Hello, all! Omega here, once again, bringing you a chapter!

YYAAAYY CHAPTER!

Would've been sooner, but alas, life has been shit. In March, I lost two dear members of my family. My grandmother passed after a nine year bout with cancer, and my dog went a week after her (he was 12). Literally happened a week after I updated. I apologize for taking so long to bring you guys another chapter, but I've been depressed.

Sorry about the sob story, I just wanted to let you know what I'm dealing with right now. I apologize in advance if it takes awhile to update again.

As I've said before in the past, I'll try my hardest to write when I can, where I can. Don't worry. I'll never abandon you. :) It may take me a long-ass time to update, but abandon such loyal followers, I will not.

Now, moving on from the sad stuff.. HOLY SHIT GUYS. 233 MOTHERFREAKIN' REVIEWS? GODDAMN IT I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH.

IF I COULD BAKE YOU ALL YOUR FAVORITE TREAT, I TOTALLY WOULD.

And were it in my power to send your favorite X-men/marvel character to your doorstep, know that I would do so in a heartbeat.

I know I wouldn't mind Mr. McCoy at my doorstep..

...heuheuheuheuheuheuheu..

ANNYYWAAAYYYY...

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING:

Jangling Bacon, MrsPhantomSylvia, Lina Marie, Ryuno Chu, KEZZ 1, KittyCharles, ivyknightfire, scumsy (many, many times..:]), Captain Grin (guest)x2, CeliaSingsSongs, darkelf97(guest), princessyuik08 (x3), JazzyPoole, ERMAHGERDILURVDIS (guest), Nerdy Girl (guest), Marie (guest), georgewesely16, and Idon'twriteIleak for your wonderful reviews! You guys are so awesome.

You have no idea how much it meant to me, reading your reviews.. They made me so happy!

I also want to thank anyone who simply took the time to read my story. Shout out to you all as well!

Hopefully, this chapter is worth the wait. I apologize if it isn't my best work.

~Without further random blabbing, I present: Chapter 54!~

Chapter 54

Safe

"Back foot, look out for your back- Jillian!"

Jillian's backside hit the danger room floor as she tripped over her feet, landing in a rather undignified position. Releasing an irritated groan, she rolled over to find Henry rushing towards her, concern lacing his ocean blue gaze. He made to help her up.

"Give me a second." She hissed when he offered her his hand. He paused, watching as she shifted into a more comfortable position. "Okay."

"I apologize." He began when she took his hand. "This is your first lesson. I should refrain from using too much force against you when practicing defensive maneuvers."

"No harm done." She muttered as she rubbed her tailbone. Henry raised an eyebrow. Jillian was beyond angry with her lack of progress, as she usually was when unable to master a challenging task immediately. Impatience was a famous trait of hers. At least when it came to herself, that is. She seemed to have endless amounts for others.

"Are you certain?"

"I'll survive." She readied herself for another go. He hesitated.

"Perhaps we should take a break.."

She groaned, shaking her head.

"Seriously. I'm fine. Come at me again."

He studied her for a few moments, taking in the lightly shaking limbs and determined look on her face. Not a second later, he disappeared in a blur of blue, stopping behind her to shoot a fist out. It whizzed past her ear, but the positioning made it clear he could have hit the back of her neck or head had he wished to harm her.

"That would've rendered you unconscious." His lips brushed the shell of her ear. "Prediction is key. We've been dancing for a few hours now, you should know my attack patterns."

"Excuse me for not being an experienced X-men warrior, oh merciless teacher of mine." She shot back, whirling around to sweep a leg out in an attempt to knock him off his feet. Predicting as much, he performed a back handspring, landing a few feet to Jillian's left. Taking his words to heart, she ducked low when he came in to 'punch' her cheek (any punch of his would merely tickle her skin. He didn't want to cause any unnecessary damage). Again, he was one step ahead of her. His knee connected with her shoulder as she was again thrown to the floor.

