WHAT THEY DESERVE

SUMMARY: Scott and Mystique may be enemies, but they find that their goals can actually be combined.
DISCLAIMER: The X-people belong to Stan Lee, Bryan Singer and a bunch of other righteous dudes. The cops and doctors belong to me, although the names of the doctors belong to Michael Lehmann. Arsenic and Old Lace belongs to Frank Capra. The poem belongs to Bo Setterlind. An so on. (Does anyone really care?) All the events belong to me, though.
DISTRIBUTION: If you have any of my others, you can have this. Otherwise, ask first.
THIS IS A SEQUEL TO GOOD INTENTIONS. For those of you who haven't read that story, or have forgotten: Scott and Rogue were kidnapped by doctors who experimented on them to their powers. As a result of these experiments, Scott was blinded. The two of them managed to escape, but they had a hard time dealing with the physical and emotional trauma.
NOTE 1: This is extremely out of canon. Even more extreme for those of you who are comic fans.
NOTE 2: The film didn't say much about Mystique's personality, so I made one up. Also, I know that her affair with Sabretooth was over a long time ago, but since the film didn't care much for comic continuity I don't see why I should.


Please don't lie to me.
Scott tried to keep his voice calm, but under the circumstances he had to settle for keeping it from breaking. He was glad Jean had left the room.
Nothing but breaths, for almost a minute. Slow, deep breaths. Did doctors always breathe like that when they had something difficult to say?
I'm not lying, Scott. Until the swelling is down, we can't tell exactly what the damage is. But you're right. There are no chances of full recovery.
Scott asked, trying to cling to some kind of hope.
Hesitation before the answer.
Funny, that was supposed to be his nickname, not his chances of ever seeing the sun again. His head spun a little, and he got this crazy notion he was in an amusement park with a big sign: *Welcome to the world of the visually impaired.* Not that he could read signs anymore.
His link with Jean grew stronger and he knew she was coming back before she opened the door. He also knew that she knew, and when she leant down beside him, he noticed her attempt to not show her grief. Well, why shouldn't she grieve? He pictured himself at their upcoming wedding, walking with her down the aisle with his cane tapping the way. It was grotesque, impossible, but it was the way of things. All his hopes that it wouldn't come to that had proved futile. For a moment, he wished he had never had this operation at all. Every way he had learned to adapt, everything he had won back during the past six months, they suddenly seemed like so very little things, compared to the lifetime of darkness stretching out in front of him. One step forward, two steps back.
Tears slid down his cheeks, but his jaw set. Odds were there to be beaten, not to beat you. He couldn't do anything about being blind, but he certainly wouldn't accept being helpless. Scott Summers was a fighter. Always had been, always would be.

**********

Scott was relieved when he found a bench to sit down on. Although going out among people was actually more fun than he had thought, it was also exhausting, because there were so many things around him and so little to help him orientate. San Francisco was *big*.
It was also located in a state that had recently come up with some pretty nasty anti-mutant laws, which had made him eager to get Jean out of there and her unwilling to leave. Eventually, his stubbornness had proved greater than hers, and she had folded to his arguments. She was needed at the school, the professor had specifically called and told her that. Just because he needed to stay for observation a week or two didn't mean she had to be there too. She could always come back and pick him up later. Nobody was going to find out he was a mutant. The only way they could do that was by DNA tests, and they only tested people they arrested. All he had to do was not get arrested. Surely she trusted him not to get arrested?
She did, and she reluctantly agreed to go home, leaving her cellphone with him so that she could always get in touch.
All of his arguments had been true, but there was something he hadn't told her. On the news there had been lots of discussions about the new mutant laws and the committee of politicians, scientists and others who were assigned to plan what to do with the captured mutants. One of the members of that committee was a Doctor Jason Dean. The name meant nothing to her, and he didn't tell her what it meant to him. He didn't know what to do about it, or if he could do anything to stop it.
Scott reached for his portable CD player, trying to get his mind off the laws. The kids had given him a home-made CD with personal greetings to keep him company. Some of them were so optimistic they were painful to listen to now, but others were a real comfort. He counted quietly to himself as he fastforwarded to 15, and Sarah's voice reading a translation of a European poem.

