Uh…yeah. It's been three months. Sorry. I wanted to give you guys a big update, but it took WAY longer than I thought. Good news, though. It IS a big update, for me anyway. And you get lots of action. Woo hoo! So, enjoy. Thanks for the reviews, by the way. I appreciate them VERY much, especially the corrections and suggestions. Next chapter will probably have Cloud in the danger room. Until then!

When Cloud stepped out of the Professor's study he found the Summers kid waiting for him. Now he knew why the man had seemed a little strange. It was because he was a mutant. Of course, Cloud supposed that the people in this world would think himself a mutant if they didn't know any better.

Scott fidgeted under Cloud's eyes and then hurriedly blurted out some words.

"You want breakfast before you see your room?"

"Alright."

"Um…follow me then."

Cloud nodded and trailed silently behind Scott, his blue eyes flickering over the plush mansion furnishing. They passed another hallway perpendicular to their own and Cloud heard several voices engaged in conversation.

When they had tramped through what he guessed to be half the house, they arrived in a spacious kitchen occupied by two others, a woman and a teenager. The teenager stared quite unabashedly at Cloud while the woman turned around from facing the teen and smiled warmly. She held out a hand and Cloud accepted it, shaking firmly.

"Ororo Munroe. Nice to meet you, Mr. Strife."

"Cloud."

"Cloud." She affirmed. Motioning to the teen, she spoke again.

"This is my nephew, Evan."

"Hey." Evan waved weakly.

"Would you like some breakfast, Cloud? There's some eggs and toast leftover from the morning rush, or cereal, if eggs aren't your thing." Ororo asked kindly.

"Eggs are fine." Cloud replied, taking a seat across from Evan, who was busily eating his cereal.

Scott poured himself a glass of orange juice and sat down next to Evan.

While Ororo busied herself fixing a plate for Cloud, the two young mutants took it upon themselves to find more about their mysterious visitor.

"So, Cloud, where ya' from?" Evan asked.

"Midgar." Cloud answered and accepted a plate from Ororo with a thanks.

Scott and Evan shared a glance as Cloud forked some of the scrambled eggs into his mouth.

"Why are you here?" Scott tried.

"Not sure." Cloud replied in between bites, not glancing up from his plate.

"Um, are you a mutant?" Evan asked, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"No." Was the monosyllabic answer.

"Then you're human, right?" Scott continued.

"…"

Scott and Evan looked at each other nervously. This guy was as tight as a clam.

Cloud stood up suddenly and took his plate over to the sink, were he proceeded to wash it carefully.

"Third cupboard to your right." Scott offered, seeing Cloud's intentions.

Cloud stored the plate with its fellows.

"Thank you, Cloud. You must have a woman at home to teach you those manners." Ororo said playfully, reappearing from somewhere with an accusatory glance at Scott and Evan.

Cloud's eyes got a far off look in them and his jaw tightened ever so slightly.

"Uh, want me to show you your room now?" Scott broke in, deciding it was a good time to break the mounting tension.

The blonde returned to the land of the living and nodded.

Scott led him through the lavish entry way and up a double, oak staircase under a crystal chandelier. They quickly reached a hallway with many doors and Scott stopped at one near the far end. He opened the wood door to reveal a spacious door room.

There was a twin bed with blue sheets, a large desk with a lamp and a computer, a closet, and a sliding glass door that led to a balcony. It was a very nice room, and it was immaculate as far as cleanliness went.

"This'll be your room. Most of the second floor is boy's dorms, and the girls' are on the next floor up. You get this room to yourself, but you'll have to share the bathroom with everyone else. That's right across the way.

"Your clothes are already hanging in the closet. Me and some of the guys were going to go out to the mall a little later, so if you wanna come along you can pick up some more clothes and stuff." Scott explained.

Scott watched as Cloud walked about the room, running his long fingers across the smooth wood of the desk. It was hard to tell what he was thinking. His expression was a cross between a frown and a quizzical tilt of the mouth.

"Thank you." He said simply, turning to Scott.

"Um, we're leaving at five, if you'd like to go." Scott offered.

Cloud smiled ever so slightly.

"I'll be there."

When Cloud finally found the garage, he saw Scott, Kurt, and Evan waiting by a red and white-striped convertible. A set of keys dangled casually from Scott's hand, who straightened up when he caught sight of Cloud.