The woman released a harpy-like screech of pent-up fury and jumped up on wobbly legs. Henry crossed his arms as he observed her. Her anger was almost palpable. She kept working herself up, much like she had in their past. This time, however, he had resolved to not do or say anything that would evoke any more of her rage. He was tired of fighting her, both in the metaphorical and literal sense.

"Break time." He announced.

"No." Oh, lord. He knew that tone.

"Jillian, you're trembling."

"I don't care. Teach me how to block a blow like that."

Henry ran a hand over his face, watching as the woman before him panted with exertion. The set of her jaw told him she wasn't going to let him back out of it.

"If I do, will you take a break?"

"Sure, whatever. What do I do?" He watched as she winced at her own words, shooting him a look of sympathy. He knew she was anxious due to the situation they were in. That, coupled with her obvious distaste for her lack of physical training, was bound to make her say and do some things she would regret.

Henry sighed, positioning them to mirror their stance from moments before.

"Okay. Left knee. How do you evade attack?"

He slowly brought his knee up. She tried to twist out of the way, only to throw herself off balance. Grabbing her by the shirt, he re-positioned her before she became reacquainted with the floor for the hundredth time that day.

"No. You're putting too much weight on your left side; it's throwing you off balance. Try this." He placed his hands on her side, trying to slowly walk her through the process. "Put your hand on the floor if you need to." She did as he said, ducking her head under his knee. "Now push up. Knock me off balance. Use this position to your advantage."

She gently pressed against his thighs, as if afraid she would hurt him. He derided, his irritation evident in the air.

"I hardly call that knocking me off balance, Sinclair."

Uh-oh. He saw her eyes narrow into slits. With a sudden burst of the strength he knew she possessed, she slammed into him, knocking the wind out of her lungs when they landed in a sweaty heap on the floor. She sprung into action, grabbing his arms and pinning them against his sides with her thighs. Henry would've paused in that moment to enjoy the feel of her, but knew that doing so would only infuriate her more. She was on a mission. She didn't want distractions.

He curled his hands around her ankles, and before she knew what was happening, she was thrown over his head onto her back. He trapped her legs beneath his, both hands pinned above her head by just one of his hands. He grinned.

"A tip for the future: If your opponent obviously outweighs you, whether it be in muscle or fat, do not attempt that. Nice form, though. You're stronger than I thought."

"Pilates and hospital stairs do wonders for a woman's thighs." She panted, closing one eye tight when a bead of sweat from her brow threatened to enter it. Henry reached into his pocket, producing a handkerchief. With gentleness neither had seen in him in any of the prior four hours, he wiped the sweat away, then smiled tenderly. Her expression softened.

"I should have known that Jillian Sinclair would've been a natural fighter, considering her fiery temper. You've done quite well, my dear. A few more lessons and you might be able to throw a decent punch."

"Oh, shut up and get off me, McCoy." She snapped, finding his tone and expression incredibly aggravating. Her green eyes were more vibrant than ever, her pupils wide as her heart pulsed in her chest. Jillian Sinclair was truly her most beautiful when pissed off, Henry decided.

Chuckling as he sat back on his haunches, he watched as she rose on quaking legs. With the poise and air of indifference that had previously earned her the title of 'ice queen', she went to take a step, only to falter. She recovered a moment later, straightening her back and pushing away Henry's hand.

"I'm fine." She said sharply.

Henry raised an eyebrow. Try as he might, his resolve was quickly beginning to crumble. The woman was skilled in the art of being infuriating. She was exceptionally skilled in the art of infuriating him.

"May I remind you that this is for your own good." He managed to not let his aforementioned emotions slip through into his words. "You needed training."

Jillian, on the other hand, was not one to hide her emotions.

"Because being thrown on the floor every thirty fucking seconds for four hours is considered training here, apparently." She seethed, plucking her water off the nearby bench. The ambassador felt a growl build in his throat.

"Perhaps then, next time, you should be a bit more attentive to preemptive methods of attack."

