Disclaimer: I own nothing...(checks)...yep still don't own it.

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. If you haven't recently read chapter 1 and 2, I suggest you take a second glance. I have reworked both chapters, they are longer and flow better than the original versions.

-Washington D.C.-

Professor Xavier entered the hotel room he used during any visit to the nation's capital. He hadn't been here since the last inaugural address two years ago. The MRD tactical team that had accompanied him finished sweeping the room for surveillance devices, then left to converse with their local counterparts. Two agents remained in the room, a necessary inconvenience following multiple assassination attempts.

The older of the two agents slumped into a chair at the table, "Relax Wainwright, thought you wanted more field assignments?"

"Easy for you. You've been MRD since the start...I've never had to deal with politicians." Agent Wainwright sighed, "Just wanted to get out of the mansion once in a while. Dad kept me on babysitting duty."

Professor X turned to the young man, "Your father is merely concerned for your well being William. For every X-Man we've lost in the last thirty years, we've lost twelve MRD agents."

"I know sir...mom went down trying to stop the massacre of the Morlocks." William dropped into the sofa, "Kelly can't even remember her."

Xavier sighed as he leaned back in his wheelchair, "I'll have a word with Jean when we get back. She and your mother were close as students."

The older agent's walkie talkie made a squawking sound, he listened on his earpiece then responded, "Yeah...send them up." He turned to the Professor, "Sir, we have company."

A moment later the door opened allowing Cable and Bishop to enter. The two time traveling X-Men nodded to the agents before moving to the Professor. Cable huffed, "Got an emergency signal from the mansion. Something happened, we're not positive but we think it has to do with the new kid."

Professor X reached out with his mind to his students. Jean was quick to respond her mentally projected voice calm, but edged, "Professor...we are searching for an unknown shape taker."

Xaveir responded calmly, "Has he harmed anyone?"

"No, he attempted to use a signal device to activate Ajax programming...as we believed his programing is incomplete only consisting of a knowledge base, no behavioral or subliminal commands." Jean's mental voice paused, "Apparently we found the man whose form was taken, he is alive, ambushed while on morning perimeter patrol."

Xavier frowned, "Keep me informed." Jean responded in affirmative then cut the connection. Turning to the two time travelers he motioned to the table, "It is nothing we can do anything about from here, we must focus on the Senator."

Cable placed a flashing cube on the table, "Bring up the file on Senator Robert Kelly."

The cube's sides rotated flashing before a holographic projection was emitted from the top showing the senator. A computerized voice read out the file, "Senator Robert S. Kelly, Senator of File Corrupted, husband of File Corrupted Kelly, father of File Corrupted Kelly."

Bishop frowned, "What the hell Cable, is everything corrupted?"

Cable glared back at Bishop, "You're only from what seventy years from now, I'm more than five hundred than you. By my time Senator Kelly is dust in the ground, and after what Apocalypse has done to the world you're lucky anything remains."

The computer cube continued listing off known data, but much of it was corrupted. After several minutes the cube became quiet and Cable returned it to a storage compartment in his technorganic arm. Xavier was about to speak when there was a knock on the door. Cable and Bishop both readied their weapons, the agents taking up positions next to the Professor. The older of the agents quietly checked in with the guards in the hotel.

After a few minutes Xavier smiled, "William, if you would answer the door...your cousin is tired of waiting."

Holstering his side arm the agent walked over to the door and threw it open, "Damn it Gregor, why didn't you check in?"

"Nice to see you to Willy, my reasons are good." Gregor Wainwright entered the room followed by Robert Kelly, the senator nervously looked at the two massive men carrying the largest guns he'd ever seen. Gregor turned to Xavier, "Professor, I believe you know Senator Kelly."

Xavier nodded, "We've had the pleasure." Sensing the senator's unease he indicated the two who uneasily returned their rifles to their backs, "Senator, may I introduce my associates. Cable and Bishop are X-Men, Cable is in charge of X-Force, while Bishop handles security at the Washington MRD offices. The MRD agents handling my security detail are Mr. Franks and Mr. Wainwright.

Kelly looked at Gregor, "I take it from the scene at the door you're related."

Nodding Gregor slugged his cousin's shoulder, "Willy is my baby cousin...in fact this is his first field assignment."

William rubbed his shoulder, "First field yeah, but not my first mission."

Bishop scoffed, "Watching the kids at the mansion doesn't equal a real mission."

"I don't know, some of those kids are trouble," Cable sneered, "especially that girl Kelly Wainwright."