Seeing the casualness of this world's dress, Cloud had left his armor, gloves, and coat behind and just stuck with the shirt and pants. He didn't want to seem too out of place. The guys hopped into the car and Cloud followed suit, taking shot-gun next to Scott.

The car roared quickly to life and they swung out of the driveway and onto the blacktop of the roads. Cloud watched the scenery as they passed, noting that it was a lot like his own world, only brighter and more care-free. These people didn't have the worries that plagued everyone in Midgar and the surrounding areas.

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the mall, which was a huge building swarming with all types of people. Scott parked the car and everybody jumped out. They entered the cool interior of the mall and Cloud was led to what was obviously a clothes store. Shopping and fashion seemed to be somewhat of a sport here. Cloud had never seen people care so much about what they wore.

He began wading through the racks of clothes while the other boys did the same a few feet away.

After searching and searching only to find that they had everything but his size, Scott turned with a frustrated sigh to find that Cloud had been surrounded by a pack of female workers and other women. They were all making suggestions and pointing out certain styles. On his part, Cloud looked hopelessly overwhelmed. It was actually kind of comical.

Scott grabbed the other man's arm and pulled out of the ring of eager women over to another part of the store. After that, things went pretty smoothly and Cloud was able to get some jeans and casual shirts. He seemed not to really care what he wore, as long it fit.

After changing into some of his new, less noticeable clothes, namely a pair of jeans, a dark green shirt, and a black jacket, the two men grabbed Kurt and Evan and the four headed to pick up some other necessities.

An hour or two later, the four were passing by the food court, having picked up everything they needed and then some. Cloud's jaw was set in a determined manner, and he looked like all he wanted to do was get out of the mall as fast as he could.

"So, we got everything?" Scott asked.

"Yes." Cloud answered, a little too quickly.

Kurt laughed and elbowed Cloud playfully, who gave Kurt a death glare.

All of a sudden, Cloud felt Scott stiffen beside him and he looked to see four boys headed their way.

One was grotesquely fat; one had shoulder-length brown hair with clothes that screamed 'tough guy;' the third had stark white hair; and the last seemed to hop when he walked.

Lance, Todd, Freddy, and Pietro were wandering around the mall, their usual routine, when Lance spotted the X-geeks walking by the food court. As far as he could tell from where he stood, it was Summers, the fuzzy one, and that skateboarding kid.

Lance nudged Pietro and the four Brotherhood mutants quickly changed course to intercept the X-geeks. After a few strides Lance noticed someone else walking with them.

He had the strangest blonde hair spiking out in all directions. He was about as tall as Summers, but he looked in his early twenties. As they neared the other four, Lance called out to them.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here! The X-geeks!" Tough guy sneered.

"Yeah, fancy meeting you here!" Albino parroted.

Cloud watched as Scott tensed further and sped up his pace.

"C'mon, guys, let's leave." Scott said through clenched teeth.

"Aw, we just wanted to meet your new friend!" Albino sighed in mock-disappointment.

"Just ignore 'em." Evan muttered under his breath.

"Summers! You did tell your new lackey about the competition, right? Maybe he wants to have a little fun with us." Tough guy chided.

Scott stopped and turned around, fists clenched.

"He's not a mutant, Lance." He said in a strained glance.

Lance looked surprised and his gaze flickered briefly on Cloud. Then he laughed.

"Heck, I was sure he was, with that hair!" Lance called out, chuckling again. He turned to his friends and motioned for them to follow.

"C'mon, let's split. These geeks ain't any fun."

Cloud watched impassively as they brushed past him. He surmised from the exchange that they were part of the 'rival' mutant group the Professor had been talking about. When they were out of earshot, he turned to Scott.

"Friends of yours?"

"Yeah. They're part of the Brotherhood." Scott muttered back.

"Let's get back to the mansion." Kurt suggested, and everyone agreed.

Cloud returned to his room and put away his new things. Even with the new stuff, it still seemed pathetically empty. His old room at the Seventh Heaven flashed before his eyes and he sighed, wondering if he'd ever get back there. Poor Tifa, she'd have to run the orphanage all by herself.