Jillian whirled around suddenly. He could see tears in her eyes, though she was doing a good job of ignoring them.

"Of course, because I know exactly what planning a preemptive attack entails. Again, excuse me for not being an experienced X-men warrior."

Henry froze. Suddenly, he understood why Jillian was so upset. He thought he's given a decent enough description of what to do, in the beginning. But she was new to all of this, so of course she had no idea what to do with that information. He was not known for his wonderful fighting instructions; in fact, Logan was said to be a better teacher than him. It came so naturally to him, given his mutation, that he often lacked patience if someone struggled for too long. Which is why he never taught one-on-one.

He looked up to see Jillian's back as she retreated from the room.

"Jillian, wait!" He ran after her, surprised to see how far down the hall she already was. He caught up with her easily, of course. "Jillian, please, allow me to explain."

"There's nothing to explain, Henry. Leave me alone." Her voice was oddly cold. He grabbed her arms, forcing her to stop and face him.

"There is, actually. I don't know why I decided to teach you alone. Well, actually, I do. We're involved intimately, so I apologize for being selfish. The idea of seeing someone else touch you as they position you into fighting stances doesn't sit well with him. Or me, for that matter." His voice was a growl by the end of the sentence. Jillian's expression had softened a fraction, though she still looked pissed. Clearing his throat, he continued. "This was your first lesson. I should have been more patient. I shouldn't have constantly thrown you off when you advanced. I was trying to get you to learn through mistakes, but obviously I was the one that failed. I should have switched to a different method after the first couple times you fell on the floor. I can already tell your hips are going to be a rather brilliant shade of purple tomorrow morning.." He paused, waiting to see if she was still willing to listen. Jillian took the hint.

".. Go on."

His lips quirked a bit.

"What I'm trying to say is that you did a good job today. You surprised me a great deal, actually. You seemed to pick up the basics even with my poor instructions. Now, don't go fists-a-flying into a barfight anytime soon.."

"Weekend plans ruined.." She muttered under her breath, deadpan.

"..But I think that in a few months, you might be able to hold your own against Ororo or even Kitty."

"If they aren't using their powers, that is." She sighed.

"I'm sure you'd be able to hold your own even if those were the circumstances." His hands slid from her biceps to her forearms, before he took her hands in his own. Bringing them to his lips, he placed a gentle kiss against her palms. Meeting her eyes, she saw that she had the faint etching of a smile on her lips. "I am sorry, Jillian."

She observed him for a minute, sighing when his thumbs ran over her knuckles.

"I'm sorry, too. I was a bitch."

"I deserved it."

"No, you didn't." She said firmly. "I refuse to revert back to my old fighting methods. We're different now, I can't keep doing that to you. So, I'm sorry. And I promise to work on it in the future."

"As do I." He kissed her hands again. She stood on her toes and pressed her lips against his nose, then pulled her hands from his.

"I'm going to go take a shower. Thirty minutes.. Kitchen?" She offered timidly. "I'll cook you dinner."

"I'll cook for you." He smiled. "I'm not the one that's sore and tired. Not that being sore and tired is bad, it just shows how hard you tried. I think you deserve something that involves either creamy alfredo or cake."

"A man after my own heart." She laughed, smiling. "I'll see you in thirty."

It was close to seven when I emerged from the shower, towelling off my hair. I had about ten minutes to dress and get down to the kitchens. Sighing, I rubbed my stomach, which growled ravenously. I smirked, remembering Henry's promise of food and thinking of him in a 'kiss the cook' apron.

"Calm down, tummy. You'll get food soon."

I dressed quickly, pausing after opening the door, which gave an unusual creak, when my leg suddenly cramped. I cried out, clutching it.

"Ouch!"

My eyes went wide upon seeing a red stain slowly seeping through the fabric. A needle protruded from my thigh, a clear liquid inside that had failed to deposit inside my muscle. I quickly pulled it out, peering up to find a man in an old army suit standing just outside my window.

A moment later, all hell broke loose.

