“The fellowship there calls itself the Friends of Humanity. Owned and operated by a Reverend William Stryker.�

*

“They’re here. How’d you know they’d show up?�

“A little birdie told me,� Anne quipped. She sighed and lit a cigarette, not caring that her partner hated the smell. It was her car.

She was in full uniform instead of her street clothes, proudly sporting the white Friends of Humanity insignia on her snug leather jacket. Her black jumpsuit was woven out of a thin, comfortable blend of Nomex and Kevlar. They watched the progress of the three mutants as they parked their Rolls-Royce across the street, two blocks down. Anne’s surveillance cam zeroed in on the Wolverine.

“That’s the one we need to watch out for. He’s older than the rest of them and more experienced.�

“Doesn’t look that impressive. Ain’t much to him.�

“There’s a lot more to him than meets the eye. Do your homework, read his file, genius.�

“Is he a telepath like the old dude?� Anne frowned.

“No. Why?�

“Why’s he coming for us right now, looking loaded for bear?�

She saw their approach too late. Logan was headed in their direction with a determined look on his face. Through the lens of her camera, she saw his eyes. Feral. Focused.

Angry. He wasn’t looking directly into her face, but he might as well have been.

“Things just got interesting,� she murmured. “Go.� Her partner frowned.

“What?�

“GO!� She punched the locks on the car and reached over, shoving him out the door.

They had to keep these X-Men busy. The Reverend was counting on her.


*

The voice was speaking to Charles again, whispering in his ear. It was soft and soothing, comforting to him in the darkness.

Images assaulted his mind. Failures. Pain.

Failed us. Betrayed us. You, Professor…

No. I meant well, I wanted the best for you. For all of you. Please understand. I never meant to hurt any of you, you’re like my children!

Wasn’t enough. You sent us down the wrong path. Because you’re evil, Charles. Look what evil you have wrought…

Please, don’t leave me alone! Don’t go, I’m begging you. Everyone leaves me!

The end will be here for you soon…

Voices mocked him, eerily familiar and in chorus. There were two conscious presences in his mind with him, male and female. Mocking him.

Hurting him.

The soothing voice intervened.

Are you ready to be saved, Charles?

Light penetrated the darkness, and it took the shape of a man, beckoning to him.

Please. Don’t let them take me. It hurts!

They can’t hurt you if you denounce them. They’re sinful and will only bring you to ruin. Do you repent, Charles? Do you admit you are a sinner?

Yes.

Will you follow the righteous, narrow path to redemption?

Yes. Charles felt the images weakening in his mind and some of the pain dissolved, but there was still a clamor of thought around him, trying to hold onto him…the psychic presence was strangling him. The darkness didn’t want to let him go.

“It’s working, Phillip.�

“I told you it would, Reverend.�

“I doubt anything until I see evidence of its worth. You’ve done well, I’m impressed.�

“He feels the pain those two are projecting. He blames them for it, even though we’re the ones providing the stimulus. Your hypnotic suggestion is doing the rest.�

“Psychic feedback,� William chuckled. “Brilliant.�

“I think the experiment was a success.�

William crossed the room and picked up the phone on his desk. “Betsy? Contact the Senator and let him know that the conference tonight is set for seven o’clock.�

He’d booked the church to the rafters. He had more parishioners arriving than Billy Graham’s crusade. His word would be spread far and wide. God’s word.

Humanity was his gift to humans, not mutants. And tonight, the strongest mind of their kind would lead them like goats into the furnace.

Ororo and Scott were succumbing to the darkness around them. Loss was overwhelming Ororo.

Kitten would be devastated if she knew what had happened to them; the child must be frantic. Panic gripped her when she realized that she was vulnerable now. Miles away from her parents, and out of the Professor’s capable supervision.

They’d go after her next…

KITTY!

William looked amused as he heard the lone name choked into the tiny mic in the tank.

“Feisty little thing,aren’t you? Don’t worry, sugar pie, we’ll take good care of the brat. Anne’s been babysitting her for me. It’s almost nap time for her.� He wasn’t bothered in the least by Anne’s recent report that they’d lost the girl but were still in pursuit, and still keeping watch over the other students at the school.

Ororo projected her anguish into the darkness. On the Reverend’s cue, Phillip increased the dose of narcotics and amplified the sonar signal sending their deafening assault on Ororo and Scott’s nervous systems.

Scott cried out into the tank’s mic, muffled by the fluids.

JEAN!

*


She heard him.

And the presence in her soul heard him, screeching a lonely, keening cry of warning.

The host vessel that harbored her was weak and recovering; she would have to do this alone. The life of the man they both loved was at stake.

*

“We had those assholes on the run.� Matt sat rapt as Logan puffed on his Marlboro. He poured his elderly charge a glass of iced water from the plastic pitcher. Logan took it gratefully and took a few short swallows, wetting his whistle.

“How did you find them?�

“Good question. That church looked like about ten buildings within ten city blocks except for the sign. They actually kept the original movie marquee out on the street. But the kicker was the storm that kicked up outta nowhere. Ya ever seen a hurricane or a tornado, kid?�

“Only on TV.�

“The eye of the storm was directly above the friggin’ building, lookin’ like it was gonna swallow the whole place up. Ya’ve never seen that many people about ta piss their pants.� Almost on cue, Nurse Kinney fetched him away to change a bed. Matt moved as quickly as he could, asked the resident if they needed anything else, and returned to Mr. Howlett before he could contemplate a nap. He was sleeping for longer periods, these days.

“What happened? With the storm?�

“Ororo was givin’ us a sign. A trail of bread crumbs. That’s my ‘Ro.� His smile turned soft.


*

Denounce evil and be saved. The light enveloped Charles, its voice booming and filling his soul with joy.

Yes. I will.

Psychic energy emitted from the tank, feeding itself into the ones in the chamber. Phillip saw the change in readings and turned off the narcotic feed and the collar dampening Charles’ powers.

The effect was immediate. Ororo and Scott’s bodies writhed and jerked, splashing in the tanks. Looks of horror suffused their features. William turned up the intercom in the chamber and let their screams fill the air, finally given full voice.

“Music to my ears.� It was their death song. Phillip looked grim. He was the only member of the Reverend’s fellowship who had the stomach needed for this job, but it still had its drawbacks.

“Our guest needs a fresh change of clothes. Let’s make him comfortable. And presentable.�

“How about the other two?�

“Tell housekeeping to take out the trash. Get rid of the bodies. Be creative.� The other three muties they’d disposed of made excellent decoys for the crash. William liked to be resourceful; waste not, want not.

It felt good to cut something.

Logan was beyond reasoning. Piotr and Kurt refused to believe it, but they should have saved their breath.

“Either help me or get outta the fuckin’ way,� he warned them. Piotr sighed.

He brought down his shining steel fist and crushed the hood of the car speeding down upon them. Kurt bamfed free of the rain of shattered glass and metal shrapnel.

“Fine,� Logan told him. “Least ya know we’re on the same page.�

The operatives were throwing their all at the lone members of team but were still being used to mop the floor.

Kurt teleported from one man to another, snatching away their weapons and leaving them defenseless for Logan and Piotr to take care of. He left one of them suspended from a railing, dangling by his gun belt three stories up.

“My way’s better,� Logan grumbled, but he was impressed.

“Nein. This way, we’ll get more information, mein freund.� He bamfed back to his prisoner and clung to the adjoining face of the building, taunting him. Below, Piotr and Logan continued to make short work of the operatives.

Logan held one of them pinned to the ruined trunk of the car. “Tell me who sent ya after us, asshole!�

“I already know who,� announced a smooth voice behind him. Logan’s claws anchored the man against the trunk, puncturing the shoulders of his jacket and keeping his shoulders hunched up around his ears. He looked about ready to lose bladder control as Logan stared him down, canines showing and a wicked gleam in his eye. He barely spared a look over his shoulder, not wanting the distraction.

“WOLVERINE! Aw, man, am I glad to see you!�

“KATYA!� Piotr bellowed. The man dangling by the collar from Piotr’s large fist promptly crashed to the ground. Before he could run away, Kurt bamfed after him, materialized before him and knocked him out cold.