A smile rose on his lips as he thought of her. She was the most fiercely independent woman he'd ever known, not that he'd known many. She'd manage, and the others would surely stick around to help.

"Wonder how Marlene and Denzel are doing?" He murmured quietly.

A pang of sadness rose in his chest and he pushed it back annoyed.

A door slammed somewhere down the hall and it was followed by someone rushing quickly down the hallway. Another door opened and closed, and then several people went flying by. Cloud frowned and stuck his head out the doorway, only to have it just about taken off by a boy speeding past his room.

"Hey, save some for me!" He called as he sprinted around the corner.

Cloud stepped out of his room only to be slammed into from behind. He turned around to find a pretty red-head on the floor.

"Oh great, there won't be anything left at this rate!" Jean cried as she raced down the halls to the mess room. She was running past the boys' dorms when she ran into something painfully solid and sat down hard on the floor.

She looked up to see what she'd run into only to be caught by a pair of ethereal, blue eyes. They belonged to the one of the most gorgeous men Jean had every seen. He had soft blonde hair done in a myriad of spikes. His face was caught in a contemplative frown. The silver wolf earring that dangled from his ear caught the light as he shifted and offered her a callused hand.

Jean smiled warmly and accepted the hand gratefully. The man pulled her up with surprising ease.

"Excuse me." He said in a resonant, almost melancholy voice.

"No, no, it was my fault." Jean said hurriedly as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"My name's Jean Grey. Are you new here?" She asked, motioning him to join her as she headed for the mess hall. He fell into step and nodded.

"Cloud Strife." He offered.

"Nice to meet you, Cloud. Um, if you don't mind me asking, what do you do?" Jean questioned, somewhat hesitantly.

"Do?" He replied, looking puzzled.

"Yeah, ya know, what's your power?"

Light dawned in his face and he shook his head.

"I'm not a mutant." He answered.

"Oh." She replied, wanting to ask another question but seeing the mess hall approaching.

Cloud glanced around with interest as they entered a lavish dining hall. What he assumed to be students sat around a large dining table with a glass chandelier overhead. The table was set with all kinds of food, which was being quickly devoured. He now realized why everyone had been in such a hurry.

Ororo stood up when she saw Cloud enter and clanged her spoon on her cup.

"Listen up, everybody!"

The noise died down quickly and Cloud found many pairs of eyes scrutinizing him.

"This is Cloud Strife. He'll be staying with us for a while. Please make him feel welcome." Ororo announced.

There was a riot of noise as everybody called a greeting and then went back to hurriedly gathering food from the remaining dishes. Cloud took a seat between Scott and Kurt and gave the food a once over. He opted for the chicken and also grabbed some rice as a bowl passed in front of his face.

For most of the meal, he concentrated on eating. He was feeling slightly overwhelmed by all the super-powered kids on sugar high. The one time he did glance up, he caught Jean's green eyes scrutinizing his face. When she saw him looking, she blushed and turned quickly away.

By the time Cloud was done eating, most of the kids had cleared out and only the ones with kitchen duty were left. He heard the telltale sound of a wheelchair and turned to find the Professor entering the room. As soon as he spotted the blonde man, Xavier spoke.

"Ah, Cloud, just the man I was looking for. The X-men are having a briefing in the council room, and I'd like it if you would attend."

Cloud nodded thoughtfully and followed the Professor.

Xavier led him down to the metallic lower levels, to a place near the infirmary. It was a huge, grey room with a rectangular table in the center and a state-of-the-art display screen.

All eyes riveted instantly to Cloud as he entered with the Professor. Scott, Jean, Kurt, Kitty, Evan, and another girl with brown, white-streaked hair sat around the table.

The Professor wheeled to the head of the table and motioned for Cloud to take a seat. As soon as he had, the Professor began.

"As most of you already know, this is Cloud Strife. He arrived here last night by… less than conventional means.

Cloud, these are the X-men. You've already met most of them, but I'll have them introduce themselves and what they do. Scott, you may begin."

"As you know, I'm Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops. I shoot optic blasts."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Jean Grey. I'm telekinetic and telepathic."

"Kurt Wagner, or Nightcrawler, the fuzzy elf. I can teleport."

"My name's, like, Kitty Pryde. Or, like, you can call me Shadowcat. I phase through things. "

"I'm Evan Munroe. I shoot spikes from my body."