I scrambled out the door, my ears filling with the sounds of screams coming from all over the mansion. I clutched my head, falling to my knees.

'They're here!'

'Oh, god, Kai!'

'Where is Rogue?!'

'Piotr!'

'The kids, oh my god! We need to get to the safehouse.'

'NO!'

'RAYNE!"

I rose, opening my eyes. Everything was white, outlines a fuzzy gray. I could see things in red, oranges, yellows, blues, and greens. One appeared in front of me, hostility radiating from its frame, and I reacted on instinct. I brought my foot up to their crotch, kicking as hard as I could, before barreling down the stairs.

"Jillian!"

Piotr. Colossus. He grabbed my arms.

"Ve must get ze children to ze passageway. Follow me!"

The sound of shattering glass sounded to our right. Piotr took hold of my arm and drug me down the main hall. I heard a pair of screams from a hall we passed. Piotr stopped, looking me in the eye. He was an odd shade of grey, which explained why his skin was so hard.

"Find ze others, I vill go to zem!" He barked, disappearing down the hall. I stumbled, hitting the wall, blinking a few times as I tried to figure out what the hell my eyes were doing. When I regained footing, I ran down the hall, ordering the students to follow me when I saw them. Soon, I reached one of the wooden panels that hit the passageway, my hands touching every inch as I tried to find the trigger.

"C'mon, c'mon, you son of a bitch!" The lack of detail was beyond disorienting. I felt blind.

"Jillian!" Rogue ran up to me, slamming her fist down on the upper left corner. "Jillian, we need ta leave! Henry has a group of students in the north passages. Sabe has some in the east. Remy's roundin' up the rest with Piotr and Jubes."

"Where's Kai and Katrina?" I demanded as she tried to pull me into the passage.

"Ah think they're with the others. Jillian, come on!"

"Something isn't right!"

"No shit, we're being ambushed again! Get yer ass in here!"

"Go, I'll catch up with Gambit!"

"Jillian, don't fuckin' act like the hero! We've got it covered, now-"

I heard what sounded like a muffled gunshot before something pierced my side. I hissed, looking down to see another needle jabbed in my side. This time, though, the fluid was gone, meaning it had entered my system.

"Jilli-!" Rouge was cut off by the door shutting and locking. I stumbled forward, bracing myself against the wall. Bright flashes of color appeared in my eyes, and I felt myself slide down the wall, before everything turned black.

It was two hours before Henry received word from anyone. He had taken one of the many vans that they had collected over the years, and stuffed it over capacity with students. Many of them were unconscious due to a heavy sedative they'd been shot with.

It was like Striker all over again.

He turned down a gravel road, heavily shrouded with trees, and turned back to check on the students. Roxy Washington, a young woman with crystalline skin and features, was soothing Hope Abbot, who had fallen asleep crying at some point. Beside her sat Cessily, whose mercury-like skin rippled every so often as tears fell on her arms and legs. Alisa sat in the very back, talking with several other students who shifted between sitting in silent shock and crying.

Suddenly, a shrill ring filled the car, and the communicator was in his hand before he'd realized he'd picked it up.

"Beast."

'Oh, thank God.' Rogue's voice emitted from the device. 'Professor McCoy, are you or any of yer students injured?'

"Other than a few pin-pricks and some bruises, we're all physically fine. Where are you?"

'Highway, headed south-bound ta the safehouse. Ah'm assumin' yer doin' the same.'

"Affirmative. Any news on the others?"

'Piotr contacted me earlier, said he's got about eight, including Kitty. I've got four. Haven't heard from Remy, Victor, or Jubilee.'

"Is Jillian with you?" He questioned.

'.. The door closed before she got there.' She said as softly as she could.

He wasn't aware that he'd gripped the steering wheel tightly until it gave a very audible crack in his hand. Roxy gasped, chrome eyes peering up at him through the rear-view mirror.

"Professor McCoy?"