Kitty ran for Piotr and threw herself at him; he caught her as gently as his steel form would allow. She whimpered into his shirt.

“I was so scared.�

“You were very brave, Katya.�

“Don’t leave me again, okay?�

“I promise.�

“I presume this child belongs to you, then?� her guardian purred. Kurt and Piotr watched enthralled as he floated gracefully to the ground.

“Who the fuck are you?� Logan growled.

“A mutant, like you. A soldier as well, for mutant rights.�

“A terrorist,� Kurt corrected him. “You’re Magneto.� The older man smiled and saluted him.

“You sound like a fellow countryman.� His accent was similar to Kurt’s.

“Austria.�

“I lost family in Austria. Due to my being a mutant.�

“So have I.�

“Then we no doubt have many things in common.�

“Nein,� he shrugged. “I don’t believe we do.� His haunting yellow eyes followed Erik’s movements carefully, even warily as he removed his unusual helmet and tucked it under his arm.

“Guys…this is Magneto. You can call him Erik. He helped me.� Kitty’s introduction was cautious, even meek. Logan’s hackles went up.

“I’m going to help you find your teacher. Charles is my colleague.�

“What if we don’t want yer help, bub? If yer who ya say ya are, who says we can trust you?�

“Who said the X-Men could trust you, Wolverine?� Logan’s dark eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Yer not supposed ta know my name.�

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. You’d be surprised to know the lengths to which the right people with the right connections will go to know more about you and your gifts, my friend. And your past.�

“What the fuck are ya goin’ on about, bub!�

“That’s a tale for another day. I want to find Charles.�

“He isn’t the only one missing that we’re worried about.� Peter reverted to his human form and kept Kitty tucked safely against his chest. She was shivering, and it worried him. Logan had filled him in on his findings from the morgue and the crash site.

“Then we can’t dawdle. Come.�

Before they could move, a sharp, freezing wind picked up, howling through the streets. The sky darkened and brought clouds rolling across it in a thick shroud, blocking out all the light.

“That doesn’t look good,� Kurt muttered. Erik stood rooted to the spot, impressed.

“This isn’t natural,� he remarked.

“Sure ain’t. It’s Storm.� He felt it in his bones. It felt like her. The change in weather sent his senses on high alert and made his hair stand on end. He felt the sudden drop in temperature and unease cloaking him the way it did when lightning was pending over the horizon.

She didn’t disappoint him. An enormous black funnel opened above the church several blocks away, right where Henry told them they’d find it. Long, jagged streaks of silvery lightning illuminated the dark clouds. The resounding thunder rocked the ground beneath their feet. Hope rocked him, strengthening him.

“Then let’s not keep her waiting,� Erik suggested.

All Logan knew was that she was in deep trouble. That knowledge nipped at his heels as they sped toward the church. Erik took matters into his own hands and engulfed them in a magnetic field, hauling them into the sky. If the X-Men were disconcerted, they didn’t show it.

Anne slipped away unnoticed. She fished the tiny mobile from her jacket pocket, but as she dialed the Reverend’s private number, her fingers shook.

“They’re right on our doorstep.�

“I won’t tolerate failures from my flock. You know that.�

“I haven’t failed you yet, Reverend. I swear it.�

“Then why are you wasting time contacting me now?�

“Reverend…you don’t understand. The X-Men aren’t acting alone. Magneto has joined them.�

On the other end of the line, William paled. His fingers tightened around the handset and he broke out in a rash of cold sweat.

“Reverend?� She grew unsettled at his prolonged silence.

“You know what’s at stake.�

“Yes!�

“Take him down. I don’t care how.�

“Reverend-“

“We can lose everything we’ve worked for.�

“I’ve followed you,� she reminded him coldly. “I gave up my life, my family, to follow you and spread your word, because it was righteous. Please don’t doubt me, William.�

“Don’t give me cause. Magneto, and Magneto alone, can tip the balance and ruin everything.�

“He’s a mutant, we’ve killed mutants!� she argued as she huddled in the alley.

“He’s their self-appointed Messiah. An Anti-Christ, more accurately, but they know of him, and they will follow him in great numbers unless we strike tonight. Like Xavier, he’s powerful, and he knows the workings of Cerebro.�

“How can he?�

“He helped Charles build it.� Anne was speechless.

“He’s not a psi. He can’t operate it?�

“No. But he can stop it. Or worse, sweet pea, he can get through to Charles himself. I can’t allow that.�

“They don’t know what’s happening at the rally.�

“Then it’s up to you to make sure they never find out.�

Lights. Cameras. And the Word.

Reverend William Stryker was a soldier in a past life, and a showman in this one.

The church was flooded with members and guests, all of them awed by the spectacle before them. Enormous digital screens surrounded the main stage, magnifying the camera’s feed to larger than life. Flood lights, lasers and strobe flashed and illuminated the gathering while popular Christian music filled the air from myriad speakers set into the columns.

In a nearby opera box, Senator Kelly looked on in amusement.

“I haven’t seen special effects like these since my wife and I took in the Phantom at the Met,� he murmured. His aide smiled and nodded.

“I’ve heard the Reverend gets wordy.�

“He’s pretty devout. Great speaker, but it’s his motives that worry me.�

“He has a pretty big demographic following him, Senator. Read last week’s issue of Time. His approval ratings just shot up eight points.�

“People are afraid of mutants.�

“That goes without saying, sir.�

“More accurately, they’re afraid of what they can do.�

“Aren’t you?�

“No. I’m afraid of what they could do if they were provoked. And who’s to say something like this won’t provoke them?�

“It’s an organized gathering at a church, what’s the harm in that? It’s not like these people are outside, picketing in the streets! No sandwich boards, no pitchforks. It’s practically a picnic!�

“You mean a rock concert,� he shot back, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Earplugs?�

“Here you go, sir.� He pressed a pair of small green foam buds into his palm and smiled.


*

The maintenance workers marked their latest chore up to one more detail that Human Resources never filled them in on during orientation.

“Union contract doesn’t say anything about handling a corpse,� one of them muttered.

“Least they aren’t old. Heard they stink ta high heaven once they get ripe.�

“Whoo. Nasty.� He made a sour face as he peered under the shroud covering the gurney. “Shame, though.�

“What?�

“Have ya seen this one? Mutie or not, she’s damned fine. What a waste of a body.�

“Can’t mark it up to good genes.�

“Who can’t?�

“She’s a mutie freak! The Reverend’s right, they don’t deserve to live.�

“So what you’re telling me is that if you saw a woman who looked like this, and you didn’t know she was a mutie, you wouldn’t buy her a drink and take her home?� He smirked and licked his lips as he gazed down at the cold, still face peeking through the zippered fold of the shroud. “Don’t want to try any mutie booty?�

“Man, you’re sick.�

“C’mon!�

“You’re not right in the head. Don’t make me use the company’s one-whiff policy to make ‘em can you.�

“Take the stick out of your ass. C’mon. You know you’ve thought about it.�

“Uh-uh.�

“Pussy.�

“Up yours. Let’s go. Rollin’ these two around is giving me the heebie-jeebies.� They stood and waited for the center elevator, which would take them down to the sub-basement.

The doors dinged and slid open smoothly, letting Anne out to nearly collide with them. She was out of breath and bleeding from a gash in her cheek. Her hair was wild and she was out of breath.

“What’s that?� she cried, eyeing the wide pallet gurney.

“Muties. Dead ones. We’ve gotta get rid of ‘em.�

“Go, Quick. Don’t stop for anyone, and if anyone asks you to, use this.� She slapped a sidearm into the taller one’s palm. He was so startled he nearly dropped it.

“I ain’t licensed t’pack heat!�

“Consider this your license: More muties are on their way inside and they’re gunning for the Reverend. If they make it into the auditorium, it’s our collective ass. You get me?�

“Y-yeah, sweetheart, I get it.�

“Good.� She peered down at the gurney again. “Where are you going with these?�

“Basement. Incinerator.�

“That’s extreme,� she said, but her voice was approving and thoughtful. She opened the shroud further and peered into Scott’s face. His face was handsome without the freakish red glasses he’d worn when they processed him. “But whatever you do, hurry it up. We don’t want the press getting wind of this and tracing it back to us. No one sees you go downstairs, understand?�

“Downstairs where?� one of the men mocked. “We don’t have a downstairs.� They shared a measured look.