Xavier shook his head at Cable's jab then turned back to the Senator, "I apologize for having Gregor infiltrate your office, but it was either infiltration and investigation covertly or having X-Factor and MRD investigative services storming it. If X-Factor had been called in you'd be up on charges...aiding and abetting terrorist organizations would be the least, possible acts of treason the worst."

Rubbing his brow Kelly sat on a recliner, "I'm aware of that Professor...I think I've always been aware." He looked at the other men in the room, "I allowed my fear...my hate to overrule by common sense."

"Common sense is not always infallible," Xavier moved closer to the Senator, "I take it by the cloak and dagger means of your arrival you have made your decision."

The Senator nodded, "Yes...I...I need time to..." The Senator looked afraid, "...my family...when I renounce my former associations...they'll come after my wife and children."

Xavier nodded, "Do not worry Senator...my people are quite skilled." He nodded to Cable.

The large white haired man pulled a communicator from his belt, "Wade, Betsy we have a green light, get your asses moving."

-Outside Senator's Brownstone-

Deadpool pulled down his hood as the MRD troops behind him checked their weapons, "Hear that Betsy, we get to play."

"Wilson, we're to protect the Senator's family...doesn't mean we confront the knuckle draggers unless they attack first." Psylocke ignited her psionic blade, "So stay in character for once."

Deadpool looks to the reader, "What? I'm always in character."

-Forrest outside Xavier School for the Gifted-

Trees whipped by as they followed the scent. Logan ducked a branch as he followed the two shapeshifters on the path. James and Caliban quick on his heels, with Hank and Nightcrawler bringing up the rear. It was crazy letting a kid with uncontrolled powers take the lead, but he wasn't going to argue with results.

After leaping over a rock he found Rahne and Ajax sitting at the edge of a creek in their transitional forms. Ajax swatted at the water, "The scent vanished."

James landed on the rock, "Any other signs?"

Rahne picked up a dead bird, "Same marks as were on the guard...also the shape taker's scent is all over it."

"Guess mass doesn't limit him." Beast took the bird and looked closer, "Also seems our guard is lucky, the bird's heart was ruptured by the probes used to sample the DNA."

Wolverine turned to Ajax, "Anything in that computer brain of yours?"

Glaring Ajax turned back to the stream, "Specimen fifty seven, codenamed Formless...age forty three, height varys, hair none, eyes varys...killed his mother while using the form of his human half-brother." He turned to Rahne, "He's not programmed."

Kurt frowned, "Not programmed? Then why did he kill his mother?"

Ajax frowned, "He's a monster, I don't know...I only know what is in my head."

"Ajax, you called him Specimen fifty seven, what did that mean?" Hank had a theory.

The young shapeshifter looked to the blue mutant, "Specimens were successful experiments into producing mutant offspring of En Sabah Nur...not to be confused as Clan Akkaba we are designated as the Sons of Apocalypse."

Rahne frowned, "You said successful experiments...there were failed ones to?"

"Failed experiments were terminated to conserve resources for further experiments." Ajax pointed to himself, "Specimen ninety eight...Caine is specimen ninety nine."

"Guess you're the older brother after all." Logan turned in the direction of the manor, "No use lingering out here, we should get back before they send a search party."

Kurt appeared between Rahne and Ajax, "No problem Logan. I'll have us all back in no time."

-Xavier School for the Gifted-

Scott listened as the tracking squad revealed all that had transpired on the outing, "So, no way to catch this guy?"

"Not likely, unless we can get some early warning...doubt he could change forms to anything smaller than that bird." Wolverine looked out the window where Ajax was once more playing with the other kids, a game of capture the flag had been started by the older kids, "It's kind of creepy how much the kid knows...I think being faced by one of the others must have unlocked some of the blocks."

Emma and Jean shared a look before the red head spoke, "Actually it was the programming speaking...as we said he's basically a walking knowledge base. You ask him a question while the programming is active he will answer, when the programming isn't active he couldn't have told you a thing."

The field leader frowned, "So right now he doesn't know any of the stuff he did at the creek?"

"No, when they got back I shut down the programming. He remembers going out after that mutant, he just can't remember anything he said or was said to him." Jean crossed her arms, "There's also the fact Emma and I were able to read some of what is stored in his head."

"Think of the blocks of programing as wings in a library, each is a cluster of related data. The ones activated this afternoon centered on identities of his "siblings" and general history." Emma looked impressed, "Whoever did this had advanced tech, to literally download data into a person's mind."