'Ah'm sure someone got 'er out, Henry.' Rogue soothed. 'Remy was in the same area Ah was. I bet he has 'er.' A beep emitted from the line. 'Someone's callin'.Might be Rem or Jubes. Ah'll see ya in a couple hours. Be safe.'

Click!

Silence. He adjusted his grip on the steering wheel, glancing up to meet Roxy's eyes.

"I'm fine."

"Is Doctor Sinclair okay?"

Henry tore his eyes away, staring down the road. He found that he couldn't form words. Roxy gave him an understanding nod and went back to calming the others. The children. He had to make sure the children got to safety.

He pushed aside his feelings and drove on.

I was jostled harshly while someone whispered urgently to another. The voices sounded far away, under water. I couldn't make out whether they were familiar or not. The smell of smoke filled my nostrils as I inhaled, coughing raggedly.

"She's awake."

I opened my eyes, wincing when I discovered a bright light hovering right above me.

"Can you hear us?" Someone poked my side.

"Stop jabbing her, Rayne!"

"I'll do what I please, Fredrick. Look! It worked! She'd sitting up!"

I groaned softly, pushing the light away from my eyes.

"Ouch."

"Told you that wasn't a good idea, Paras. I said you'd blind her."

"At least I tried." The purple teen defended.

"Jillian? Can you hear us?"

"Yes, Rayne. I can hear you." I sat up, wincing as my head throbbed. "Where are we?"

"An RV." Fredrick announced. As if to accentuate the point, we hit a bump, the vehicle bouncing lightly.

"Where did you get an RV?" I asked.

"The garage. Sabertooth led us to it."

Said man grunted from the front driver's side. I rose, clutching the built-in furniture, and made my way to the front. Lily smiled sheepishly from the passenger seat. I knelt down, examining the gash on her forehead.

"Does that hurt?"

"Not really." She shrugged. "Kinda throbs, though."

"I need to disinfect that. Where's the First Aid kit?"

"To the left of the sink, lower cabinet." Victor informed me.

As if on cue, Paras appeared with it. I smiled up at him.

"Thanks. You have anything that needs looked at?"

He shook his head.

"I am well."

"Will you ask the others to come see me if they're even scratched, please?"

"Yes."

I returned my attention to Lily, who was biting her lip. Her bright red hair had fallen over the wound. I quickly broke into the kit, sliding on a pair of gloves. I debated on whether using Iodine or Bactine, opting for the latter due to its anesthetic which would help pain from appearing for a good hour.

"I'm just going to use this, okay? It'll sting for a second, but then you'll feel right as rain, okay?"

Lily nodded. I sprayed some onto a gauze pad before gently patting it against her cut. She winced lightly, but otherwise showed no sign of discomfort. After checking how deep it was, I fashioned a bandage out of a gauze pad and medical tape for her.

"There. Feeling better?"

"Yep. Do I have to get out of the chair now?"

"Yep. Sorry, sweetie. Here, let me help you." I walked her over to the couch, motioning for a few of the other kids to move so she could lay down and rest. "Anyone else need looked at?"

"Frail, ya might wanna come look at this." Victor said from the front as he turned down a gravel road. I looked up to see a black SUV pulled over, one of the students scrambling out flailing his arms. Victor stopped the RV just in time for a student I hadn't talked to before ran in.

"W-we need help!" He panted. It was then that I noticed his hands were bloody. I grabbed the first aid kit, following him down to the SUV. Inside, I heard someone groan in agony. Remy popped his head out.

"Cher! Man, aren't you a sight for Remy's sore eyes! We got a bit of a problem 'ere."

I looked in to see Jubilee, torso smeared with blood, sweat dripping from her brow. I stared at her, rushing forward.

"How long has she been like this?"

"Since we left the mansion." He said. "She wen' back for another kid, got shot point-blank by one'a those soldier freaks."

"With which gun?" I asked, digging through the first aid kit.

"Needle." Jubilee gritted out. "There's a needle digging into my intestines, I think."

"How long has it been?"

"A few hours."