"Name's Rogue. Ah can take people's powers when Ah touch 'em."

"The young men and women are our primary defense against Magneto and the Brotherhood.

Now, the reason I called you all here was not just for introductions. What I have to say is confidential, and must not leave this room." The Professor began, spearing everyone with his eyes.

All the heads nodded.

"From what Cloud has told me about where he comes from, it is a safe bet to say that he doesn't come from our world. We have a vague idea of how he might've gotten here, but we're not sure how to send him back. Until then, he'll be staying with us.

Now, although they don't have mutants in Cloud's world, they do have people with mutant-like powers. Cloud is not a mutant, but perhaps he can explain more eloquently than I what he does."

The Professor mentioned for Cloud to take the floor. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, Cloud stood up and turned a little from the eyes of the group.

"What I do? I'm an ex-soldier, an ex-mercenary, and an ex-member of a rebel group called AVALANCHE. I've fought all my life."

"So, yah're human?" Rogue cut in.

A pair of hauntingly, luminescent eyes cored into hers.

"…no."

Cloud turned his head way, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

"Suffice to say that some who do not know any better would think Cloud is a mutant. That's why he'll be with us." The Professor took over.

"Now, it's getting quite late, and you all have school tomorrow. Meeting adjourned."

The kids filed out and the Professor watched the blonde man between bodies.

Yes, he was a fighter.

It was two in the morning, the moon was shining brightly, a soft breeze stirred at the trees, and Cloud Strife couldn't sleep if his life depended on it. He'd finally thrown on some of his new clothes and headed outside to see if a little fresh air would make him any sleepier.

The truth was, every time he drifted to sleep, he kept dreaming, dreaming of her. Here eyes, her smile, her laughter, the way she moved, how her hair rippled when she ran, the feel of her body pressed up against his as they rode into Midgar to fight Bahamut.

He kept thinking of how she smelled, leather and lavender, and how badly he wanted to kiss her and hold her in his arms. And then he'd think about the promise he made, and how if she was in trouble now he wouldn't be able to save her.

He groaned and mentally whacked himself. Since when had he gotten so sentimental?

The unmistakable sound of a motorcycle cut through the usual nighttime sounds, and Cloud lifted his head, trying to discern where it was coming from. It sounded like it was at the front gates of the mansion. He frowned, wondering why anybody would be arriving so early, and little warning bells went of in his head. He grabbed his sword from where he'd plunged it into the earth, suddenly glad his paranoia had coerced him into bringing it along.

Logan growled impatiently as he jammed the buttons on the mansion gate's electronic lock. Someone must've changed the password, cuz his sure as heck wasn't working. Well, looked like the only way was up, and with a kick to the spiteful gate, he shimmied up and over the wrought-iron entrance. He'd have to come back for his bike later.

As he landed, he picked up a strange smell he didn't recognize. It wasn't the professor or one of the kids. It could've been a new student, but it just smelled… off. The scent was getting stronger, and Logan was struck by the strangeness of it. It smelled… not entirely human, so sharp it hurt his nose. Like when you eat lemon, and the bite of the sour juices stuns you. And it was a multi-layered scent. Logan could pick out the normal human smell, buried under the sharp one, and a third scent, cold and clear and fresh. He wasn't too fond of its overpowering clarity.

Then he heard the tress rustle and a person detached himself from the shadows.

It was a man, by the build, probably in his early twenties. The first thing Logan noticed was his eyes. If the strange smell hadn't put him on guard, the man's eyes would have. They were too bright, too clear. Unwavering and unafraid. No human or mutant he'd seen had eyes like that.

Then the moon glinted off steel, and he saw the sword. It was ridiculously huge, almost as wide as the man and perhaps five feet tall, not counting the hilt. Several colored balls rested in slots near the hilt, and something about the way they shone bothered Logan. Not as much as the fact that if the man had brought the sword along, he could obviously wield it, and if he could wield it, he was no one to be trifled with.

The man was dressed normal enough, in a light jacket and jeans, but that was where the normalcy ended. He was perhaps Logan's opposite. His hair was blonde and stuck out in a million different directions, but it moved with the breeze, so it obviously wasn't gelled. His features were soft, unlike Logan's, and he was taller. Logan could see his muscles from under his clothes, but they weren't bodybuilder huge. He moved smoothly, and seemed relaxed, but he was in a fighter's stance, like he was expecting an attack.