“Good boy.� She left them and ran toward the stairwells to check the security exits. They couldn’t be compromised. She stopped at a phone by the door and punched in the code for backup.

“I need you up on thirty-fifth. Copy?�

They could manage the X-Men, even if it was just to divert them. They had to keep them away from Xavier.


*

In William’s dressing room, his stylist put the finishing touches on his suit and makeup, smoothing the lapels.

“Very dapper. You look nice.�

“You’re making me blush.�

“Careful with the lights over the podium; don’t let your tech make them too yellow. It doesn’t work for your coloring, sir.�

“I’ll keep that in mind. Make sure to seat yourself up front!� He smiled and patted her fondly before she packed up her case to leave.

“I’ll be back later, Reverend.�

“Phillip? You’re leaving?�

The doctor sighed and stretched, working a kink out of his neck. “I’m bushed. I need some fresh air and the light of day. I’ve been working around the clock.�

“Of course you have! Go ahead, then, rest up, have a nice dinner! You’ve earned it, Phil.�

“Likewise. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t miss the festivities.�

He took his leave, accompanied by two guards. He never went anywhere without them since beginning his assignment, and he didn’t regret it.

He climbed into the back of a silver limousine in the parking garage, glad it was one of the few cars that William had in his fleet that didn’t bear the FOH insignia, tags or plates. It helped to keep a low profile.

“Home, please,� he nodded to his driver.

An unfamiliar pair of golden eyes peered back at him from the rearview mirror.

“Not yet, herr doctor,� he crooned.

“You’re not Smith!� he cried as he backed as far into the rear seat as he could, trying to scramble back out the door. “Get back…GUARD!� The two staffers who’d escorted him were already heading back through the gate before they heard his voice. They looked panicked and drew their guns from their holsters.

They could have sworn they saw a dark form in the front seat…flicking a tail back and forth?

“FREEZE, MUTIE!�

“Stay back…I’m warning you…I know how to deal with your kind!�

“Jerk,� Kitty hissed as she rose up ghostlike through the upholstery. His heart nearly stopped at the sight of her young face scowling up at him. “No one wants to listen to you.�

“What? MMMMPPHH!� She clapped her hand over his mouth and concentrated as hard as she could.

She phased him through the car. Her entire body tingled with the effort and she fell limp, dropping him against the pavement. “OH!� Then, “OW!�

“Get away from me, freak! Go! Tell the Reverend! Shoot them!�

“I think not.� Kurt ‘ported ahead of him and stopped him in his tracks. His fanged smile gleamed in the darkness of the garage. “That’s no way to talk to a child.�

“M’not a child,� Kitty complained faintly.

“That’s no child, and you’re both freaks! You’re filth!�

“So quick to judge,� Kurt tsked. He grabbed him with one thick-fingered hand and hauled Kitty to her feet with the other. “Hold on. This won’t be pleasant. At least not for you.�

BAMF!

The guards choked and sputtered on the thick cloud of noxious brimstone. The doctor was gone.


He’d told William he’d wanted fresh air.

This wasn’t how…

“AAAGGGHHHH!�

“Enjoying the view?� Logan called over the howling wind. It sang through his blood. It felt like ‘Ro, but he was restless. He needed to find her, come hell or high water.

He was about to visit some of the former on this guy’s ass.

“Please…you can’t do this!�

“Yer the one danglin’,� Logan shrugged. “Unless ya don’t believe the big guy’s strong enough ta hold onto ya. Guy doesn’t have a lot of faith in ya, Petey.� Piotr sighed and shook his head. He found this method questionable, not enjoying their dizzying vantage point from forty stories up, but remembering how they’d treated Kitty strengthened his resolve.

“You won’t get anything out of me, mutie!�

“Why? Who said we wanted anything outta ya, anyway? Ya got somethin’ ta hide?�

“No. No, I’m not telling you a bloody thing!�

“Bloody’s the key word, bub.� SNIKT… Gleaming, razor-sharp talons extended themselves inch by inch, held too close to his face for Phillip’s comfort.

“Where have you taken the Professor and our friends?� Kurt demanded.

“They’re dead! You’ll be too, soon! It doesn’t matter what you try to do to me!�

“Ya think?�

“You’re an X-Man, you people don’t kill.�

“Guess I missed the memo,� Logan muttered. “Ain’t always been an X-Man, so the rest of ‘em can’t really vouch for me. I’ve been killin’ since you were a twinkle in yer daddy’s eye, pal. Maybe before that.�

“Logan, quit it,� Kurt complained. Philip was unnerved by the fanged, blue-furred demon’s appearance as it was, and the precarious angle at which he perched from the ledge – dangling upside down to meet his eyes. Blood flow made Philip’s head feel like it was going to explode. The view of the ground, the people and cars resembling ants, made him nauseous. The wind snatched away his screams. If the people below thought it was odd to see what looked like a man dangling from the roof, then they were obviously tourists.

This was New York.

“We know yer workin’ fer Stryker. And we know ya have our professor in this place somewhere, don’t ya?�

“You’ll give him a heart attack before we get any answers out of him,� Erik muttered. “They didn’t teach you anything about subtlety in the program, Wolverine?� Logan turned toward the sound of the voice and moved back from the ledge.

An elderly man with hard silver eyes replaced him in Philip’s line of vision. “Hello, doctor.�

“W-who…?�

“We’re going to be the best of friends. Take a load off your feet.� Without asking Piotr’s permission, Erik manipulated his steely grip, forcing him to release his captive.

“BOSZHE MOI!� His heart jerked in his chest as he saw the man being pulled from his grip.

He hovered in mid-air, tears streaming down his face and screaming prayers.

“Maybe you can tell us more about this rally the Reverend’s hosting today…�



Twenty minutes later, Philip was bundled into a locked room, bound and gagged, grateful to be unconscious.

“Yer a little too good at interrogatin’ fer comfort, bub.�

“I learned from the best, from the wrong end, my friend.� They hurried down the east corridor, following Logan in hot pursuit. “Where are we going?�

“Followin’ my nose.�

“I don’t have time for games; the doctor said Charles is being kept in a lab…�

“I ain’t lookin’ for a lab. I’m lookin’ for Charley, and for two of our team that went missin’ along with him.�

Erik watched him in wonder as he scouted the building, suite after suite. “You sense them?�

“Yup. Smell ‘em.� He jerked to a stop as he caught a vestige of Ororo and Scott’s scents, faint but there. “That way.�

“This is weird. I hate this place, it gives me the creeps.�

“We’ll take care of you, Katschen.�

“Thanks,� she muttered back. Kurt also gave her the creeps, but she didn’t say as much.

Logan’s adrenaline rang in his his ears and quickened his pace as her scent grew stronger. “They went into the elevator!�

“They could be anywhere,� Kitty complained.

The button display was old-fashioned, each one lighting up when the car landed on each floor.

The center car was headed downstairs without stopping. 10. 9. 8. 7…

“We’ve gotta head ‘em off!�

CRRUNNK! Piotr didn’t hesitate, punching through the door and peeling both of them apart like tin foil.

“Yer the man,� Logan told him.

“Should I ‘port into the car?� Kurt suggested.

“That won’t be necessary,� Erik told him.

He gestured, and they watched as the car began to ascend the shaft, squealing as it rode the cable.

Its occupants were confused and stunned, sickened by the change in direction.

“I don’t like this!�

“Aw, man, I’m gonna be sick…�

The gurney slipped from their grasp and banged into the wall. The ride back up was jerky and stiff, faster than the pace they’d traveled down.

The elevator stopped, making slight creaking sounds on the groaning cable.

“Damn…what happened?�

CRUNCH!

“Holy SHIT!� BAMF! SNIKT!

They were hastily yanked from the ruined car. Each of them felt a low thud before blacking out.

“Outta the way…� Logan warned them, shoving his way inside.

There they were. There were their scents, clear and thick, mingled with the stench of chemicals that made his nostrils burn.

He tugged at the shroud, impatient with the zippers holding it shut. With a lone claw, he tore through the heavy, insulated canvas. It felt away from its burden.