*Never again a mean word about broken violins!
Once, I heard the Master himself play
having only two strings to use.
He stood among the trees
playing his favourite instrument
hymn after hymn, song after song
crystallized pain
and I knew:
That violin was me!
Others wouldn't have considered me worth playing,
but in His hands I was good enough.*

He leaned back, listening to the words while trying to maintain a poker face. He refused to cry in public. Sympathy from strangers was one of the things he didn't think he could ever learn to accept. All he wanted to do was fight them off, scream at them to leave him alone, to not make him more of an outcast than he already was. Real support was different, like the one he was getting from the kids. That helped him. Pity just made things worse.
One of the people walking by stopped in front of his bench and turned to him.
Scott, honey, fancy meeting you here! an affected female voice said.
He frowned, knowing for certain he had never heard that voice before.
I'm sorry, I... he started, but didn't get any further before the woman slid her arm around his shoulders and something very cold touched his neck.
Come with me, she said in a low voice. No tricks, or I'll blow your brains out. Is that clear, Cyclops?
He did as she told him, fumbling for his cane without finding it. Who the hell are you?
She laughed, pushing him gently forward. Oh, that's right, you have never seen me in this shape before.
Shape? Oh no.
She pushed him to the ground and sat down on his chest. That action alone told him that they were now out of public sight. He could probably wrestle her down, but first he had to get that gun away from his neck.
What do you want? he asked.
Victor was arrested this morning, she said, and her voice shivered a little for the first time. You're going to blast him out for me.
Sabretooth arrested? Any other time, he would have considered this good news. But with the laws running now... poor bastard.
I can't.
The gun pressed down harder. Aren't you supposed to be smart, Cyclops? Now, these people know I exist, so they're not letting anyone in. With your help, that won't be a problem, but I have to admit, I'm pretty desperate. Refusing to help me would not be a smart move.
I'm not refusing. I can't help you. I was caught myself six months ago by some doctors who destroyed my optic nerve. I don't have my powers anymore.
He could feel the uncertainty running through her body. Destroyed? But then how can you... Silence.
Blind. Yeah.
In astonishment at this revelation, she lost concentration just enough for Scott to kick her off and rip the gun from her hand before she had time to shoot. They both rose, facing each others, waiting for the next move.
It was Scott that finally made it, by slowly taking off his glasses. Even though he couldn't see her, he guessed what Mystique's thoughts must be.
I was telling you the truth. My beams are gone and I can't see. But if there's any other way I can help, I'm willing to do it. Not because you held a gun to my face, but because even though I think Sabretooth belongs in jail, he certainly doesn't belong in a California one.
A short silence, and then her voice, low. Okay. I could use an accomplice.
He was surprised at her willingness to trust him. She didn't ask any questions, didn't treat it like a trap. This must really have gotten her off balance. For some reason, it had never occurred to him that the members of the Brotherhood could care as much about each other as the X-men did. If it had been Jean in that jail... he felt sick at the thought, and reached out a hand to Mystique.
I'm really sorry, he said.
She pulled back, offended. What are you, feeling sorry for me? I'm getting pity from a *powerless* mutant? What kind of pathetic wimp do you take me for?
She started to walk off, fast and annoyed, and he called after her.
Could you please help me out of here?
She stopped and returned, taking his arm in a rather harsh way. Shouldn't you have one of those canes or something?
I do. It's over by the bench where you attacked me.
she said again, her voice sullenly irritated the way it is when you feel stupid. Okay, we'll go get it, and then we'll plan something. I hope you're as good a tactic as you claim.
It struck him that Mystique seemed to be a rather troublesome ally. But then again, he thought ironically, what had he expected?