Logan could feel the blue-green eyes scrutinizing him, he saw the man's eyes harden and his mouth tighten, and the muscles in his hand harden around the hilt of the monster sword.

And the sharp smell of his scent swallowed up the other two and strengthened with overwhelming, almost physical force. Logan's senses tingled from the raw power the man exuded and he felt, for the first time in a very long while, the beginnings of fear. His body was on high alert, and all his mind could focus on was how this man shouldn't be anywhere near the Professor and the kids. He had grudging respect for Scott, and saw great promise in Jean's abilities, but he had no doubt this man could slice through them like butter. And he caught the man's eyes, and felt the sheer force of his gaze, and that crystallized his decision. No one with this type of strange, surreal power could have anything on their minds but decimation.

Snikt

The familiar sting in his palms was a welcome feeling as six adamantium claws slid from under his skin. He muscles stretched taut and he lowered into his fighting stance. With the adrenaline rushing through his blood, Wolverine leapt towards the stranger.

It turned out that Cloud had heard a motorcycle, and the rider was already over the front gates. For a minute Cloud thought it was Loz, but no, this man definitely wasn't him. Although he had roughly the same build, albeit quite a bit shorter, and a similar hairstyle, he wasn't clean cut like Loz and, from what Cloud could see, he didn't look like he had Loz's sense of humor or sentimentalism.

He had unruly black hair and sideburns, and his jaw was covered with a least a day's worth of stubble. He wore jeans, cowboy boots, and a leather jacket that looked like it'd had quite a trip.

Cloud could see the feral gleam in the man's eyes, like a wild animal, and his own eyes unconsciously narrowed. Cloud didn't want to be hasty, but he couldn't see any logical reason why a rough-looking man like that would be climbing over a gate into a schoolyard at two a.m. in the morning.

His knuckles tightened on his sword. He wasn't going to make the first move, but…

There was an audible snikt and six wicked looking metal claws shot out of the man's knuckles. So, a mutant then. Masking his surprise, Cloud readied himself for the inevitable, waiting for the man to attack, waiting, waiting…

There.

Cloud's mako-inhanced senses warned him a split second before the clawed man shot towards him, metal weapons extended.

Logan had been counting on the weight and sheer size of the sword to slow the man down, but he had no such luck. His adversary whipped the sword around like it was a child's plaything and blocked Logan's swipes.

To his utmost astonishment, Logan felt resistance from the sword and leapt back to see that his adamantium claws hadn't left a single mark on it. Adamantium was the strongest metal known to man; he should have been able to cut through the sword easily.

The man's strange eyes watched him from overtop the unscathed metal of his sword, and Logan cursed his treacherous body for the involuntary shiver it gave. He rolled to the side this time, springing forward as soon as he had righted himself and brought his claws into a downward slash at the man's side. The sword was there this time too, seeming to have a life of its own as it moved effortlessly to block.

As he landed, he drew his left arm back and shot it forward, aiming for the man's head. The young man dodged smoothly to the right and brought his sword up to block Logan's right-handed swipe at his chest.

Undeterred, Logan unleashed a flurry of lightning fast slashes, every one met by the gigantic sword. But in this close of combat, the huge sword had limited maneuverability, and it was only the man's skill that kept the claws at arms-length. Logan had the upper hand at this proximity and he knew it.

But something bothered him. There had been several times when Logan had readied himself for a counterattack that never came. A man this skilled would obviously have seen those chances himself. The man was only playing defense, but why?

And then, before he had time to ponder that thought, Logan saw his opening and took it.

Charles Xavier woke with a start, sensing Logan's arrival and the ensuing battle. Feeling that the situation was getting out of hand, he woke the X-men. In three minutes, tops, they had all assembled in the foyer with Xavier, now in his wheelchair.

It was obvious that they had no idea what was going on, so the Professor took a few minutes of precious time to explain.

"Logan has come back, but I'm afraid it's not the happy occasion we were planning. He's fighting Cloud right now on the mansion front lawn.

I can't get through to either of them telepathically. I'm worried that Logan is slipping back into his berserker rage.