“Oh, no, no!� Kitty wailed, covering her mouth with her fists. Tears streaked down her cheeks as Piotr held her back.

“Gott in himmel,� Kurt prayed, clutching his crucifix and swallowing around a lump. They’d come so far…he’s placed so much faith in finding them…fate wouldn’t be so cruel.

Logan rocked back on his heels, knees suddenly weak. “Darlin’? C’mon, darlin’, open up yer pretty eyes and tell me yer all right! ‘Ro? ‘Ro!� He reached for her bare shoulder and shook it. His palm gently cupped her cheeks and scraped back her fall of lank hair. “Don’t just play possum, woman, open yer eyes! Damn it, OPEN YER EYES!� He reached out and shook Scott roughly. “You heard me, Scooter, tell her ta wake up, damn it! I know yer not dead! Ya can’t fuckin’ be dead, do ya hear me?�

His growl of denial was guttural and chilling, graduating to a roar that echoed off the walls of the elevator. He banged his fist against the useless button pad, sending off sparks from the panel.

“She’s gone,� Piotr whispered.

“I don’t believe you,� Kitty sobbed. “You all told me she’d be okay, and that we’d find her. You promised.�

“Katya, I’m sorry!� Piotr soothed. She was inconsolable. He felt helpless, devastated.

Logan collapsed. His legs wouldn’t hold him, and his senses wouldn’t stop lying to him. “I came for ya, darlin’, like I said I would. Came for you…� Her hand fell limply over the edge of the gurney and he clasped it, stroking it with his thumb.

“Logan…� Kurt hated himself for interrupting Logan’s grief, even for having to suspend his own. “Come. We must leave now. We can take them home…�

“Leave me be!�

“Move aside,� Erik ordered grimly, pushing past the others and flanking Logan’s back in the elevator.

Erik closed his eyes and focused on his surroundings, communing with it.

He saw everything in wavelengths of electromagnetic energy, not unlike Ororo’s perception of the earth’s water and air currents. He studied the matrices of energy in the elevator, examining its structure and metals.

“What’s he doing?� Kitty inquired.

“Shhhh.� Kurt motioned for them to be silent. He stiffened when Erik approached the gurney and lifted Scott’s hand.

His free one made a pass over his body, barely stirring the air. He felt his fur stand on end suddenly, as a current seemed to pass through them, rippling around them. Logan was torn from his stupor.

“What the fuck are ya doin’?�

“Things aren’t what they seem…�

“Have some respect for the dea…� Logan raised his hand, ready to extend his claws, but Erik was faster. He flew back against the wall, pinned immobile.

“Patience. I need room to work.�

The air thrummed with the current, pulsing and penetrating their cells.

Logan grunted and roared with the struggle to get free. “Sonofabitch!’

“Quiet!� Erik warned him. His face showed the strain of his own effort, but he forged on.

Someone was guiding him. A benign presence moved through him, channeling directing his power.

He released the energy as a single charge to their hearts, resuscitating them.

Ororo and Scott’s eyes snapped open and they choked and gasped for air. Logan ceased his struggles. At that instant, Erik released him.

Erik wasted no time; he removed his long coat and draped it over them and fumbled with the torn shroud.

“W-where…?� Scott stammered. His teeth chattered, but his skin was regaining color.

“We’ll tell ya on the way outta here,� Logan insisted. “Ya look like hell, Cyke.� The thought occurred to him that Scott’s glasses were missing. His dark eyes were drifting back into focus. A strange glow formed around his irises as his strength began to return.

“Charles…�

“It’s okay, darlin’, we’re gonna find him!�

“They’re hurting him!� Her voice was hoarse and frantic. Ororo’s hands shook as she reached for him. He rubbed her shoulder in an attempt to warm her up, knowing she was distraught at her current state.

“Where are they keeping him?� Erik asked. Her reflexes were still stiff; her eyes jerked toward the sound of his voice.

“Don’t know…tank. Kept us…in a tank…�

“I can still picture it,� Scott said. “Dark. C-cold. Floating in it…�

“That’s all you remember?�

“No. I can still feel it.� His eyes glazed over. “Jean?� he murmured.

“Scott?� Ororo sat up with some assistance, allowing Kitty to help drape her body in the shroud while Scott took the coat.

“Jean,� he insisted, and his face lit up with a beatific smile. “She’s with me.�

“Jean?� Erik looked to Logan for answers.

“She’s our resident spy. Telepath like Charley.�

“I know who she is. I want to know how she’s communicating with him,� he said, nodding to Scott.

“She’s his soul mate. That’s all you need to know.� Ororo was blunt.

“I can barely feel her-“ His words were cut off as his optic beams returned. His eyes glowed like red coals.

“DUCK!�

VRAAAMMFT

The blast took out an enormous chunk of drywall across the corridor, punching through the side of the building. They stared incredulously out at the sky that it revealed.

They struggled their way out of the elevator and hurried out through the roof. From there, Kurt signaled Henry to send them the Blackbird.

Once they were safely aboard the jet, Scott and Ororo were situated comfortably in the reclining seats. Scott’s eyes were restrained carefully until he could retrieve another visor.

“You found me,� Ororo said softly, taking Logan’s hand and squeezing it. She wore Logan’s jacket and was bundled under several blankets stocked in the compartments.

“Ya left me a sign.�

“I died.� Her face pleaded with him to tell her it wasn’t true.

“Don’t think yer gonna get away from me that easily, darlin’.� His eyes held no humor; his voice was filled with gravity and the unspeakable. He gently lifted her hand to his lips, brushing them over her knuckles.

Kurt watched them silently and sent up silent prayers of thanks. Erik had left them and promised to reconnoiter once they regrouped. Kurt was relieved.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that their problems had just begun.

“Sure yer in the shape ta fly this thing, Cyke?�

“Ready and willing. Never better,� he assured Logan from the cockpit.

Logan grunted under his breath and eased himself back in his seat. He took his customary place beside Piotr, letting the bigger man have the window seat.

Ororo’s profile was serene and lined in sunlight as it filtered through the porthole. If Logan had his way, she wouldn’t be suited up, sitting across the aisle from him and backing up Scott as co-leader. She’d be back home in bed with the covers pulled up to her chin where she belonged, recovering from her ordeal.

Did she listen to him? No.

Did she listen to Moira? Hell, no. Henry? Nope.

Even the sight of Jean, still unconscious in the infirmary, didn’t weaken her resolve to go back for Charles. She’d been stoic and pragmatic. Strong. Tight-lipped.

It drove him nuts. Logan wanted to shake her.


*


Her initial reaction was automatic. “Sister…� Her voice was low and weak as she padded on bare feet across the cold steel floor. Her blue eyes raked over her still form. “Jean?�

“Aye, lass, she’s still in there,� Sean informed her. He joined her as Ororo took Jean’s limp hand. “And how are ye holdin’ up yuirself?�

“I’ll live.� Her voice was full of irony. He gave her shoulder a squeeze, then patted it.

“Ye nearly sent Moira an’ me into cardiac arrest.�

“My apologies.�

“No harm done.�

“How long has she been like this?� Scott interjected. He flanked Jean’s other side, clean and freshly dressed in his school-issued track suit. The crimson lenses of his glasses reflected the readings of the monitors charting Jean’s progress.

“From the moment we heard of yuir crash, boyo. She even cried yuir name.� Sean counted a few more gray hairs that day. Jean wasn’t sparing him anymore now.

“It doesn’t make sense. What happened to her? It’s…I can feel her.�

“Not getting much of a response on her EEGs,� Henry pondered. “In this case, the lights aren’t on, but someone is home. I had hoped…�

“What?� Scott pressed when Henry’s voice died off.

“You’re here, safe and sound. I thought that perhaps your presence would reawaken her. The human will to live is stronger than we realize, and it’s fed by close contact with people we care about. You’re her anchor, Scott. In a sense, you are her will to live.� Scott’s lips pressed themselves in a thin line. He held her hand in his tight, warm grip and leaned over her, stroking her hair over and over.

“I’m here, Jeannie. Come back,� he whispered. “Please.�

Jean’s lover and best friend cut their vigil short when Henry and Moira assured them that they would monitor her condition.