"How long until we get to the safehouse?"

"Another couple hours at best, cher."

"Just get it outta me, Jillian, please!" Jubilee cried, throwing her head back. "It hurts!"

"It's going to hurt a lot worse if I'm digging around inside you without knocking you out first!" I shot back, my search through the kit becoming frantic now.

"The road's bumpy." Creed said from behind me. "She needs that thing out otherwise she won't make it."

"You're always the bearer of such wonderful news, Creed." Jubilee hissed before groaning again. I weighed the options, glancing back to see the kids crowded around the car. Doctor Sinclair took over.

"Creed, get the kids in the RV and close the door. Don't let them out, and turn on the radio or something. Keep them talking. Don't let them hear."

Creed, surprisingly, did as I asked immediately.

"Remy, you're going to be my assistant, okay? I'm going to need light, and lots of it."

Remy's hands suddenly began glowing a brilliant maroon.

"Remy's got you covered, Cher."

I pulled out a bottle of Oxycodone.

"Jubes, take two. If at any point you feel like you're going to pass out, tell me, okay?"

"I'll try." She swallowed the pills dry, grimacing. I climbed into the back of the SUV, closing the door so the kids couldn't see from the RV windows. Gathering up the tools I needed, I sterilized her abdomen while feeling around for any indication of where the needle might be.

"FUCK!" Jubilee cried out when I felt something hard a quite a few inches beneath my hand.

"Bingo.." I breathed. "Jubilee, look at me."

Her brown eyes were wide with fear when our gazes connected. I took her hand.

"You're going to be fine. This is going to hurt like hell, but I promise you that you're going to be fine."

"I trust you." She gave a nervous smile. Well, as much of a smile as one could manage in her situation. I locked eyes with Remy.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

I swallowed hard, then got to work.

Henry ran out to greet Rogue as she pulled into the driveway, meeting her halfway for an embrace.

"Thank god you're all right." He said as they pulled away, moving to help the kids out of the car. Rogue followed him as he led them inside. "Have you heard from the others?"

"Piotr is almost here. He said he was just about to turn down River's Creek Road, so he shouldn't be more than a couple of minutes. Still haven't heard from Creed, Remy, or Jubes."

He offered her a comforting hand, squeezing her shoulder lightly.

"I'm sure they're fine. Knowing Jubilee and Remy, I bet they were scouring the school making sure everyone was out of there."

Rogue was silent for a moment, before murmuring:

"That's why Ah'm worried.." She disappeared inside to tend to the children. Headlights illuminated the side of the house, and Henry turned just in time to see Piotr park. Students flowed out of the car, some crying, some bleeding, all looking to be in various states of shock. He rushed towards them, helping a younger girl walk as she stumbled. A makeshift brace was around her left ankle.

"She twisted it, running out." Kitty said as Piotr took the girl from Henry's arms. "It looks pretty bad."

"Vill you look at it?" Piotr asked.

"Of course!" He peered longingly down the black driveway before following them inside.

The safehouse, one of the school's many, was a two story, 8 bedroom summer home from Charles' youth. Complete with a basement and an attic, the house would fit everyone. It would be a tight fit, but it would work. It had in the past.

Henry motioned for Pitor to set the girl on the counter. If he recalled correctly, her name was Cheyanne. She had chestnut brown hair and mismatched eyes, one a deep blue, the other a startling amber, and looked to be around the age of 11.

"How are you, Cheyanne?"

"Fine." She squeaked. "My ankle is sore, though."

"I heard you took a rather nasty fall."

"The soldier man tripped me." She said softly. He felt his chest contort in rage.

"That wasn't very polite of him, was it?"

"Why were they there, Professor McCoy?"

Henry paused in the unwrapping of her ankle, again lost for words.

"I don't know Cheyanne."