And Cloud… Well, to put it simply, every time I've to enter his mind or speak to him telepathically it has caused a great deal of pain to the both of us. I can't seem to get past his surface thoughts.

We're going to have to break this up the old-fashioned way, and as soon as possible. Otherwise, I have a bad feeling it could end in death."

Suddenly alert by the gravity of the situation, the pajama clad X-men nodded and followed quickly out the front doors.

They arrived just in time to witness a battle the likes of which they'd never seen before. Logan was in top form, fighting like his animal namesake. And Cloud moved so fluidly, his sword like and extension of his arm.

But it didn't last long.

With a particularly strong strike, Logan managed to catch Cloud off balance, his sword held awkwardly over his head in an attempt to keep hold of it. Before he could bring it back, Logan drove both sets of razor-sharp claws into Cloud's torso and ripped them out, the force of the blow sending the younger man flying back, where he promptly hit the ground in a bad way.

Blood was streaming down Cloud's side as he lay on the ground, breathing heavily and in pain. He started coughing violently, spitting out blood and saliva.

He was a dead man, everyone watching could see that.

"Logan!" The Professor called.

Logan was too far gone, caught in the grip of his rage.

Xavier heard Jean cry out in surprise, and he focused his attention on the dying Cloud. One of the balls set near the hilt of his sword began to glow, first faintly and then brighter, until it shone strongly. Streams of green trickled from the ball, up the hilt of the sword, and onto Cloud's wounds.

As the X-men watched, the wounds began to knit themselves back together. It was like watching Logan's healing factor. When they had fully closed, the ball dimmed and the light winked out.

Cloud's breathing strengthened, and pulled himself to his feet, good as new.

His other hand went to his sword, and as he pulled it away, part of the sword detached and came with. Giving it an experimental swing, he fell into stance, then raced forward, both swords hungry for a fight.

Logan, still in shock, barely blocked in time. The force of the blow sent shudders down his arm. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he was worried.

The man spun in a circle, first one sword, then the other, glancing off Logan's hastily erected defenses. Without missing a beat, the swordsman planted both feet and lashed out both swords.

Logan leapt to the side, narrowly escaping. Then he too, attacked, using the same tactic as before. This time, however, the man had two smaller swords, on for each of Logan's sets of claws, and he blocked and parried perfectly.

Trapping both of Logan's hands in a block, the man swung his right sword sideways and would've taken off Logan's head if he hadn't ducked.

Claws free now, he droved them forward from his crouched position, aiming for the knees. The man leapt into the air and somersaulted, bringing both swords hurtling towards the ground. Dirt and debris caught in a shockwave of blue energy burst from the ground as the swords hit and slammed into Logan, sending him flying back. He hit the concrete fence with a crack.

Running towards him, the man slammed his two swords together again and brought them down with all his might into to Logan's waiting claws.

The sweat dripped down Logan's face as he forced his muscles to hold back the sword. He'd never, never faced someone like this. Someone so… viciously strong. With the man on the offensive now, he himself could barely get an attack in edgewise.

Logan met the man's eyes and felt the power behind the sword begin to weaken. This was his chance; he had to through the sword off his claws now. He gathered the last reserves of strength in his muscles.

Cloud could feel his draining energy; he couldn't hold his sword like this much longer. The mutant was good, a very skilled fighter who'd obviously been in a lot of battles. Cloud felt his sword slipping, knew he was going to lose it.

No!

Mako and Jenova cells kicked into overdrive, flooding his veins like supped-up adrenaline. His strength returned, doubled, tripled, and he forced it all into the edge of the sword.

Now! Logan thought, preparing to throw the sword off.

But then he saw it.

His eyes!

Green flooded his blue eyes and they began to glow more fiercely, more strongly, suddenly filled with burning determination.

The arms behind the sword found new strength and drove it forward.

Logan watched in horror as his adamantium claws began to bend, further and further. And then, the sword had pushed his claws down enough to be level with his heart. Suddenly it drove forward, spearing him with all its glory. He felt his chest part at least a foot as the metal slid into him and through the concrete on the other side.

Then the man stepped back, taking the sword with him, and Logan slumped forward.

Cliffhanger! I'm sooo evil. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA! Yeah. If you review, I might feel slightly less evil….