**********

Why are you slowing down?
Mystique's impatience was refreshening in a way, but he had a feeling he would tire of it real soon. It wasn't *his* fault Sabretooth had been arrested, and he didn't much care for her way of behaving as if he was stalling on purpose.
This area is unknown to me, I need to locate.
There's nothing in front of you.
That's not the point. If he moved too quickly, he would miss most of the sounds, the smells, the way the ground felt below his feet, in short, everything that told him what this street looked like. Not even his friends understood that need completely. To Mystique he couldn't explain it at all.
She sighed deeply. The motel is only a block away, can't we just get there?
If it's that close, you have time to wait.
When they had reached the motel and she lead him inside, he deliberately slowed down even more, even though there was actually no need for it. Childish, certainly, but he wasn't going to let this murderous wench boss him.
Oh for crying out loud, she started, won't you...
He couldn't hold back a grin, and she stopped midsentence, letting go of his arm.
Are you fucking with me? she asked. Strangely enough, and for the first time, he detected a trace of laughter in her voice.
A little.
There was no other reply to that than a brief snort, but when she grabbed his arm again, her grip was softer, and she stopped harassing him.
The room had a humid smell, but seemed okay for a motel room. Mystique directed Scott to a chair and then sat down on the bed, which complained loudly through rusty springs. There was a long silence. Considering Mystique's eagerness to get here, that was unexpected. Finally, Scott asked:
So, who's body are you using now?
I don't know her name, she answered. Remember how your shaggy friend stabbed me? There was a Jane Doe in the same hospital room as me, who died while I was there. She's about the same size as me, so her shape is easy to use.
What name are you using then?
My own. Raven Darkholme. A sharper tone in her voice. Why are you asking so much?
I just wanted to know what to call you.
She thought for a second. Well, you can call me Raven and I'll call you Scott.
Sounds good to me.
Silence again. It wasn't so strange they didn't know what to say to each other, Scott thought. Last time they had met, they had tried to kill each other. But then again, a lot had been different last time they met, and even though they had separate ideas on how to treat humans, there were no differences when it came to atrocities committed to mutants.
How much do you know about Sabretooth? Scott asked.
He's kept in state prison, she said, mimicking his neutral tone of voice. I was in senator Kelly's shape when they caught him, and, unfortunately, I blew that cover. Stupid thing to do.
He flinched at the bitterness in her voice. Listen, My... Raven, you can't blame yourself...
Oh, can't I? she said, biting voice. They know I exist! I can't get through to him! If only I had kept the cover, maybe the senator's influence could have helped him somehow... although I doubt it. Quick breaths, almost sobs. He prayed that she wouldn't cry. He was lousy at dealing with his own emotions and worse at dealing with other people's, especially some ally that had recently been an enemy. Fortunately, her voice soon stabilised again. Do you know what they do to mutants in this state? A positive DNA test is enough to put you away. With a record like Victor's, he's lucky if he gets a trial before they kill him or lock him up forever. I don't know which would be worse. Victor can't stand being caged, he'll go nuts in a cell.
Scott noticed that she had used the word , fitting to Sabretooth's feral tendencies. At another time, he might have looked down on the man for those. Now he didn't. In Raven's voice, there was something that reminded him that animals of prey have pride and grandeur, and that a cage is always too small for them. An animal is not less than a man, it could be more.
We'll get him out, he said, trying to sound comforting.
she asked.
I don't know.
Not much of help, then.
He realised that when he had offered his help, that was what she had accepted. Sympathy was never part of the deal. That was something he could completely respect -- but it would have been easier if he had actually known how to help her.

**********

He had gotten used to the examinations by now and was no longer stuck in dreadful memories every time he approached a doctor. At first there had been a jolt of panic every time, but now there was none. Not until this day, when a somber doctor told him it was time to go home.
There is really nothing else we can do for you.
He couldn't go home. First of all, he had promised Raven to help her, and he was a man of his word. Second, and more important, he couldn't just walk away when people were capturing mutants. Next time it could be New York State, and himself.
Shouldn't I stay for a little longer? The gym sessions have really been useful.
That wasn't a lie, either. Since he had been blinded, he had taken great effort in keeping up his physical standard, but it was easier here, where he was helped in his training by people who had dealt with blind athletes before.
You don't actually need professional help to uphold those. You know the routine, you can ask anyone. Listen, I understand that this is frightening to you, but sooner or later...
When Scott realised the misunderstanding, it startled him so much he missed the rest. He supposed he would have been frightened, had there not been too many other things on his mind.
We'll call someone to come pick you up.
No. I'll do that.
In the thoughts chasing through his mind, he had found something useful. Obviously, if he was picked up by Jean or one of his other colleagues, none of the staff would bother to make sure he was actually on the plane. If he could only convince him to let him leave alone, he could sneak away and stay in town. He would have to tell Jean some plausible lie about why he wouldn't come home for a while, and lying wasn't his strongest side, but he could always ask Raven.
Of course. That was it. He wouldn't have to go alone after all.
I'll call... Jean, right away, he said, standing up.
He was glad that he wasn't offered help. It would have been hard to explain the local call. Raven had given him the number to her motel room and he had tried to memorize it. He could only hope he remembered it correctly. Since he was using his cellphone, there was really no risk anyone would notice the number was incorrect, but he still thought the sound of each button pressed down was so loud someone would soon come and say: Hey, that's not a New York number!
The voice in the other end of the line. Raven Darkholme.
Please, don't let anybody have heard that.
Hi, Jean, he said, in an attempt to sound normal. It's me. There sending me home now. He had to say more, they expected more. There hasn't been any change... but we didn't expect that either.
No, I guess we didn't. She was playing along, which was good, but her voice told him she didn't quite understand what was going on.
So, Jean, could you fly over and pick me up?
she said. I'll be there first thing tomorrow.
Great! Can't wait to see you again. It wasn't until he hung up that he realised how very ironic those words were. He had begun to use words like in his vocabulary again, but right now his lifelong and complete blindness had been confirmed, it should be too painful.
The reason it wasn't had something to do with the fact that he had been expecting and fearing this moment for the past six months, but it had a lot more to do with something else. He was involved in a dangerous, illegal and almost hopeless plan to save mutants in trouble. For the first time since what had felt like a lifetime, he felt like Cyclops again.

