The X-team went to the base of the statue of liberty. Cyclops stopped them then looked up. "The torch," he said.
"Do you want me to fly up there, Scott?" Storm asked. "I might be able to release Rogue and get her down here."
"How are you gonna do that?" Wolverine asked. Storm slipped a hand into her pant pocket, and pulled out a lock pick kit. "Where did you get that?"
"Please, Logan, I've had it for a long time."
"Alright," Scott said, "you can go. But if there's any trouble, leave the girl and come find us immediately."
Storm nodded, then manipulated the winds to ride up. When she reached the top, she went over the railing and landed softly. "Rogue," she called out softly. "Rogue, if you can hear bang on something." A small metallic sound rang out. She found the door to get inside the torch. She found Rogue chained to two small metal poles.
"Storm!" Rogue cried out in relief.
Storm crossed over to the center of the torch and took a look at the chains. She took out one of her picks and slipped it in to the locks. It took only a few seconds to unchain the first one and a few more for the second one. "Let's go," Storm said. Rogue was more than happy to comply. However, when they reached the door, there was a soft growl. Storm instantly realized who was there. "Back, back," Storm whispered. Rogue went behind Storm, then went a little farther back. The door opened and Magneto and Sabretooth stepped in.
"Well, well, well," Magneto said. "If it isn't the Windrider. Where's the rest of your little party?"
"On the jet," Storm replied. "They sent me up here to fetch the girl."
Sabretooth snarled and Magneto nodded. "You're lying."
Storm got a little nervous. Sabretooth started to advance towards her. She suddenly had an idea. She couldn't get a lightning bolt in here because of Rogue, but if Rogue left, then Storm could produce one. Storm's eyes turned white as she grabbed Rogue and headed toward the center of the torch. Storm created a small vortex that lifted Magneto and Sabretooth off their feet, and heard them crash into each other. She knew that Sabretooth would be back on his feet minutes, though, and led Rogue to the entrance. "When I say, run, your going to run as fast as you can and not look back. The others will probably be delayed by Magneto's henchmen. When you find them, tell them where I am."
Rogue nodded just as Sabretooth came out."Run!" Storm cried. Rogue bolted down the ramp. Storm's eyes went white again as she created a small thunderhead, filled with electricity. She shot it at Sabretooth. Sabretooth dodged the bolt, but it struck the metal. Unfortunately, Magneto's clothes were insulated, as were Sabretooth's shoes. Sabretooth took a swipe at her. She managed to avoid having her face damaged, but he still caught her arm. She cried out in pain, and grabbed her arm for a moment, then looked at Sabretooth. She knew Sabretooth could overpower her easily, but she was left with limited options. She swung at him.
X
Rogue ran down the ramp and through a flight of stairs. She saw Logan fighting Mystique. "Logan!"
Logan stopped and looked up to see Rogue. Mystique took advantage and kicked him where it hurts. He gasped and doubled over. Rogue took off a glove as Mystique went up to her level. Logan recovered though and climbed to the second floor. Both of them reached her at the same time and started to fight again. Mystique knocked Logan off his feet, but her mistake was having her back turned to Rogue. Rogue touched her skin and Mystique passed out. "Thanks, kid," Logan said. Then he looked around, as if expecting to see someone with her. "Where's Storm?"
"She's fighting Sabretooth at the top of the torch." Logan knew that was bad. Storm's power was limited up there.
They ran off and found another door. When they opened it, Jean and Cyclops were standing there. "Whoa, easy, there it's me," Logan said.
"Prove it," Cyclops ordered.
Before Logan could answer, Rogue stepped out from behind him. "Will you guys just stop it?"
"That's Rogue," Jean pointed out. "Where's Storm?"
"Fighting Sabretooth in the torch."
"What?" Cyclops demanded. "She was supposed to come down if there was any trouble."
"I was released by the time trouble got there."
They dashed back to the entrance of the torch, where they saw Storm trying to fight Sabretooth, hand-to hand. "Is she crazy?" Logan demanded. "Sabretooth could take her down in seconds."