“Get yuirself upstairs, lass,� Moira ordered Ororo.

“Not yet.� She headed out of the infirmary for the Danger Room’s women’s locker suite.

“WHAT? Are ye DAFT?�

“We need to find Charles.�

“Correction, darlin’: ‘We,’ meanin’ me, Petey and Elf, need ta find Charley. You and Cyke need some rest.�

“The only thing I need to do is put my boots back on and get on that plane.�

“Aw, no ya don’t.� His jaw was a steel trap. Logan stared her down, fuming. Her hands planted themselves on her hips. The gesture was almost comical; she wore her bathrobe that Moira retrieved from her room and her hair was still tangled and damp.

“�Fine, then.� Ororo’s chin rose a notch. Her eyes glowed an arctic white…

Logan was flung back against the wall by a piercing gust of wind. Ororo neatly side-stepped him on her way into the locker room, ignoring Moira’s curses at her back.

“So help me…I’m turnin’ her over me knee, Sean. You heard it here first.�

“Aye, lass,� he agreed. “C’mon, man, get yuirself up!�

*

Ororo felt Logan’s eyes on her and risked a quick peek.

He was still livid. He cocked his head and gave her a look meant to bend steel. She licked her lips and fought back the guilt twisting her stomach. She couldn’t ponder what he’d been through yet. They had too much left to do…

“I’m so glad Katya’s back at the house,� Piotr murmured.

“No kidding,� Logan grumbled. “At least one woman in the house has a lick of friggin’ common sense.�

Then he, Kurt, Ororo and Piotr stared back in the general direction of the jet’s tail when they heard a low thump. Logan scowled.

“What was that?� Scott asked.

“It better not be what I think it is,� he growled as he unbuckled his seat belt and trekked to the back.

He opened the latch to the cargo hold, following the low sound again as some of their gear shifted with the turbulence buffeting the jet.

Huge brown eyes peered sheepishly at him and widened. “Uh…hi, Wolvie.� He slapped his hand over his eyes and dragged it over his face, trying to wipe away the vision.

“Geez…never friggin’ mind, Pete, I was wrong. We’ve got a stowaway.�

“Wrong about what? Hey, take it easy!� she yelped as he tugged her out of the cargo hold.

“Yer so grounded when we get back, kid. This isn’t a game, ya know that, right? This is a mission now. It’s a simple search and retrieval that could go horribly wrong if we misstep even ONCE. Yer a kid, and we can’t afford ta spend just as much time tryin’ ta protect ya as we are tryin’ not ta let the Professor or any civilians get killed.�

“I can help you,� she argued plaintively. “I’ve even got a uniform.� Logan growled under his breath. She did.

Some way or another, Kitty was wearing a replica of the makeshift uniform that Jean made for her several weeks ago, except it had a dark blue yoke and piping. On the high collar, it was emblazoned with the name “Sprite�. He read it aloud, shaking his head.

“What the hell, is that yer codename now?�

“Works for me,� she shrugged.

“Ya need ta go back to the school.�

“There’s no point if my teacher’s in trouble, is there?� Her stubborn stance mirrored Logan’s. It annoyed him that she easily stood eye-level with him.

He dragged her by the elbow and shoved her ungracefully into the seat next to Ororo. “Buckle up, squirt.� Ororo stared at her and sighed.

“Not your best idea, Kitten.�

“Ororo?�

“Yes?�

“Thank God you’re all right.� She gave Ororo a strangling hug that made her eyes water.

“Brat,� she murmured, but she returned the embrace just as fiercely.

*


“He’s ready. Hook him up.�

“Not so scary now, is he?� Anne remarked as William’s aides assisted Charles into his wheelchair and strapped him into a pair of restraints. EEG leads were placed at his temples with oily adhesive. The large console in the lab thrummed and beeped when it received the reading from his mind.

Cerebro.

His consciousness recognized it as such, yet questioned what it was doing here. Charles’ normally vivid, alert blue eyes were blank and glazed.

“Time to do the Lord’s work, my friend,� William purred. Charles turned toward his voice and smiled peacefully, rapt.

“Yes,� he replied eagerly. “Yes, it is.�

“You recognize this, don’t you? It helps you find mutants, doesn’t it?�

“Yes.�

“They bear the mark of the beast. Sinners, Charles.� Charles was silent; his smile faltered for a moment while the aides made adjustments to the equipment. “They won’t be spared his wrath. Expel them in his name, Charles.�

He left him then, content that the pieces were falling into place.

*


The music filling the auditorium swelled and crescendoed, quickening the laser display onstage and stirring up the parishioners. They roared to their feet in applause as the Reverend made his entrance down the long aisle, shaking hands on his way toward the stage. He waved and smiled winningly like someone running for office.

“He’s telegenic, isn’t he?� the senator remarked, templing his fingers beneath his chin.

“Should we be afraid?� his aide inquired.

“In a word…yes.� The screens overhead magnified his face while his voice boomed through the speakers.

“Welcome, brethren!� He was met by choruses of “We love you, Reverend William!� and “We believe in you! Muties aren’t humans!�

He stood back, looking delighted and amused for another couple of minutes before raising his hands, motioning to the crowd to bring it down a notch.

“Good afternoon. You know who I am and why I’m here today. I hope you know why you are here today. If you’re like me, you’ve known someone affected by mutants and the threat they represent.� The crowd interrupted him again and stomped their feet. “You’ve read your Bibles, right? And you know what it says about humans? More specifically about creation? I’m not talking about that nonsense in the science books, about man descending from the apes. We’re not simians. We’re not animals! We’re children of God!�

He paused and took a drink of water, setting the glass back on the stand. William attached the clip-on mic to his collar and stepped out from the podium, Bible in hand. He strolled across the stage and talked conversationally.

“God created man from dust. Man. Two eyes, two ears, two hands and feet, walking on two legs and breathing air. Walking on his green earth. Have you all ever read anything in Genesis – shoot, either testament of the Bible – saying God created man to fly?�

And he used the same template when he made woman. Made him from man, different from him, certainly, but again, women don’t fly. Not the way he created them. Not sons and daughters of God.� He paused to let his words sink in. “Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made." **

He paused again and sighed. “Everyone created for God’s glory. Humans. We’re precious in his sight, did you all know that? We inherited God’s earth! He loves us more than the sky, more than the sea, more than the animals he created. Yet we act like we don’t appreciate that love when we sin or follow or worship those who sin. Or when we admire or trust people who pretend to be godlike,� he scoffed. “You’ve met people like that or known people like that and watched them flaunt and preen. Those are sinners.� He gestured matter-of-factly. “Mutants showing off their fancy powers are sinners. Mutants threatening humans are sinners. Oh, some of ‘em stand out like a sore thumb. You’ve seen them. Might have one eye instead of two. Some of ‘em might fly, or shoot lasers out of their eyes. Or they might be bright blue or glow in the dark. Yet…some of them might look like you and me. Hiding in plain sight. That’s what enemies do. That’s what wolves in sheep’s clothing do. Make themselves seem harmless. Sin wears a pretty face.

And sin leads to death. Mutants spell death for humans. They want to take what God gave rightfully to humans. They wanna TAKE it! Are you all listening to me? Say amen if you hear me, and if you understand what must be done!�

“Amen, Reverend. Halleleujah!�

“Every day, you read about mutants in the news. You read about how they destroyed someone’s property or ‘accidentally’ hurt innocents with their powers because ‘oh, I can’t control it, I don’t know what happened to me.’ I say that’s garbage. And again, why would you trust someone who isn’t accountable, who admits to being out of control? You read about people killed by mutants. Even the so-called ‘good ones’ who supposedly stop a bank robbery or rescue someone from a burning building. They’re trying to seduce you and me, can’t you see that?� The Reverend grew more and more worked up. The crowd cheered him as he continued, nodding and pumping their fists. “Then, you have people like that Professor Xavier fellow you just saw on TV…�

In the wings, Kurt blended with the shadows, grateful that no one could see the grim, stricken look on his face.

“I can’t believe they’re listening to that jerk,� Kitty hissed.

“Hush, Kitten,� Ororo admonished.