**********

He knew Raven was good, but he hadn't quite realised that she was *that* good. When she walked in that door with Jean's way of walking, voice like Jean's, the hand that took his exactly like Jean's, it was hard even for him to remember that it wasn't really Jean. The only thing that stopped his heart from beating faster was that there was no link, an absence as intrusive as if she had suddenly spoken with a bass voice.
She didn't kiss like Jean, either. It shocked him when her lips brushed against his, but then he realised that it made perfect sense. If it had been Jean, they would certainly have kissed, and so he pressed closer instead of pulling away, giving it every bit of passion he could. It must have been enough, because she gasped a little. Maybe he had overdone it. He had a feeling it was more of a private kiss than a public one.
A man's hand taking his. Goodbye, Scott. It's been good to have you here. No apologies for the lack of results. None were needed. He knew they had given it their best shot, and it wasn't hard for him to smile at the unseen face.
It's been good to be here.
Then he followed Raven outside, and by now the lack of linking was so fierce he was amazed nobody else noticed it. He had to learn optimistic thinking -- but you didn't become a good leader by making half-hearted plans and rely on hope.
They hadn't walked long before Raven stopped.
he asked. He knew they hadn't reached her motel yet.
I should change. I can't very well leave my room as a brunette and come back a redhead, can I? Cover for me.
She gently pushed him aside to hide her from view, and it struck him how much her way of treating him had changed over the past few days. They hadn't come up with something really useful yet, but she knew his helpfulness was for real, and she treated him as an ally instead of a temporarily useful enemy.
she said after a minute or so, her voice back to what it had sounded like for the past couple of days. I'm done, let's go.
By now he knew the way to the motel and no longer had to slow her down. Bakery -- fountain -- rusty vane -- and here we are. He sat down in her worn old armchair and took a deep breath.
Time for the hard part. What am I going to tell Jean?
Raven moved around in the room, and he heard the snap of his suitcase opening. I guess the truth is out of the question?
Definitely. Do you mind not messing with my stuff?
She didn't listen. Yeah, Victor's not going to like it when he realises you're helping me out, I guess your people feel the same way. You could always say you met a woman.
Funny. Please get out of my stuff, I need to keep them in order.
Something was thrown into his lap. What book is this?
He sighed and let his fingers move over it. Oliver Twist.
Good one. You can actually read that stuff?
Slowly, but yeah. What's all this about? he asked, indicating her restlessness.
I think better when I'm doing something. Okay, here it is. You simply tell Jean you need to stay in town a little longer, talk to a few people, get some stuff... tell her you're getting a dog. Are you getting a dog?
No. But it's not a bad idea, that kind of thing could work. Thanks. He picked up the phone, but before he dialed the number, he said: One more thing.

Next time you need to think, use your own stuff.