"Think Caine had the same knowledge?" Logan was concerned with how much one twin knew over the other.

Jean nodded, "Yes, and due to his programming being active has more access to the knowledge. It's also why he seemed more advanced, he may only be twelve years old, he has the knowledge and programed experience of decades."

-School Grounds-

Rahne watched as the entire student body participated in a game of capture the flag. The older students had been separated into teams by their instructors, while the younger students had been chosen by the upperclassmen. Ajax was on Jubilee's team along with Daken, Laura, Julian, Carter, Talia and Megan. Several older human students had chosen them to supplement the lacking number of mutants on their team.

Talia had proven to be troublesome for the other team to catch, but along with Megan and Julian had joined Jubilee in the other teams prison area. Ajax had been a few feet from the flag when he'd heard Talia bampf right into two opponents, who promptly caught her. With a growl he slunk behind them as they reached the holding area. The guarding students had a moment to call out before he raised his laser tagger and fired four shots.

Talia smiled as her teammates collected their taggers and headed for their base, "Thanks Ajax." With that she bampf back to base.

"Man...next time remind me to chose him for our team." One of the older boys said from his place on the ground, waiting for his vest to stop flashing red.

One of his friends grumbled, "We told you to, but no you complained we didn't know enough about his abilities."

Ajax shook his head at the two humans before jogging off back towards the flag. He arrived to find Kelly and the other team's leader firing their taggers at each other, but neither hit. Leaping up he grabbed the flag landing next to Kelly, "Got the flag, let's go."

Kelly fired off two random shots, "Show off." Then took off back to their base.

The pair darted toward their base, a pair of older students crossed the line drawing attention away from them. They were a few feet from the line when Talia appeared on Kelly's shoulder and vanished with her, a moment later she landed on Ajax's own and they both vanished a moment later.

Appearing at their base Ajax handed the flag to Megan, "You want to take care of it?"

The little girl smiled as her wings fluttered and she made her way up their pole adding the flag to the collection of other teams flags. Jubilee clapped her hands and shot fireworks into the air, "The champions once more."

There was much grumbling as everyone returned to the back patio of the mansion where most the faculty and other adults waited. Scott crossed his arms, "Well, seems Jubilee's team won the day. As an award no one from your team is on KP duty tonight, and you get to choose tonights movie."

Everyone grumbled as the two small girls began pulling on Jubilee's arms begging for a Disney movie. Knowing she would cave everyone accepted their fate of musical number and cutsie cartoon animals. Ajax frowned at the two girls' antics, "What's a Poke a haunt us?"

Julian shook his head, "Pocahontas...it's a Disney movie released last year. Those two have already burned out three tapes of it...not as bad as The Lion King, they went through six tapes in two months."

Daken snickered, "They had help there, Laura was hooked on the songs...and the whole moving pictures thing."

The female clawed pre-teen glared at Daken, "Don't lie you never argued about sneaking downstairs to watch it."

"I'm starting to understand why Guthrie called this place a mad house." He made his way over to Rahne, who was sitting with Dani and Anne Marie better known as Rogue. She smiled as he glanced at the two women before turning to her, "We didn't eat at midday...I'm hungry."

Rahne stood up, "Well, guess I should show you the kitchens...we can get warmed up for dinner, don't need to look like gluttons."

"I'll come along," Rogue stood up, "Need to help get dinner started anyway."

-Kitchens-

Ajax was surprised by the size of the mansion's kitchen, the room could of filled the cabin he once lived under and still had room to spare. Already a dozen white clad people were moving about preparing various dishes. Rahane grabbed two plates from under covers and put them on a table, motioning him to sit.

"Figured after that chase you'd have gotten a bit hungry." Rahne picked up her hamburger.

Picking up his own he took a large bite and chewed ravenously. After swallowing he continued, "We use to hunt whenever we were hungry...didn't smell anything more than a couple squirrels on the way to the creek."

"Squirrels?" Rahne was surprised, "Guess that's better than rats...not much, but could have been worse."

Rogue dropped a plate of fries between the two shapeshifters and took a seat, "I half to agree with Rahne, there's far worse things you could have eaten...especially in the forests you were found in." Grabbing a couple fries she winked at Ajax, "Nice save during the game...those boys knew Talia couldn't teleport with both them holding her. My little niece isn't able to take more than one person, and not a full grown one at that...you and Kelly were about her limit."

"Talia is your niece?" Alex frowned, "So...you're related to that Pietro guy?"