“…he’d have us believe that all mutants need to do to live among us is control their powers? What about controlling their impulses? What about not trying to suppress and overcome their fellow man, if we’re indeed to call them men? I say no. God punishes the wicked. Just because you’ve seen them flying in the sky or doing goodness knows what else, that doesn’t mean he’s blessed them. They’re Devil’s spawn, and they’ll be punished. God’s watching. God’s waiting. And you and I will be witnesses to God’s glory.� He refreshed himself with some water again and dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief. “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can move a mountain. I know you all have more faith than that. We can witness his glory if we just try to see it. If we listen to him. If we watch the signs around us, and among us.� More ‘amens� filled the auditorium, shaking the rafters.

“One of these days, they’ll fall from the sky. One of these days, they’ll tumble to the ground. They’ll bleed. They’ll fail to draw breath, no matter how they breathe. They’ll be as dust in the wind.�

The Reverend pressed a small button beneath the podium.

Within the holding chamber, William’s aide watched the readings on the EEG tape. The Professor was responding well to the hypnotic suggestion prompts from the recordings the Reverend left behind. He still wore the same rapt expression, bliss occasionally crossing his features. He twitched slightly in anticipation.

“And may that day be today!�

He depressed the button again. The dim blue light on the makeshift Cerebro unit began to glow.

“You know what to do. It’s show time, old man,� he informed the Reverend’s new weapon.

“Find the mutants.�

*

“Let’s bear witness to God’s glory!� William was in his element.

It was short-lived.

Overhead, the ceiling of the auditorium warped and twisted. The groan of metal being pulled apart drowned out the soft music playing in the background and silenced the crowd.

The skylight opened up, flying apart one pane at a time. The bars curled back like banana peels. The parishioners watched incredulously as a man in a deep magenta coat and silver hair floated down through the opening. His expression was full of contempt.

“Surely you jest. Tell them again who’s flaunting their power, human. Go on. We’re all listening. I’m listening, and so are my new friends.�

“Way to blow our cover,� Logan muttered.

“Any ideas?� Ororo inquired, tugging on Scott’s arm. His ruby quartz visor glowed in the lights of the auditorium, reflecting the glare.

“We’re following his lead. We’re going to make good use of the distraction.�

“We who?� Kitty replied.

“Not you. Stay out of sight with Kurt. Ororo and I are going to find Charles.�

“Are ya forgettin’ that I’m the one with the senses that found you and ‘Ro? I’m going with ya!�

“We could use some muscle to back up Magneto.�

“That’s why ya’ve got Petey.� Piotr was already armoring up as he spoke as if he, too, agreed. Scott frowned, then unclenched his fists at his sides.

“Then let’s hustle.�

Logan took the lead, automatically guiding them to the lower levels of the building via the stairs. Scott was impressed that he took the path of least resistance.

They arrived at the basement, a catacomb of hallways and corners that all looked alike.

“Now we’re getting somewhere,� Logan murmured slyly. “I’ve got him.� Ororo was flooded with relief.

“How is he?�

“Alive. Ain’t got any more than that yet, darlin’.� They crept around each turn, hugging the walls. Ororo’s heart hammered. She was still slightly weak, but she couldn’t afford to have Scott or Logan covering her when Charles’ life was at stake.

Logan held back his tongue, his own thoughts mimicking hers. Why the heck didn’t she just stay home? Once. He’d already lost her - lost ‘Ro - once. That was more than enough for a lifetime…

He shook off the feeling of icy, haunted dread, noting that Charles’ scent grew stronger as they opened an enormous steel door.

They stared up the length of at least five energy rifles trained on them as it squealed on its hinges.

“Fuckin’ security cams,� Logan cursed. Quick as a flash, Logan dove at Ororo, knocking her to the ground and covering her with his body. “GIDDOWN!� She cried out in surprise. “Nail ‘em, Cyke!�

“Fine,� he agreed. His visor lens retracted and unleashed his optic blast, cutting a huge red arc across the room. One after the other, he took out the FOH security guards with just enough force to knock them unconscious. His blast also blew the weapons apart. Logan helped Ororo to her feet.

“Next time warn me when you’re going to do that.�

“Ain’t gonna be a next time. They ain’t gonna get the drop on us ag-“

Logan’s words were cut off by a sudden, searing pain in his skull.

His thoughts, even his consciousness were being ripped apart, and he wasn’t the only one. Ororo and Scott each emitted ragged screams blending with his roar of pain. His claws extended instinctively as every muscle in his body seized.

His mind raced in an attempt to remember the last time he’d felt turned inside out like that…

Telepath.

Emma Frost. The mind-witch who’d toyed with him had attacked him in the same way, but this was less ruthless. More focused, and much more intense.

Charles’ scent was nearby.

Outside in the street, mayhem erupted.

A woman carrying a bag of groceries collapsed on the pavement and began writhing and jerking. A construction worker fell two stories from a scaffold, foaming at the mouth.

“What in the name of…?� A nearby beat cop leaned out the window of his patrol car, staring at the crowd gathering around the victims. Something felt wrong…

For every twenty-five people in the street, one would fall. Panic rippled through them and cell phones came out of pockets and purses, dialing 911.

It was the rapture…

*


Erik spasmed mid-air, fighting the mental pulse assailing him. Charles. He recognized his psychic imprint. He even felt his thoughts, muffled but true…

I’m sorry. Heaven help me, old friend, I would never hurt you if I could help it. Know this.

His helmet shielded him; he’d donned it just in time. Cerebro. It had to be, somehow…

“Witness God’s justice!� the Reverend cried out. “Even the proudest among them shall fall!�

Up above in the wings, Kitty and Kurt were in agony.

“Stay!� Peter called out.

“Piotr!� He rushed down into the auditorium. “Kurt, we can’t just let him go down there!� To Kurt’s horror, a trickle of blood leaked from her nose.

“Katzchen, you’re bleeding!� She dabbed at it in shock, looking slightly pale.

“I don’t feel so good.�

“Out we go!� He gathered her up in his arms and ‘ported them outside to the roof.

Kitty was thrown off-balance, first by the nausea of teleporting, then by the subsiding of the pain of the psychic attack.

“Whoo…aw, man, that sucked.�

“It’s less intense,� he mused. “No one inside seemed to be affected except for us, and for Magneto.�

“Why?�

“Stryker. He must have something to do with this.�

“Kurt, look!� Down below, the crowd was rioting in the streets, some struggling to get away from the affected victims. They piled into their cars and ignored traffic signals, running directly into the street.

“We need to do some damage control.�

“How?�

“Calm the crowd, or at the very least, help the people who have been hurt.� He noticed many of them were bleeding like Kitty, and he was alarmed to feel thick, warm blood pooling in his ears. Kitty saw it, too, and was horrified.

“It’s happening to you, too!�

“I’ll be all right.� BAMF! They rematerialized on the ground. I hope we’ll be all right…

Ambulances amassed five blocks down, blocked by the traffic no matter how loudly their sirens blared. Kurt acted immediately, ‘porting to the first fallen woman’s side. He scooped her up in his arms, not caring about the people’s shocked reactions to his appearance.

“Shit! It’s a freak! He’s a mutie! He’s trying to take that woman! Stop him!�

“Nein!� he cried out, holding out one three-fingered palm.

“Leave him alone!� Kitty shouted as she phased through the crowd toward him. She stood in front of him protectively. “He’s not taking her, he’s helping her, and if you geniuses would quit making a fuss and get out of his way, maybe he could finish the job! MOVE!� She grabbed onto him and concentrated, even though she was still weak from the psychic blast. The angry crowd closed in…

…and grabbed nothing but empty space,

“Jerks!� Kitty told them as they ‘ported away.

Kurt brought them right inside the first ambulance, scaring the paramedics out of ten years of life.

“Take her, help her, do what you can. We’ll bring back more!’ BAMF!

“Good Lord,� remarked the driver. He was dumbstruck until he noticed that the woman was bleeding. His partners began hooking up monitors and an IV. They knew they’d have a big responsibility and a full ER on their hands.

Inside the auditorium, pandemonium had broken loose.