**********

He didn't know if Jean believed a word he said. It was too far away for their link to work, and he hoped he had sounded believable. Raven claimed he had, and Raven was a great liar, so she ought to know. That didn't stop his body from tensing every time the phone called. It could be Jean, demanding the truth, and then what would he say? This was none of his business anyway, it ought to be Magneto... but Magneto was in a prison even more secure than Sabretooth's.
A phone signal made him jerk immediately, and he had to force his breaths to slow down before he took it.
Nothing else, but with those vowels, he didn't need anything else.
Rogue! Hi! What's up?
Not much. Pause. I miss you. We all do.
He bit his lip. I miss you too, but there are some things I have to do. It was even harder to lie to Rogue than to lie to Jean, and so he stayed at this half-truth.
Yeah, I know, I... Her voice broke, and he heard muffled sobs. Oh, shit. Even if he had been there for her, he would have felt awful to hear her cry. Now, knowing that there was nothing he could do, it was even worse.
Are you okay?
Am *I* okay!? Now the sobs weren't even muffled anymore. You're the one in a house full of doctors... and they couldn't even help you...
Rogue, please, he said helplessly. The last thing he wanted was the girl to cry for him.
Attempts to quiet down. I'm sorry. I just wish there was something I could do. You've done so much for me.
That simple statement, that warmth in her voice. *Oh, Rogue, how could you ever think you're not doing anything for me?* His thoughts just wouldn't become words. Just don't cry. I'm... He couldn't say that he was okay. Considering the circumstances, he was fine, but it was pretty crappy circumstances. We knew this could happen.
The door opened, and Raven's rushed steps came over the floor. Scott, this is getting serious.
He hushed her and told Rogue: I have to get off.
Who was that?
Just a nurse. Take care, okay? He turned off the phone and then turned to Raven. Even though he heard her better with his side to her face, habit was hard to break. What is it?
She read out loud from what must be a newspaper. 'Prized MD on the 'wildman' case. Although the work of the California Committee of Mutant Control (CCMC) has shown great result, the case with the captured mutant wildman still puzzles police and scientists. Medical expert Elizabeth Finn has been called in from New York State...'
Hold it, Scott interrupted, feeling strangely cold. What was that name?
Elizabeth Finn, Raven repeated.
Betty Finn. He stood up, too distressed to sit. We have to stop them. We have to get him out of there.
That's what I've been saying all along.
He shook his head. You don't understand. Betty Finn designed the crystal that ruined my eyesight. There's no telling what damage she can do to him.
Shocked silence filled the room for a while, but then there was a thoughtful question from Raven:
So you know the woman?
What kind of a question was that? Scott had to bite his lip so he wouldn't start yelling at her. His voice was cold when he replied. Every day, I wake up to the effects of her work. Every night I can still hear the voices of those doctors, feel them touching me... So, yeah, I know her.
Raven's voice was still calm, if anything a little milder. Do you know her enough to teach me to be her?

**********

Scott paced back and forward in the motel room, waiting for Raven to call. Everything in his life seemed to circle around that cellphone. He shouldn't have let her go through with this. If anything went wrong he would never find out. He wasn't good at staying behind while other people acted, but he couldn't very well come along. Raven was an excellent shapeshifter and a fine liar, but if he was with her, Betty Finn would most certainly have been suspicious anyway.
Why did it take so long? She was supposed to call as soon as she had gone through with the kidnapping. Something must have happened. Maybe she ran in to someone who knew the reporter whose features she had borrowed, someone who could tell the difference.
That was ridiculous. When Mystique was in a good shape, no one could tell the difference, not unless she let her tongue slip, and she was really good at avoiding that.
Finally, the awaited signal came, and he threw himself at the phone.
He had expected the man's voice she had when leaving, but instead he got a slow, husky, cultivated, feminine one that made his spine chill. I'm done.
His mouth was dry, and even though he knew it had to be Raven, he couldn't help asking: Who is this?
It's me, stupid. I did as you said and kept her alive, so I had to wait until we got to her hotel before I could take over. It's the Palace Hotel. Take a cab and meet me here. Oh, and your name is Mr. Rochester.
Scott had to laugh. You're kidding me.
Well, it's the first thing I came up with! I had to rearrange the reservation to get a double room, and they asked what my 'friend' was called.
Double room. Scott hadn't thought that far. It made more sense than two singles, but the only thing that made him more tense than the thought of sharing a bed with Mystique was the thought of sharing it with the doctor.
Hey, you're the one who didn't want me to kill her, you have to help me keep watch. So to speak. Besides, it's a whole suite, you could sleep in a chair.
I guess. I'll be right over then.
Do that. Bye!
After a quick call for a cab, he shut off the phone and grabbed their belongings, grateful that they were already packed. *That* had been less than hilarious. Raven had become rather put off when she had packed his things and he had repacked them, allowing her only to pile them. He could understand her reaction. Not only was it a waste of time to do it twice, but this was the first time she had tried to do him a favour, and he had rejected it. Even though their behaviour now was most definitely friendly, they still didn't understand each other. Maybe they never would.