"She knows that," Jean said. She was obviously reaching to Storm telepathically. "I can't get a full read on her mind... but she's desperate."
X
Storm's arm was grabbed and twisted behind her. She stomped on Sabretooth's foot, then elbowed him in the nose. Sabretooth grabbed his nose, and Storm stood by. She gave a high-kick, but her foot was caught as Sabretooth grabbed it, and yanked it forward. Storm fell flat on her back and blacked out.
X
"Great," Scott muttered as he turned to Jean. "Is she alright?"
"She's unconscious," Jean replied, "but I think she'll be alright."
"Okay," Scott said, turning to face them. "Rogue, you and I will go back to the ship and-"
"You all better get out of here," Logan warned.
"What's up?" Rogue asked.
"I can't move." Suddenly a piece of the statue came down and knocked them all back against the wall, off of their feet. Jean, and Scott were side-by-side, and, since Rogue was behind Jean in the first place, she consequently stuck behind her. Magneto levitated down. "Ah," he said. "My brothers." Then he turned to face Logan. "And you. Let's point those claws into a safer direction."
He magnetically forced Logan to cross his arms and bound them. Sabretooth came down, carrying Storm with him. She started to wake up when Magneto threw against the wall, and pinned her body and hands with three strips of metal. "You better close your eyes," Magneto said to Cyclops as Sabretooth went to take off his visor. Storm was fully awake by then.
"Storm," Scott said bitterly, "fry him."
"Ah, yes. A bolt of lightning into a huge copper conductor. I thought you lived at the school. Besides, she's already tried."
He turned to Storm. She looked away. "You see," he said triumphantly. "She won't even tell you of her failure."
He turned on his com. "Mystique? Mystique?"
"I've seen Senator Kelly," Jean said.
"So the good senator survived his and the swim to shore, he's becoming more powerful than I could imagine."
"He's dead."
"It's true," Storm said speaking up. Magneto turned and walked toward her. "I saw him die; like those people down there will die."
"Are you sure you saw what you thought you saw?" Magneto asked ominously.
"He dissipated right before my eyes." Storm replied bitterly, knowing it'd be awhile before she got the picture out of her eyes. "And it was because of that machine you used."
"Why do none of you understand what I'm trying to do? Those people down there, they control our fate and the fate of every other mutant! Well, soon our fate will be theirs. If we can find the girl..."
Rogue kept quiet when she was behind Jean. Sabretooth walked around them, sniffing each of them. He paused for a moment longer when he reached Storm, and stroked her cheek. Storm looked away until he moved on. Then he came back to Jean. Jean stared at him defiantly. "She's behind her."
Magneto slowly unraveled Jean's restraints, and Sabretooth took Rogue, screaming of course. Storm looked away, knowing this was her fault. She started tugging slightly at her restraints, trying to heat the metal. Magneto started levitating up, ignoring Storm. "Great, Storm," Scott said. "Instead of rescuing her, you stall and get her re-captured."
"Scott," Jean scolded.
"You know he's right," Logan said.
"Logan!"
Their words stung. They stung like her wounds did on the day when she was being teased by the kids in her tribe. The day her powers manifested. Tears started to form in her eyes, and she tried even harder to melt the metal. Her heart ached at the thought that she may just have gotten Rogue killed. Sabretooth suddenly jumped down from above them and she stopped. He started to head towards her, until Logan dropped down. Sabretooth looked down and grabbed Logan. Logan stabbed him, and Sabretooth threw him out of sight.
Storm started to try her melting plan again. "Storm," Jean called. "What're you doing?"
"Trying to melt my restraints?" Storm strained.
"Storm, don't. The metals starting to get hot. It could scald us."
"Sorry," Storm said as she stopped. Suddenly, there was a loud scraping and Wolverine's claws suddenly poked through the copper. Then Sabretooth leaped down and strode toward her, and again stroked her cheek. This time though, she didn't look away.
"You owe me a scream," he whispered.
Logan jumped down. "Hold it bub, I'm not finished with you yet."
X