Five hours later, we arrived at a huge summer home, all the windows darkened. We would have been there sooner, but I'd asked Victor to drive slowly so that Jubliee wouldn't get jostled too much. There were no cars present in the driveway, but Victor pointed out that there were tire tracks leading to some bushes. He mentioned something about Charles liking hidden garages, but I wasn't really paying attention. I suppose I was in shock, but I could've just been tired. My limbs ached, my brain hurt, and all I wanted was to sleep. It might have been a mixture of both.

The RV lurched to a halt, the engine sputtering a few times before being shut off. I rose slowly.

"I'm going to check on Jubilee before I go in."

"I'll get someone to help bring 'er in." He said as he left the RV, kids in tow. I traveled to the back room, where Jubilee lay in the bed, asleep. I watched her chest rise and fall, wincing at the bloody bandages across her torso. Her normally tan skin seemed ashen, and sweat continued to drip down her brow. I grabbed a wet rag, rinsing it, before blotting it off.

"Cher?" Remy asked softly from the door. "You gonna come in?"

"After I make sure Jubilee is okay when we get her inside." I muttered, placing the rag back in the bowl. The RV shifted, and in walked Piotr. Upon seeing me, he breathed in relief, coming forward to hug me.

"I vas vorried ven I had heard zat we didn't know vhere you all vere. I am glad to see zat you are all vell." He saw Jubilee, his face falling. "Or, at least, mostly vell. Here, I vill carry her."

I nodded, moving to the bed's side to gently press my hand against her shoulder.

"Jubilee, Piotr is going to carry you into the safe house, okay? You're safe. We're all safe."

Her eyes opened, hazy.

"Jillian..?"

"Yes, Jubes?"

"We're here?"

"Yeah."

"'Kay. Can I go back to sleep?"

"After Piotr carries you, yes."

Piotr came forward.

"Hullo."

"Carry me away, Prince Charming." She muttered almost deliriously. He smiled and lifted her into his arms as gently as possible. "Ouch. That's still tender, stud."

"I apologize. Come, let us go inside."

I followed them out, tripping over the RV step.

"Cher?" Remy's voice was worried as he caught me. I laughed.

"I haven't been this tired since I was an intern."

Remy chuckled softly.

"Let's get you inside."

As we got closer to the house, flashes of thoughts, like before, entered my mind. I clenched my teeth and continued walking.

'Where are the twins?'

'Why were the soldiers there?'

'First the registration act, then this. Is this going to be routine from now on?'

'I hope the mission is going well.'

'What the hell did they want?'

'Can we ever go back?'

A wave of pain crashed over me when they became overwhelming, and I fell forward. Remy, always quick, scooped me up as my vision began to fade.

"Have your eyes always been that black, Cher?"

I slipped into unconsciousness before I could answer his question.

Ethan Fredrickson was pleased, to say the least. The raid had been successful, and he found that all of his assumptions were true. The lab was indeed here, along with records of any and all research that took place within, as well as Cerebro, which was proving to be a bit of a challenge. He was a bit livid about losing damn near all the mutants, but that was something he could live with. He had plenty, at the moment.

Moving down the pristine hall, he paused upon hearing footsteps running towards him.

"Sir, where would you like those green twins we found stored?"

He thought about it, for a moment, before sighing.

"Bring them back to base, for now. And see to it that Charles Xavier is brought to me within the next four hours. I'm thinking we'll need him to get in. I'm not willing to see what would happen if we attempted to break in. Lord knows what kind of crazy safety measures he took to make sure nobody else got a look at this thing." He stroked the door with something akin to affection in his eyes. "Also, get the blue one with the symbols carved into his skin, just in case."

"Right away, sir."

"Oh, and, soldier? Tell Hartman that he has 24 hours to perfect the first sample of the pathogen. If Mr. Lensherr was correct in saying this magnificent machine is capable of connecting with every mutant on the planet, we should be able to have ourselves a little test run soon. Also, bring the mutants along with the pathogen. I want to see firsthand if it works."

Next chapter is bound to be action packed. Hold onto your seats, kiddies. You're in for a bumpy ride.

Feedback is always appreciated. :)