**********

After dealing with a friendly taxi driver, a friendly receptionist, friendly piccolos, the Devil and his grandmother (all very friendly), Scott knocked on the hotel room door.
Just a moment! That voice again, and after a minute or so, the door opened. Hello, S-Simon! He heard the vague slip of her tongue, even though the piccolo probably didn't. I'm so glad you're here. Come on in!
She gently pushed him inside, and then the changes in her voice told him she had turned to the piccolo. Thank you for your help.
Footsteps left and Raven closed the door.
Where is she? he asked as soon as the piccolo's footsteps had faded.
In the bedroom, chained to the bed. Raven now spoke with a different voice, one he hadn't heard in quite a while, and he realised she was back in her original shape.

I got some manacles from a kinky store. Raven laughed a little. The bitch thought I was trying to seduce her when I followed her here. She seemed rather flattered, maybe she wouldn't have minded the manacles if I had only undressed her.
Scott frowned. He didn't usually mind joking in a stressed situation, not even dirty jokes, but this was different. Disoriented in the strange room, he took a few trying steps.
You try kidnapping a person in a hotel elevator, Raven said , defensive to his dislike. Why didn't you let me kill her? She probably deserves to die anyway.
Lots of people deserve to die. That doesn't give you the right to act as jury, judge and executioner. He couldn't find the bedroom door and was getting edgy.
Raven's hand on his arm, calming him down, had a cool roughness that wasn't quite leathery but almost. He realized that he had never actually touched her in her real shape before.
I need to talk to her.
Without replying, she led him to the bedroom. There was someone else inside, someone who gave a surprised gasp.
Dr. Finn, meet my associate, Raven said in a taunting voice. I believe you two have met before.
A rattle of chains indicated that the victim tried to escape. What do you want with me? Her voice was low, but panicked.
I for one don't want anything, Raven said softly. Just the opportunity to use your body without intervention. I'd be just as happy seeing you dead. And, just to repeat the basic rules, if you scream, try to escape, try to evoke attention or behave less than well in any other way, you will die.
Scott didn't like the way Raven used threats, it was too much like torture, but he didn't object. He just took a few steps forward. I want something. But what was it he wanted? Answers -- but he had them all. Every despicable thing they had done to him, they had explained thoroughly first. What they were doing, why they were doing it, why they were right. Regret, maybe. As if she would show any. For all he knew, she could have experimented on hundreds of mutants. But she remembered him, that gasp had told him that. His fate mattered to her, it *had* to matter. I want you to look at me, and know what you have done.
She started protesting immediately, in a reasoning tone despite her obvious fear, as if she was having a lecture. The crystal I invented was designed to stop the effects of your mutation, which, I might add, was an extremely dangerous one. From that point of view it was successful. As for your... She fumbled for words, apparently unable to use any of the obvious ones. That was an unfortunate side effect, that...
*Side* effect? You're talking about my life! Every single second of every single day for the rest of my life I will have to live blind because of you people! That is not a side effect!
He couldn't stand it anymore and turned to leave. He sat down on the first chair he found, leaning his head in his hands. One step away from hyperventilating.
Raven's footsteps weren't her usual energetic ones as she walked in and closed the door behind her. She seemed almost cautious. *Please don't let her talk to me.*
If you don't want to go through with this, I understand.
We have to get him out.
Yes, but I could still kill her.
He should have known she would come to that.
A deep sigh, then a short silence. I'm not exactly keen on taking all the watching hours, but I could do it.
Second time she tried to make him a favour, and he rejected it again. He was Cyclops, he wasn't going to be intimidated by some doctor. No, I can do it. He hoped that was true. Especially since he would have to tell Raven everything to prepare her for being Dr. Finn. She had said she would need details, but he wasn't sure she wanted them, and he was positive he didn't want to tell.
As if any of them had a choice.

**********