“Get ‘im! You never should’ve come here, mutie, the Reverend was right about you!� Erik used his magnetic field to drive them back. The people began to swarm toward him, crushing the people up front. Policemen who’d rushed inside from the street stared in shock and attempted crowd control with little success. The sight of the enormous metallic giant attempting to help them confused them momentarily. They brandished side arms instead toward the second mutant who’d appeared to start the problem.

“NYET! Don’t shoot! You could get hurt!� Piotr warned them. “Stand down!’

“Is he kidding?�

“Wait…isn’t that Magneto?�

“He controls metal!�

“Then the tin man’s right, don’t shoot!� The Reverend watched the scene unfolding before him incredulously. His scowl was dark.

“Are you going to let them attack this gathering and ruin the rally? Take them down!� he roared into the mic.


*

Logan had to take him out. He extended his claws, despite the agony it caused. His healing factor was compromised and rivulets of blood ran between his fingers. He struggled forward toward the machine.

“Eerrrgh… His voice was guttural. Ororo reeled, attempting to regain her balance, but Charles’ mind blast was disorienting her, burning through her nervous system.

“Logan!�

“What, One-Eye?�

“Get ready to take one for the team. Ororo, fastball!�

“What are you talking about?� The Professor’s expression was still blank as he stared straight ahead, not seeming to see them.

“Carry him to Charles. Logan, get ready to fly. Try to disengage him from the machine.�

“I can barely see straight! Old man’s already done a number on me.�

“Do your best. Ororo will help you.�

“Ro’s in no shape to-“

“The man said get ready to fly, Wolverine,� Ororo snapped. Her eyes glowed and shifted to white, intense as ever. Before he could argue, he felt her winds gathering, then howling through the chamber.

She picked him up with a thought, a gesture, despite the strain it caused, and Ororo deftly flung him toward the intimidating chair and containment unit.

He had to make his strike count. Take out the machine, or take out the man connected to it…Logan didn’t want that choice. If Charley got the drop on him, his own death Logan could cope with, But what if he couldn’t take down the Professor? What then?

They were all going down screaming if he failed.

Charles reacted strongly to Logan’s emotions, latching onto his empathic imprint and focusing his attack solely on him.

It came to him in that instant that he wasn’t the “last resort� Cyke had to deal with the problem. He was the decoy.

Scott had one shot. While the Professor was distracted with the intruder threatening to stop him from his chore, Scott aimed his optic blast toward a large mirror suspended from the corner joint of the walls. The crimson beam of energy ricocheted off the cooling pipes overhead and darted back toward the floor.

The beam struck Charles squarely in the back of his skull, rendering him unconscious.

The piercing sounds and sensations running through their bodies and psyches calmed, dimmed, and died. Ororo’s winds dispersed, leaving papers still fluttering back to the floor. She attempted to right herself but she felt too limp. She brushed weakly at the blood dampening her upper lip and stared around the chamber, taking inventory.

“Scott?� she rasped. She saw him stagger toward the dais where Charles was stillr restrained. “What happened? Is he all right?�

“We’ll know in a minute,� he told her. His voice was gruff and full of worry. “Man, he doesn’t look good. What’d they do to him?�

“The same thing they did to us. But no doubt much worse.� She turned her attention away from them for a moment at the sound of a low groan.

Logan.

Scott’s gambit had paid off, but at what cost? Icy fingers choked Ororo when she saw him lying prone on the cold, hard concrete.

The blast. They’d all suffered its intensity, but Logan had been the sole target. Ororo shook her head and tried to think beyond the unthinkable. She crept toward him even though the effort made her nauseous. The closer she drew, she saw more frightening details of his appearance. Blood ran from his ears, nose and mouth, staining the floor. He lay there limp and inert. She couldn’t see him breathing…

“Logan! I’m here. Please, wake up! You did a good job, Scott stopped Charles. Please, Logan, wake up!� She struggled to probe his throat, trying to find his pulse. “Scott! Help me!�

“I’m with Charles!� he cried, looking stricken. “He’s okay, but barely.� He’d already unlocked the restraints and detached the leads from his scalp. Charles was still disoriented, vision barely focused on his surroundings.

“LOGAN! I told you to wake up! Stop being so damned stubborn, do you hear me? Logan?� He was solid and heavy as she turned him onto his back. His mouth was open slightly and slack. The blood leaking from his lips was due to cuts inside his cheeks from where he’d bitten through while clenching them. Pity washed over Ororo for what had happened to him; dread made her work fast. Hurriedly she wiped the blood from beneath his nose with the edge of her cloak.

She tugged open the collar snap of his stiff leather uniform and jerked down the zipper so she could get a good look at his throat and chest, and feel his heartbeat. She began chest compressions, which were difficult due to the density of his muscle and enhanced skeleton. It was like pushing against a boulder. Her own heart began to pound and she broke out into a cold sweat.

“Breathe, damn you!� she hissed. “Bastard! Don’t you leave me, Logan, please!� She tilted his jaw and covered his mouth with hers, tightening the seal of her lips. She breathed into it, building a pace that she hoped would revive him. Ororo watched his chest. Nothing. She alternated the chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth while Scott approached, carrying the Professor.

“Let me try,� he offered humbly.

“Take care of Charles,� she barked. “Logan, please!� She resumed the chest compressions, dead set on feeling his heart beat, but he wasn’t cooperating. “Breathe, Logan! Heal, damn it, that’s what you do!�

“Give him the breaths,� Scott ordered, firmly moving her aside. “I’ll do the compressions on your lead.� His logic made sense. Ororo obeyed, leaning down and giving him another fortifying breath. Then another. Then another…

She felt the shift in him and his response moments later, even as Scott told her, “Look, it’s helping him, he’s coming around!� Logan’s chest flexed beneath his hands. Ororo’s lips tried to form a smile. She bit the end of the finger of her glove and yanked it off; Ororo laid her palm on his chest, searching for his heartbeat. When she found its weak pulse, she choked a cry of relief.

It was premature; Logan still wasn’t making a sound or coming out of it. “Logan?� she asked. ‘Come back to us. Logan?� She leaned back down and gave him another breath. Then another.

Then…

Logan’s voice drifted past her lips, sighing into her mouth. He leaned up toward the source of the air and took a greedy taste. The lips above him exclaimed a low “mmmmph?� of surprise, then sighed back. Before she knew what she was doing, her mouth slowly dipped and slanted over his while his long, thick fingers crept into her hair, molding to her skull. Beside her, Scott sat back on his haunches, looking dumbstruck.

“Ororo?�

“Mmmmm…�

“I think he can breathe now.�

“Mmmph…OH!� She tore herself away and sat up so quickly her long hair went flying back. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth and her blue eyes were round. “Scott! Logan! Goddess!� Logan stared woozily up at her as a slow grin spread across his face.

“Hey, darlin’. Miss me?�

“You’re all right!�

“Had a little…*cough* wear an’ tear, but I’ll live. Shit…I’ll always live…what the hell did Charley do ta me?�

“We stopped him. He’s okay, but we need to get him back to the mansion.� Logan eased himself up, propping himself back on his elbows and rubbing his head.

“Damn, he put me through a wringer. Someone’s havin’ a jackhammer convention in my head right now.�

“Take it easy for a moment, Logan,� Ororo told him, trying to lay him back down.

“You take it easy,� he countered. “That don’t mean I don’t want ya ta stop tryin’ to get me flat on my back, darlin’. Feel free any other time, but we’ve gotta go.�

“You’re so not right in the head,� Scott tsked, disgusted. A tiny smile played around Ororo’s lips, and she shook her head.

They were gone from the chamber before any more guards could investigate the earlier sounds of gunfire. They looked on in surprise and dismay that the machine was destroyed.


*

Kitty and Kurt did all they could, getting the people to safety. The authorities looked on disbelief as the two mutants worked alongside them before rushing back into the auditorium.

“Follow ‘em.�

“Why? They didn’t do anything wrong.�

“I know that, doofus. We’re gonna see if they need back-up.�

Onstage, a standoff was going down that only spelled disaster, no matter what the outcome.

“WILLIAM!� Anne’s voice was shrill and filled with terror. She rushed toward the podium, shocking him.