Rogue laughed, "Nah sugah, Kurt and I share a mum...well technically. Kurt was raised by a circus in Germany, and I was raised by his mum." She snatched another fry and leaned in conspiratorially, "Truth is we have another brother, but he's the black sheep of the family."

Ajax frowned, "Why?"

"Cause he's not a mutant...surprising seeing how both his parents are." Rogue stood up, "Now, you two enjoy them burgers, cause I got to whip up some of Remy's favorite gumbo."

-Faculty Commons-

Scott flipped on CNN as most the other X-Men entered the sitting room. Kitty was the last to enter, "Everything is set...some of the older kids chose to study in the dining hall."

Logan nodded, "If we didn't have this faculty meeting I'd be avoiding the other sitting room as well...though I can still hear the singing."

"Looks like the interview is on." Scott turned up the volume on the TV.

"Welcome Gentlemen, I'm pleased you had time to meet me today." The reporter appeared nervous, probably the presence of Cable and Bishop off camera, "Senator Kelly, you agreed to this interview to answer questions regarding your stance on the mutant issue."

"I'll stop you right there Mr. Roberts. I'm fully aware that this interview was to be an ambush...I was warned ahead of time that you acquired some information that could paint me in a bad light when taken out of context." Senator Kelly indicated a folder laying on the table between him and the reporter, "You may ask the questions you truly intended to ask."

"Yes, well...if you could please explain your supposed support of certain...well lack of a better word hate groups." The reporter shuffled his notes, "There are reports of your speaking at rallies for the Friends of Humanity...as well as other newer hate groups that have been revealed."

The Senator sighed, "As a senator I'm asked to speak at many events...I'm sorry to say I thought I could be a voice of reason, but reason is not what those people seek." Kelly leaned forward steepling his fingers, "These people are afraid of something they do not understand...a sad thing that is propagated by forcing mutant children into hiding. To think schools were mutants can learn to control their power have to operate under a cloak of shadow."

"But it is well known the Xavier Institute is a school for young mutants." The Reporter turned to Xavier, "Professor Xavier, you agreed to this meeting I fear under false pretenses. You see, I was hoping you as a member of the MRD supervisory committee knew the Senator's crimes."

The Professor calmly looked at the reporter, "We have been aware of the Senator's activities for some time. We needed only to speak with him to know he was an unwilling accomplice in recent tech thefts and ambushes of MRD squads performing their tasks."

Senator Kelly followed up, "I am willing and able to admit my faults...I have also revealed all my contacts among the various hate groups I've had contact with."

-Senator Kelly's Brownstone-

Deadpool stood in the middle of the living room as the MRD troopers dug in using walls and furniture for cover. Wade pointed to one behind the kitchen island, "You...move to this side of the island...your back's to that window." He heard the man move to the indicated location, then pointed to the man on the stairs, "What point of concealing yourself don't you understand."

As the man moved up a couple more steps he let his arm relax, "Man...you'd think you were all amateurs."

"Wade get up here." Psylocke called from upstairs.

An instant later he blinked out of existence to appear next to Psylocke, "What's up Betsy?"

"Gah...don't call me that in front of the client Wade." Psylocke motioned to the window, "I count seventeen...lots of automatic weapons."

Deadpool pulled out his twin submachine guns, "Want me to introduce them to Bonnie and Clyde?"

Shaking her head the telepath pointed downstairs, "Don't need you going postal in the middle of a civilian area...stay downstairs and keep our troops alive."

"Right they have wives and children...or mothers and fathers...or"

"Stop Wade...just go back downstairs." Psylocke waited for Deadpool to vanish before turning to the Senator's wife and children. The girl a teenager, the boy no older than thirteen. Deadpool had to collect the boy from a neighborhood basketball court...it took him three tries to get the right kid.

The Senator's wife, Rebecca clutched her children, "What's going to happen?"

"If they're smart they'll stay outside and just be intimidating...if not things will get very loud." She smiled reassuringly, "I just need you and the kids to stay in here...but if things go bad when I tell you to hide in the bathroom."

From downstairs there was a yell, "Malatov!"

Moments later Deadpool was standing in an inferno...his troopers rolling on the ground extinguishing the flames licking at their body armor. Narrowing his eyes out the smashed window he drew his katana, "Bad move."

In an instant he vanished reappearing next to the denim clad man who'd thrown the bottle of gasoline, a second later and a slash of the blade the man lost a hand. Deadpool began ping ponging around the street incapacitating and maiming anyone wearing a FOH shirt.

Upstairs Psylocke used a fire extinguisher to force back the flames licking at the bottom of the door. A moment later the door was kicked in and two troopers entered spraying fire retardant around the door.

Huffing she tossed the extinguisher aside, "Took your sweet time."

"Sorry miss...took a while to put the rest of the team out." One of the troopers surveyed the room, "Agent Wilson has the street secured."

"Damn," Psylocke ran out of the house leaving the Kelly family in the hands of the troopers. Outside she found Deadpool putting tourniquets on the severed limbs of the Friends of Humanity foot soldiers he's maimed.

As she walked up to him he held up his hands, "What? They started it." Without a word she punched the red clad merc.

-Xavier School for the Gifted-

Night had fallen on the manor and Rahne led Ajax back to their room. As they entered she tossed him his bag of toiletries, "Brush your teeth, and get changed into those night clothes." She watched him go into the bathroom then moved behind to privacy screen to change into her nightgown.

After brushing her own teeth and returning to the room she found Ajax looking out the window, "It's strange...being inside at night."

"Guess you get used to sleeping under trees if that's all you know." She sat on the window seat with him, "You miss Caine don't you."

He nodded, "Not the Caine you met...he wasn't my twin anymore. Caine always said he was the older brother, so it was his job to look out for us. It was him that found places for us to sleep...we'd find cabins during the winter to hold up in, if we couldn't we'd chase a bear out its den."

"You chased bears out of their dens?"

He smirked, "I can get pretty big if I need to...and we never chased mother bears out, only males." At her look he tapped his nose, "The nose knows." He turned back to the window, "I was the better hunter...though campgrounds were always fun."

Rahne frowned, "You stole?"

"Sometimes...transforming and getting big we were mistaken for a couple bears." He shook his head, "Most times we waited for the people to leave and scavenged through their leavings. Sometimes we raided hunters snares and traps."

"How'd you meet the people in the cabin?" Rahne was curious why the people took care of the twins.

Ajax swallowed hard, "We saved her...she tried to throw herself from a waterfall." His focus turned back to the night sky, "I used my power to heal her after Caine pulled her from the water." He began picking at the borrowed shirt, "She was scared of us at first...thought we were devil dogs sent to take her soul to hell for killing herself. After Caine took his human form she became less frightened, then the old man showed up. He tried chasing us off, but she wouldn't hear of it."

"Sounds like she took to you."

"She took to Caine...remember he looks human, I was just part of the package." Snarling he turned to the rooms door, "We lived in a tool shed for awhile, the old man didn't want us in the house...during the first winter we moved into the crawlspace to get out of the cold. Her boyfriend learned about us that following spring...we stayed there two more years. Then I made that slip...I think...I think calling her that triggered something in Caine. He started causing accidents...they escalated until the fire."

Rahne changed to her first transition form, "You know...the terms mother and father don't always apply to the person you're related to. From the memory I saw she seemed to have come to accept you both, so did he. They were more like parents to you than I may ever be...to tell you the truth, I'm not sure about being a mother."

Ajax frowned, "What about your parents?"

The older shapeshifter winced, "My mother died before my powers manifested...as for my father, well...I haven't thought about him in a few years." She rubbed her arms, "He wasn't very supportive of my being a mutant...thought he could purge it out of me."

That statement made the younger shapeshifter wince, "What do you know of my father?"

"Personally I've never met him." She looked out the window, "The others...Scott, Jean, Logan...they've crossed paths with him from time to time. Warren...Arcangel...he knows him the best, was forced to serve him for a time. Caliban was a slave to him until my teammate James found him awhile back."

"Caliban...the one who tried talking to me in the forest?"

Rahne nodded, "He sensed you weren't as aggressive as your brother...said you weren't willing to talk."

"You kind of got zapped by Caine, had to use my power to stop the drain." Ajax frowned, "I've seen what happens when he even touches someone with the red energy...they seize and slowly become weaker...all the while Caine get's stronger and heals."

Rahne frowned, "Can Caine heal without zapping someone?"

Shaking his head Ajax allowed his blue energy to arc along his fingers, "I heal whenever I get hurt...but he has to drain someone else to jumpstart his healing."

"Good to know." Rahne looked at the digital clock on her nightstand, "Eleven already...time to get some sleep." Guiding him to the cot she helped him get covered up then pulled the privacy screen as she got into bed, returning to her human form as she pulled her blankets over herself.

As she reached up to turn off the bedside lamp she heard a quiet "Night mom." from beyond the privacy screen. Smiling she turned off the lamp.