Her face was pale and stricken. Blood drizzled into her hair from her ears and dripped from her nose onto the jacket of her uniform.

“Anne…what happened to you?� he whispered. “It can’t be…� His expression gave her pause. He moved back from her instinctively, and she saw a death sentence in his steely eyes.

“Reverend, what’s happening? I felt something attacking me a little while ago…I can hardly think. It hurts so much.�

“You shouldn’t have been able to feel anything, Anne.�

“What?�

“The machine was a success. Xavier interfaced with it no difficulties.�

“I know, I know! I had faith that it would work.� She beamed regardless of the pain, but felt apprehensive when he still moved away from her.

“Do you really, Anne? You have faith?�

“I’ve followed you,� she whispered.

“Anne…you’re one of them. A mutant.�

“That’s…impossible. It’s ridiculous! William, what are you saying?�

“The machine is calibrated to detect mutant brain waves. Look.� He pointed out toward Erik, Piotr, Kurt and Kitty, who were still surrounded by the congregation and security guards. “See how they bleed. I didn’t see it before. God’s seen fit to humble me for my oversight and not paying attention to the sinners in my midst.�

“Reverend!�

“You’re a sinner. Devil’s spawn.�

“That’s a LIE!�

“Get thee behind me,� he roared as she continued to approach.

“You can’t leave me like this, not after I’ve served you!� Her eyes flooded with tears. “WHY?� She tried to follow him, pulling on his arms to keep him with her. He fought her, struggling and finally pushing her to the ground. He twisted her fingers until the joints cracked. She doubled over, nauseated by the pain, and fell to her knees.

“May God grant you mercy, child. I can’t.� He wrapped his arm around her head, clamping it snugly and giving his shoulder and elbow a twist. There was a sickening crunch before she fell to the stage, staring lifelessly up at him.

“HE KILLED THAT GIRL!�

“She died for her sins, as God willed it! She was a Jezebel! A Delilah!�

“She was a woman, a woman who followed you as part of your flock, Stryker!� Erik boomed. Renewed energy flooded him. Charles’ assault had ended and he recovered himself. He was still shaken, but he felt his strength returning. “And we mutants protect our own!’

William’s security guards went down one after the other, disarmed of their guns and pinned to nearby walls, even the high, domed ceiling by the metals in their uniforms. He left the policemen alone.

“Sinners attract more sinners,� William spat.

“You’ve attracted the masses with seductive, tempting words and promises of a world without mutants. Like Canaan, the promised land. But the world was promised to mutants already, your betters. You won’t take away our birthright.�

“Erik, what are you saying?� Kitty yelled. She rushed forward and stood between him and William. Her posture was defensive and her voice beseeched him. “Can’t you see what he’s trying to do? You sound just like he wants us to sound! Like we want to conquer humanity instead of just being free to live our lives among everyone else!�

“The shoe’s on the other foot now, Kate.�

“No, it’s not! This isn’t the kind of life I want to live! I’m a normal girl with normal parents and great friends at a great school. So what if I can walk through things? I’ve never hurt anybody in my life. I’m a human being! How can’t you see that?�

“You can’t say the same for that abomination with you,� William accused, pointing to Kurt. The young teleporter was somber, warily flicking his tail as he listened to their words. The people around him drew back in fear and revulsion. “He’s a demon walking among us!�

“Liar!�

“You don’t know your place, brat!�

“I know my place just fine. Kurt’s a good person, no matter what he looks like. He’s been nothing but nice to me, even though people treat him like crap just because he looks the way he does. You stand up there giving a fancy sermon about what God wants. It wasn’t written anywhere in any Bible that I’ve read before that you can kill someone based on what they look like or what they believe or the things that they can do. You call yourself a Reverend, but you’re blind to the truth. Mutants are humans. Don’t judge all of us by the actions of a few!� Behind her, Erik fell silent, humbled.

Logan, Scott and Ororo drifted toward the stage, surrounding her protectively. Scott still carried Charles in his arms.

“Rather bright, isn’t she?� he murmured. Scott mistook his quiet tone for calm rather than exhaustion.

“Perhaps you’d like to let your flock know that this isn’t the first time you’ve killed, or that you’ve punished someone for not supporting your cause.� Erik turned to the people, holding up his hands. “This man murders children who have mutant abilities. Two were reported killed in Connecticut yesterday. I witnessed their bodies myself. Barely old enough for grade school. Imagine now, those of you who would follow him, how you would feel if he attacked your children. And think of how he could turn on you if he deems you his enemy or unrighteous! This man doesn’t plan to lead you to glory! He means to carry out another Holocaust!’

“He almost succeeded,� Scott told the crowd at large. The Senator was listening safely in the wings, flanked by bodyguards and his aides. “The Reverend kidnapped our professor and tortured him because he was a mutant. Then he attempted to use his telepathic abilities to murder mutants in a psychic assault. Not stop us from using our powers or control the threat. Murder.� He nodded to a nearby woman holding her two children protectively against her. “He could decide he’s a mutant next,� he said, pointing to her son. “Or you,� he added to an obese man standing in the aisle. “Or him,� he said, pointing to a man with a hearing aid.

“I’m carrying out the Lord’s will!�

“You’re serving your own will,� Kurt argued.

“The God we believe in doesn’t believe in what you’re doing now, mister,� Kitty chimed in. William’s face grew florid in anger. He sprinted to the edge of the stage and retrieved a stray handgun one of the security guards had dropped.

“Then join the Devil, and quickly. Get ready to take your friends with you, child.� He aimed the gun for her heart. Kitty stood rooted to the spot, terrified.

She couldn’t phase. She was too scared to concentrate.

His finger cocked the trigger. A shot rang out.

William stood back, staring down in wonder at the tiny hole in his suit pocket; a red stain slowly grew, saturating the white silk of his dress shirt.

“What…?� he murmured. He pawed at the wound, drawing away sticky red fingertips before he collapsed.

All eyes were on the police officer standing in the aisle. The crowd erupted around him in defiance.

“He shot Reverend Stryker!�

“He’s a mutie lover!�

“Kurt?� Kitty pleaded, “are you all right?�

“Ja, liebchen. All in one piece.�

“Good.� With that, she flung herself at him, limp with relief. His hands rose to rub her back soothingly.

“Does this mean you’re not scared of me anymore?�

“Of course not, silly,� she sobbed, hugging him more tightly.

“All right, folks, that’s enough, show’s over!� The NYPD sent in a SWAT team to control the mob. The more rabid members of the congregation were being taken away, shouting the entire way out of the auditorium.

“Are you just going to stand there and let those muties get away with it? They attacked the Reverend!�

“No,� the Senator interjected as he descended the stairs and entered the room. “They never touched a hair on his head. Not even him,� he said, pointing to Magneto. “And he was about to kill a teenaged girl, pointe-blank. And this guy calls himself a minister. If he lives, as soon as he’s out of the hospital, I’ve got dozens of witnesses who will prove he’s both a fanatic and a murderer.� He nodded to the bedraggled mutants in their midst. “Go on.�

“All we wanted was to find our teacher,� Scott explained. “We never wanted anyone to get hurt.�

“Today you’re not taking the blame. But be smart, and make yourselves scarce, unless you want to be a scapegoat to this crowd.�


*

Matt sat back, astonished. Mr. Howlett grinned at him and gulped down the cup of room temperature apple juice.

“Dude…wow.�

“Not bad, eh?�

“That Kitty sounds frickin’ awesome! She had some brass to face down Stryker!�

“Always wanted the kid in my corner, even when she was being a smart mouth and sassing me back. We were all impressed when she decided to stay with us in spite of almost getting killed. Thank goodness her folks didn’t recognize her on the news in her uniform.� Logan snorted. “Kid had a thing for uniforms. We should’ve just had her join the Girl Scouts.�

“So what happened with your girlfriend? She tried to save you?�

“Yup.� Mr. Howlett looked smug. “Did a pretty good job of it. Wasn’t the last time, either.�

“Were you really out cold?�

“I came around a little after the first round of mouth-to-mouth. But I was enjoyin’ myself so much that I didn’t make a peep.�

“That’s messed up.�

“I didn’t die on her, and I got a kiss out of her. It was worth it.